History PapaWolf / WesternAnimation

** Yes, the eco-villains, by all means, try to kill the five kids who are more or less the adopted children of an immortal Earth spirit. Granted, it's implied that Captain Planet, like his team, is not allowed to kill, but if you dare mess with his Planeteers, you'd better RUN when he shows up.

* ''WesternAnimation/YoungJustice2010'': Black Manta towards his son [[spoiler:Aqualad,]] despite almost killing him in Season 1, in Season 2 [[spoiler:he responds to Sportsmaster's request to kill him with an angry: "No one touches my son." After that, he tries to have Psimon, and later Miss Martian help him. When Sportsmaster and Cheshire attack his sub, he orders his men to help his son instead of him, and later abandons his fight to save him. In addition, when his men set a charge to blow through a door and rescue him, he detonates it prematurely, blowing the soldiers away, wanting to get to his son as soon as possible.]]

* ''WesternAnimation/DannyPhantom'': Ever seen a BumblingDad battle and win against a 50-foot-[[OurGhostsAreDifferent ghost monster]]? Congratulations, you have just been pwned by Jack Fenton. Now ''leave his kids alone''.

** Mako has shades of this in regards to his [[BigBrotherInstinct little brother Bolin]], most likely because of how much he had to [[PromotionToParent take care of him after the death of their parents]].

* ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries'': Again, Batman's '''one''' principle is to [[ThouShaltNotKill never take a life]], but if you '''dare''' to [[TheFagin enslave innocent children to steal for you]] like The Sewer King did, you better damn well pray that he ''does'' hold onto it.
-->'''Batman:''' [[ThouShaltNotKill I don't pass sentence.]] That's for the courts. [[OOCIsSeriousBusiness But this time]], '''this time''', I am ''sorely'' tempted to do the job ''myself''.

** Batman's reaction in the infamous flashback in ''WesternAnimation/BatmanBeyondReturnOfTheJoker''... [[spoiler: when he was beating the heck out of ComicBook/TheJoker after the latter revealed that, he not only kidnapped, but subjected Tim-Drake!Robin to three weeks of electrocution-based torture as well as truth serum, and then turned him into a grotesque miniature version of the Joker. He even states "I'll break you in two!" in a very chilling manner.]]

* ''WesternAnimation/Ben10'' may be well able to protect himself thanks to the Omnitrix, but on one occasion, his father ended up attacking a [[BigBad High Breed]] with a {{BFG}} for threatening him. Considering how powerful the High Breed had been up to that point, doing that is pretty dang impressive. Ben's grandpa Max has also shown traits of this.
** And Ben grows up into one in at least one timeline. Kevin 11,000 hurts Ben's son Ken. Cue Ben going Way Big and pummelling Kevin into the ground in an UnstoppableRage.

** Scrooge, much like his ''87'' counterpart is also very protective of his family. This is best shown near the end of the first season when it's revealed that [[spoiler:he nearly drove himself into bankrupcy trying to find his niece Della after she was lost in space, only stopping after ten years because his board of directors physically prevented him from continuing.]]

** [[BumblingDad Goofy]] himself can be a PapaWolf to his own son, Max. In one episode "Date with Destiny", in which Max has to stay over at Pete's house, thanks to the Goof household being disarray, Goofy's acute dog ears picked up the sound of Max scream the night of the stay over, and dashed straight over to check up on him.

* The 1955 ''WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes'' cartoon "Pappy's Puppy" has [[BullyBulldog Butch the bulldog]] become a father. Butch actually trains his son (a tiny bulldog puppy) to attack cats, leading the pup to attack Sylvester. Anytime Sylvester tries to harm or drive off the puppy, Butch [[InvokedTrope intervenes]]. This happens [[RunningGag throughout the cartoon]]; you'd think Sylvester would wise up and leave the pup alone.

* When Egon of ''WesternAnimation/TheRealGhostbusters'' was literally paralyzed with fear by the Boogey Man, he found the strength to escape his bonds when the Boogey Men threatened the Junior Ghost Busters, a trio of children he had been mentoring.

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Rugrats}}'': Hard to believe since most of the babies' adventures are caused by ParentalObliviousness, but once the parents find out that the kids have wandered off, they are quick to rescue them from whatever danger is present. Most notable among them are [[GeniusBruiser Stu Pickles]], [[RetiredBadass Lou Pickles]], and [[CrouchingMoronHiddenBadass Charles Finster]]. The last of these is particularly protective of his son because, up until the second movie, he is a widower.

** On the original ''WesternAnimation/ScoobyDooWhereAreYou'', whenever Shaggy or Velma were in dire straits ("Nowhere To Hyde" and "That's Snow Ghost," notably and respectively), this chicken-hearted Great Dane would knock it out of the park to rescue them.
* ''WesternAnimation/TheSecretSaturdays'': Solomon "Doc" Saturday is both TeamDad and PapaWolf.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheMask'': The Mask due to being a {{Friend to all Children}} is this due to the fact that he genuinely cares about the children and while they are in his care he will protect them at all costs even if at one time he went off track which he got himself back on it straightaway and when Lonnie the Shark asks him who he is The Mask only tells him he is the baby's babysitter and he do not want to mess with the babysitter.

* ''WesternAnimation/StarWarsTheCloneWars'': You do ''not'' want to threaten Ahsoka when Anakin's around.
** Considering the threat of losing someone he cares for is what eventually causes him to turn into Vader, this is understandable.
*** A villainous example with a dash of MoralMyopia with the leader of the Trandoshan Slavers with the death of his son.

* ''WesternAnimation/TaleSpin'': ''God help you'' if you screw with Kit. If ParentalSubstitute Baloo doesn't punch your lights out, he'll ''chase you down with his plane.''

** Dale, too, even after learning that Joseph is [[ComicallyMissingThePoint "part-alien"]]. He once heard his son screaming in his sleep. What does he do? He kicks the door to his bedroom open, brandishing two pistols, ready to blast the threat to kingdom come. When Joseph says he just had a bad dream, Dale says, "Oh. How about I read you a story?"

* ''Franchise/ThePowerpuffGirls'' usually don't need Professor Utonium to protect them, but the rare times they do, he ''definitely'' qualifies. (Or at least he tries.) One episode of [[WesternAnimation/ThePowerpuffGirls1998 the original series]], "[[Recap/ThePowerpuffGirlss3E11Powerprof Powerprof.]]", in which Utonium tries to join them on their adventures, [[AmazinglyEmbarrassingParents embarrassing them to no end]], is resolved by them exploiting this; they let Mojo Jojo kidnap them and let Professor Utonium fight him one-on-one to save them, knowing he'll tire himself out and call it quits.

* ''WesternAnimation/AmericanDad'' also does this. "Surro-Gate" is a good example, as it shows a CampGay who previously solved fights with dance moves out of ''Theatre/WestSideStory'' punching out Stan in one hit after he kidnaps the guy's daughter.

* ''WesternAnimation/ThePowerpuffGirls'' usually don't need Professor Utonium to protect them, but the rare times they do, he ''definitely'' qualifies. (Or at least he tries.)
** One episode where Utonium tried to join them on their adventures, [[AmazinglyEmbarrassingParents embarrassing them to no end]], is resolved by them exploiting this; they let Mojo Jojo kidnap them and let Professor Utonium fight him one-on-one to save them, knowing he'll tire himself out and call it quits.

--> '''Lonnie the Shark''': Who in blazes are you?
--> '''The Mask''': The Babysitter and you don't ever want to mess with the babysitter.

* ''ComicBook/TheSmurfs1981'': You don't threaten Papa Smurf's little Smurfs unless you want to be on the receiving end of one of Papa Smurf's potions.

** A darker example: in "[[Recap/SouthParkS20E6FortCollins Fort Collins]]," the [[InternetJerk entire Internet history of everyone in the titular town is released to everyone else in town]]. The {{Troll}} called [=MLKKK=] is quickly found by the father of a disabled girl whom he'd mocked online [[KillItWithFire and gets burnt to death]].

* ''WesternAnimation/TheRenAndStimpyShow:'' In "A Visit to Anthony," Ren and Stimpy are severely intimidated by Anthony's father. And they have every reason to be. He's very large, heavily muscled, despite his age, and unlike most of the "lummoxes" seen in the show, he is not only healthy looking, but reasonably intelligent. Just getting a threatening speech from him puts the fear of god into you. His silent rage is even more frightening when coupled with his weeping when he thinks his son is in danger, even if it's just of being disappointed.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheSecretSaturdays:'' Solomon "Doc" Saturday is both TeamDad and PapaWolf.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons:''
** Homer Simpson may be the personification of the BumblingDad, but once he gets it through his thick skull that something's wrong with his kids, he will move mountains to make it right. One example can be found in the episode [[Recap/TheSimpsonsS16E5FatManAndLittleBoy Fat Man and Little Boy]], since he decided to become nurturing with Bart having taking over the breadwinner role, only to get conned from major profits by his benefactor. Cue one serious Homer:
-->'''Homer:''' Sir, this is a class 2 plutonium fissure reactor. If I turn this dial, the resulting blast would destroy the entire tri-city area, including that guy who sells those Blu-Blocker sunglasses people sometimes wear. (Waves at Homer, who waves back) Damn him to hell!\\

'''Homer:''' Are you prepared to take that chance? (Proceeds to turn the knob on said mini fissure reactor just a bit, causing the nearby fake vomit to ''start bubbling.'')
** Bart's one-off pet python, "Strangles", from "[[Recap/TheSimpsonsS18E20StopOrMyDogWillShoot Stop! Or My Dog Will Shoot]]" is friendly to and protective of Bart (the one time he strangles anyone is [[AbusiveParents Homer]]...to defend Bart from being strangled).
* ''ComicBook/TheSmurfs:'' You don't threaten Papa Smurf's little Smurfs unless you want to be on the receiving end of one of Papa Smurf's potions.

* ''WesternAnimation/SpongebobSquarepants:'' ''Spongebob'' of all people has this for his pet snail Gary. He's only stood up to his boss Mr. Krabs on a few occasions, one of which involved him not being himself at the time and two others being him being pushed over the edge by a great deal of abuse the entire episode. However, on one occasion, Krabs used Gary to steal money for him thanks to him somehow being a living change magnet, something that Spongebob had already told Krabs hurts Gary. When Spongebob finds out, he ''instantly'' chews Krabs out for it without a second thought. On another occasion, Spongebob became the adopted father of a bunch of baby worms and this part of him awakened once again. He tackled Larry (the strongest guy in town) when he tried to eat them, then disabled a truck by ''tearing the engine block out of it '''with his bare hands''''' to stop it from running over them. Also manages an inversion in one episode when his criminal cousin Blackjack apparently kidnapped his parents, overcoming his crippling childhood fear of Blackjack to confront him. [[spoiler: Turns out he hadn't kidnapped them but it still counts.]]

* ''WesternAnimation/StarVsTheForcesOfEvil:'' Hungry Larry [[InvokedTrope invokes]] this by '''eating''' the neighborhood kids, Star, Marco and his mother, leaving only Mr. Diaz unharmed. Mr. Diaz proceeds to unleash TranquilFury to save everyone.
-->'''Hungry Larry''': There is nothing more terrifying than a man who has lost everything.
* ''WesternAnimation/StarWarsTheCloneWars:'' You do ''not'' want to threaten Ahsoka when Anakin's around.

* ''WesternAnimation/StarWarsRebels:'' When the Inquisitor [[spoiler: apparently kills Ezra,]] Kanan [[CurbStompBattle reacts predictably.]]
--> '''Kanan:''' [[TranquilFury That was a mistake.]]

* Antauri from ''WesternAnimation/SuperRobotMonkeyTeamHyperforceGo.'' Being the TeamDad, he is naturally protective towards the entire Hyperforce, so messing with them while he's around would be a ''very'' unwise thing to do. Especially when it comes to Chiro. '''''Heaven help you if you hurt Chiro.'''''
* ''WesternAnimation/TaleSpin:'' ''God help you'' if you screw with Kit. If ParentalSubstitute Baloo doesn't punch your lights out, he'll ''chase you down with his plane.''

* ''Franchise/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles:'' Master Splinter made sure that his adopted sons could take care of themselves, but if you happen to be planning on experimenting on them, you'd better pray he doesn't find out.

* ''WesternAnimation/TomAndJerry:'' We all know Jerry Mouse is no push-over in regards to Tom Cat. But if Tom ever lays a paw on Nibbles / Tuffy, the local HeartwarmingOrphan and Jerry's adoptive pup, he's in for ''even more'' of a pain in the tail than usual. Nibbles / Tuffy's introductory episode leaves the deal ''very'' clear; Tom spanks the little mouse and, after releasing himself from a trap and checking on the other's well-being, Jerry lets out an enraged ''lion's roar'' and [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qVahL86rTj8 brutally beats up Tom.]]

* ''WesternAnimation/TotalDrama:'' BigFun Owen is usually happy and cheerful at all times, but he goes ballistic immediately whenever someone threatens Noah or Izzy. His PapaBear mode is one of the few things that managed to [[RescuedFromTheScrappyHeap save him from the Scrappy heap.]]

* ''WesternAnimation/TheTransformers'' had the episode "[[Recap/TransformersG1PrimeTarget Prime Target]]", which shows that even Optimus' patience with humans reaches its limit when an EgomaniacHunter captures several of his troops and puts them in dangerous torture-room situations to use them as bait... To try and lure Prime himself into a trap and claim him as a trophy. A [[TranquilFury righteously furious]] Prime effectively tears down the old man's mansion [[AFatherToHisMen to save his Autobots.]] In the epilogue we see that Prime has tied the hunter to the nosecone of a Soviet fighter jet that he had stolen earlier in the episode and [[CruelMercy basically mailed him back to an understandably displeased Soviet Union.]]

--->'''Optimus:''' Galvatron's probably opened the Plasma Energy Chamber by now. You got to go there.
--->'''Spike:''' No way, Prime! I gotta get my boy out of here first.
--->'''Optimus:''' Spike! Listen to me. The energy will kill us! You're the only one who can close it!
--->'''Spike:''' AFTER I rescue Daniel, Prime!
* Speaking of that franchise, in ''WesternAnimation/TransformersPrime,'' there's Optimus. Go after Jack, Miko, and Raf at your own risk.
** It's not just to the humans, but to his men, notably in the finale, when [[spoiler:Megatron killed Bumblebee]] Optimus attacked him in an unstoppable rage, letting out a BigNo.
** Then there's both Bulkhead and Bumblebee, towards Miko and Raf respectively. Jack has [[MamaBear Arcee.]]
* ''WesternAnimation/TheVentureBrothers:''

** In this scene (a direct parody of the one in ''Film/{{Taken}}'') the [[ComicBook/RedSkull Red Death]] is able to accomplish more with words than Liam Neeson's character could ever hope to.
* Villainous (well, [[AntiVillain anti villainous]]) example from ''WesternAnimation/{{Wakfu}}:'' Everything [[BigBad Nox]] does is out of fatherly love. [[LoveMakesYouEvil Even the genocide.]]

* ''WesternAnimation/YoungJustice2010:'' Black Manta towards his son [[spoiler:Aqualad,]] despite almost killing him in Season 1, in Season 2 [[spoiler:he responds to Sportsmaster's request to kill him with an angry: "No one touches my son." After that, he tries to have Psimon, and later Miss Martian help him. When Sportsmaster and Cheshire attack his sub, he orders his men to help his son instead of him, and later abandons his fight to save him. In addition, when his men set a charge to blow through a door and rescue him, he detonates it prematurely, blowing the soldiers away, wanting to get to his son as soon as possible.]]

** Drew is no slouch, either - in TheMovie when he finds out Stu lost the kids, including Angelica, Drew ''attacked Stu'' live on TV!

** Yes, the eco-villains, by all means, try to kill the five kids who are more or less the adopted children of an immortal Earth spirit. Granted, it's implied that Captain Planet can't kill, but if you dare mess with his Planeteers, you'd better RUN when he shows up.

* Pete on ''WesternAnimation/GoofTroop'', oddly enough. Most of the time he's, at best, [[BumblingDad distant and bumbling]], and frequently a [[AbusiveParents downright abusive]] {{Jerkass}} to his son, PJ. But the minute he discovers PJ may be in real danger? He's going on high speed chases through the town, freaking out, and [[HypocriticalHeartwarming getting extremely angry at the people who got him into those messes]]. And when his daughter, [[SpoiledBrat Pistol]], is in danger, he's just as protective of her, if not more so. Usually his PapaWolf behavior towards PJ is mitigated by either quickly reverting or having the real or imagined danger be entirely his fault in the first place, but his behavior towards Pistol is downright ''heroic''.

* Race Bannon from ''WesternAnimation/JonnyQuestTheRealAdventures'' is pretty much this to his only daughter, Jessie. Also, to her friends Jonny and Hadji.
** As is Dr. Quest.
* ComicBook/{{Aquaman}} in the ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeague'' TV series [[LifeOrLimbDecision chopped off]] ''[[LifeOrLimbDecision his own hand]]'' [[LifeOrLimbDecision to save his infant child's life and get out of a]] DeathTrap. And then he returned home with the baby tucked under his good arm, had his people put a hook on his stump, came back to action and [[HandicappedBadass helped the Justice League kick the culprit's ass]]. Conclusion? Do NOT mess with Aquaman's kid. You'll be '''VERY''', '''''VERY SORRY'''''.
** To drive that point even further, the villain was ''[[CainAndAbel his own brother]]'', [[EvilUncle Orm]]. And Aquaman didn't give a single thought about kicking his ass and [[spoiler:letting him die]].

* Charles Ofdensen, the band manager in ''WesternAnimation/{{Metalocalypse}}'', is seen by some fans to be the Papa Wolf of metal band Dethklok. He is extremely protective, preparing and executing elaborate security measures and counter attacks for their concert in the first season finale; going against assassins twice his size in hand-to-hand combat; having Rockzo the clown beaten and tortured on two occasions for being a bad influence on the youngest member of the band; and warning another manager attempting to take over his position that he would have to kill him to keep him away from the band. [[spoiler:And then killing that man himself.In a swordfight.]]