What kind of father do you think Will would be? -love your writing :)

Oh no, you’ve just triggered my monster musings. I love this topic.

Will Graham as a Father: A Psychological and Narrative Analysis

Will Graham’s relationship with fatherhood is a deeply complex and often contradictory one, shaped by his own fractured psyche and his tendency to project himself onto others. His eagerness to assume a caregiving role is evident in his bond with his dogs, where he exerts a form of control and affection that is unconditional and unchallenged. However, when it comes to human relationships, his perception of fatherhood is more abstract and idealized rather than functional or emotionally reciprocal. This becomes evident in his relationship with Abigail, which, rather than being a genuine father-daughter bond, is a construct built on fantasy, projection, and unfulfilled emotional needs.

Personally, I think the series presents Abigail in a way that distorts her actual agency, she is treated as if she were a dependent adolescent rather than a legal adult, a framing that contributes to the often veiled sexual undertones present in fan interpretations of the Will, Abigail, and Hannibal dynamic. Will’s approach to Abigail is not that of a true father but rather of someone attempting to inhabit the role of a father without fully understanding or respecting the emotional reality of the relationship. His obsession with her is fueled by his desire to construct a redemptive paternal narrative for himself, but it is ultimately hollow. Abigail never reciprocates his investment; she is wary of him, distant, and far more emotionally aligned with Hannibal. Will’s failure as a father figure is not because he lacks the desire to be one, but because he is unable to form genuine, mutual bonds, his relationships are often based on projection rather than true connection.

The stark contrast between his interactions with Abigail and with Walter (Molly’s son) highlights the dissonance between Will’s idealized notion of fatherhood and its reality. Whereas he could maintain the illusion of connection with Abigail due to their limited time together, his day-to-day existence with Walter stripped away that fantasy. Walter’s indifference, and later resentment, toward Will suggests that Will failed to integrate into his life in any meaningful way. The hospital conversation between them makes this particularly clear…Walter’s abrupt shift in tone from discussing Francis Dolarhyde to questioning Will’s own criminal past implies a deep-rooted bitterness. His comment that Francis should be killed rather than helped, juxtaposed with his knowledge of Will’s own history, suggests a subconscious desire that Will himself had been eliminated before ever entering his mother’s life. Will’s anger in response underscores his realization that he is not, and never was, the father he wished to be.

To answer your question, we need to look at different contexts.

If Will had been a biological father at a young age…say, around 20, his dynamic with his child would have been dictated largely by his own unresolved self-loathing. A son, in particular, would serve as a mirror to Will’s own perceived flaws, leading him to either withdraw emotionally or become hypercritical, perpetuating the same cycles of repression and detachment that have shaped his own life. Walter’s relative emotional safety stemmed from having a mother to balance Will’s influence, but a biological son raised primarily by Will would likely develop deep-seated resentment, forming a dynamic reminiscent of Sam and John Winchester from Supernatural: a boy who simultaneously craves his father’s approval and resents him for his inadequacies.

Conversely, a daughter would provide Will with an avenue for idealization, which might lead him to be more attentive, though not necessarily in a healthy way. Will has a tendency to construct elaborate fantasies around relationships, and a daughter could easily become another projection of his internal desires…an entity onto whom he could imprint his vision of unconditional devotion. His identification with Garret Jacob Hobbs suggests a subconscious fascination with the idea of a daughter’s unwavering loyalty, which, when coupled with his own emotional instability, could create an unhealthy enmeshment. A daughter raised solely by Will would likely mature too quickly, forced into a pseudo-adult role to navigate his erratic emotional landscape, resulting in a dynamic that could be psychologically and even physically damaging.

If Will had a child later in life, particularly if Margot’s baby had been born, his approach would shift somewhat due to his greater self-awareness, but the core issues would remain. A son in this scenario would receive initial tenderness but would eventually be met with the same detachment that Will demonstrated with Walter. If Margot retained custody, Will’s role would be largely peripheral, preventing a truly close bond. However, if Will were the primary guardian, the child would likely grow up under a suffocating overprotection that would stunt his social and emotional development. Will’s increasing darkness by Season 2 suggests that he would have struggled immensely to provide a stable environment, and any child raised under his sole influence would develop in a uniquely maladaptive way.

With a daughter, Will’s tendencies toward projection and idealization would again come into play, but with potentially more troubling consequences. His background (assuming the stereotypical notions we have of Southern Americans) and deep psychological complexity suggest the potential for an Oedipal dynamic, not in an overt or conscious way, but in the way many fathers struggle with their daughters’ emerging independence. Traditional paternal possessiveness often manifests in discomfort when daughters become autonomous adults, but Will, being hyper-aware of psychological motivations, would not repress these feelings as many fathers do. Instead, he would confront them internally, leading to an undercurrent of tension in their relationship. His history of emotional distance in parent-child dynamics would create space for fantasy and projection, not just on his part, but on the child’s as well. This could lead to a relationship that fans might romanticize, mirroring Will’s own tendency to blur the boundaries between reality and projection.

There is a strong possibility that Will’s relationship with a daughter could become physically disruptive. Not necessarily in the conventional sense of abuse, but in a way that blurs boundaries due to his inability to fully grasp what is appropriate. His perception of relationships is often distorted by projection and fantasy, and this would likely extend to his dynamic with a daughter. A striking example of this ambiguity can be found in the scene where he hallucinates killing Abigail, a moment that, within the fandom, is frequently eroticized. With his face pressed against her neck, the positioning carries an undercurrent that is not traditionally paternal, regardless of the violent act itself. This suggests that Will’s interactions with a daughter could contain an inappropriate closeness, not necessarily consciously sinister, but reflective of his fundamental struggle with relational boundaries and emotional entanglement.

(not even her actual father did this)