I agree that Will would be problematic as a girl-dad more than a boy-dad, but what do you think of Hannibal? He seems more able to forge bonds, like with Abigail. Do you think his parenthood would be just as fucked up as Will's?
Hannibal as a father.
If Hannibal had become a father in his early 20s, his child would have been around 20-25 when the events of the show began. This would make for a very different dynamic than what he had with Abigail. He did not raise Abigail from birth, which meant his approach with her was centered on molding and transforming her. With his own child, however, the shaping process would have already been completed long before adulthood.
Hannibal would be an extremely demanding father, expecting excellence in all areas and ensuring that his child upheld an image of prestige. A child raised by him would be entirely consumed by his influence, regardless of gender, they would be mini-Hannibals. However, a daughter would likely receive more softness from him (because of Mischa), whereas a son would be subjected to greater expectations due to Hannibal seeing too much of himself in the boy. Without question, he would expose his child to his world of violence, if not directly training them to kill, then at the very least acclimating them to his activities. He would never raise his voice or argue, but his authority would be unquestionable, enforced through sheer manipulative prowess. It is entirely plausible that he would demonstrate his power by making them witness something disturbing, like what he did with Marissa, and just as he was unconcerned with the very real possibility of Wally being savagely brutalized by the Dragon (both were kids on the show).
Academically, he would be highly involved, keenly aware of his child’s psychological development, and actively shaping their worldview. If his child were an adult in canon, they would either still be living with him or attending a prestigious university but maintaining constant contact. Unlike Will, who would allow a son to drift away, Hannibal would never permit such distance. His children would live in perpetual pursuit of his approval, fostering a resentment toward Will (“How dare you have my father’s devotion?”). Hannibal’s love would not be selfless; he would care for his children, but only insofar as they represented his legacy. They would not be loved as autonomous individuals but as extensions of himself.
If Hannibal had a child during the events of the show, his approach would shift toward hyper-protectiveness. Having experienced the dangers of his world firsthand, he would be acutely aware of the risks. In this case, his parenting would resemble what he did with Abigail, effectively a slow-building Stockholm syndrome, ensuring the child remained bound to him, unable to escape his influence.
on the musing abouti daddy kinking hannigram, embarassingky enough, i honestly never ever got the daddy kink thing, had an ex who called me by it during sex for a bit and it didnt put me off but i didnt really enjoy it either. then after many many fandoms i stumble on hannibal and for some reason these mfs are the only ones thst do it to me? its really hannibal mkre than will, my dad died when i was 16, and in a way that totally puts my dad on a pedastal he reminds me of hannibal in that he was always the scariest man in any room, capable of great violence, but very intelligent and not necessarily a show off. not good at expressing emotions and causing pain theough any attempt. my memory has forced me to forget a loooot of the negative parts of my relationship i had with my dad even though it was only a few years ago and so i struggle to connect whyy i sexualize normal moments he has with abigail (not that i think he was predatory to her but more so god i wish i was her bc even in that context of a paternal figure id find that so sexually affirming) . and whyyy daddy kink hannibal fics give me a feeling of security, a good kind of embarassment, a weird sense of freedom, and obviously that level of comfort making it feel easier for me to express sexual desires ? idk. maybe i explained it to you. dont feel pressured to reply im just curious if this inspires any rhoughts if not then i appreciate u letting me ramble and open this avenue of thought at least to myself
Thank you so much for having the vulnerability to share! It’s more common than you think! You said an ex called you “by it”, by it, did you mean daddy? If so, are you trans or a cis man? Perhaps neither and your ex was just calling you daddy cause they wanted to haha.
Asking because I have been noticing an interesting pattern in Will vs Hannibal daddy fantasies between cis women and trans men, and I am finding it very fascinating, if you don’t mind me asking, of course!
Either way, we can definitely try to understand this. So by remembering your father primarily as an authoritative yet emotionally distant figure, you create a narrative where his power and intelligence are foregrounded, while his emotional shortcomings are softened. Hannibal fits into this reconstructed memory perfectly, because he is dominant, powerful, emotionally restrained, and yet highly protective (at least in his own twisted way).
The safety found in daddy kink Hannibal fics likely stems from the fantasy of an all-knowing, all-controlling figure who provides structure and approval, something that might have been inconsistently given in childhood. The paternal figure might represent both the superego (moral authority) and the object of forbidden desire (the Oedipal dynamic), making this attraction a way to reconcile those two forces.
Your wish to be in Abigail’s place, even in a non-sexual father-daughter dynamic, suggests that Abigail represents an idealized version of yourself in relation to the father figure. This could be an attempt to rewrite your past relationship, to imagine a dynamic where paternal approval and security are tied to erotic affirmation rather than emotional distance or neglect. Desire is structured around a lack, you crave Hannibal’s approval (as a stand-in for your father’s), and in fantasy, this approval is inherently sexualized.
The fact that “normal moments” between Hannibal and Abigail feel sexually affirming to you suggests that authority and care, when coming from a father figure, are erotically charged due to their scarcity in reality. Because Hannibal, like your father, is emotionally distant and capable of harm, his approval or tenderness becomes exceptional…and that rarity makes it even more desirable. Eroticizing these moments may be a way of regaining control over past emotional deprivation, transforming it into something you can derive pleasure from rather than something painful or unresolved.
The daddy kink fics providing a “good kind of embarrassment” and a sense of freedom points to the psychological relief found in submission within a structured, paternalistic dynamic. Embarrassment implies vulnerability, but when it is safe, when the authority figure (Hannibal) provides approval and guidance, it becomes affirming rather than humiliating. Relinquishing control within a defined structure paradoxically creates a space where deeper desires can be safely explored. The emotional distance of the father figure (Hannibal) makes this dynamic even more appealing because it turns approval into something that must be earned, heightening its value.
Keep indulging in those fics, they help you resolve a lot of unconscious issues, providing a safe way to engage with them! <3