Summary
- The best mentors in cinematic history, regardless of the movie's genre, have valuable knowledge and experience and help protagonists become better versions of themselves.
- These mentors alternate between tough love, patient encouragement, and demonstrations of their own skills and wisdom, guiding their students to listen and learn.
- Mentors like Mr. Miyagi, Yoda, and Gandalf solidified the mentor archetype in fiction.
The best mentors in cinematic history have a variety of traits – they encourage their proteges while checking their worst instincts, they have valuable knowledge and experience, and they pass on vital skills to their students. From fantastical worlds like Star Wars to stories based on real life, the best movie mentors help protagonists realize a version of themselves they never could have become on their own. Unfortunately, they are often killed off, especially in sci-fi and fantasy settings, because having a character around who knows everything makes the plot too easy for the protagonist.
Unlike Dumbledore's notorious "don't tell the hero anything useful" strategy, the best mentors alternate between tough love, patient encouragement, and an occasional demonstration or two of their own skills and wisdom, so the students know to listen up. Through mentorship, some of them even learn more about their students and themselves. Good mentors appear in a variety of genres and circumstances, demonstrating the versatility of the mentor archetype in fiction.
15 Master Shifu (Kung Fu Panda)
Learns while he teaches
Master Shifu (Dustin Hoffman) is a mentor to several students, but he is also a student himself. The first Kung Fu Panda movie shows Shifu learning from his own teacher, Master Oogway (Randall Duk Kim), and incorporating those lessons into how he instructs Po and the Furious Five. Shifu is perhaps not the best mentor in the beginning, determined to drive Po away. However, he has a great character arc and becomes a better teacher than he would have been if he had entered the story as a perfect mentor. Master Shifu was a student himself the whole time.
14 Haymitch Abernathy (The Hunger Games)
Harshly realistic but a secret protector
Woody Harrelson's Haymitch won the Hunger Games as a teenager, which is why Katniss (Jennifer Lawrence) and Peeta (Josh Hutcherson) usually defer to his judgment. Despite his cold demeanor, he grows to care for his pair of tributes and operates in the dark to protect them. During their second Games, he is a part of the secret plan to rescue Katniss and Peeta from the arena. Later in the Hunger Games movie series, Haymitch becomes more of a comforting father figure to Katniss. However, he still offers wisdom and encouragement as she becomes the face of the rebellion.
13 Peter B. Parker (Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse)
Reluctant mentor to dedicated friend
Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) thought he was going to be mentored by his dimension's version of Peter Parker (Chris Pine), so when Peter B. Parker (Jake Johnson) shows up, Miles expects the same. This second version is down on his luck and in no mood to mentor a plucky protagonist, but is forced to work with Miles and comes to care for him. In Across the Spider-Verse, Peter is eager to step back into the friendly mentor role. He tries to reconnect with Miles by sharing how Miles himself changed his life, and by being a friendly figure when all the Spider-People are chasing after Miles. Peter needed Miles as much as Miles needed him, which made for an incredible dynamic.
12 Queen Clarisse Renaldi (The Princess Diaries)
A mentor and a grandmother
Clarisse (Julie Andrews) wants to convince her granddaughter to inherit Genovia's throne because she wishes to maintain the family's legacy. In the first movie, she learns to understand Mia (Anne Hathaway) and even says it is okay if she abdicates, only for Mia to accept her position on her own terms. In the sequel, with Clarisse and Mia now on the same page, a much stronger mentor-student relationship is in place. Clarisse balances teaching Mia about being a ruler and being there for her as a grandmother, at certain points even saying things such as, "As a queen I say..." vs. "As a grandma..."
11 Mr. Miyagi (The Karate Kid)
"Trust me blindly" mentoring
Possibly the most iconic fictional mentor outside of sci-fi and fantasy, Mr. Miyagi's (Pat Morita) tactic is to instruct Danny (Ralph Machio) to do a bunch of chores, without explaining why, to discreetly build up muscle memory of some basic karate moves. The reveal of Danny's new skills made it one of the most iconic "training sequences" in all of pop culture. Mr. Miyagi's style is based upon a core theme of the student-mentor relationship: The student must accept that the mentor knows more than them if they ever want to reach the same level of skill. Additionally, Mr. Miyagi was a father figure for Dani, as confirmed in Cobra Kai.
10 Colette (Ratatouille)
A cut-throat chef unknowingly educating a rat
Colette (Janeane Garofalo) worked tirelessly to secure a position at one of the top restaurants in Paris and takes being tasked with mentoring Linguine as an insult, something she is stuck with because she is the only woman. Little does she know Remy (Patton Oswalt) is also aptly listening to her from under Linguini's (Lou Romano) hat. At the end of Ratatouille, it looks as though Remy and Colette do most of the cooking together while Linguini waits tables at their small bistrot. It would be fun to see some short films of Remy and Colette learning more from each other with their shared skills and passion.
9 Coach Boone (Remember the Titans)
Leads by example and unites a team
Based on a true story, Denzel Washington's Coach Herman Boone unites a divided football team following the integration of a Virginia high school in the 1970s. He accomplishes this by setting strict rules in place and making it clear that prejudice has no place on his team. Boone also knows that tensions will remain among the players if the coaches do not lead by example, and he makes an effort to work amicably with Bill Yoast (Will Patton), who was demoted from head coach to assistant coach when Boone was hired. There is a difference between leading people and players, and the character understands it.
8 Ancient One (Doctor Strange)
Verbally sparring with a student
Stephen Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) is extremely arrogant, which means he needs a witty mentor to put him in his place. The Ancient One (Tilda Swinton), as she is called, is upfront with Strange about the dedication needed to master the mystic arts, explaining it in a way he will understand: "How did you get to reattach severed nerves and put a human spine back together?" she asks. "Study and practice. Years of it," he responds. She is also revealed to be very morally complex, drawing upon forbidden power to keep herself young, but is able to admit her failures with dignity. Superhero mentors can be quite cliché, but the Ancient One's dynamic with Strange was great.
7 Coach Ken Carter (Coach Carter)
Made Necessary Decisions For His Players To Excel
Starring Samuel L. Jackson, Coach Carter is also based on a true story about a high school basketball coach in Northern California. Carter made it clear to his players that they would only be allowed on the court if they maintained their GPAs and adhered to a code of conduct. When their grades dropped, he made the controversial decision to suspend the team. Despite the backlash, he did what was necessary to make his players not only better athletes but better people. He was focused on helping his students, not just making his team win, which is something only true leaders would do.
6 Morpheus (The Matrix)
Introduces The Hero To Reality
Morpheus (Laurence Fishburne) takes his name from the Greek god who communicates with mortals through dreams. Likewise, Morpheus communicates with Neo (Keanu Reeves) in his dream reality. Morpheus famously offers Neo the choice to take the blue pill or the red: to forget what he has learned and return to his fictional life, or fight for his and others' freedom. The band of rebels in The Matrix are in an intense situation and need more than just a literal leader; they need a figure who will guide them through their darkest moments. Morpheus does both and more for them. He also never stops believing Neo is the One.
5 Obi-Wan Kenobi (Star Wars)
The Original Jedi Master
Although Luke (Mark Hamill) goes on to finish his training with Yoda, he always thinks of Obi-Wan (Alec Guinness/Ewan McGregor) as his master, who first introduced him to the ways of the Force. Obi-Wan can perhaps be faulted for not telling Luke that Darth Vader is his father, leaving him to discover this in a moment of crisis. However, Obi-Wan is encouraging and demonstrates to his students how much they are capable of, even after his death. He also somewhat successfully managed a much more difficult apprentice in Anakin (Hayden Christensen) during the prequels, Obi-Wan and Anakin earning each other's respect. Decades later, Obi-Wan Kenobi remains synonymous with movie mentors.
4 Professor Xavier (X-Men)
Believes The Best Of His Students
Charles Xavier (Patrick Stewart/James McAvoy) founded his school because he believed in the people his students could become and the future they could create if they were helped. He adapts quickly to the many unpredictable situations the students' various mutations bring and always remains a calm, comforting figure for both the staff and students. Many of his students are terrified by their new powers and what it means for their future because of anti-mutant sentiment in the world of the X-Men. Professor X wants to make it clear to students that a world of possibilities is still ahead, although he can make some divisive choices more often than not.
3 Yoda (Star Wars)
Demonstrates The True Power Of The Force
Yoda (Frank Oz) is framed as the ultimate Jedi. George Lucas plays with the audience's expectations by having Yoda turn out to be a small green creature with a trickster personality, for a quick lesson about humility and appearances being deceiving. Yoda goes on to show Luke the extent of the Force if he can learn to master it, lifting a whole X-wing out of the swamp (the greatest use of the Force the audience had seen at the time). Yoda breaks down all the Jedi's complicated teachings into simple, powerful lessons, such as saying that absolute dedication is the only way forward: "Do or do not. There is no try."
2 Professor Keating (Dead Poet's Society)
Encourages Creativity In His Students
Most of Professor Keating's (Robin Williams) students have their paths set out before them, with professions such as doctor, lawyer, and engineer lined up by their parents. Keating introduces them to a new philosophy, fueled by art and passion, so they will lead fuller lives. The audience is typically going to be on his side, viewing the parents as controlling. However, he also believes in honesty and encourages Neil (Robert Sean Leonard) to speak with his father about what he wants. Dead Poet's Society is one of Robin Williams' best movies, and Professor Keatings is among his best characters.