Top 10 Best Movie Mentors

When all is lost for the hero in film, they turn in most cases to the mentor. These people are the type of characters who would hold the back of your bicycle whilst you still used the stabilisers, and six months later watched with a glint in their eye as you sped past the finish line of the national cycling championships. They are the surrogate mums and dads of the heroes and keep them on the straight and narrow (or off it in the case of some), providing the audience with a steadfast rock to put faith in and give hope for eventual success.

The characters I have gathered together for this list encapsulate my idea of an all-round mentor. Some are good, some bad, some downright weird. But I have pulled them out using a simple rule. If I watched the film, and pictured that mentor character in trouble, if I got worried or anxious then they made the list. I also followed a second rule; no kung fu or karate films. All of those mentors are too easy. I wanted characters that had to be searched for, rather than characters who pretty much have ‘MENTOR’ tattooed across their foreheads. This means that this list may be very different to others you may have seen, but hopefully will get you thinking about mentors in the most unlikely of places.

With all that said, here is the list. I have tried to include a good mix (and even an animation) so there should be something for everyone. Unless you are big on karate. Sorry about that.

10. John Milton (The Devil’s Advocate)

No one said that mentors had to be a force for good, and John Milton in The Devil’s Advocate proves this. His charismatic charm and uncanny ability to always be there when a choice is about to be made encourages protagonist Kevin Lomax (Keanu Reeves) to journey along a path of simultaneous success and destruction; gathering fortune and reputation left right and centre and at the same time losing what he used to hold most dear; his wife and mother.

John Milton has all the right features of a mentor; he is a catalyst who tries to keep his hands clean but pushes the hero to follow what is in their hearts. In most films this is a good thing, however, in The Devil’s Advocate he constantly exploits the sliver of sinful vanity apparent in Lomax and pushes him along an adventurous and extreme path. As he says himself, ‘Vanity is my favourite sin’.

Despite this, John Milton is a strangely likeable character. I found myself listening to him and taking his advice on board, buying his argument from start to finish. And if he can convince me and comfort me with his evil advice, then despite being pretty devilish he is truly worthy of a place on this list.

9. Mufasa (The Lion King)

He may die part way through, but he makes a dramatic return in the stars no less, and that alone is enough to get him on this list. I really love Mufasa, but as a mentor he also fulfils many trope traits. His voice is deep and soothing, his demeanour is calm and composed in all situations, and you get the feeling that everything is all right when he is around. Which means when he is not, the world falls to pieces. Figuratively and literally. I cried my eyes out.

Many people consider Rafiki to be the mentor in The Lion King, and I can certainly see that being the case. However, Mufasa is more prominent a mentor in my opinion, explored through his absence rather than his presence. It’s a very interesting concept but it really works, and Simba ‘finding’ Mufasa in him and therefore finding the strength to right everything only enhances that. Mufasa lives on, through Simba and now in my top ten.

8. Father Merrin (The Exorcist)

Not many people can rock a dog collar AND the Indiana Jones look. But Max Von Sydows (in my opinion the best name in Hollywood) can do both. Not only that, but he brings serenity and a sense of reality to scenes which could otherwise come across as ridiculous. As Father Merrin, he’s a less traditional mentor characterised by his deeds and his role within the story. He’s faced the demon Pazuzu before, he’s performed dangerous exorcisms, and he’s drafted in to help a troubled, younger priest. Importantly, his death spurs on Father Karras to continue and complete the exorcism alone, despite his diminishing faith. While not a traditional mentor figure, Merrin fulfils many of the traits associated with this type of character. Someone whose past is only hinted at, who cannot complete the hero’s task himself, in this case because of ill-health, and whose death provides the emotional stimulus for Karras to complete his journey. There may not be a strong emotional connection between the two priests, but the death of Merrin pushes Karras to the front line and provides a different type of spurring forward. Father Merrin is another great example of a mentor whose absence is the drive for the protagonist, and the lack of emotional connection between the characters makes that even more apparent here. If nothing else, he makes the list for his walking-through-mist-in-a-kick-ass-hat style.

7. Gandalf (Lord of the Rings Trilogy/The Hobbit)

He’s a kick-ass granddad with a big-ass stick, and he’s got a beard you could lose a badger in. Surely that’s enough for a Mentor alone. No? OK then, how about boundless knowledge and power that his companions barely scratch at the surface of? How about a kind and fatherly demeanour: warm and fuzzy and, above all, wise. Gandalf fulfils many of the outward stereotypes of the Mentor character, but also provides mentor abilities in a storytelling sense. He’s a catalyst that incites Bilbo and Frodo to leave their home and begin their hero’s journey. He’s a wise, all-knowing presence (Doors of Durin excepted) who guides our heroes, and their companions, through their adventure. And when his job is done, when the hobbits have experienced hardship, battle and despair and are ready to go on without him, he is free to leave them. In Bilbo’s case, this point will arrive in the upcoming “Desolation of Smaug”. For Frodo this was the heart-wrenching end of the journey through the Mines of Moria, an episode of the trilogy which still makes me shed a tear. Even here, Gandalf does not fall into the chasm, he purposefully lets go and sacrifices himself knowing that Frodo can endure the rest of the journey without him. He has done his job, guiding Frodo to this place, teaching and preparing him. Until he returns as Gandalf the White, that is. For me, Gandalf will be the man who I would most want to kick me out of Bagend for an adventure.

6. Charles Xavier (X Men)

Do all Mentors have to be beardy? Tell that to the alopecia-afflicted leader, patron and telepath extraordinaire. Charles Xavier, also known as Professor X and “Wheels”, is a more traditional mentor, a father figure who takes in troubled mutants, and rather worryingly, trains them to be fighters. Morals aside, Xavier is the brilliant leader of the X-men. Aside from fighting crime, he’s the perfect kind of teacher you would want at school. As well as manage his mutants, this is a man who also has the time to teach Physics and English literature to his students in intimate seminars. Take that Magneto! There is no one mentor-student relationship in the X-Men franchise. Instead, the teacher has many students who he raises and instructs, either in a more literal sense like the pupils of the school, or past pupils like Jean Grey, who he has been teaching to harness her immense power. He also helps Logan to deal with his memory loss and tries to help his old friend Magneto to reform.

That being said, Xavier fulfils traditional mentor roles from a storytelling point of view. Before his incapacitation, he trusts the X-Men, students who he has raised and cared for personally, to continue without him and defeat the Brotherhood of Mutants. Luckily, he has been a perfect teacher, and his students can grow up safe in the knowledge that they were taught by the very best. And only the very best make this list.

5. John Keating (Dead Poets Society)

Think back to your school days. Right back to when you were on the cusp of independence and adulthood. Nearly all of you will have a teacher that you vividly remember as being different from the rest. A teacher who pushed you to achieve what you wanted and dreamed of, not one who droned you into submission. A teacher who didn’t judge you for wanting to be an astronaut or an inventor instead of a lawyer or an office worker. A teacher like John Keating.

This teacher pushes his boys to push their boundaries and explore their dreams as possibilities. His catchphrase Carpe diem rings true with everyone, and is a wonderful philosophy to hold.

John Keating is a beautiful example of a very archetypal mentor character with no fighting involved. People seem to think that mentors are reserved for warrior heroes who get knocked down and need to be trained back up again and prepared for their big battle. Well what about preparing for the fight of life? The word teacher is synonymous with mentor, so the occupation seems like a perfect match for the archetype and yet is one that is less explored.

I really like the wholesome and rounded character of Keating, and find his role in so many young people’s lives inspirational. He makes it to the list because of all these things, but also because he reminded me of a teacher who inspired me when I was a young, wide eyed and innocent schoolgirl, proving that mentors are all around us in real life, and are not just the stuff of screenplays.

4. Dumbledore (Harry Potter Franchise)

We’ve seen him in eight films and through the portrayals of two different actors, and I think it is safe to say that Dumbledore is one of the great mentor characters of the twenty first century. Having a hero with no parents who constantly finds himself in chaotic adventure is the perfect premise to wheel in a mentor archetype, and Dumbledore fulfils that role wonderfully. He is nearly always on hand to offer advice (and if he isn’t he usually sends gifts) and he always seems to have a more reasoned perspective on things. He brought Harry up from afar and orchestrated every aspect of his life, and had an air of omniscience.

But the reason he makes it so high on this list though is because of the scene at the lake in the sixth instalment of the series. Watching the steadfast rock character who was unwavering in reasoned thought and judgement and was a place of mental comfort screaming in agony and begging for death was…harrowing to say the least. The world seems unsafe without Dumbledore. And it feels in control with him. What a hero, and what a mentor. A worthy contender.

3. Mary Poppins (Mary Poppins)

A rare female entry (yay!), Mary Poppins is the title, the protagonist but also the mentor in this film. Mary Poppins is a strange one because it uses the ‘Guardian Angel’ storyline. Guardian Angel is a story format whereby the protagonist enters a new world, something is not quite right there and he or she fixes it before leaving. The guardian angel in this case is Mary Poppins, and imparting her wisdom throughout the film improves not only the children’s behaviour but the family unit as a whole, not least Mr Banks who during the course of the film starts off skeptical and gradually takes her sentiments to heart, making some very risky decisions based on them by the end.

Once again the lack of Mary Poppins and the evident need for her calls into play the mentor idea. She has new and adventurous ideas that seem outlandish but you have total confidence in her nonetheless. Why else would you willingly jump into a chalk painting, or dance along a roof with chimney sweeps without a second thought? Mary Poppins turns lives around with a snap of her fingers and then flits away before thanks can be uttered. She is a catalyst, an unsung hero, and a deserving top ten mentor.

2. Morpheus (The Matrix Trilogy)

The closest entry on the list to a traditional martial arts mentor, Morpheus is the guide and tutor of Neo and helps him to understand the Matrix and use it to his advantage. Morpheus in my eyes is a human version of Mufasa. He’s done this stuff before, many times, and nothing fazes his peaceful confidence. He has untold respect for basic principles of thought and belief and as soon as Neo meets with him, despite the crazy events that unfold, you feel confident that The One is in exceptionally capable hands.

Morpheus is one of my favourite mentor archetypes. I have watched The Matrix near enough ten times now and I still feel like he imparts wisdom on me every time I indulge in another viewing. His hands on training techniques show his evidential skill and give credibility to the respect he demands. He is a true old school gym teacher who puts you through agony but gets you that gold medal at the end of the year.

Morpheus is also a great character in another respect because he is not infallible. There is deceit and turning of events that he is not prepared for, and that lack of omniscience makes him more human, more real and in turn more respectable, because he is up against more not having omniscience. A combination of all of these things, along with the bonus of the long leather jacket, puts him at number two on the list.

1. Yoda (Star Wars)

He’s the little green fountain of wisdom that springs to mind as soon as the word ‘mentor’ is uttered. Yoda has been the pillar of galactic wisdom for many a generation since the first Star Wars film was released and his mixed up speech pattern and unfazed demeanour in all situations places him top on the list. His small stature has not help him back in any way and the respect he is given highlights just how powerful and wise he is. So as well as making it to the top of the list, this mentor proves that size is most certainly not everything.

Yoda fits the martial arts guru stereotype in many ways. He commands a lot of respect and gives an impression of superior skill and experience, which is only revealed fully when he fights Count Duku; a wonderful sequence that allows Yoda to really live up to his reputation. And my God he does.

So much is the respect he holds that, whilst his individual syntax could be laughed at and ridiculed, it is instead embraced within the Star Wars world, and even seen as philosophical and wise phrasing rather than simply mixed up. This is an impressive trait, as it shows that even with an evident flaw, Yoda can not only command respect but have his muddled speech respected as wise wordings. He has the odds stacked against him for being a wise teacher and admired mentor and yet he does it and does it well. He shows that failings are not failings; they can be used to enhance who you are. He inspires through who he is as well as what he teaches, and because of this he is a true and powerful Jedi master. Oh, and he also has the top place on my list.