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21 Mentors With Feet of Clay

The Mentor Figure is a vital element of the Hero’s Journey and the television landscape is awash with these venerable and respected teachers, coaches, guides, and bosses.

Some are warm and fuzzy. Others come with a bit more of an edge.

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The unifying trait is always the understanding that they care about what happens to their charges. We would like to think all their motivations are noble and self-less but that would be pretty unrealistic, wouldn’t it? Not to mention BOOOORING.

We’ve collected here some of the most memorable mentors whose secret (and not-so-secret) flaws came to light. Whether a Watcher with a wicked childhood, a captain with capricious aspirations, or a doctor with a dark side, we thank them for their service and appreciate their humanity, spots and all.