How I Met Your Mother: 10 Best Characters Who Appeared After Season One

Plenty of characters could have taken the parental spot on this list, such as Lily's boardgame-obsessed father Mickey, Robin's emotionally distant father Robin Sr, or Barney's long lost dork of a dad Jerry. However, Barney's overly sweet mother Loretta takes the cake for the best character to be a parent of the HIMYM gang (excluding Marshall's parents, who makes their first appearance in Season 1.)

Loretta, played by Frances Conroy, sheltered Barney to the extreme as he was growing up (hence his ego as an adult). For example, she lied about his expulsion from the basketball team, saying that he was too good to the point where it wasn't fair to the other children, when in reality he was unfathomably bad. Barney in turn lies to Loretta often, such as pretending to have a wife and son to keep her happy.

Loretta will also often tell stories of her past, when she slept around with various men, including Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young. These stories are always funny, and help illustrate what Barney's childhood was like.

Conroy's character appears as a positive foil to Barney, showing how someone can use their skill at manipulation to make others feel better. Though this isn't always a good thing, as a grown man believing his father to be Bob Barker with no real proof except for his mother's word is a bit concerning, Loretta is always well intentioned, earning her a spot on this list.