Jonathan Kent was a major recurring character in the television series Smallville. He was the husband of Martha Kent and adoptive father of series protagonist Clark J. Kent. He was portrayed by John Schneider.
Overview[]
Jonathan was a farmer his whole life: as a result, he had a strong work ethic and very high moral values. He believed people should be honest, ethical and, like himself, upfront and sincere. Jonathan was close to his own father, but eventually chose to remain in Smallville because he knew that his father needed him to help run the farm. He grew to resent his father and by the time Hiram died, Jonathan had many things he never got to say and lived the rest of his life regretting the breakdown of their relationship.
Jonathan was a firm but caring father. He was extremely influential in helping Clark adjust to his abilities and cope with being different. Jonathan was strict with Clark, with high expectations and trusting him to make sound and responsible choices, but because Clark is generally well-behaved and obedient, they still had an extremely close relationship. Clark highly valued Jonathan's approval and often told him that he wanted to be like him. He always considered Jonathan his "real father" and suffered great anxiety over his Kryptonian heritage and destiny, but Jonathan always assured Clark that he was responsible for his own future and encouraged Clark to choose his own path. Jonathan was willing to sacrifice almost anything to protect his family, including his own health.
Jonathan was highly distrusting of people he felt were hiding their true personality, especially Lionel and Lex Luthor. He felt great guilt in helping Lionel gain a foothold in Smallville and openly expressed his disgust for the Luthors. Jonathan was very wary of Clark and Lex's growing friendship and often told Clark that he did not trust Lex, although his opinion of Lex improved after Lex made a genuine effort to help out on the farm when he was forced to live with the Kents for a time.
On many occasions, Jonathan had shown prejudice against aliens, particularly Clark's own race. He believed that Kryptonians were evil and that Clark only escaped his "evil" nature because he was raised with human values. Jonathan also believed that emotions such as love and compassion are synonymous with humans (Although the fact that his only real contact with Kryptonians at this point in his life were the Disciples of Zod and the seemingly manipulative Jor-El would have doubtless impacted his opinion).
Death[]
Prior to Jonathan's death in the Season 5 episode "Reckoning", Clark had his powers taken away by Jor-El. He would have them restored after a time, but with this restoration came a price: Jor-El warned that someone close to Clark would die.
In "Reckoning", Jonathan won a campaign for the position of Senator of Kansas. However, he would die shortly after the poll results came in. After his victory party, Jonathan returned to the farm where he found Lionel Luthor waiting for him. Lionel mentions a debt to Jonathan that he intends to collect on, showing Jonathan a document contained in an envelope. Believing that Lionel is attempting to blackmail him, Jonathan attacks Lionel, punching him to the floor and warning him to stay away from his family. As Jonathan walks away, he suddenly suffers from a heart attack and keels over. Clark and Martha arrive just in time to see him fall to the ground and Martha cries out as she holds her husband's lifeless body in her arms.