Best character you've ever seen?

Bufty · Sep 2, 2010

Re the Darth Vader comment, mbrinton - Russell Crowe creates an interesting character in the movie 3.10 to Yuma.

A remake that's a pretty good western - watched it on Blu-ray last night..

Chris P · Sep 2, 2010

I liked Rabbit from Rabbit, Run, as well as Vonnegut's Rabo Karabeckian in Bluebeard and Breakfast of Champions. Decent people in crummy circumstances have always interested me, even if they cause their own misery.

I also liked the way Dave Eggers portrayed himself in A Staggering Work of Heartbreaking Genius. It's clear that his arrogance is an act, without having to go overboard on describing his hardships.

shaldna · Sep 2, 2010

mbrinton91 said:
What's your favorite character of all time?

Sam Vimes.

He's so subbornly consistant. His whole world changes around him, and he manages to stay exactly the same person.

And he's not a nice person. He's a mean old bastard. He's suspicious, angry, tortured, full of righteous indignation and an overwhelming desire to stick it to the man. He has authority issues that are simply epic, he despises the establishement that he is, by all accounts, practically running. He is riddled with angst and anger and sheer blind fury. He's a recovering alcoholic, a killer, a fighter and a mischeief maker.

But...he loves his wife more than anything in the world, and the world goes soft for him when his son smiles, and he'd kill and die for his men, and he won't see anyone suffer.

He's a bad man doing good things.

And he KNOWS what he is, and it tortures him.

Kitty Pryde · Sep 2, 2010

Captain Jack Harkness from Torchwood is #1 for me. Sad tortured immortal alpha male manly hero type.

Neil Gaiman's Sandman--kinda whiny, kinda a moody self-involved prick, and yet still awesome!

Pippi Longstocking--All she does is have adventures and drink beer! Also she has a monkey! Best little girl ever! One of the strongest little girl heroines of all time.

shaldna · Sep 2, 2010

Okay, so after I answered I went back and reread the other posts, and I was surprised by how many I agreed with. So I've listed some of my other faves below:

Hoggle - (from labyrinth) he's a coward, and a bad guy, but he so desperately wants to be good. and he does good things in spite of himself.

Scarlett O'Hara - (GWTW) She's a bitch, she's arrogant, selfish and she never learns. At the end of the book she is still as stubborn as she always was.

Ginny Weasly - (HP) She's constantly underestimated, she's brilliant at what she does, and she has a bitch streak a mile wide. She can be extremely vindicitive, but she covers it with so much sweet that no one notices

Hazel - (Watership Down) he's the relucatant hero personified really, isn't he? He's tough becazuse he has to be, and all he wants is to protect his brother, but as others join he feels compelled to look after them too. All he wants is safety for those he loves, adn he constantly puts everyone else first. Also, Bigwig - for the sheer sense of 'just' that he felt.

AEFerreira · Sep 2, 2010

Favorite character of all time? Anne (with an E) Shirley from L.M. Montgomery's novels.

Other favorites:

Isabel from Portrait of a Lady
Ignatius from Confederacy of Dunces
Ursula from A Hundred Years of Solitude
Tenar from Earthsea books
Nora and Dora from Wise Children
Merry and Pippen from LOTR (They are just so sweet and so brave at the same time!)
Pierre from War and Peace
Julian from Everything that Rises Must Converge
And I really enjoyed the whole casts of Amy Tan's Saving Fish from Drowning, Michael Chabon's Kavalier and Clay, and, from when I was a kid, David Edding's Belgariad (call him cliche...but his characters were funny)

Edit: How could I forget my little fellow svenska flicka, Pippi!

dawinsor · Sep 2, 2010

Parametric said:
I have major love for Miles Vorkosigan.

Oh yeah. Miles is one of the most engaging characters around. He's a "character" in both senses of the word.

I admit to secret love for Gregor too, but that's probably my own quirk and best kept to myself.

Rebekkamaria · Sep 2, 2010

s.thorne said:
Well, after about a dozen books, I still want to read more about Sam Vimes.

This is my answer for books.

I especially love his meta talks with Lord Vetinari.

Tv-show: Dean Winchester from Supernatural or Starbuck from Galactica
Movie: The Bride from Kill Bill (this was the first that came to my mind)

Mistress Elysia · Sep 2, 2010

I'm with the Sam Vimes Fan Club! I am also very fond of Agnes Nitt as well (but that's mainly because I see a lot of myself in her...)

Also with Sephiroth, especially after playing FFVII Crisis Core. When you realise that he was actually a nice guy before he turned into the biggest nutjob on the block, it makes him all the more tragic.

Eowyn from LotR. In a time when female protags were supposed to be at home, looking after four rascals and a dog, Eowyn was out there, disguised as a man, kicking arse. And did she do it to prove a point? Did she hell. She was no shrieking harpy 'Look at me! I'm female AND fighting! I'm so awesome!' character assassination that is so popular nowadays - she was a brave fighter first and foremost who also just happened to be a woman.

DeaK · Sep 2, 2010

Right now I'd have to say Eric Northman in True Blood, the tv series. He's kinda handsome and tall (making Beell look like a dweeb), he's evil, but maybe he's not. He cares about Sookie, so I don't think he is evil. And she has wet dreams about him...! I hope they'll get together :banana:

Ooh, I loves me an evil, tortured, good guy.

Ambri · Sep 2, 2010

If you're going TV, I'd like to nominate G'Kar and Londo from Babylon 5. Both characters were linked as vicious enemies from the beginning, went through hells proverbial and real and eventually become something that was not-quite-friends, only to find out at the end that you can't change fate.

This was actually the first example I thought of. They were each the other's nemesis, and occasional reluctant ally. By the end, you're rooting for not one to triumph over the other, but for them to find balance and friendship.

Max, from Dark Angel. She's the original kick-ass urban SFF heroine.

Luke Skywalker. Yes, he's the poster child of farm-boy-with-destiny. But he takes this old sterotype and he redefines it. He owns it. He flirts with the dark side of the force embodied by Darth Vader, but ultimately not only sticks to his own moral code, but manages to redeem his father, as well.

In books . . . let's see.

Phaedre no Delaunay, from the Kushiel trilogy (the first one). Regardless of your take on BDSM/ erotica in your fantasy, she showed the strength in submission (in so many ways lol) and was a clever, intelligent and gutsy heroine who turned her greatest flaw into her redeeming strength.

Mr Flibble · Sep 2, 2010

Eowyn from LotR.

I have a lot of love for Eomer. To paraphrase :'So, I have little/no idea what's going on, but you just want to walk up to the Black Gate and say hi? Well, as we're mates, you are ON!' And 'Out of death, out of dark I rode...' gets me every time. *sniff*

Vimes gets a vote too. And Nanny Ogg.

Mistress Elysia · Sep 2, 2010

IdiotsRUs said:
I have a lot of love for Eomer. To paraphrase :'So, I have little/no idea what's going on, but you just want to walk up to the Black Gate and say hi? Well, as we're mates, you are ON!' And 'Out of death, out of dark I rode...' gets me every time. *sniff*

Vimes gets a vote too. And Nanny Ogg.

I have more love for Eomer than is probably considered healthy, only made worse by Karl Urban playing him in the movie...

I don't know what it is, but godDAYUM, there is something about a warrior-type chappie who loves his horses...

CheG · Sep 2, 2010

I whole heartedly agree with all the Pratchett characters! Vetinari being one of my all time faves along with Granny Weatherwax.

From TV I'd like to put in Vic Mackey from the Sheild. His character was a revelation to me. In his own mind he is such a superhero and fully deserves all the rewards he gives himself.

ebennet68 · Sep 2, 2010

Wow, so many to choose from!

Books: Elizabeth Bennet (Woah, there's a surprise

), Anne Elliot (Persuasion), Voldemort, Frodo Baggins

Movies/TV: Doctor Who, Anakin Skywalker

Devil Ledbetter · Sep 2, 2010

What's your favorite character of all time? Whether from a movie, book, game - or any storyline really, what character do you feel was the most compelling and had the best arch, development, portrayal, conflict etc? What made that character great and why?

Corrigan in Colum McCann's Let The Great World Spin. He is a young monk who is completely selfless but also a true rebel. He's also an alcoholic. He lives in dumpy NYC walk-up and leaves his doors unlocked so the neighborhood prostitutes can use his bathroom, crash on his couch, whatever. He doesn't give a damn what anyone thinks; he keeps helping and loving no matter how he is beaten, robbed, ridiculed, abused on a daily basis. But he doesn't do it in some dumb, sappy "everybody learn a lesson" way. He just does it. And he hasn't a shred of moral superiority. This character made my heart ache every time he appeared on the page.

Mr Flibble · Sep 2, 2010

Mistress Elysia said:
I have more love for Eomer than is probably considered healthy, only made worse by Karl Urban playing him in the movie... I don't know what it is, but godDAYUM, there is something about a warrior-type chappie who loves his horses...

You're my twin!

Excuse me while I go and drool *drools* Something about the rash, reckless passion of him, coupled with the sense of friendship and duty....

I will say he's a direct inspiration for one of my characters- or more sort of, what if it had all gone wrong for him? - in my first two books. I also have a Rohirrum flag tattoo..and a fine Karl Urban photo collection.

And Vanye. I am totally in love with him, for similar reasons (The Chronicles of Morgaine, CJ Cherryh) He thinks he's a coward, he thinks he's not worthy, but most every action is a thing of courage or honour. Subtly done, and one of the inspirations for me actually writing. I wanted to make people fall for my characters like that...

roseangel · Sep 2, 2010

I have way too many fave characters...
Lets see, Raistlin Majere, Harry Dresden, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Luke Skywalker, Sephiroth, Cloud Strife, Ranma, Lina Inverse, Zelgadis, Xellos, Beren and Luthien, Briar, Sandry, Tris, Daja, Granny Weatherwax, Brutha, Om....
And about a zillion more that will occur to me later.

mbrinton91 · Sep 2, 2010

Bufty said:
Re the Darth Vader comment, mbrinton - Russell Crowe creates an interesting character in the movie 3.10 to Yuma.

A remake that's a pretty good western - watched it on Blu-ray last night..

Wow how did I forget this.. I love 3:10 to yuma. Russel Crowe's role in Gladiator was also excellent.

I'm surprised that so many people have picked luke skywalker... there really isn't much of anything special to his character if you ask me.

A couple more good ones I forgot: Ezio from Assassin's Creed 2, Raiden from MGS4, the MC in Fight Club (forget his name atm), the joker from Dark Knight, and the MC from The Crow.

blacbird · Sep 2, 2010

Atticus Finch (for hero)

Flem Snopes (for villain)

RangerSG · Sep 2, 2010

Gandalf- Lord of the Rings
Quick Ben- Malazan Book of the Fallen, Whiskeyjack and Apsalar in the same series aren't far behind.
Victor "Pug" Henry- Winds of War/War and Remembrance (and I enjoyed Robert Mitchum in the role. But I love Pug in the books more.)
Harry Dresden- snark on a stick and makes the world go boom.

Shakespeare's King Harry (Henry V)- give me Brannagh's take please

Any of Londo, G'Kar, Sheridan, Sinclair, or Delenn from Babylon 5 though Franklin and Vir Cotto could be on this list too, and Marcus, and Ivanova--how did a show get an ensemble like that?

Roland of Gilead, the Gunslinger

Duchess Eliza, The Baroque Cycle

For villains-
Hannibal Lechter
Darth Vader until the prequel neutered him
Sloane in Alias

NoGuessing · Sep 2, 2010

Aleina Builder (Pillars of the Earth)
Domovoi Bulter (Artemis Fowl)
Matrim Cauthon (WoT)
Sandor Clegane (ASoIaF)
Mulch Diggums (Artemis Fowl)
The Doctor (Doctor Who)
Artemis Fowl (Artemis Fowl)
Sylvia Honeyeater (Sylvia)
Lanfear (WoT)
Jaime Lannister (ASoIaF)
Tyrion Lannister (ASoIaF)
Remus Lupin (HP)
Lan Mandragoran (WoT)
Donna Noble (Doctor Who)
Harry Potter (HP)
Arya Stark (ASoIaF)
Eddard Stark (ASoIaF)
Rand al’Thor (WoT)
Mazrim Taim (WoT)

Alvah · Sep 2, 2010

Larry Darryl from The Razor's Edge

Wilkins Micawber from David Copperfield

Spenser from Robert Parker's Spenser novels

Kinsey Milhone from Sue Grafton's alphabet novels

readitnweep · Sep 2, 2010

Books:

Elizabeth Bennett - Pride a& Prejudice by Jane Austen
Claude Rawlings - Body & Soul by Frank Conroy (out of print but readily available at libraries and worth the read!)
Ron Weasley - Harry Potter books

I think, in order to craft intriguing characters you must read, though. Even five minutes, here or there. That's the best way to learn what you like and what you don't.

AEFerreira · Sep 2, 2010

how did I forget Gandalf and Elizabeth Bennett!

Gandalf is great in the movie, but in the book he is even better. So wise and powerful but such a testy old fart with the hobbits at the same time.

Best character you've ever seen?

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