Someone who spoke to you more than any real human being. Someone who you identified with. Someone who you felt captured a perfect snapshot of the human psyche. Or, simply, someone you felt was really, really cool.
For me, it would have to be a toss up between Holden Caufield and Hamlet. Both are such deep characters that it's scary.
Posted by B34N (Member # 9597) on :
Denny Crane!
Posted by Jhai (Member # 5633) on :
Hobbes, from Calvin & Hobbes
Posted by Samarkand (Member # 8379) on :
Scout.
Posted by MightyCow (Member # 9253) on :
Owen Meany. Croaker. Garp. Robert Jordan (not the author)
Posted by B34N (Member # 9597) on :
bert and ernie? the cookie monster - most definitely!
and
Oscar the grouch: but only on my bad days.
Posted by T_Smith (Member # 3734) on :
Jean-Luc Picard.
Posted by MandyM (Member # 8375) on :
Harry Potter Bridget Jones Chandler from Friends The Buckman from Mad About You Danny Ocean Tula from My Big Fat Greek Wedding Kate and Luc from French Kiss Kathleen Kelly and Joe Fox from You've Got Mail
Posted by calaban (Member # 2516) on :
Caliban Professor Fate and Maximillion The Hero of Canton Rube & George (Dead Like Me) I wish I was Han Solo.
Posted by GaalDornick (Member # 8880) on :
I think everyone has a little Holden Caulfield in them.
I'd have to go with Superman. Or the Hulk. Yeah, definitely the Hulk.
Posted by breyerchic04 (Member # 6423) on :
Betsy Ray
Posted by Bella Bee (Member # 7027) on :
Sam Vimes and Esme Weatherwax - Discworld Francie Nolan - A Tree Grows in Brooklyn Jo March - Little Women Inigo Montoya - The Princess Bride Ford Prefect - Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy Sam Gamgee - Lord of the Rings Spike - Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Posted by TheSeeingHand (Member # 8349) on :
Howard Roark from The Fountainhead. Roland Deschain from The Dark Tower. Atticus Finch from To Kill a Mockingbird.
They were all awesome.
Posted by Amanecer (Member # 4068) on :
Lauren Olamina- Parable of the Talents Veronica Mars And to be true to the fangirl in me... Ender, Valentine, and Peter Posted by cmc (Member # 9549) on :
Wow. Good Job, Amanecer, with the Lauren reference. She came to mind first, but I'm giving it some more thought before I give the difinitive answer...
Posted by starLisa (Member # 8384) on :
Terisa Morgan (Mordant's Need) PAD's Linda Danvers Maddy (Foxfire - the movie; not the book) Dagny Taggart
[ September 03, 2006, 08:57 PM: Message edited by: starLisa ]
Posted by blacwolve (Member # 2972) on :
Miles Vorkosigan
Posted by Dan_raven (Member # 3383) on :
Sherlock Holmes Spock Gandalph
Posted by TL (Member # 8124) on :
I hope to marry a woman who will let me name one of our sons 'Atticus' if that gives you any indication...
Posted by Dr Strangelove (Member # 8331) on :
Sydney Carton from "A Tale of Two Cities" and Edmond Dantes of "The Count of Monte Cristo". Close seconds are Sam from LOTR and Athos from "The Three Musketeers"
Posted by hugh57 (Member # 5527) on :
Dogbert
Posted by Mike (Member # 55) on :
Fujiwarano Sai from Hikaru no Go
Posted by Joldo (Member # 6991) on :
Sethe from Beloved and Atticus Finch.
Also, Mr Darcy from Pride and Prejudice (the book, not the film) was my first crush.
Posted by Little_Doctor (Member # 6635) on :
FitzChivalry Farseer
Posted by ClaudiaTherese (Member # 923) on :
blackwolve, I am rereading The Warrior's Apprentice right now.
Paksenarrion Dorthansdotter
Posted by Vadon (Member # 4561) on :
Hm...
Gordon Frohman -- Concerned Atticus Finch -- To Kill a Mockingbird Sam -- Benny and Joon
Posted by Eduardo St. Elmo (Member # 9566) on :
Firstly I'd like to second some of the selections that went before.
quote:Originally posted by MandyM: Chandler from Friends
Yeah, that's also one of my choices. A lot of this character's backstory has similarities to my own.
quote:Originally posted by calaban: Caliban
I can easily feel the loneliness that he had to experience on that island.
quote:Originally posted by starLisa: Dagny Taggart
Even though I'm still reading this book, she has quickly become one of my favourite characters. Following your own star, no matter what anyone might say. Rule!?
quote:Originally posted by Dan_raven: Sherlock Holmes Spock Gandalf
Ah well, I don't think these need any explanation.
quote:Originally posted by Little_Doctor FitzChivalry Farseer
Duty, Solitude and in touch with nature.
Besides those, the first character that comes to mind is Cugel from Jack Vance's "Tales of the Dying Earth". I admire him because he's far from being your typical fantasy type hero. He kicks and screams and rails against the fates, which he seems to think are always in conspiracy against him and yet he perseveres. He's not unwilling to help someone else, but there's gotta be something in it for himself as well. Needless to say I only want to be a bit more like him, because on the whole he's not a very lovable person.
*Wolverine; loner type of hero, gruff exterior with the soft core. *Link; the elvish hero from the Zelda game series, most especially as he appeared in his two adventures on the N64. *Pug & Jimmy the Hand; from the wonderful world of Midkemia. *Roy Calvert; from the novel "The Light and the Dark" by C.P. Snow. A phenomenal linguist struggles with his talents and the way the establishment is trying to push him. *George Passant; from the novel "Strangers and Brothers" by ibid. A man, while trying to help the people around him, gets into trounble himself. *Henry Wilt; the man with the grasshopper mind. from the novels by Tom Sharpe. *Orlando; from the Otherland series by Tad Williams. Battling an incurable disease and still managing to be a hero at the right time. Kudos! *Richard (Cypher) Rahl; The Seeker of Truth, just because of that function I feel strongly connected to him.
edited for obscurity.
[ September 11, 2006, 07:26 AM: Message edited by: Eduardo St. Elmo ]
Posted by Mike (Member # 55) on :
The guy with "poor impulse control" in that Neal Stephenson book.
(I kid, I kid.)
Posted by Celaeno (Member # 8562) on :
quote:Originally posted by Joldo: Mr Darcy from Pride and Prejudice (the book, not the film) was my first crush.
I'm still a little bit in love with him.
Posted by MightyCow (Member # 9253) on :
Thought of a few more: R. Daneel Olivaw - Asimov's Robot books Tasslehoff Burrfoot - Dragonlance books Raul Endymion - Endymion series by Simmons Isaac Dan der Grimnebulin of Perdido Street Station Willow from Buffy because she's super hot Posted by Earendil18 (Member # 3180) on :
I know there's probably more obvious reasons to like this character, but Major Motoko Kusanagi of Ghost in the Shell fame, has to be my top cool character.
Posted by calaban (Member # 2516) on :
I forgot Abner Doon. Is it bad to identify with the bad guys?
Posted by ClaudiaTherese (Member # 923) on :
My second choice (and I know he's the love of at least one other): Alessandro Giullani, A Soldier of the Great War Posted by Kristen (Member # 9200) on :
Armory Blaine. Winston Smith.
(and most characters imagined by Joss Wheadon)
Posted by Icarus (Member # 3162) on :
Jason Fox
Posted by Princesska (Member # 8954) on :
Spike is great; he's the only reason I ever tuned into "Buffy". Ford Prefect is also wonderful -- both in the book and, to my great suprise, as Mos Def plays him in the recent movie. As for Jean-Luc Picard, ST:TNG came on the air when I was three -- I've grown up with him and the whole crew!
My own additions to the list:
Philip Carey from "Of Human Bondage", i.e., my alter-ego.
Charlotte York from "Sex and the City", i.e., my alternate alter-ego.
Night Tenjo from "Absolute Boyfriend", i.e., a manga re-imagining of my boyfriend.
Heathcliff from "Wuthering Heights", whom I had a crush on.
... and for sheer coolness, Jack Sparrow from "Pirates of the Carribean". He's just so increadibly far out of his mind!
Posted by Humean316 (Member # 8175) on :
Batman, literally the hero I am fascinated with.
Buffy Summers, love the journey and the hero.
V from V for Vendetta, a great movie and a hero that really isnt but kinda is.
James Bond, cmon gotta give some love to the man who is cool even when he orders a watered down drink.
Pretty much any character by Aaron Sorkin. A writer that I think is better that Joss Whedon.
Posted by Raventhief (Member # 9002) on :
Nick Easter from Runaway Jury
Most characters in the Greatwinter Trilogy by Sean McMullen
Arya Stark from A Song of Ice and Fire
Posted by Chris Bridges (Member # 1138) on :
Really cool: Jack Sparrow from the first movie. Spider Jerusalem, during my cynical moods. Robert B. Parker's Hawk. The demon Crowley. V. Death of the Endless. Spike.
Identified with: Sam Vimes or Rincewind, depending on my needs. Oz from BtVS. Hoban "Wash" Washburne Peter Parker. Gomez Addams and Captain Spaulding, when it comes to romance. Jake Stonebender.
Posted by katharina (Member # 827) on :
Lorelai Gilmore
Anne Shirley
Aerin
Ender Wiggin
Charly (from Flowers for Algernon)
Jane Eyre
Posted by dkw (Member # 3264) on :
Megan Murray O'Keefe from A Wrinkle In Time and sequels.
Posted by Stray (Member # 4056) on :
Zoe from Firefly Faith and Spike from Buffy Death and Delirium from Sandman Bigby Wolf from Fables Ed, Catelyn, and Arya Stark and Tyrion Lannister from Song of Ice and Fire Phedre no Delaunay and Melisande Shahrizai from the Kushiel books Starbuck from BSG (the new one, naturally) Delenn, Ivanova, and G'Kar from Babylon 5
I know there's a lot more, but I'm having trouble thinking of them.
Posted by mr_porteiro_head (Member # 4644) on :
quote:Buffy Summers, love the journey and the hero
I am always amazed when somebody says that they actually liked her. While I loved that show, I always disliked her.
quote:Delenn, Ivanova, and G'Kar from Babylon 5
Be still my beating heart.
[ September 05, 2006, 02:20 PM: Message edited by: mr_porteiro_head ]
Posted by Noemon (Member # 1115) on :
quote:Originally posted by Stray: Ed, Catelyn, and Arya Stark and Tyrion Lannister from Song of Ice and Fire
Interesting that you include Catelyn in that list. While I agree with you about Ned, Arya, and Tyrion, I actually dislike Catelyn a bit. It's because of her treatment of Jon (Jon being a character that I'd put on the list alongside Ned, Arya, and Tyrion).
Posted by mr_porteiro_head (Member # 4644) on :
I dislike Catelyn quite a bit as well, but for me it's because of how she abandoned her her youngest sons when they needed her most.
Posted by mr_porteiro_head (Member # 4644) on :
quote:Originally posted by calaban: I forgot Abner Doon. Is it bad to identify with the bad guys?
Who says he's a bad guy?
I think Abner Doon (who should be played by Ben Kingsley, btw) is my favorite OSC character.
Posted by Stray (Member # 4056) on :
Hmm...it's been quite a while since I read those, maybe I'm forgetting some stuff that would make me like Catelyn less.
quote:Delenn, Ivanova, and G'Kar from Babylon 5
Be still my beating heart. [/QB][/QUOTE]
Posted by calaban (Member # 2516) on :
Kingsley, for sure. Or perhaps Tony Shaloub.
Many "bad guys" have reasons for doing what they are doing. Somtimes the reasons may even appear good to them. There is no denying that Abner did some pretty bad things in the name of freeing the universe; to accomplish his goals he had to become the evil he was trying to destroy through deception coercing and killing. He knew he was an angel of distruction and willingly assumed that mantle.
Posted by Lupus (Member # 6516) on :
Xander (from buffy): In a world of 'super heroes' he was the regular guy. He often seemed to be on the outside looking in...but he would do anything for his friends.
Ben Hur (from the book of the same name): He persevered through an insane amount of hardship...but in the end didn't let his rage consume him (and he had every right to feel rage).
Athalus (from the Redemption of Athalus): A very funny character, who never claims to be "good" in our society he would have been locked up, but he still fights those who are evil.
Posted by mr_porteiro_head (Member # 4644) on :
Do you have a question, Stray?
Posted by Stray (Member # 4056) on :
Just curious what you meant by "be still my beating heart."
Posted by mr_porteiro_head (Member # 4644) on :
Because I've got a crush on Delenn, Ivanova, and G'Kar. :wub:
Posted by Stray (Member # 4056) on :
Heheh, okay then
I have no plans to have kids, but if I ever change my mind and have a daughter, I want to name her Zoe Delenn.
Posted by mr_porteiro_head (Member # 4644) on :
I warn you now: any name that awesome is virtually guaranteed to be veetoed. Posted by Stray (Member # 4056) on :
Well now, that depends on the father's taste in entertainment, doesn't it? I'm not sure I could procreate with someone who disliked Firefly or Bab5.
Posted by Stray (Member # 4056) on :
On second thought, you may be right. I just put the question to a male friend who loves those series as much as I do, and he said he'd be okay with one or the other but not both. The reason given was that he needs to be able to talk to his kids with a straight face, and if his daughter were named Zoe Delenn he'd be unable to refrain from grinning like a huge geek whenever he called her by her full name.
Posted by blacwolve (Member # 2972) on :
You know, mph, Buffy was the character I disliked the most while watching the show originally. But I was just listening to the Once More With Feeling soundtrack this weekend, and realized that through way too many rewatchings I've gotten to the point where Buffy is my favorite character. Please don't take the following hideously long post as an attack on you. I spent the two hour drive home yesterday thinking about just this subject, hence the long post.
I know this speech from Selfless demonstrates perfectly why most people don't like Buffy:
quote:Buffy: It is always different! It's always complicated. And at some point, someone has to draw the line, and that is always going to be me! You get down on me for cutting myself off, but in the end the Slayer is always cut off. There's no mystical guidebook, no all-knowing council. Human rules don't apply! There's only me. I am the law.
But to me, every line in that speech reflects a point we have seen Buffy come to through her experiences in previous seasons. And maybe she's wrong to have come to these conclusions, but can you blame her for them? And I love the evolution of the girl who is terrified of death in "Prophecy Girl" and faces it anyway, to the girl who embraces death in "The Gift", to the girl who laments life in "Once More With Feeling", to the girl who accepts it in "Grave", and finally, to the girl who is freed in "Chosen". And no, I don't always agree with the choices Buffy makes, but I could also never do the job Buffy does. If I had to deal with 1/10th of what Buffy deals with daily, I would not survive.
I've heard people complain that Buffy is too whiny, but Buffy goes through Hell, literally, a hundred times over. For her to come out unscathed every time would make the show meaningless. What moves me and inspires me are stories about people placed in impossible situations who persevere. If those impossible situations don't hurt, if they don't make the character doubt, if they don't make the character hate the world for putting them there, then that perseverance is empty. Every day that Buffy lives, every vampire that Buffy stakes is evidence of that perseverance. I admire that.
Posted by Architraz Warden (Member # 4285) on :
Ivonova isn't one I thought of off the top of my head, but thinking about it she probably tops my tragic-and-flawed hero list.
My selections:
Fenix - Starcraft Felix - Armor Sten - Sten Sol Weintraub - Hyperion / Fall of Hyperion Stephen - Braveheart And, for the decade missing geek in me: Raistlin - Dragonlance
Posted by Humean316 (Member # 8175) on :
quote: I am always amazed when somebody says that they actually liked her. While I loved that show, I always disliked her.
Oh dont get me wrong, there were times when I just wanted to yell at her or chastize her for doing something incredibly stupid. But it really is a journey with her, one that as Blacwolve so eloquently pointed out, is one that involves so much pain and suffering that its not surprising that sometimes she acts the way she does. And yet, everytime a big bad came up against her, everytime something horrible happened, she beat them back, picked herself up off the mat, and got back in the game.
Ive heard alot of people say that Willow was the one on that show that grew the most, and while she did change immensely, Buffy's story is the most fascinating, most complex, and most evolving story on that show, in my eyes. The Gift probably contains the five greatest minutes in television because her death is so incredibly deep and brilliantly poignant.
And ill be quite honest, the character that I like the least is Spike. Ive never understood the fascination with Spike because to me he is just a poor-man's Angel, and I never really liked Angel either. Its certainly personal preference, but I could write a paper on how Spike and Angel were the antithesis of each other, and yet, the same. While the tertiary characters of Buffy were great characters, this is one of the few shows where the lead was always one of my favorites (the only other show I can think of like that is House).
But like I said, no hero compares to the depth of Batman.
Posted by Soara (Member # 6729) on :
Arthur Stuart - Alvin Maker Simon - Firefly Atreyu - The Neverending Story Nikolai - Ender's Shadow
Posted by sweetbaboo (Member # 8845) on :
Laura Ingalls - Little House on the Prairie Elphaba and Glinda - Wicked Sydney Bristow - Alias
I'll add another vote for FitzChivalry Farseer.
That's all I can think of for now that doesn't list every character I know and love.
[ September 05, 2006, 09:06 PM: Message edited by: sweetbaboo ]
Posted by aretee (Member # 1743) on :
Eponine from Les Miserables (the musical, I can't read the book until later this year) Eowyn from LOTR. I always fell in love with men who loved someone else.
Anne Elliot from Persuasion...I finally got my man!
Posted by Shepherd (Member # 7380) on :
Boromir from LOTR Jon Snow and Jaime from Song of Ice and Fire Jack O'Neil, SG-1
Posted by Morydd (Member # 5004) on :
Enoch Root is super cool, but many of Neal Stephenson's characters I feel that I can identify with more. Bob Shaftoe, Randy Waterhouse, Hiro Protagonist (how much gumption do you have to have to name a character that?) I think my father secretly is Atticus Finch. MacGuyver is amazing. And although they're not actually fictional, there's part of my that thinks both Muhammad Ali and Johnny Cash lived lives that are somehow outside of reality.
Posted by vonk (Member # 9027) on :
quote:MacGuyver is amazing.
This may be the most true statement in the universe. Anyone who is looking for the truth need look no further.
Also, I just skimmed the thread, and I may have missed it, but I am shocked, shocked, that no one has mentioned Yossarian. He has got to be my favorite character of any kind of all time. So I'm gonna say:
Yossarian - Catch 22 MacGuyver - MacGuyver MacGuyver - Stargate SG1 ( ) Maniac McGee - Maniac McGee The Chink - Even Cowgirls Get the Blues
Posted by xtownaga (Member # 7187) on :
Atrus from the Myst series (comes out more in the books) Jean-Luc Picard, of course John Criton - Farscape Daniel Jackson - Stargate Simon - Firefly Elijah Baley - various Asimov novels
Posted by Libbie (Member # 9529) on :
quote:Originally posted by Gecko: Someone who spoke to you more than any real human being. Someone who you identified with. Someone who you felt captured a perfect snapshot of the human psyche. Or, simply, someone you felt was really, really cool.
For me, it would have to be a toss up between Holden Caufield and Hamlet. Both are such deep characters that it's scary.
Humbert Humbert and Lolita. Although their story is not by any means a good one, it captured a part of humanity that everybody should realize exists and made me very aware of child abuse, mental illness, and obsession, which I think are good things to be aware of and wary of in this world.
Otherwise...Bigwig. Yes, he's a rabbit, but I've always identified with his "sensitive tough guy" attitude since I was a wee kiddie.
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