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| 7 | Characters from {{Literature}} that are just that... totally... Awesome. Crazy or sane. The character you love like burning. |
| 8 | ---- |
| 9 | * My favourite book is one that no-one has ever heard of. It doesn’t even have a page on this wiki. It’s called The Dragon Whisperer (by Lucinda Hare). |
| 10 | ** The main character, Quenelda, is absolutely awesome. She’s eleven, already knows exactly what she wants to do with her life and won’t let anything, least of all the rampant sexism in her world, stop her. She is determined to be the first girl to fly dragons in the SDS (her world’s military). [[spoiler: And she succeeds]]. Despite her father always being away fighting in the war, and not having a mother, and her brother absent all the time [[spoiler: and evil, although it takes her a while to figure that out]], she successfully heals a battledragon, [[spoiler: something no-one has ever done before]], with the help of her mentor Tangnost and learns to [[spoiler: harness her powers as a dragon whisperer]]. She is realistic, and flawed, and grows and develops so much over the series. |
| 11 | ** And her [[spoiler: best friend]] Root. He lost his entire family as a child, and is paired with Quenelda as her squire, where he has to put up with bullying from the other squires and Quenelda’s impatience. He works really hard at everything and finds that he is actually quite talented at certain things. [[spoiler: He finds himself a new family, becomes the first gnome to train as a dragon lord, takes a feared enemy warlord prisoner with only a frying pan and frees many of his people from slavery (nearly dying in the process, because he went to scout out the area in the hopes of reducing civilian casualties).]] Did I also mention he is the same age as Quenelda? |
| 12 | ** And Quenelda’s dragons; Two Gulps And You’re Gone, and Two Gulps Too Many. |
| 13 | * [[Literature/ThroneOfGlass Throne of Glass]] anyone? |
| 14 | ** Celaena[[spoiler: /Aelin]] is absolutely badass. She survived a year in horrific conditions in a prison where most prisoners are lucky if they live three months, she lost everything she ever cared for three times, [[spoiler: defeated a group of the worst criminals and thugs the rich people could find, one of whom was being aided by a supernatural power]], [[spoiler: reclaimed her name and went on a journey to reclaim her kingdom]], [[spoiler: manipulated everyone into exactly the right positions to forfill her aims, which involved calling in debts from across two continents]] and [[spoiler: sacraficed everything, including herself (to Maeve), so that her friends could complete her mission and live in safety.]] |
| 15 | ** Manon. Oh my god, Manon. Just... Manon. |
| 16 | ** And Abraxos. |
| 17 | ** Don’t forget Asterin and the thirteen. |
| 18 | ** Elide. [[spoiler: That scene where she’s on her period, and absolutely destroys anyone who tries to hurt her. It even shocks LORCAN]] |
| 19 | ** Lysandra was forced into prostitution at a very young age, effectively held prisoner until she paid off the cost of her training, forced to sleep with a man she hated ([[spoiler: because he was responsible for Sam’s death]]) for years, and yet she still freed Evangeline, helped Aelin even though Aelin had been horrible to her for years, [[spoiler: tore through a load of Valg soldiers, vomited over Lorcan]] and [[spoiler: played a vital part in Aelin’s plans despite knowing it might turn the man she loved against her.]] Plus she is a [[spoiler: shapeshifter]]. |
| 20 | ** Nehemiah. She was the first real friend Celaena had after getting out of Endovier, helped and protected her over the course of the the first book, and her and Celaena’s friendship was awesome. And of course, now we find out that she [[spoiler: sacraficed her life just to provoke Celaena into acting, went to Adarlan knowing that she would never return home and was the Chessmaster all along.]] I’m not sure if that makes me like her more or less, though. |
| 21 | * [[Literature/TheSkinjackerTrilogy Allie the Outcast]]. As a [[BodySurf Body Surfer]], and one that [[spoiler: can possess multiple beings at once]], she is easily the most capable of any character, because whatever they can do she can do by possessing them. On top of this, she pulled off a DidYouJustScamCthulhu moment, arguably had the most guts of any character in the storyline, and attempted a HeroicSacrifice twice. |
| 22 | ** Bonus points for making a non-fatal sacrifice, which meant deliberately crossing the MoralEventHorizon, and remaining a heroine even after that. This is the only character I can think of that chooses to cross the point of no return and still doesn't make a FaceHeelTurn. |
| 23 | ** Someone needs to make a major fan work series involving this character, and have it as canon. |
| 24 | * [[Literature/{{Dune}} Paul-Muad'dib Atreides]]. He is a man, yet he has seen through the Waters of Life in the way of a woman. He is indeed the Lisan al-Gaib. MUAD'DIB! MUAD'DIB! MUAD'DIB! MUAD'DIB! |
| 25 | ** Plus, [[MemeticMutation his name is a killing word]]. That doesn't hurt. |
| 26 | ** Darwi Odrade from the [[Literature/HereticsOfDune final]] [[Literature/ChapterhouseDune two]] books in the Dune Saga. She's a Bene Gesserit for starters, and it's essentially impossible to be a part of that group without being a complete badass. But a big part of what makes her so great is how free-spirited she is for a member of such a relatively dour organization. She is still capable of love, something the Sisterhood finds dangerous, and many of her decisions are influenced by it, often for the better. She has limited prescience, something extremely rare in her era (5,000 years after the original ''Dune''), and it again helps her make decisions in ways the Sisterhood objects to. Her best moment, however, is the HeroicSacrifice she makes in order to unite the Bene Gesserit and the Honored Matres (basically the Sisterhood's evil twin) and save them both from extinction: [[spoiler: she allows herself to be captured and killed, putting up no resistance, so her protege can become the leader of both groups]]. Given that this ''is'' Dune we're talking about, these are just some highlights, since detailing all her awesome moments and why they're awesome would take too long. |
| 27 | ** God Emperor Leto II, from Literature/GodEmperorOfDune. This guy is the walking definition of IDidWhatIHadToDo. First, he, together with his twin sister, discovers the Golden Path, which is effectively the only way for humanity to survive the trap that Paul's prescience created (which even Paul couldn't figure a way out of). He then makes himself a living sacrifice by merging with sandtrout to become an immortal HalfHumanHybrid, takes over Paul's empire after Paul dies, and becomes the most oppressive tyrant that ever lived. He then spent 4000 years turning the entire populated universe into a CrapsackWorld so that when he died and people were free from his rule, they would scatter into the cosmos to find better lives for themselves and guarantee the future of the human race. [[SugarWiki/MomentOfAwesome And it worked.]] Also, he is just a wonderfully well-written character, with a great combination of angst from having to leave the human condition behind mixed with resolution because he is just that dedicated to making sure the human species can endure. |
| 28 | * [[Literature/ToKillAMockingbird Atticus Finch]]. When the American Film Institute voted the best hero of all time, it was not Franchise/IndianaJones, [[Franchise/StarWars Luke]] or [[Film/{{Casablanca}} Rick Blaine]]. It was Atticus Finch. He was so great, Harper Lee gave her real father's watch to Gregory Peck and started to cry, because he was just so fantastic. Boo Radley deserves a mention too. An evil monster? More along the lines of the nicest, sweetest person ever. Always brings [[Tropers/{{Gabel}} me]] to tears. |
| 29 | ** Seconded for both of the above but can we get a holler for one of the greatest narrators in American literature. Scout has the benefit of hindsight behind her as she tells the story but you can still see that everything that happened in the book is being filtered through the perspective of a child. I mean just in terms of writing that is sheer genius, let alone the fact she's smart, funny, flawed, gutsy and [[SugarWiki/MomentOfAwesome guilts a bloody]] [[SugarWiki/MomentOfAwesome '''lynch mob''']] [[SugarWiki/MomentOfAwesome into going home and taking a good hard look at themselves]] |
| 30 | ** Sheriff Heck Tate is a genuinely good man who doesn't try to put ''any'' spin on his testimony in the courtroom, is a friend to Atticus, and has an unbelievably strong sense of justice. The scene where he argues with Atticus on the porch about who killed Bob Ewell, and what to do about it, is ''so'' powerful. |
| 31 | * Vimes from ''Literature/{{Discworld}}''. It's generally accepted that he has far too many Crowning Moments to bother listing. |
| 32 | ** Yes! Vimes is bloody amazing! |
| 33 | ** And the most obvious Discworld example, Lord Vetinari. |
| 34 | *** TREMBLE BEFORE THE EYEBROW [[DoomyDoomsOfDoom OF DOOM!]] |
| 35 | *** The dungeon in ''Literature/GuardsGuards'', locked ''from the inside''. When I read that, Lord Vetinari became my all-time favorite fictional character. |
| 36 | ** The other two obligatory Literature/{{Discworld}} characters are Granny and [[AC:Death]]...possibly Cohen the Barbarian, too. |
| 37 | ** Granny Weatherwax. Just Granny Weatherwax. |
| 38 | ** Carrot is amazing and will kill you without saying a word. |
| 39 | ** A shout-out for the rest of the Ankh-Morpork City Watch here. In addition to Vimes and Carrot, I love Angua, Detritus, and Nobby. |
| 40 | ** And Cheery! She comes out as female despite all the deep-downers hating her for it, is brilliant at her job and pretty much single-handedly started the female dwarf movement. |
| 41 | *** A.E. Pessimal, a tiny, weak clerk, ''ran at a troll and attacked it with his teeth''. |
| 42 | ** Susan. Runs in the family, no? |
| 43 | --->"Hi inner child, I'm the inner babysitter" |
| 44 | ** I'm rather partial to Mort myself. |
| 45 | ** Over the space of two books, the unfortunately named Moist von Lipwig has shown himself to be a true master of [[LargeHam showmanship]] capable of [[MagnificentBastard making hundreds of people dance on his palm and ''like it'']]. Win.. |
| 46 | ** Lu-Tze. How can you not love a practically immortal OldMaster who masterfully [[ObfuscatingStupidity fakes stupidity]], is all but the patron saint of good natured mischief, and, when he finally decides [[LetsGetDangerous to get serious]], can beat the snot out of {{Anthropomorphic Personification}}s in a fight? |
| 47 | ** Rincewind remains to one of the strongest fictional characters ever created. He may be cowardly and pessimistic, but he's much more sensible than anyone else he comes across. He's a massive JerkwithaHeartofGold who seems to care only for himself but has shown genuine kindness towards people such as Coin from Sourcery, whom he defeated without resorting to any kind of violence. He's both shy and outgoing. He prefers to be alone by himself, yet he has a [[DeadpanSnarker sharp tongue]] and an attitude when the situation calls for it. He has run the gamut of emotions due to being a CosmicPlaything. His being favoured by LadyLuck gives him unbelievable amounts of tenacity. This is one of the most expressive, most well developed three dimensional characters ever. |
| 48 | ** DEATH. TheGrimReaper really shouldn't be that sympathetic and charming, but... yeah. In ''Literature/{{Hogfather}}'', when he rescues the little match girl. The original poem is read in sophomore English classes, and it just about caused a HeroicBSOD. [=GodDAMN=], Pterry deserved getting knighted for that scene alone. He made the freaking Grim Reaper a goddamn hero. Hell, rereading that passage gets the same reaction every. single. time. |
| 49 | *** "THERE'S NO JUSTICE. JUST ME." He's really just trying to do the best he can. |
| 50 | -->"YOU HAVE TO BELIEVE IN THINGS THAT ARE NOT TRUE. HOW ELSE CAN THEY BECOME?" |
| 51 | ** He doesn't have a particularly big/important role, but I cheer whenever the [[{{Cloudcuckoolander}} Bursar]] is mentioned. |
| 52 | ** Nanny Ogg is made of win. When I am an old woman, I want to be like her. |
| 53 | ** Can't forget the Luggage! How many animate inanimate objects do you know that will follow their owners off the edge of the world or protect them at any cost? |
| 54 | ** Tiffany Aching. She's just as kickbutt as any of the other witches mentioned, but her story starts when she's only nine years old... and as of I Shall Wear Midnight, she's still just 16. |
| 55 | ** Bloody Stupid Johnson is TheGhost, but the madness and genius of his inventions and designs speaks for itself. A sorting machine where ''pi'' equals 3? According to Johnson, CrazyEnoughToWork! |
| 56 | * No love for any Literature/{{Gone}} characters yet? |
| 57 | ** Diana, just Diana. She's a DeadpanSnarker who endures abuse at the hands of [[BigBad Caine]], gives birth in a freaking mine shaft, and still comes out on top. Gotta love a feminist heroine. |
| 58 | ** Dekka! She's the badass lesbian we all deserve. |
| 59 | * Jarlaxle from R. A. Salvatore's ''[[TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons Drizzt Do'Urden]]'' books. Also happens to be a MagnificentBastard. |
| 60 | ** Artemis Entreri, from the same. Initially, he was just another awesome example of TheRival; time passed and we got to see him [[DeadpanSnarker snark, smirk]], [[PerpetualFrowner scowl (a lot)]], [[DarkAndTroubledPast reflect]], [[FlashBackEcho flashback]], and of course, kick a lot of bad-guy ass along the way]]. After his initial appearance (and that whole 'kill Drizzt' thing), Entreri was really more of an [[ByronicHero Byronic]] AntiHero, with help from the above tackily-dressed drow. And then, resolving his massive childhood trauma, Artemis is together enough to ditch said helpful-if-oh-so-manipulative drow and [[WalkingTheEarth forge his own path]], this time on much more stable ground. Also, he's [[TallDarkAndSnarky attractive]] and has a [[PermaStubble five-o''-clock shadow]] and [[Tropers/DesignatedNPC I]] may or may not be [[InLoveWithYourCarnage in love with his carnage]] so there's that too. |
| 61 | * Literature/CiaphasCain, '''HERO OF THE IMPERIUM!'''. |
| 62 | * Remus Lupin of ''Literature/HarryPotter'' is the epitome of what an awesome teacher should be. Compassionate, sweet, calm, with a sense of humour, mature, realistic when necessary, and deserved wayyyyy more page time than what he got. And a better ending, dammit. But he is part of what makes ''Prisoner of Azkaban'' such a joy to read, and if anyone is lucky enough to have someone like him in their lives, well, they are lucky bastards indeed. |
| 63 | ** Seconded. Lupin was a source of warmth and support who entered Harry's life when he needed him the most. |
| 64 | ** Thirded. The fact that werewolves in the Harry Potter universe get so heavily discriminated against, and most of them turn against wizard-kind makes Lupin's kindness and accepting nature even more remarkable. He spends his entire life fighting [[FantasticRacism prejudices]], [[PerpetualPoverty living in poverty]] and enduring a [[BodyHorror hugely painful transformation]] once a month, and yet he's still one of the [[NiceGuy nicest characters]] in the books. He's my hero, that's for certain. |
| 65 | ** Severus Snape. The [[strike:only]] most complex character in the series. All the other characters make it obvious where they fall on the good-evil spectrum, but Snape is someone who isn't good or evil. If you don't love the guy after reading "The Prince's Tale", you have no soul. |
| 66 | *** Not to mention the amount of Horcruxes you need to achieve that. |
| 67 | *** Thirded. I simply cannot understand why some people hate Snape so much. So he's not a nice guy, big deal-- If you ask me, ''more'' fictional heroes should be [[KnightInSourArmor snarky, bitter, and blunt]], not the "oh-looky-me-I'm-trying-not-to-be-an-obvious-{{expy}}[=-=]of-Jesus-Christ" archetype people have become used to. (I blame UsefulNotes/TheHaysCode.) Snape is also probably the most realistic character in the series, and the perfect example of a person who left behind a truly horrific past and more than atoned for his mistakes, all in the name of love. Which was Rowling's whole point. |
| 68 | ** [[WhatMeasureIsANonHuman Dobby, Kreacher, and the house-elves. And Hedwig, Pidgwigeon, and the owls. And Grawp. And Buckbeak. And the centaurs. And the goblins.]] The magical creatures in ''Literature/HarryPotter'' are great because they add such diversity to the world and have really interesting personalities. Also, their group attitudes towards the wizards are a great metaphor for the damage prejudice and racism can do to people of different cultures and ethnicities. The origins of the house-elves' subjugation, the the centaurs' proud avoidance of humans, and the goblins' cunning trickery would be great things to explore if J. K. Rowling ever decides to write about that universe again. |
| 69 | ** Luna Lovegood, oh good God Luna Lovegood. How could you not love this girl? Delightfully kooky yet so utterly centered at the same time, she is almost pure SugarWiki/{{WAFF}} in human form. Words are not adequate to describe her awesome-ness. Weather or not you thought Luna should have ended up with Harry, they have such a sweet friendship that develops the last three books that I just want to reach in the pages and give this girl a hug. And radish earrings are made of win. |
| 70 | *** Luna loses her mother at a young age and is teased mercilessly, [[IronWoobie but is still fiercely cheerful and hopeful]]. |
| 71 | *** Luna is my second favourite female character!! |
| 72 | ** Fred and George. FRED AND GEORGE! The books had heaps of SugarWiki/MomentOfAwesome, but ''nothing'' can top "Give her hell from us, Peeves!" So. Much. Win. |
| 73 | *** I would say that the ONLY thing that tops that is about half a second later, when Peeves, of all people, doffs his hat and freaking BOWS to them! Chaos incarnate, with that one act, pretty much told everyone ever that Fred and George were the Gods of Mischief! |
| 74 | ** Hermione Granger. Developed from a annoying know-nothing-know-it-all into the best main character in the series. Especially in Deathly Hallows when she proved again and again that Ron and Harry are nothing without her. |
| 75 | *** This girl was my role model for my entire childhood, and still is. She's smart, savvy, no-nonsense, goes from RulesLawyer to ScrewTheRulesImDoingWhatsRight, and dates a famous Quidditch player but DUMPS HIM FOR RON. She campaigns for the abolishment of slavery, and owns a [[CuteKitten cat.]] |
| 76 | *** Hermione inspired me! I used to be ashamed, because I was one of these nerdy girls with glasses and low self-esteem and I tried to make myself look cool. But when I met Hermione and I saw how proud she was for being a good student, I immediately changed. I started to have more self-confidence and now I can openly admit that I am a nerd and that I prefer to read books and follow the rules rather than disobeying them! My love for this girl will NEVER end!!! |
| 77 | ** [[CrouchingMoronHiddenBadass Neville freaking Longbottom.]] I mean, come ''on''. |
| 78 | *** I'm sorry you wrote his name wrong. It's Neville "I Am Kickass Worship Me" Longbottom. |
| 79 | *** Here's a brief summing-up of his CharacterDevelopment: he goes from being the ButtMonkey in all scenes he appears to [[spoiler: dissing the fucking Dark Lord TO HIS FACE]]. Neville: TookALevelInBadass incarnate. |
| 80 | ** Ron Weasley, because I don't think I've ever wanted to hug a fictional character as badly as I wanted to hug Ron after the locket scene in ''Deathly Hallows.'' Here is this completely normal, insecure kid who's [[OvershadowedByAwesome not the ChosenOne, not wealthy, not athletic, not the smartest]]... and the poor guy ''knows it'', agonizingly well. And yet this profoundly normal, down-to-earth guy still ''chooses'' to risk his life helping his best friend destroy Lord freakin' Voldemort. I also love that Ron is as defensive of Hermione when she is a buck-toothed, big-haired, unpopular dork as he is when [[SheIsAllGrownUp she later turns out to be hot]] - although I can't deny the appeal of various DracoInLeatherPants characters, none of them make my feminist heart sing like Ron. |
| 81 | *** You are not alone! I also love Ron for having such a realistic problem. I am often overshadowed by my brother and I want to provw myself! Ron is my future husbando, so BACK OFF, LADIES! |
| 82 | ** Sirius Black. There's just something admirable in his "if you want a job done at all, do it yourself" attitude. I liked him when he was a traitor (set up for an awesome complex backstory, anyone? No? No love for the villains?) and I liked him even better when he [[TheReveal wasn't]]. |
| 83 | ** Oh and Umbridge. Love to hate her. For me she turned out more compelling and more believable than Voldemort. |
| 84 | *** She's terrifying in a different way to Voldemort, because she's possible in real life. There are Umbridges wandering the world right now. |
| 85 | *** Seconded. I actually punch the book several times when reading about her. |
| 86 | ** Alastor 'Mad-Eye' Moody. The man has a magical eye! He's paranoid! And crazy! And unbelievably badass! |
| 87 | *** [[CatchPhrase CONSTANT VIGILANCE!]] |
| 88 | ** Albus Dumbledore. Yes, he was the guy who worked with one of the greatest Dark wizards of all time, but you know what? He overcame his bad past and became one of the greatest wizards of the age. He worked tirelessly to promote acceptance of ALL people, magic and muggle. He's a master manipulator and chess master, but he's also one of the most benevolent characters in the series. |
| 89 | *** And so much fun! He goes around offering sweets, has a ridiculously long beard, is a BruiserWithASoftCentre... it's hard for me not to love him. |
| 90 | ** Harry. Potter. That is all. |
| 91 | *** Actually, no it's not. Here we have a kid, an orphan, who was lied to, maninipulated, starved, abused, and kept in a cupboard who can somehow overcome that and show the most incredible forgiveness at the end of the book. Not only that, Rowling created a character whose loss is so real, so incredible, that I, who have never lost anything in my life, sob and weep for him. He's been through so much pain, so much suffering, so much evil, and he still keeps a good heart. He's loyal and kind, and frankly, adorable. He's so conflicted, and so complex, and so awesome. He puts up with everything, and has some of the most TearJerker lines in the series. He's just a kid exploring the world, with his instant fame, trying to make it through. He's. Amazing. |
| 92 | *** And, on top of that, he gives his life, willingly, to defeat the most evil guy in the world. Wilingly. Walks to his death, which will probably be something cruel and torturing, without all his friends. All alone. He's the greatest hero in the world, and he's all alone, caked in blood, with no one with him but ghosts, no one to witness his last moments, no one to comfort him, or remember him in his greatness. He just wants him mom to stay by him, to make it through. |
| 93 | ** No love for Tonks? I fell in love with her from the first moment, if only because her enthusiasm and gumption were so different from the cynicism of the other cast members. And the fact that she fell for Remus? ADORABLE. Plus she's competent and achieves her goals despite her flaws, providing a real show of what your personal willpower can do. |
| 94 | *** Agreed. I always loved Tonks- she was hilarious from the moment she was first introduced! Also, she was pretty much the youngest member of the Order, having not even been old enough to participate in the first wizarding war or be in the original Order, but was able to hold her own alongside some seriously badass experienced wizards. There's a reason she qualified to become an Auror! |
| 95 | ** Hagrid. A half-literal GentleGiant most of the time, yet fiercely protective when he needs to be. At heart, he's just a loving, caring, kind of doofy NightmareFetishist who got the short end of the stick in life. But when he was forced to grow up alongside masses of eager, privileged witches and wizards reaching for their magical dreams while he mundanely cared for creatures with more powers than he would ever have, what did he do? He helped them, loved them, remained a wonderful person despite his low status and being refused his potential. The worst he did was to cheat a little and keep his wand- nobody can possibly begrudge him that. He could have become bitter and angry and envious, and most people would be in his place. But he didn't, because he's a better person than that, and a better person than many. The world needs more Hagrids. |
| 96 | *** Hagrid might not be a ParentalSubstitute or [[MentorArchetype Mentor]] for Harry, but he was the ''one'' adult in Harry's life that was actually there. He was the one who invited him regularly and was always happy to see him, he was the one who went to Harry's quidditch matches to see him play. And let’s not forget he wrote to all of Lilly and James' friends asking for pictures of them so that he could make a photo album for Harry. There's this kid who had a crappy childhood and has a lot of messed up stuff going on in his life, so Hagrid damn well makes sure to be there for him and to give him the emotional support he sorely needs. What a guy! |
| 97 | ** Can I just state right here and now that the ENTIRE Weasley family is officially the most heartwarmingly adorable (with a side order of MemeticBadass!) fictional family in the entire history of literature? What they represent for Harry brings tears to eyes when we reflect on them — the warmest, cheeriest, kindest, sweetest, funniest, coolest, most generous, most loyal, most supporting adoptive-family Harry could have possibly hoped to fall into the hands of. Accepts him into their home without a second thought, actively adores and nourishes in him when he's been bullied and belittled all his life, believes in him when no one else does, can always be counted on to help or support him when the going gets tough, and never run out of compassion for him and are always happy, despite being so dirt-poor they can hardly afford to send their children to school. And they cling determinedly to a firmly moral, fair, unbigoted benevolence towards muggles and muggleborns, not only despite the fact that they get flack from other pureblood families, but also despite the fact that they know ''nothing'' about muggles and have no personal reason to protect them other than being decent human beings. And they all have red hair and freckles, just as a bonus. |
| 98 | ** My vote goes to Regulus Black. Sirius is quick to write him off and sneer at him, yet he turns out to have been a hero in his own right. He died to protect his ''house elf''. His goddamn ''servant''. He had totally no obligation whatsoever to do that - not from his family, or his friends, or his boss - but deliberately died a tortuous death for Kreacher. And his note to Voldemort? Fucking AWESOME. |
| 99 | ** [=McGonagall=]. A no-nonsense professor that showed potential from the very start. She grew over the series into a balanced character who wants the best for her students, and pushes them to work toward their full potential. She genuinely cares for the other teachers and kids at Hogwarts, defending them when she believes they've been wronged. She's also revealed to have a brilliant dry sense of humour that comes as a refreshing breath of comic relief. And as of Order of the Phoenix, she's quite badass. Honestly, she took five stunners square in the chest to protect Hagrid, and lived to tell about it. |
| 100 | *** Minerva [=McGonagall=] is awesome incarnate. Just... damn. ''Damn.'' |
| 101 | *** Especially during Umbridge's [[TyrantTakesTheHelm reign of terror]]. Helping Peeves with his pranks ("It unscrews the other way."), and even lending him her walking stick to beat Umbridge over the head with as he chases her out of the castle? Absolutely brilliant! |
| 102 | *** There are so many great characters, I can''t list them all! Let's hear it for all of them! |
| 103 | ** While [[PsychoForHire Fenrir]] [[TranshumanTreachery Greyback]] was a mere supporting character found late in the story, he has [[TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodCharacter a lot of lost potential]] for being a ''really'' compelling villain. Somehow, the very fact that he favored physical power over magical finesse, along with him spitting on all that separates and protects humanity from the monstrosity of nature and the supernatural, made the utter bastard frighten and sicken me more than any other character in the whole franchise. |
| 104 | * Danny Saunders from The Chosen. He was something of a Woobie. He was destined to be Rebbe of a Hassidic congregation and therefore subjected to a TrainingFromHell that included being shunned by his own father because a Rebbe "Needs to know what it is to suffer". He was always bewildered but tried to struggle on like TheDutifulSon he was. I have sometimes wondered if Danny was meant to be a metaphor for the Jewish People. That sounds like something Chaim Potok would do. |
| 105 | * Faramir from ''Literature/TheLordOfTheRings'' has some of the best dialogue in the whole book, pretty much. And he's noble to boot and not arrogant at all. Plus, he let Frodo go away with the Ring, when he could have taken it for himself. |
| 106 | ** Faramir is a wise, intelligent and very compassionate young man, but also a BadassBookworm and a brave captain. And a true gentleman! He is also incredibly understanding and sweet with Éowyn. He tries hard to be a good friend to her before being her LoveInterest, and he talks to her as an equal and admires her for her free spirit while the other men in her life all patronized and caged her somehow (even if it is without realizing it). No wonder she falls for him! |
| 107 | ** And Galadriel, the Lady of Lórien. Goes from representing the transcendent and the epic (giving Aragorn Celebrían's broach and naming him Elessar) to smiling at Samwise Gamgee, "little gardener and lover of trees," as an equal, in a matter of ''sentences.'' Not to mention that she maintains all of Lothlórien. Rivendell is nice, the Shire is cozy, but Lothlórien, your heart breaks when the Fellowship steps out of it. |
| 108 | *** And it gets even better when you read ''Literature/TheSilmarillion'' and find out that she started out as a rebellious tomboy with a power-hungry streak. She could've become another Fëanor, but she ''doesn't'' and that's awesome. |
| 109 | *** Maybe it runs in the family. Finrod, anyone? |
| 110 | ** [[Troper/BattleHamster I]] would like to mention how awesome two under-appreciated characters are: Gimli and Lobelia Sackville-Baggins. Gimli is tough, loyal, and the sort of person who, after finding out that his relatives were killed by Orcs, fleeing a fiery demon, and seeing the leader of their company get killed, can insist that they stop so that he and Frodo can appreciate the cultural significance and natural beauty of the mountains reflected in a pool of water; he impresses ''Elves'' with his descriptions. As for Lobelia - she attacks a bunch of thugs with her umbrella. That's just [[SugarWiki/MomentOfAwesome awesome]]. |
| 111 | *** Gimli is a wonderful example of HiddenDepths, especially considering that Tolkien practically codified the OurDwarvesAreAllTheSame trope. His reverence for the history of his people, the natural beauty of the world, and for the legends of the age (especially when he engages in his CourtlyLove with Galadriel) is so powerful that it can bring tears to the eyes of ''elves''. His {{Flanderization}} in the films is arguably one of the worst mistakes Peter made during the production. |
| 112 | ** Samwise Gamgee. I claim Sam is THE hero of [[Literature/TheLordOfTheRings TLotR.]] The most badass [[CrouchingMoronHiddenBadass simple gardener]] of all literature, and a lovable, selfless guy on top of that. |
| 113 | *** And humble. When the Ring tried to tempt him, he refused, because he ''didn't want what it was offering.'' And then, shortly afterwards, he became the second person in the history of Middle-Earth to surrender the Ring willingly. |
| 114 | *** Dude, Sam ''is'' the hero. Tolkien [[WordOfGod explicitly stated that]]. |
| 115 | *** He said that because Sam was the one who got the ending that he would associate with heroes (achieve amazing quest, end up going back home and living long and fulfilled life). However, he also implied that Frodo was awesome because he was [[WordOfGod the only person]] who could have got the Ring as far as he did. No-one else could have completed the motions that allowed the quest to be fulfilled. |
| 116 | *** I fully, completely, and utterly plan to name my future son (if I have one) Samwise. And I have planned this since third grade. |
| 117 | ** Although perhaps best known for being the guy who betrayed the Fellowship and also carried a dinner-plate as a shield, Boromir is the one character I can fully believe. Why? Well, he built his entire life around the idea that he'd become King one day, was ready to give that up to save Middle-Earth, went through a completely realistic Fall when confronted with a ring ''made'' to corrupt good men, and then he ''DIED'' in a last-ditch attempt to gain his honor back. '''[[SugarWiki/MomentOfAwesome IT WORKED.]]''' |
| 118 | *** I adore Boromir, mainly because in a series full of larger-than-life characters ([[Administrivia/TropesAreTools not that that's bad]]), Boromir's fall feels ''real''. My heart just breaks for him every single time. |
| 119 | ** Gandalf. Full stop. Age-old Maia in human form, and eventually the most powerful being in Middle Earth next to Sauron, and he's still got a soft spot for hobbits, and a wonderfully snarky sense of humor. Best [[TheMentor mentor-figure]] ever. |
| 120 | ** Merry and Pippin deserve some love! Simple mischief makers from the Shire dragged into a war that has nothing to do with them, eventually becoming friends of nobility and war heroes. The whole time they remain completely loyal to each other and can still crack a joke in the darkest of situations. THEN they return to save the Shire as well, creating a lasting legacy amongst their people as BigDamnHeroes. |
| 121 | *** SECONDED SO HARD. Pippin in particular is my favorite character in the series, he's just so funny yet adorable and yet so badass all at once. I identify with him because of his clumsy foolishness, and yet his good heart under it all; it reminds me so much of me. I could go on and on about my love for Peregrin Took. |
| 122 | ** [[ActionGirl Éowyn]]. I wanted to be her when I was ten more than anything. I love her strength and her LadyOfWar skills, not to mention the fact that no matter how depressed she got she never lost sight of what was truly important. She's so human because she behaves exactly like a teenager when she's jilted, but she lives and learns from her mistakes. |
| 123 | ** Denethor gets very little admiration, but you gotta love how complex, morally grey and human he is. He was proud, yes, but he also genuinely loved Gondor and did the very best he could to save her, at the detriment of his own health. His fall is so very tragic because of just how much potential for greatness he had, and the fact he lost (or thought to have lost) both his sons, and felt so terribly responsible for that, is simply heartbreaking. |
| 124 | ** From ''Literature/TheSilmarillion'', holy thruck, ''Fëanor!'' |
| 125 | ** Frodo Baggins himself. Come on! One of the biggest [[TheWoobie Woobies]] ever, just this nice little hobbit who turns his life upside down and sacrifices far more than he bargained for to make the journey to save Middle-Earth. |
| 126 | ** Also from ''Literature/TheSilmarillion'', Lúthien Tinúviel. Yes, she has some Mary Sue-ish tendencies, being the "fairest child of Elves and Men" who spends her youth gambolling in the gloaming to the tune of a merry minstrel, but she's also a complete badass quasi-angel who will stop at nothing to save her man, taking out BOTH the mythology's BigBad's in the process before following Beren to the Halls of Mandos and ''convincing death'', Orpheus-style, to return them both to life. And, she's based on [[SugarWiki/HeartwarmingMoments Tolkien's wife]]. |
| 127 | ** Beren deserves some credit here too for sheer balls. "The Silmaril will be in my hand" indeed... |
| 128 | ** Aragorn is our king! |
| 129 | * [[Literature/TheWheelOfTime Matrim Cauthon]] is one of the best fantasy characters created in the last few decades. Even some people who despise the books as a whole have expressed a fondness for the character. |
| 130 | ** Perrin "Golden Eyes" Aybara, the Wolf Brother "Young Bull". Devoted husband, loyal friend, compassionate leader, and an absolutely bloody insane fighter. Absolutely amazing character. |
| 131 | ** Rand Al'Thor. A superb psychological study in what being a prophesied saviour and most powerful magic-wielder in the world might actually be like. |
| 132 | ** Lan. "Duty is heavier than a mountain, death lighter than a feather." Totally badass, but with a heart as well. Just the guy you'd want for a swordsmanship instructor. |
| 133 | * [[Literature/TheTwilightSaga Rosalie Hale]] is ''the'' best RichBitch / DefrostingIceQueen / SoBeautifulItsACurse character ''ever''. |
| 134 | ** The Volturi are plain awesome. |
| 135 | *** One Word: Jane. Who wouldn't like to be a PersonOfMassDestruction? Ok, so it isn't literal, but she is just SO badass in New Moon. There's no way around it, even if you are a hardcore Edward fangirl. |
| 136 | *** And in the movie, she was played by [[LittleMissSnarker DAKOTA FANNING]] (caps because it's just totally awesome). |
| 137 | ** I admit it, I have a huge soft spot for [[DoggedNiceGuy Mike]] and I don't even like those books. But he's just so adorable... |
| 138 | ** Some people are on [[{{Shipping}} Team]] [[OurVampiresAreDifferent Edward]]. Some people are on [[{{Shipping}} Team]] [[OurWerewolvesAreDifferent Jacob]]. I'm on Team [[{{Cloudcuckoolander}} Alice]]. |
| 139 | *** Best character in the books - ManicPixieDreamGirl who is a great sister and overall a great friend. Plus, one of the best backstories never told. |
| 140 | ** I have a thing for Bella. Even if her [[TheSociopath character]] [[DamselScrappy suffers with]] [[DesignatedHero each]] book, I can at least always love her (though that's mainly due to Creator/KristenStewart rather than the character.) |
| 141 | ** Charlie Swan. Seriously people, the man is just awesome. |
| 142 | *** Seconded. His [[DeadpanSnarker deadpan snarking]] adds a layer of pure awesome to the movies. |
| 143 | *** A great father, to boot. |
| 144 | *** Of course! He gives his daughter much more love and care than she probably deserves. |
| 145 | ** Tyler's Van ROCKS MY SOCKS. |
| 146 | ** Carlisle and Alice. They are the reason I kept reading the books and watching the movies in the first place. |
| 147 | *** Carlisle and Alice deserve their own spinoff series. |
| 148 | ** No love for Jasper? He's arguably one of the most complex characters in the series, and manages to be a {{Woobie}} and a badass at the same time. |
| 149 | ** LEAH. She never did much wrong other than being a DeadpanSnarker, [[DesignatedVillain and yet everyone hates her.]] I never wanted to give a fictional character a hug so much since Tails. She is TheWoobie. |
| 150 | *** OH SO SECONDED. I'm glad she got a happy ending in the end but I'd like to think that [[FanonDiscontinuity Jacob eventually did away with Rennesme and ended up with her instead.]] |
| 151 | *** Speaking of Clearwaters, SETH. Friendly to everyone, boundless enthusiasm, manages moments of pure fighting awesome. |
| 152 | ** It's gone unsaid for so long now, so I'll be giving Jacob Black his mention now. Despite all the torment he endures, he's still a decent guy to the end. |
| 153 | ** What about Emmett? [[GentleGiant Big]], goofy, lovable teddy bear who never stops cracking jokes and is always cheerful no matter what. What's not to love? Looks like Esme is the only Cullen who hasn't been mentioned yet, and she deserves to be here too, simply because of her BadassNormal status. |
| 154 | * ''Literature/MalazanBookOfTheFallen'': [[@/{{Spectrum}} I]] maintain that Anomander Rake is the most awesome character ever. [[{{Tragedy}} Tragic]], [[ShroudedInMyth mysterious]] and radiating badassitude in every direction. Only problem is that he has so few appearances that he is almost a OneSceneWonder. |
| 155 | ** But in ''Literature/TollTheHounds'', [[spoiler:he makes an astonishing HeroicSacrifice that redeems his entire people. Damn.]] |
| 156 | ** I can honestly say I love Kallor, because he's such a monster. Three gods cursed him. And what did he do? He cursed them back. And it worked. And he became a sociopathic badass despite everything. And (or so I'm told) took a freakin' dragon Soletaken with him when he finally died. And hell, ''killed'' the main character, and a bunch of supporting characters, and knocked out a friggin' mage, all in one battle. Again, a total psycho. But kind of cool too. |
| 157 | ** Itkovian. His [[spoiler:tragic death]] at the end of ''Literature/MemoriesOfIce'' makes me well up every time. |
| 158 | * I know he has a lot of haters, but [[Literature/WarriorCats Ashfur]] will always be my own personal [[TheWoobie woobie]]. He's just so damn sweet! And no, he didn't [[spoiler: turn evil]], he [[spoiler: went ''insane''. As in, he wasn't in the right mind when he did those things. Can you really blame someone with such a history of bad luck for snapping eventually]]? Yeah, yeah, I know, DracoInLeatherPants... |
| 159 | ** This Troper came here ''specifically to gush about Ashy'', and for once, she's really glad that you beat her to it. No matter what happened in LS, he was woobie-riffic, and actually tried to ''get Squirrelflight to be nicer to Brambleclaw'' at one point. Besides that, he had ''three'' distinct [[SugarWiki/MomentofAwesome CMOAs]]: Once, in DP, when [[spoiler:he and his sister ''volunteered as dog-bait'' to avenge the death of their mother,]] once in DH when [[spoiler:as an apprentice, he helped kill Bone (who had recently killed his dad),]] and once in ''Twilight'', where [[spoiler:he fought so hard against the badgers that Brambleclaw thought he was dead at first]]. [[DownerEnding It gets overshadowed by what he did right before his death]], but this is SugarWiki/SugarWiki: Be ''happy''. |
| 160 | ** Mapleshade is amazing. EvilIsCool, and you can't go wrong with someone who actually mocks the concept of DracoInLeatherPants! Also, Jayfeather is amazing. He's a JerkWithAHeartOfGold who is always negative and it is hilarious! And finally, Shredtail. |
| 161 | * [[Literature/TheDresdenFiles Harry Dresden]]. '''''[[SugarWiki/MomentOfAwesome ZOMBIE TYRANNOSAURUS]].''''' |
| 162 | ** Harry Badass Copperfield Dresden is a total DorkKnight who would rather be reading a book than kicking your butt. But if you're stupid enough to mess with his loved ones, well, there's a ''reason'' Tolkien said to beware wizards: |
| 163 | -->Do not meddle in the affairs of wizards, for they are subtle and quick to anger. [[PreAssKickingOneLiner Fuck subtle]]. |
| 164 | ** Nicodemus is way more badass. He can ''kill you with his shadow''. |
| 165 | ** Karin Murphy, much more badass than Nicodemus by the way. |
| 166 | ** [[ChurchMilitant Michael]] [[KnightInShiningArmor Carpenter]]: the man that proves you don't have to be a KnightTemplar to kick ass for God. And who proves, despite the beliefs of *certain* people, that you can be both complex and a kind person, that GoodIsNotDumb. |
| 167 | ** Sanya and Waldo Butters. The first is a guy who can laugh at armageddon and is an atheistic knight of God. The second goes into harms way and saves Harry's life multiple times, despite being the most normal character in the series. |
| 168 | ** [[MamaBear Charity Carpenter]]: Do NOT mess with her family. |
| 169 | ** Excuse me, introducing Gentleman Johnny Marcone. He's an AffablyEvil ManOfWealthAndTaste, and the sheer distilled essence of BadassNormal. |
| 170 | *** The best part of his character? He's all of that-and a FriendToAllChildren, to boot. [[spoiler: After being kidnapped and brutally tortured, once he was rescued, he made sure Ivy was taken care of first.]] |
| 171 | ** Tomas Freakin Raith. You know, the guy who manages to be a well-rounded and ''believable'' FriendlyNeighborhoodVampire, and quite possibly second in Woobiedom only to Harry himself? Not to mention that he and Harry develop an amazing and heartwarming [[spoiler: brotherly]] relationship over the series. |
| 172 | * [[Literature/CodexAlera Tavi]] [[spoiler:AKA Gaius Octavian]]. The one and only BadassNormal in the entire WorldOfBadass, yet he manages to pwn [[PersonOfMassDestruction High Lords]], [[ProudWarriorRaceGuy warrior-caste Canim]], and even [[HiveQueen the Vord Queen]], one of the most dangerous villains I've ever read (that bitch could kill [[Literature/HarryPotter Voldemort]] without breaking a nail). He's brilliant, [[CrazyEnoughToWork just a little nuts]], and [[spoiler:winds up as First Lord and the most powerful crafter on the planet.]] If Tavi got any more badass he's probably become a [[PhysicalGod Great Fury]]. This is from [[Creator/JimButcher the same guy]] that wrote ''Literature/TheDresdenFiles'', incidentally. |
| 173 | ** Kitai. She might just be crazier than Tavi. |
| 174 | * [[Franchise/TheHitchhikersGuideToTheGalaxy Arthur Dent and Ford Prefect]]. What a hysterical, perfect-tastic quiet guy/crazy frood duo. They're so fresh it would take an ordinary badass ''years'' to build up the proper amount of badassery just to ''equal'' the badass degree of these two non-badasses. |
| 175 | ** YES. They make an ''awesome'' HeterosexualLifePartners dynamic duo, in all their respective bemused/DeadpanSnarker glory. Best OddCouple ever. |
| 176 | ** Also, Zaphod Beeblebrox. Combine confidence, snark, infectious energy, flat-out zaniness, and all-around cool, and you get one incredibly hoopy frood. (''And'' he has enough character flaws to be really interesting!) |
| 177 | ** Ford. Self-serving, willing to take any advantage he can get, and you'd be hard-pressed to find anything he might actually have a moral qualm about. But in spite of being all in favor of carjacking, killing defenseless animals via hormonal manipulation, lazing around when in a position to save the Universe, and killing geese, he will readily lay his life on the line for Arthur without a second thought. And you do ''not'' fuck with the ''Guide'' under any circumstances or you will pay heavily. Ford is by no means a role model, but he's definitely someone you'd want as a friend. |
| 178 | ** Arthur is just a normal guy, bumbling his way through life. And when that life goes completely bonkers he just sort of goes with it, while being so ridiculously snarky. |
| 179 | ** I came here to gush about Ford and Arthur's general amazingness and I am SO happy other people agree. |
| 180 | * [[Literature/ASongOfIceAndFire Arya Stark]]. Most badass 12-year old girl ever. |
| 181 | ** Daenerys Targaryen and Jon Snow. They stand a chance of making the world a palatable one to live in, and they pull off victory and defeat alike with massive style. |
| 182 | ** Don't forget Sam! |
| 183 | ** Sandor Clegane. |
| 184 | *** SECONDED. |
| 185 | ** And we can't forget Tyrion! |
| 186 | *** Cranked up now that we have Peter Dinklage's [[Series/GameOfThrones magnificent performance]]. |
| 187 | ** And then there's resident ActionGirl Brienne of Tarth. |
| 188 | ** Littlefinger. Just [[MagnificentBastard Littlefinger]]. |
| 189 | ** Sansa Stark. The girl's among the most dynamic characters in the series. |
| 190 | ** Jaime Lannister. Yes he's a monster. But damn I still feel bad for him. I hated Jaime at first...and then I realised it was pointless because no one hates Jaime more than Jaime does. I've given up on him surviving, but I hope he at least dies happy. Plus he's even snarkier than his brother at times. |
| 191 | ** No love for Davos Seaworth? |
| 192 | ** Wyman Manderly. [[spoiler: Frey pie, anyone?]] |
| 193 | ** Margaery Tyrell. Her grandmother Olenna Redwyne as well. |
| 194 | *** [[CoolOldLady Queen of Thorns]] for the win. If there's any justice in this world, Judi Dench ''has'' to play her in the show. |
| 195 | ** A troper reads ''A Clash of Kings''. A troper reads about a man who [[StrangeSyntaxSpeaker speaks oddly]], is [[PetTheDog strangely charming and polite to a girl]], kills three utter bastards in a ridiculously stylish manner, and [[OneSceneWonder disappears out of the story]]. A troper is exceedingly fond of Jaqen H'ghar. ''Valar Morghulis.'' |
| 196 | ** Lady Catelyn Tully/Stark! |
| 197 | ** Not the most obvious choice, but c'mon. Syrio Forel. Talk about SugarWiki/MomentOfAwesome! |
| 198 | * I would like to add Dairine Callahan and Roshaun ke Nelaid to this page, taking the risk that no one will know who they are. Badass alone, double as a team. Two of this troper's favorite book characters by far. |
| 199 | ** Yes! I would like to add Tom and Carl, as well as Macchu Picchu. Hell, all the Literature/YoungWizards character are great. |
| 200 | *** Machu Picchu needs her own mention, for how utterly hilarious she is, as well as her wisdom and compassion once she really (pardon the pun) stretches her wings in Book 3. |
| 201 | ** No words for the main characters? Nita and Kit are more believable than Dairine (who will always be amazing, but really, what human is a [[spoiler:computer nerd, jujitsu star and DeadpanSnarker all at the same time?]] And they manage to have at least one SugarWiki/MomentOfAwesome each. Per book. While remaining completely normal, completely believable, and most importantly completely relatable characters. Of course, now I feel obligated to list every other Literature/YoungWizards character in the series, because every single one is a master feat of characterization. Diane Duane is amazing. Read the books. |
| 202 | ** All of Diane Duane's original characters are great. In her ''Franchise/StarTrek'' books, she features a badass ''Horta'' Ensign with a sunny, cheerful personality (hortas look like [[http://memory-alpha.org/en/wiki/Horta this]], by the way), a glass spider whose HeroicSacrifice is a five-alarm TearJerker, and Ael i-Mehessian T'Rllaillieu, [[strike:Romulan]] Rihannsu badass chick and bane of my spellchecker. |
| 203 | *** [[AcrossTheStars I]] would like to pile on the Creator/DianeDuane Franchise/StarTrek character love, and put in for mention the Sulamid (vaguely squid-like beings with a ton of tentacles); the Sadrao (bipedal cats who literally cannot comprehend the past tense); the various species of Denebians (various [[StarfishAliens non-hominid]] body types with one thing in common: ''big''; and the entire [[spoiler:good]] crew of [=ChR=] ''Bloodwing'', particularly Aidoann, whom I would like to marry. Also, Diane seems to have made it her personal mission in life to make Dr. [=McCoy=] as badass and completely, addictingly awesome as humanly possible, and her characterizations of the entire original crew deserve accolades that echo to the Andromeda Galaxy and beyond. |
| 204 | * When I grow up, I want to be [[Literature/PrideAndPrejudice Elizabeth Bennet]]. She's smart, she's funny, she's not afraid to speak her mind (or admit when she's wrong), and she loves her family in spite of their screwiness. Getting Darcy is just the icing on the cake. |
| 205 | ** [[Literature/PrideAndPrejudice Mr. Darcy]], the stoic, quiet, socializing-is-so-boring-because-shallow-ignorant-people-are-boring, rich but generous, true heart of gold beneath an emotionless exterior Mr. Darcy... if there were more real men like this, the world would be such a better place. |
| 206 | ** I'd look to put my votes in for Jane and Mr. Bingley. What can I say? I'm a sucker for a NiceGuy, and Bingley is in general a lot nice than Darcy, at least on the surface. Fear not, I like Darcy as much as the next guy, but people who start of as lovable as Bingley always have my heart. And Jane is who I want to be when I grow up, who thinks the best of everyone! |
| 207 | * Mr. Darcy's excellent, but for this troper, the Austen hero that most deserves love is Literature/{{Emma}}''s beloved Mr. Knightley. Intelligent, well-read, respected by all who know him; a wealthy landowner who treats all of his tenants and neighbors with compassion and respect; one of the only people able to put up with Emma's father's weird personality and nervous temperament; generous, honest, and noble. He loves Emma even though he sees and acknowledges her faults, isn't afraid to tell her the truth in order to help her become a better person, and is just an all-around good guy. |
| 208 | * I love [[Literature/{{Animorphs}} Erek King]]. A millennia-old android whose programming SPECIFICALLY forbids him from committing any violent act whatsoever, yet would still like very much to give the creatures who killed his creators a Very Painful Death, YET still gets really bitchy at the main characters for being ruthless and not caring about loss of life in their war. Also very snarky. Yes, he's a grade-A hypocrite, but he fascinates me. |
| 209 | ** While I thought Erek was a hypocrite, I nonetheless suffered through all that Animorphs could throw at me... Even that whole disabled-kids-as-an-army debacle. Why? Because Marco - [[DeadpanSnarker funny]], [[MissingMom troubled]], yet non-[[{{Wangst}} wangsty]] Marco - kept me going. In the face of [[PuppeteerParasite mind-numbing]] [[TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt threats]] I could only ''wish'' I'd be that glib, and then he ''actually went to Hollywood and capitalized off of it''. That man is my ''idol'', dammit! |
| 210 | ** Marco and Jake were by far the most interesting characters. Marco was the coolest, probably. He was ridiculously smart, better at tactics than anyone else on the team, funny and confident. He was an opportunist and could turn any situation to his advantage. But he was also sarcastic, rude, cowardly, overly suspicious and paranoid, and a huge jerk, especially to David. Multidimensional character right there. |
| 211 | ** Hi there fellow Marco fans! But I've got to say that Ax is also pretty awesome. In one instant, he's the [[TheSpock calm, rational]] one with the [[TheSmartGuy vital information]], and seconds later, he's commenting on how much fun it is to say the the world "Million".... |
| 212 | ** I agree with you, and the Tobias+ Ax friendship is her favorite part of the books. I like to believe [[spoiler:that Tobias was able to save Ax, and went to live with him, to finally heal.]] |
| 213 | ** Rachel. In the beginning, she was a gymnast with a passion for shopping by day, huntress and KnightTemplar by night. At the end, she [[spoiler:[[HeroicSacrifice gave her life]]]] to stop the Yeerks. |
| 214 | ** Jake should get some love for stepping up to be a leader. He didn't want to be. [[WithGreatPower But he had to.]] So he did. |
| 215 | * ''Literature/VorkosiganSaga'': |
| 216 | ** Miles Vorkosigan. He's overcome severe birth-defects, anti-mutant prejudice, his own ''grandfather'' trying to kill him and being used as a pawn in a lethal power struggle even before he was born to become a interstellar spy and mercenary. And now, in his own name, he's one of the Emperor's personal troubleshooters. Mind you, he does have equally awesome parents. And friends. |
| 217 | ** Miles's [[MamaBear mother]], Cordelia Naismith. Look her up on the SugarWiki/MomentOfAwesome page. |
| 218 | *** I love Cordelia. Crushed on her so hard when reading the two Cordelia and Aral books. She steals almost any scene she appears in, probably the most triumphant example in the Miles books being her acting has Mark's baboushka. |
| 219 | *** Cordelia is so awesome she steals scenes she ''isn't'' in. She doesn't appear in ''Brothers in Arms'', but the whole conflict of the story revolves around how she shaped Miles's values and beliefs. |
| 220 | ** Simon Illyan. Never have I wanted to hug a character more than Simon in pretty much the entire book ''Memory''. Luckily, Lady Alys is nearly awesome enough to deserve him, so I'm not ''too'' jealous. |
| 221 | ** While we're at it, let's talk about Lady Alys. Lived in hiding in Vorbarr Sultana during the pretendership, which resulted in her witnessing the murder of her husband, giving birth to her only child in an alley. From there, she went on to [[spoiler: work for/with impsec internal affairs]] and control the emperor's social calendar. This puts her in a position to play the Council of Counts like a violin, which she does without a qualm. The scene in ''A Civil Campaign'' where Miles gets the letter detailing her latest political machinations is absolutely priceless. |
| 222 | ** Gregor Vorbarra. Orphaned at the age of five, only a few days after becoming Emperor of an entire planet, which he is then tasked with dragging out of the dark ages (though he has good help.) With one minor hiccup, has been an incredibly astute, dedicated, and capable leader, while still, in his own quiet way, being personally awesome. |
| 223 | --> "You don't want to see what he's like pissed." |
| 224 | --> "What does he look like, pissed?" |
| 225 | --> "Identical to what he looks like the rest of the time. That's the scary part." |
| 226 | * In ''Literature/{{Everworld}}'', you had four rather average characters with pre-packaged personalities, and then you had Senna freaking Wales. An outcast, a [[LonersAreFreaks loner]], an [[BastardBastard illegitimate]] that [[ParentalAbandonment nobody wanted]], a tragic JerkassWoobie . . . and an [[AmbitionIsEvil Ambitious]], [[VisionaryVillain Visionary]] MagnificentBastard, possessed of a character so deep, conflicted, and morally gray that it would be impossible to sum it all up here. Despite remaining out of sight for most of the series, she managed to accomplish more in the world and kick more ass than the rest of the main cast combined. After her VillainEpisode, it became difficult not to sympathize with her, and after the [[SugarWiki/MomentOfAwesome amazing, unbelievable, jaw-dropping victory]] she pulled off against all odds at the end of that book, this troper was completely [[RootingForTheEmpire rooting for her.]] Say what you will about [[MoralMyopia her]] [[ItsAllAboutMe rather]] [[MindRape twisted]] sense [[ThatManIsDead of morality]], Senna ''made'' the ''Literature/{{Everworld}}'' series, and deserved so much better than [[DroppedABridgeOnHim the end]] [[CharacterDerailment she got.]] That is all. |
| 227 | ** Hey now, those other four kids were pretty good too. You've got a semi-racist jackass, a geeky guy with OCD, a broken young man desperately masquerading as TheHero, and a nice girl who just wants to go home, set up against gods, monsters, and their own psychotic friend. And yet in the end, they pull it off. They take down Senna, break Baldur and Thor out of Hell, save Ireland from Ka Anor, and stand a legitimate chance of making the world a better place. And they do it while simultaneously overcoming their own issues ([[ScrewedByTheNetwork as much as they could anyway]]), and working together to form a solid set of TrueCompanions. |
| 228 | * [[Literature/TheThrawnTrilogy Grand Admiral Thrawn]] from the Franchise/StarWarsExpandedUniverse. He's the consummate strategist and a student of ''alien'' cultures. Plus he's one of the few aliens to gain significant rank in the Empire. And, my God, he does it all with ''[[MagnificentBastard style]]''. |
| 229 | ** It has been said that he could take over Earth with an art history textbook, a TIE Fighter, and a few chess pieces. He wouldn't need the chess pieces. Actually, for that matter, he wouldn't need the TIE fighter either. |
| 230 | ** His number two man, Admiral Pellaeon, just ''rocks'', especially in the ''Literature/HandOfThrawn'' novels. |
| 231 | ** If we are talking about Creator/TimothyZahn's characters, I nominate Talon Karrde and Shada D'ukal. Is a novel - or short story collection, or single short story, or comic, or ''anything'' - about Karrde, Shada, and the crew of the ''Wild Karrde'' too much to hope for? |
| 232 | ** [[ActionGirl Mara.]] [[MamaBear Jade.]] |
| 233 | *** If you take Mara Jade, I'll take [[FieryRedhead Ben Skywalker]]. Deal? |
| 234 | ** Ditto to each of the three above, but also [[Literature/XWingSeries Wedge Antilles]]. Just... god, Wedge Antilles. He's both so normal and so incredibly not, and his sense of [[SingleWomanSeeksGoodMan duty and responsibility...]] |
| 235 | ** Also, his daughter Syal. Complete and total badass in the air (she gave ''her father'' and ''Grand Master Luke Skywalker'' decent fights in the cockpit when unaware of their identity), no slouch on the ground (always carries two blasters so that if she has to admit to one, she still has a spare), and an adorable daddy's girl as well. |
| 236 | *** While we're talking about the Literature/XWingSeries, Aaron Allston's [[RescuedFromTheScrappyHeap magnificent version of]] Warlord Zsinj. Thoroughly devious, flamboyantly evil... and just an absolute hammy pleasure to read. And I swear to God, when Wedge, Han, and the Wraiths are taking his plans to pieces in ''Solo Command'', there's a [[VillainousBreakdown scene]] where I genuinely felt ''[[AlasPoorVillain sorry]]'' for the poor bastard. |
| 237 | ** Jaina Solo. Ace fighter pilot, just like Dad (Han Solo). Backbone of steel wrapped in pragmatism, like Mom (Leia Organa Solo). Strong-as-hell Jedi who falls to the Dark Side a number of times, but unlike ''some'' people (* cough* [[spoiler: little brother Jacen and granddad Anakin]]), Jaina drags herself back and lives to fight another day. She ''is'' the Sword of the Jedi. |
| 238 | ** [[Literature/OutboundFlight Chak Fel!]] He admits when he's wrong, he respects the Jedi, he's angry at injustices, he unhappily hands over command to someone more experienced even when he doesn't personally like that guy, and he commands Aurek-Seven, the [[BadassCrew four most badass stormtroopers]] from the Empire of the Hand! |
| 239 | ** Leia Organa Solo, at least the Creator/TimothyZahn version. She's got her father's drive and underlying temper, but she's genuinely ''good'' and [[TheFettered restrained]] and patient. The ''mal'ary'ush''! Threatened by an alien Grand Admiral who wants to give her unborn children to an evil Dark Jedi? Not a problem! She will keep planning and working and using that righteous anger, she will never "die of grief" or give in or fade away, she'll keep going and turn the situation around. |
| 240 | *** Leia's also quite awesome in the Barbara Hambly novels. She's a bit more of a PrincessClassic, and she [[RecycledScript gets kidnapped a few too many times]] by the BigBad, but she's sure as ''hell'' no Distressed DamselScrappy (one book, the baddies have to ''drug her'' so she doesn't cause havoc). She's snarky, clever, aristocratic, and a total badass with a lightsaber. And her InnerMonologue give you some absolutely fascinating hints about her life on [[DoomedHometown Alderaan]], and her [[HappilyMarried love for Han]] is just ''[[SugarWiki/{{WAFF}} aaaawwww]]''. |
| 241 | ** Luke Skywalker-AllLovingHero, DeadpanSnarker, MemeticBadass, and occasional ManipulativeBastard. What's not to love? |
| 242 | * Seth Sorenson, from ''Literature/{{Fablehaven}}''. Admittedly, this troper wasn't all that impressed with him in the first book, but this opinion had been changed ''drastically'' by the end of the second installment. |
| 243 | * [[Literature/WatershipDown Bigwig.]] Do I really need to say anything on this subject? |
| 244 | ** If you won't, I will. [[YouShallNotPass "My Chief Rabbit has told me to defend this run]] [[SugarWiki/MomentOfAwesome and until he says otherwise I shall stay here."]] |
| 245 | ** I will add Hazel and Fiver. |
| 246 | ** Strawberry. The only member of his warren with a spine; one of the only complaints I have about the movie is that they left him out. |
| 247 | ** [[BigBad Woundwart]] is surprisingly complex and interesting for a villain. He's very intelligent, but with a flawed philosophy. And his last scene was ''epic''. "[[spoiler: Dogs aren't dangerous]]", anyone?! Yes, PLEASE. On that note... I also loved both [[FunetikAksent Keehar]] and [[TheWoobie Blackavar]], both of whom the movie did such '''wonderful''' justice... Oh, and [[TheStoryteller Dandelion]], without whom the story just would ''not'' be the famed classic it is today. |
| 248 | * As strange as this may sound, {{Death}} in ''The Book Thief''. |
| 249 | ** Seconded. The character is so wonderful, and the book so convincing, I ended up less scared to die. I'd also like to add both Rudy and Liesel. I can't PotHole either of those to anything sufficiently descriptive. And while we're at it, Rosa Huberman. I could actually extend this to most of the cast, but those four (Rosa to a slightly lesser degree, but they're all wonderful) are my favorites. |
| 250 | ** I would like to add Max. He's determined and sincere, and his friendship with the family that saved him was just beautiful. |
| 251 | * ''Literature/TheExecutioner", a.k.a. Literature/MackBolan. A OneManArmy who is best described as a combination of Franchise/JamesBond and ComicBook/ThePunisher (Marvel Comics actually admitted that they partially based the Punisher on the Executioner). |
| 252 | * Dmitry Karamazov is amazingly human. And pretty damn adorable. Plus, nobody else will fight with me for him. |
| 253 | ** Ivan Karamazov. Unlike [[InformedAbility some writers,]] Dostoevsky was intelligent enough to portray a genius character convincingly. "The Grand Inquisitor," which may be the most anthologized and quoted section of ''Literature/TheBrothersKaramazov'', exists within the novel as a short story written by Ivan. In other words, if Ivan actually existed, he would be a famous author in his own right. Or do I just have a thing for brilliant but troubled [[TheWoobie woobies]]? |
| 254 | * Pechorin from Lermontov's ''Literature/AHeroOfOurTime''. Russian students are taught that Pechorin has a very generic personality. Now, what exactly is generic about a character with a mind so brilliant and an imagination so active he constantly over-analyzes and exaggerates his vices? He has nobility and good sense of humor to him, he is brave and adventurous, smart and introspective, but he is also cruel, irrational, suicidal, and perpetually bored. You don't really feel sorry when he dies (he was asking for it), but he is surprisingly sympathetic for a character whose main purpose on Earth seems to be to ruin other people's lives. |
| 255 | * [[Literature/LesMiserables Inspector Javert]] is just plain sexy. Single minded, but sexy. |
| 256 | ** So I'm ''not'' the only one who finds Javert appealing! He is delicious. |
| 257 | ** Discarding his appearance, he's persistent, smart, resilient, painfully honest and noble. He applies the same high standards to himself as to anybody else. All in all, his only flaw is his adherence to the letter (not the spirit) of the law, which makes him a unique antagonist. |
| 258 | ** Eponine has to be one of the best female characters ever. So what if she's a stalker? She's so badass, anything can be forgiven. We're talking about a 16-year-old girl who scared away a gang of bandits and murderers and who stopped a bullet with her hand. She speaks her mind, she is literate, and she is fairly cheerful and talkative. She's like Natasha Rostova, but not as stupid and annoying. And much more of a fighter. |
| 259 | *** What, no love for Jean Valjean? |
| 260 | *** Here! Valjean is my favorite type of character: one who's nice to people. I mean, I took a peek through the book, and there doesn't seem to be one scene where that man isn't saving someone's life. (He gets into town unquestioned by RUNNING INTO A BURNING BUILDING to save some kids!) He's kind, badass, believably flawed (but in no way does it interfere with his goodness), and AWESOME. Even before this troper knew what to call it, she loved characters who could be kind to their enemy. Valjean frees Javert when killing him would be easy and he would not be punished for it. That is one of the few things that can really impress this reader. |
| 261 | * Literature/HarrietTheSpy. She throws tantrums, is imaginative, persistent, independent, overly opinionated and she never learns her Aesop. Could be the most realistic fictional girl ever. |
| 262 | * [[Literature/JeevesAndWooster Bertie Wooster]], despite his "mental negligence", has one of the greatest narration styles ever. Not to mention that he has to be one of the kindest characters ever: he's perennially cheerful and optimistic, doesn't hold grudges and is always ready to help. Also, he's the only book character this troper has ever [[TheWoobie REALLY wanted to hug]]. |
| 263 | --> ''"...I don't mind confessing it made me feel more or less as though nobody loved me."'' |
| 264 | ** And of course we can't forget his lovely valet Jeeves. A master of manipulation, the chief of the Fashion Police, and with brainpower that no other earthly man could match. |
| 265 | ** While I am firmly of the opinion that Bertram Wilberforce Wooster is the most likable character in all of literature, she recently became aware that she is also quite fond of [[spoiler: [[FlatWhat Spode.]]]] ...It - It's his love for [[spoiler: Madeline;]] it somehow makes him adorable... |
| 266 | *** There's also Gussie Fink-Nottle, the adorkable newt-fancier. |
| 267 | ** I would like to second the Bertie love. He's sunny, he's sweet, he's sincere, he's [[{{Cloudcuckoolander}} got the most amazingly bizarre thought processes ever]], and it's just impossible to read about him without feeling good. Plus, he talks to you (the reader) as if you were there with him in the room. He's basically the Wodehouse ambassador of goodwill. Is it okay to add hearts? Because this calls for hearts. <3333 |
| 268 | * Same troper who had the [[spoiler: Spode]] revelation would like to continue the [[Creator/PGWodehouse Wodehouseian]] theme and say that Literature/{{Psmith}} never fails to make her [[{{Pun}} psmile]]. Mike is adorable, too. |
| 269 | * Lord Emsworth of Literature/BlandingsCastle, 'that amiable and bone-headed peer', whom Wodehouse named as his own favourite among his characters. |
| 270 | * As long as we're punning on the names of Wodehouse characters, Lord Dawlish from ''Uneasy Money'' is just Dawlishious. |
| 271 | * Can I just give a shout out to [[Literature/TheBible Deborah]]? Prophetess, respected judge of Israel... it really says something that Barak wouldn't go into battle without her. Hard to imagine a woman going into battle in those days? Well, there you go. And when the battle was over, they sang a duet. |
| 272 | ** As far as the Old Testament goes, Moses is the man. The guy was born in rags, rose to riches, then went "FU Egypt!" and ran away to Arabia. Then {{God}} comes to him and he is like, "[[DidYouJustFlipOffCthulhu Go to hell, dude]]", so God ''begs'' him to get the Jews outta Egypt. Then Moses says, you know, I was raised as a pharaoh's son so I know rhetorics and shit, but I don't wanna do the talking for You. And God's like, no problem, and appoints Aaron as his PR manager. So Moses goes our and shows everyone what it's like to be made of pure, condensed badass. For 40 years in a row! And then the God's like all grateful to him and Moses just goes "FU, man, lemme die in peace, already". And that's so badass, God buries him personally. Now, that's a man we are talking about. |
| 273 | ** And in the New Testament... UsefulNotes/{{Jesus}}. [[JesusWasWayCool No, seriously, he was an awesome dude.]] |
| 274 | * Literature/ArtemisFowl. He's a genius, smart-ass kid who nearly turned the world upside-down at the age of twelve. Seems to be incredibly self-centered, worried only about restoring his family's name and fortune--to most people, that's it. Yet you get to see a lot of the younger kid behind him, even as he gets older: he kept a website running on a computer for a year in the vain hopes of hearing about his dad . . . hell, he teared up when he tried to talk to his mother, whose sanity is gradually waning. [[JerkassWoobie He's simultaneously badass and someone you want to hug.]] |
| 275 | ** Have to add my love for the Butler siblings. Butler himself is a walking, talking SugarWiki/MomentOfAwesome, and there is no one more loyal to Artemis, whatever his alignment may be, than Butler. He'll take a bullet for Artemis only seconds after telling him to lighten up and have a normal life. Juliet is a smart, sassy girl who takes none of Artemis's crap, and just after being told she'll never live up to her brother's example, goes racing to his side, ready to fill his shoes. Plus, her love of [[ProfessionalWrestling wrestling and lucha libre]] makes this longtime female wrestling fan ''very'' happy. |
| 276 | ** Holly Short. Badass, badass, badass. Clever, funny, quick witted, a non-strawman feminist in a hugely sexist job, and just basically the coolest fairy ever. |
| 277 | ** Plus she cares about other people so much. She frequently disobeys orders to protect and save other people and values everyone’s lives, mud people and fairies alike, much more than her job. And she has to put up with Artemis. |
| 278 | ** I love Holly! When I was a kid I wanted to grow up to be like her. |
| 279 | ** I love Foaly. He provides comic relief in the darkest of moments. |
| 280 | ** And Mulch. At first he seems like just comic relief, but he genuinely cares about the other characters. He may be a coward, but he repeatedly puts his life on the line for the others when he could have easily run away. And in the fourth book, when he hears about Julius... |
| 281 | ** For that matter, Julius Root is awesome. Supporting Holly throughout, even when she disobeys his orders he knows that she did it to protect people, always pushing her harder to be her best. And his friendship with Mulch is just awesome. |
| 282 | ** And Vinyaya is just badass. In the second book, when she demands a gun, and the narrator notes that she hasn’t missed yet, and finally her act of bravery in ‘Atlantis Complex’. |
| 283 | * In the world of Literature/{{Dragonlance}} there's one character whom I've always thought deserved more recognition: Caramon Majere. Yes, for a long time he appeared to be just the [[MightyGlacier simple-minded fighter]], there to serve as meat shield to his SquishyWizard [[CainAndAbel brother]]. But after a book or two, you've gotta give Caramon credit: Most people wouldn't take Raistlin's constant belittling, much less the adjacent sense of entitlement. This makes Caramon prime [[TheWoobie Woobie]] material, including that whole background of being poor, his mother going crazy, his sister running off to be evil, his father dying, his mother dying... And then, when things are looking up, Raistlin goes evil and Caramon heads into a downward spiral. Of course, he gets back in shape in the ''Legends'' series, just in time to realize that in order to prevent TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt, he's gonna have to kill his brother, [[LoveMartyr whom he still, against all logical thought, loves]]. And despite all of this, Caramon manages to pull a LoveRedeems moment and lives happily with his wife to a ripe old age, siring children who (assuming they live) go on to be heroes themselves. Plus, WordOfGod says that Caramon was never actually that stupid, but in a family with his * ahem* strong-minded brother and sister, he was okay just going along with things. AND he becomes a charismatic and effective leader of men! So ''why'' doesn't this guy get a little more appreciation from the fandom?? |
| 284 | ** Because they're all too busy fixating on his brother. But I agree with you, Caramon is just freaking awesome. He was so devoted to Raistlin, and never got a scrap of appreciation. I wish he were MY brother. |
| 285 | * No love for ''Literature/AWrinkleInTime's'' Meg Murry? Meg was simultaneously who this troper both ''was'', in middle school, and wanted to grow up to be. Meg was a glasses-wearing brainiac too smart for her own good, who felt she'd never live up to her genius parents or her normal twin brothers - but she ''saved the universe'' more than once, and she grew up to marry one hell of a biological sport. |
| 286 | ** Charles Wallace is also rather awesome. He's a genius, and completely adorable. |
| 287 | * Pretty much everyone in ''Literature/{{Neverwhere}}'' is awesome, but a special mention goes to the Marquis de Carabas. Seriously, let's just rename the MagnificentBastard trope "The Marquis de Carabas" and be done with it. Hunter's also pretty badass, and Door...let's just say [[WhatKindOfLamePowerIsHeartAnyway Opening Doors Is Not a Lame Power.]] |
| 288 | ** I heartily agree, but am shocked you could leave out Croup and Vandemar! I've never had another pair of villains scare me so much and make me laugh so hard at the same time. They scare the freaking crap out of me but I love them so much. |
| 289 | * Crowley and Aziraphale of ''Literature/GoodOmens''. A not-so-bad demon and a not-entirely-good angel who are best friends and work together to stop the apocalypse? Sounds pretty awesome. These two are so awesome by themselves that they triple the amwesomeness. Crowley can hold charred, burning cars together ''with his mind'', and Aziraphale owns a ''flaming sword'' that he planned on using on Satan. I don't know how it gets any better than that. |
| 290 | ** Crowley and Azi are awesome, but special mention must go to a very special eleven year old Antichrist, Adam Young! This is a boy who, when told by Heaven and Hell that the apocalypse must happen, basically just says "Nope, don't think so!" And it doesn't. |
| 291 | * [[Literature/ATaleOfTwoCities Sydney Carton]]! The man [[spoiler: gives up the woman he loves to who he thinks is the better man, then [[HeroicSacrifice gives his life]] to allow them to be together. And he goes gladly.]] |
| 292 | * Whatever one may think of ''Literature/{{Wicked}}'''s PerspectiveFlip, this troper isn't ashamed to say he fell head-over-heels in love with Elphaba. Also in the sequel, Brr reminds him of [[ComicBook/XMen his favorite comic book character]]. |
| 293 | * Bren Cameron of Creator/CJCherryh's ''Literature/Foreigner1994'' novels. Having the guts and mind to forge his way to a top spot in an alien culture which doesn't even have a concept for 'friend' and assassination is acceptable problem-solving... and being the ''only'' human there? And his position was supposed to be more like a low-order clerk and dictionary maker? Part {{Woobie}}, part MoralityChain, part BadassBookworm. Crazy. Awesome. |
| 294 | * I would like to nominate Pharaun Mizzrym and Gromph Baenre, both from the TabletopGames/ForgottenRealms 'verse. They are both MADE OF WIN. Example: Gromph at one point went blind. What does he do? STEAL ANOTHER DROW'S EYES! |
| 295 | * [[Literature/WutheringHeights Heathcliff]]: So evil, but just so amazing. |
| 296 | ** Catherine is more amazing than Heathcliff. She's essentially a female Byronic hero: wild, rebellious, complex and deliciously egotistical to boot. |
| 297 | ** Nellie Dean, you have my deepest sympathies and admiration. |
| 298 | ** So does Edgar Linton, whom I advocated though the rest of my Lit. Class didn't like him. I liked him because he seemed like one of the only characters (besides Nelly) who was most a NiceGuy. |
| 299 | * [[Literature/ConfessionsOfGeorgiaNicolson Georgia Nicolson]] is rude, silly, sarcastic, and quite possibly the best female heroine in any book I've read. |
| 300 | ** Seconded, so badly. I've started to adopt her slang. |
| 301 | * [[Tropers/{{Lale}} I]] can't decide if [[Literature/SenseAndSensibility Marianne Dashwood]] or [[Literature/MansfieldPark Fanny Price]] is my favorite Creator/JaneAusten heroine. The latter has so many fighting against her, from her uncle whom she genuinely wants to please to her aunt, but still manages to stick to her guns ''when she never has in her life before''; the former, however, is just so passionate and lively and refuses to bow to the StepfordSmiler expectations of her society. Austen women rule! |
| 302 | ** Fellow troper, [[Tropers/TutorGirlx3 I]] adore you. They're my two favorite Austen heroines and they do ''not'' get enough credit. |
| 303 | * Literature/SherlockHolmes. Need I say more? |
| 304 | ** [[TheWatson Watson]]. If you have not mentioned Watson, yes, you need say more. |
| 305 | *** Seconding Watson. If you've never read the books and received your impression of him through PopCulturalOsmosis, then you must get to know this guy. He's straightforward and intelligent, he suffers lots of pain and pressure with barely a complaint, he's addicted to danger, and he's a hopeless romantic at heart. And all this goes without saying that he's the only guy ''Sherlock Holmes'' feels he can consistently rely on. As an added bonus, he rarely goes anywhere without packing a revolver. That's my boy. |
| 306 | ** Inspector G. Lestrade. I have never wanted so badly to actually ''glomp'' a fictional character [[FanGirl and never let go.]] It helps that he's played by Colin Jeavons in the Granada adaptation. |
| 307 | *** Agreed. This troper hates it when movies [[{{Flanderization}} flanderize]] him into a stupid rival to Holmes, when in the books he is, by Holmes'a admission, among the smartest in Scotland Yard, and the rivalry with Holmes is of a WorthyOpponent variety, which makes Lestrade always interesting to read about. |
| 308 | * Literature/FatherBrown. Not just one of the wisest characters in fiction, also one of the most compassionate. He doesn't just solve crimes, he persuades the criminals to repent. |
| 309 | ** Made even awesomer by the fact that he convinced one criminal to repent by telling him about all these horrible things that criminals do ''that the criminal hadn't even heard of''. |
| 310 | * ''Literature/TheElenium'': |
| 311 | ** Sparhawk. An aging, world-weary knight whose conviction he's nothing more than an old soldier, driven almost entirely by loyalty. He might ''look'' far from the KnightInShiningArmor and have no shortage of flaws, but he's clever, poetic, compassionate, and noble. He was [[Tropers/{{Roland}} this troper's]] first fantasy hero, and he remains one of his favorites. |
| 312 | ** Seconded. Sparhawk is amazing. This troper always associates him with the expression "a mighty heart," because that's what he has. |
| 313 | ** And playing opposite him, Martel, everything an EvilCounterpart should be and more. Their final duel was badass, and Martel's death, despite everything he'd done, managed to be sympathetic without seeming too overdone. Good job Mr. Eddings. |
| 314 | * Ryan Veitch from ''Literature/TheAgeOfMisrule''. When we meet him, you'd be forgiven for thinking he's just a vicious, homophobic thug. Three books and some CharacterDevelopment later, you realise he's actually a really nice guy who'd give anything for his friends (and frequently does); a brave, intelligent warrior who always looks out for the poor, the downtrodden and the defenceless. |
| 315 | * Creator/TamoraPierce writes some excellent characters as a rule, but this troper would specifically like to mention [[Literature/TortallUniverse Keladry of Mindelan]]. In a world full of magic powers, divine beings, and legendary heroes, and with people constantly MovingTheGoalposts, Kel succeeds through [[BadassNormal sheer determination and hard work]]. |
| 316 | ** Can I just say, Neal of freakin' Queenscove. That is all. |
| 317 | ** RAOUL. He was funny in ''Song of the Lioness'', but he got so much character development in ''Squire'' alone that he became one of the coolest characters in the series. And while we're on the subject of totally badass mentors, Wyldon of Cavall. |
| 318 | ** Sandrilene fa Toren. In a series where her friends have the powers to hold molten metal, command all natural forces on, under or over land, and control the entire plant world, this girl has the power of ''sewing''. Which she uses to '''cocoon people to walls!''' And '''spin ''pure magic''!''' |
| 319 | *** Really, the main four of the Circle series are all amazing. Take [[RagtagBunchOfMisfits four completely different children]] and make them TrueCompanions. Whether it sharp-tongued bookworm Tris, the pragmatic JerkassWithAHeartOfGold Briar or determined Daja, they're all awesome. |
| 320 | *** [[Literature/CircleOfMagic Briar Moss]] makes me into a fangirl. He transforms from awesome+cute, to awesome+awesome, to awesome+awesome+PTSD. That is all. |
| 321 | ** Aly and Dove from the Trickster's duology. One's a [[MagnificentBastard Magnificent Bitch]] (or GuileHero, I guess, technically) in training, the other is a ''thirteen-year-old'' who steps up to be Queen and all signs point to her having the skills to do the job. |
| 322 | ** Beka Cooper. "The Lower City is mine. Its people are mine - its children are ''mine''. If I find them that's doing all this kidnapping and murdering, they'd best pray for mercy. Because once I get my teeth in them, I will ''never'' let them go." |
| 323 | *** And her later descendent, George Cooper. Rose to become the King of the Rogue at age 18, befriending a page and a ''prince'', kept the thieves in line (taking their ears, if necessary), protected the crown, and then eventually became a noble spy-master. Yeah, he's boss. |
| 324 | ** Alanna, of the ''Song of the Lioness'' series, is badass, adorable, insecure, funny, and inspiring. Tamora Pierce is known for her strong heroines, but Alanna is the first and best. She has been my role model since I first read about her at age ten or eleven. |
| 325 | ** How about love for Faithful/Pounce, the constellation cat who comes to Earth to protect and guide worthy mortals. If nothing else, his snark is glorious. |
| 326 | * [[Literature/HisDarkMaterials Iorek Byrnisson]]. Even if you hate the series, he is AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! [[BearsAreBadNews Certainly not everything is worse with bears]]; on the contrary, he is a titanic container of badass. |
| 327 | ** [[GuileHero Lyra Silvertongue]]. 'Nuff said. |
| 328 | * [[Literature/TheChroniclesOfPrydain Princess Eilonwy]]. Easily one of the most competent characters in the series, as well as arguably the most endearing. Especially in the early books of the series, Eilonwy manages to pull off being ''both'' a bit of a CloudCuckoolander and the [[OnlySaneMan only sane woman]] in the group, which deserves a little round of applause. Also of note: In the last book, she's learned how to be a "proper lady". Instead of undergoing {{Chickification}}, she has mastered the art of [[GuileHero talking her way into the adventures with the leaders' blessing]] instead of having to sneak her way into them. |
| 329 | ** All of the companions in the series deserve some gushing of their own. I have had a crush on Prince Gwydion for years. He's patterned after King Arthur but without Arthur's detriments (e.g. the doomed love triangle)! |
| 330 | ** Eiddileg knew ''exactly'' what he was doing when he appointed Gwystyl. |
| 331 | ** And how about Taran? No special powers, not a MasterSwordsman, just a more-or-less ordinary guy who learns about being a hero...and more importantly, being a man. |
| 332 | * Danny's father, from ''[[Creator/RoaldDahl Danny the Champion of the World]]''. The book's last line is exactly right: "What a child wants and deserves is a parent who is sparky." And no-one in literature exemplifies it better. |
| 333 | * Ever single character in ''Literature/WeetzieBat''. From Weetzie herself to Mysecretagentloverman to Duck to Dirk to Cherokee to Witchbaby... They are all amazing. |
| 334 | * From the [[Literature/ThePendragonAdventure Pendragon series]], I want to add Vo Spader. One reason. HAWT. |
| 335 | ** Word. Also, [[TheWoobie Mark]] [[TookALevelInBadass Dimond]]. |
| 336 | ** Saint Dane is one of the most [[MagnificentBastard brilliant villains]] I've ever read about. He has no qualms about destroying worlds and killing mass numbers of people, but somehow manages to remain charming. He repeatedly demonstrates that he is the one [[TheChessmaster in control]] of the events of the story and routinely kicks the heroes' asses. |
| 337 | *** YES! Another Saint Dane fan! I'm very partial to villains, but Saint Dane blew me away. As despicable as what he does is, I cannot help but be utterly utterly fascinated by and in awe of. |
| 338 | * It seems these days that no one has heard of a little series called ''Literature/TheChroniclesOfTheImaginariumGeographica''. If only they did. They would know about the awesome Rose Dyson, who is a swordfighting mini-messiah princess that tries to make friends with villains. |
| 339 | * The best character in ''The Time Traveler's Wife'' doesn't appear until the last bit: Alba [=DeTamble=]. |
| 340 | * Christopher Carrion from ''Literature/{{Abarat}}''. Clive Barker is CURSED with making sexy Eldritch Abominations that the fans weren't supposed to love. |
| 341 | * Eugenides from the ''[[Literature/TheQueensThief Queen's Thief]]'' series. [[ImpossibleThief Everything]] [[UnreliableNarrator he]] [[MagnificentBastard does]], from [[spoiler:blowing up your navy]] to [[spoiler:marrying your queen]], is awesome. Always. |
| 342 | ** So much. If the SugarWiki/MomentOfAwesome trope could be embodied in a person, Gen would be it. He’s the coolest character even when he’s ''not'' the main focus of the story. Even readers who hate the plot and couldn’t get past the first book (because it’s “boring”) or [[BrokenBase the second book]] (because of the TomatoSurprise) still love Gen. |
| 343 | * Half the characers in ''Literature/WickedLovely'', but: |
| 344 | ** Niall - adorable. Just plain adorable. Complete woobie, fashionably scarred, strong enough to protect you, yet vulnerable enough to need taking care of, loving, trust issues, strong, a survivor through and through...and lets not forget his oh-so-adorable, if [[LoveHurts somewhat damaged]] relationships with Irial and [[BodyguardCrush Leslie!!]] |
| 345 | ** Irial. Such a heady mix of darkness and selflessness. Seemed so cruel, and yet can be so kind. Almost mockingly polite, with a very seductive and dangerous edge. AllGirlsWantBadBoys, after all. |
| 346 | * I honestly cannot understand how Gilbert Markham of ''Literature/TheTenantOfWildfellHall'' has a reputation for being such a {{Jerkass}}. He's not perfectly perfect in every way like [[Literature/AgnesGrey Mr. Weston]], and, yes, he has some serious anger issues, but he himself learns that and becomes highly ashamed of how he attacked Frederick Lawrence. That incident aside, he's a [[TheDutifulSon dutiful son]] who sincerely does try to be satisfied with tending his late father's farm [[DesperatelyLookingForAPurposeInLife when he was hoping for some more glamorous calling]]; he loves books, children, and dogs; he hates hypocrites, gossip, and the prevalent view of a wife as her husband's slave (which he tells ''his own mother''); and he slowly falls for Helen for her mind, heart, and personality... but whenever Helen tells Gilbert to back off, he ''does'' ("I would rather have your friendship than the love of any other woman."), following her lead and moving at her speed every step of the way. When you're TheHero of The First Feminist Novel, you can't [[RescueRomance save your girl]] like [[Literature/PrideAndPrejudice Mr. Darcy]], and you can't [[BreakTheHaughty teach her a lesson]] like [[Literature/{{Emma}} Mr. Knightley]]; you just have to love and respect her even when the rest of the world turns on her... ''which he does,'' standing up for Helen to his family and neighbors, refusing to believe the MaliciousSlander about her, and not condemning her once he knows the truth despite what his own society and peers dictate. ([[Literature/DaisyMiller If only Frederick Winterbourne had had the strength and courage to do the same...]]) Gilbert Markham: My favorite Bronte Hero. |
| 347 | * Kavi from Creator/HilariBell's ''Literature/FarsalaTrilogy'' is one of my favorite characters ever. He's a crippled, [[ConflictingLoyalty very conflicted]] peddler/occasional con man/traitor to his country who ends up leading [[LaResistance a highly successful rebellion]] made up mainly of peasants who never expected to be fighting a war. He remains devoted to the cause despite the fact that [[YouKilledMyFather several of his allies really want to kill him]]. His reasons for betraying his country are very clear and reflect Farsala's rigid social class system, which adds an extra interesting side to the conflict of the series. Another great character is Patrius, the honorable enemy commander who is [[NiceGuy a genuinely good person]]. |
| 348 | * Mattimeo of ''Literature/{{Redwall}}''. I like him more than his father, because he develops more as a character over the course of the series. Born as the child of TheChosenOne, he's faced with people expecting greatness from him when all he wants is to be a kid. But when he's kidnapped for a twisted revenge plot? CrouchingMoronHiddenBadass indeed. |
| 349 | ** Romsca from ''The Pearls of Lutra'' is not only badass, but one of the most interesting, well-written vermin in the series. |
| 350 | ** Basil "Stag" Hare. Need I say more? ''Redwall'' is a great book anyway, but he was the one who tipped the scales by jumping into the war like it was his job, all while ''[[RascallyRabbit outrunning Cluny's horde and simultaneously mocking them]]'', [[BritsLoveTea making tea in his burrow]] [[StiffUpperLip between chases]], throwing outdated British slang all over the place and being ''absurdly'' hilarious. I know we're not supposed to use the CrazyIsCool trope lightly, but old Basil could be its mascot. |
| 351 | * I read the ''Literature/InheritanceCycle'' half because [[{{Fandom}} I like it]] and half because I hate it. But I recently was surprised to discover the one part that I really, ''really'' like---[[LadyOfWar Nasuada]]. She's maybe twenty, leading a massive army, out-politicking her own advisers and most of the world's major powers, and does it ''not'' because she's a super-awesome God Mode Sue like Eragon and Arya, but through sheer grit and clever thinking. She has problems, ''tons'' of problems, but they tend to be practical as opposed to the "deep" issues those two face, and thus she avoids the overdone angst and [[CluelessAesop Clueless Aesops]]. And while not played up much, there are all sorts of subtle tensions within her---she's a determined general but also [[IJustWantToBeNormal wishes she could be a normal woman]], comes from a culture different than the one she's leading, etc. I'm actually really surprised when I look for fanfics or fanart and find out other people don't consider her the EnsembleDarkHorse that I do, because I just keep looking ahead hoping the POV changes to her again. (I just wish she wouldn't constantly say/think [[CreatorsPet how important and special Eragon is...]]) |
| 352 | ** Roran as well, for being such a BadassNormal (which kind of [[JumpingTheShark jumped the shark]] in Book 3, but still), deserves a mention. He doesn't have all the skills and powers Eragon has, yet he does such extraordinary things in the series whenever he appears. His chapters in ''Eldest'' were, in my honest opinion, the best parts of the series, full stop (showing that when he puts his mind to it, Paolini ''can'' be a phenomenal writer). Even Eragon himself commends Roran, in story, for being so awesome. |
| 353 | * The reason that, despite my sincerely best efforts, I was unable to get interested in or enjoy SuperHero comics is no doubt because they no longer have characters as well-written as [[Literature/TheScarletPimpernel Marguerite Blakeney]]. Baroness Orczy accurately recognized that an invincible GeniusBruiser and paragon of manliness and perfection like the Scarlet Pimpernel is better as the BigGood than the protagonist. No, the protagonist -- who undergoes the [[TheHerosJourney Hero's Journey]], is given the SadisticChoice, and suffers a painful disillusionment leading to a HeelRealization -- is ''his wife!'' Marguerite's journey as TheAtoner culminates in an awesome midnight stalking mission requiring {{Ninja}}-like stealth and the courage and endurance that neither her husband nor her ArchEnemy thought she had in her until her interference completely ruins Chauvelin's plans. Percy regrets his [[DatingCatwoman Catwoman]] had to go the ends of the Earth for him before he realized he could love and trust her as much as he always wanted to. (Add points for female sexuality, especially in the sequels.) Radical feminists will disagree with me, but Marguerite Blakeney is one of my favorite literary heroines. |
| 354 | * Any mystery lovers here? My favorite fictional detective of all time has to be Marcia Muller's venerable PI Sharon [=McCone=], the forerunner of Kinsey Millhone, VI Warshawski, Carlotta Carlyle, Stephanie Plum, and dozens of other American female detectives. Muller is such a gifted plotter and [=McCone=] is a great, down-to-earth character. |
| 355 | * [[Literature/LittleWomen Jo March]]. She learns her lesson and advocates morality, all the while retaining her tomboyish and often rude personality. |
| 356 | * You don't get much more awesome than [[Literature/KushielsLegacy Joscelin Verreuil]]. He starts out as a disapproving, dry, stuck-up yet undeniably badass warrior priest. Over the course of the next three books, he transforms into a quietly humourous, reliable, loving consort for Phedre who is determined to do anything. Plus, he's gorgeous, and the most badass warrior in pretty much the entire world. |
| 357 | ** I started to love Joscelin in book 2, when he was being stubborn as hell and refusing to be what Phèdre wanted him to be. It was such a great fuck-you to ProtagonistCenteredMorality: No, ''no'' I can't just turn my back on everything I was brought up to be to conform with what the protagonist wants. Even if the Cassiline vows are problematic and overly rigid, he still made them, and they're still part of who he is--as much as Kushiel is to Phèdre. |
| 358 | * Steve Leopard from Literature/TheSagaOfDarrenShan. Pure determined evil, with a bitter, twisted sense of humour, and an ending that would make anyone feel sorry for him; as well as having a suprisngly deep psychology. His determination to destroy Darren, but wanting it to be a ''theatrical'' event as well, and his constant laughter makes him the best kid's book villain this side of Voldemort. |
| 359 | * [[Literature/AnitaBlake Edward.]] No, not [[Literature/TheTwilightSaga that]] one. Say what you like about the Literature/AnitaBlake series (though I'm a fan I've probably said some of it too), Edward/Ted Forrester is cool. He starts out as pretty much a sociopath, but even when he gains elements of the PapaBear and we find out Anita really is important to him, he never stops being one of the deadliest people in the books. This is a guy the preternaturals know as Death, and unlike Anita with her ever-growing power list, he's a BadassNormal with mad skills and lots of cool and deadly toys. |
| 360 | * Rowan from the ''Literature/RowanOfRin'' series. A shy, small, sensitive boy who lives in a village where physical strength and bravery are valued above all else. He is considered a weak, pathetic disappointment by nearly everyone. Until he's the only one capable of saving everyone on five separate occassions, each time by using his brains instead of blindly leaping to attack, as everyone else tried and failed to. Also from the Rowan series, Zeel and Allun are massively awesome too. Both outcasts like Rowan, but in different ways. Allun is half Traveller, whom most Rin people do not like, so he does not fit into either world, but always makes the best of things and is always joking and cheerful. Zeel is a Zebak orphan who was adopted by the Travellers. (Zebak are at War with Rin/Travellers.) Zeel must put up with people assuming her to be a traitor because of her biological parents, but even when inside Zebak territory, she never once considered betraying her adoptive people. And she's a badass ActionGirl to boot. |
| 361 | ** I second that. And Sheba, anyone? Old, withered, a bit bitter from spending her life seeing flashes of the future, but not always understanding them. Yet, in the end, she wouldn't have it any other way. She probably set Rowan up to succeed on his first adventure, going to great lengths to make sure he would go along... but he promptly saved her life with his second adventure. |
| 362 | * Say what you want about [[Creator/StephenieMeyer Smeyer]], but [[Literature/TheHost2008 Ian O'Shea]] is a wonderful man and a great love interest for the main character. |
| 363 | ** Jamie Stryder = completely adorable! |
| 364 | * Quint from ''Literature/TheEdgeChronicles''. As a child, impossibly sweet. As a tricorned adult, indescribably awesome. |
| 365 | * Everyone in ''Literature/TheNightAngelTrilogy''. Being a perfect example of true character-driven fantasy, this could be expected, but then each character is complex, sympathetic, and ''believable.'' Just wonderfully written. |
| 366 | * Percy Jackson from ''Literature/PercyJacksonAndTheOlympians''. And his friend Grover. They save the world a lot, they're kids, they're funny, and yet they still seem decidedly human, despite the fact that neither of them are. And they both remain [[NiceGuy Nice Guys]] despite all the weirdness that's dumped on them, so that's a plus. |
| 367 | ** ''Literature/TheHeroesOfOlympus'' series gives us the hilarious, complex, highly awesome Leo Valdez. He's in the Hephaestus cabin for what, two seconds and the first thing he does is ''recapture their bronze dragon and give it flight capabilities''. The fact that he's considerably low on {{Wangst}} makes him even more sympathetic when you ''do'' find out about everything he's been through. He's also a genuinely kind, selfless person who'd do anything for his friends, ''and'' he looks good in suspenders. His [[spoiler:cameo in Book 2]] is amazing: |
| 368 | --> ''[[spoiler:"So yeah, I'm...ah...supreme commander of the Argo II. Yeah, I like that! Anyway, [[BuffySpeak we're gonna be sailing toward you in about, I dunno, an hour in this big mother warship. We'd appreciate it if you'd not, like, blow us out of the sky or anything]]. So okay! If you could tell the Romans that. See you soon. Yours in demigodishness, and all that. Peace out."]]'' |
| 369 | ** Nico Di Angelo of the same series starts out as a geeky Main/AnnoyingYoungerSibling. By Literature/TheHeroesOfOlympus he is basically Batman, rarely speaking but being the most badass of the bunch. He survives Tartarus alone with his sanity relatively intact, leads an army of ghosts, and is revealed [[spoiler: to be the first LGBT character in the series.]] |
| 370 | ** Annabeth Chase! If you thought that [[DumbBlonde Blondes were dumb]] here's a girl who'd like correct you. She's guaranteed to be smarter than you, and can probably beat you up as well. She's a daughter of Athena, goddess of wisdom and warfare. She's wise, strong, beautiful, and so, so brave. Basically everything she does in Mark of Athena is amazing, especially when she faces her worst nightmare with nothing but a broken ankle and her wits. And Wins. Yes, she goes up against [[spoiler: spider, Arachne, who wants nothing more than to exact horrible revenge upon her for what Athena did thousands of years ago]] and wins in arguably the most epic way conceivable. |
| 371 | ** Frank. Zhang. Badass enough that the Fates had to ''balance him out'' by giving him a WeaksauceWeakness, yet enough of a DorkKnight that he never thinks of himself as being much of a hero. His romance with Hazel is also very sweet. |
| 372 | * Gretchen Richter, of Eric Flint's ''[[Literature/SixteenThirtyTwo 1632]]'' universe. Age 21 at the start of the book, she spent the last few years protecting her brother, sister, grandmother, infant son, and every other helpless individual she can get her hands on, in an army camp, in the middle of the 30 years war. Rape, abuse, and threats have not only barely fazed her, but have in fact hardly slowed her down. And that was ''before'' someone had the bright idea to give her a gun and a vote. She is a rock hard survivor turned deadly political activist, and absolutely nothing stands in her way for long. |
| 373 | ** MELISSA MAILEY. World's coolest teacher, ridiculously intelligent, wild child liberal feminist rebel in her younger years, won over an entire mining town by jumping in on the side of the miners during a strike and giving an ''amazing'' speech, once had an anarchist for a boyfriend (and can advise on the proper way to make improvised bombs), gives no fucks about what anyone thinks regarding her living in sin with her black, ex-Chicago-ghetto-street-thug, ex-Marine CombatMedic doctor boyfriend despite Grantville being an Appalachian town, snarkiest snarker who ever did snark anywhere, imitates cheerleaders badly, undergoes a whacking great dose of character development, and with such a soft heart that the thought that [[spoiler:refugees thinking she was going to kill them]] [[VomitIndiscretionShot makes her vomit]]. Good ''God'' I love Melissa Mailey!! |
| 374 | * I almost can't say enough good things about [[Literature/TheHungerGames Katniss Everdeen]]. Her unflinching narration, her complex psychology, her, let's face it, awesome survival skill. The fact that she can have a troubled backstory, wear flaming dresses, be deadly in combat, sacrifice herself for her sister, inspire just about everyone, ''and'' have two guys throwing themselves at her--all without being even remotely a Mary Sue--is a feat you won't believe unless you read the series. She's damaged, deeply flawed, and highly believable. Underneath everything, she's just trying to do the right thing. I'm not one to complain that girls need role models, but seriously--''that'' is a heroine. |
| 375 | ** Of course, having her be played by the ever-so-wonderful Creator/JenniferLawrence in the film adaptations certainly adds more to the awesomeness. |
| 376 | ** This tropette has some serious respect for Primrose Everdeen. A classic case of HairOfGoldHeartOfGold, adorable, a FriendToAllLivingThings, even to [[CatsAreMean Buttercup.]] When she is called up to be a tribute before [[CoolBigSis Katniss]] saves her, she accepts her fate, knowing that she won't last 10 seconds in the Games in comparison to Katniss, despite being rigid with fear - she even remembers to tuck in her "duck tail" before she's about to go on the stage. She doesn't complain once about constantly having to help her mother with being a healer, at only 12/13-years-old, she gets things done without whining. Prim basically goes from a helpless little girl into a brave, strong doctor - even Katniss notes how much she's matured in ''Catching Fire'' and ''Mockingjay'', being able to give her comfort and advice when she needs it most, [[spoiler:and it makes it all the more tragic when she is killed at the end of ''Mockingjay'' while she's working as a medic.]] |
| 377 | ** And then, there's Cinna. The guy's just so impossibly ''kind'' in a world full of selfish, greedy souls turning a blind eye to the havoc being wreaked around them. Sure, he is one of them, and yet he isn't, because ''he cares.'' Also, gold eyeliner is freaking awesome. |
| 378 | *** Anyone who can start a revolution through fashion gets my vote. |
| 379 | ** Finnick. Effing. Odair. |
| 380 | ** Peeta Mellark. Where to begin? Here's a guy growing up in such awful circumstances but still managing to be kind, giving, and selfless. Then the Games happen and while he's scarred (mentally and physically) he comes out still wanting to be friends with Katniss, despite his initial irritation at their "romance" being all an act on her part because he gets that she was helping them. Then the Quell happens. He gets captured, tortured and brainwashed... and he still, after a really long, really hard, really painful for everyone slog manages to not only survive but go back and have a good life. Both the kindness and the quiet strength is just as awesome as the overt badassery of a lot of the other characters. |
| 381 | ** [[TheBaroness Alma]] [[IronLady Coin]] may be evil, but we can't help but admire her talent for governing and her resolute fortitude. |
| 382 | * Edward the Blue Engine from ''Literature/TheRailwaySeries''. Patient, kind, and even-tempered, and still giving it his all in spite of his age. There's also Rheneas and Skarloey. Even more {{Determinator}} than Edward, and older to boot - 2015 will be their railway's 150th anniversary. They both gave it their all to keep the trains running in spite of being in increasingly decrepit condition. They're awesome, and an inspiration to others. |
| 383 | * ''Literature/SergeStorms'': Serge is insane, a SerialKiller, smart, charming, charismatic, optimistic, and I absolutely ''love'' him for that. |
| 384 | * I admit she’s not from a very popular series, but I’d like to put Akiko (from the series of the same name) on this list. She is likable, realistic, and manages to rescue the prince of the planet Smoo (with help from her friends) from the villainess when the king mistakes her for an intergalactic hero. Did I mention that Akiko’s only in the ''fourth grade''? Her friends include: bookworm Mr. Beeba, mysterious and silent Poog, brash but caring Spuckler, and the best robot in the literature world - Gax. |
| 385 | * Another not too popular one, but Doc from ''Literature/CanneryRow'' (nothing to do with the [[Franchise/BacktotheFuture other one]]. You fall in love with him as soon as you read his introductory paragraph. He's just so lovely. And anyone who will try a [[UnconventionalSmoothie beer]] [[ItMakesSenseInContext milkshake]] has to be wonderful. Gosh dang I could just go on about him forever. Best character. |
| 386 | * [[Literature/EighthDoctorAdventures Fitz Kreiner]]. [[GoodSmokingEvilSmoking Chain-smoking]], [[GirlOfTheWeek sex-obsessed]], [[CowardlyLion cowardly]], [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking scruffy]] guitarist from 1963 who travels with the Eighth Doctor for most of his run. And also the most unconventionally heroic companion ''Series/DoctorWho'' has ever seen. He's incredibly complicated and subtly characterized, he's sweet (though he pretends not to be) he's fantastically funny and unbelievably tragic, and to top it all off, he's [[YaoiFangirl in love with]] the Doctor. |
| 387 | ** I came here to add this and found it right at the bottom of the page. I hate to be that person who's being overly friendly via Website/TVTropes page, but we should really be friends. Anyway, while I'm here, Anji is pretty great too. She's only in half as many books as Fitz, so she doesn't get as much characterization[[note]]and is unfortunately hampered by being an Asian businesswoman being written by white authors, leaving open silly questions such as whether her ethnicity is Indian or Pakistani and what her career actually involves[[/note]], but she's just kind of awesome. She's a clever young [[WhiteCollarWorker futures trader]] who apparently MinoredInAssKicking. And she's [[NotSoAboveItAll funnier and quirkier]] than she first appears. And she balances being close friends with the Doctor with being very skeptical about him. And her friendship with Fitz is often quite adorable. ''And'' she's the first (and so far only) Asian companion in ''Series/DoctorWho'' history, which admittedly makes it a bit [[TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodCharacter sad]] she's just an ExtendedUniverse character. She's the sort of person you'd love to have as a coworker or travel in time and space with. |
| 388 | * [[Literature/MistbornTheOriginalTrilogy Kelsier]]. He pulls together a plan that topples an immortal, millenia-old EvilOverlord. He even pulls a XanatosGambit, that includes a ThanatosGambit. Yes, he is [[HeroicSacrifice fully willing to die]] to [[TakingYouWithMe overthrow the]] BigBad. And that's just ''one'' time he pulls off a plan that is CrazyEnoughToWork. [[SelectiveMagnetism He's one of the best steel-pusher/iron-pullers]] in existence. His sense of humor adds quite a bit to the book. He even creates a book-long SugarWiki/HeartwarmingMoments by helping and teaching [[IronWoobie Vin]]. Yet - he is ruthless and quite possibly in love with his own reputation; in the end no one is quite sure whether his ThanatosGambit was more for the people or more for his ego. But even with that, I cheer every time I read "I am the one thing you can never kill. I am Hope." |
| 389 | * ''Literature/TheLovelyBones'' has Grandma Lynn, who manages to be wild, irresponsible, rude, and yet still completely lovable; not to mention all of the life she breathes into a book all about, well, death. She's just such a likeable character. And then, of course, there's Lindsay, who manages to pull over a brilliant SugarWiki/MomentOfAwesome against the resident villain, Mr Harvey, in spite of [[IronWoobie all she's been through.]] |
| 390 | * ''Literature/TheFaultInOurStars'': My goodness, '''everyone.''' Gus and Hazel would get special mention, of course, but there's also Isaac and Hazel's parents and gosh, just every single character is so wonderful and likeable and huggable. What a perfect cast for an amazing book. |
| 391 | * ''Literature/{{Dracula}}'' has a few often overlooked examples. |
| 392 | ** Jonathan Harker is often demoted to Main/TheWatson or a disposable fiance but in the book was a [[Series/DoctorWho Rory-like]] badass and devoted husband to Mina. Among his achievements are climbing down the side of Castle Dracula (twice). This is acknowledged in universe as an awesome moment. He kills Dracula by decapitating him with a Kukri in one swing. Finally he is fully prepared to become a vampire if they can't save Mina just so he can be with her. |
| 393 | ** Mina Harker is also often demoted to a distressed damsel who is in love with Dracula. In the book she nurses Jonathan back to health after he escapes Castle Dracula, organizes all of the groups notes, guides Lucy across town shoeless in her pajamas after the latter wakes up from a vampire attack, uses her psychic link to Dracula to track him down, and finally joins in the final battle alongside the men providing cover fire as they attack Dracula's coffin. |
| 394 | ** Doctor Jack Seward fights to save Lucy when she is slowly dying from vampirism and is essentially the story's protagonist while Jonathan is recovering. |
| 395 | ** Quincey Morris delivers the first half of the killing Blow against Dracula, driving a Bowie Knife into Dracula's chest while wounded. |
| 396 | ** Arthur Godalming is Main/CrazyPrepared enough to bring a dog whistle when investigating Dracula's base in England on the off chance that they get attacked by rats. He also [[spoiler: willingly kills Lucy, his fiancee, when he realizes that she's too far gone to save. Was it tragic? Yes. Did it demonstrate a tremendous amount of strength? Yes.]] |
| 397 | ** Van Helsing puts in the same amount of effort as Seward to save Lucy, the difference being that he didn't even know her. He also provides cover fire with Mina in the final battle despite being well past his prime. |
| 398 | * The Literature/{{Honorverse}} is ''full'' of them. Starting with Honor Harrington herself, of course, but the supporting characters are almost ''better'' than the protagonist. Especially Eloise Pritchart, she who can lie to a PeoplesRepublicOfTyranny for six long years, survive two revolutions, and wind up as [[spoiler:the truly elected president of a republic that hadn't existed for two centuries]], and Shannon Foraker, BadassAdorable techno nerd who can wipe out ''two whole squadrons'' of superdreadnoughts with only the word "Oops." And then there's Dame Estelle Matsuko, the world's greatest diplomat, and Augustus Khumalo, who proves his badass in the most unlikely manner, and the sheer unadulterated awesome that is Aivars Terekhov and Michael Oversteegen, and Princess Abigail Hearns, who is the first-ever Grayson woman to serve in the Navy, and Michelle Henke, Honor's best friend, who is awesome and snarky and also an amazing tactician, and Tom Theisman who is basically goodness incarnate, and poor Allen Higgins who just needs a goddamn hug already, and Benjamin Mayhew who's basically restructuring an entire society while keeping the bones of it intact, and.... |
| 399 | * [[Literature/CharlieAndTheChocolateFactory Willy Wonka]], between the original novel and [[Literature/CharlieAndTheGreatGlassElevator its sequel]], is an impossibly awesome person -- a TheWonka, a MadScientist, a SupremeChef, a businessman in the FictionFiveHundred, a GentlemanAndAScholar, a DeadpanSnarker, a GadgeteerGenius, a BoldExplorer, even an impromptu poet, as well as master of TheWonderland of karmic justice. And his tricky, mysterious nature makes him a wonderfully InterpretativeCharacter for actors. |
| 400 | * ''Literature/TheFirstLaw'' has a bunch of awesome characters, but the awesomest by far is Glokta. A DeadpanSnarker HandicappedBadass JerkassWoobie who constantly questions his work as a TortureTechnician, finds [[PetTheDog ways to be merciful]] and eventually works against his superiors in an [[SugarWiki/MomentOfAwesome awesome fight scene and chase through the sewers]], becoming an important figure in the new King's government (though [[TheChessmaster Bayaz engineered everything]], so nobody else is ''really'' important). He also [[spoiler: makes an HonorableMarriageProposal to Ardee]] and their relationship is quite touching. |
| 401 | * Piratica: Art Blastside is simply wonderful. She is cunning, slippery, arrogant, Cold-hearted and nice at the same time. She started a pirate craze in London after her husband had saved from being executed for being a pirate. And she is crazy and haughty! She is simply great. |
| 402 | * Bombur from ''Literature/TheHobbit'' Is Awesome! He got judged a lot for his weight but he persevered through enchanted streams, murderous spiders, and companions that could be very cruel. Some see him as {{The Load}}, but I see him as a dwarf who spoke his mind. He had to go last so many times because he was fat, and even when he just wanted to go not last for once they put him down. He was one of the three dwarves to be the least swayed by the vast wealth of Erebor, and of those three he was not remembered for it. Yet for 70 years, he's put up with them, with US, smiled and cried, once even died, and lives on in our memories. That takes courage. |
| 403 | * Elinor Dashwood from ''Literature/SenseAndSensibility''. All of Creator/JaneAusten's heroines are awesome in their own ways, but Elinor is just so perfectly sensible, it's delightful to read about her. She's protective of her younger sister, the OnlySaneMan of her family to the point where she is her mother's main advisor at only nineteen because she's just that reasonable, she bears everything that happens to her with dignity and is a [[TheStoic stoic]] SilentSnarker with a StiffUpperLip all without being an EmotionlessGirl. |
| 404 | * [[Literature/ABrothersPrice Princess Trini]]. She doesn't want to marry, and least of all a guy she doesn't even know, but when she is told that if she doesn't consent to marry him, he will have to marry the sisters of the man who raped her, she rather risks him being another [[MaritalRapeLicense rapist]] than put him in danger of being raped himself. |
| 405 | * It's not massively well known, but my love for Paul Turner from the ''Department 19'' series knows no bounds. In the first book, he's not really anything more than a mildly menacing presence and a pair of cold eyes, but gradually we learn more about him. In-universe, he's a MemeticBadass who has a reputation for being cool, calculating and almost robotic. He scares the hell out of most people. Then his son dies in the second book and we see him ''cry''. It's absolutely heartwrenching, and that's only the start. He makes friends with said son's girlfriend and their friendship is one of the most adorable things in the whole series, and it only gets better from there. Finding out that one of the most feared Operators in the department is actually an IronWoobie who has ''so many'' feelings of despair and inadequacy in him but ''[[TheDeterminator just keeps going]]'' is simply amazing. |
| 406 | * [[Literature/SkulduggeryPleasant Skulduggery Pleasant.]] |
| 407 | * In ''Literature/TheGoblinEmperor'', Maia. Like the hobbits in the LoTR example above, his superpower is resistance to the corrupting influence of power. He was mistreated for about half of his life, and then becomes emperor overnight, but he still doesn't use his new power to take revenge. It is not that he doesn't ''want to'' take revenge, it is that he acknowledges he would become a tyrant by doing so, and he just doesn't want to be that kind of person. |
| 408 | * Mog from Judith Kerr's ''Mog'' series. She is a fictional cat with no CatStereotype's. |
| 409 | ** Also Rumpus. He's a CuteKitten, what else is there to say? |
| 410 | ** Debbie. Especially, how she often sticks up for Mog using reason. |
| 411 | * I loved all three of the main characters of ''Literature/TheBartimaeusTrilogy''. Bartimaeous is funny, awesome, and clever, as well as being a rare example of a nonhuman protagonist done right. Nathaniel's character arc, with him slowly realizing that he and his fellow government officials are in the wrong, is fascinating and compelling. Kitty is a badass, but perhaps her best trait is her ability to ''reconsider her attitudes and admit that she might be wrong.'' If there was ''ever'' a trait that was more sorely needed in the world... |
| 412 | * Basically everyone in ''Literature/TheLunarChronicles'' but special mentions go to Scarlet Benoit, my favorite FieryRedhead ActionGirl, and the ever-charming 'Captain' [[TheCasanova Thorne]]! |
| 413 | * [[LiteralMinded Mat]][[HeelFaceTurn thi]][[NobleWolf as]]. [[LoveAcrossBattlelines Hel]][[UndyingLoyalty var]]. From ''Literature/SixOfCrows''. It's always satisfying to see a character go through as much development that Matthias does, [[spoiler: unlearning his FantasticRacism against Grisha]], and if you add that to his Adorkable scenes with Nina and his [[spoiler: RedemptionEqualsDeath]], it's hard not to love him! |
| 414 | * Master Elodin, of ''Literature/TheKingkillerChronicle.'' Not only is he a DeadpanSnarker and master of ObfuscatingInsanity (though just how much of the insanity is a mask is up for debate), he is also an incredible StealthMentor. ''Every single interaction'' with Kvothe is a lesson of some kind or another, even if [[ArrogantKungFuGuy Kvothe]] is too blind to see it at first. Oh, and he's a Master Namer, which basically makes him the most dangerous character in ''the entire setting,'' with a couple of exceptions (both of whom are Fae). |
| 415 | * [[Literature/{{Misery}} Annie Wilkes.]] Sure, [[Creator/StephenKing King]] has dozens of memorable heroes and villains alike, but none really affect you like Wilkes. [[Literature/{{It}} Cosmic, interdimensional,, shapeshifting, murderous clown demon?]] That's never a good string of adjectives to put together, but I'm not gonna run into that any time soon. But Annie Wilkes is so nuanced, cold, unreasonable, and strangely realistic, possibly because she was based on both King's cocaine addiction and his controlling fans. Annie's an awful, ugly hag of a woman with an [[LoonyFan obsession with the protagonist's, Paul Sheldon, book series]], and to an extent, [[AbhorrentAdmirer Paul himself]]. Things descend into madness as Annie reveals her [[AxCrazy true colors]]. And it is TERRIFYING. |
| 416 | * She is mostly a plot device for the main characters, but Victoria from ''Literature/{{Stardust}}'' (the book, not [[AdaptationalJerkass the movie]]) manages to get a character arc of her own in the background and evolve into an incredibly sweet and mature young woman. In the beginning, she wants to get Tristran off her back but rather than telling him straightaway that she loves another she, just for the fun of it, acts as MasterOfTheMixedMessage and tells Tristran to fetch her the star. But then imagine [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone what she must have gone through]] after Tristran takes it seriously! For several months, she has to live with the fact that she could have sent him to his death. After Tristran returns, she tells him the truth, begs for his forgiveness and is ready to marry him like [[IGaveMyWord she (foolishly) promised]]. And then we get one of the most adorable and heartwarming scenes in the book where Victoria befriends Yvaine and is deliriously happy and gushing about her upcoming wedding with Robert. The girl has definitely earned it. |
| 417 | * ''Literature/TheSorcerersDaughter'' has a whole cast of awesome: |
| 418 | ** Rothbart. Manages to stop several epidemics (a couple of them by the age of ''twenty-one''), takes his daughter away from the DecadentCourt and raises her right even when his owl soul is corrupted by sorcery, heals Siegfried after the latter swallows a double lethal dose of poison, survives flying on a dying dragon, and achieves redemption even though his EvilMentor has warned him very explicitly not to. |
| 419 | ** Odette. Wins a war when she's ''sixteen''; is kidnapped by powerful sorcerers, ''twice'', and both times remains a furious DefiantCaptive who never stops plotting an escape; is always brave enough to invoke ScrewTheRulesImDoingWhatsRight; is a protective CoolBigSis figure to Odile long before learning they actually are cousins. |
| 420 | ** Siegfried. Isn't afraid to fight sorcerers or dragons or what have you; evolves from a [[HardDrinkingPartyGirl Hard-Drinking Party Boy]] to a responsible PrinceCharming; refuses to [[IfYouKillHimYouWillBeJustLikeHim sink to the level]] of his traitorous enemy even in mortal danger; is ready to marry Odile even when he thinks she's a commoner; is prepared to fight tooth and nail to get Rothbart's anathema lifted, despite only recently thinking Rothbart to be AlwaysChaoticEvil. |
| 421 | ** Odile. [[DaddysGirl Won't renounce her father]] even for the chance to marry Siegfried; develops UndyingLoyalty to Odette after the latter pardons Rothbart and becomes her first real friend; saves Siegfried's life when he is poisoned; remains an utterly kind-hearted girl despite everything she and her nearest and dearest have been through. |
| 422 | ** Abbot Orsino. Behind the stern facade of a KnightTemplar is a SugarAndIcePersonality BadassPreacher, who deeply cares for his flock and Odette (as he is her confessor) in particular and works hard to fix the MiscarriageOfJustice of Rothbart's first conviction for sorcery. Make no mistake, unlike many a KnightTemplar, he is genuinely pious to the point that [[GoodHurtsEvil magic can't harm him and his prayers keep a dragon at bay]]. |
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