Your favourite fictional characters and why you like them

[CRimson5]

I am trying to write a story and was looking for ideal qualities for a MC and I am here for data.

The other thread is also mine but I accidentally put it in discussion instead here, I would have deleted that if I knew how.

 

[RepresentingWrath]

Small advice. Some people enjoy Mary Sue, some people want actual MC with personality and flaws, some want blank pieces of wood so they can self-insert. So make MC that suits your story, that you want to write, or one you actually enjoy.

As for how to delete the thread, report it and state the reason for deletion. We can't do it on our own, mods do it.

 

[Anonjohn20]

I'm a sucker for lots of character development. Give me a flawed character and proceed to make him or her a better or worse person. I'll give you some examples (sorry that not all of them will be from a novel).

For example in 2018 Netflix released a reboot of She-ra. In that show, a lot of people hated Catra

Spoiler

because she's so unrepentant of all the bad things she did and gets off scot free all the time.

I on the other hand loved that journey she went through, starting from a common soldier who secretly loved her best friend to being

Spoiler

the woman who almost destroyed the planet twice

. We got to see how she embraced evil rather than having her start out that way from the beginning.

Other characters I've loved: Batman, Spider-Man, Ahsoka (in Clone Wars I loved her, in all the other shows I didn't really care about her), Walter White, Zuko, Gimli and Legolas (Lord of the Rings books).

 

[Carrigan2121]

Arthur Morgan because even though he is an outlaw who kills people, deep down he is a good man. He redeems himself throughout the game which made me like him the most and he's a legendary gunslinger

 

[RepresentingPride]

There is a lot that I like, but if I have to choose one, maybe Greed from Overgeared due to how much the character's personality grows through the story. He was selfish, dumb, and greedy. Everyone sees him as a piece of trash who will never do a thing in his entire life, but he changed through his interaction with NPC inside the game, his personality slowly changed to become a normal human being, but he didn't stop growing since then, and he becomes someone worthy of being a king, and he was seen as a "hero" in his country, even in the world.


If I have to mention some other: Weed (The Legendary Moonlight Sculptor), Guts (Berserk), Lin Ming (Martial World), Tang Wulin (Soul Land 3), Kang Hansoo (Reincarnator), Lin Dong (Wu Dong Qian Kun), Yoshimori Sumimura (Kekkaishi)

 

[Anonjohn20]

Arthur Morgan because even though he is an outlaw who kills people, deep down he is a good man. He redeems himself throughout the game which made me like him the most and he's a legendary gunslinger

That is a great character, I can't believe I forgot about him for my reply. Whether the player went through high honor or low honor he has a lot of development.

 

[PancakesWitch]

you will never be able to write a mc that everyone likes, there will be always a group of people taht will dislike how they act, no matter if they're smart geniuses, hard workers, or flawed people trying to improve. Even when you try to get to the middle ground, there will be people that will dislike that too. So first you should see what audience you want to target, or what you want to write as a mc

 

[Anonjohn20]

you will never be able to write a mc that everyone likes, there will be always a group of people taht will dislike how they act, no matter if they're smart geniuses, hard workers, or flawed people trying to improve. Even when you try to get to the middle ground, there will be people that will dislike that too. So first you should see what audience you want to target, or what you want to write as a mc

A very good point, some people want evil antagonists, some people want people so good that they're eligible for sainthood, some people want self inserts that have their exact same mentality, some want that invincible power fantasy. Finding a target demographic is essential.

 

[Tsuru]

A very good point, some people want evil antagonists, some people want people so good that they're eligible for sainthood, some people want self inserts that have their exact same mentality, some want that invincible power fantasy. Finding a target demographic is essential.

Me. Anti-hero.

And probably what want 93.99% of the demographic of the chinese reader base.

And its what escape my mind. The fact westerners (i'm one though lol but eastern too >_o) seems to only like EVIL, and PURE GOOD. but not inbetween.

5-10+ years ago, there was the isekai boom, and i loved reading urban/slife-of-life/etc compared to the generic isekais.
But one fav novel of all times, that is a masterpiece just like JP has Mushoku, or Doupo Canqiong, Soul Land, is "History strongest husband" (that btw sticked in rankings of raws websites, like Soul land 4)

This MC.
Despite the ultra trash generic title / weird summary+cover on NU, is basically Mushoku in a certain same vein.
This man, like Rudy, has a despairing dark first life. Despite having deeds that would shame the most pious people. And even winning peace nobel prize and saving innumerable lives. His goal behind actions until 70y/o ? Simply have a family.
But despite this small goal, never succeeded. Hence dying, despite even still in his last moments trying to save people/patient (bullets) (manhua skipped this important detail, and butcher everything else), he decided to let it go and live more selfishly and let it go.

What is funny, is that i never paid attention this ressemblance before, but just like Rudy, the beginning is slow, and lacking (if we ignore Sylphiette),
but after the 15+chaps,
MC finally marry the heroine.
And what a heroine.
Its a old-recent novel, but it didnt follow the trends of coldbeauty or disdaining woman like other CNs, but more like a fusion of a kind noble to the poor (novel mention she sometimes help poors) while also being a stoic princess knight princess that isnt unhappy to follow the orders of the marriage of matchmakers-parents (fake example).
In short, she is like the perfect heroine of Doupo Cangqiong but less "friendly" (yet)

After the marriage, oh boi, its like the Teleport accident of Mushoku, the speed of development is giga fast.
there are shenanigans one after another,
a roller coaster at 200km/h of things.
Enemies after enemies, plot after plot, to bigger plot to bigger plot.

But what is THE BEST PART
is that MC.
Have the strength < chicken.
And his whole thing is : his brain.
All his enemies, no matter if they can rival an army (its kinda wuxia/medieval-realism original blend) were all done one way or another.
His predict 4 moves aheads of his enemies. And sometimes know the enemy better than themselves.
Or his moves are so ruthless its downright creepy or pure evil. (he used STDs to assassinate a whole duke family that is untoucheable / invincible perimeter around their domain)
(did i forget to mention he will (ancient tech race) nukes later on? or release blague plague? (offscreen))
And also painted with blood a wall the names of his enemies. And cut the balls of the men that coveted his wife.
But its not shoujo or anything.
Its totally a novel for men readers like Doupo Canqiong and other usual CNs are.

And returning to Westerner readers topic.
This series on NU, never got a due translation despite being popular in raws websites (the cover/summary/title sure doesnt look good on NU).

But at same time, i find ......... weird that readers love Reverend Insanity, that is edgy EVIL,
or pure good series,
but not ANTI-HEROES. Like this series.


Despite clearly deadpool being anti-hero and everyone love him (when his movies appeared).


ps : reason i like anti-hero and east readers too, is bc its "realistic/true". No one truly evil or good.
pps : I like the hidden detail, that MC act like a playboy or shitty evil often, but for the knowledgeable readers, they can see that its all an act, just a shell to hide his fragile wounded heart, and all his ruthless actions are all bc : he wants to protect his family he finally got (some small details expose him sometimes, one bigger one even appearing quite later when he said "i dislike people that are thxful or want to rely on me, bc i will feel the need to protect them")
ppps : this MC ≥ Insanity's MC. Bc realistic and more importantly, there is one thing stopping him from becoming like RI's MC, his won new "family". As he once said in anger as FL was coma-poisoned "If she dies, i won't hesitate to burn the world to the ground to make it follow her suit" (despite so weak a goose > MC)

 

[Cipiteca396]

Competent Paragons.
They have to care about people, they have to try to help, and they have to come up with a reasonable way of doing so.

 

[Thraben]

I don't know if there are better words for my favorite type of fictional characters than the ones I'm about to use, but;

Hybrids between Fallen Heroes and Sages. I personally call them 'Broken Scales' when categorizing my own characters, but there's probably a better term for it out there.

Essentially, characters that have all of the qualities of a traditional hero (relative to your setting, not to the audience) and all the knowledge of a traditional sage character (relative to setting, not audience), but none of the desire to be either a hero or a mentor.

Someone that could've been the hero the world needed OR the person to mentor the next hero, but has chosen to do neither because they want to live their own life

 

[Deleted member 148356]

Their names are forgotten but their quirks do not.
One is a fool with talent, another is a steed through pain : mesh them together and they beat each other out in contest "Haha! One point ; Nope you missed one" Brothers who are of different race but are compatible to be at arms be it now until the end.
In the world of magic there lies different methods of casting spells, restrict that to speech and reveal a wizard who has snake of a tougue like a thunder crater, his looks is soooooooooooo bad of his age but you won't escape death(<0.1 sec) once you mock him.
Boldness of one to say her being in the form of monstrosity her panties is the best, that still struck me to this day that pervert.

 

[Rezcore]

Yu Ijin- Mercenary Enrollment. He's a badass, yet he is extremely loyal. To the point he entered a war zone to save his friends.
Naruto- should have utterly stomped the skin off Sasuke but brother.
There are mire, but it's midnight, I'm overweight and just got done running 3 miles. I'm exhausted and sore