Random Talk : My Favorite Fictional Characters

I have been reviewing a lot of plays recently, and this means I have to write about both positive stuff and negative stuff. I went through a bulk of them recently and felt that maybe, just maybe, between all the personal posts and the multitude of articles, it has been sometime since I wrote a post brimming with positive energy and things I like. And so, I thought I’d write a post show casing my favorite fictional characters, and explaining just why they are so damn awesome.

Please do keep in mind that these are my favorite characters and I am not saying that everyone must agree with me on this. The only condition that a character must have to be on this list is that they must be fictional. Their alliance to the forces of good or evil does not matter. So without further procrastination, here are my favorite fictional characters of all time.

Peter Parker A.K.A Spider-Man

Spider-Man has been my favorite hero for as long as I can remember. Sure he is not the strongest, or the most intelligent, or the richest superhero in the world. But he is my favorite simply because he refuses to let a situation to get the better of him. He is always on his feet, and he is always making sure that his opponents never see his fear.

Whatever the odds, he makes sure to beat them with a wisecrack and a punch. And most of all he never asks for a thank you. What’s sad is that neither is he given a lot of thank you-s. He has risked so much for so many people who have just forgotten him and walked away, and yet he gets up every day, wears the costume and continues to fight crime.

The greatest example of his attitude and heart is shown when he takes a bullet for Captain America, 

who doesn’t even bother to help him, and continues to fight the sinister six, a group of his most powerful villains, just so that he can save his Aunt, Mary Jane and Gwen Stacy. The kid from queens, who Captain America didn’t even bother to help after he took a bullet for him, died fighting his strongest foes just to save the people he loved most.

Another reason I like Spider-Man is because he isn’t a millionaire. He doesn’t have a large inheritance and he doesn’t have all the facilities which a lot of superheroes have. He is just a regular kid who has to balance a life of saving nine million people and a life where he has to go to school and earn a living. He struggles through every moment of his life and emerges victorious. That’s what makes him so special. That is why I like him so much.

Besides, he has the most iconic line in comic book history: “With Great Power comes Great Responsibility”. Now quickly think of another Super hero’s tagline. You just can’t.

Lara Croft A.K.A the Tomb Raider

I got into Tomb Raider with the Legend trilogy and I fell in love with the Lara almost immediately. She was a bad-ass, dual pistol wielding countess with a huge mansion, who travels around the globe kicking ass, taking names and finding lost treasure. Oh and she fought dinosaurs. If that doesn’t sound bad-ass, I don’t know what does. 

Another reason I like Lara Croft is because of two words: Angelina Jolie. I know that movie is cheesy as hell, but it is one of my favorite movies of all time. I just don’t know why, but the movie is so much fun to watch. And the movie was good enough to warrant a sequel, which I ended up liking even more, so more points for that argument.

Finally there is the rebooted version of Lara. I absolutely adore this character. She is another example of a resourceful person who never gives up, whatever the odds. She will never give up and she always protects her loved ones, almost to a fault. What’s more, is that this isn’t her only character trait. She is a very complex character with varied motivation. She wants to prove that her father’s theories are actually true but she also wants to make a name for herself in the field. These goals that she wants to achieve create complex and conflicting situations which she needs to figure out, often on her own.

And she too has one of my favorite quotes: “The Extraordinary is in what we do. Not who we are.”

The Joker

The Joker is an example of a villain done right. He is a mix of the right amount of logic, charm and craziness, all of which make him an interesting villain. He is, for all intents and purposes the exact opposite of his enemy, Batman. But, while Batman does stand for all that is good, you cannot help but agree with the joker and his theories of chaos and destruction.

While in the comics he is a bit more of a maniac with an even lesser moral code and a more focused intent on making batman breaking his only rule, in the movies he is more of an extension of all the chaos in the world. It seems logical that his target would be Batman, because he is the only one who works for everything the Joker hates.

Another reason why Joker is great is the fact that his looks are extremely deceptive. He is awfully strong for someone that lanky and he always has an ace up his sleeve. His plan has a backup plan, which has a backup, which has another backup. He is always prepared for the worst. And it is this unpredictability that makes him a threat.

Another thing I love about the Joker is the way he has evolved over the ages. He went from being a maniac to a psychopath to being completely crazy. And after this arc was over he went back to how he was before. This also lends to his unpredictability, and it also makes him that much more awesome.

Motoko Kusanagi A.K.A The Major

For those of you who don’t know who Motoko is, she is the main character from the manga, Ghost in the Shell and also the lead character in so many other adaptations, all of which includes novels, Movies and TV Series. The reason I like the Major is because she gives absolutely zero fu*cough*… Sorry something went into my thoughts there.

Anyway, as I was saying, she just doesn’t care what others think about her and she is absolutely confident about what she can do. She is great at strategy and she thinks on her feet, never letting any situation get the better. Another thing I love about her is the fact that even though she sometimes comes as overly sexualized it never seems out of character. It doesn’t matter if she wears a suit, or if she wears a low back cocktail dress. Everything she does she does and wears is a natural extension of her character.

Although she isn’t much about revealing her motivations and feelings to anybody, she will not hesitate, even for a moment to protect innocents and to go after what she needs. Very rarely does she show the true extent of her emotions, but when she does they are for power full reasons. This is demonstrated in one episode of the TV Series where she shows her anger when a soldier in a Mech-Suit tries to destroy her body. Another instance where the extent of her conviction is shown is when, in the end of the original movie, she goes as far as destroying her own body to take down a tank just so that she can understand something really important to her.

While I do not like the rebooted version as much as I like the previous one, I do hope that Scarlett Johansson and the director do justice to the character in the upcoming live action movie.

Those were some of my favorite fictional characters ever created. While I left some out, rest assured that these characters are my most favorite. Some of the characters who weren’t included in the list were Korra from Legend of Korra, Reyna from Percy Jackson and the Olympians and Harry from the Harry Potter series.

Who are your favorite fictional characters? Let me know in the comments below. Until next time:

Peace!!!