The truth is, I enjoy fiction of all types. Consequently, I’m a big fan of fictional characters. There’s a correlation there, I promise (side note: I can finally consistently spell “correlation” right on the first try). But, rather than just assume other people like fictional characters, I figured I’d ask the question “Which fictional character is your all-time favorite fictional character (from any medium - film, novels, comics, etc.)?” to my friends and followers in the Twitterverse.
I was excited by the great responses. None of them were repeated, and all of them were awesome. Obviously, I have my own answer, which I’ll reveal at the end of this post. But first, here are some of the great responses I got from people on Twitter, along with any links I could find to those characters (a few might be from Wikipedia, but you never know what other sweet stuff I’ll come up with).
So here we go…the people who responded, what their responses were, and my thoughts on their choices…
@miss_misery – Favourite fictional character? Bugs Bunny, he’s funny, brilliant, and usually gets his way.
-Rather than waste time explaining who Bugs Bunny is, I'll just embed a video that pretty much displays exactly why Jacqueline likes him so much. It’s a great call on her part. Also, I like that she spells favourite with a “u.” Not sure if it’s because she’s Canadian or because it’s just cooler that way, but I like it.
@jenimc – pippi longstocking
-Another excellent choice. While I didn’t read many of the Pippi Longstocking books or watch the TV show growing up, the description paragraph on Wikipedia alone makes me wish maybe I would have.
@LiterateKnits – that question is really difficult…but for me it’s gotta be Belle from Beauty and the Beast.
-As a sucker for Disney movies, I’ve gotta say that I have no bones with Erin’s choice. Although Beauty and the Beast was never my favorite of the films (that award split between Aladdin and Alice in Wonderland), Belle was a great character with some awesome qualities and a rockin’ voice.
@theamillerryan – I love Scout from To Kill A Mockingbird
-Quite possibly the most “classic” character on the list, Scout was an integral part of just about everybody’s adolescent reading experiences (I know if I'd been confronted by Boo Radley, I'd have probably just ran for my life, screaming). If that doesn't make her a good choice, I don't know what does.
@arosman – my first thought was Michaelangelo the ninja turtle, but after thinking, I would probably choose He-Man cuz he’s Prince Adam.
-There was no doubt in my mind that Adam would come through with a character straight off my own list of potentials, and he didn’t let me down. Although he gave me a fake-out with Michaelangelo first, Prince Adam (aka He-Man) was definitely a worthy replacement. After all…HE HAS THE POWWWWER!!!
@Kjdahlen – Sadie Hankshaw – a large thumbed hitchhiker from the Tom Robbins novel, ‘Even Cowgirls Get the Blues.’ Life changing.
-Much like I could rely on Adam to hit me with something that fit my tastes, I knew I could count on Kris to hit me with the deep stuff (no offense, Adam…I think Michaelangelo is deep in his own way too…for real…). Needless to say, this novel had a pretty heavy impact on the literary world when it came out, so it’s no surprise that it’s a life changing work. Also, one of my favorite bands titled one of its songs “Even Cowgirls Get The Blues," so you know it has to be a good book with good characters (the logic is infallible).
@brennifresh – Donatello. Brains and brawn. Understated bow staff. Comfortable in pink. Articulate. Patient. Sick wit it.
-I’m not sure I can do anything to improve that description, so here’s a video of Donatello, displaying many of Brenni’s listed qualities…
@damiella – Favorite fictional character of all time: Damiel from Wings of Desire (greatest film of all time).
-A bold statement from Margarita (though, with pink hair, boldness is not unexpected), Damiel is this guy from this movie, who is an angel in Berlin that happens to fall in love with a human and gets his whole world changed around. Just from the trailer alone it looks awesome. On a side note, apparently it was remade as City of Angels with Nicolas Cage and Meg Ryan. We’ll take take @damiella’s word for it that this one is better, seeing as the remake had very little in common with the original.
@Djarum - Ahhh... Mine is most likely Dirk Pitt. No reason.
-Last, but not least, is Dirk Pitt from a series of adventure novels by Clive Cussler. Interestingly, you may have seen the character portrayed by Matthew McConaughey in Sahara, but apparently that movie doesn’t quite follow along with Clive Cussler’s original novel. Either way, the character seems pretty awesome and I just might have to check out a few of his adventures in the future.
So…those are some of the great responses I got to my “All-time favorite fictional character” question. I’ve gotta say that I was impressed not only by the variety, but the depth of many of the choices. I’m not one to judge, but I would have been sad to see Britney Spears’ character in Crossroads or Hannah Montana as one of my responses. To me, the above-mentioned results are pretty kickin’.
And now...my choice...
I’ve had a lot of time to think about this and, while I’ve made my decision, I must say that it came down to two. While there once was a time in my life when I would have said Spider-Man (hands-down and without hesitation), my passion for Spidey has diminished since Tobey Maguire ruined him as a character for me in the movies. Although I love comic book Spider-Man and 1994 Animated Series Spider-Man, the weak, whiny, and unfunny Spider-Man in the movies gave the rest of the known world the wrong impression of him, and that bums me out a little bit.
And as a result, my favorite fictional character of all time is Calvin (and, by default, Hobbes). To me, Bill Watterson’s Calvin represents everything great in the realm of humor, philosophy, and simple pleasure and enjoyment. Whether he’s careening down a hill while spouting the philosophy of human nature, pointing out the flaws of our society through a lemonade stand, making artistic statements through hilariously bizarre snowmen, or taking the simplest concept and making it hilarious, Calvin manages to keep me thinking and laughing, page after hilarious page.
In all honesty, those are the kind of people I enjoy spending time with in real life. I guess I can’t ask for much more in a fictional character. With that, here’s the final Calvin and Hobbes strip ever run. It ends with a pretty good suggestion for everyone (child or adult), and makes me wish I had a few more friends in the world who think like Calvin and Hobbes.
On that note...who is YOUR favorite fictional character? Any thoughts or comments on the ones listed above? I'd love to hear your thoughts, so leave a comment in the Comments section or hit me up on Twitter (@mikebilleter) and let me know.
