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We all have great characters that we relate to and wish we could see more of in our fandoms. But what makes a great character’s personality and story likable? And what makes us secretly root for one villain and detest another? Furthermore, if a character has all our favorite traits does it make them boring and incapable of growth? Also, how does the media handle great characters that are both great heroes as well as complicated villains and antiheroes?
Finding out the answers leads us to look at the good guys, the bad ones, and those in the gray. There are some good characters we like and some we hate to love. Some villains are detested while others are strangely fascinating. While we hone in on these character archetypes, the spectrum that great characters fall into is too large to cover. Hopefully, this brief synopsis will shed some light on how characters become treasured parts of our fandoms.
Good Characters
There are good characters and there are great ones. Sure, good writing and situations are factors in how these great characters come across. But there are certain aspects that draw us to one character over another. There are individual tastes that factor in as well as how much of ourselves we see in them. The main characters of many stories are made to be likable and relatable. But within this group, there are great characters we love as well as those we enjoy but would probably hate in real life.
Great Characters We Love
Within this section of “good characters” are great characters we love. These are traditionally “good guys” that we have connections with and root for. There are a few characteristics that the good guys we love have in common that we all can get behind. Things like quirky habits, self-awareness, and a dark sense of humor remind those of us with similar personalities of ourselves. When these characters succeed, it gives us hope that we can be true to ourselves and still be loved. In other words, they make us feel worthy to be the main character in our life story.
Take Daria title character Daria Morgendorffer. She has a sense of humor that most around her don’t understand. Still, she finds her way through the twists and turns of high school. Her enmity with both her school mates and family is a situation many people are accustomed to, especially during the formative years of adolescence. Even as an outsider, Daria connects with Jane and gives the oddballs of the world an anchor.
Fellow eccentric character Jessica Day from New Girl brings us hope with her cheery and unique outlook on life. Living in an apartment with three other guys is sure to bring its challenges. However, Jess stays true to her convictions and brings unmatched joy to the group of friends. She knows her strengths and weaknesses and is not afraid of either. Her optimism reminds us that even though life is hard, sometimes things can come together when we look on the bright side.
Some things like perseverance and caring for the well being of others are universally admired. No matter their past, if someone strives to make the world a better place, we love their hope and optimism. A character like Steve Rogers strives to do the right thing even in seemingly hopeless situations. His determination in the face of adversity inspires us to keep going.
The grit is also seen in Eowyn from Lord Of The Rings, who fights against all odds to keep her people safe. Black Widow is admired for her commanding presence and the ability to hold her own, even though she has “red on her ledger.” Despite her history, she has the loyalty of fans and the Avengers because she is trying to right her past wrongs and find a fulfilling purpose. A strong moral compass guides these great characters through tough times and into the hearts of viewers.
Great Characters We Hate To Love
Some people, on the other hand, would be atrocious in real life but are delightful as part of our favorite fandoms. They are often brusque and rude but have good hearts hidden beneath a rough exterior. Dwight Schrute from The Office is brash, insensitive, and overly literal. As a coworker, he would be almost impossible to deal with. However, his antics create hilarity and ridiculous situations that entertain and bring joy to viewers. We love him as a character because he pushes everyone around him to the edge and reacts to everyday situations in unexpected ways. This helps us appreciate the good aspects of our own coworkers and delights us when Dwight does show care and concern.
Sherlock Holmes from the BBC show Sherlock would be an awful flatmate, rude coworker, and condescending friend. However, we love his brilliance and veiled care for his friends. He, too, is aware of his off-putting nature and even tells Moriarty as much. While not a personable man, Sherlock’s brilliance and observation skills make us admire him. In the end, when the pressure is on, if someone does the right thing we are willing to overlook less desirable traits.
The Bad Characters
Even more complex than the “good guy” traits that we love is the attraction we find towards villainous ones. Their disregard for societal norms and devotion to their own desires appeals to our egotistical natures. We grin at the sheer chaos the Joker thrives on and marvel at the detail and cunning that went into Magneto’s plan to create mutant world leaders. There is a difference though between the great characters we hate, those we love to hate, and the characters in the middle.
Great Characters We Hate
Some villains are detestable and universally hated. For many of these examples, we see that traits like selfishness, pride, and cruelty make them so unlikeable. Often, fans can forgive a character that has had a tragic upbringing or does a bad thing for a good reason. But while some may have had difficult lives, most despised villains are evil purely for selfish or petty reasons. These great characters are not loved for their character but often still fascinate us with their depravity. Dolores Umbridge from Harry Potter is spiteful, incompetent, and malicious towards Harry and his friends.
Though she came with the authority of the Ministry of Magic, her dark intent was soon revealed. Umbridge finds herself at odds with not just the students of Hogwarts, but also the teachers and staff that truly have the world of magic’s best interests at heart. Her petty nature and power-hungry cruelty make her easy to hate. Denethor stepped into the role of steward of Gondor with two honorable sons and a desire to rule. In the end, he sits in a tower feasting while his youngest son rides a hopeless battle. Though he claims to do it out of love for his city, his actions reveal a deranged heart.
Denethor’s abandonment of morality in the face of great evil is a path we hope we will not take. His pompous attitude and disregard for life show us what happens when one becomes cynical and bitter. Joffrey Baratheon is a spoiled and entitled character that has no awareness of his behavior. His self-absorption and desire to hurt others strips him of all redeeming qualities. He has no regard for anyone but himself, which ultimately leads to his downfall. No one was upset when Joffrey was poisoned and no one suffers from his death. A character so despised is a reminder of what type of person not to be.
Great Characters We Love To Hate
While some characters are truly despicable, there are some great characters that we simply love to hate. Take some examples from the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Despite his numerous attempts to conquer the earth and other worlds, Loki has garnered a cult-like following from fans. His charm and trickery create chaos wherever he goes, yet he still has fans ready to defend his motives. The demand for more of his characteristic mischief is so high that Marvel produced an entire television show exploring his character further.
Additionally, Thanos had a well thought out reason as to why he needed to wipe out half of the universe. His desire to bring balance to the universe was just sensible enough that one could see themselves in his shoes. Marvel allows us to see the devastation of its ultimate goal after a heart-wrenching snap in Avengers: Infinity War. Without this reality check, Thanos’ plan might just be on this side of appealing.
Characters In The Grey
One show that displays both the good and villainous sides of great characters is Orange Is The New Black. Many great characters that you root for have past lives that one might question if you met them in real life. On the other hand, characters that oppose our heroes have backstories that could very well be our own if we were in their shoes. Throughout the series, we change our views on everything from harsh prison guards, to drug-addicted inmates, to the American prison system itself.
A more controversial character in the grey is Severus Snape. He protects Harry from danger and acts as a double agent for Dumbledore. But his motives are questionable, and his spite against Griffindors clouds his reputation. Though he is a skilled wizard and ultimately helps Harry and his friends, Snape walks the line between good and evil intent.
As much as we aspire to be like heroes or shun the vices of villains, the great characters in the grey are probably the most like us. Every day we are faced with decisions that are not always black and white. While it would be great if we knew exactly who was good and who was bad, we all have motivations that fall onto a spectrum of morality. Because we live in a world with so much moral ambiguity, great characters will never always be right or always wrong.
Characters And You
Finding out what makes us love our fictional friends gives us insight into our own personalities and what we aspire to be. Finding a character who has similar motivations and aspirations as you is a special moment in the process of falling in love with a fandom. For some, the reason we love certain fictional people is that they are one of the few mainstream media representations of our race, personality, or sexuality. Most of the characters we enjoy, whether good or evil, have something in common. They are well-developed characters with a depth that brings them to life.
Everyone’s taste in great characters varies and that’s a good thing. We can vicariously go on adventures, find friends, and solve problems through the characters we relate to. The ones we dislike give us examples of traits to avoid. Our affinities mirror the diversity of real-life personalities. But whether you like a clean-cut good guys or ice-cold villains, we need all kinds of great characters to keep our fandoms vibrant.