Kevin's Watch

Who is your favorite fantasy character of all time and why

Hard to say... Thomas Covenant is among them, of course, Waylander the Slayer, Jon Shannow, Roland of Gilead, Lone Wolf (of Magnamund), Myrddin Emrys...

Tough question, but I think it would be Roland of Gilead, edging out both Gandalf and Aragorn of LotR.

For me, it has to be a character who, every moment he's "on stage," so to speak, you're riveted as a reader. He has to have memorable dialogue. He has to be "cool," in the sense of doing something the way you wish YOU would do it in similar circumstances.

It has to be a character of strong convictions and indomitable will-power, not necessarily right, but strong enough to pursue his purposes for a higher goal. It has to be a character with quirks and foibles and recognizable flaws.

Added to these qualities, an air of mystery and hidden agendas is attractive, too. And certain undeniable skills, either in combat or verbally, that will allow the character to triumph in most situations. I like characters that can be called heroes. If I wanted Joe Blows from Kokomo, I wouldn't be reading fantasy.

So male character - Roland of Gilead - Dark Tower

Female character - Daenerys Stormborn - Song of Ice and Fire

I agree with most of that, and all the characters I named would qualify, IMO. I'm not sure I require a character to pursue a higher goal though...I tend to like characters who don't.

I forgot to mention Tarantio/Dace.

Far too many to name them all, no single favourite. Some are SRD characters, of course - TC, Mhoram, Angus, and of course, Hairlock.

Can't say I have a favorite, per se, how about you ENDLESS SUMMER, who is your favorite?

-B

Talking Sci-Fi or Fantasy? Sci-Fi wise it would be Danlo from Zindell's Neverness series or the A Requiem for Homo Sapiens trilogy, to be exact. With the Mule (Foundation series), Mallory Ringess from Neveness alone, Hashi Liebwol from Donaldson's Gap Cycle and Paul Muad'dib for the Dune trilogy as runners-up.

Fantasy wise it's prob Covenant. Then I'd have Severian (Wolfe's New Sun Series), Tyrion Lannister from Martin's A Song of Fire and Ice series, Kane from Zindell's Ea Cycle and Elric from Moorcock's series of the same name.

Mine would have to be Corwin of Amber. Dark, funny, soldier, swordsman, poet, sorcerer, occasional bastard and occassional good guy. Not to mention a ladies' man. He rules.

Sorry LM! Corwin ROCKS!

Dont' sweat, it d. Many people who read "Amber" love Corwin.

CovenantJr wrote:Hard to say... Thomas Covenant is among them, of course, Waylander the Slayer, Jon Shannow, Roland of Gilead, Lone Wolf (of Magnamund), Myrddin Emrys...

HA!!! Pardon me while I do my "I told you so" dance.....




As for myself.....I'm a sucker for a good redemption story. I love to see a character confront their own innermost blackness, and then rise above it. And I'm even more of a sucker for a character who can resist despair and keep fighting the good fight in the face of certain defeat. I love the idea that it's not the outcome that matters, it's what we fight for. Prime examples would be.......HL Mhoram, TC, Angus Thermopyle, Angel, Spike, Gandalf, Aragorn, Frodo.....just to name a few

But favorite character of all time? Roland of Gilead, who in my opinion, exhibits neither of these qualities......go figure.....

birdandbear wrote:

CovenantJr wrote:Hard to say... Thomas Covenant is among them, of course, Waylander the Slayer, Jon Shannow, Roland of Gilead, Lone Wolf (of Magnamund), Myrddin Emrys...

HA!!! Pardon me while I do my "I told you so" dance.....

Roland's a good character - I still haven't decided whether I care enough to read any more DT

Conan by far...hes the one that started it all for me...Robert E Howard was just an amazing author...not the greatest, but he just had a style about him...

the main characters from LOTR and TCTC take second place...


I read TCTC before i finished LOTR, so that one will always be my favorite, but LOTR is just an amazing epic...


and...sorry...Harry Potter is up there too...heheh

I forgot one of the best characters ever to exist... Lord Foul the Despiser, particularly his First Chronicles incarnation. He's so relentelessly evil, so cunning... There's never been anyone else quite like him.

CovenantJr wrote:

birdandbear wrote:

CovenantJr wrote:Hard to say... Thomas Covenant is among them, of course, Waylander the Slayer, Jon Shannow, Roland of Gilead, Lone Wolf (of Magnamund), Myrddin Emrys...

HA!!! Pardon me while I do my "I told you so" dance.....

Roland's a good character - I still haven't decided whether I care enough to read any more DT

That's okay, I'll still love ya....

Oh.....I tend not to like bad guys, and so none came to mind....but if you want to talk bad guys, I gotta give a nod to the greatest baddie of all time: DARTH VADER

And then there's always my man Vain! Without a doubt THE most verbally eloquent character in the Fantasy genre!

There are so many good characters!
Iorek Byrnison, Lee Scoresby, Serafina Pekkala, Lord Asriel - His Dark Materials Trilogy
Bannor, Covenant, Cail, Foamfollower, Pitchwife, Vain - COTC
Butler, Holly, Foaly - Artemis Fowl
Brutal, Del, Dean - The Green Mile
And heaps heaps more.