Happy Friday!
It’s been a while since I’ve gotten to do a blog tag, so I’m excited! And this looks like such a fun one, too. I was tagged by the lovely Maribeth Barber (you can find her original post here – I definitely recommend heading over to read it). The original tag was created by Eva-Joy (right here).
Though I enjoy a lot of different story worlds and love so many characters, I’ve never considered myself a die-hard ‘fangirl’ of anything in particular, so I’m very interested to see what I’ll come up with for this. I have a suspicion that once I start it’ll actually be difficult to narrow it down to my very favorite stories, haha.
Let’s find out!
The rules:
- Compile a list of up to ten of your favorite fandoms. Books, movies, TV shows—you name it!
- Tell us about your favorite character in each of those fandoms, along with an explanation of why that character is your favorite. (Your reasoning can be however long or short you’d like it to be.)
- Tag however many (or few) friends you’d like to participate.
And now for some of my favorite fandoms (in no particular order)…
Star Wars
I admit, this is a very hard one, as Star Wars is probably the biggest fandom I have. But I’d say my favorite character is Obi-Wan. He’s a constant through almost all the main stories, and I admire his character and growth. Poor guy goes through so much, and still doesn’t stop doing what he believes to be right. His wit also helps, haha. There are so many characters I like in Star Wars (looking at you Qui-Gon and Ahsoka), but Obi-Wan is at the very top.
(On a semi-related note, one of my favorite book series when I was younger was the Jedi Apprentice series by Dave Wolverton and Jude Watson. Those books gave me a deeper view of Obi-Wan’s growth, and were the main reason I ended up liked Qui-Gon so much too.)
The Hunger Games
Okay, okay, bear with me…my favorite character from The Hunger Games is Haymitch. And it’s complicated. Do I agree with his choices or condone his actions? Absolutely not (although who really condones anything that happens in that series?). What I like is the depth of his character. At first glance he seems like a shallow drunk who doesn’t care what happens in the games. But as the stories progress, we see he’s simply so wounded that he hides his vulnerability behind apathy and alcohol. It’s terribly sad, but he feels like such a real character to me, and I appreciate that. Plus, his and Katniss’ banter is a highlight.
The Chronicles of Narnia
This feels like a cheat, but my favorite character from Narnia is definitely Aslan. And for pretty obvious reasons if you look at the symbolism between the Great Lion and Jesus. But he’s the one I most looked forward to seeing, and the sections with him in them were the ones I stayed most interested in. His love for his people, his sacrifices, his comforting, encouraging, and strengthening those who came to him…it’s pretty powerful stuff and I love him for it. It also helps remind me that Jesus inspired those traits in Aslan, and that He’s the ultimate example of love, sacrifice, and steadfastness.
Treasure Planet
You can tell how much this movie means to me by the fact that this GIF makes me want to cry, haha. It was one of my brother’s favorites, but I never appreciated the story itself until I was older and learned more about good story structure. Now it’s one of my very favorites. And though there are so many good characters, my very favorite is John Silver. Though he’s technically the antagonist, the fatherly relationship he develops with Jim and the depth of his character win me over. If you can’t tell, I like characters with a lot of depth. And wit. Silver has both.
(Fun fact: Silver heavily inspired the antagonist of my own novel, Cabin Girl.)
The Lord of the Rings
Once again, so many good characters in this series, but at least one of my very favorites is Pippin. I actually relate much more to Merry, and I have a feeling Pippin might drive me crazy in real life, haha, but I still really like him in these stories. He’s relatable, loyal, funny, kind, and hopeless in the best possible way when it comes to causing trouble in the plot. He also grows quite a bit as time goes on, maturing to a much more reliable Hobbit. I think he’s a pretty underrated character.
Tangled
This is another movie that’s pretty special to me for various reasons. And it’s such a close call between Flynn/Eugene and Rapunzel…but I think I’d have to say Rapunzel is my favorite. She and I are similar in a lot of ways, but also different too. She’s far more bubbly and outgoing than I am, and she’s basically impossible not to like. She makes me smile any time she’s on screen. I admire how optimistic and determined she is, and also like how she and Eugene balance each other out so well. Plus, she has a chameleon for a companion.
Phineas and Ferb
So, even though this is technically a kids show, I first watched it when I was older, and I continue to enjoy it very much. In fact, I think I’m more entertained by it than my younger siblings, haha. The humor is incredible. And though I really like Perry’s character, I’d have to say Doofenschmirtz is probably my favorite. He’s so hopeless that I often pity him, but he’s also hilarious and is constantly making me laugh. He’s also surprisingly sweet when it comes to his daughter. In addition, his and Perry’s tumultuous ‘enemy-ship’ is just perfect.
Psych
Though I really wish this show didn’t have so many adult references, it’s one of my family’s favorites. The humor and general zaniness is so good. And as for a favorite character, I think it’d have to be Gus. He’s at least slightly more level-headed than his friend Shawn (most the time), and yet is easily persuaded to join in on the crazy schemes if it means helping Shawn out. He’s extremely loyal, which is to be admired, especially considering the trouble Shawn gets them both into.
Honorary mention is Carlton Lassiter, for his no-nonsense approach to handling Shawn, and the character growth he shows as the seasons progress. I like seeing his ‘tough-guy’ exterior melt as time goes on.
The Maze Runner
If you’re not familiar with these stories, I’m not going to spoil anything (if you are familiar with them, you probably know what I’d like to talk about here). But Newt is definitely my favorite character in these stories. To be honest, I don’t like most of the other characters, but Newt’s no-nonsense, loyal, determined, and approachable demeanor won me over. He seems real to me, and I was constantly rooting for him throughout the books and movies. He’s also one of the only people who could keep Thomas in check – which was needed.
The Emperor’s New Groove
Another one of my all-time favorite movies! The sense of humor in this one is just perfect. It has enough clever plot and touching themes to stand on its own as a story, but the general wit and cheesiness is what really makes it stand out to me. And Kuzco is my favorite character. Again, his character growth is a huge factor, as well as the fact that he’s hilarious – especially after his unfortunate mishap (no spoilers…). This is my go-to ‘feel better’ movie.
Hey, we did it! And I definitely enjoyed this – hopefully you did too! There are just so many wonderful and impactful stories in the world today, and this tag has only reminded me of the importance of great characters. It’s also interesting to see how the characters that I love most in other fiction have influenced my own characters…imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, right?
I’m a little late to this one, and I’m not sure who else has been tagged already, so I’m going to leave this open for anyone who wants to hop in! What are YOUR favorite fandoms? I’d love to find out, so feel free to let me know on your own blog, or in the comments below!
Recent Posts: