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Favourite -type- of character?

Jess A

Archmage
Favourite type of character?

Feisty female lead, dark, brooding guy with a terrible past - seeking redemption, alien personality learning about the world, dashing hero, boy/girl-becomes-dashing-hero-through-story, evil female leader, amusing sidekick?

Give examples from books :)

I like a lot of different character types, but I quite like strong female leads with a bit of humour thrown in. Blaze Halfbreed from Glenda Larke's Isle of Glory novels is one example. I don't like it when characters are too 'perfect'. For example, Ayla from Jean Auel's books. She was great in the first two, then she became too annoyingly 'perfect'.
 

JCFarnham

Auror
I tend to write female leads, not imperfect, but not perfect either, average I guess you could say, who becoming something greater by the end. As a bit of a back formation I guess you could say I like to read this kind of protagonist. (An example? Scott Westerfeld's lead females, Tally and Deryn, from Uglies and Leviathan, etc. respectively)

That being said, one of my most favourite characters is Harry Dresden (more so in the first couple of books when he didn't seem to be so woe is me, all "I know I'm going to get hurt doing this but...")

I think what it comes down to is a character who acts, rather than reacts. They don't necessarily have to have a massive flaw, as quite a few of that kind of protag end up whining about it in my experience, but equally if they wallow in how imperfect they are while being more or less perfect in everyway, hmmm!

Relatable is the word.
 
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gerald.parson

Troubadour
For me, it depends on how they are written. Because I have liked characters I normally wouldn't and hated characters I would normally like. It is hard to say if I have an exact character model I like cause it has a lot to do with execution. For me.
 
I have a tendency to favor the big, brutish, long haired, bear like man who doesn't say much and his presence speaks for him. Or like the cold-blooded killer such as Brunner from Brunner the Bounty Hunter.
 

San Cidolfus

Troubadour
Unapologetic jerks with no moral sense, a savage sense of humor, and no chance of or desire for redemption.

I can relate to that. *sighs nostalgically*
 

Arcturus

Scribe
Villains. They usually have free reign to do whatever they want without those pesky morals getting in the way, they have the snarkiest lines and are quite fashionable. Heroes are generally boring, flat and...ugh. Sometimes it gets to the point where the side characters are much more interesting. Ultimately the villains are the ones who create the plot and portray a more authentic view of human experience, if written well.

Plus, the villains get all the good songs in Disney films.
 

Jess A

Archmage
Heroes are generally boring, flat and...ugh. Sometimes it gets to the point where the side characters are much more interesting.

Unless the hero is rather questionable in his or her morals, without being unrealistic. Those are always fun.
 

Kelise

Maester
Characters like Locke Lamora. Basically normal and unremarkable, but intelligent (and lucky) enough to get by, without being an amazing warrior or has a photographic mind or something.

Villains who have reason to do what they do, and prove that 'goodies' or 'heroes' aren't always how everyone perceives them.

Girls who manage to act normal - not weak, and not strong - in a way that doesn't get feminists raging at the author and so on. Generally the one who doesn't sleep with the MC/hero, and is generally the medic/historian/scribe of the group.
 

Jess A

Archmage
Girls who manage to act normal - not weak, and not strong - in a way that doesn't get feminists raging at the author and so on. Generally the one who doesn't sleep with the MC/hero, and is generally the medic/historian/scribe of the group.

Yes there was a discussion on this either here or on NaNo. It was extremely interesting, although 'strength' of character can be shown in many different ways and is hence debatable. That in itself is a topic, I think.
 

Arcturus

Scribe
Unless the hero is rather questionable in his or her morals, without being unrealistic. Those are always fun.

But that person would be more of an anti-hero or an anti-villain. Classical heroes usually need something external to be interesting. Very rarely will I see the traditional hero as a wonderful character by his/her own means.

For example, Link from the Legend of Zelda.
Despite his millions of reincarnations, he's extremely boring compared to the other characters in the series.
 
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Jess A

Archmage
But that person would be more of an anti-hero or an anti-villain. Classical heroes usually need something external to be interesting. Very rarely will I see the traditional hero as a wonderful character by his/her own means.

For example, Link from the Legend of Zelda.
Despite his millions of reincarnations, he's extremely boring compared to the other characters in the series.

That he is.

But the games are still entertaining. They certainly lose their charm further along, sadly. But I digress...
 
Villains. They usually have free reign to do whatever they want without those pesky morals getting in the way, they have the snarkiest lines and are quite fashionable. Heroes are generally boring, flat and...ugh. Sometimes it gets to the point where the side characters are much more interesting. Ultimately the villains are the ones who create the plot and portray a more authentic view of human experience, if written well.

Plus, the villains get all the good songs in Disney films.

Aw, c'mon! "One Step"? Best ever!
 

Ravana

Istar
A well-written, complex, intelligent antihero.

Example? Karl Edward Wagner's Kane. To quote myself, from another thread in this section:
…the title character is the Kane–with only very minor accommodations for a fantasy world: the "god" who cursed him is only referred to in passing. The curse? Immortality. He's been around as long as humanity has, is as jaded as a human can get, has a moral compass that more closely resembles the Antikythera mechanism than anything anyone else uses for guidance (complete with tarnish and missing parts)… and is still a compelling, heroic figure; the best "antihero" I've ever seen. Especially when you know that, due to his immortality, he will eventually "lose," no matter what it is he sets himself to or how successfully he does it–time, if nothing else, will undo whatever he's wrought. Yet he keeps going.

Second choice: a well-written, complex, intelligent anything else.

Bottom of the heap: whiners = fail. Especially if they're well-written. Doubly so if they're intelligent, as they ought to know better. (Can't think of any complex whiners off-hand… the profession seems to call for a certain lack of depth.)
 
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Ravana

Istar
Villains. They usually have free reign to do whatever they want without those pesky morals getting in the way, they have the snarkiest lines and are quite fashionable. Heroes are generally boring, flat and...ugh. Sometimes it gets to the point where the side characters are much more interesting.

Yep. The Batman franchise would have folded ages ago if it had to rely on its lead for entertainment value. Even the supporting good guys are more interesting.
 

Jess A

Archmage
Bottom of the heap: whiners = fail. Especially if they're well-written. Doubly so if they're intelligent, as they ought to know better. (Can't think of any complex whiners off-hand… the profession seems to call for a certain lack of depth.)

A sob story and a pity party, in other words?
 

Rose

New Member
The heoric male character type I like is someone courageous, compassionate, good moral, thoughful, reliable, passionate, responsible, a warrior, and a problem-solver. A lover in sheets, a little romantic, but, rough with the boys. Lol.
 

Queen Medb

Acolyte
For female characters I like them witty, funny and resourceful...."strong" but not necessarily great warriors or anything. If they do fight I like for them to be combat pragmatists, otherwise it just seems a bit unrealistic. I dislike female characters who are overly concerned with the unfortunate people of the world, because it's way overplayed. I will seriously put a book down if I see that crap.

As far as male characters go I always appreciate a Byronic hero, cliche as it is. I like them a bit tragic and misunderstood. I think "well intentioned extremists" make for interesting male heroes too.
 

DavidJae

Troubadour
Usually female characters with an edge or strength to their personalities, who are stronger than they appear. Some of my favourites are Vanille from Final Fantasy XIII, Mara Brennan from Green Riders, Scout from Republic Commando and Katsa from Graceling.
 
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