All-time favorite fictional characters

[janta]

This is a question I've been pondering for a while, and thought I'd post here. Who are your absolute favorite fictional characters? Of all the books you've read, which characters have stayed with you long after you'd finished the book? Who would you want to buy a drink for? Who would you want to be friends with? Who would you want to be ? (You don't necessarily have to answer all those questions; they're just food for thought.)

I was surprised by my own list, really -- it's almost all male characters. I'm not sure if that's because SF/F is geared more towards men, or what. Anyway, in no particular order: Miles Vorkosigan (Lois McMaster Bujold), Marcus Didius Falco (Lindsey Davis, historical mysteries), "Slippery Jim" diGriz (Harry Harrison), Granny Weatherwax and Samuel Vimes(Terry Pratchett), Raistlin Majere* (Weis and Hickman**).

Hmm, in retrospect I clearly have some issues regarding ambition and drive that perhaps I should sort out.

Anyone else care to share their faves?

--Janta

*good heavens, I feel like such a fangirl
**I know one of the players came up with the character, but I can't for the life of me track down who it was -- sorry!

 

[Dark Jezter]

Conan the Cimmerian (Robert E. Howard's Conan stories)
James Bond
John Clark (Tom Clancy novels)
Gimli (Lord of the Rings)
Thrall (Warcraft)
Indiana Jones
Artemis Entreri (R.A. Salvatore's Forgotten Realms novels)

 

[haiiro]

Good question, janta.

- Rincewind the Wizzard, from Terry Pratchett's Discworld series
- Blackwell (from Idoru) and Case (from Neuromancer), both by William Gibson
- Bronn from George R.R. Martin's Song of Ice and Fire series

There are many more that I've really liked, but none quite as much as those four.

 

[Wombat]

Wow, tough question...

Let's see.

Jack Aubrey & Stephen Maturin from Patrick O'Brian' Aubrey-Maturin series
Magnus Eisengrim from Robertson Davies Deptford Trilogy
Amelia Peabody from Elizabeth Peter's fine Amelia Peabody mysteries
Jilly Coppercorn from Charles de Lint's various short stories
Ged from Ursula LeGuin's Earthsea books
Alice from Lewis Carroll's Alice books
Pierre Bezuhov and Natasha Rostova from Tolstoy's War & Peace

(I'd include something Arthurian, but I have a much harder time choosing there -- maybe Arthur/Wart from White's The Once & Future King or Merlin from Mary Stewart's Merlin books or Morgan le Fey from Fay Sampson Daughter of Tintagel series)

(edit point)
D'OH!

And Harry Dresden from Jim Butcher's Harry Dresden books

 

[Starman]

Well, my all time favorite is Captain James T. Kirk. Other favorites, though, would be:

Spock (Star Trek)
Leonard McCoy (Star Trek)
Raistlin Majere (Dragonlance)
Tanis Half-Elven (Dragonlance)
Rand al'Thor (Wheel of Time)
Mat Cauthon (Wheel of Time)
Batman (uhhh...Batman comics)
Lestat (Vampire chronicles)
John Clark (Tom Clancy's Ryanverse)
Walker Boh (Shannara)
Tyler Durden (Fight Club)
Drizzt Do'Urden (Forgotten Realms)
Ender Wiggen (Ender's Game and its sequels)
Indiana Jones (you know the movies)
Jack Sparrow (Pirates of the Caribbean)

I'm sure there are a few I am forgetting, but that should be most of them.

Starman

 

[d4]

above any else, Trent the Uncatchable from Daniel Keys Moran's Continuing Time books. hands down the most amazing and just coolest fictional character ever.

 

[Vigilance]

Ash from Army of Darkness and Han Solo.

Chuck

 

[Dagger75]

Books

Tyrion- Game of Thrones
Raistlin- Dragonlance
Drizzt- Forgotten Realms


TV-Movies

Malcolm Renyolds - Firefly
Jack O'niell - Stargate SG-1
Jason Bourne - Bourne Idenity

There is my short list

 

[Cannibal_Kender]

Morrolan from the Vlad Taltos series
Morwen from Enchanted Forest Chronicles
Gandalf
Buffy

 

[Celtavian]

re

Sam and Eowyn from Lord of the Rings.
Captain America
Thor
Ghost Rider
Spock
The Man with No name (from Clint Eastwood Western's...actually I wouldn't mind knowing Clint Eastwood...he seems like a cool guy)
Sir Galahad and Sir Launcelot du Lake


That's about all the fictional characters I can think of at the moment. There are many more that I like, but those are probably the characters that I like best. There are numerous characters of my own creation that I like, but they have yet to be published.