Greatest Character Showdown! (Nominations CLOSED)

[Talgian]

10. Professor Moriarty.

Just to get some good ol' villainy in here...

Professor James Moriarty is a fictional character who is the best known antagonist of the detective Sherlock Holmes. Widely considered to be the first true example of a supervillain, Moriarty is a criminal mastermind, described by Holmes as the "Napoleon of Crime". (T. S. Eliot would later use the same phrase, in homage, to describe Macavity in Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats.) Arthur Conan Doyle, the creator of Sherlock Holmes, lifted the phrase from a real Scotland Yard inspector who was referring to Adam Worth, a true-life (though non-violent) model for Moriarty.

These are great so far guys!

-Talgian

 

[johnsemlak]

11 Robin Hood

Robin Hood originated from popular medieval ballads and continues as a popular hero in literature, cinema, and television today. He's the main hero in in dozens of films as well as numerous tv series, including an upcoming BBC production starring Jonas Armstrong.

Robin Hood is one of the archetypes of a 'finesse hero', as opposed to the Heracles/Conan strength personified type.

 

[Tonguez]

#12

Rufus is a feisty and clever Naked Mole Rat who with his buddy Ron Stoppable help super teen spy Kim Possible battle evil. Plus he's a Naked Mole Rat - that should be enough

 

[johnsemlak]

13 Tarzan

Tarzan was introduced to the world in 1914 by Edgar Rice Burroughs. I believe he is one of the top five heros to be featured in a movie (Sherlock Holmes is #1), and has been the hero comic strips, comic books, radio, and television programs.

Tarzan is the son of a British Lord and Lady, marooned on the coast of Africa by mutineers. His parents died when he was an infant, and he was raised by Great Apes of a species unknown to science. Kala is his ape mother. Tarzan (White-skin) is his ape name; his English name is John Clayton, Lord Greystoke.

 

[johnsemlak]

14 Conan

What character showdown on a fantasy website would be complete without this guy:

I think this character needs little introduction. To many people, Conan IS sword and sorcery.

He was born on a battlefield, and his whole life seemed to be one. When not in combat we wandered the known world. He rarely served any lord--he was a barbarian. His career was the stuff of fantasy roleplaying--encounters will evil wizards, fabulous treasures, horrifying monsters, and dark underground labyrinths.

 

[johnsemlak]

15 Buffy Summers

In our first act of Affirmative Action, I'm going to drop in a female.

Fans of the series may prefer Buffy's sometimes-boyfriend Angel, the cursed vampire with a enlightened soul and a dark background. (and, those fans are free to nominate him).

Buffy represents a powerful female hero possessing many traits normally reserved for male heroes, yet she retains her typical 'teenage girl' persona. Born as a Slayer, she is destined to protect the world from vampires using her given talents/powers, and the the help of her watcher.

 

[Talgian]

16. Darth Vader

Darth Vader (occasionally referred to as Lord Vader or simply Vader) is a fictional character in the Star Wars universe, and has a principal role in A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back, Return of the Jedi, and Revenge of the Sith.

In A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back, Vader is the epitome of pure evil — a mass murderer and war criminal who holds an entire galaxy under the sway of an evil empire, and, on a more personal scale, the apparent murderer of Luke Skywalker's father, Anakin. A Dark Lord of the Sith, Vader serves at the Emperor's right hand, using the dark side of the Force to mercilessly pursue the Jedi and the Rebel Alliance to the ends of the galaxy.

Although, really, if you don't know who Darth Vader is, I'm not sure why you're still breathing.

-Talgian

 

[Morrus]

In our first act of Affirmative Action, I'm going to drop in a female.

And I'll follow it up with another (and finish off my "Holy Trinity"):

Wonder Woman

Wonder Woman is Princess Diana of the Amazon warrior tribe of Greek mythology. "Diana" is the Roman name for the Greek goddess on whom this character is based; "Artemis" is her Greek name. The Amazon ambassador to the larger world, she possesses several superhuman abilities and gifts from the Greek gods including the Lasso of Truth created from the Golden Girdle of Gaea and indestructible silver bracelets formed from the shield Aegis. For several years she was described, in the splash page of each story, as being "beautiful as Aphrodite, wise as Athena, swifter than Mercury and stronger than Hercules." She is also a member of the Justice League.

 

[Morrus]

And we can't not have...

Mr. Spock

Spock, also called Mr. Spock, from the Original Star Trek TV series is one of the most enduring characters from American 1960s television. Mr. Spock is an alien, half-Vulcan, half-Human. He held various ranks within Starfleet but his service with Captain James T. Kirk as First Officer of the Starship Enterprise is his legacy. The character's appeal derives from Spock's socially conscious but technically proficient nature. In addition, his personal struggle between the Vulcan logical self and human emotion created evocative drama.

 

[Morrus]

Optimus Prime

Optimus Prime is the leader of the heroic Autobots. On Cybertron, Prime puts all his talent to use to improve the world around him. Immensely kind and compassionate, Prime has dedicated himself to the protection of all life, particularly the inhabitants of Earth, and will battle his foes with unyielding resolve to uphold this belief. In power and intelligence, Optimus Prime has no equal, known as one of the greatest heroes on both Cybertron and Earth.

Optimus Prime transforms into a 1980s style Cab-Over-Engine semi-trailer, comprising three components. The truck's cab transforms into the robot mode of Prime himself, with vast strength and armed with a laser rifle. Within his chest is contained the mystic talisman known as the Creation Matrix or Autobot Matrix of Leadership, carried by all Autobot leaders and passed down through the ages. The truck's trailer disconnects and transforms into the Combat Deck, a mobile battle-station/command headquarters with an "Auto-Launcher" robot armed with assorted artillery and beam weapons. It can also serve as a radio antennae for battlefield communications between the Autobots. The Combat Deck can launch Prime's third component, Roller, a mobile scout buggy that can easily slip behind enemy lines; when Roller is present somewhere, it is as if Prime is there himself. Injury to one component is felt by each of the others, and while Prime could survive the destruction of either, despite the slight degree of autonomy they possess, the Combat Deck and Roller would not be able to survive without him.