What makes for a great fictional character? Is it the amount and complexity of storylines they're able to generate in a given work? Is it how influential across generations they prove to be, or how accurately they capture their own location or time period? Or is it all about how you, the individual reader or viewer, receive the character, whether that be with terror from a chilling villain, or joy from an inspirational mentor?
There are probably as many ways to justify a character's greatness as there are characters themselves. It's not an objective science, but there were some pretty compelling submissions when Redditor u/Aromatic-Training-94 asked the folks of AskReddit, "What is the greatest fictional character of all time?" It's almost guaranteed that your personal favorite is missing from the list — though we encourage you to tell us about them in the comments — but these 15 characters and people's passion for them have inspired me to revisit some beloved stories, and maybe check out a few new ones.
Submissions may have been edited for length and/or clarity.
1. "Wednesday Addams. Not just talking about the new Netflix show, but she as a character is unbelievably unapologetic in how she behaves towards people, even her own family. She is a great example of 'treating everyone the same' and this shows in the old movies and show, not just the new show. Everyone else in the Wednesday show was kinda 'eh,' but if it wasn't for Jenna Ortega's acting and portrayal of her character, I don't think the show would have been as much of a success as it was."
2. "Don Quixote, obviously. It is the original human-with-a-twist character, that lets us see the truth in the world through a different light. Funny, witty, and probably the original daredevil/madcap."
3. "Uncle Iroh from Avatar: The Last Airbender."
4. "Tony Soprano. Such a well-written and developed character! Tony's mental state is one of the most fascinating things about The Sopranos for me, and of course, he's performed brilliantly by James Gandolfini."
5. "Samwise from The Lord of the Rings. Bro had no powers, few skills, and no combat experience. But Frodo would have failed many times without him. Also, he is one of the few characters who held the one ring, was tempted by the one ring, but still willingly gave it up."
6. "Looking at it from a historical perspective, I’d say it has to be Hercules (or Heracles, whichever you prefer). He’s pretty much the origin of the archetypal hero seen across the entirety of fictional media since his creation."
7. "I know people don't like recent and/or animated stuff when we hear the word 'greatest.' But I'm a big fan of Miles Morales in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. Maybe not the greatest. But it's worth consideration by my standards."
8. "Maybe a bit of recency bias, but I think there's a genuine argument to be made for Jimmy McGill/Saul Goodman. Such a layered and complex representation of the way trauma affects our perception of ourselves."
9. "Amahl Farouk, from the TV show Legion. Certified badass, conniving telepathic king with badass glasses."
10. "I don't know, but best villain of all time has got to be GLaDOS from Portal. Very rarely do you get a villain that balances being comedic, threatening, and sympathetic."
11. "The Doctor/Doctor Who. A character who can literally change their physical appearance and personality through regeneration, allowing them to be anyone, who also owns a spaceship that's bigger on the inside and can travel anywhere in time and space. A concept like that makes the character and the show pretty much invincible to running out of ideas and becoming lackluster."
12. "Robin Hood. He's had stories told or written about him for centuries, even though the ruling class would have very much a reason to try and suppress those stories. Anytime there's a new form of media, his story pops up. Early printing penny dreadfuls had Robin Hood stories. Theaters and operas had Robin Hood stories. Radio, television, film... Hell, in all of cinematic history, modern film hasn't been able to go ten years without making a Robin Hood movie. The basics of his story are always relatable: people in positions of power being taken down a notch by someone with cunning and goodwill towards the masses."
13. "Superman. Instantly recognizable. Has been deconstructed by other characters or writers and still holds up as a paragon. Despite theoretically being invulnerable, he still gave the ultimate sacrifice, he has two of the best comics speeches ever penned or recorded, he is best friends with Batman, and he is a good dad."
14. "Hot take from an obsessed fan: Jinx from Arcane. Tragedy, adorableness, spunky fun, and more than a little instability. The show has beautifully executed and contains fascinating insights into the mind of someone struggling with mental illness, and they walk the line of portraying the struggle in a real way without romanticizing the horrible suffering it causes. Plus, she's a badass."
15. And finally: "Patrick Bateman from American Psycho. A fully fledged embodiment of the eighties."
As promised, it's your turn: what's your personal pick for the greatest fictional character, and why do they stand out to you? Tell us about them in the comments!
Also, please weigh in about the Toph v. Superman question. I'm just curious.