By “favorite fictional character” I don’t mean “favorite character of your favorite fiction”, consider the media itself to be irrelevant.

Just consider the character itself and how it changes throughout whichever segments of its timeline, regardless of how the world moves around it (unless it’s relevant);
the show / book / comic / game / political campaign itself may be absolute trash, but you love some character from that more than any other character from anything at all.

Like Magnifico from Wish, or the driver from Big Rigs: Over the Road Racing.

  • Nanny Ogg from Witches Abroad by Terry Pratchett.

    I just really want to get drunk with her, it would be fucking hilarious I wish I lived in a universe where I could actually get wasted and be totally ridiculous with Nanny Ogg.

    •  absGeekNZ   ( @absGeekNZ@lemmy.nz ) 
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      11 months ago

      I usually can’t decide which is my top pick.

      Esme is awesome, the picture of uncompromising competence.
      Lord Vetinari, doesn’t like how the world works, but works the world until it is better.
      Sam, has such a great character arc.

        •  Sonotsugipaa   ( @Sonotsugipaa@lemmy.dbzer0.com ) OP
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          11 months ago

          I don’t know about Zuko being less strong, he did betray his father (and temporarily abandon his girlfriend) just to follow his moral compass; his runtime (and his first faux-turnaround at the end of book 2) highlight how difficult it was for him.

          Sokka only had do smarten and humble himself a bit, which is no easy feat either, but easier by comparison.

          … which is why if I had to pick a favorite from A:TLA, I’d choose Iroh.
          Zuko was never really evil, but, where he took his time to look at his moral compass, Iroh had to experience geomagnetic reversal and made it out alive.
          WITHOUT a kind uncle nudging him in the right direction.

  •  spicy pancake   ( @janus2@lemmy.zip ) 
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    11 months ago

    Probably the Doctor of Doctor Who because he’s basically a large handful of characters in one, but with an overarching spirit of curiosity, adventure, and trying to do the right thing

    William Hartnell is my favorite

    •  hbar   ( @hbar@lemmy.ml ) 
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      11 months ago

      This is my answer too. I think each version of the doctor shines in a fun unique way. My favorite was my first (Christopher eccleston) but they are all wonderful.

      “Never be cruel, never be cowardly. Hate is always foolish…and love is always wise. Always try to be nice and never fail to be kind”

    •  Random Dent   ( @CrabAndBroom@lemmy.ml ) 
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      10 months ago

      Yeah that was my first thought too! I think Steven Moffat summed up the appeal pretty well:

      It’s hard to talk about the importance of an imaginary hero. But heroes ARE important: Heroes tell us something about ourselves. History tells us who we used to be, documentaries tell us who we are now; but heroes tell us who we WANT to be. And a lot of our heroes depress me.

      But when they made this particular hero, they didn’t give him a gun–they gave him a screwdriver to fix things. They didn’t give him a tank or a warship or an x-wing fighter–they gave him a box from which you can call for help. And they didn’t give him a superpower or pointy ears or a heat-ray–they gave him an extra HEART. They gave him two hearts! And that’s an extraordinary thing.

      There will never come a time when we don’t need a hero like the Doctor.

  •  Darren   ( @DJDarren@sopuli.xyz ) 
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    11 months ago

    Hands down, Ron Swanson from Parks & Recreation.

    He’s a libertarian who firmly believes in his right to self-determination, but doesn’t force that view on those around him; he lets them live their own lives and is there to help them whenever they may need. I do somewhat envy his ability to ignore the meaningless bullshit around modern life, how he paddles his own canoe and strives not to be in anyone’s way.

    But most importantly, he’s fond of pretty, dark haired women, and breakfast food, and who can argue with that?

  •  ouRKaoS   ( @ouRKaoS@lemmy.today ) 
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    11 months ago

    Commander Samuel Vimes, hands down.

    His arc goes from zero to a million over the course of the Discworld series; even when he just has a slight Cameo he steals the scene because you get to see how terrified people are of him.

  •  eldavi   ( @eldavi@lemmy.ml ) 
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    11 months ago

    jubal harshaw

    he’s a character by heinlein that appears in several of his novels and he’s also the same benevolent never-do-well & know-it-all that aids each novel’s protagonist and represents (for me) a cantankerously endearing bullshit-killer that i wish i could be.

    •  Sonotsugipaa   ( @Sonotsugipaa@lemmy.dbzer0.com ) OP
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      11 months ago

      Nice pick, personally if that was my answer I would attribute it to how little we know of him.
      Without any doubt, they really put a lot of effort into making him look and sound like… whatever he is.

      Thanks for the link too, although it feels like that animation is too… expressive? I think the g-man would have less pronounced expressions, like, not going full >:3 when talking to Alyx.

      •  Wahots   ( @Wahots@pawb.social ) 
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        10 months ago

        Yeah, too expressive. Though I’m counting the smile at the beginning as canon, considering he was finally able to regain control over Freeman for the first time since he was foiled by the vorts at the beginning of EP1. I love that smile.

  •  Devanismyname   ( @Devanismyname@lemmy.ca ) 
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    11 months ago

    Captain anderson from mass effect. He’s always in shepherds corner. Always there to back him up. He’s the ultimate father figure and leader. Garrus is cool and my best friend, but something about anderson…

    •  Sonotsugipaa   ( @Sonotsugipaa@lemmy.dbzer0.com ) OP
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      11 months ago

      Solid choice, he is a bit flawed in the first game (obsessed with pointing fingers at Saren (admittedly only being 1.05% wrong about him)); but he and Hackett are the OG superiors that have your back rather than constantly second-guessing you.

      The latter even set his foot on a terrorist-owned ship, imagine the favors he had to pull in order to do that discreetly just to talk with you in person…

            •  Sonotsugipaa   ( @Sonotsugipaa@lemmy.dbzer0.com ) OP
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              11 months ago

              Maybe it’s because I played them all several times (the original ones, not the LE), but the gunfight mechanics are extremely okay enough to me - oddly enough Andromeda was the one I most enjoyed shooting in (though I didn’t finish it due to hardware problems).

              Exploration as in sightseeing, yes you’re right, I forgot about it - though I don’t remember there being much actual exploration in 2 and 3? Granted, I either missed some things in 2, or they were included with some DLCs I didn’t have at first.