In the spirit of the holiday season, I want to start a more fun conversation.
Who are your favorite characters and why? They can be from anything; movies, TV shows, video games, literature, etc.
Furthermore, did they exhibit any positive traits or skills that made you want to become a better person in the real world in some way? Did their actions help encourage you to want to learn a particular skill, become physically fitter, more resourceful, confident, etc?
I'll get things started (mine aren't in any particular order):
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Zero (Mega Man X): I like both Zero and X, but Zero's confident professionalism so to speak stood out to me. He's serious and intelligent, but he knows how to stay witty and sarcastic at the same time. In addition, he wants to defeat his destiny as a robot designed to commit evil and fight for good. In particular, I love how he's always working to better at protecting others but has to struggle with the realization that doesn't guarantee he'll be able to save those closest to him. That last example reminds me of something I've struggled with in my own life.
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Donatello (TMNT 2003): I love the arc Donnie undergoes in the '03 TMNT cartoon. He's extremely book-smart and; like myself, passionate about machines and technology. Nonetheless, he's open to acquiring new knowledge. Although he studies science and technology at an academic level, he does it out of a genuine love for the field. And he developed his intellect almost entirely on his own. He's great at staying cool and collected under pressure and thinking creatively and quickly in the same circumstances. Out of all the Turtles, he's probably the most pacifistic and diplomatic, but isn't above getting snarky occasionally. Finally, he can get annoyed by his family at times, but will still drop everything to help them and become deeply passionate about helping them.
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Niko Bellic (GTA IV): He may not be a popular choice here, but I loved playing through his story. Although he came from very little and doesn't have a great record of following the law, I think he proved to be so much more than that. Despite a horrible upbringing, Niko in GTA IV goes on to display a clear sense of honor and an ability to think more three-dimensionally than most of the game's other characters. I love how he goes through hell to protect Roman and everyone else he cares about even when their judgement (or lack thereof) gets them in trouble. I chose to take the story paths where he spares targets as I felt they were more consistent with his personality. Besides, who wouldn't admire a character that's agile, adaptable, and can operate any machine from a car to a helicopter?
All three of these characters partially inspired me to get physically fitter, think less impulsively, think about the consequences of my actions, open myself up to new knowledge/ideas, and become more analytical and confident. I became more inspired to treat others how I'd want to be treated and stand up for what's right even if it might not make me popular. Most important of all, following their adventures helped me realize that no matter how uncertain or hopeless I think life can look, there's always some way I can make it a little better.
Your turn.
A great question... Here's two that come to mind:
Nanoha (Anime: Magical Lyrical Girl Nanoha): She's the epitome of "Stronk Female Character", but done (IMO) right. While clearly not the strongest being in her universe, she is openly regarded as at least an entity of interest when classifying such. But that's aside from the point of her character. She's emotionally intelligent, but not intelligent-intelligent. When she gets instructions from another on how to disable a special macguffin, and the explanation devolves to "blast it with everything you got" because she wasn't getting it, she replies with a cheerful "easy to understand, thank you, knew I could rely on you!", even though that was what she was already doing. No snark, no backtalk, because it wasn't needed: She confirmed what was important, that she was on the right tack, and made sure the person on the line felt like their work helped. When a villain accuses her of being a devil, she nods and accepts their viewpoint, to them, she IS some horrific demon. She even walks out of a conflagration, covered in the shadows from the smoke, as she acknowledges it with a "then I'll simply need to use my hellish powers upon you". But her power isn't really meant for blowing up big bads... She's a teacher and a friend first and foremost. Her goals are always focused on helping people, even the villains, she just doesn't shy away from bitchslapping anyone who won't accept that help... Even close allies, as it became such a meme of her making borderline-killing = friendship, that her voice actress in another series actually threatened someone with befriending them.
She showcases the strengths (and weaknesses) of a shonen protagonist, while also showcasing the strengths (and weaknesses) of a shojo protagonist, in a neat little bow.
Marin (My Dress-Up Darling): Not necessarily my most favorite character, but I am a big fan of what she represents. Pandering to a target market. Marin is a special-grade waifu. Unless you have VERY peculiar or particular tastes, you'll likely put Marin in any top-5-waifus listing. Even with those tastes, if you're trying to be in any way impartial, you still would. A super-attractive otaku gyaru, financially independant but only in a way that holds things over until a guy can protect her, sexually open but sexually innocent, social butterfly but still awkward and shy, who sees both through and past all the MC's social ineptitudes and loves him for what he is, who while not into his hobbies (hers are more feminine) still supports and appreciates them, and encourages him to participate more in society and make first steps in that regard... And pays for him on the first date, just in case he's not as interested in her as she is in him. It's SUCH blatant wish-fulfillment pandering. She's literally nothing but a checklist of "ideal fantasy waifu traits" polling results. And... It works. Somehow, it works. She's still an almost believable character thanks to the writing, and both her and the series are very well-regarded.
What she represents, is the willingness to give what the target audience wants, and likewise, for that target audience to appreciate it, and have the business venture succeed. In a world full of media attempts to insult the target audience, and have it blow up in their faces, there's actually a surprising lack of the exact opposite: Unabashed 100% pandering. That is then shown to work. A clear example to point to. And so I think she's important enough to list.