# Most Interesting Fictional Characters **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 4, 2000, 5:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-interesting-fictional-characters/21349 "2000-06-04T05:23:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Flutterby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Flutterby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flutterby)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2000, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-interesting-fictional-characters/21349/61 "2000-06-08T13:15:31Z")
Narile that’s just… just… _shudders_ Look at this > [@](#): > > Grignr leashed his mount forward as the hoarsely piercing battle cry > of his wilderness bred race resounded from his grinding lungs. A > twirling blade bounced harmlessly from the mighty thief’s buckler as > his rolling right arm cleft upward, sending a foot of blinding steel ripping > through the Simarian’s exposed gullet. A gasping gurgle from the soldier’s > writhing mouth as he tumbled to the golden sand at his feet, and wormed > agonizingly in his death bed. I can write better then that! Actually I have written better deaths then that (considering I have lost c’s in roleplay to random killers) _winces_ I couldn’t go on past that. ---
**Author:** ![tracer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tracer/32/20578_2.png) [@tracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tracer)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2000, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-interesting-fictional-characters/21349/62 "2000-06-08T20:11:24Z")
_The Eye of Argon_ has also been MSTed: [http://pinky.wtower.com/mst3k/cgi/mstdisplay.pl?htmlmode=off&filename=argon.01.AC.txt](http://pinky.wtower.com/mst3k/cgi/mstdisplay.pl?htmlmode=off&filename=argon.01.AC.txt). And here’s the _official_ Stephen Ratliff Marrissa Storys [sic] MSTing Archive: [http://www.crosswinds.net/~mblackwl/mst2.htm](http://www.crosswinds.net/~mblackwl/mst2.htm). ---
**Author:** ![Tally-Ho](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e495f1/32.png) [@Tally-Ho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tally-Ho)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2000, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-interesting-fictional-characters/21349/63 "2000-06-08T20:35:26Z")
Eposia, you and I need to start our own McCaffrey/Lackey fan club. You covered most of my faves. I’d like to meet Anita Blake from Linda K. Hamilton’s ongoing series. (_Guilty Pleasures_ and _Lunatic Cafe_ to name two of the series.) Anita is one tough lady who winds up going through hell each book. Also I’d love to live with a tribe of Tayledras (sp?) from Lackey’s Valdemar series. What’s not to like about a group of people whose favorite pastime is sitting naked in a hot spring with all one’s friends? 😃 Chrisbar ---
**Author:** ![PunditLisa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4af34b/32.png) [@PunditLisa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PunditLisa)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2000, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-interesting-fictional-characters/21349/64 "2000-06-08T20:45:22Z")
Chrisbar, are you a Richard or Jean-Claude fan? Personally, I’m a dog lover, so I’m rooting for Richard. Vampires suck. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![lee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lee/32/7455_2.png) [@lee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lee)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2000, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-interesting-fictional-characters/21349/65 "2000-06-08T21:21:51Z")
I think Galadriel is intriguing. Beautiful, good but defiant, and married to an idiot. I keep wondering why? I am intrigued that she seems to be able to spot evil and defy it, yet marched forth after Feanor and his lot. She also seems to defy the stereotype that people who seek power should not be allowed to have it. She wanted a place of her own to rule, got it and made a beautiful, peaceful land of it. I also am intrigued by Vampire Hunter D. I really want to know the story behind that talking hand of his. I don’t know about you, but i am quite glad my hand isn’t capable of arguing and doesn’t talk! ---
**Author:** ![Edwardina](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Edwardina](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Edwardina)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2000, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-interesting-fictional-characters/21349/66 "2000-06-08T21:46:18Z")
John Crichton from Farscape on the Sci Fi channel. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2000, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-interesting-fictional-characters/21349/67 "2000-06-09T03:18:21Z")
Look, I don’t mind the threads about bad movies, horrible songs or even anal sex, but there will be no more quoting from _The Eye Of Argon_! My ghod, have you people no decency?? ---
**Author:** ![Narile](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/71c47a/32.png) [@Narile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Narile)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2000, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-interesting-fictional-characters/21349/68 "2000-06-09T15:57:59Z")
tracer… **How the hell do you MST3K the Eye of Argon** I mean, I can see the methodology, but where is the difficulty in that? Somethings are just to easy to try. (And yes, I know, it wasn’t you whom MST3K’d it, you have more respect for your skills than that.) Slythe, you want to hear the **really** scary part, at one of the cons I attend, C.J.Cherryh mentioned that the publisher whom received the original manuscript, has received sequels to the eye, from the same person… As for how I could do it? As I’ve said before, being Chaotic evil means never saying ‘I’m Sorry’… mwhahahahahahaha!!! ---
**Author:** ![yESTERDAY\_mAN](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/a87d85/32.png) [@yESTERDAY\_mAN](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yESTERDAY_mAN)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2000, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-interesting-fictional-characters/21349/69 "2000-06-09T17:34:58Z")
James Bond has got to be in here, of course. Bond is da man! He drives cool cars, carries a gun, and gets all the women. Monique, God, and Satan from the comic strip Sinfest. Monique is hot (for a cartoon), God is funny, and Satan wears bad-ass suits. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2000, 7:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-interesting-fictional-characters/21349/70 "2000-06-10T07:44:38Z")
Yeah, Gandalf is cool (Quite literally two steps below God), and Frodo’s important, sure, but the main character in LotR is Samwise. I mean, Frodo goes to Mordor because it’s his high-and-mighty destiny… Sam goes because he’s loyal to a friend in need. It seems to me that he had more of a choice in what he did, and should be respected the more for it. Prospero, from Shakespeare’s _The Tempest_. My dream role to play sometime. He commands the very elements, brings together all of his enemies in one place, and then… releases them and gives up his art. Natty Bumppo, AKA Deerslayer, AKA Hawkeye, AKA Pathfinder, AKA Leatherstockings, AKA… from the books by James Fenimore Cooper. I’m not sure how to put him through in writing, just read the books. You’ll be glad you did. ---
**Author:** ![Narile](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/71c47a/32.png) [@Narile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Narile)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2000, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-interesting-fictional-characters/21349/71 "2000-06-10T17:04:31Z")
Buck Godot - Living in a rather interesting reality, fun but twisted. Remember, in New Hong Kong, there are _No Laws_, but that doesn’t mean there are **No Rules** ---
**Author:** ![Flutterby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Flutterby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flutterby)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2000, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-interesting-fictional-characters/21349/72 "2000-06-10T19:43:47Z")
Sorry _slythe_ I just had to share that little bit of mutilation of the art of story telling. _Narile_ SEQUELS? I would have died just reading the first one completely through. I wonder what it would take the guy to learn that his writing wasn’t all that good. (He could try to improve. Maybe he needs writing classes) I’m just thankful we have editors who aren’t gonna print that kind of thing. ---
**Author:** ![Wordsmith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/47e85d/32.png) [@Wordsmith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wordsmith)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2000, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-interesting-fictional-characters/21349/73 "2000-06-11T00:13:37Z")
I’m glad someone mentioned Jean-Luc, but let’s not forget Data. The TNG writers really did a great job exploring the consequences of a wholly logical mindset in a nonetheless moral being. A corollary to Data, of course, is Spock, but he’s not positronic, so he takes second place. Take Data and remove the morality module, and you have Wolf Larsen of Jack London’s _The Sea-Wolf._ I have never encountered a more fascinating character in literature, although I hear that one of the characters in _Blood Meridian_ is far better. Hopefully this will prove to be the case. I’m restricting myself to the characters no one has mentioned yet. Ford, Rimmer, Raistlin… what better characters can be conceived? ---
**Author:** ![Edwardina](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Edwardina](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Edwardina)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2000, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-interesting-fictional-characters/21349/74 "2000-06-12T17:55:43Z")
I’m with you 100% on Raistlin. He’s interesting, alright. _has one of those pleasurable shudders_ I nominate Clete Purcell from the novels by James Lee Burke. Another interesting one: Willy Wonka. ---
**Author:** ![rackensack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e5b9ba/32.png) [@rackensack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rackensack)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2000, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-interesting-fictional-characters/21349/75 "2000-06-12T21:42:35Z")
> [@](#): > > \*\* > Prospero, from Shakespeare’s _The Tempest_. My dream role to play sometime. He commands the very elements, brings together all of his enemies in one place, and then… releases them and gives up his art. > > Natty Bumppo, AKA Deerslayer, AKA Hawkeye, AKA Pathfinder, AKA Leatherstockings, AKA… from the books by James Fenimore Cooper. I’m not sure how to put him through in writing, just read the books. You’ll be glad you did. > \*\* From the sublime to the . . . well, have you ever read Mark Twain’s “The Literary Offenses of Fenimore Cooper”? You’ll never read a Deerfinderstockingeye book with straight face (if at all) again. ---
**Author:** ![sewalk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b3f665/32.png) [@sewalk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sewalk)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2000, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-interesting-fictional-characters/21349/76 "2000-06-13T14:00:29Z")
Since my first and second choices have already been mentioned (Woodrow Wilson Smith and Mycroft Holmes from Heinlein, a 4000 year old man and a sentient computer with a sense of humor), I’d probably go with Jubal Harshaw(Stranger in a Strange Land). Hannibal Lecter would definitely qualify as interesting. Exceedingly well-educated, a man of passions and a love of the arts, it would be interesting to share a meal with him, so long as he did not prepare it. ---
**Author:** ![sewalk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b3f665/32.png) [@sewalk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sewalk)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2000, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-interesting-fictional-characters/21349/77 "2000-06-13T14:20:08Z")
I just realized another interesting, or in this case, cool, fictional character: Chili Palmer. All of Elmore Leonard’s characters have great lines but none embodies coolness like Chili Palmer. Definitely the coolest guy in fiction. For those who’ve never heard of Elmore Leonard, Chili Palmer was John Travolta’s character in Get Shorty. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-interesting-fictional-characters/21349.md?page=3)