# Who is the longest "lived" fictional character **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 16, 2004, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-longest-lived-fictional-character/234587 "2004-03-16T04:38:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 9
**Author:** ![penultima\_thule](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/penultima_thule/32/3833_2.png) [@penultima\_thule](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/penultima_thule)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2026, 11:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-longest-lived-fictional-character/234587/161 "2026-04-22T11:07:23Z")
Two entries to this list. 1. [Ginger Meggs](https://www.gingermeggs.com/home). A comic strip created in 1921 by Sydney cartoonist Jimmy Bancks who produced the strip until his death in 1952. The baton was taken up by another 4 cartoonists in turn chalking up 102 years in print until discontinued in 2023. Ginger Meggs didn’t age through the series. 2. Marvin the Android from Hitchhikers Guide. When Ford, Arthur, Trillian and Zaphod go to Milliways, constructed on the ruins of Magrathea (and therefore the closest restaurant) they find Marvin has been waiting patiently for their return for 576,000,003,579 years. > [@Marvin](#): > > “The first ten million years were the worst, and the second ten million years, they were the worst too. The third ten million I didn’t enjoy at all. After that I went into a bit of a decline.” ---
**Author:** ![Frodo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/frodo/32/302_2.png) [@Frodo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frodo)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2026, 12:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-longest-lived-fictional-character/234587/162 "2026-04-22T12:37:54Z")
Does that make Elric the new winner of the thread? ---
**Author:** ![commasense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/commasense/32/3017_2.png) [@commasense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/commasense)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2026, 1:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-longest-lived-fictional-character/234587/163 "2026-04-22T13:02:30Z")
I’m not familiar with the author or character, but if @Shalmanese is right, it would. Assuming no one wants to correct or contradict the claim, congrats, @Shalmanese, for finding it. ---
**Author:** ![commasense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/commasense/32/3017_2.png) [@commasense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/commasense)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2026, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-longest-lived-fictional-character/234587/164 "2026-04-22T13:11:14Z")
A reminder for newcomers to the thread: We’re not talking about the in-universe lifespan of a character, but the length of time between the character’s first and last appearances in print, as written _by the original author_. Also, this thread excludes comic strips, although a similar thread about comic book characters would no doubt be interesting. ---
**Author:** ![Shalmanese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shalmanese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shalmanese)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2026, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-longest-lived-fictional-character/234587/165 "2026-04-22T14:11:40Z")
Probably credit should go to Scylla to finding it in 2015. I was merely curious if his prediction came true so I looked up on the Wikipedia and updated the info. I don’t actually know anything about the author or the character except what’s in Wikipedia. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2026, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-longest-lived-fictional-character/234587/166 "2026-04-22T14:21:26Z")
> [@Stanislaus](#): > > A good solution to the ageing character problem, except you feel the poor man never had so much as as day off. It does mean Cromwell, granted good health, could beat the record by publishing “Sharpe’s Hectic Afternoon” filling in the last remaining chronological gap in a busy life, in 2041.) And he managed to be involved in every important event during that time period. He even managed to be on Nelson’s ship during Trafalgar. Sharpe’s son also showed up during the American Civil War but that series ended. Not nearly as popular and lucrative as making another Sharpe book. Although it’s hard to imagine someone other than Sean Bean in the role, it would be nice to see a Sharpe tv series with a budget to do it justice. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-longest-lived-fictional-character/234587.md?page=8)