1. Edmund - bad boy gone good; a nobility humbled with graciousness

2.Jill - a bit bratty but always genuine; you know what she's thinking and she's passionate which makes her impetuous and interesting

3. Eustace - more of a realistic "conversion" vs Edmund as his change in self takes a bit longer and he retains that edge -- especially around "Pole" -- but it makes him a scrapper in the end

4.Lucy - so sweet and warm without being obnoxious. The sort of person who could be best friends with anyone and everyone and remember all of their birthdays

5.Caspian - a true leader. I prefer the older, teenaged version in Voyage vs his more insecure self in PC. One of the Narnian characters we get to know the best

6. Reepicheep - his talks of valour and honour are not just for show -- he lives them and doesn't look silly doing it either. Like Lucy, I would love to hold him and stroke his fur

7.Puzzle - I always feel sorry for him and how he gets dragged into the scheme against his will and is too stupid to know he could have stood up for himself. He means well and is cute and sweet.

8.Jewel - just being a unicorn gets him on this list. Loyal and true to the end

9. Tirian - the last king makes him memorable. I love his zeal for the truth and love for his people. The kind of leader you'd want in a hopeless situation

10. Aravis - spunky and proof you are more than your upbringing. She longs for something more and that is something we can identify with. And it's her being humbled from a place of conceit that lets her end up married to a prince/future King.

I guess Aslan should have been on my list but as a character he is not very interesting. But Narnia would not be anything without him.

In no particular order:

Lucy -- I can't say I'm much like Lucy, but I admire her faith and sense of adventure! Very inspiring.

Edmund -- I really enjoyed seeing Edmund's character growth. I think he's the most interesting and developed of the Pevensies. I especially liked seeing him in "Horse and His Boy," and how much he had matured.

Peter -- So I didn't really identify with Peter when I first read the books or saw the films. I was an 11 year old girl, so I naturally gravitated to Susan as the one whom I shared the most traits with. However, once I grew up I realized Susan is a bit of a bore I identify with Peter's willingness to take responsibility and lead the rest of the children, as well as his bravery.
(Funny that I liked Susan best on my first read as a child, but now she doesn't even make it into the list!)

Puddleglum -- I'm very much a pessimist, and I just can't bring myself to look on the bright side. But I like how Puddleglum sees the negative, accepts it, and does the right thing anyways. Now that is an attitude I can get behind! I also love his speech at the end of SC. Very inspiring.

Aravis -- I admire her courage! I always thought she was a cool character, and I wanted to be a bit more like her (although not so arrogant!)

Jill - I could identify with her struggles
Digory - I just sympathized with his character from the beginning because of his mother's situation!
Polly - I like her good sense!
Shasta - Admired his bravery at the end, and I found him relatable.
Jadis- Just a cool villain!

1. Puddleglum
2. Shasta
3. Reepicheep
4. Bree
5. Edmund
6. Aslan
7. The Lady of the Green Kirtle
8. Lucy
9. Eustace
10. Caspian X

1. Caspian
2. Digory
3. Shasta
4. Edmund
5. Tirian
6. Puddleglum
7. Reepicheep
8. Jill
9. Eustace
10.Coriakin
(No particular order to this one. I'd love to go into further details, but I'd be here all day if I did... )

1. Edmund -- when I first read the books, Lucy was my favorite character, but over time it has changed to Edmund.  Why, exactly?  Because I love how he changes from the being what he is at the beginning to the end.  I especially like seeing him in Horse and His Boy, right after the change has taken place.

2. Aravis -- I admire her courage and the way she never backs down

3. Lucy -- She definitely has her flaws, but she has faith.  She always believes in Aslan.

4. Reepicheep -- I love his loyalty to Aslan... And he is just such a fun character!

5. Jill -- She struggles throughout most of The Silver Chair, but she learns a lot, and is stronger when she comes back in Last Battle

6. Jewel -- He's a unicorn!

7. Bree -- He longs to be back in Narnia

8. Peter -- He is loyal, and a good older brother

9. Digory -- He's one of the first humans in Narnia, very important to the chronicles

10. Puzzle -- I really feel bad for him

This is my list:

     Lucy- She was the one who discovered Narnia (besides Diggory and Polly, who were there when it was created) and without her a lot of these stories wouldn’t have happened. Her faith in Aslan is incredible, and she is a great role model.

     Aslan- I think this is pretty self explanatory, but I love his fatherly tone toward Lucy. But like a father, he tells her what she did wrong. He also created Narnia.

     Edmund- Edmund is my 3rd favorite character because he went from being very snarky and rude to being a hero. I love his redemptive story.

      Cor/Shasta- I just think he is a great character. He is so determined to see Narnia. I admire him because he was able to travel through a desert and alert a kingdom. If he wasn’t there, Archenland would have been annihilated.

      High King Peter- Peter is my 5th favorite character because he is the High King. He was so brave. He went to a new world and fought the White Witch for people he barely knew.

      Eustace- I like Eustace because he is pretty similar to Edmund. Basically the same reasons.

      Caspian- My 6th favorite character is Caspian. I think he is a great and interesting person. I like how he realizes what the Telmarines have done, and he realizes that he has to be the one to fix those mistakes. I like the adventures he goes on with Pevensies, too!

       King Frank and Queen Helen- I’ve always had this secret admiration for King Frank and Queen Helen. I think that they are great characters because of their strong faith in Aslan. They had to go to Narnia, leave everything behind in our world, and basically set up a system in Narnia that would work. And they did. I think that these characters are really underrated.

      Puddleglum- I chose Puddleglum for my 9th person. I think he was very strong. He was the one who saved Eustace, Jill, and Prince Rillian. Although he looks on the bad side of things, he is awesome.

     Jadis- I put Jadis 10th on my list because she is a good character and has an interesting backstory. I think C.S. Lewis did an excellent job at fleshing out her character. She is ruthless and will do anything for her own gain.

1) Bree - who doesn't love a talking horse?  Even one so haughty as Bree.  He is hilarious and I love his arc.  

2) Lucy - I feel I relate to her the most, honestly.  I'm the youngest of 3 (two half-brothers) and growing up in school I was a bit of an outcast yet there were also topics I was really passionate about.  Sometimes, I felt no one would listen when I was trying to say something important, just like how no one seems to believe Lucy about Narnia or seeing Aslan.  Also I love fantasy and magic and I have her fighting spirit and a willingness to believe in more than just what I can see 😛

3) Aslan - he is the High King.... He isn't tame, but he is good.  I love that you fear him, but love him at the same time... 

4) Shasta/Cor - I love his story arc.  Also I relate a lot with him too, always asking questions and always longing to go north, past the desert and over the mountains.

5) Peter - He is noble and exemplifies the qualities of a great leader.

6) Reepicheep - A sword wielding mouse, with an adventurer's heart... I love him cuz he has much more spirit than one would assume a mouse would have.

7) Moonwood the Hare - sometimes it's the characters we don't meet that catch our attention.  As a rabbit lover, I really appreciate that a lagomorph was so important to Narnian legend and history.

8) Jewel - I just love his demeanor and noble heart as well as his loyalty to Tirian. (Plus he's a unicorn.)

9) Patterwig - talking squirrel... squirrels and I have a long history 😛

10) Puddleglum - I like that he always prepares for the worst, yet he never gives up on the best and always believes he should do what is right.

This was exceedingly hard to order by the way... I think I got it down to the greatest degree of accurateness, but it will likely be different tomorrow 😛  Honorable mentions go to Swallowpad, Maugrim, Fledge, Swanwhite, Tumnus, the Beavers, Hwin, and Glimfeather.

1.- Puddlegum: he's pesimist just like me he is very funny though (at least in spanish he sounds very funny)

2.- Rilian: i felt really bad for him because he must have been through a lot for being captive that long and the loss of his mom 🙁 It's something that it may be a bit overlooked? but it is actually very sad if you think about ALL the suffering he must've been through and constantly missing Narnia and his family. 

3.- Jill Pole: I've never thought why I like Jill. I "connected" with her i guess hahaha Also, she is very brave. I look forward to see her like some "warrior" character on screen in the future.

4.- Reepicheep: He's brave and he's cute(good thing he's only a fictional character and can't hear me ) What else do you need? 

5.- Caspian: I like how he wasn't attached to Telmarines just for being one of them and decided to fight for Narnian creatures instead. 

6.- Wimbleweather: he tried hard when fighting against Telmarines. I cried rivers when I read how bad he felt for not being clever, crying because of what happened and getting no comfort from any creature since then, i love him so much

7.- Aravis: I have a thing for characters that run away from his origins when they are not comfortable and try to find their own home xD

8.- Trufflehunter: Maybe I like him because he gave Caspian a chance ? 

9.- Jewel: he's a very unique and special creature in Narnia 

10.- Susan: the scepticism about Narnia at first is something I might easily relate with Susan if happened to me. And how she tries to suggest the more logical things. But since I saw the Disney movies before reading the books, I can't deny that I may like her because of what I saw in the movies more than for what I read in the books. 

This was harder than I thought. 

My top 10 favorites are...

1). Edmund (okay, obviously but he is my absolute favorite!) He is a great character and is a role model to people for change for the better in their lives. The fact that he thinks about his betrayal throughout the book makes him one of the best characters ever. It shows that he is really sorry for what he did and he can rise above his faults. He is also a really cool king and his humor and love for food is really what sums it up. Though he was traumatized terribly by the white witch, the name Just suits him as he tries to make the most fair decisions as possible from experiences and logic. 

2). Aslan: He is the best character in all the books and he is always trying to get people to come back from their faults. He is also loving and is a great father figure. He doesn't accuse people or blame people for what they did wrong but makes sure they can rise from it. (As he did for Edmund, Lucy and Eustace and I have no doubt that he will for Susan also!) 

3). King Lune: He is the utmost definition of Father figure and his love for the twin boys and Aravis really is incredible. He is always encouraging and seems like a great Dad figure to everybody. (maybe even for the Pevensies in their golden age.)

4). Caspian: Caspian is one of my favorite characters because of his forgiveness trust and innocence. The part in Silver Chair when he forgives Drinian because the rest of his family he thinks is dead is really the saddest part and the highest point of his character. He is one of the Pevensies most trusted friends and his adventure and longing to explore really makes the books a lot better. 

5). Puddleglum: Puddleglum is one of my favorite characters because he stood up to the Lady of the Green Kirtle and showed his belief and Patriotism for Narnia. He is very brave and his pessimism proves a different character than any other character. He cares about Jill and Eustace while the trio are going on their adventure. He is always going with what they say even though he has some better judgement. I am really glad he made my top 10. 

6). Bulgy Bear: Bulgy bear is one of the minor character in the Chronicles of Narnia, but he is one of my favorites. Though he is mentioned little in the books, the parts that he is makes him get a spot on my list. He is patriotic and brave. 

7). Susan Pevensie: I like Susan Pevensie because she is strong and brave and is a motherly figure to her younger siblings. She speaks with reason and logic and is always trying to do what she thinks is right. She had to suffer through so much in the Last Battle and I am inspired by her. 

8.) Peter Pevensie:  I like Peter Pevensie because he is a understanding older sibling and is trying to listen to everybody. He is always (like Susan) trying to do what is right for everybody as a whole. As we see in the "Prince Caspian" he is not afraid to give his own life for the well being of his country. He is a noble high king and is brave in battles and war. 

9.) Lucy Pevensie. (I know everyone is wondering how Lucy came in 9th place on my list!) Lucy is a great character and shows kindness toward all, which is partly the reason she was given the healing cordial. She never loses the chance to defend her belief and is also a role model to her siblings. She brings them all together, even though they all have weaknesses and makes them think about their strengths. 

10) Aravis: She is a complicated character. Like Edmund though she changes a lot from the beginning of the story to the end. She was full of pride before and thinks she is better than everybody else. Yet by the end she is humble and doesn't really think of herself so highly as before. She is also brave and courageous and a great story teller. She has culture and brought diversity to Archenland. Her courage and kindness made her a great queen of Archenland. 

Posted by: @varna

Ready for a challenge? Come up with your favorite 10 characters across all of the Narnia books.

A couple of rules:

BOOK CHARACTERS ONLY! I don't care how much you love those wacky movie-only characters; they don't belong here.

Try to come up with reasons for why those characters are your favorites. While you don't need to come up with a reason for every single character on your list, give us at least a couple.

Keep in mind that posts that only contain a list of characters may be deleted.

Listing the characters in order of preference (descending or ascending) is interesting (but not required).

Challenge accepted! 😀

And it really was one heck of a challenge!  The books are filled with so many awesome characters that it was very hard to narrow it down.  But it helped that you asked for descriptions, because that made me think out "why".  So here are my "top 10", in descending order:

1. Aslan: This should require no additional explanation (lol).
   Setting aside the symbolism for a moment, let me approach an explanation from the perspective of a writer.  Writers today have this "trope" - that is, a pattern writers know either to use sparingly or completely avoid - this trope called "Deus X Maquina" (or something like that - sorry, I speak Spanish but not Ancient Roman lol).  From what I understand, to Caesar it meant "the god in the machine" or something like that ("maquina" is machine in Spanish so I guess that works).  Anyway it's generally viewed as a really bad mistake for writers to make - basically using some random thing no one saw coming to resolve conflict in a story.  For instance, the "Deeper Magic from before the Dawn of Time" kind of came out of nowhere.  Yet despite that one example, the truth is Aslan wasn't used in unsatisfying ways - he's not just some out-of-place cop-out solution that comes out of nowhere.  Does he seem random at times, sure (if you don't get the symbolism, which I didn't as a kid).  But you can always count on him to show up when things are at their worst, and so as the series progresses he becomes a more real character, though no more predictable.  "Not safe, but good" - that's my Aslan. 🙂
2. Reepicheep: Wow, there's a shock!  Thank you, Captain Obvious! 😀
   Okay, I know.  But what's not to love?  He's brave, loyal, a true knight of Narnia.  He doesn't let the fact that he's a mouse belittle that.  He's not without his flaws, but who isn't (real or fictional)?  And as I've said on other threads, as brutal a warrior as he is, he's not just that; his character runs deeper, more real.  Between how he befriends Eustace, how he finally lets Lucy hug him, how he throws his sword away (without Aslan having to tell him he wouldn't need one anymore or anything like that) and how he wanted to see Aslan's Country so much in the first place.  He's awesome!
3. Lucy: Innocent, sweet, though again not perfect.  She reminds me of my sister in a lot of ways.  She's just so... nice.  No ulterior motives, no planning or worrying about what lies ahead, just honest reaction to whatever is going on at the moment.  At least that's how I read her.  She sees coats and what comes to mind? How much she loves the smell and feel of fur; she sees Reepicheep and thinks "he's so cute"; she sees Aslan again in PC and is overjoyed.  She sees that spell in VDT (about making oneself beautiful) and is tempted.  She sees people who are injured and wants to help.  She's a little girl, or at least she's like every little girl of that age I've ever met.  It could be I'm misreading Lewis' descriptions as her reactions, but even so, she's just a great character.
4. Edmund: I've always found him to be very relatable.  Granted I'm the eldest brother in my family, complete with annoying little brothers and all (not that I didn't annoy them too lol), but even as a kid I always pictured myself in Edmund's place.  What would I have done, when the Witch "invited" me up on her sledge (don't forget she was about to "do something dreadful" to him before the invite)?  What must he have been thinking, riding beside her as they chased down the rest of his family?  It was always like, "yeah okay, maybe he kind of deserved it, but poor kid!"  And I love at the end when he destroys her wand, and how he is as a king, and all the stuff in PC and VDT that happened afterward... there's just so much to like there.
5. Mr. Beaver: He's such a good dude.  He's the kind of guy I'd like to be.  If he was afraid of the Witch catching them, he didn't let that get to him.  He did what he could to help, every step of the way, and advised them where he could.  But he's into some fun stuff most guys are into: building things, fishing, drinking beer... well, I don't drink (unless you count root beer, ginger ale or Mountain Dew :D) but most guys do - and that's kind of cool IMO; makes him more "real" (despite being a talking beaver).  But what I like best about Mr. Beaver is that he led the kids to Aslan.
6. Digory: Relatable, but in a different way (though ironically, he also was tempted by the Witch).  I love his interest in exploring new places, and I know how it is to be worried about your mother.  Thankfully, mine is alive and well - she beat cancer a few years ago.  But even before that, I think I worried for her sometimes as much as she worried for me.  I also like how he grows up to become the Professor we know so little about from LWW.  I think there are a lot of us grown-ups with interesting stories to tell, though we may look as ordinary as anything to kids.
7. Prince Rillian: Again, I see a somewhat relatable character here (and I wonder how many of these others are, without my thinking about it consiously, lol).  He's lured away from his father by the serpent (nice prodigal son reference there lol) but it's not about how you start - it's about how you finish.  After he is restored, I love his attitude towards taking on whatever lies ahead, whether it be "commending yourself to the Lion" or "taking the adventure that is sent us".  It just seems every other line out of that guy is so epic - the scene where he destroys the silver chair, the way he explains things to Golg, others I can't recall off-hand... he's just a really cool character.
8. Puddleglum: In the books, he always seemed to be, as his name suggests, glum; but his actions show a much braver and more interesting character than just "down in the dumps".  Not gonna lie, the FotF radio retelling of SC may be helping here; as a kid I wasn't particularly fond of Puddleglum.  But I always loved that scene when he stamps out the fire, and laughed at the scene when he gets drunk as a skunk in Harfang!  😀  Both of those events are totally in the books, so I'm going with it.
9. Bree: I read HHB as a teenager, and I always liked how Bree used to worry about what other Narnian horses would think of him.  Replace "Narnian horses" with "teens", and that's the #1 thing on most teens' minds.  Silly stuff like whether his tail looked right or whether it was okay to roll around in the grass.  I wish more teens would read HHB today for that exact reason - well that and how Aslan is there with him every step the way.  Oh yeah, I also like how Bree tries to explain away why he says things like "by the Lion's mane" when he hates lions.
10. The White Witch: I still can't believe I'm writing this.
    Is there no good Narnian creature, no kid from our world, that I would rank above HER??!!?  Well, yeah, there are tons... but if I were to be totally honest with myself, there is definitely something almost cool about her.  She's a very "good villain", if that makes any sense.  She's extremely powerful, extremely cruel, and as a kid I always found her extremely scary (especially after reading MN)!  And yet she knew how to turn on the charm, and for some twisted reason Uncle Andrew had a crush on her!  I always found that hard to believe, how he called her a "DEM fine woman" (lol I love how Lewis fit that in there); but I suppose if I saw someone who looked like her IRL, I would too.  So as much as I'd rather give #10 to Peter, or Eustace, or Jill, or Polly, or Mr. Tumnus, or Prince Caspian, or Trumpkin, or Pattertwig, or even the old fox (not the messenger from the movie, but the party animal from the book :D), the truth is I probably wouldn't have been as hooked on Narnia as I was had the White Witch not been there.  if nothing else she was someone to root against.

Man that was hard!  Like I said, SO many good characters!  But I made it. 🙂

1) Aslan

2) Lucy Pevensie

3) Aravis

4) Coriakin

5) Ramandu

6) Ramandu's daughter

7) Hermit of the Southern March

8) Reepicheep

9) Caspian

10) Lady of the Green Kirtle (not that I "like" her, but I'm intrigued, since she's the closest Narnian equivalent to a noir femme fatale)

So many to choose from. I'll start with 10 and work my way up... because that's how a countdown is.

10. Puddleglum- it seems that he's depressed all the time, but he's a pretty fun guy. He knows how to stay alert no matter what may come the way.

9. Poggin- He's the only dwarf to show gratitude to King Tirian, even when the other dwarfs didn't

8. Coriakin- a magician who at first some may have thought to be cruel and unjust. However, it turned out he's actually a good guy. He doesn't have a very big role, but he's an important one.

7. Star girl/Ramandu's Daughter- While she has a minor role, she is important figure. She has faithfulness to Caspian X, even til the day she died (killed by a serpent... later revealed to be the lady of the green kirtle). She demonstrates of how a "Proverbs 31" wife should be. 

6. Jewel- He has such loyalty to King Tirian, even when things got out of hand. It's such a demonstration of deep friendship, like David and Jonathan in Scriptures or Sam and Frodo in Lord of the Rings.

5. Lord Drinian- What better friend could Caspian have than Lord Drinian? I love this moment in The Silver Chair, where Lord Drinian tells Caspian of all that had happened to Prince Rilian, he didn't want kill him because he after having lost his wife and son, he didn't want to risk losing his best friend, too.

4. Caspian- He longs to bring back the old days during the times when his own race wanted to act like it never happened.

3. Edmund- He is perhaps the most complex character throughout the series. He has such character development, turning from a traitor to a person who is great in council and judgment.

2. Lucy- She demonstrates the faith of a child; while the youngest of four children, she is the first of the four to get into Narnia.

1. Emeth- Big surprise. He demonstrates humility, in contrast to most other Calomrenes (like Prince Rabadash and Rishda). He had said he served Tash out of love and devotion his whole life. However, he was serving Aslan even without knowing it. I think it shows how God accepts all humans, no matter their racial backgrounds.

Lucy- I love her strong faith and her strength of character.  To me of all the people in the books she represented the most what Lewis hoped he would find in people.  She had her flaws but she was brave, caring, and generous.  

Aslan- The way Lewis portrayed him made me feel like he would protect me and give me strength.   Also that he cared about everyone and want people to be free and happy

Tumnus- I always felt that Tumnus was fearful but ultimately do the right thing.   I also think he didn't know how strong his convictions were until he met Lucy.  I also liked his loyalty to Lucy.   

Reepicheep- He was delightful and so full of courage and purpose.   

Eustace- His personality injected some great humor into stories.  I loved his redemption arc.

Puddleglum- Despite his negativity he was willing to go on an adventure into the unknown, and his personality was hysterically funny.  He had some of the best lines in the series.  

Uncle Andrew-  I think it was probably the Pauline Baynes illustration that really got me when it came to Uncle Andrew.  He was so goofy and deluded her portrayal of him was spot on.  

Aravis-She was awesome.  I wanted to be Aravis when I read her story.   She was so smart and talented and she was Shasta's perfect companion.  She also represented all of the positive things about Calormene culture.  I love that she was a gifted storyteller. 

Rillian- Although he was seduced by the Lady of the Green Kirtle I though that his devotion to his family and Narnia was laudable.  

Edmund- I liked the fact that he was able to realize where he went wrong and be able to own up to his mistakes.  He was a brave character and willing to sacrifice himself for the greater good.  

1. Aslan - He must come first as we know who he represents.

2. Lucy - Sweet and faithful dearhearted young woman. The first to discover the world of Narnia through the wardrobe and the one who never lost hope in Aslan.

3. Edmund - Lost and was found. One of my favorite character developments in book history.

4. Polly - Love her sassy attitude and I love the older feminist in her.

5. Aunt Letty - Her standing up against Jadis gives her 5 stars in my book.

6. Ramandu's Daughter/Liliandil - Faithful wife and queen. We don't know much about her yet one of her prominent traits that no one points out is her self-worth. "Here it is different. Here he cannot kiss the princess until he's dissolved the enchantment." She wanted Caspian to work to earn her. With self worth and faith a woman has everything.

7. Jill - She is someone a lot of girls can relate to. I did once.

8. Tirian - I remember seeking his personality in every man I came across in real life. haha. Such a brave soul with much humility.

9. Caspian - Even though he had his moments where I couldn't help but roll my eyes at him, he impressed me in the end, like when he wasn't sure he was ready to be king of Narnia. His humble side always shines through for me.

Susan - Dear Susan, I do hope that she one day finds her way back to true Narnia. She lost everything in a single day. That could either drive someone further away or lead someone to faith hoping a loved one is truly in a better place than earth can ever provide. I'm pulling for Susan to make the right choice.