As you get to know the characters in Narnia, you are likely to get some favorites amongst them.
Some villains are more impressive than others, some heroes are greater than others, and some characters are simply more interesting than the rest.
We are only interested in the BOOK VERSIONS here, so characters from just the movies do not count.
Let us know some of your favorites in Narnia - and explain why you have chosen them:
1. Favorite Narnian Villain:
2. Favorite Non-human Narnian:
3. Favorite Narnian female:
4. Favorite Narnian male:
If you change your mind later, you can always come back and edit your post.
(avi artwork by Henning Janssen)
Oh wow... where do I start? I love Aslan, but I'm not going to count him here because of the word "Narnian". He created Narnia (and the rest of that world, and some would say all worlds) so he's not technically Narnian. That and I know he's a lot of people's favorites, so I'll let them echo my feelings about how awesome Aslan is. 🙂
So 2 and 4 are, obviously, Reepicheep. Big shock. 😀 He's a very real character, despite being a talking mouse. He's a butt-kicking swashbuckling hero (which is why I loved him as a kid). But he's not just some generic 1-dimensional cookie-cutter good-guy. He has his flaws; honor and dignity probably meant more to him than they should have (though between his height and his status as a Knight of Narnia, this makes sense). And he has his dreams; he really, REALLY wanted to see Aslan's Country (and I don't blame him). There are many other Narnian male non-human characters I like (Puddleglum, Mr. Beaver, Caspian, Bree, Rillian and so on) but Reepicheep is definitely my favorite.
Now 3 (favorite Narnian female) is a lot harder, because most of my favorite Narnians were dudes. I guess I would have to say Lucy. She was kind, brave, and never lost faith in Aslan, I especially like how Lewis expanded on her character in VDT. And of course, most people's first experience in Narnia (whether through the book or a movie) was by following her through the wardrobe. I can't think of any other female character I like more.
And last and least, 1 (favorite Narnian villain) would of course have to go to the White Witch. Anyone who has read other posts of mine will already know my thoughts on the subject. Part of me wants to give it to the other witch in the Silver Chair (kind of cooler than the White Witch, since everything about her is so mysterious), or even Prince Rabadash (who still gives me a good laugh every time I think of him). But there's really no contest.
Anyway, great topic! Any others? 🙂
Yes, I'm a mouse... I mean, a geek!
1. Favorite Narnian Villain: I wouldn't necessarily have a favorite since they're all villains (read: evil) but in terms of the most cunning I would have to say Lady of the Green Kirtle (LGK). Where do I begin?
We see and visualize from Eustace's/Jill's/Glumpuddle's point of view only a small sampling of the crimes she's committed, not only towards Rillian but towards a whole population of people, as well as the future crimes she had premeditated to commit. In terms of crime stats, she's much more politically minded (and clever, although I hate to give her the compliment) than the White Witch. This is not to say that the White Witch is no Mastermind herself, only that her plans to execute villainy were cut off by the prophecy while the Lady had plans that would deliberately evade and succeed the prophecy.
Let's preface this with her eDuCaTiOn: This 'Lady' has had tutelage under the nefarious White Witch herself, we suppose she learns under Jadis during the 100 years when Jadis is waiting for the Tree that protects Narnia, to die. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree (haha) and LGK, we can assume achieves immortality and plots her own vengeance and conquest of Narnia. She learns from her mentor, however, and takes careful steps to ensure that she does fall off the byway.
Her crimes are all horrible individually but let's focus on her 'specialty' which is emotional manipulation through magic/hypnotization/pure evil:
Now that we've gotten that out the way, let's get to the Good People!
2. Favorite Non-human Narnian: I'd speak to the Golden Age, and the ruling of the Pevensies, because that was my favorite era, and in that era, I'd say General Oreius. He's the epitome of a good guy (and the day to the night of General Otmin), loyal, brave, and patient, a true hero on the battlefield you only see once every thousand years.
He teaches the Pevensies (based on the movie of LWW) how to defend themselves, to the point where Lucy can hit the target with her dagger, Susan can shoot straight and perfect arrows, Edmund becomes the best swordsman in all of Narnia, and Peter has learned to rule with Rhindron both in war- and peace-time.
3. Favorite Narnian female: Jill, just an awesome and usually overlooked character.
All the brave individuals of Narnia deserve their paragraphs (Aravis, Susan, Lucy) but I feel that Jill is usually overlooked. She's not only loyal and brave (a must for Narnian heroes), she's resourceful. She uses skills she learned
She may have some flaws (her fear and temptation by LGK, fighting constantly with Eustace but tbf it is warranted), but her compassion for the people of Narnia, whose world she is literally thrown in, helps her overcome those flaws at the conclusion of SC and LB.
4. Favorite Narnian male: Peter Pevensie, no contest!
I, I mean he, is an incredible Narnian ruler, persevering through countless wars/battles for both his family and the Narnian people (who he considers his family). In LWW, he is forced to mature quickly in battle and is given a huge responsibility by Aslan (Aslan is awesome, but can a 13-year-old really lead an army??),
Critics will point to the Prince Caspian Movie as a sign of his downfall and need for redemption. And I will concede, a little.
The 'Pevensies' irl:
@highkingpete
@queensuthegentle
@kingedthejust
@queenluthevaliant
A Narnian Fan Survey!: https://forms.gle/cGghFjQyxmA4jPGq6
1. Favorite Narnian Villain: I don't really have a favorite Narnain villain but is I had to choose I would go with the Lady of the Green Kirtle I think that she is smart to think of making it look like Rillian is ruling but she is ruling through him.
2. Favorite Non-human Narnian: I like Reepicheep because I think he is a loyal mouse and a determind mouse
3. Favorite Narnian female: Lucy is my favorite female charater. I think she is smart and obviously very valiant! Lucy is a kind a friendly charater, and she helps others be good like she helped Tummnus be good.
4. Favorite Narnian male: I don't have a favorite male charater
"Why, Sir,’ said Lucy. ‘I think – I don’t know – but I think I could be brave enough.‘”
MOD NOTE: Just a friendly head's up that this thread is for discussing book characters only. Drawing the occasional parallel to movie characters is acceptable, but all in depth discussion about the film's portrayal of characters should go in either General Movie Discussion or Casting
Member of Ye Olde NarniaWeb
- My favourite Narnian Villain: this is very tough but I have to say Shift the Ape. Never have I hated anyone more in the entire series. He was a Talking Free Beast of Narnia and he was so traitorous to his entire country. Yes, he ends on a pathetic note in a way but the trouble all starts with him.
- My favourite non-human Narnian: once again, how can I really choose? The first that comes to mind is Jewel. He's a unicorn which works highly in his favour and he seems very majestic and noble.
- My favourite female Narnian: can't really argue with Mrs. Beaver. She's confident and sweet and caring and wise.
- My favourite male Narnian: I always like Rillian. His story is tragic and we really only see his real self a short while but he is a character I would have liked to know better.
EDIT: I answered this assuming we were being asked to name our favourite Narnian natives. Hence the reason none of the main characters are mentioned. Ah well.
The Mr, the Mrs (that's me) and the little Smooshers....plus our cats
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Alright, here we go!
1. Favorite Narnian Villain: Not sure that I can say I have a “favorite” Narnian villain. I mean, it’s pretty hard to have a favorite enemy of Narnia, right? But the character of Jadis really fascinates me, especially the bit of her backstory that we get from The Magician’s Nephew. She’s one of those characters that I really wish wasn’t a villain. It seems like she was hurt in the past and in turn inflicted that hurt onto other people. I kind of wish she changed honestly. It would be pretty cool to see what Charn would have looked like before she went nuts and wiped everyone off the face of the planet. ?
2. Favorite Non-human Narnian: I love Reepicheep! I love his sense of adventure and bravery, and his constant longing to reach Aslan’s Country. He’s such a great character, and a true picture of what we should strive to be like.
3. Favorite Narnian female: I’ve gone back and forth on this a lot. But if I really think about it, I would have to go with Jill Pole. I resonate a lot with her, and I love the way CS Lewis develops her character in the books.
4. Favorite Narnian male: I know this is a slightly unpopular opinion, but my favorite Narnian male has always been Caspian. The Prince Caspian book itself isn’t my favorite, but I love the character of Caspian. I saw the movies before I ever read the books, and I really liked Ben Barnes performance of him. Maybe that has something to do with why I liked him so much in the books. Who knows. ?
Life is short, live it well ♥️
1. Favorite Narnian Villain: (For favorite, I am assuming that it means the evilest or the "best" at being the villain) I think for this I would choose the White Witch. The White Witch is one of the worst characters in Narnia. She keeps Aslan away for 100 years and the cleverness she has for manipulating Edmund and almost having the prophecy not to be fulfilled makes her a pretty scary villain. In Magician's Nephew, she is so heartless, that she destroys her own planet without a second thought. She is also mentioned to be very tall and strong, in other words someone you do not want to mess with.
2. Favorite Non-Human Narnian: I think I would have to choose Poggin. Poggin is one of the least mentioned characters but he is one of my favorite "non-human" characters. The fact that he is not like the other dwarfs in the Last Battle. He leaves the other dwarfs to do what he thinks is right. He sticks by the Last king of Narnia and Jill and Eustace till the very end. His loyalty makes him a good character.
3. Favorite Narnian Female: My favorite Narnian female is Aravis. I really love how she changes as a character from the begining to the end. She learns an amazing lesson in humility and becomes a great queen. She does what she thinks is right and acts on what she thinks is unfair. She is a great story-teller and a brave heroine.
4. Favorite Narnian Male: (This time, I want to say someone other than Edmund because there are so many great Narnian males, but he is just my favorite, Get it "Just"?) Edmund is my favorite character because he is full of redemption and changes so much as a character. He is a great older brother to Lucy and is a role model to people to change. He is a just ruler and he is brave and loyal to Peter. He is funny and witty and makes jokes.
"But even a traitor may mend. I have known one that did." - (King Edmund the Just, Horse and his Boy)
I think Caspian is a great character! I always liked him. I remember how happy I was to see him again the first time I read "Voyage of the Dawn Treader".
The Mr, the Mrs (that's me) and the little Smooshers....plus our cats
Fancy Signature pending......
1. Favorite Narnian Villain: As most people have already pointed out, 'Favorite' means best or most hated. It's gonna get taken by Shift. Yeah, there were more powerful, yet none more traitorous. I hated him, so bad, more than any other villain in Narnia, maybe all of the books I've read and movies I've seen. Probably his most enraging crime is the absolute blasphemy in faking Aslan, it makes me furious every time.
2. Favorite Non-human Narnian: Reepicheep. I mean, come on, who doesn't like him. Valant, Nobile, Chivalrous, shall I go on? An don top of that, he is the only recorded character to reach Aslan's country by going over the edge of world. And on top of that (it just keeps gettin' better and better huh?) he is one of the most celebrated Knights of the Lion mostly due to his amazing feats in the second battle of Buruna and totally the funniest person in the whole francize.
3. Favorite Narnian female: Polly Plummer. I don't have a ton to say here, except that she is my favorite, I haven't thought about it must to be honest, but I will point out that she was a total SAINT in the MN, stomaching Digory and all, and being one of the more 3D females in my mind.
4. Favorite Narnian Male: Edmond. I don't see how it could be other wise, he is relatable, he big time messed up, but he was redeemed by Aslan's sacrifice. He is also easily the most solid of the 4 children, a rock climber, the most logical, and most similar to myself. What more can I say?
P.S. Reepicheet was also the best voiced and portrayed of all the old Narnians (especially in the VoftheDT movie).
P.P.S. Mr. Beaver is super close to Reep in both being one of the best Native Narnians and one of the best casting jobs.
Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. Let all that you do be done in love.
1 Corinthians 16:13-14
1. Favorite Narnian Villain: I dislike two villains a lot: Shift and the Jadis. Shift, because he took advantage of Puzzle's stupidity in order to become powerful and blasphemed Aslan by attempting to replace the Lion with a donkey and thinking he could get away with it. I know that Jadis is kind of basic- I mean, everyone dislikes her. But she was the main villain of two books. She used Digory and Polly to gain access to our world and Narnia, and she defiled Narnia almost as soon as it was created. She was a wicked queen and cared nothing about anyone but herself unless they could help her get more powerful. Other people were just tools to her. She even used the Deplorable Word on her whole world. Those are, what I think, a couple of the worst villains in Narnia. Obviously, Tash is the worst, as he is the exact opposite of Aslan and basically represents Satan.
2. Favorite Non-human Narnian: Puddleglum. He can be a "wet blanket" at times (most of the time), but he is brave and won't give up fighting for something he believes in. Reepicheep comes in an extremely close second.
3. Favorite Narnian female: Jill Pole. She was not perfect and she made mistakes. She didn't have a strong faith at first, and she was prone to pride. She forgot the Signs and let circumstances influence her. But she grew stronger because of those things. Her faith grew and she gained courage. One of her quotes from the Last Battle is probably one of my favorite Narnian quotes:
“I’d rather be killed fighting for Narnia than grow old and stupid at home and perhaps go about in a bath-chair and then die in the end just the same.”
4. Favorite Narnian male: Caspian. He was very close to Aslan. He did everything in his power to preserve Narnia from her enemies and follow Aslan. Caspian kind of reminds me of King David from the Bible because of his heart to follow Aslan, his courage, and his honor.
"They turned and saw the Lion himself, so bright and real and strong that everything else began at once to look pale and shadowy compared with him."
-The Silver Chair
“Freedom that is not fought for, that is not gained by personal sacrifice is freedom that will never last, because in the heart of the one set free, it will have little value. A treasure that costs nothing is a treasure that is easily neglected and lost.”
― Bryan Davis, Liberator
Favorite Narnia Villain: The White Witch! She was a terrible character in the LTWATW and I am not sure if Narnia would be able to exist much without her!
Favorite Non-Human: Jewel the Unicorn! I love Unicorns! In Medieval art, a unicorn was often a symbol of Jesus Christ. Jewel was a fascinating character in The Last Battle. I am sure of all of would like to have a friend like Jewel as King Tirian had!
Favorite Narnia Female: Yes! I agree with the last reviewer. Jill Pole is my favorite Narnia female character. Though I love Lucy, I think Jilly may actually have more personality. Jill and Eustace's conflicts with each other add to a good deal of humour in the later Narnia books.
Favorite Narnia Male: King Tirian. He was Narnia's last king. He fought for his country in its darkest days. He and Jewel also a great friendship to each other. Furthermore, Tirian was a lead character in The Last Battle, one of my favorites of the series.
Favorite Narnian Villain: I think the villain that I dislike the most would be the Lady of the Green Curdle. I think the way that she manipulated Rilian was very cunning and evil, which brought me to dislike her greatly. In addition, she killed his mother, and tortured him, not to mention she put him in a state of mind in which he hated himself (or she made him think he was dangerous).
Favorite Non-human: Hwin! I think Hwin is underrated. I think she is quiet but very strong. For example, she stood her ground and didn't let anyone intimidate her. I also think Hwin is my favorite since she is very humble and doesn't give in to pride.
Favorite Narnian Female: This is another underrated character, that is responsible, gentle, compassionate, and strong. This character is Queen Susan!! I love Susan because she is responsible when thinking of the risks that are possible during difficult situations. She is also very compassionate since she notices how others feel, and is very observant when she knows something is wrong. Lastly, she is strong, she never gave up on her family or country, when things got tough. And although she is misunderstood very often she is queen material in my books.
Favorite Narnian Male: I think my favorite Narnian male would be King Caspian. I think the fact that he is so open to new things, makes him a very genuine character. He did everything he could to keep Narnia safe and didn't take his responsibility lightly.
Just remember, don't worry about being the best, just never forget to try your best!
I just died laughing at Lady of the Green CURDLE, but I'm guessing you're putting her down as the worst villain by changing her name. That's hilarious LOL
I also agree with you that Hwin is an underrated character! I liked how she had her own character arc in the HHB, where she started to stand up for herself more at the end of the book.
The 'Pevensies' irl:
@highkingpete
@queensuthegentle
@kingedthejust
@queenluthevaliant
A Narnian Fan Survey!: https://forms.gle/cGghFjQyxmA4jPGq6
I tend to like underrepresented characters with mysterious backstory.
1) Favourite Narnian villain: the Lady of the Green Curtle. Her origin is completely unknown, and IMO, she is the closest Narnian analogue of a femme fatale from noir fiction, like Brigid O'Shaughnessy from The Maltese Falcon.
2) Favourite Narnian non-human: Reepicheep, probably.
3) Favourite Narnian female: Ramandu's daughter. I would have said Lucy, but that's a too obvious choice. I love Ramandu's daughter for the ambiguity surrounding her (even her name is not known), and I would have loved to read some details about her years as a queen.
4) Favourite Narnian male: Coriakin. I believe he is the Narnian equivalent of Dumbledore, Gandalf, Yoda, etc., i. e. the eccentric trickster mentor who uses jokes and mischief to teach something important (there are hints of this in how he turned the Duffers into Monopods and put up the bearded mirror to prank his guests). I believe he was the trickster mentor not only for the Dufflepuds, but to some extent for Lucy as well (he mentions that he knew that she would come, and nonetheless he didn't make himself visible, which means he wanted her to pass through his mansion on her own and to read his book).