Oh, fun topic idea!

My all time favorite character is Claudia Kincaid of the book From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs Basil E. Frankweiler. Ever since I first picked the book up and read the very first paragraph, I identified with Claudia instantly. She shares many of the same characteristics as me and everything she says reminds me of myself. She also is an INTJ, which may have something to do with that.

Penelope Stamp, from the film The Brothers Bloom is probably my second favorite character, ever. I love her total "I don't care what people think of me" attitude, the fact that she really "owns" herself in her style and life. I'd love to know her, but I'd also love to be more like her.

Jimmy Stewart's famous character (George Bailey) from It's a Wonderful Life is another of my most loved characters, and one that I can identify with. Partly because he really reminds me of my dad (who I'm a lot like) and partly because the one line of his "I'm shakin' the dust of this crummy little town off my feet and I'm gonna see the world." just makes me sit right up every time I hear it. I think I'd love to marry George Bailey if he were real and in this time---or I in his.

A bit further down the list...My two favorite TV characters are Patrick Jane from The Mentalist, and Spencer Reid from Criminal Minds. I wouldn't necessarily say that I'm like them, but I identify with them in the way that I've never felt that I'm the same as everyone else (having adult ADD probably has something to do with that!). I enjoy the fact that both these characters have obvious personal quirks, but that they've made them work, and that they both have really succesful careers despite their awkwardness or often strangeness.

That's the main ones...I might think of a few more, but that's it for now

I'll list a few in no particular order.

Martin the Warrior from the Redwall series by Brian Jacques. The mouse that selflessly fights against any odds and against any villain to preserve peace and is the central, legendary character of the entire series.

Tie between Jason Trepidikas (The Forbidden Kingdom), Daniel "can't remember last name" (Original Karate Kid) and Dre Parker (new Karate Kid). I love how these movies show kids learning how to fight properly and how they learn to appreciate life.

Tal from Frank Peretti's This Present Darkness and Piercing the Darkness. The angelic hero who's brilliant strategy to overcome the forces of evil in both stories, helps us to see the spiritual side of things (even if not entirely Biblically cannocal as it is fiction).

Edmund from LWW and PC movies. Gotta say Skandar does a much better job at acting than Will Moseley does he fights better too. His character in LWW makes an awesome circle and his supporting role in PC is short only in that I wanted to see more of him.

Indiana Jones: need I say more?

Technically this is cheating since only two other people on this entire forum know about him, but one of my all-time favorite characters is named Jacen from Battle Cry: Adventures in the Kingdom of Heaven, written by yours truly. He came to life, as I wrote the book, as a character that absolutely fears nothing, even to a fault, and will take on any challenge that comes before him, no matter the odds. I'll let you all know a release date once it is set.

Ooooooh. This will be fun.

I just got caught up with Criminal Minds, so Spencer Reid has to be one of my top ten. He's so very socially awkward but he knows everything. I like Hotch from that show too: I want to give him a hug lol I actually don't like the earlier ones, because he smiles and makes occasional jokes and Hayley is still there. It makes the contrast so much worse.

Trinity from the Matrix: I'm dressing up as her for Halloween. She kicks some serious tail. Which is why I hate Matrix Revolutions. I was bawling by the end.

Let's see, I like Caspian from Narnia. No reason why. Maybe I feel like him in PC, he's got all this responsibility but feels so inadequate.

I love Lizzy Bennet from Pride & Prejudice. She's a young woman who is not afraid to tell things like they are. Not always the best judgment perhaps, but she's got a brilliant wit. And she gets an awesome guy at the end, once he saw sense.

I love love Jack Sparrow from PotC. He's a slimy pirate, but he's hilarious. What's not to like?

And then Arwen from LotR. She had it all, and gave it up to be with the man she loved. I'm not really a believer in the whole Princess Bride true love phenomena, but I'll make an exception for her.

Ziva from NCIS. The show is made for laughs rather than a real life depiction of events methinks, but Ziva cracks me up. She's got some sweet fight skills, which is a plus.

(Hmm, most of these people I like for the laughs: what does that say about me??)

And since F4J went there, one of my favorite characters is someone I made up: though I never wrote down any of the story. 1) It's horribly cliche and 2) it sounds awkward on paper. But there's this girl named Jessica, and the story mixes Robin Hood, LotR (mainly Eowyn and the Riders of Rohan), the English/Scots wars, etc. She is both who I am now and what I want to be. Highly entertaining in my down time....

Though my favorite fiction characters are the strong ones, the ones that keep going. That never let their hurts and insecurities slow them down and conquer anyway. Like Maximus in Gladiator, Aragorn in LotR, Jason Bourne. I like to win.....

And there's other, better ones, I'm just dead tired for no reason and can't think straight

Rachel Berry in Glee! Because I love how she acts and sings, plus! I can relate to her when it comes to showing off her talent.

Elizabeth Bennet. Well, as we all know, she is Jane Austen's heroine. I love how Elizabeth portrays herself because she speaks of what she feels. She doesn't just say something nice, if she knows that the person she is talking to doesn't deserve it. One trait I also admire is that she knows how to stand up for herself, with all the criticisms that were laid upon her, she still managed to carry them all just by herself. Bravo to Elizabeth Bennet Darcy!

If there's a Bennet, there's a Darcy. Haha. Mr Darcy of course is my favorite too. He doesn't play with his feelings and is willing to do anything just for his love, Elizabeth. His pride is what I don't like, but still, I like him.

Aslan. Of course! Who wouldn't include Aslan? Well, he is Narnia's savior, and he knows how to guide his people from right or wrong. He ain't a tamed lion

Barney Stinso/en of How I met your Mother. LOL, I just love how he jokes around! Haha. Even though he has this sayings that are weird, I still love how he fools around.

Gabriella Montez. When I watched HSM, I was soooo in-love with Gabriella's character. She was sweet, smart, happy, and talented. I just admired her so much! I wish I was her.

Sharpay Evans. Her character isn't that bad, but of course majority, she is bad. But what I like about her is she really has passion for her talent. She doesn't give up easily, which I really like about Sharpay.

Jean Grey of X-Men. Haha, I love her powers! I wish I have her powers so life would be easier! LOL

Peter Pevensie. He is a very good brother. He knows how to manage things by himself, but sometimes, with the help of Aslan.

The Minions! They are funny and I love how they make people laugh, hahahaha. They are just great, even though they are small.

I don't know if I could name ten favourite characters, but here are a few.

1: Anne Elliot from Persuasion. I like her (seriously) much better than Elizabeth Bennet, as I can relate to Anne more than Elizabeth. Not to mention I prefer Anne's strengths (emotional and moral specifically) better than Elizabeth's.

2: Fanny Price from Mansfield Park. Again, I admire her strong moral strength, her character, and that inner constant-ness.

3: Amy Dorrit from Dickens' Little Dorrit. While I can't relate to her circumstances exactly, I love how truly servant hearted she is, and how she also has that quiet strength.

4: Susan Pevensie. Susan has always been my favourite Pevensie, I think it's because I can relate to how she lets fear drive some of her actions and words. For a period in my own life I let fear be a huge motivating factor behind certain actions, events, and words, so I can relate to her in that way.

I guess that's pretty much it for now...

Most of these are Karen Kingsbury characters (also Julie Lessman)...these aren't in my "most favorable" order.

1. Landon Blake- he's a dedicated firefighter who's definitely a one in a million guy because he only has love for one girl and hasn't stopped pursuing her since high school

2. Dayne Matthews- he used to be a playboy Hollywood star but his life is changed around when he meets the perfect girl (not from Hollywood of course)

3. Ryan Taylor- he marries the girl of his dreams after her first husband is killed and before he is shot, Ryan keeps his distance even though he's in love with her

4. Ashley Baxter Blake- she's made some major mistakes in life, but finally follows her heart and marries the man of her dreams

5. Katy Hart Matthews- she's the director for a Christian theater and ends up meeting Dayne when she's asked to audition for one of his movies...their relationship goes from there

4. Kari Baxter Jacobs Taylor- she realizes she's married the wrong man when her husband has an affair but doesn't give into temptation and she eventually marries Ryan after her first husband is shot

5. Cody Coleman- used to be a playboy but God changes his life around...wants a relationship with Bailey but it seems like everything is against them

6. Bailey Flanigan- is in love with Cody and is broken hearted when his mother is jailed and he moves to be closer to her

7. Faith O'Connor- she's loved Collin McGuire forever and attempts to get over it when he starts courting her sister...when he shows "inappropriate" attention towards her she tries to refuse it

8. Collin McGuire- even though he's an Irish rogue, he's a very lovable guy even though it takes him a while to realize who the right girl is for him

9. Elizabeth "Beth" "Lizzy" O'Connor- doesn't give up on Brady even though he says it's for the better

10. John Brady- Beth's spiritual mentor who has hidden feelings for her now that she's grown up but doesn't want to act on them because of his past

I forgot a whole genre to add here: Video Games.

My favorite all time video game character is Link from the Legend of Zelda series. Master swordsman who is really left-handed, in spite of what Twilight Princess on the Wii says. The game was reversed so right-handed players can feel more 'natural'. As a lefty, playing a righty didn't make a difference. But Link is just one of those all-around awesome characters that can wield anything and fight off anything.

Next favorite is Lloyd Irving from Tales of Symphonia 1 and 2. Simple thinking, yet pratical and searching for the ideal way to deal with situations that are beneficial for all sides. Plus another great swordman who truly brings out his talents in the sequel.

My favorite non-playable video game character would be Larsa Ferrines Solidor from Final Fantasy XII. Looks like a kid, has the maturity of wise king, and is just all around cool.

Next favorite is Colin from Zelda: Twilight Princess. Initially a cowardly boy who idolizes Link. But when evil invades, he finds his inner courage to save a friend at the cost of his own safty. This character has in part inspirted another character from my novel: Casmir.

My list is in no particular order(except for the first!):
1. Jill Pole: I love her because she reminds me of me! We have a lot in common and she is very brave!
2.Harry Potter obviously from the Harry Potter series
3 and 4 Ron and Hermoine also from Harry Potter
5. The Pevensies: I love them all!!
6. and 7. Chloe Saunders and Derek Souza: Both from one of my favorite series the Darkest Powers series by Kelley Armstrong
8. Aslan: as said above who doesn't love Aslan!

That is all I can think of for now! I am kind of dopey and not myself right now! Oh well I'll add on to this later!

Okay, this is going to be hard, as I have a whole bunch of favorite characters. And they may not be in any particular order. But here goes:
1 Sam Gamgee. I love his loyalty, and the fact that he was so ordinary yet managed to do such awesome things.
2 Bilbo Baggins. He didn't want to go on the adventure and didn't think he was that great. But when he was actually on it he was clever and resourceful, doing things he had never dreamed he could do.
3 Puddleglum. He's gloomy, but he's brave, and he never gives up.
4 Reepicheep. He is just awesome. He's not afraid of anything, and he has some great lines.
5 Haleth (from The Silmarillion). She never gave up, even when her father and brother were killed, and she held her people together when they would otherwise have fallen apart.
6 Finrod, (also from The Silmarillion). He literally gave up an entire kingdom and eventually his life to keep his word to Barahir. And he got along better with other races than most of the other Elves did. He was not arrogant, like too many of his relations were. And then he died heroically, breaking out of his bonds and killing a werewolf unarmed, to save Beren. Probably my favorite Elf ever.
7 Gandalf. Do I need to explain? No other wizard will ever touch his awesomeness.
Now for some that aren't Lewis or Tolkien!
8 Princess Addie (from Gail Carson Levine's The Two Princesses of Bamarre). At the beginning of the story she's shy and fearful. By the end she is killing a dragon. And she loves to embroider. (to elaborate on that, I love it when girls can do things like kill dragons and do more girly things like embroidery.) I really identified with her, both because of her shyness, and because she is very close to her sister (called Meryl), like I am.
9 Taran, (from Lloyd Alexander's Chronicles of Prydain). I can identify with his self-doubt. His character has intrigued me for years. He's so ordinary, he accomplishes so much, but he never thinks of himself as great. And I really like how he matures over the course of the five books. (From reading this and several of Alexander's other books, I would definitely say that Alexander has a gift for characterization.)
10 Nico di Angelo, son of Hades, (from Percy Jackson and the Olympians). He's so dark and mysterious, and his motivations are so believable. (he spends most of the fourth book mad at Percy because he blamed him for his older sister Bianca's death. He eventually forgives him, though.) And I like the fact that he's dark and associated with death, but is not evil. (His father isn't presented as evil, either). And he can do cool things like summon up the spirits of the dead to fight for him.

A few of my favorite characters from various books and movies are as follows.
In no particular order:

1: Gabriel Syme - The Man Who Was Thursday by G.K. Chesterton. A poet who stands for reason and justice, he is one of my favorite Chesterton characters. He is excellently written. His sense of humor is perfectly timed, and he has so many great lines!

2: Innocent Smith and Michael Moon - Manalive by G.K. Chesterton. Innocent Smith is quite possibly Chesterton's best creation. He is a man, and he is alive. Really, honestly, truly alive. Everything he does is to remind himself, and to prove to others, that he is living and breathing. Michael Moon is a cynic who is suddenly reminded of his own existence by the arrival of Innocent Smith. He is arguably the only person who honestly believes that Innocent Smith is innocent of the crimes he is accused of, and he will do all he can to prove it. He's got a great sense of humor, and I would say that he gets all of the awesome lines in the book (well, the majority of them, anyways. ).

3: Edmund Pevensie - The Chronicles of Narnia by Lewis. He is my favorite character in the whole series. His story of redemption is so powerful! Also, the scene in PC where he is the only one who believes Lucy, and then later when he is greeted by Aslan ("Well done.") are my favorite passages in the entire chronicles.

4: Tal and Guilo - Frank Peretti's Darkness series. Perfectly awesome! Their interaction is great, and excellent writing on Peretti's part to make these two characters really come alive! Oh, and I'm a huge fan of Scion too!

5: Pa/Ben, Joe, Hoss, and Candy from Bonanza. Pa's just great, Joe is cool and has an infectious laugh, Hoss is the gentle giant (to use the cliche), and Candy is always so cheerful and has an engaging grin! The father/son moments with Ben and any of his boys are always great (though the ones with Joe are especially good.). Many of the Joe/Hoss episodes are my favorites out of the whole series; you would think that they would eventually learn to keep out of trouble! Candy's interaction with just about everyone is awesome! He fits in with the Cartwrights so well (much better than Adam did, imo. And Adam was a Cartwright! ). Plus he's got a great sense of humor.

6: General Jackson - Gods and Generals by Jeff Shaara (book and movie). I suppose he doesn't technically count, since he was an actual person, but he was such an incredible man! Stephen Lang's portrayal of him in the movie leaves me in awe every time I watch it! Just amazing!

7: Sandie Pendleton - Gods and Generals by Jeff Shaara (book and movie). Another actual person, but I could not forget to mention him! This young man's life has made such an impression on me! He had a short life, but what he did with the time he was given is well worth recognizing. He is great in the movie as well.

8: Marcus and Jack O'Malley - The O'Malley Series by Dee Henderson. Marcus is the strong older brother. His journey from unbeliever to trusting God is one of the most powerful I have read. His was the first O'Malley book that I read (although it's the second in the series), and I simply fell in love with the whole thing. Perfect. Jack is the younger brother who is lighthearted, but still has a depth which makes his book fascinating to read. The scene with him and Cassie talking after she has the nightmare about 'The Fire' has made me cry almost every time I have read it ("Do the scars ever bother you any more?" "A man I know kissed them better." Those two lines have got to be Henderson's best! I just want to melt right now!).

9: Sydney Carton - A Tale of Two Cities by Dickens. An enduring favorite!

10: Flambeau - The Father Brown series by G.K. Chesterton. I can't forget the one I got my username from!! Flambeau is awesome! Great story of how he starts as a criminal, and changes his ways after being caught by Father Brown several times.

So, yeah. That's a few of them. And like I said, those are in no particular order.

1 Sam Gamgee. I love his loyalty, and the fact that he was so ordinary yet managed to do such awesome things.

I love Sam too! I've never seen the movies, but I loved him in the books. The end of TTT is so touching!

--- flambeau

I've got some more to kick start another genre: villains, the ones you love to hate.

Rafar from Frank Peretti's This Present Darkness. Not only is he a powerful demon, the way he carries himself makes you hate him. He is fearless of everything except the power of prayer and his final showdown with Tal is nothing short of epic.

The Joker from The Dark Knight. Perhpas the best villain acting you will find. Unfortunately it cost Heath Ledger his life for getting too deep into the character. Brilliant, sadistic, and the epitome of evil for all superhero villains (at least from the movies I've seen).

Ka'h min Ra from Night at the Museum 2: Battle of the Smithsonian. Love him, not because he's evil but because he is just plain hilarious. His lisp makes him so unbelievable and what ever you do, don't ask about the dress...eh, tunic.

Ganondorf from the Legend of Zelda series, specifically WindWaker and Twilight Princess. As the series has progress, Ganondorf character has grown from more than mere world domination but to cleverly manipulating events to draw out Zelda and Link. Plus how can you top an epic sword and shield showdown to an epic score?

Got a few more but gotta head off to fencing practice.

1. Aragorn from the Lord of the Rings series. the heir to the throne of Gondor A fearless warrior, trusty ally and the first person I would want with me in any scrape.

2. Samwise Gamgee also from LOTR a quiet gardener tured loyal, fierce and fearless bodyguard of his employer and friend Frodo Baggins

3. Edmund Pevensie quiet, loyal and a good fighter.

4. Bruce Wayne from the Batman movies. someone willing to give up everything just to protect people.

5.Peter Pevensie despite some flaws he still is true to the narnians and would willingly give his life for them.

that is all I can think of right now

I don't have a full ten yet, but here's the list I do have.
In no particular order:

Laura Ingalls [Wilder] - I relate to her so much! In Little Town on the Prairie,

Faramir in the LotR books. Noble, brave, and understanding.

Sherlock Holmes - the original stories by Arthur Conan Doyle. I love his deductions, and the mysteries are the best.

Lucy Pevensie - books and movies (I feel that so far the movie Lucy has been close enough to the "Real" Lucy to count them the same). She is so faithful and, well, valiant. Her curiosity is also very appealing to someone as curious as myself.

Sydney Carton in A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens (waves to flambeau. I really did have him in mind before reading your post! ). The tragic, but somehow happy ending. A very interesting person.

Padme from Star Wars. I know, cliche. But she's a heroine! Beautiful, brave, and very smart.

And I think Sir Percy Blakeney/the Scarlet Pimpernel, from The Scarlet Pimpernel, by Emmuska Orczy.

Bonnie from the movie Rigoletto. She has a sweet heart and beautiful voice. She tries not to judge people based on appearances (something I tend to struggle with).

one of my favorite characters is someone I made up: though I never wrote down any of the story. 1) It's horribly cliche and 2) it sounds awkward on paper. Highly entertaining in my down time....

I thought I was the only one! I actually have several different stories well worked out in my head that fit under those two headings. They usually start as adventure or scifi and end up romance. Awfully embarrassing. One of mine is actually rather English/Scotch wars, as well!

Okay, after thinking it over, I finally put together a list of all ten of my favorite characters ever, in order. Saving the best till last...

10. Arthur Dent -- The movie version of Arthur Dent (I haven't read the books, seen the TV show, or listened to the radio show) in The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, played by Martin Freeman. Such a sweet humorous, character. And one of the few times I've picked the "hero of the story" as a favorite. Most of the time, I can't stand the main character of movies, but I really liked him. I think it's because he's more of an anti-hero than an actual hero. He's not anything like the stereotypical hero, but rather the opposite. He's not brave, and doesn't want to even be on the adventure he's on in the first place. The quiet, humble hero will always be the best to me, instead of the bold, sarcastic, courageous people who are usually put into the movie spotlight.

9. Louisa Gradgrind -- from Charles Dicken's Hard Times. I love her because she is so unique as a character. Most authors try to make their characters as human as possible, to make them seem more real -- which is great. but she was purposely made the opposite. Her father turned her world, and everyone else's world, into a sort of desolate, gray place devoid of beauty and imagination. And in so doing, Louisa lost her humanity. She became mechanic, robotic, in order to fit into the world her father created. You would never guess she was human at all. She paints a perfect picture of what life would become without heart and soul.

8. Ramona Quimby -- from Beverly Cleary's Ramona books. My favorite childish heroine. Isn't she just the perfect symbol for everyone's childhood? She's not the stereotypical child that's usually portrayed. She's always herself, no matter how unusual "herself" is. She doesn't just have an invisible friend, or an invisible dog, like you would expect. She has an invisible lizard. She's always doing something unexpected, and that's what really makes her so life-like. Kids don't follow stereotypes; they don't do what you expect them to do. They are completely themselves -- like Ramona.

7. Tevye -- from Fiddler on the Roof, played by Topol. I love how much personality he has. You might not see it at first. At first he just seems like a poor Jewish man trying not to let his family starve. But there's so much more to him. He laughs, he cries, he has great depth. And I love how they portrayed his relationship with God. He complains to God about everything, and acts like he doesn't agree with God's decisions at all -- especially the one that he would be a poor man ("Money is the world's curse." "May God smite me with it! And may I never recover!"). But really, his love for God is immeasurable. One time, while he's saying all the things he wishes he could do, he even says studying God's word would be "The sweetest thing of all".

6. Trumpkin -- from Narnia by C.S. Lewis. I love the way Lewis developed his character -- the kind of contaradictions he has. He's gruff a lot of the time, but also caring and kind. He doesn't believe in the old tales, yet he was willing to risk his life to carry out an errand involving the old tales, just to please his king. He is very prideful, and yet, very loyal and humble. He is such a great mixture of qualities. When it comes to personality, I consider him to be Lewis's greatest character.

5. Abby Scuito -- from NCIS, played by Pauley Perrette. Anyone who's seen the show knows what makes Abby so great. She's fun, she's cheery, she's got great humorous lines. Plus, she's a goth -- a happy goth. Goths are always portrayed as the really dark, brooding people who hate life, yet she is simply bursting with life.

4. Tia Dalma -- from Pirates of the Caribbean, played by Naomie Harris. When it comes to the mysterious, Tia Dalma takes home the prize. You never know who's side she's on. Plus, when she tells a story, her voice can give you chills -- in a good way. Plus she's beautiful -- even with all the black-dirt make-up they put on her to make her look rotting, it's amazing how it doesn't take away any of her beauty at all.

3. Penelope -- from the movie Penelope, played by Christina Ricci. This is the character that I like because I can identify with her (except for the whole pig-nose thing, lol). I mean, everything about her. When I watched the movie, I felt like I was watching myself on screen. Other people who see it also always say that she's just like me (except the pig nose part, of course) -- the way she words things, her voice, her reactions, the way she walks, her stlye in dress and decorating, her ideas, her favorite things, her looks (except the nose). It's all me, to the letter. Imagine seeing someone that's so much like you! It was such a weird, almost scary resemblance, you can't help remembering it.

2. Lucy Pevensie -- from C.S. Lewis's Narnia series. Lucy is my role model, absolutely. Everything about her revolves around how close she is to Aslan. To me, she is the symbol of what we should try to be -- child-like, innocent, trusting even through fear, and always seeking after God.

And finally... *drumroll*

1. Bilbo Baggins -- from J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit and LOTR. My absolute favorite character of all time. Really, I think I might be almost unhealthily obsessed, lol. I can't write all the reasons why I love that character -- it would take up too much room. And the last time I told someone all the reasons I like the character, it ended up taking three hours. But I love his humility, his honesty, his quiet virtue. Like I said with Arthur Dent, I like the characters that you wouldn't normally picture as a "hero", but are anyway. And that's bilbo all the way. He thought he hated adventures, he didn't know his own strength and courage. Yet, he ended up being more of a hero than anyone there, despite their disbelief in him. Out of all the characters I've mentioned so far, he's the only one that I wish -- that I really wish -- was a real person, and not just a made-up character that came out of an author's (brilliant) mind.

~Riella