Ok
let’s get right back to the list. These are characters I don't just
love, but admire so much I would like to be just like them. The cream of
the crop:
#10. LADY JAYE (G.I.Joe)
SIGH!
You can keep April O'Neil and Rogue from The X-Men,this was the
animated female I loved! Lady Jaye was freaking awesome, and I loved
every second she was on the screen.
Granted she was getting knocked out a lot, but so what she kicked ass!
She could use all sorts of weapons including her signature weapon, a
variety of specialized throwing javelins. I also liked her relationship
with Flint which was hinted at often. Not much else to say here, I
always like strong women and she may have been one of my first exposures
to one especially in a cartoon. And yes I know she was a main character
in the latest G.I.Joe movie, played by Adrienne Palicki. I haven’t seen
it yet but saw some clips and she looked cool!
#9. Mary Poppins
You
may notice a lack of Disney overall, but here is a big one. God bless
Julie Andrews and what she did with this character! In the original
novel, Mary Poppins is not that nice. Julie Andrews was able to give her
just enough humanity so that she is more likable than she is in the
book but it still the same character. Her best trait is the way she lets
everyone figure things out for themselves. She guides the way, or sings
about it, but there are no lectures or drawn out speeches. She makes
her points subtly and effectively because she knows that the family just
needs a little nudge in the right direction. Is it magic? Is she an
angel? It’s never made clear but it doesn’t have to be. Mary Poppins has
always been one of my favorite Disney movies. My favorite scene is the
“A Man Has Dreams” scene between Mr.Banks and Bert toward the end, the
way Bert shows Mr.Banks the light is perfect. I should put Bert here
too, but really it’s Mary Poppins who guides the way in that scene even
if she isn’t even in it!
#8. Heathcliff Huxtable (The Cosby Show)
He
is America’s favorite TV father for a reason! Cliff Huxtable is a great
father because he knows how to mix humor with a serious side. His
children all respect him; none of them look down at him. Oh sure they
get embarrassed by him at times like all kids do, but they all love him. In fact several episodes have friends of the kids
coming to Cliff for advice because they know how fair he can be. Does
Cliff have flaws? Better believe it but in the end it's his flaws that
round him out to be a real person that everyone enjoyed watching for
eight years. I think his best trait is his honesty. He never talks down
to the kids or sugar coats anything, he tells it straight. He’s also a great husband, son, and doctor. He is what I think many people aspire to be, and what better role model can you get?
#7. Benson Dubois (Benson)
I
have gone on and on about this show. But when all is said and done, it
was this character that made the show. Robert Guillaume was so good on
Soap that his character earned a spin-off which was on the air twice as
long! Benson is very sarcastic, with a comment ready for any occasion.
But what I love about him is that he really does care for people. When
he lets his guard down and shows that side of him, people respect what a
tremendous friend he is.It's why the other characters on the show, even
the ones that he mocked on a regular basis, keep coming back despite
all the insults. They know if they need advice or a shoulder, he will be
there. The governor relied on him to help him run the state, and the
others all respected him in different ways. Not only that, but he is
honest and tells it as it is, whether the other person wants to hear it
or not. It's also what made him such a good budget director and later
lieutenant governor. Put simply, in real life I try to be the kind of
friend he is on that show.
#6.Captain James Kirk (Star Trek)
Yeah
you knew this was coming. Say what you want about Archer, Picard,
Sisko, or Janeway-Kirk is THE BEST! William Shatner had said when he
first got the role he tried to think of all the traits that make an
effective leader. All that comes through, Kirk is someone who takes
action rather than just standing by the sidelines hoping things will
work out. Some may say, but what about Picard? I only really liked
Picard when he got in on the action, rather than sit there doing
nothing. Guess what? That's what Kirk is all about! Kirk commands
tremendous respect by his crew, and he doesn't forget that for a second.
It's his ship and crew, and you can feel the weight of that
responsibility he carries every time he beams down on another mission.
His ship is the mos important thing to him and when he loses a
crewmember, no matter who it is, he feels that loss because he is in
command which means he is responsible. is cheating at the Kobyashi Maru
shows whatkind of person he is, someone who will never give up no
matter what the odds are. While I loved the movies it’s the classic
series where Kirk really shines.Watch any episode, even the bad ones,
and he is always in charge. One of the things that get overlooked in
“Turnabout Intruder” because of the hamminess is the way guest star
Sandra Smith plays Kirk in Lester’s body. She really does the character a
service and her performance, not Shatner’s, is what keeps me from
saying that episode is the worst of them all.
#5.Chandler Bing (Friends)
This
may be no surprise after talking about this show for the last five
months. This was just one of the best marriages of character and actor,
Matthew Perry is Chandler and vice versa. Why do I like Chandler?
Because I can relate to this guy so much. The insecurities, the sarcasm
as a defense mechanism, and the way he isn't afraid to act downright
goofy at times. Chandler comes from a real hard childhood and it’s no
wonder he picked such bad habits as smoking and sarcasm, not to mention
his inability to maintain a serious relationship. But as the series
progressed, and his best friend Monica became the love of his life,
Chandler grew and evolved going from being very immature and afraid of
commitment to ending up married and ready for kids. Chandler proves that
a screwed up childhood doesn’t have to hold you back as long as you
don’t let it. Besides, the guy is just funny. It’s not just what he says
but the way he says them. Chandler was a hit on that show from day one,
and I still laugh at his one liners.
#4. Spock/Data
Yes,
this is the last Star Trek one. I decided to make this one a tie
because I basically love them for the same reason. Of course Spock is
from the classic Star Trek and Data from The Next Generation. The
difference between the two is that where Spock tries to disregard his
humanity, Data is trying to discover his. As strange as it may sound, I
really enjoy watching these characters discover humanity and what is so
special about being human. It’s their struggles that really make us take
notice, because we learn about ourselves as they learn about humanity.
One of the things they did right in the episode “Unification” was get
the two into a room. Their scene together is a highlight, not just of
the episode but the series. They did ruin Data in the movies,no
question, and to be fair Zachary Quinto in the new movies seems to have
the essence of the character down. But it’s the classic version I will
always love.The best Spock episode is Journey to Babel, when we see the
angst he goes through in deciding the logical option over the emotional,
even if it costs hisfather his life. Leonard Nimoy plays that
perfectly. The best Data episode is “Data’s Day” where we see
everythingthrough Data’s eyes. I just love that one and only Brent
Spiner could have played that role, he was perfect.
#3.Marty McFly (Back to the Future)
My
friend Moviefan12 had Marty on his list and I was afraid of being
accused of just copying him. But I am not, how could I not include him? I
LOVED this movie and there are many reasons why. The cool special
effects, the beyond awesome music, an amazing supporting cast. But
really it comes down to the main character. If Eric Stolz had played
Marty as was originally intended I think this movie would be looked down
on a lot more. Originally the intent was just that Marty was to be our
guide, and that was supposed to be it. Michael J Fox gave Marty enough
heart and flaws to make him a full-fledged character, one we really
wanted to see win the day. I could go on and on about this movie all
day, I just love it! The second and third films were good, and this time
rather than just be a participant Marty gets an actual character arc
with the whole“chicken” thing. I was happy to see him overcome that
particular demon at the end of Part III. But what I really like in Part
III is the role reversal, seeing Marty become the voice of reason for
Doc which felt perfectly natural and showed just how all the time
travelling as matured that character.
#2.Superman and Batman
This
actually isn't a tie. I think these characters are awesome separately,
but together they are just amazing! They are really two opposite sides
of the coin, one being the bright light of hope and the other being the
dark shadow of truth. Life can be dark and bad things do happen, and
Batman's job is try to take some of that away. Superman shines light
onto the world, he is a symbol for everyone to look up to and admire.
Superman does what he does because he wants to help. That's all. He
could use his powers to rule and conquer, but he would never do that.
Batman took a tragedy and channeled into a method of helping others in
need. He is a skilled detective and all theother heroes (in the comics I
have read) respect him whether they agree with his methods or not. They
are amazing separately but when they are together,well, they really are
The World’s Finest. My first exposure to Batman was the Adam West TV
show, and I think West did a great job despite the format. It was
Michael Keaton who really sold me on that character. As for Superman,
Christopher Reeve will always be the personification of that character
but it was the John Byrne version in the comics that really won me over.
Superman and Batman have been around for many years and unless DC ruins
them, they will always be around.
#1.GARFIELD
I
LOVE GARFIELD! Ever wonder why Garfield is my avatar? Well let me
explain it to you. I have loved Garfield for as long as I can remember.I
read his comic strip, bought his books (and still have many of them),
watched his cartoon show, owned his merchandise, and yes I did see that
horrible movie. What is it about Garfield I love so much? I love his
sarcastic personality. I love that he really does care for Jon and OdIe,
he just hides that behind a tough exterior. But most of all,I love his
attitude. He has so much self confidence that you can't help but admire
it. He never doubts himself or wonders if he is making a mistake. Yeah
he can be to self-absorbed, true. When I was trying to pick an avatar
nothing seemed right. I found that Garfield pic, and it just clicked.
Garfield, as odd as it may sounds, is a character I respect and I wish I
had just an ounce of his confidence. He hates Monday's, loves Italian
food, and sleeps for hours at a time. He was written almost to be a
human wearing a cat suit, and that comes right through. Of course he
does have positive traits to. He has an active imagination, hates
chasing mice for some reason though he will kill spiders,and his soft
side comes out with his interaction with his teddy bear Pooky. Now is
Garfield the most complex character ever? Heck no, he’s a cat! But I
haveenjoyed his antics in print and on TV for pretty much my entire
life. I grew up with him and still adore him to this day, with no end in
sight. What's not to love?
Before I go, a few quick Honorable Mentions:
Mickey Mouse
Some
may wonder why Mickey is not here. I adore Mickey butmore as a symbol
than a character. Don't get me wrong, he is a good character but I don't
think of his cartoons as much as I do as the symbol for one of
myfavorite places, Walt Disney World. He brings back so many good
memories.
He-Man
You
may notice Lady Jaye is the only cartoon TV character I have on my
list; I guess that comes from growing up in an era of kid friendly
cartoons. I loved He-Man but have to admit he didn’t have that complex
acharacter. And when I look back at the cartoons I watched as a kid,
nothing stands out. Just compare Superfriends to the JLA cartoon and
you’ll see what I mean. Cartoons then weren’t edgy like that. That kind
of thing changed in the 90’s with Batman The Animated Series and The
X-Men but I never watched.
And finally,
George Costanza (Seinfeld)
The
lovable loser who we love to hate. And that’s kind of why I kept him
off the main list. He is insecure and a million other things,and that
works, but not enough good things to balance out the bad. So while Ilike
George I just couldn’t keep on a list of characters I flat out love.
This kind of goes for others like Karen Walker and Sheldon Cooper.
This
was a hard list, a lot of others I could have put onhere. A LOT! But
there you go my favorite characters. Now, I think I need a nap 
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