Who is your favorite Hero?

[MattPetersen]

Not counting comics or novels based on comics, TV, etc.

Who is YOUR favorite Literary Hero?!?

If I had to come down to it and choose, I would definitely have to say Sherlock Holmes.

A VERY close second is Atticus Finch of To Kill a Mockingbird.

A few others I have are

John Carter of Mars
Conan
Harry Dresden
Doc Savage
Solomon Kane
Moist Von Lipwig
Samuel Vimes

[readyeddy?]

Those are two good choices. I don't really have a single favorite. I have several favorites (all of whom I'd like to see clixed).

Conan
Kull
Solomon Kane
Bran Mak Morn
Doc Savage
Tarzan
Aragorn
Corwin of Amber
Shadowjack
Kilgore Trout
Cappen Varra
Hanse Shadowspawn
Faffrd and the Grey Mouser
Valentine Michael Smith
Yossarian
Karl Edward Wagner's Kane
fictionalized versions of Wild Bill Hickok

That's just the tip of my iceberg.

[Darkseid Sr.]

A VERY close second is Atticus Finch of To Kill a Mockingbird.

That courtroom scene in the book is one of the most powerful I have ever read.

[Shadow40]

I think I am more like readyeddy?, I would have a big list that I could not narrow down.

[Wyldstaar]

Alex Cross
Honor Harrington
House Attreides

[Maniac_nmt]

Hmm...picking a favorite would be hard, but I love:

Beowulf
Achillies
Diomedes (Achillies without the foibles)
James Bond
Tarzan
John Carter
Conan
Sir Gawain (my favorite of Arthur's knights, he's the most loyal and honest of them, Lancelot was such a ####)
King Arthur
Boromir
Sam (these two are my favorite characters in the books, Sam for obvious reasons as the most truly heroic figure in the book, but Boromir because he overcomes his inner evil and dies to save his friends, after Sam he's the next most 'heroic' person in the book to me)

[MattPetersen]

I understand its hard to choose just one. I have TONS myself!! Readyeddy? has a lot of my choices as well if I were to list more it would be:

Sherlock Holmes
Atticus Finch
Peter Pan
Conan
Kull
Solomon Kane
Bran Mak Morn
Doc Savage
Tarzan
The Spider
Samuel Vimes
Granny Weatherwax
Moist Von Lipwig
Allan Quatermain
John Carter of Mars
Virgil Samms the First Lensman
Arsene Lupin
Nick and Nora Charles
Philip Marlowe
Nero Wolfe
Samwise Gamgee
Gandalf

So many more....I'm getting tired of thinking ;)

[sniksder]

My most recent Literary Hero(s) would have to be...

Jack Reacher
Jack West Jr. (not to sure on the first name at this time no book handy)

[Maniac_nmt]

If I had to narrow it down to one, I guess I'd go with Ian Flemming's James Bond (not Gardners or Bensons, but Flemming's Bond).

I liked the fact that Flemming left a lot up to the imagination, where Benson and Gardner have to write everything out in excruciating detail. Seriously, it makes Bond a better 'cassanova' if how he performs is left up to the imagination, and not written out in explicit detail.

[Pashmina]

Holden Caulfield (Catcher In The Rye)
Vernon God Little (Vernon God Little)
Alice Liddell (Alice's Adventures In Wonderland and Through The Looking Glass)
Hortense Joseph (Small Island)
Marlow (Heart Of Darkness)
Roy Straitley (Gentlemen and Players)

[webhead76]

I have read a lot of Fiction books and there are certain characters that stay with you. Here's my list:

- Sherlock Holmes (seems to be the popular one, he's just so well written)
- Dr. Watson (what would Holmes be without his Watson)
- Dirk Pitt (Clive Cussler is the author, Dirk is just a well written character and he as an excellent supporting cast. PS the movie Sahara does not do the book or character justice at all! A curse on you Matthew McConaughey)
- Dienekes (he's from Stephen Pressfield's "Gates of Fire" about the battle of Thermopylea - same as the Graphic novel '300.' This is a more realistic look at the battle and a great read for anyone interested in Greek history, a good historical fiction or just a good fction
- Col. Lawerence Chamberlain (From Micheal Shaara's "Killer Angels," which was based on the Battle of Gettysburg. The Lion of the Round Top, Chamberlain saved the right wing of the Union line, and did well for himself being a professor from Bowdoin College. Micheal did a good job writing his character)
- David (one of my favorite heroes from the Bible, one of the greatest leaders of ancient Israel, and I could name a bunch of other Biblical characters as well- Samson, Joseph, Moses, etc.)
- Patrick McLanahan (Dale Brown character, "Flight of the Old Dog", "Day of the Cheetah", memorable character)
- Hondo (Lois L'Amour character, and portrayed by one of my favorite actors, John Wayne, in the movie of the same name. Excellent read)

That's all I can think of right now. :rolleyes:

[The BoyBlunder]

Solomon Kane.

But not because of the books he is in. I've never read them. There was an improv group here in Minneapolis called Solomon Kane. It was two guys, and they would do an improv set based off the character. They would get a suggestion from the the audiance. For example, chicken. They would then go back and forth between Solomon Kane, and Le Chicken, until the end when they would have some sort of showdown. It was hilarious.

Jimmy the Hand

From the books by Raymond E. Fiest. He's is a young pickpocket who by wits alone climbs to the highest rank someone can when not of noble blood.

Nakor.

From the same books, but further down the line. He's a professional gambler, trickster, and confidence man. People are never sure when what he is doing is slight of hand, or truly mystical. He insists that there is no magic, even though he is one of the most powerful practitioners of magic on the planet.

Merlin

From the books The Lost Years of Merlin.

Young Merlin, before he is known as Merlin, struggling to come to terms with his powers in a new world, as well as struggling with his loss of sight.

[CustomCreator]

I understand its hard to choose just one. I have TONS myself!! Readyeddy? has a lot of my choices as well if I were to list more it would be:

Sherlock Holmes
Atticus Finch
Peter Pan
Conan
Kull
Solomon Kane
Bran Mak Morn
Doc Savage
Tarzan
The Spider
Samuel Vimes
Granny Weatherwax
Moist Von Lipwig
Allan Quatermain
John Carter of Mars
Virgil Samms the First Lensman
Arsene Lupin
Nick and Nora Charles
Philip Marlowe
Nero Wolfe
Samwise Gamgee
Gandalf

So many more....I'm getting tired of thinking ;)

Just about everyone on Matt's list, plus:

Professor Challenger
Jack Fleming
John Dortmunder
Bertie Wooster
Sir Dennis Nayland Smith
Rincewind
And many more...

[Maniac_nmt]

Does Bertie Wooster really count though? Wouldn't the hero of Woodehouse's series really be Jeeves?

I LOVE that series, and they were masterfully done by Masterpiece Theater (although the American episodes lack something, as the American actors just aren't as good as their British counterparts)

[TMNT99]

Jack Ryan.

He's like the MacGuyver of the world!

[CustomCreator]

Does Bertie Wooster really count though? Wouldn't the hero of Woodehouse's series really be Jeeves?

Good point. I'd say they were co-protagonists of the stories; Wooster usually did all the action, getting into all the scrapes and amusing situations, while Jeeves was the mastermind behind everything, sort of a beneficial Iago.

It's hard to believe that the actor who so accurately portrayed the bumbling, clueless Bertie Wooster now stars on House. What a range!

[CustomCreator]

I can't believe I neglected to list one of my favorite literary "heroes" (although I would be hard put to call his thoughts and deeds "heroic"): Harry Flashman!

[goodman]

Peter Petrelli :p

[scarecrow826]

Atticus Finch or Stephen Colbert.

Faramir from Lord of the Rings is also one of my favorites.

[MAXIMUM]

bilbo baggins

[denhamkarl]

John Carter, The Warlord Of Mars!!!
&
Abraham Van Helsing

[The Mattador]

Harry Potter (*lowers head in shame)

[HappyTrain]

Roland Deschain from the Dark Tower series will probably always be my favorite literary hero.

[MattPetersen]

Harry Potter (*lowers head in shame)

It's OK........ there are pills to help with these problems now..... ;)

Seriously, Harry Potter is one of my wife's favorite heroes as well!! It's all about YOUR taste!!

[readyeddy?]

There's nothing to be ashamed of there. I've been reading them myself. I'm waiting for the softcover version of the last one so it matches the rest of them. Though I understand it's a bit anticlimactic. I had spoilers thrown at me the day after it came out; in Entertainment Weekly, for crying out loud. I heard she got pointers from Dan Didio on how to have a bloodbath.

[The Mattador]

It's OK........ there are pills to help with these problems now..... ;)

Seriously, Harry Potter is one of my wife's favorite heroes as well!! It's all about YOUR taste!!

Thanks! I love those books and I feel so invested in the characters in them and he's definitely my favorite. I was this grown man standing in line with all these kids to get the last book, but I have been reading it as long as they have. I remember that I ran to my car because people were coming out of the store just skipping to the back. I didn't have contact with the outside world for two days because I knew someone would ruin it for me!

[Shinigami]

Not exatly hero but close enough to one Artemis Enteri from FR books from R.A Salvatore is my favorite. His not hero in traditional sense but thats why he is so great.

[SLVRSR4]

I'm going to have to say FUDGE...You know, the Judy Blume character? WHY IS EVERYONE LOOKING AT ME LIKE THAT?!

[CustomCreator]

WHY IS EVERYONE LOOKING AT ME LIKE THAT?!

I'd say it's your avatar.

[fathernson]

House Attreides

The whole HOUSE?? Not any particular one?

[Red_Skull_XIII]

Abraham Van Helsing by far.

Villains would be much easier.

[MrFurious87]

a book series i really like (it might be for the young adult demographic, im not sure) is the Artemis Fowl series.

[SeekerMuadib]

Just to name a few.

Paul Atreidies
Leto Atreidies the II
John Carter Warlord of Mars
Most heroes in any David Morrel story line.

Ok I guess that's it for now. All I can think of for now.

Later all.

[Thunderwebs]

Robert E. Howard's "Conan"

[Magneticlaw]

Judge Dredd. He is the law. And he beat Batman in a fistfight.:)

[Xero Boy]

Spenser, Robert B. Parker's detective. He's maybe one of the most perfect characterizations of "hero" ever created. Strong, smart, funny, well-read, independent, tough, and above all, true to his word, loyal and willing to right the wrongs he can. Ya can't beat that.