#but Hawkeye might be in my top ten favorite characters EVER

[a-rayneart]

ALRIGHT YALL WHO SHOYLD I DO NEXT PLZ TELL ME

(Shit I just noticed two mistakes I’ll fix them tomorrow and repost ughggghh 😩)

[amtrak12]

❤️🧡🤍🩷💜A WLW ASK MEME❤️🧡🤍🩷💜 List the top 10 ladies you’ve been obsessed with Ever Of All Time! Then send this on to 5 sapphic mutuals 👩‍❤️‍💋‍👩

Yes, fun! :D Thank you!!

Okay, I went fictional characters with this because I just don't really get obsessed with RL people outside of like a 5 year period between 2005-2010 where I followed select actors around to other shows. Also, there's only three ladies who I can confirm fit both 'obsessed' and 'ever of all time', so I've trudged through my entire childhood for every fictional lady who's helped shape my personality to round out the list.

In Chronological Order (to me not by air date):

Margaret Houlihan (M*A*S*H) -- Oh MASH reruns on the Hallmark channel, my beloved 💚 Now, I'm primarily talking about the juicy middle seasons after Potter took over command and Loretta Swit was able to wrestle some better storylines for Margaret, but there's some gems in the early years too. I've been drawn back to MASH three times as an adult and each time I get sucked deeper and deeper into both the real life history of the Korean War and the fictional character of Margaret. Do I have a thousand and one headcanons for how she handles life after the war? Yes. Am I obsessed with whatever platonic/sexual relationship she's got going on with Hawkeye? Yes. Have I plotted out what her D&D character might look like? YEP! She's a paladin :P I also believe if you examined her character through a queer lens, you'd find a trans man rather than a queer woman, but your mileage may vary.

AndrAIa (ReBoot) -- Yeah, yeah, yeah it's a cartoon, but bb 11 year old me was absolutely OBSESSED with this show, and AndrAIa was a big part of that. Look at her little capital AI in her name! 😭 25 years before corporate greed ruined the acronym, that AI was adorable!! And very clever given that she was an NPC game sprite who decided to leave her game and live as a real sprite. Her whole existence and vibe was very formative for me. I love her.

Harley Davidson Cooper (Guiding Light) -- Yes, her full name is absolutely necessary, even if no one ever used it. So, I was SUUUCH a CBS soap girlie back around 2000-2002, and I've been very nostalgic for it in the last few years. As the World Turns was my primary soap, so I figured one of my regular blorbos like Rose or Katie or Romana would be the one I miss most. But then Harley's actress Beth Ehlers popped up during my Law & Order SVU watch and I LOST MY MIND!!!!! Her face and voice instantly filled my soul with joy! So Harley gets the trophy. Even if she didn't have any stand out storylines during that era (apart from her and Gus being Very Hot), she was always my favorite character from GL.

Piper Halliwell (Charmed, original flavor) -- Technically, I had Turtle Wexler from the book The Westing Game on this list instead because I didn't remember Piper until after I'd drafted all ten slots :S But listen! That's because health problems have made my memory shitty! It is not because Piper doesn't stand up to the test of time! Ugh, I remember the show never treated Piper like she was the fan favorite and I hadn't discovered online TV forums yet so I felt so alone in my love for her :( But being on lesbian millennial Tumblr makes 14 year old me feel SO validated, because Piper is the only Halliwell sister anyone ever talks about on my dash. 💜 Congrats everyone. We were right all along.

Lorelai Gilmore (Gilmore Girls) -- Yeeeaaah.. we've hit the Big Three that I alluded to earlier. I was very, very gay for Lorelai (and Lauren Graham) in the latter half of my high school years, and I did not realize that until way later. She taught me how to be quicker with the comebacks and, more importantly, to marry someone who could cook instead of learning how to feed yourself. And I really took that to heart. My spouse is a fantastic cook! :) (Don't get scared for me guys! I do actually know how to cook three (3) entire meals now that I'm in my 30s :P lol)

Rose Tyler/Billie Piper (Doctor Who) -- I will list the actress here, because my love for Rose Tyler is probably split 50/50 between the character herself, and Billie Piper's charisma and hotness. She's gorgeous!!! 😍 That seemingly common question in the mid-2000s of 'Who would you kiss if you were gay?' always left me stumped until New Who aired in the states. Then, I was finally able to answer 'Billie Piper' and actually mean it. Because that's what you were supposed to do with that question, right? Take it seriously and not treat it like hyperbole? #totallystraightbehavior #swearsies Alas, it would take me two more girl crushes and interacting with genuine queer women in a femslash fandom before I recognized my feelings for what they were. But Rose was still a very significant step forward!

Myka Bering (Warehouse 13) -- MY GIRL!!! My Lady of all Ladies. I would die for her. I would kill for her. I would kneel and raise my sword and swear fealty to her. MYKA FUCKING BERING, EVERYONE! 👏👏👏👏 Watching her fall in love with Helena made me realize all my girl crushes were real crushes and that I was bi. Bless her. Bless Joanne Kelly. And bless the incomparable Bering and Wells fandom. *kisses everyone on the mouth, sloppy style*

Erin Gilbert (Ghostbusters 2016) -- Look, I know that I can never get away with pretending that Erin isn't my favorite ghostbuster, but I do usually think about her in the context of her relationships! Like 8 times out of 10, when I'm headcanoning, I'm thinking about her and Abby's relationship. And if I'm not, there's a not-so-small chance I'm thinking about her relationship with Patty instead. (RIP to Holtzy who I virtually never think about outside of the foursome. Her fanbase just ruined it for me :S) But um... yeah, Erin's my favorite. I even have Pokemon parties picked out for them all. And their daemons.

Eve (Lucifer) -- Okay so I know it hasn't even been a full high school (aka 4 years) since I met Eve, so I can't really say she's someone I'll stay obsessed with forever and ever and ever. You probably don't even believe I'm obsessed with her at all given the bulk of my Lucifer talk is about Lucifer/Chloe -- but that's just cause that's where the storyline is! Trust me, Eve is my favorite character, even if she was in the least amount of episodes (RIP me). When she pops up in the background of a Deckerstar fanvid, I'm instantly distracted and have to marathon every Maze/Eve vid in my collection. I decided to use a fandom name in the first time, like, ever, when creating my Lucifer-specific Twitter account and I made it Eve themed. She's my favorite, bestest girl who can do no wrong and -- YES! -- that does include accidentally-definitely-on-purpose starting a demon mutiny that led to newborn Charlie's kidnapping. She had never been dumped before okay? First woman to ever exist and she'd never been dumped. Did you handle your first break-up well? No! I didn't think so :P

Alex Cabot (Law & Order: SVU) -- I've only know Cabot for four months, but if anything happens to her, I'll kill everyone in this room and then myself -- OH WAIT! She already left me. 😭 I am in S17 now, which is like ten seasons past when she went into witness protection and barely ever came back, yet there's not an episode that goes by where I don't think about her. So, I say that counts as longevity and am sticking her on the list. This woman has Issues. Plural. Period. She makes me say shit like 'I want to dig into her brain with a fork' and it's actually an accurate metaphor for what I feel. I love her your honor... now who can I sue for emotional damages?

[maxwell-grant]

You are your top 5 Shadow agents

I don’t talk about the Agents as much as I should, even though I constantly try to stress their importance, because I’m working on essays for them individually. To be honest, I think about the Agents practically every day to the point I have a hard time separating my headcanons from the actual canon material, but I have to stay true to it, and the lack of material regarding them means that the only way I can truly talk about their characterization is by diving deep into the novels and taking notes, which I don’t have much time to do, and then finding the right books or moments to talk about, which is even more difficult. 

This by no means constitutes my big thinkpiece on them, but it’s a start, and ultimately narrowing it down was a lot harder than I expected. This order is by no means final, if you asked me this question next week or next month I’d probably have a different answer, but it’s the 5 that I find myself thinking on the most. 

Honorable mentions: Jericho Druke and Myra Reldon, who are incredibly awesome characters conceptually and who have great moments each, and whom I definitely think deserve big turns on the spotlight if the Agents ever get put on the spotlight again, but are held back by issues with their presentation and lack of prominence. Margo Lane, whom only just narrowly missed the cut because, as much as I like her and think she gets an underseved bad rep and definitely has great things going for her, I sadly have to concede isn’t as consistently great or well-written as she should be. Clyde Burke, whom I definitely like a lot based on what I’ve read and consider an integral part of the line-up, but haven’t read enough of the novels he’s in to really solidify him as one of my favorites just yet. And Slade Farrow, who is a bit too complicated to talk about superficially.

Allright, so here they are

Number 5: Burbank

As the center of all communications within The Shadow’s network and the only character in the series who is even more mysterious and elusive than The Shadow himself, Burbank is fascinating and the kind of character who simultaneously seems to be both begging for an in-depth exploration and yet who also should be dead last on the list of mysteries about the series we want spoiled, because nobody wants the mystery ruined. He’s a bit of cipher personality-wise compared to the other agents, but he kind of has to be, and I think it helps to illustrate the many forms the agents of The Shadow can and should take, that one of them is this total mystery whom we know nothing about and yet is so vital to the whole thing. And it’s interesting also because, for all the many variations we’ve had on The Shadow’s life and thoughts and feelings and etc over the years, Burbank has stayed more or less the same. Whatever variations he’s had in design aside, Burbank just is. 

The pulps did often have moments where we would get to see moments that told us a little more about Burbank, gestures he did, capabilities he had and didn’t have, little details Gibson would sprinkle in to keep people fascinated. Several scenes with Burbank are almost presented like you’re watching a movie, in the way Gibson keeps describing his face being mysteriously blocked from view by objects or lighting, like not even in your mind you are supposed to know what he is. And it’s all the more fascinating because, unlike The Shadow, as far as we know, Burbank is just some guy who’s good with tech, who was only recruited in the 2nd story but apparently knows The Shadow from before it, and whom The Shadow entrusted with virtually every secret necessary to keep his operations running. 

It’s kind of a sign as to how utterly neglected the agents are that, to this day, few writers who’ve ever touched The Shadow has ever come close to giving us any sort of explanation or backstory or anything on Burbank, and I refuse to believe these people had that much self-control. Of course I have my own ideas for Burbank, but even I would hesitate to put them on a story, because Burbank epitomizes that double-edged sword that comes with a solid narrative mystery. Burbank just is, and hopefully he will stay that way. 

Number 4: Dr Roy Tam

Mention of Dr. Tam meant much to Sayre. He was acquainted with Roy Tam, the Chinese physician. He knew that Tam was a power in Chinatown; one who worked for good

Unrolling a map, Tam showed the entire Manhattan area, studded with tiny dots in districts quite remote from Chinatown.

"These represent my outposts," he said soberly. "They are places, owned by Chinese - restaurants, laundries, curio shops, other places of business. In each of these places, I have a friend."

The Shadow understood. Dr. Tam was the motivating factor among the Chinese who adapted themselves to American ways. His mission was to create good will among races, to put an end to prejudice and superstition.

A newer and more sober spirit had replaced the old and dangerous festivities. Feuds in Chinatown were a thing of the forgotten past. Dr. Tam and his associates had done much to bring about the present sentiment; but there were persons - even among that group - who felt regret at the passing of old traditions.

Dr Tam is a remarkably layered character for one that only appears in about ten stories, and he’s one of the agents I’m most eager to discuss in-depth. He’s another one of those agents that Gibson introduced by tricking you into seeing him as a villain, as a Yellow Peril cliche, until he is revealed to be in fact a good man. Not just good, Roy Tam is presented as a powerful, influential and cunning Chinese man with a lot of assistants secretly working for him, and who is consistently presented as a progressive, pacifistic, benevolent civic leader and ally, even friend, of The Shadow. 

Tam is very much westernized and the stories paint that mostly as a good thing, and this is one of the areas that I think could very much result in an interesting story that looks at the ramifications of his role, because of course not everyone is going to agree with his viewpoints, of course him being an advocate against superstition and tradition isn’t necessarily a good thing (and it’s not how Yat Soon, The Shadow’s other major Chinese ally, works, which puts the two at odds), and of course it’s a complicated situation, but the fact that Tam invites this kind of debate at all I think is something very interesting

Largely because of the movie, Dr Tam is one of the few agents of The Shadow who’s managed to sustain appearences in modern stories, and none of them have ever really went with his original angle as a powerful civic leader. Instead he’s been largely painted as either a scientist, like in the movie, a general practitioner, and a psychiatrist, and his age has been all over the board. 

I prefer him in his original form but I also very much like the idea of Roy Tam being, like the Chinese supervillains he was created to be a subversion of, an incredible genius who’s got skills in all fields that can fit under the “Dr” part of his job and is also an incredibly capable leader able to unify splintered communities under a cause of unity and cooperation, someone who absolutely could be the adventuring genius so many other pulp heroes are, except he dedicates himself wholesale to his community and the fight against prejudice and the betterment of lives, even if he’s misguided or wrong at some of the causes he takes up. I really think this character could partake in really great stories if ever brought back.

Number 3: Cliff Marsland

(Fan-art by @cryptixcreations)

Cliff may have actually been the first agent I really fell in love with based on concept alone, even before I read the stories he was a part of and started loving all of the others. He’s one of the few agents who has prior history with The Shadow and we get ever so tantalizing hints at his background that we ultimately never get to learn about in full. He’s the resident tough guy and underworld contact of The Shadow, which in any other series might have made him the biggest badass and a loner action hero who’s too cool for things like thinking and relying on others for help. But here, trying to be that only gets Cliff into trouble, and circumstances gradually morph him into the series equivalent of a Team Dad. 

He was one of the agents who we got to see develop as a character. As he appears more frequently past his introduction, he grows from a headstrong, careless jackass, mostly interested in the action parts of the job, who “resigned himself to an adventurous career with violent death as its inevitable termination”, into one of the most reliable and capable agents, taking the lead during action scenes but otherwise fully defering leadership to Harry, and being the agent most likely to partake in gunfights and rescue The Shadow out of trouble, joining in missions like infiltrating circuses or high-society clubs and forming very strong friendships with Harry, Clyde & Hawkeye, who almost kills a man with his bare hands when he thinks Harry’s been killed. He’s the hardass, square-jawed ex-con who plays the reputation of a brutal killer, and is in reality a great friend, ally and husband (Arline has sadly only been mentioned in three stories), on top of being an invaluable fighter and secret agent.

Cliff could have easily been the protagonist of a long-running series all his own and that’s one of my favorite aspects of The Shadow’s agents. They are people with agency, goals and dreams and relationships and lives beyond the roles they play, they all have strengths and weaknesses and faults and positives that bring them much closer to us than The Shadow could ever be, with no end to the variety of roles they can take, and Cliff in particular is a character I’m very attached to. 

I do hope that he eventually found peace in a quiet life with Arline once his business with The Shadow was over.

Number 2: Harry Vincent

The Shadow as a franchise has been vastly worse off as a result of Harry Vincent being completely sidelined and mischaracterized in virtually every adaptation since, and the sheer love that Shadow fans hold for Harry purely may be the closest thing to a true universal opinion in the fandom. 

Harry is a lot of things: the audience surrogate, the protagonist of much of the early stories, the leader of the agents in field duty, the dude in distress who gets kidnapped far more than even Margo, a hopeless romantic, an action hero, the one who gets sent to recruit agents because all The Shadow has to do is send Harry on an assignment and wait for him to come back with a new friend. He is a competent, resourceful, strong, extremely kind ball of sunshine who's got the potential for greatness, even if he can't see it. 

And for this post I’m going to highlight this: Harry is, on top of all that, the ultimate embodiment of what The Shadow strives to protect, help and uplift. He is the living proof that The Shadow's mission has a good, positive effect in the world, long after criminals are brought to justice and plots are failed and victims are rescued, purely by the fact that he’s alive and helping others who were once like him. Someone who, despite having so much to offer, could have easily been swept away by the world’s callousness and cruelty, if The Shadow wasn’t there to rescue him and uplift him.

I liked The Shadow pretty much at first sight after seeing the character’s design and listening to episodes of the radio show, and my appreciation for the character grew after reading The Shadow’s Shadow, but it wasn’t until I encountered @oldschoolcrimefighters and her brilliantly informative writings on The Shadow and Harry that I not only fell in love with the series, but decided to do everything in my power to try and get other people to love it too and see the potential it has. I think a lot more people should at least be aware of why Harry matters. 

Number 1: Moe Shrevnitz

I was honestly a bit surprised when I rounded up all of the agents to make this list and Shrevy here ended up in Number One, but in hindsight, it may have been obvious all along. 

My reasonings as to why Shrevy is my favorite agent do get a bit too personal, especially because of something that happened to me as I was writing this post, so I’m putting it on a separate post here. 

[fireofthestars]

Spoilers for Black Widow-read at your own risk

Black Widow is a good movie. I liked it. Reminded me a lot of The Winter Soldier, which is one of my favorite movies ever, so it's in good company. It's probably at the top of my 'mid tier' movies. Acting was good, action was good, humor was on point but not overdone....some were disappointed by the villain, but I wasn't that invested in that part of it, so it gets a pass from me. When I do a chronological re-watch again...it'll go between Black Panther and Infinity War. I will NOT dread having to re-watch it again, like I do with a few of the other movies.

The Post end credit made me a little sad, because the memorial stone for Natasha made it real. We are saying good by to the OG Avengers. Hawkeye will leave in his series, and while I'm not sure about the Hulk, I wouldn't be surprised if he didn't leave in She-Hulk. Yes, we will have some characters carry over, like Doctor Strange, Peter Parker, Captain Marvel, Scott and Hope, maybe Thor... and some of the B tier characters, Wanda, Vision, Bucky and Sam (and Loki- we hope) will come more to the forefront, but it's all changing. (Guardians are their own thing, so they go in a separate category at the moment). And of course, there's Wakanda and whatever they do with the Fantastic Four.

If I'm understanding Feige correctly, the days of ten years leading up to another Thanos-like Big Bad won't happen again. Instead there will be mini-arcs...and a separate villain for each of those arcs.

For instance (and this is just speculation to be used as an example-not a spoiler) say the person behind in the curtain is another Loki working for Kang the Conqueror. We don't see Kang, but he's teased, and perhaps we get glimpses of him in Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness...only for Scott and Hope to finally fight him off in Quantimania. Then we might have another arc in another series of movies with the Thunderbolts with General Ross and Val up to some kind of shenanigans, which might involve Sam and Bucky, and maybe Yelena. Then we'll have something else going on in space with The Guardians and/or Captain Marvel.

I also think they're doing away with the trilogy format. Everything will either be stand alone or a movie and one sequel. They'll finish the trilogies they've started....but that might the end of the 'franchise' part of the MCU.

Everything is changing, but Feige said it would. Makes me sad, like I felt when a lot of long running franchises ended, but the MCU isn't over, we still have a lot to look forward too.... and I want Cap 4 NOW. ;)

[drowningbydegrees]

10 favorite female characters from 10 different fandoms

Tagged by the lovely @gilbert-von-kneecap :D Thank you!

I don’t know that I could definitively say these are my top ten because I’ve engaged with... a lot of media, but these are the first ten that come to mind. :) 1. Natasha Romanoff (Marvel. Sort of more from the comics than the MCU though)  2. Margaery Tyrell (Game of Thrones. In retrospect, this might be due to my perpetual crush on Natalie Dormer) 3. Martha Jones (Doctor Who. It was so hard to pick just one female character from this fandom) 4. Lady Amalthea (The Last Unicorn) 5. Yennefer of Vengerberg (The Witcher. Unless we’re specifically talking about the games and then it’s a tossup between Ciri and Triss) 6. Charlie Bradbury (Supernatural) 7. Riza Hawkeye (Fullmetal Alchemist) 8. Vin (Mistborn, Which might possibly be my favorite book series in all of ever) 9.  Nyssa al Ghul (Arrow. I would have happily watched a show about her instead) 10. Bobbi Morse (Agents of Shield)

Tagging: @mikkeneko, @goodheavensgwen, @inennui, and really anyone who wants to <3 I am bad at tagging. 

[driftingglass]

Top Ten Characters Meme Thingy-Ma-Jig.

I was tagged by @godspeedcomplex! Thanks bro! :)

Rules: Name ten of your favorite characters from ten different fandoms then tag other victims to do the same!

And I actually will only pick ten this time... unless they’re tied equally. That tends to happen a lot. 

I’m so excited for this one. :D

And because this is about characters... I have to talk about each one, with at least one bullet point response for each (or paragraphs... who knows). Sorry that this may turn into one long-ass post, but... characterization is my jam. 

Woo.

‘Kay. Here we go!

1. Killua Zoldyck (very closely followed by Gon Freecss...) from Hunter X Hunter.

Ah, goodness. 

Killua Zoldyck belongs at the top of this list for numerous reasons, even though I struggle to place a number in order for these characters. Truthfully, the top... three or four or so on this list will be pretty much in order. As much as I adore Gon Freecss and his role in the anime, Killua is, by far, the most unexpected turnout of a character I have seen in this medium. 

Killua’s storyline stems from a tragic yet morally ambiguous background, taking into account the many times we’re meant to feel sympathetic for a murderous little assassin child. 

Aside from his marvelous design and relatively innocent appearance, this character is ultimately self-sacrificing in nature for the few (or two, really) people he truly cares for, most obviously Gon and Alluka. 

Without going into a long tangent about the many reasons why this character has subverted many tropes and has created a well-deserved staple in the world of anime and manga, Killua stands out as a passionate, relatable and emotionally vulnerable character who never strikes me as unrealistic in his ambitions. 

There’s an undeniable rawness to him, this sensational connection that few characters have created for me, coupled alongside my constant desire to learn more and more about his mind works and what his relationship to Gon parallels in the world we live in.

He’s also the character I’ve related to the most -- in personality, fears, flaws, and even family dynamics -- even more so than number two on this list...

2. Izuku Midoriya (very closely followed by Katsuki Bakugou...) from Boku no Hero Academia | My Hero Academia.

Similar to my reaction to Killua Zoldyck as a character, Izuku Midoriya is someone who I never believed I could actually enjoy as far as shōnen protagonists are concerned. This character’s flaws are very rare when considering the genre as a whole, but again, his self-sacrificing nature and total lack of self-preservation serve as fantastic parallels to not only his own story, but the lives of the people around him, especially that of All Might and Katsuki Bakugou. 

Izuku is also an incredibly fine example of a young shōnen character with inspiring dreams and ambitions that never seems out of place on someone his age. 

He feels realistic, and I relate to this character so much that it’s almost concerning. I love his design, his motivations, his personality, and his flaws. He is a very well-drawn character with a wonderful drive and incredible development, and most of all... he demonstrates fine ability to be what he wants to be outside of the realm of superpowers, which are so prevalent in the canon universe of the manga in which he stars.

I have not only an intense fondness and analytical love for this character, but admiration as well. Izuku’s dreams feel palpable, and I feel inspired whenever I watch him pursue his ambitions through hard work, determination, work ethic, and a rare dash of humility that is so rare to find in shōnen main protagonists.

A perfect example of a character who is masculine and strong while not fitting into the clean stereotypes that make others in the genre the way they are.

3. Zuko (very closely followed by Sokka and Iroh...) from Avatar: The Last Airbender.

There’s plenty of nostalgia connected to this one, aside from my immense amount of respect for the cartoon in general. Zuko is a character that changed the dynamic of cartoon antagonists/protagonists for many reasons, and his storyline is fantastically paralleled to Aang’s. 

His storyline is one of my favorites I’ve seen in a cartoon/anime, and most likely because it was one of the first I had seen at the time. Becoming familiar with this character and exploring the complicated corners of his personality is an absolute treat, and over the course of the entire show we are able to become familiar with his story, his character, and the immense flaws and strengths that compose him as a whole. 

And I guarantee that the term “redemption arc” mostly stems from this guy. As it should. (Unfortunately it’s led to far too many renditions and rehashings of this idea... *sigh.*)

It was honestly extremely difficult choosing between Zuko and Sokka, as my reasons for adoring both characters are completely different, but there’s something to be said about how difficult this was from the show itself. 

Avatar’s characters explore incredible depth in most of their cast, with both antagonists and protagonists, and Zuko’s storyline is not one to be missed.

4. Severus Snape from the Harry Potter book series.

Ah, this character. 

My reasons for this one are relatively simple, and are more related to the ingenious strategies J.K. Rowling incorporated into making this character believable, sympathetic (depending on the reader -- this opinion fluctuates quite often) and one of the most intriguing characters in the Harry Potter universe. 

From the very beginning there’s an intensity to Snape that is unrivaled with others, littered with constant questions and wondering what his place in the overall story could be. 

With each revelation I found myself continuously fascinated, and as far as I’m concerned, no one could have brought this character to life better than Alan Rickman in the film adaptations. His gravely voice, greasy black hair, intense emotional resonance matched with the subdued reactions expected of the character... I consider it to be legendary, and the best casting choice in the entire film series. 

My admiration for Snape’s storyline is more based on the fact that these continued revelations are woven like a fucking quilt throughout the books, dancing with questions and nagging points that prompt the readers to furrow their brow and wonder where Rowling was going with this guy.

I will never forget the genuine shock and adoration I felt for this character’s depth and incredible complexity, even far past the sniveling, frigid exterior and morally ambiguous background.

5. Daenerys Targaryen (closely followed by Jamie and Tyrion Lannister, and Sansa Stark) from A Song of Ice and Fire / Game of Thrones.

Oh my god it was so fucking difficult picking my favorite Game of Thrones character. Jesus. 

I actually didn’t think good old Mother of Dragons would make it to the top of my choices, considering my immense fondness for the characters closely following behind her. (And there are so many characters I admire and love from this universe, so those don’t even scratch the surface). 

But, when it came down to deciding which one outranked the others, I had to take into consideration what made me fall in love with them to begin with. 

Daenerys Targaryen has some of the greatest character development and growth that I’ve seen in any medium. 

This is a rather bold statement. But, as far as growth and development, I found myself consistently fascinated with Daenerys’ storylines, especially in the first two to three seasons. She evolves from this meek, timid, spineless woman sold as a slave to a barbarian warlord, to an incredibly influential and flawed self-proclaimed queen, with a fascinating historical context that elevates her above others. 

Daenerys has grown rather stagnant as far as development in the last season or so, which is what made me hesitate. However, my admiration for her, as the Breaker of Chains, or even the Khaleesi, stemmed from her bold, brave choices and ultimately well-meaning (yet naive) heart. 

So while my feelings for her in general are mixed, my admiration and fascination with her development from the beginning of the series to now is just... unbelievable. To see it progress this far has been a treat, indeed.

6. Mrs. Brisby from The Secret of NIMH.

A bit more of a nostalgic trip here as well, but The Secret of NIMH is one of my all-time favorite films, and a beautiful encapsulation of dark fantasy, magical wonder, family dynamics, motherhood, and the strength in the small against something larger than life. 

And Mrs. Brisby is a character that deserves a place amongst the best for many reasons, and many of her best qualities have to do with her bravery and determination to save her family from a cause that seems far too great. 

She is admirable in her courage, relatable in her vulnerability and fear, and inspiring in the lengths she will go to save her little family. 

I admired this character as a little girl, and still do this day as a young adult. With the hundreds of films and television shows I’ve seen (and on top of countless books), there are few characters who resemble the importance of motherhood as well as this one.

7. Roy Mustang (closely followed by Edward Elric and Wrath) from Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood.

Fuck. I broke my own rule. 

Now, Roy and Riza have one of my favorite dynamics in anything I’ve ever had the pleasure to watch (I have never read the manga). Also, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood is my second favorite anime of all time, so that made it even more difficult to pick a favorite. Many of the characters are complex and likable, but after some serious inner debate, I had to go for this.

Roy Mustang is a character who could easily display himself as a bit of a pretentious character, especially with his grounding by the hand of Riza Hawkeye. 

His encounter with Lust is one of my favorites I’ve ever seen, and his backstory with that of Maes Hughes and Riza Hawkeye add so much to all three of their developments that it almost makes it impossible not to sympathize. 

Roy’s anger is palpable in this series. Even more so, dare I say it, than Edward’s. As much as I adore Edward (and as fascinating as I find Wrath), and relate to him and just... love his story, there’s something about Roy that calls me back to those fateful moments where he struggles to grasp his need for revenge and the greater good of the situation surrounding him.

His consistent arc as a character, and his connection Maes Hughes, only adds to his development and his wonderful relationship with Riza Hawkeye. I also heavily appreciate his mentor role to Edward, and how easy it is to relate to him within everything else.

8. Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III from How to Train Your Dragon.

So, this film series in general is definitely DreamWorks’ magnum opus, and no one can convince me otherwise. The character development with Hiccup is not only relatable and endearing, but admirable as well. He stands out with his consistent decisions and changes, and his incredible attachment and relationship with Toothless is wonderful to observe.

On top of this, I find myself often comparing the character of Hiccup and Izuku Midoriya (which makes me think of an HTTYD AU and as much as I love that idea... gosh, I don’t have the time haha), due to their lacking roles in the society they’ve been born in and their incredible intelligence and awkward mannerisms. Also, they’re both freckled (hooray for my freckled faves)! 

Anyway. 

Hiccup’s tenacious attitude and courage is easily combined with his incredibly kind heart and trust in his companions. The development between him and Toothless is rooted in a friendship that we understand through vivid actions and understanding (and relating to) Hiccup’s personality and roles as the outcast/black sheep in his village of Berk.

I adore this character, and the series that has inspired him. Also, there’s something to be said about his ever-changing role in the movies, and I’m so incredibly excited to see where his character is taken with the third impending installment. 

9. Raven from Teen Titans.

Yeah, okay, more nostalgia in this one. Raven is a character that I admired from the very first time I watched Teen Titans, and above all else, I found her backstory, personality, character development and superpowers to easily be the most interesting of the gang. The cartoon is charming and dark and mature when it needs to be (in most cases), and much of the relatable and occasional complex nature to the cartoon involves this character.

Raven’s powers and her empathetic connection to the world around her is an idea that fascinates me each and every day. 

Even with original novels I’ve planned out and magic systems I’ve created, a great deal of my protagonists (usually cycled through on multiple drafts) have been subconsciously inspired by this ability and this general connection to the surrounding world. 

I had no idea how much Raven herself inspired me as a writer and creator until I considered my inspiration for the female characters I normally admire in these mediums. Her flaws are understandable while, at times, both irritating and relatable. Her design is far less stereotypically “pretty” when compared to, say, Starfire. There’s an element to her that screams authenticity when compared to the other Titans that I always found myself drawn to the most.

She deserves the popular following she has, both in the comics (from what I understand) and in this beloved cartoon.

10. Chihiro from Spirited Away.

Ah, this film. Goodness. 

There’s something brilliant about Chihiro and her character in general, but my reasons for liking her so much are mostly derived from the experience that I get to have as the viewer into the world of Spirited Away. This film is... a masterpiece, in every sense of the word, crafted by the ingenious hand of Hayao Miyazaki. And this man truly knows his characters, and is one of the greatest crafters of strong female protagonists I have ever seen.

Chihiro is young, and acts young. She is scared, and acts scared. She sobs, and wails, and trembles, and reacts as any little girl in her dire situation would. 

But, she is believable in her bouts of courage, in her desire to achieve her goal and her willingness to break out of the shell she’s been granted to mature past her years. Her journey in the film rides on her shoulders, exposing her kind, giving heart as well as her unabashed bravery, which makes her easy to relate to and cheer for until long after the film’s credits stop rolling.

She is a character who is so human, so enticing, and so accurate of female representation that I find myself wondering time and time again why I haven’t reviewed the film she’s in yet. 

Chihiro is one of the more complex female protagonists I watched as a little girl, and I admire her journey and personality to this day as a staple in anime. 

Woo. Well, that was a wild ride. Thanks for reading!

I’m going to tag... @decembercamiecherries, @tonerukun, @killushawn, @soulestring, @diggitydamnsebastianstan, and... whoever else wants to! Go for it! And I tagged these people because they were the first ones to pop in mind, so... yeah. You guys don’t have to do it. XD 

Until next time!

[vazzle]

I was tagged by @midgetgemlove ^_^.

Goal: Tag nine people you want to get to know better

Relationship Status: Single

Favourite Colour: Royal purple or green, I can never decide.

Lipstick or Chapstick: I might use chapstick 99.9% of the time, but you will never be able to pry my deep red lipsticks away from my clutches.

Last song I listened to: Monsters by Ruelle

Last movie I watched: ParaNorman

Top three tv shows: Natsume’s Book of Friends, Bungo Stray Dogs, and Tanaka-kun Is Always Listless are my current favorites (though ever since watching Natsume’s Book of Friends, I’m convinced it will always and forever will be my top favorite show)

Top three characters: W h y must you make me choose like this... Honestly among all the books, shows, and manga that I enjoy, it’s just too hard to decide, and that’s without adding in my own original characters. I really love characters, guys, I really, really love them. But if I had to pick just three from among those I’m thinking of at the moment, Yosano Akiko from Bungo Stray Dogs, Natsume Takeshi from Natsume’s Book of Friends, and Ohta-kun from Tanaka-kun Is Always Listless.

Top three ships: How to make me forget about every single one of my ships: ask me this question. However, for the moment I’d say: Arata Kaizaki x Chizuru Hishiro from ReLIFE, Riza Hawkeye x Roy Mustang from Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, and Kyoko Mogami x Ren Tsuruga from Skip Beat!

Tagging: @kaiser-author-san-iii @ten-jun @author-at-heart @natsumexmikan43vr 

(As always, if I tagged you and you don’t want to join in, that’s totally fine, and if I didn’t tag you and this looks fun, consider yourself tagged ^_^.)