Meme: With favorites and without

[brightknightie]

I'm adapting a meme that I saw several days ago, which has followed me all week. It made me ponder the difference between stories that inspire me to take one character more to heart than any of the others (as much as I may love the others), versus stories in which no one character claims that position (as much as I love the source material).

Sometimes, the difference is inherent in the source storytelling! But often, I suspect, the emergence of a singular favorite may have as much to do with my interactions with others about the source material. For example, I remember exactly when I felt an outraged need to defend EQ's Strongbow against a disrespectful dismissal in a published letter (this was back in the days of letter pages). Before that, I didn't have a favorite EQ character; ever since, I have. And I didn't join FKdom knowing that I was a Knightie; I sincerely considered other affiliations (even the Natpack, believe it or not!) before I knew myself and the fandom well enough to recognize my fundamental Knightieness. :-)

10 fandoms in which I have a singular favorite character

• Forever Knight : Nick
• Highlander : Duncan
• Marvel (all) : Wanda
• Beauty and the Beast (CBS) : Vincent
• ElfQuest : Strongbow
• Harry Potter : Luna
• Star Trek: Deep Space 9 : Jadzia
• Robotech : Lisa
• Forever : Henry
• Once Upon a Time : Mulan

10 fandoms in which I have no singular favorite character

• Young Blades
• Battlestar Galactica (1978)
• Doctor Quinn, Medicine Woman
• Buffyverse
• Monarch of the Glen
• Ballykissangel
• Star Trek : The Next Generation
• Star Trek (TOS/AOS)
• Grimm
• Person of Interest

What about you? When and why do you have singular favorite characters?

Comments

[lightbird]

Ooh, this is a great meme. I definitely need to do this one. Also, hello sister Luna Lovegood and Jadzia Dax fan!

I really do love everyone in Forever Knight but Janette is my fave, so Ravenette here. :)

[brightknightie]

It's definitely possible to love all the characters and yet have a favorite, like Janette. :-)

[senmut]

I would have had a harder time choosing a singular character for DS9 than you did.

I believe it is a mental perception issue on my part, that if I cannot see the show as less than an ensemble effort, I cannot usually choose one character that is my favorite. Those shows where if you take just one piece of it away, the whole suffers, or becomes something different.

Also, YAY for another Strongbow fan. While Skywise stole my heart when I was but 3 years old (Dad didn't pay attention to which comics I was looking at on our weekly trips to the BX), I have a deep love for Strongbow as well.

[brightknightie]

Oh, yes, Strongbow is terribly important to the relationships and action inside the story, as well as to constructing the culture and society so as to enable metaphorical resonance to the real world, as well as appealing in his own right for his motivations and struggles.

We cannot well do without Strongbow and what he represents, including when he seems to be standing in the way of developments. I doubt I'll ever forget that letter, dismissing Strongbow... the letter-writer actually said, as if it were an insult that proved his dismissal, that Strongbow was a "Republican" -- which could have prompted a genuine insight, if the letter-writer had been more conscious. Strongbow's traditionalism is not blind; it is just, fair and cautious from experience -- rules are made by survivors to pass on how to avoid the fates of the fallen -- and is a necessary and appropriate challenge to untested new ideas.

:-) I do love EQ. I hardly play in it anymore, but oh! there were days. And years. :-)

[skieswideopen]

I share your fondness for Jadzia and Henry.

My favourites often tend to be the main character on a show--I'm easily led by canon in that sense--but it would be an interesting exercise to identify the exceptions. It might also be interesting to see if there are any patterns to my favourites on ensemble shows. (I have two or three characters I prefer over the rest, though, rather than a single favourite character. I'm really not good at choosing favourites.)

[brightknightie]

>"I'm really not good at choosing favourites."

I think that I would have far fewer favorites if I experienced the stories in isolation. That is, if I'd never discussed FK with anyone else -- if my entire universe of FK were between me and canon, and my own interpretation were all I knew -- I don't know that I would ever have identified Nick as "my favorite." It's something about comparison/competition of interpretations, perhaps...?

[pj1228]

I blame my preference switch from Nick to Lacroix on the role playing game I participated in over a couple of years. I wrote Lacroix and I suppose occupying myself at close range with his ways of thinking increased my fascination.

Otherwise, in my case, it often depends on the actor. If I enjoy seeing an actor, or watch a series because of that actor, I usually like the character best, that is portrayed by that particular actor.

Let's see what other fandoms I can come up with in which I like one character in particular (not sure if I can get 10 at all):

10 fandoms in which I have a singular favorite character:
- Forever Knight: Lacroix
- Star Trek (TOS): Kirk
- Star Wars: Luke Skywalker
- Murdoch Mysteries: Chief Constable Giles
- LEXX: Prince
- Black Harbour: Nick Haskell
- Forever: Henry
- Arrow: Malcom Merlyn
- Vampire Diaries: Damon
- The Originals: Elija

10 fandoms in which I have no singular favorite character:
- Rookie Blue
- Highlander
- Castle
- Sherlock
- Star Trek - Voyager
- Star Trek - TNG
- Star Trek - DS9
I'm sure I missed something or someone.

[brightknightie]

>"Otherwise, in my case, it often depends on the actor."

That's very interesting! Myself, I try to feel for the intrinsic, archetypal character, regardless of any actor who may occupy the role, and I try to know as little as feasible about living actors and creators, lest it interfere with appreciation of the artistic work (e.g. when I learn that a famous person is a brute to his family, or a racist, or sexist, or thief, or liar, etc. -- when it's very bad, I must boycott).

I remember a conversation with Carrie once, near the time she finally wandered away from FKdom. She said she'd discovered that she didn't really care about Nick; she more enjoyed GWD. Me, I really care about the Nick character. As much as I enjoy GWD's work, I'd allow another actor to play Nick, and I wouldn't necessarily embrace another character just because GWD played him.