Top Ten Picks: Fictional Characters

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted by The Broke and The Bookish. Since the category this week is fictional characters, I am linking up an earlier post on the topic. Wow, this is the fastest post ever! ;o)

Top Ten Picks is a new feature hosted by Jillian @ Random Ramblings
The topic this week is favorite fictional characters from books, tv and movies. Such a broad category and so many favorite characters. Can I do it?

To aid myself in achieving this herculean task, I've set parameters to limit my over-exuberance. These are a few of the memorable characters that I get a kick out of and would like to hang out with. Here goes:

1. Scarlett O'Hara

Scarlett is lovely, charming, flirty, wily, shallow, selfish and has decorum issues. She is a clever business woman and always up for a good time... and always has a unladylike appetite (my kinda gal).

Scarlett possesses strength, courage, practicality and cleverness which ensures the survival of her loved ones and Tara. When confronted by danger and disaster and surrounded by ineptitude, Scarlett does whatever it takes no matter how distasteful. She is a survivor.

I would love to spend an afternoon with Scarlett: a shopping spree, dining at a five star restaurant and flirting outrageously with all the beaus. Much more fun than digging taters.

2. Anne Shirley

I love Anne's honesty, humor, vitality, quick-temper and imagination; all of which get her into and out of all sorts of pickles. Anne also has difficulties conforming to the decorum expected of a young lady. (Hmmm.... a bit of a theme here.) How fun to take a stroll with Anne around the Green Gables Farm discussing books and acting out our favorite scenes.

3. Katniss Everdeen

Katniss is another survivor. She is tough as nails but also vulnerable. Love her defiance of the government. I don't hunt but hunting is in my DNA... my grandmother was known for her hunting skills and I've been known to rid myself of varmints (rats) with my trusty BB gun. I would definitely break the law and go hunting with Katniss.

4. Special Agent Aloysius Pendergast

Pendergast is a fascinating mix of Sherlock Holmes and James Bond. He comes from a privaleged New Orleans family tainted with insanity and his intellect and wealth are off the charts. Ultra sophisticated but can kick butt when needed. Pendergast switches effortlessly between suave southern charm and icy aristocratic politeness to get classified information or access to crime scenes ect. He is kind, loyal, honorable and mysterious. Wonder if Pendergast could use another sidekick on his next case?

By the way, Pendergast is actually fortyish but this is the closest photo I could find. Someone on the internet manipulated a photo to get this close approximation of a younger Pendergast. Normally I prefer dark and handsome (more like Rhett Butler), but I might make an exception here. Pendergast is just so darn intriguing.

5. Repairman Jack

No photo here. Repairman Jack lives off the grid in New York City; only a handful of trusted friends/family knows what he looks like. The people who hire him to 'fix' things do not know his identity. He appears nondescript and average in everyway but, oh boy, does this man have skills. And I don't mean skills repairing appliances. Jack's skills allow him to fix bad situations in clever and humorous ways.

I like Jack's penchant for vintage kitsch and classic movies from the 30s and 40s. I like his loyalty to his few loved ones and his kindness to those deserving of kindness. I like his James Bond-esque creed: Live and Let Die. He has no qualms about disposing of low lifes that are hurting people especially children.

I want to be blackmailed so I can hire Jack and see him in action.

6. Lady Catherine de Bourgh and Mr. Collins

Yes, here I am sneaking in a twofer but I get such a kick out of them. Lady Catherine is so pompous and overbearing... so condescending, bossy and nosy. I laugh every time I think of Lady Catherine saying: I take no leave of you, Miss Bennet. I send no compliments to your mother. For some reason I find that very funny and have been known to use it in a pretend huff when joking around with loved ones.

Mr. Collins does smarmy better than anyone. He kowtows, fawns, grovels and name-drops till he is blue in the face.

As much as I would love to engage Lady Catherine in a verbal wrangle, I know she wouldn't deign to notice I exist. On the other hand, Mr. Collins might name-drop with me. My cousin-in-law is connected by marriage to Dame Barbara Cartland's daughter, Raine, who married Princess Diana's father. Bet that would get Mr. Collins all atwitter.

7. The Wheel of Time Women
I can never choose a favorite between Egwene, Nynaeve, Elayne, or Aviendha. All are complex in very distinct ways. Each one's personality a unique mix of strengths, weaknesses, quirks and foibles. I would love to be an Aes Sedai (female channeler of the one power) and join them in saving the world.

By the way, even the second and third tier female characters are fascinating. Robert Jordan was an amazing writer. Check out this series if you haven't-- it is the one fantasy series that rivals and, dare I say, surpasses LoTR (for me anyway).

8. Perrin Aybara and Mat Cauthon

The male characterization in this series is terrific too. Perrin and Mat are both likeable in completely different ways. Both are village boys thrust into world affairs and both become leaders of men and armies.

Perrin is a blacksmith at heart and wants nothing to do with his newfound wolfishness and attractiveness to women. He is sweet and bumbling in a burly sort of way.

Mat, on the other hand, is a clever cheeky rascal (but still sweet). He loves to gamble, drink, flirt and party. Like Perrin, he wants nothing to do with his newfound talents.

I'd like to steal a kiss from each one of them but only when their rather violent sweethearts weren't looking.

9. Samwise Gamgee

All the characters in LoTR are favorites (even Gollum) but I'm going to single out Sam for this list. I love that he gardens and cooks. Thrills me everytime he pulls out his little cooking pot in the middle of Mordor. I love all the little homey bits of wisdom he mutters under his breath. How lovely to putter in the garden with Sam while he shares stories of his adventures.

10. Einstein

I adore Einstein! He is the uber intelligent reading and spelling golden retriever from Watchers. He is courageous even when terrified of the Outsider (a genetically modified creature that hates him). Nothing could be more wonderful than reading and discussing Call of the Wild with Einstein. Of course, that would be followed by a Mickey Mouse cartoon marathon!

Can't believe I did it!! And with only a minimal amount of cheating! Oops, I didn't include any tv or movie favorite characters... Oh, I can't stand it... an honorable mention to Rizzo from Grease, Basil Fawlty, all the characters from Seinfeld, Star Trek, Are You Being Served?, Vicar of Dibly, Keeping Up Appearances, Coupling and...