My Top Ten Male Fictional Characters (aka The Manspam)
Vikki's Top Ten Male Fictional Characters
This was much harder to compile than my 'females' list, mainly because I have a crush on pretty much all 10 of these guys! It was still fun though!
10) Barney Stinson
Barney is definitely the odd one out in this list, but I still love him. In real life I’d probably hate Barney but I love that, like Dean Winchester, he is very casual when it comes to women and relationships because he is afraid to love and be hurt. Despite his views on marriage and monogamy, it is Barney that helps Lily and Marshall rekindle their love but best of all, he doesn’t take credit for it.
9) Damon Salvatore
Oh look, a heartbroken hero, if an unwilling one at that. When we’re first introduced to Damon, he is the token bad brother to Stefan’s good brother. However, as the show progresses, Damon’s evil tendencies lessen as he begins to develop feelings for Elena. My favourite thing about him is the way he tries to cover up and deny the few good things he does, makes him a hero in my book.
8) Christopher Chance
Another heartbroken hero on my list. A pattern is definitely emerging! With every episode of Human Target (and there have only been 12 so far!) I came to love Christopher more as layers of his personality and his past were revealed. In a similar way to Dean he is not one for serious relationships, having lost the only woman he ever loved. Christopher has dedicated his life to helping people, making him a hero in my book for sure.
7) Dean Winchester
You can’t deny that Jensen Ackles is pretty, can you? But that doesn’t mean that he plays a pretty, one dimensional character. Dean is one of the most complex characters in this list, having had to deal with so much trauma and upset in his life from such an early age. His mother was murdered when he was just a little boy and his father spent the rest of his life, until his death, hunting down the demon who had killed Mary Winchester. Dean is a damaged character, and while many people would view his promiscuity as a bad characteristic, to me it shows that he has never really learned how to love or to let someone love him.
6) Richard Castle
It was a difficult decision to choose between my two favourite roles that Nathan has played. It was very nearly Mal Reynolds who occupied the sixth place in this countdown, but my love and admiration for Rick is stronger. I love all the contradictions of his character that make him unique and interesting to watch. The fact that we are given the impression that Castle has always been a bit of a player is then contrasted with the knowledge that he was the main caregiver in his daughter’s upbringing and that he has let his mother move in with him. It is impossible not to love Castle, even his flaws are lovable.
5) James ‘Sawyer’ Ford
Another one of my favourite messed up characters. Sawyer comes across as a hard, bad guy but there’s a heart beneath the surface. After witnessing his mother and father’s murder/suicide it is amazing that James turned out as well as he did. The island helped him to be the man we all knew he could be and brought him love, but didn’t diminish that bad boy, sarcastic sense of humour that no one could resist.
4) Hoban ‘Wash’ Washburn
I feel awful that Wash is only at number 4. Wash is definitely my favourite Whedon character, which is quite an achievement really considering the other great male characters on his shows. I love the light tone that Wash brings to the Serenity and I think he is the character that most of the audience can relate to. The fact that Zoe chose to marry him against the opinion of Captain Mal Reynolds just shows how much of a great guy he is.
3) Jess Mariano
There are lots of reasons not to like Jess. For one, he was rude to Lorelai in the first episode, which was enough to incur the wrath of many Gilmore Girls fans. Yet he has had the best character development of anyone else on this list. He went from an angry, rebellious seventeen year old with no academic qualifications to a published writer, finding his own niche in the world as well as bonding with his uncle and cousin. The fact that most of the changes in his life came about because of his love for Rory and her belief in him, only make me love him more.
2) Jack O’Neill
How can you not love Jack O’Neill? I’ve lost count of the amount of times his scenes have made me snort with laughter. His great, if unusual way of leading his team, the way he looks out for them and leaves no man behind and the way he survived the tragedy of losing his son are among the many reasons why he is so near the top of this list.
1) Fox Mulder
Scully is awesome, don’t get me wrong. She’s certainly one of the best female characters to have ever graced our screens, but of the dynamic duo it is Mulder that I love the most and identify with. My favourite thing about Mulder, besides his dry wit and the way he self-deprecates, is his unstoppable quest for and belief in the ‘truth’. Even in the second movie that takes places fifteen years after the first season aired, Mulder is still determined to find his sister. If Mulder believes, I’m right there believing with him.