Personalities that you find endearing. -

[Smolrolls]

What do you like to see in characters when you flip through a comic, read through a book and play inside their shoes within a vidya?

What don't you like on a primal level when you encounter people say @boxershorts46 or rather any lolcows in this site?

And most of all, what makes the personalities you see, read and play through(Ambitions, Goals, Drives, History, etc...)?

 

[Overcast]

I guess I like characters who are generally flawed in some way but try their best even if said flaws get in their way. Generally satisfying to see when they either overcome them or turn them into strengths.

Vivi from Final Fantasy IX in particular had to deal with not only coming to terms that he isn't "human" like other people, he was made for a specific purpose and had a very limited lifespan. Even when he didn't have an answer for any of these things, with the help and support of his friends, he was able to move forward. He went from a shy little kid to a strong young man who valued living life to the absolute fullest.

 

[CivilianOfTheFandomWars]

I’ve always liked the idea of a nihilist who isn’t just a dick. But rather, one who uses it as a reason to be good.
Think Death from Discworld for a good example. He knows everything is inherently meaningless, that he himself will come for all things eventually, but that meaning is something that you give, not something that is inherent. Death didn’t have to dance with the old woman who saved him, but he did. He didn’t have to help Mort when he messed up, but he did. Death could have easily done none of those things, but he did anyways.
I still think “There is not justice, there is just us” is one the best quotes about that idea. Because it’s meaning changes through the story from “nothing matters” to “we have each other, even if nothing matters”.

 

[Justtocheck]

If they are gay, but not a faggot.

 

[Stilgar of Troon]

I’ve always liked the idea of a nihilist who isn’t just a dick. But rather, one who uses it as a reason to be good.
Think Death from Discworld for a good example. He knows everything is inherently meaningless, that he himself will come for all things eventually, but that meaning is something that you give, not something that is inherent. Death didn’t have to dance with the old woman who saved him, but he did. He didn’t have to take help Mort when he messed up, but he did. Death could have easily done none of those things, but he did anyways.
I still think “There is not justice, there is just us” is one the best quotes about that idea. Because it’s meaning changes through the story from “nothing matters” to “we have each other, even if nothing matters”.

That bit in Reaper Man with Miss Flitworth was genuinely moving. The idea of the Ultimate Reality literally making time to take an old lady dancing one last time is just beautiful.

Sam Vimes is another; unarguably flawed but determined to do the right thing, regardless. BTFO-ing an ageless personification of revenge (The Summoning Dark), because it wouldn't be just to let it make him a murderer, even if the victims deserved it by most people's metrics.

 

[CivilianOfTheFandomWars]

That bit in Reaper Man with Miss Flitworth was genuinely moving. The idea of the Ultimate Reality literally making time to take an old lady dancing one last time is just beautiful.

Sam Vimes is another; unarguably flawed but determined to do the right thing, regardless. BTFO-ing an ageless personification of revenge (The Summoning Dark), because it wouldn't be just to let it make him a murderer, even if the victims deserved it by most people's metrics.

Very rarely can a book, can words on a page, make me feel as many emotions as Reaper Man. I’ll admit I teared up at Miss Flitworth’s death, and felt genuine goosebumps from The Death of Universes and when Death fought the New Death.
It’s such a great book, man.

 

[Ozul]

I always like characters that are so hyper focused on their role that they are a bit oblivious to their surroundings. Idk why, I guess it's just kind of endearing to see that level of dedication.

 

[albert chan]

Personally, I like the comics that have multiple characters that show a different amount of personalities, even if the story is all about the main character itself.

Examples that come to mind are Bone and The Preacher.

 

[Doctor Placebo]

Hyper-competent and professional villainous henchman characters are usually pretty great. Bonus points if they have some kind of special personal rivalry with the biggest badass in the heroes' group. Also bonus points if they outlast and completely overshadow their boss at the end as the one who gets the epic final fight scene.

 

[Y2K Baby]

The nigger that loves bread and wine.

 

[A Cardboard Box]

I like villains with motivations arguably better than the hero's.

 

[Doctor Placebo]

The nigger that loves bread and wine.

Jesus?

 

[ColtWalker1847]

Such a great character.

"a scoundrel, a liar, a cheat, a thief, a coward—and, oh yes, a toady."

 

[Thumb Butler]

I like people like Brianna Wu. Hard-working, honest and always there if anyone needs help.

 

[Kari Kamiya]

Weird personality choice since it really should be balanced out with another personality, but for me, it's perverts. Anywhere from the chivalrous pervert to the sex-crazed dirty old man, I just can't help giggling over them. Typically played for laughs, but they just don't have a filter and always try and (usually) fail to get laid because of their incompetence. It's rather rare for a work to treat this as a serious condition (addictions or otherwise), though, so they tend to be some of the more exaggerated characters.

But there is such a thing as going too far, and those generally are the more obnoxious characters no one likes from the audience and in-universe. Maybe perverts are just tolerant of other perverts, I dunno, but it takes a lot to be irritated by a perverted character (see: Junk Boy).

 

[L50LasPak]

You know, I normally hate these kinds of questions since I have an intense distaste for being asked what seems obvious, but I actually couldn't answer this one right off the top of my head.

Having thought about it a little, I suppose my pick would be people/characters who show initiative. Someone who when they arrive on the scene takes command. There's nothing more satisfying than the cavalry rolling up and whoever is in charge knows exactly what they're doing. The dipshit previously in charge gets pushed over and the guys who were holding out for backup actually get some, that kind of thing.

I think stories get especially interesting when you put more than one person with that kind of domineering personality on screen. Then you get some interesting character conflict because both of them think they know what's best, and often they're too stubborn to back down. Which is also very true to real life I've found.

 

[wtfNeedSignUp]

I like characters who get exposed to actual damaging conflict and still go ahead despite it, not necessarily actively, it's enough they still try to make the most of their situation. I can't stand characters that either get everything on a silver platter or treat insignificant events as some kind of incredibly hard struggles.
Yeah it's not really a unique thing but jesus christ it's rare in modern media.

 

[Evian Les Rutabaga]

That bit in Reaper Man with Miss Flitworth was genuinely moving. The idea of the Ultimate Reality literally making time to take an old lady dancing one last time is just beautiful.

That's one of the things I enjoyed about Neil Gaiman's version of Death in "Sandman": the way she gently teases Hob Gadling when he boasts that "death is just a mug's game", assures an old man that she can "rocker Romany" and allowing him to say a last Sh'ma, or stopping to talk when she overhears Rainie Blackwell crying. Of course, with Gaiman writing, even John Constantine is capable of an ephemeral act of kindness.

I guess there's also something to be said for characters who don't stop working to salvage something good from their failures, even when it's too late to make right the damage done. If it weren't for all their flaws, misfires, and fuckups, Miles Vorkosigan, John Constantine, Indiana Jones, Vlad Taltos, Cordelia Vorkosigan, Dean Winchester, Amy Pond, and many others wouldn't be able to shine. They wouldn't need to.

 

[Rafal Gan Ganowicz]

Varg Vikernes. Anders Breivik. Eric Rudolph.

 

[catpin]

A character that knows his methods are flawed but constantly tries to do mental gymnastics to give themselves the vision that he is doing good and everyone else is evil