Who are some of your favorite fictional characters and why? (With S.D. Grimm!)

We're back with S.D. Grimm. Before we get to today’s question, I want to tell you about about her Children of the Blood Moon series. Scarlet Moon is the first book in that series. I own this book (it's gorgerous!), and it's been hovering right near the top of my TRB pile for a while now. Life keeps interrupting all my reading plans, but I'm really looking forward to reading this one. Here is a description.

Evil is slipping through the cracks of its prison, and all Soleden trembles in its wake. Yet some would harness that evil to their own ends, and first among them is Idla, the sorceress queen bent on distorting the world. 

Only one can stand in her way: Jayden. Upon realizing her mark as the prophesied Deliverer, Jayden conceals herself from her enemies and her Feravolk countrymen. But after the harm the Feravolk caused to her family, she s loath to rescue the not-so-innocent. 

Hiding her mark was never easy, but now that Jayden knows both Queen Idla and the Feravolk are after her, hiding her gift of the Blood Moon will be impossible.

Doesn't that sound amazing? I really need to finish my book club book so I can read this one!

Okay, so let's get to today's question:

Who are some of your favorite fictional characters and why?

Sarah: Okay, setting my own characters aside: Quinn Runningbrook (Defiance trilogy by CJ Redwine) is my all-time favorite fictional character! Close second favs would be Newt Scamander, Captain America, Kenshin Himura, and Keith (Voltron Legendary Defender). Every single one of these characters was willing to see the light beside darkness in someone else and help them try to embrace the light instead. Every. Single. One of these characters was willing to sacrifice themselves for someone they love. Every. Single. One of them shows love by protecting. *shivers* That's my love language. :)

Stephanie: Wow, I am impressed that Sarah was able to pull a theme out of her character choices! Hermione Granger is a big one for me. Veronica Mars. Lizzy Bennett from Pride and Prejudice, of course.  Neville Longbottom has a wonderfully fascinating character arc over the entire Harry Potter series. I really liked Sean in Maggie Stiefvater's The Scorpio Races. Martyr from Jill's Replication has a delightful voice and fascinating backstory. There are also some characters who I find very interesting, even though they are not a "favorite character" in the traditional sense. The Joker from The Dark Knight comes to mind. I like what the writers did with him, and how Heath Ledger portrayed him.

Shan: I could make this difficult for myself and chew on every character I've ever read, but a few are just easy peasy pics: Like Steph, I'm a huge Hermione Granger fan. Also, Elizabeth Bennett from Pride and Prejudice. Wendy Darling, Sherlock Holmes, The Count of Monte Cristo. Jean ValJean from Les Miserables. Juliet Ashton from The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. And because you're all catching me in the midst of my detective story obsession, I have to mention Detective Cassie Maddox from Tana French's Dublin Murder Squad stories. There are so many others, but what I love about the characters I've mentioned is that they each have very little in common. There's no rhyme or reason when a character grabs hold of me, just like there's often no way to pinpoint which real life humans I'll hit it off with. Something in the stiffness of their spine, maybe, in their unique brands of bravery. Bravery comes in all shapes and sizes and I love seeing it on the page.

Jill: Oh my. So many great characters out there. Hmm, let's see ... Emma from Jane Auseten's Emma. I love how determined, yet misguided she is at the start and how much she grows. I adore Anne Shirley from Anne of Green Gables and Rachel Lynde. Jo March from Little Women. Hadassah from Francine Rivers' Mark of the Lion series. Kelsier from Brandon Sanderson's Mistborn and Alcatraz from Brandon's Alcatraz Versus the Evil Librarians. I love Percy Jackson and his cyclops half brother Tyson. Jean ValJean from Les Miserables, so much yes.

Oh! I love, love Beatrice and Benedick both from Much Ado About Nothing. Their dialogue is spectacular.

And while I do like Hermione's character, I loved Ron and his brothers Fred and George more, I think. And Mr. Weasley, Neville Longbottom, Luna Lovegood, Moaning Myrtle, Nearly Headless Nick, Professor Umbridge, Professor Snape, Gilderoy Lockhart, Professor Lupin ... Gah! Too many great characters in that series.

I like Tink Igby from Andrew Peterson's Wingfeather Saga. I love the Grinch. I love FitzChivalry Farseer from several of Robin Hobb's trilogies. I do like Elizabeth from Pride and Prejudice, but I honestly get a far bigger kick out of the side characters in that book, like Mr. Bennett, Mrs. Bennett, Mr. Collins, Lydia, and Lady Catherine DeBourgh. They're nuts, and it's so desperately perfect.

I love Samwise Gamgee. So. Much. *hugs Sam* And I kind of like Gollum too.

It's funny, "they" say that it's often the side characters that make a book great. The hero sometimes isn't the most interesting character because he or she has to be the "every man" character the reader can relate to. Which is why, I think, we end up liking so many side characters more than the heroes. Maybe not. It's just a theory.

What about you, writers? 

Who are some of your favorite fictional characters?