A simple enough question - which fictional characters do you like the most, and why? Doesn’t have to be just one, because picking out just one is probably impossible if you read / watch a lot .
Sir Humphrey Appleby
Nigel Hawthorne’s devious civil servant in “Yes, Minister” and “Yes, Prime Minister” was a brilliant piece of both acting and writing, and I’ve loved him ever since first seeing the series.
Francis Urquhart
Forget the US remake (spit) and stick to Ian Richardson’s Shakespearean performance in the original BBC version. I felt his character was weakened slightly in the two sequel series (flashbacks about the murders he’s committed haunting him etc - bah humbug!), but still a great piece of work. I love the way he draws you into his plots and makes you almost complicit in them.
Dr Marc C DuQuesne
From E. E. “Doc” Smith’s Skylark books, Blackie DuQuesne is a villain in most of the books, but is probably the most interesting character Doc Smith wrote, and the combination of his honourable behaviour, ruthlessness and oftentimes inhuman brain are a pleasure to read about.
Nadreck of Palain VII
Another of Doc Smith’s characters, Nadreck is a truly alien alien, not the cheap “bumpy forehead plus exaggerated human trait” cardboard cut-outs you so often get (seriously, I cannot recommend the Palainians enough when it comes to writing aliens as, well, alien). Lazy, cowardly, unable even to comprehend the idea of honour, he is nevertheless one of the most terrifyingly competent good guys ever to grace space opera. There’s also Mentor, but he’s more of a supporting god there to hand out advice than a regular character.
Discworld
Quite a few characters here, so I’ll just lump them all together. Lord Vetinari, Vimes, Death, Susan, Granny Weatherwax, Ridcully (sorry, “***RIDCULLY!***” …), Nanny Ogg, Greebo, Carrot & Angua are my favourites. Well, and the Luggage, though it’s not really so much a “character” as an ambulatory plot device. Of the lot, I think Death is my favourite by far.
That’ll do for now I think - what about everyone else’s favourites?