Waterdancer Posted May 1, 2007 Share Posted May 1, 2007 The perfect hero or heroine is a type of character that never works well. They're written in to be the righteous opposite of the required villain. To me, they've always backfired. I tend to find myself wanting the perfect character to get, at the very least, a good ass beating. To be well-rounded, of course, I also want my villians to be something more than just evil. But it's the perfect characters that aggrevate me more. It takes a lot more skill for an author to create a complex, flawed character. That's one of the things I like when I read GRRM, although Dany sometimes skirts a little too close to being perfect. The 'perfect' characters that bug me the most: Aenea (Endymion series) Nicole Desjardin (Rendesvous with Rama series) Fran Goldsmith (The Stand) Who's on your list? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trey Greyjoy Posted May 1, 2007 Share Posted May 1, 2007 I have to imagine most of us wanted to gangster slap Polgara "aunt Pol" the Sorceress at one point at least during the Belgariad.... Maybe its just me? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
naz Posted May 1, 2007 Share Posted May 1, 2007 ...Nicole Desjardin (Rendesvous with Rama series)... Oh lord, she is at the top of my list. I can't believe I read through all those sequels despite her being in them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ser Barry Posted May 1, 2007 Share Posted May 1, 2007 Paul Atreides Anasurimbor Kellhus Any 'Jedi' characters annoy the piss out of me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bastard of Godsgrace Posted May 1, 2007 Share Posted May 1, 2007 I was lately pissed by Raoden and Sarene form Elantris. Not only are they great in everything they do, but everybody likes them to boot. Another Mary Sueish character form recent fantasy is Phedre, but she at least has some flaws. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greywolf2375 Posted May 1, 2007 Share Posted May 1, 2007 I have to imagine most of us wanted to gangster slap Polgara "aunt Pol" the Sorceress at one point at least during the Belgariad.... Maybe its just me? Nope, that was exactly whom I thought of when I read the thread. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mme Erzulie Posted May 1, 2007 Share Posted May 1, 2007 Terry Goo... I mean Richard Rahl. Not that he's actually perfect. He's a fucking psychopath. But he is portrayed as perfect. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jerol Posted May 1, 2007 Share Posted May 1, 2007 Dan Brown's Robert Langdon was the epitome of a "Gary Stu" character. Every time I hear someone say how great that book was I just want to scream. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spring Bass Posted May 1, 2007 Share Posted May 1, 2007 Paul Atreides Anasurimbor Kellhus Any 'Jedi' characters annoy the piss out of me. Yeah, but neither of these characters are portrayed as morally good, like how Richard Rahl is done. Both of them are ruthless assholes much of the time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kalbear Posted May 1, 2007 Share Posted May 1, 2007 Honor Harrington. Her greatest flaw is that she's too modest. Gah. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matrim Fox Cauthon Posted May 1, 2007 Share Posted May 1, 2007 Paul Atreides Anasurimbor Kellhus Any 'Jedi' characters annoy the piss out of me.Wow, two of my favorite characters in fantasy and sci-fi literature. But I think that Leto II is worse than Paul Atreides. At least Paul messes up and often realizes his own moral ambiguity and tries to avoid his inevitable future ruthless jihad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quoth Posted May 1, 2007 Share Posted May 1, 2007 Clive Cussler's Dirk Pitt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Probably Posted May 1, 2007 Share Posted May 1, 2007 Clive Cussler's Dirk Pitt. Clive Cussler. Any author who puts himself as himself and as the hero--and has them meet--and has them share the same taste in cars that he owns in real life (and is pictured with on the back cover as well) deserves to be shot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fez Posted May 1, 2007 Share Posted May 1, 2007 Anasurimbor Kellhus Agreed. Though I'd say that while he's perfect at everything he does (so far anyway) I don't believe Bakker is writing him as the perfect person, rather he's a huge fucking sociopath that's got "MAD SKILLZ, son". There is a difference there, and I still hope that he's getting setup for a huge fall in the new trilogy(?). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Demonblade Posted May 1, 2007 Share Posted May 1, 2007 Pretty much every 'good' character in LOTR, with a few exceptions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A Time for Wolves Posted May 1, 2007 Share Posted May 1, 2007 Anasurimbor Kellhus Serwe Eragon Elphaba (A huge disappointment in Wicked the novel, while brilliant in the musical) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Antares Posted May 1, 2007 Share Posted May 1, 2007 Well, I'd give my answer, but I'm afraid I'd be stoned. Ah what the hell... Gandalf. Gandalf is supposed to be the archetypical white wizard. Everything he does is morally correct, and he infinitely wise and never makes any mistakes in his decisions. Edit: Except trusting Saruman. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A Time for Wolves Posted May 1, 2007 Share Posted May 1, 2007 Old wise men are cool. Although nowadays I don't love Dumbledore half as much as I used to, mainly because I don't love Harry Potter half as much as I used to. That reminds me. Ginny went from being one of my favorites to being most hated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maid Sansa Posted May 1, 2007 Share Posted May 1, 2007 Rhapsody, she of the regenerating maidenhood, who makes people bump into each other on the street, and thinks it's because she's so ugly. Jaenelle Angelline. Honor Harrington. Polgara the sorceress, and her clone from Elenium, Sephrenia. Make that all the characters from Elenium. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Knight of the Wineskin Posted May 1, 2007 Share Posted May 1, 2007 Anasurimbor Kellhus Serwe I don't see either of those as perfect. Serwe is completely delusional and nuts, and ends up getting killed. Kellhus, while having amazing physical and mental abilities, is a heartless bastard. Sure, everybody likes him because he manipulates them into liking him. On the other hand... Eragon No argument. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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