Gushing About Characters You Like (Sugar Wiki)/Film

Everything About Fiction You Never Wanted to Know.


Characters from Film that are just that... totally... Awesome.

  • Godzilla, anyone?
  • Detective John McClane. Yippie-kay-yay, mutherfucker!!
    • "Now I have a machine gun... ho ho ho."
  • John Shaft!!!! Can ya dig it?!?!
    • When he's played by Samuel L. Mother (Shut yo' mouth!) Jackson?? Yeah, I can dig it!
  • Movieverse Tony Stark, anyone? Just look at that movie's CMoA page.
    • In that universe, we've got Steve Rogers, played by Chris Evans. Not only when he becomes Captain America, but even when he's a scrawny kid from Brooklyn, you just can't help but root for him.
  • Detective Axel Foley. Jack Sparrow learned everything he knows from this Detroit cop. And if that wasn't enough, his Theme Song is one of the most recognizeable tracks of The Eighties.
  • The Joker - Heath Ledger's portrayal.
    • Seconded. I know some people experienced Hype Backlash, but honestly, I have never liked a supervillain so much. He gave me two nonconsecutive nightmares and still manages to be hilarious. Maybe that says something about me, since I was the only one in the theater who laughed at his jokes (but there were only about 15 people in the rather infrequently attended theater and that was a lot for that place).
    • You have to give props to Jack Nicholson's Joker, too. More cartoonish than Ledger, but it works.
    • I like Jack's Joker better than Heath's, as Jack's Joker was the comics version brought to life.
      • "What kind of a world do we live in where a man dressed up as a bat is stealing all my press?"
        • HE STOLE MY BALLOONS!!! Why didn't anyone tell me he had one of those... things?
    • Danny DeVito as the Penguin. Solid gold win!!! "Burn, baby, Burn!!!!!!!!"
    • The Scary Black Man (not!) who throws the innocents' detonator out the boat. What now, Joker? Still think Humans Are the Real Monsters? (To think I'd be listing a character who appears for less than five minutes...)
  • I'm fed up with all this villain love. What about the Caped Crusader himself????? Micheal Keaton OWNED his role as Batman. Nobody has done it better. But....Christian Bale has done a very commendable job in the new movies.
  • Alright, you primitive screwheads, listen up! See this? This... is my boomstick! It's a twelve-gauge, double-barreled Remington. S-Mart's top of the line. You can find this in the sporting goods department. That's right, this sweet baby was made in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Retails for about $109.95. It's got a walnut stock, cobalt-blue steel, and a hair trigger. That's right... shop smart. Shop S-Mart... You got that?!!
  • Indiana Jones. Is there anything this dude does that isn't awesome? Going to the bathroom? His actor's desire to do that led to his most famous Crowning Moment of Awesome. You know the one.
  • Star Wars: R2 freakin' D2.
    • Don't forget Princess Leia!
    • I find your lack of faith in Darth Vader disturbing.
    • None of them surpasses Darth Sidious. Apart from his being the most Magnificent of all Bastards in that series, look at his (few) combat scenes and see how he wields his Force Lightning and his lightsaber, and then tell me he's not awesome.
    • He does have some fearsome competition however in Yoda. The single most awesome puppet ever (Frank Oz is a genius), and once switched to CGI proves that being 900 years old doesn't stop him from possessing combat skills rivalled only by Sidious.
    • Asajj Ventress FTW!! She's not even a Sith apprentice and can take on Master Jedi!
    • Han Solo. That is all. Oh, and Admiral Piett, by virtue of surviving not one, but two of Darth Vader's temper tantrums. nice suit, too...
    • Good Lord, Wedge Antilles. A truly Badass Normal who just gets more Badass in the Star Wars: X-Wing novel series.
    • Darth Maul. His fighting skills alone redeemed The Phantom Menace.
    • MACE. MOTHER. FUCKIN'. WINDU. I do not have to explain why.
    • Qui-Gon Jin. In his review of Taken, Roger Ebert said, "This movie proves that Liam Neeson can bring undeserved credibility to most roles just by playing them." (Ebert is apparently ten years behind the curve) In a movie of colossal stupidity, with horrible dialogue and non-existent direction, Neeson managed to make Jin wise, enthralling, and endearing.
    • I always liked Captain Fordo, from Star Wars: Clone Wars. A relatively minor character, especially compared to everyone else here, but he brings in ass-kicking and awesomeness in any scene he's in. Just look at him!
    • Without doubt the greatest hero of the Star Wars Universe is Luke Skywalker. At 18 he nearly singlehandedly saves the rebellion and blows up the death star. By the end of Empire he is able to deal with the horrific revelations within and bounce back. At 22 he has become a fully fledged Jedi and is able to take down Vader in a duel. He then has the courage to go up against the Emperor himself. And from that point on (bouts of unwanted pacifism and self doubt aside) he sucessfully recreates a better Jedi order, goes from strength to strength and fully earns his place as the greatest example of what the Light side is about. The only reason he cannot have been mentioned yet is that nobody felt worthy of doing so.
    • Obi-Wan-Kenobi. Deadpan Snarker, Badass Beard, managed to take on the friggin' Chosen One and curp-stomp him, sexy enough to have a pre-pubescent saying "THAT'S Obi-Wan? Day-um, he was cute when he was young."
  • Detective Alonzo Harris. 'Why?' you ask? Because a lot of corrupt (and some not so corrupt) cops think they're a Magnificent Bastard. This motherfucker IS one. Because "the shit's chess! It ain't checkers!" Because, his office is a Lincoln cruiser with hydraulics. Because "it takes a wolf to catch a wolf". And because he's played by Denzel Washington.
  • Ripley. "Get away from her you BITCH!"
    • Bishop. Quiet, stoic - he had hidden depths that were never plumbed.
      • Sergeant Apone---The original badass black cigar-chomping one-liner-spewing bug-stompin' Sergeant Rock. Shame he died so soon...
      • What, no love for the titular aliens?
  • Captain. Jack. Sparrow. Any doubts about his awesome can be easily dispelled by listening to his theme music.
    • What can I say about wonderful Jack Sparrow? Well, there's this conglomerate of remarks gleamed from the Pirates fandom:
      • A classic Byronic Hero; an outcast with no respect for rank or privilege. A trickster, cunning and adaptive. Mysterious, magnetic and seductive, of dubious integrity, distrustful of social institutions & norms. And nobody seems to know where he came from.
      • A pretty thing; proud and flashing bright. He burns fire-bright, eyes open or closed. Something dark, daft and utterly fey dances flame-hot in his eyes. Even locked in a dim Port Royal cell, his light shines undimmed. It could be said that no man in fiction has ever seemed more alive.
      • Fair of face and form, laughter and fortitude, with zeal for life that would lure a saint to sinning. Sometimes cold, fierce and dangerous, like some magnificent bird of prey. Mentally and physically agile- that taut bowstring tension to him, that sense of coiled potential violence, that unexpected strength.
      • A Dionysian disciple, singularly possessed of the ability to summon forth Chaos from Order. A rascal and scamp, yet so worthy of acceptance. When he polishes the tarnish off, the silver shines. Old wounds and new ones, scars and brand and braided hair. The golden smile and that silver tongue no metal can match. A sparrow, but not a nondescript bird.
      • A Caribbean cocktail-blend in human form; a nervy, theatrical rogue; a manic scoundrel subject to bouts of conscience. Brilliant, and constantly on the edge of disaster. Jack Sparrow stands merrily defiant, ready to take on the world... or at least pick its pocket and sneak out the back door.
      • A guy you can trust not a wit, and with your life. A pirate, and a good man. :)
    • What do you mean we've forgotten about Barbossa?! The man has some of the best dialogue ever written for the silver screen!

I'm disinclined to acquiesce to your request. Means no.

    • Barbossa is indeed one of the most entertaining movie villains in recent years, and Geoffery Rush owns the role so very, very well.
    • Norrington, because he's a stone-cold badass that doesn't need half the ham the other characters in the trilogy do to be awesome.
      • I love James Lysander Norrington too. He was a truly admirable guy who got worse than he deserved in every movie. (Re James' middle name; see the entry under Pirates Of The Caribbean's WMG tab.)
      • Gibbs! What a quartermaster, the best quartermaster ever! Also, Beckett, the most badass little power-tripping butthole of all time!
        • This editor thinks Gibbs is easily one of the (if not the) most underrated characters in the film. Anyone who can put up with Jack Sparrow the way he does is nothing short of a saint.
      • Elizabeth? From Lady Classic to Pirate King. Adrenaline Makeover much? And she wasn't any kind of Damsel Scrappy even at the beginning.
      • No love for Davy Jones? The man's Bad Ass depite the fact he's got more Narm than can fill the sea and an octopus for a face! In fact, that makes him even more awesome! And as for his pet . . .
    • Murtogg and Mullroy. And Pintel and Ragetti. Both of the duos have a great dynamic.
  • Master Chief Carl Brashear. You walk 12 steps in a suit that weighs over 300 lbs. and do it with only ONE good leg, and we'll add you to this list as well.
  • Kyle Reese from The Terminator: I remember staying up years ago to watch the original for the first time when I was twelve. I had never seen an R-rated movie without my parents in the room before, and the language was pretty shocking for someone who had never heard the word "fuck" before. But I digress. Then Reese comes on screen, all wild-eyed and intense, blasts the Terminator through a window, and says "come with me if you want to live." And my little 12-year-old brain went "This guy is FUCKIN' AWESOME!!! I have found my role model!" This from a 12-year-old GIRL, by the way, but I turned out all right. Hey, I think the guy's a better role model than most people on TV nowadays. Sure, people tell me I'm too wild-eyed, determined, and intense, but there are worse things a person can be.
    • While Terminator Salvation may have its issues, Marcus Wright is an absolutely fascinating character, and Sam Worthington deserves a place in the Trope Pantheon as the God of Taking the Bad Seriously.
    • OP: Absolutely. With all the hype surrounding Christian Bale as John Connor, Sam Worthington's portrayal of Marcus was overlooked. The guy rocked it. The character of Blair Williams was also great. Unfortunately, the movie itself wasn't too good. You could tell that Anton Yelchin was trying very hard, but the guy's never gonna be as good as Michael Biehn. And Christian Bale's hilarious rant took all seriousness out of the film.
  • John. Keating.
  • Ah, Dr. Frank N Furter. Everyone's favourite cross-dressing, Mad Scientist, alien.

Frank: So, come up to the lab and... see what's on the slab. I see you shiver with antici...............pation.

    • Frankie's just adorable. Also, Riff Raff rocks too!
      • Columbia. Her voice is a little irritating, but she's so cute that she more than makes up for it.
  • Jareth. Amazing lines, heartbreaking stares, jealousy...

Jareth: I'm surprised at you, losing your head over a girl!

    • Pot, kettle? And of course...
    • What about the other characters? Ludo was such a big sweet-heart. :) And Sir Didymus was just plain awesome... or insane... hard to tell the difference. And Hoggle had some nice character development.
    • Jareth's pants.
  • Mercedes from Pan's Labyrinth. Will of iron, one of the most satisfying firings of Chekhov's Gun in all fiction, and those unexplained niggling bits where she discusses fairies with Ofelia and recognizes the door. Beautiful, beautiful character.
    • Captain Vidal also deserves a mention, as he manages to be loathsome without the writers resorting to making him cowardly or otherwise pathetic. He's brave, tough, and faithful to the fascist cause, and he's still a huge Complete Monster by being so utterly cruel. That's a great sign of a well-written character.
  • Roy Batty.

Roy: I've seen things you people wouldn't believe. Attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion. I've watched c-beams glitter in the dark near the Tannhäuser Gate. All those ... moments will be lost in time, like tears...in rain. Time to die.

  • Riley Poole is here! Justin Bartha's character is arguably the best thing to come out of the National Treasure series, if only because his Deadpan Snarking occasionally drifts towards Lampshading the absurdity of the films' plots. He's certainly One of Us.
    • Oh my god, I don't even know why, but I have this crazy obsession with Riley. He's just so damn funny, and Adorkable, and just...omg.
  • [[James Bond (film)|Bond. James Bond.}} * cue Crowning Music of Awesome provided by John Barry*
  • The Twilight movie's Edward Cullen, for the sole fact that Robert Pattinson seemed to play him as one of the most intentionally unintentionally hilarious characters ever.
    • Jane is played by DAKOTA FANNING.
  • Happy-Go-Lucky's Poppy has the confident, energetic, ridiculously upbeat personality of a Blithe Spirit, without the actual Blithe Spirit part, taking away the annoying and leaving us with just one lovable as hell character. Also, never seen anyone play this kind of character nearly so well as this. Sorry, Jewel, but it's true.
  • Ethan Edwards of The Searchers is the greatest anti-hero ever depicted in a Western. Period.
  • Withnail. In the hands of a lesser actor, he could have been just a Jerkass Loser but with Richard E. Grant playing him? My, my, I've never seen such a classy, endearingly sad, side-splittingly funny bastard in all my life.
  • Doc Brown. "It'll shoot the fleas off a dog's back at five hundred yards, Tannen, and it's pointed straight at your head!"
    • Seconded! Doc is pretty much the epitome of Cool Old Guy. Plus he's not bad looking. . . .
  • Japeth, the most awesome mountain goat ever. Just watch him.
  • James T. Kirk was awesome as a thirty-something year-old captain. But then, he got old, got a gut, and his hair thinned. And he became even more awesome. That man is made of so much win, it took a second actor to play him. And he was Badass too!
    • There will never a bastard with such magnificence as KHAAAAAANNNN!. "From hell's heart, I stab at thee.....For hate's sake, I spit -- my -- last breath -- at theeeeeeeee."
      • In fairness, it should be mentioned that when Khan spoke the above line, he was quoting someone else.
  • Anita and Bernardo in West Side Story. They pretty much stole the entire film away.
  • Eric Liddel from Chariots of Fire. He was unpretentious yet appealing and he could actually make you think that Good Feels Good. He was kind to everyone and the only time he became angry was when someone tried to force him to bend his own principles. He actually gave sermons that were pleasant to hear as well. Sometimes when an attempt is made to make a saintly character the result is either a wimpy one or a sanctimonious one. Eric was neither; he liked people and made them like him and no one ever considered him wimpy. And the race in which he was knocked off the course and got up to run after everyone and win the race was one CMOA.
  • Jack Ryan in Hunt for Red October. He was quiet, unassuming, knew tons of naval minutiae, could jump out of a helicopter onto a surfaced submarine. And he could solve a world crises while still remembering to bring home a teddy bear for his daughter's Christmas present.
  • Riddick. Nothing like a bad guy trying to be a good guy (kinda sorta not really) in a bad situation. Plus, I guess I like sadism. And you know he'd leave you behind on that hellish planet if you don't get your ass on that ship in the time it takes to close the door—even if he just helped save you.
  • I Kneel Before Zod in his awesomeness.
    • * Scoff* You kneel before Zod. I, on the other hand, fully understand the Lex Luthor is "the greatest criminal mind of our time."
  • This editor isn't gonna lie: Amelie Poulain is his dream girl.
    • Does the suicidal goldfish count as character? Because that guy was awesome!
  • Harold Crick. Will Ferrell is absolutely tremendous as him, and I wish he'd do more dramatic acting. Crick's journey from repressed workaholic who does nothing to being a lover of life, motivated by the knowledge that his death could be just around the corner is brilliantly done, and then you have the tail end of the film, where he becomes a de facto hero. It's one thing to be willing to die for your art. It's another to be willing to die for someone else's. Yes Karen, he is most definitely the kind of man you want to keep alive.
  • Harmonica from Once Upon a Time in the West. Total badass, and gets an awesome theme song.
  • Victor Van Dort from Corpse Bride. Adorably shy and sweet, very intelligent, and extremely brave when it comes down to the wire. Plus, those Victorian clothes help a lot.
    • Emily: How many people, after years of waiting for love after your lover murdered and abandoned you, would then give up the chance to marry your beloved so as not to condemn your beloved's beloved to the same fate? Hell, if this isn't in the Crowning Moment of Awesome page, it needs to be! Also, Bonejangles. His song is frikkin' awesome!
  • Evie Carnahan in The Mummy Trilogy. Okay, so she is the idiot who wakes the mummy up in the first place but there's still something to be said for a librarian turned Action Girl. And not everyone can have a Crowning Moment of Awesome or several relying on their knowledge of ancient Egyptian.
  • Two words: Jack Skellington. Despite the fact that Hot Topic and Spencer's are making him into a cash whore, he remains an interesting character. He's charismatic, kind-hearted while still being scary, and a great singer to boot (Thanks, Danny Elfman!). Plus, how many characters are both cute and scary, without the former being the cause of the latter?
  • Henry, the titular character of Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer is probably one of the creepiest psychos in movie history, and he does it all by being so realistic. He never once seems to be a goofy over-the-top movie villain like the Joker or Hannibal Lecter, and comes across as far more frightening than either one, in my opinion. Add in an excellent performance by Michael Rooker, and you've got one of the most awesomely freaky maniacs in movie history.
  • Most of the characters from Almost Famous are some form of awesome. Even if it's a kind of mean awesome. But a lot of them aren't. William? Could he possibly be any more adorable? And Lester Bangs... well, she doesn't know much about the real Lester, but the Philip Seymour-Hoffman Lester is GOD.
  • Should this list include Raul Julia as the fabulously awesome General Bison? OF COURSE!
  • 2 from 9. As said on the movie's page, he's basically a walking Crowning Moment of Heartwarming. He's so sweet! And he's a genius and inventor, and a Cool Old Guy, he has a sort of pureheartedness and innocence that doesn't equal naivete (obviously, as he's basically an apocalypse survivor), and he seems a bit eccentric.
  • Atticus Finch. While from a book, he deserves a mention here. Gregory Peck was so great as him that it broke Harper Lee to tears and gave him her real father's watch. He was so great that she said he did not simply portray Atticus, but that he was Atticus. He was named the best hero by AFI and deserved it.
  • Seymour and Audrey. They make the cutest couple ever! Oh, and that crazy dentist was pretty funny, too. And who can forget the plant, Audrey II? Twooey stole the show, and being voice by Levi Stubbs helped.
    • You mean you didn't love Bill Murray like I did and his scene stealing at the dentist's office? CANDYBAR!
  • For shame. How could we have gone this far with no mention of any of Quentin Tarantino's characters?! Well it's okay Jules, Vincent, Marsellus, Butch, Winston, Koontz, Mia, Beatrix, Bill, Budd, O-Ren, Pai Mei, Landa, Aldo, Donny, Shosanna, Stiglitz and Rachtmen; I think you guys are totally kick ass!!
    • Gogo Yubari: A Badass in a schoolgirl uniform, she is hot. But she will gut you alive for thinking that. She wields the most awesome weapon ever, and wields it good despite the fact that a very heavy steel ball on a long chain seems extremely Awesome but Impractical. She dominated the Bride over the whole duration of the battle, and honestly deserved to win that one.
    • Maybe not as badass as the above, but deserving their own special mention are Mssrs. White, Orange, Pink and Blond. Although Blond is a sick, sick psycho, but whatever.
    • YES. I was just about to mention the characters from Inglourious Basterds, all of whom are pure awesome. Everyone from Shosanna and Col. Landa to the titular Basterds to Lt. Hicox to that German sergeant who gets his head bashed in by the Bear Jew...everybody. Yes, they do horrible things, but I love them all. They deserve their own mention, not just to be lumped in with other Tarantino characters.
    • Well, almost everybody.
    • "That's a bingo!"
  • Dr. Ellie Arroway from Contact.
  • Clementine Kruczynski. She's so much more than just a fucked-up girl looking for her own peace of mind.
  • Doc Holliday. He's got two guns, one for each of ya.
    • Fucking seconded. And he's dying for that whole movie. God DAMN.
    • So awesome, he’s great even when played by another actor, as Dennis Quaid demonstrates in the otherwise meh-fest of a movie that is Wyatt Earp.
  • Bill the Butcher. Another case of the villain stealing the show, and Daniel Day Lewis' enforced method acting helps too.
    • His accent is somehow more American than American. The way he chomps at his words, he's one step away from literally chewing the scenery. It could so easily be a hammy mess, but it works, and it's glorious.
  • Christian, the penniless poet. Handsome and romantic and devoted. Swoon.
  • Grace from Avatar makes me want to get into science. And she's played by Sigourney Weaver!
    • No mention of Avatar can be made without including Colonel Miles Quaritch, putting the Badass in Colonel Badass!
  • Juror #8. In an hour and a half, went from 11 jurors convinced of the defendant's guilt to a unanimous vote for acquittal, and remained perfectly calm throughout (except for one moment near the beginning, and quickly recovered). A valid point of divergence for any Alternate History story: "Juror #8 was in <insert place>, and <insert war> never happened."
  • Robert Fischer Jr. from Inception. A prime example of the Woobie, he starts out seeming like this arrogant rich kid, but then you get to see his confidence issues out in the open, not to mention his clear fear once Cobb starts the Mr. Charles gambit. Once he starts to feel accepted by the team, you can see his shyness and happiness about finally being accepted by someone, and the scene with his father is just ... to top it off, he's played by Cillian Murphy.
  • |Buzz. Friggin'. Lighyear.
    • Woody is more human than most humans I know.
  • Stalker's wife in the 1979 Andrei Tarkovsky film Stalker, played by Alisa Freindlich. While Stalker, Writer, and Professor all desire things like power, money, and respect, and do not get it in the end, Stalker's wife has only one wish: to be with the man she loves. At the end, when Stalker returns to her and their daughter, she becomes the only person in the film to be truly happy.
  • The Metatron from Dogma. Tall, Dark and Handsome Deadpan Snarker whose lines are made up of nothing but either a Crowning Moment of Funny or Crowning Moment of Heartwarming. Not to mention he's played by Alan Rickman... voice of God, very fitting indeed.
  • Everybody wept for E.T.'s plight, and not without reason...but I shall cry for The Man Who Fell to Earth, Thomas Jerome Newton. So beautiful,[1] so fragile, so innocent yet not without moments of wisdom...and yet he gets one of the cruelest examples of the Downer Ending...(waaaaa)
  • I watched Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels recently and I thought Rory was a real cool character. Mister Big is a common enough trait for criminal leaders, but what makes Rory unique is that he's a Pint-Sized Powerhouse who doesn't hide behind his hulking men, but instead leads from the front with a comically small gun. He's very respected by his men and is probably the most reasonable crime boss in the movie (admittedly not difficult). There's also the fact that he has a snazzy lair and likes Umbrella Drink(s), neither really typical of one of The Yardies. Basically, he consciously seems to avert a lot of gangster stereotypes.
  • Cher Horowitz from Clueless. Yes, she's a little bit ditzy and sometimes meddlesome, but she's a loyal friend, looks out for her dad, and is liked because she's nice to pretty much everyone. And her wardrobe! Fifteen years after the movie's release, and I still long for that pinstriped suit/beret combo.
  • John Matrix from Commando. After his daughter his kidnapped, he knows exactly what to do: Find the kidnappers, and kill them. And he doesn't let things like evil dictators, their military, former elite soldiers and angst get in way. In the end, he succeeds and manages to kill, like, a whole fucking army on the way!
  • Mattie Ross. She doesn't have strength, size, or even the respect of the people around her. She does have cleverness, a cool head in a fight, and unending determination to see justice done. Perhaps even more importantly, she's not incapable of fear—she's clearly terrified when the bullets start flying and things go south, but she's got enough, well, grit to keep her wits about her.
  • Kirk Lazarus and Kevin Sandusky in Tropic Thunder. Kirk is badass as a black guy and sexy as a white guy. But you can't help to feel sorry for him. Kevin is the one sane guy who managed to help keep this group together even with the three main stars breaking down from all sorts of issues.
  • In a cast full of stoics, Mouse and Link sometimes seem like the only truly human characters in the movie.
  • This might be just me, but the Drayton "Cook" Sawyer from The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 1 & 2 is my favorite character of the entire slasher genre (even if neither of those movies are technically slashers, and he himself never kills anyone). He's the only one I know of that feels any actual guilt for killing, and he actually makes an attempt (though a not very good one) to comfort his victims before they die. He just seems the most human to me. Of course, your mileage may very
  • Everyone in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. EVERYONE.
  1. ↑ yes, in and out of his disguise
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