What kind of character will keep you reading just to see what they do next?

I personally love mentally unstable characters. I think it's because I don't know what they'll do next, or because they react differently to everyday situations. Either way, they're awesome.

I have a weakness for cutesy girls with a hime cut, like so:



Besides that i like those bitchy/cool collected women that look the part, usually they're mean and don't have a soft side ever, i don't like them as protagonists though only badass villains.
Good example: http://jusuchin85.com/images/2009/07/canaan-ep-01/canaan-01-02.jpg

Mad bombers. I don't care how generic or terrible the character actually is, if he chucks bombs around and giggles, I will love him unconditionally.

I'm not really sure what kind of character I like, but one kind would probably be the one that is confident, not the main character but is probably on the main character's side, and is sometimes a bit reckless, and possibly flirty lol

I like characters with a bit of mystery to them. Give me unexplained scars, give me a vauge origin story, I want to be wondering whats up with the mysterios artifact they have with them always. I want to know why they speak in a strange maner/never speak at all. I want to know what the deal with his hair is.

At least 50% of my own characters are writen this way.

The really smart guy/gal holding his/her own in a world of the superpowered while having comparatively modest skills. Batman and Shikamaru Nara fit this.

The over-confident, cocky type. They're just so cool. And it's hilarious when they fail, because then they get all pissed. :D

Jerkass.

But gee, bet no one could've guessed that'n, eh?

Flashman.



He's a fraud and a bully. He lies and cheats and always has the worst intentions. He's also a coward and not much good at anything except fencing and riding (horses and ladies), but he still succeeds by pure good fortune anyway. Always beating the better man by chance or villainy, or else he accidentally saves the day and everyone loves him as a hero.

THAT is a great character. :)

I don't really have an absolute favorite though there's quite a few character types that I like. Mostly I like villainous characters.
I like anti-villain characters, basically a villainous character that's actually very heroic and well-intentioned that finds him/herself doing something really horrible. The best example I can think of for this is Ozymandias from Watchmen.
I also like scheming villains that actually trick the heroes and end up winning in the end.

The smart-ass straight man/woman character. It's one of the reasons I like Stan Marsh from South Park even though some people don't.

I tend to appreciate the mentor or monkish characters - the ones who give the main character advice, direction, and the ability to temper their emotions (think Seymour from the original Temple of a Thousand Tears ).

I also like resourceful and clever characters who are just normal people making the best of out what's around them (like Cricket in Cricket's Creature ).

My least favorite character type is the hyperactive cutesy girl that says stupid stuff and scampers around like a caffeinated squirrel. I think that's why I have a character like that - it's a personal challenge to make her non-irritating and likeable.

I like side-swappers, con-men, and undercover sorts. But I hate when a badguy-turned-goodguy gets killed in his heroic act. That's lame. It can be moving, I guess, but it's overdone. Darth Vader can get away with it. Every other time I've seen it, it annoyed me.

One of my favorite characters ever is Fujiko from Lupin III. The series more than the movies, since in the movies she's generally heroic and rarely screws the guys out of things. Episode to episode, you always know she's pulling a con, but you never know if her victims are the Lupin gang, the antagonists, the audience, or some combination of them. -- Of course, I also like The Sting.

My other annoyance is when it's done poorly. It's okay to swap sides once or twice (or better still to be a double agent and only pretend to swap or swap once and then pull a fake swap), but when it's done over and over again with no apparent (or very weak) motivation, the character becomes either a really lame and dislikeable wishy-washy sort (*cough*PiratesoftheCarribean*cough*) or just plain unbelieveable.

usedbooks
One of my favorite characters ever is Fujiko from Lupin III. The series more than the movies, since in the movies she's generally heroic and rarely screws the guys out of things. Episode to episode, you always know she's pulling a con, but you never know if her victims are the Lupin gang, the antagonists, the audience, or some combination of them. -- Of course, I also like The Sting.

*points to her Fujiko Mine figure on her desk* I love Fujiko too! She's really sly, and although she's big-breasted she's far from a bimbo! XD

Splash Damage
What kind of character will keep you reading just to see what they do next?

I personally love mentally unstable characters. I think it's because I don't know what they'll do next, or because they react differently to everyday situations. Either way, they're awesome.

I tend to like mentally unstable characters as well, also because you don't know what they'll do. What they say and how they act is usually captivating. I also tend to like the character that often has bad luck, because it's nice to see how they finally get a break (alas, usually at the end of a story, though ^^; ) And lastly I always love the bad-guys! I think they're more interesting then the good-guys. :D

I like asshole-ish/selfish characters. Their ridiculousness can be funny.

Anybody I can relate to on some level. Even if I don't really have to totally agree with them.

mmmmm...
mmmmmmmm,,,,
MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM....

Guile from Street fighter ^^

I like characters who work under their own rules for the most part. You know, the type that believe their actions are completely justified no matter what they are. These characters are usually this way for a reason, which gives the creator the opportunity to give us some tasty back story.

I also like wisecracking characters. Whether male or female I find witty characters entertaining, mainly because a good writer can make their wisecracking nature a shield from their problems.

i really didn't expect everybody to have such different answers.

Mods, be proud (and afraid), you run a site full of free thinkers.

beware the nice ones, i love characters that aren't what they appear to be.

I like villainous characters. Not idiots like Cobra Commander, but smart ones with an agenda you can identify with... like Yagami Light in Death Note.

As for Guile from SF2... Yeah he's awesome! X-D

But, BUT, not the new "I'm having plastic surgery to look like Ahnold" Guile. I don't like that Guile.

I like the original SF2 Guile. The one who is not so buff he looks like he can't pull off his fast moves. The one with long legs and knows to take advantage of it. The one whose face isn't all square, and moves his jaw when he fights like he's cursing under his breath (or chewing gum).

amanda
My least favorite character type is the hyperactive cutesy girl that says stupid stuff and scampers around like a caffeinated squirrel.

Now, that's just grossly unfair to hyperactive, caffeinated squirrels!

Have you seen Hoodwinked? The hyperactive caffeinated squirrel just makes the movie!

I love selfish/arrogant/spoiled characters. So much.

Bonus points if they're also completely insane. And male.

I enjoy characters that are extremely oblivious to everything. A character that is usually the brunt of the joke...but doesn't realize it due to his own ineptitude.

idstudios
I also like wisecracking characters. Whether male or female I find witty characters entertaining, mainly because a good writer can make their wisecracking nature a shield from their problems.

Agreed. I tend to favour the joker/prankster character too - especially when there's a hint of some deeper thought process underneath their performance. :)

I love the villians who just enjoy being evil cause they can. They don't want to take over the world they just want do whatever they want.

My personal favorite who embodies this trait is Hisoka from HunterXHunter (before they turned him into a pedophile).

I like a character who can kick ass.
Not just physically, but someone who can get things done and take charage of the situation.
Characters who stand passively while bad things happen to them or others drive me up the wall.
I demand ACTION!
*sets himself on fire and jumps out of a window to demonstrate the form action might take*

ARRRGGGHHHH!

patrickdevine
I don't really have an absolute favorite though there's quite a few character types that I like. Mostly I like villainous characters.
I like anti-villain characters, basically a villainous character that's actually very heroic and well-intentioned that finds him/herself doing something really horrible. The best example I can think of for this is Ozymandias from Watchmen.

Yeeeeaaah! Villains are my favourite. I'd always root for the baddies in cartoon shows or movies, but got tired of them always being stupid or failing all the time. Seriously, a good guy that always wins is so boring.

Also to be very specific, Scorpius from Farscape. Sure he drilled into Crichton's mind and made him a little loony, but he's effing awesome.

I also like the calm and collected (but clearly insane) villain who is the epitome of evil (like Hao from Shaman King).

I also like scheming villains that actually trick the heroes and end up winning in the end.

I think you just described my comic, haha.

i like bastards,but they need a certain flavor,like a sense of humor or something. like they could rip off you're arm and smack you with it and it'll be funny.

Freegurt
Yeeeeaaah! Villains are my favourite. I'd always root for the baddies in cartoon shows or movies, but got tired of them always being stupid or failing all the time. Seriously, a good guy that always wins is so boring.

Oh yeah, for sure. I don't care much for heroes that always win either. In fact what I really like doing is putting heroes into unwinnable situations because those tend to reveal more about that character's personality.