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While I'm partial to coming of age stories, I hate characters that go from being flawed in some way (and therefore interesting) to being an extremely boring rendition of 'mature'. It's as if all people who grow up become responsible, fiercely loyal, stoic and disillusioned with the world. That's why one of my favorite characters is Cat Chant, from Charmed Life by Diana Wynne Jones. He starts out sullen, clingy and painfully shy, and most of the conflicts arise from his lack of a backbone. But even after the main confrontation is dealt with, he remains shy and sullen-- just less so. People don't change drastically overnight, and I hate it when fiction pretends they do.

This is why I despise Roran from the Inheritance Cycle by Christopher Paolini. He goes from being a perfectly ordinary character to being Roran Stronghammer, a noble and just warrior. He made me want to gag.

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I really love intellectual and witty characters, but not the geeky types. I especially adore Artemis Fowl Jr. from the eponymous series by Eoin Colfer, because he's just so damn funny and smart and yet socially awkward, but in a cute way. He's also named after my favourite goddess in Greek mythology, what more could I ask for?
I also like characters that are mature enough to understand that the whole world does not revolve around them, and that aren't judgmental. Which is why I hate Cat McPherson from Deathwatch. God, that novel was crap.
The best character's are the sarcastic ones or the annoyingly witty or rich or anti-social ones who decide to help the protagonist on a whim. Or the ones that have a unique personality and don't live up to anyone's expectations but their own.

Characters that I hate? Anyone from Twishite, obviously. Whiny, needy characters who do nothing but complain instead of taking action. Stereotypical characters. I like flaws, but there is such a thing as too many.
About Twishite: See my journal

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intelligent, sarcastic ones with a tragic background.. thats rlly fascinating me

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I like characters that do have issues, like they have meltdowns or can't sleep when the moon is full. I also like characters who fail at like, don't know how to act around important people, witty, oblivious, and people who have nothing to do with the plot. I also like it when the main character bleeds, gets hurt mentally, or dies and doesn't come back to life.
I don't like characters who don't bleed, annoying, mean, want to take over the world(unless they are funny) and other things.

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I love all types of characters, but there is one I hate, the good girl type that turns evil because of something like love. They are so annoying and usually go against my fav character in a series.

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4m twilight saga, i hate jacob black, i think he ruins the story
(but i love him in the movies!!!!)

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Humour is nice to have. So are badass, interesting, or unusual names (Barring your typical Kawaii Sparklesues), quirks, and overconfidence. I liked most of the characters in Catch-22 and it's what makes Psych, to me, better than The Mentalist.

For me, range of emotion can make or break a character. If they don't have a full range then it's not compelling- Especially when the author limits them to just 'BAWWW I AM SAD now I am less sad NOW I AM SAD ONCE MORE'. But that's probably only because I'm a sucker for the Hero's Journey archetype storyline sort of thing.

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heart mrgreen I hate the characters that are too sweet looking and nice. They drive me insane! I enjoy the characters have a little bit of mischievousness in them and are unpredictable. Those characters are the best! mrgreen heart

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I_Write_Ivre
I hate characters that hate each other at first and then later fall in love (exceptions being ones where they address why they hate each other and actually come to terms about that before seriously being in love, not just sweeping that under the metaphorical carpet.)


Ohmygawd. Im sorry, But i love those characters xD

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A character who is both believable and compelling.

Further: I like characters who are willing to take risks.
I like characters who don't know what they are doing sometimes.
I like characters that act calm under pressure but are really freaking out inside.
I like characters that break down at some point.
I like characters that are human.
I like characters whose pasts catch up with them.
I like characters have addictions.

I hate characters that are generic.
I hate characters that can't help themselves (but are able.)
I hate characters who never have anything original to say.
I hate characters that perfect.
I hate Mary-Sues.

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            Oddly, I can't think of any particular character types
            that I really like from literature. Which is rather strange for me,
            as I am very picky about the voice of the main character.


            *is thinking very hard*

            -- I like any character that is done right.
            (I could end the list right there, but I feel like stating some more specific ones. xDD)

            -- I like females that are independent, but not in the "cold-and-distant" sort of way.

            -- I like witty, class clown characters.
            (ex. Fred and George Weasley.)

            -- I like characters that you hate them so much, but you can't help but admire them for their delicious cruelty.
            (ex. Dolores Umbridge.)

            -- I like characters that you can empathize with to the point that you don't realize that you do until you take a break from the book and realize, "Wait... why didn't the character just do ____ instead of _____?" *facepalm* "DAMMIT, I WAS SO CAUGHT UP IN WHAT THEY WERE FEELING."

            -- I like characters that are unintentionally funny.
            (ex. Junie B. Jones.)

            -- I like characters that are unpredictable, but when they DO act, it's still relevant to their character. Basically, they do something, and you're like: "HOLY s**t, I DID NOT SEE THAT COMING. BUT IT MAKES PERFECT SENSE, OF COURSE THEY'D DO THAT."

            -- I like the love interests that have an actual unique personality and bring something to the plot other than romance or posing as a motivator for the main character. (ex. Love Interest is kidnapped or in some dangerous situation, Main Character has to step up and save the day.) There seems to be some type of archetype for this: The Perfect Boyfriend/Girlfriend, where their entire personality exists to love and care for the main character. The only real flaw they seem to have is loving their significant other TOO MUCH, OMG. rolleyes

            /rant.


            I'll be back with more, once I think of them. (:

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I love characters who actually have a personality, a history, and awesome reasons for their attitude.
The characters I hate more than anything are Bella Swan and Edward Cullen from Twilight...the two dullest characters with no personality (or, in Edward's case, a creepy one).

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Ms Laufeia
I hate characters that can't help themselves (but are able.)


THIS. THIS, THIS, THIS.
FFF, I FEEL A RANT COMING ON.
mad

/brofist@'chuu

Also, a few more.
-- I like when someone uses an archetype and brings something NEW to it.
-- I like when characters are reckless.
-- I like when characters have just as many bad days as they do good ones,
and not just one or the other. (Sort of ties in with my love for unpredictability, I suppose.)

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So far my favourite character that I've ever read was Raymond from Black Rabbit Summer by Kevin Brooks. (Bit of a spoiler alert!) He's a little different and a little strange, but that doesn't necessarily mean that he's dangerous or anything. Also since he disappeared quite early in the book he's a little distant from the story and then the ending just adds to the mystery about him. And he's all gentle and sensitive even though he had a hard life. So it shows that he's a bit of a fighter in the sense that he didn't let those things get to him and make him bitter, only timid and shy.

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I like emotionally messed up, neurotic characters.

I dislike boring characters or Mary Sue-type characters.
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