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Posted by on Mar 29, 2014 in Blog, Book Reviews | 5 comments

Who is the Greatest Fictional Character of All Time?

 

Edwin_Booth_Hamlet

 

This month’s issue of The Atlantic magazine includes a poll of several well-known personalities — including writers, scientists, business leaders, politicians, movie stars, and people from other fields.  Each was asked a simple question. 

Of the countless number of fictional characters created throughout history, who was the greatest?

 

In today’s essay, I’ll offer my opinion on this.  Perhaps you too, will join the debate and tell me who I left out and why my choices are right or wrong.

First, let’s define what we mean by “greatest.”  I think this means the most influential.  In other words, which fictional character impacted more people’s lives than any other?  For the sake of discussion, let’s consider only fictional characters which are known primarily in the English language.

The initial challenge is assessing the significance of longevity.  How much weight should we give fictional characters which have endured in literature for centuries?  It seems only fair that many of Shakespeare’s most memorable characters deserve a ranking significantly higher than any contemporary figure.  On the other hand, most people today would have a very hard time identifying King Lear, or other characters from the classics.  Let’s agree Harry Potter is a far more recognizable figure today.

If we were to break down this same question based on previous centuries, the greatest fictional characters would probably look something like this:

21st century:  Harry Potter
20th century:  James Bond
19th century:  Sherlock Holmes (though other contenders may include Dickensian creations Oliver Twist, Scrooge, and Peter Pan)
18th century:  Robinson Crusoe or Gulliver
17th century:  Hamlet (other strong contenders Othello and Macbeth).

— See Footnote 1

About ten years ago, National Public Radio (NPR) conducted a similar poll, although their survey included mostly academics and applied only to fictional characters in literature created since the year 1900.  Naturally, these results deviate significantly from what applies in pop culture:

1 –  Jay Gatsby, The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald, 1925
2 –  Holden Caulfield, The Catcher in the Rye, J.D. Salinger, 1951
3 –  Humbert Humbert, Lolita, Vladimir Nabokov, 1955
4 –  Leopold Bloom, Ulysses, James Joyce, 1922
5 –  Rabbit Angstrom, Rabbit, Run, John Updike, 1960
6 –  Sherlock Holmes, The Hound of the Baskervilles, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, 1902
7 –  Atticus Finch, To Kill A Mockingbird, Harper Lee, 1960
8 –  Molly Bloom, Ulysses, James Joyce, 1922
9 –  Stephen Dedalus, Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, James Joyce, 1916
10 –  Lily Bart, The House of Mirth, Edith Wharton, 1905
11-  Holly Golightly, Breakfast at Tiffany’s, Truman Capote, 1958
12 –  Gregor Samsa, The Metamorphosis, Franz Kafka, 1915
13 –  The Invisible Man, Invisible Man, Ralph Ellison, 1952
14 –  Lolita, Lolita, Vladimir Nabokov, 1955
15 –  Aureliano Buendia, One Hundred Years of Solitude, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, 1967
16 –  Clarissa Dalloway, Mrs. Dalloway, Virginia Woolf, 1925
17 –  Ignatius Reilly, A Confederacy of Dunces, John Kennedy Toole, 1980
18 –  George Smiley, Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy, John LeCarre, 1974
19 –  Mrs. Ramsay, To the Lighthouse, Virginia Woolf, 1927
20 –  Bigger Thomas, Native Son, Richard Wright, 1940

— See Footnote 2

Take a closer look at the list above.  Better yet, view the source material which lists the Top 100.  I doubt most people would be able to identify even a quarter of the fictional characters listed, a sad indictment on the diminishing role and influence of classic literature in modern society which is only likely to worsen with the avalanche of mindless sludge called “social media.”

That said, one has to balance the established classics with what’s truly relevant today.  So, let’s try to meld tradition with contemporary relevance.

Accordingly, here’s my list of the greatest fictional characters of all-time, along with my reasoning.  Let’s proceed in countdown form from 10-1:

10-5.  Sherlock Holmes, Hamlet, Dracula, James Bond, Ronald McDonald, Superman — Listed in no particular order, here are some of the most enduring fictional characters, past and present.  They could be ranked just about anywhere, but most will agree that each merits serious consideration for inclusion in the Top Ten.

4.  Mickey Mouse — Author R.L. Stine said it best, explaining his top selection as follows….”Aside from being amiable, Mickey Mouse has no discernable personality of any kind, yet has captivated the world, appeared in hundreds of films and sold billions of dollars worth of merchandise.  Has any other fictional character held sway over so many countries for so long?”

3.  Santa Claus — This beloved fictional character originated centuries ago in Turkey (other cultures too have claimed to be the basis of modern Santa Claus).  Regardless of when and where the myth began, he’s become a dominant fixture in consumer-oriented culture.  Cartoonist Thomas Nast’s colorful depiction of the jolly old man during the late 19th Century now undoubtedly stands out as one of the most recognizable figures in history.  However, Santa Claus has come to define far more than merely an association with a holiday.  He blends the myth of a fairy tale with a significant fallout that actually impacts the global economy.

2.  Satan — Not all fictional characters are heroes.  The most feared fictional character in history has terrified billions for centuries and continues to infuse the susceptible minds of many.

1.  God — The real “greatest fictional character” is, of course, a matter of perspective and certain to be controversial.  But should you accept the premise, this man-made creation minimizes all others by the sheer number of cultural references (in art, books, movies), longevity (dating back thousands of years), influence (which is global), grandiosity (allegedly being omnipresent), and scope (creator of the universe).  Indeed, God is, by far, the greatest fictional character of all time.

— See Footnote 3

—————

Footnote 1 — Source:  The Guardian (May 19, 2009)

Footnote 2 — Source:  NPR: 100 Best Fictional Characters since 1900

Footnote 3 — As I wrote my final word on this, it occurred to me this is an absurdly chauvinistic discussion.  Virtually all selections on these lists happen to be male.  What about female fictional characters?  Such a list might include (but wouldn’t be limited to) the following:  Cinderella, Snow White, Little Red Riding Hood, The Tooth Fairy, Dorothy (The Wizard of Oz), Barbie, Tinkerbell, Scarlette O’Hara, and Jane Eyre.

5 Comments

  1. Though not a recurring character or even a lead, you have to love Inspector Javert of Hugo’s ‘Les Miserables’ and Iago in ‘Othello.’

  2. How do you have James Bond as the greatest of the 20th century, but have Mickey Mouse ranked above him all time?

    I like Fred’s mention of Iago. Without Iago, you’d have no James Bond villains. Without James Bond villains, James Bond would be a shadow of himself, and you rate him #1 for the 20th century. Has to at least rate an honorable mention on any list.

  3. You finally lost me with this one Nolan. God bless and best wishes for a long and happy life.

  4. We get it…..you are an atheist and dislike religion. Please write more of these articles, they never get old.

  5. What about Sydney Carton from A Tale of Two Cities? He is a wonderful hero. I’ve never met someone who didn’t agree that he is one of their top favorite literary characters.

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