Wednesday, April 23, 2014

Top Ten Character Crushes

*  *  *

I'm not sure if I've stated it in the past, but I will now:  I'm a hopeless romantic.  I always look forward to the romance in any given story, whether it's a book, play, movie, audio drama....  
As such, I've had a lot of crushes.  Ever since I can remember, the list has been building.  If I'd had only one crush per year for every year of my life, I wouldn't be old enough to have all the crushes I've had.  Currently the number rests at approximately 25 that I can remember.
Now of course, when a girl gets a crush, it seems like a very serious thing, especially when she's young.  But now that I've gotten over each of these crushes, I can laugh about them.  My friends and siblings and I have had loads of fun discussing our various crushes over the years.

The following list names some of my favorite and most significant crushes, and all of them on fictional characters.  It was very rare for me to get a crush on a real person.  
Just a warning... some of the characters listed are animals.  Humanoid animals, mind.   Those crushes all occurred when I was very young (probably between five and nine years old).  At that age, it's mostly the idea of a character, not the actual physique, that matters.  So don't think me weird for having a crush on, say... a dinosaur.  It was the personality that I liked.  ;)


*  *  *

# 10

Basil of Baker Street

From:  The Great Mouse Detective


Why:

I've always been attracted to the Sherlock Holmes type. Something about the intelligence, eccentricity, and absent-mindedness seems so cute.  And the way that Basil stepped up to take care of little Olivia was very touching.  

#9

Martin the Warrior

From:  the Redwall animated series


Why:  

Martin the Warrior was brave, convicted, and responsible.  He fought tirelessly to protect his friends, and save his people from slavery. But he was not just a warrior; he was also gentle.  He was a great leader, and he had his funny moments as well.   "The Protector" type always was, and still is, attractive to me.   I also remember really liking his voice.  



#8

Little Foot

From:  The Land Before Time









Why:  

Like Martin, Little Foot was a protector.  After the death of his mother, Little Foot takes on a rag-tag band of other dinosaur children who have lost their parents.  Faithfully, he befriends them and attempts to lead them to the Great Valley, a place where he knows they will be safe, and hopefully find their remaining relatives.  And those big eyes.... they were really cute.


#7

Robin Hood

From:  almost any version












Why:

The idea of Robin Hood is what got me.  The cunning, dashing, roguish hero who fought for the poor has been an icon of heroism for hundreds of years.  His intelligence and bravery were the most attractive to me.  Also, who doesn't love an archer?  The popularity of Legolas and Hawkeye prove that archers are automatically liable to be liked. 
As a side note, one of the incarnations of Robin Hood I liked most was the Disney version; a fox.  This, coupled with the movie The Fox and the Hound, is likely why my favorite animal to this day is the red fox.


#6

Prince Rilian

From:  The Silver Chair










Why:

I think it was pity that moved me for this one.  The enchanted prince of The Silver Chair had "suffered more than any mortal can bear", and there's something about pity that just moves a young girl's heart.  After that, it was mostly the image of him that I created in my mind, because we get to see very little of Rilian in the book.  However, he did become attached to and protective of his rescuers, Jill, Eustace, and Puddleglum, giving him "The Protector" traits.

#5:

Prince Caspian

From:  Prince Caspian (book and movie), The Dawntreader (book)











Why: 

With this one, it definitely had to be looks.  Looks first, then character later.  Actually, I'm not so much of a fan of his character in the movie (being too disappointed with the differences from the book) but in the book I did like him.  I'm not sure what it was... I think that in The Dawntreader it was his bravery and determination that got me.

#4

Peter Pan

From:  Disney's Peter Pan


Why:

The reason this one isn't back there with the rest of the cartoon characters is this was such a HUGE and long crush.  I was pretty young at the time... but I was old enough to write my first love song.  The lyrics went something like...

I'm in love with
Peter Pan
I'm in love with 
Peter Pan
I'm in love with...

Something like that.  It was pretty repetitive.  A girl's got to get her point across, right?  Anyway, for Peter Pan, it was his looks and his impishness that got me.  Humor and fearlessness were always attractive to me.  I also liked to see him taking care of Wendy and the boys.  And that scene where he's struggling to save Tinkerbell from the wreckage of their home touched me deeply.  



#3

Luke Skywalker

From:  Mostly Return of the Jedi


Why:  He was a hero.  His determination to save his friends and his father was very winning.  I liked his responsible nature, and I admired his skills with the lightsaber.  He wore a cloak, and an all-black outfit.  Need I say more?
This crush was significant because it inspired my very first fanfiction series, before I even knew what to call that kind of story.


#2

Tyorl

From:  Stormblade (Dragonlance Series)

















Why:

Tyorl was an elf ranger who fell in love with a young human girl, but she never saw him as a possible love interest because she was already falling in love with his best friend, a human ranger named Hauk.  Hauk had been captured by the enemy, and the girl Kelidha had insisted on accompanying Tyorl to rescue him.  It was on this journey that Tyorl fell in love.  
Tyorl, who was actually quite young by elven standards, never spoke of his feelings to Kelidha because of his love and respect for his friend.  He knew where her heart lay, and knew that Hauk returned those feelings.  Repeatedly throughout the book, Tyorl was exposed to tragedy, such as being abandoned by his people, watching many of his friends die, losing the woman he loved to another man... I think it was pity that touched me first with this one.  
Also, Tyorl was honorable, and heroic, in a quiet, understated way.  In the end, he sacrificed his life to save a dwarven king he didn't even know, all for the sake of his friends.  It was so sad.  After he died, I didn't have the heart to finish the series.  

#1

Archmage Mochriadhemiach  (right)

From:  Nine Kingdoms Trilogy


















Why:  

Mochriadhemiach of Neroche, otherwise known as Miach, is the over-worked archmage of the realm.  What attracted me about his character was... everything, really.  He has the intelligence of the "Sherlock Holmes" type, the diligence and gentle nature of "The Protector", and the cunning of Robin Hood.  He is described as being quite handsome, but is often disheveled because of lack of sleep.  The poor man is so stressed by his constant vigilance against the evil wizards who would assail his kingdom.  He is constantly looking after the affairs that his brother the king neglects, and he tends to be a worrywart.  However, at the same time, he is charming, witty, and humorous, and never bitter.   He is sensible, and wise, and extremely talented in magic.  But he is also not arrogant; rather , he prefers to hide his talents until it is necessary to reveal them.  Of course, he was not without his faults.  There were times when he was  wrong, mistaken, or just plain not good enough; but he was always willing to admit it and apologize for his faults.  

In a way, his relationship with his oldest brother Adhemar reminded me of Thor and Loki, as they should have been.  Adhemar was a bigger jerk than Thor, of course, but the similarities were undeniable.  
What I found most attractive about Miach was his honor.  Despite his tragic past, and poor treatment from his older brother, he was not  bitter, and he still loved them dearly.  He did not let his tragic past or inner darkness get the best of him; rather, he rose above them, and that made him one of my favorite heroes of all.  Right up there with Beleg Cuthalion and Aragorn.  

*  *  *

Well, what do you think? There's certainly plenty to laugh about in here.  Those of you in my audience who are female, have you shared any of these crushes?  If so, let me know!


-Rayne Speryll

16 comments:

  1. You're much braver than I am; I thought about doing a "top ten character crushes" post, but I decided against it. (That might've had to do with the fact that I still have crushes on a few characters who'd invariably make it onto the list.)

    I definitely shared your crush on Prince Caspian . . . and I might've had one on Robin Hood too. I'm not positive about any of the others, though I know I never had a crush on Luke Skywalker. Han, on the other hand . . . well, I have a thing for that character type. I'm not sure what that says about my judgement but whatever.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. No fears, Sarah! ;D As evidenced by this list, you're in good company. And to be honest... I might still have a crush on Miach. He's just so awesome.

      Delete
  2. Haha! I've got a lot of character crushes! Yes, the fox Robin Hood and Peter Pan were always pretty awesome to me! And while Rillian himself never quite appealed to me (I think the BBC version ruined that), but his sort of character is actually one I fall for a lot. So I'm looking forward to the new Silver Chair...they better find the right guy for him...if they do...I think I could like him a LOT.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I agree! You should take a look at the Silver Chair dreamcast I posted a while ago... I don't remember when. Anyway, if you haven't already seen it, let me know what you think!

      Delete
    2. I really like your dreamcast--especially for Jill and Puddleglum.

      I think I'd choose someone else for Rillian (not sure who), but someone who has Tom Hiddleston's skill for being witty, amused, and just a little weird and Sean Sebastian's skill for looking tortured just by a glance in the eyes...and cuter than either of them...I'm picky, I know.

      Whatever the case, I hope the actor they do choose will pull it off. Looking back over Rillian, he has LOADS of potential. I hope they develop his character more throughout the movie...I think that would be worth sacrificing the big surprise of his identity at the end...not that it was a big surprise anyway. ;)

      Delete
    3. Rilian is hard to cast. :) I chose Hiddleston as my first choice because he happens to be one of my favorite actors at the moment, and I think he has sufficient talent to pull it off.

      I agree with you, though; I hope that they develop Rilian's character more. It's definitely worth the sacrifice of the "reveal". Most mature audiences would figure it out anyway. I've always wanted to know more about his personality, and his history.

      Actually, reading the book, it's possible to induce a lot more about his character than is apparent at first. His obsessive desire for revenge over the death of his mother, and quick anger toward his friend Drinian suggests to me that he tended to be a bit rash, in his youth. He was never short of bravery, or daring. He was capable of great depths of emotion; his quick love for his friends testifies to that. In his older days, I think that he has gained a sense of calm and mastery: It says in the book that when they rode through the ruin of Underland he was whistling, for the troubles seemed so much less than the ones he had faced for ten years that it was almost like a game to him.

      Well, that's what I draw from the book, anyway. I'm rambling now... I'd better save the rest of this for a separate blog post! ;D

      Delete
    4. Indeed! And the after effects of his slavery should play in strongly too. It would be an interesting twist if they brought him in as a villain, perhaps causing continual hindrance to the very people trying to rescue him. But that might be too Winter Soldierish...

      Delete
  3. BASIL!!!! *grin* I love The Great Mouse Detective, so I got quite excited when I saw him on your list. I've only ever seen a short scene from the Redwall animated series, so I can't comment on Martin's personality. But, you gotta admit, for a mouse, he's pretty good looking. ;) When I was younger, I really enjoyed Land Before Time. But I watched it recently and about choked. Sarah's so annoying and even Ducky, who I always liked, got on my nerves. Have you watched any of them recently? Peter Pan's adorable, Prince Caspian is also adorable (Hehe), and I liked Luke Skywalker, too, even if I have noticed some of the slightly annoying things about him as I got older. I haven't heard of any of the other ones.

    I personally have a long-standing character crush on Gilbert Blythe from Anne of Greene Gables, the movies (I never got around to finishing the book series).

    By the way, I'm hosting a flash fiction contest over on my blog, and I'd love it if you could join in, Rayne! http://www.theinkloft.blogspot.com/2014/04/hey-everyone-i-just-wanted-to-pop-in.html

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Wow, thanks for the invitation! I"m definitely interested. *clicks link*

      I've only seen the very first Land Before Time. I've never seen any of the sequels, so I don't know how they are. But I completely agree with you about Cera! She was a jerk. Especially since I knew a girl just like her at the time I liked that movie. Incidentally, she shared the same name. Ironic, huh?
      Anyway, before I wrote this list, I had just been watching clips from LBT. That's actually what triggered this post. :) I still love it as much as I did when I was a kid!

      I never had a crush on Gilbert Blythe, but I can definitely see why you would. Especially as he gets older. :D

      Delete
  4. Oh, and yes, of course, I HAVE heard of Robin Hood. (Oops!) I love the Disney version of him, too. :D

    ReplyDelete
  5. I share a lot of your favorites... I wouldn't neccessarily call them crushes (the only fictional--or factual, for that matter--crush that I've ever had was Alan Breck Stewart from "Kidnapped." I think it was the slightly-foreign concepts and the humor and the fact that he's a Scot that got to me.. ;-P Mostly history reasons. Besides, my family is from the British Isles on my mother's side, and my story "Bound to the Flame" takes place in Scotland, specifically the Highlands.), but I do have a lot of the same favorite characters. I guess it's kind of liberating to be born at the very tail end of the twentieth century, since I don't have to snub the Star Wars prequels and as is probably obvious (points to username) I'm a big fan of Obi-Wan, and I also would like to add Samwise Gamgee...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Forgot to say, also like Peter and Robin Hood :-P

      Delete
    2. It is nice to be of the generation that doesn't necessarily have to despise the Star Wars prequels. They certainly don't compare with the original trilogy, but I think they're quite enjoyable. Jar-Jar Binks is... trying, to say the least- but I thought he was hilarious as a kid. :) I'm really looking forward to the new one, "The Force Awakens". It looks like it just might be great

      Delete
  6. Hey, Rayne, as you'll see on my blog, I've got the flash fiction pairings up. I just wanted to drop by and give you your prompt. :) Begin a story with this sentence: "The door squeaked loudly, which was odd, since that door never squeaked." You have a limit of 800 words, not including the prompt. I'm excited to see what you come up with!

    ReplyDelete