One day, I realized that I could list a ton of fictional characters who are superior to Edward Cullen. Fifty, to be exact. So I will present these characters ten at a time. Feel free to read all five parts, or maybe just one part.
*Disclaimer: I have grouped the characters according to book, movie, TV series, or play. However, I have not listed them in any particular order of importance. #1 might not be my favorite on the list, and likewise #50 might not be my least-favorite on the list.*
#1: Frodo Baggins.
Let me guess. At this point, you're thinking, "Enough already!"
Fair enough, but please bear with me.
I think it would be a waste of space to go into detail for the umpteenth time of why I like (okay ... love/obsess with) him so much, so I'll do the best I can to sum it up.
He's perfect. He's handsome, kind, courageous, loyal, clever, sweet, tormented (wait, what?), wise, selfless, humble, and strong. Yes, you read that correctly--strong. Please feel free to read my other posts for further elaboration.
You may be wondering why I'm attracted to his tormented side. I wish I could tell you the answer. Maybe deep down I'm a sadistic psycho who thrives on others' suffering. But I think the answer is that I have some nurturing side of me that has yet to appear, as I am not a parent, and that nurturing side just takes so much pity on Frodo's condition that I feel obligated to love and care for him.
WAIT! I forgot his accent! (If you can believe it, I have not yet mentioned his accent.) If you're wondering which specific British dialect it is, the Hobbits (except Pippin) all speak in a Gloucestershire dialect (source: website of dialect coach Andrew Jack, who worked with the actors and with Peter Jackson during production of the Lord of the Rings movies). Anyways, I love foreign accents, and Frodo's is so smooth and delicate. I could hear him talk forever, especially since he speaks so many powerful words.
#2: Samwise Gamgee.
In the words of countless teenagers, "Well, duh!"
I can't say anything bad about this guy; I just can't. I love him (not romantically; as a brother).
He is loyal. He is unconditionally loyal, which you just don't see anymore. He nearly kills himself to get onto the boat with Frodo. Everything he says or does is said or done with Frodo's best interests at heart, and Sam does not want to let Frodo down.
He is respectful. He has good old Southern manners, calling men "Sir" and calling Frodo "Mr. Frodo."
His loyalty makes him unafraid to speak his mind. When he senses that someone is messing with Frodo, something snaps within him, and Sam lets that person have it. He only threatens people who threaten Frodo, and frankly, it is a lot of fun to see. I especially love the threat Sam makes to Gollum in the extended version of The Return of the King. I do not remember the exact wording, but Sam says that if anything happens to Frodo, Sam will kill Gollum. And you can tell Sam means it.
His optimism is as inspiring as his loyalty. Let's face it: There is no hope to be found in Mordor, but Sam finds it. Even when Frodo's mental state has deteriorated completely, Sam manages to stay hopeful. I don't know how he does it; I just don't.
And he is sensitive and caring. He knows that Frodo is suffering, and Sam wants to help him so terribly. Sam is just a wreck with pity, but he knows that he cannot do anything to ease Frodo's torment. But Sam does what he can, even if it's not enough.
#3: Legolas Greenleaf.
I can't say anything bad about this guy; I just can't. I love him (not romantically; as a brother).
He is loyal. He is unconditionally loyal, which you just don't see anymore. He nearly kills himself to get onto the boat with Frodo. Everything he says or does is said or done with Frodo's best interests at heart, and Sam does not want to let Frodo down.
He is respectful. He has good old Southern manners, calling men "Sir" and calling Frodo "Mr. Frodo."
His loyalty makes him unafraid to speak his mind. When he senses that someone is messing with Frodo, something snaps within him, and Sam lets that person have it. He only threatens people who threaten Frodo, and frankly, it is a lot of fun to see. I especially love the threat Sam makes to Gollum in the extended version of The Return of the King. I do not remember the exact wording, but Sam says that if anything happens to Frodo, Sam will kill Gollum. And you can tell Sam means it.
His optimism is as inspiring as his loyalty. Let's face it: There is no hope to be found in Mordor, but Sam finds it. Even when Frodo's mental state has deteriorated completely, Sam manages to stay hopeful. I don't know how he does it; I just don't.
And he is sensitive and caring. He knows that Frodo is suffering, and Sam wants to help him so terribly. Sam is just a wreck with pity, but he knows that he cannot do anything to ease Frodo's torment. But Sam does what he can, even if it's not enough.
#3: Legolas Greenleaf.
Here's my best friend's future husband!
Orlando Bloom is one of those men with natural sexiness. Whether he is dark-haired, dark-eyed Will Turner or blond, blue-eyed Legolas, I cannot stop looking at him.
But there is more to Legolas than his boyish good looks and that gorgeous hair. Although soft-spoken, he is interesting to listen to because his lines range from something profound to clever one-liners. ("Shall I describe it to you, or would you like me to find you a box?") You can tell that he genuinely likes Aragorn and Gimli, and I just love the Orc-killing contests he has with Gimli.
And, of course, he's a walking death machine. He kills the way most people breathe. It is spectacular to watch, and with someone that skilled in battle, his spouse would certainly be protected. (His strong loyalty doesn't hurt either.)
One last thing with Legolas; I promise. I adore his speaking voice. I love its natural softness, especially when he speaks Elvish. His accent is just icing on the cake. His talking voice could soothe me to sleep.
#4: Aragorn, Son of Arathorn.
Orlando Bloom is one of those men with natural sexiness. Whether he is dark-haired, dark-eyed Will Turner or blond, blue-eyed Legolas, I cannot stop looking at him.
But there is more to Legolas than his boyish good looks and that gorgeous hair. Although soft-spoken, he is interesting to listen to because his lines range from something profound to clever one-liners. ("Shall I describe it to you, or would you like me to find you a box?") You can tell that he genuinely likes Aragorn and Gimli, and I just love the Orc-killing contests he has with Gimli.
And, of course, he's a walking death machine. He kills the way most people breathe. It is spectacular to watch, and with someone that skilled in battle, his spouse would certainly be protected. (His strong loyalty doesn't hurt either.)
One last thing with Legolas; I promise. I adore his speaking voice. I love its natural softness, especially when he speaks Elvish. His accent is just icing on the cake. His talking voice could soothe me to sleep.
#4: Aragorn, Son of Arathorn.
Mmm. Rugged manliness.
Yes, I am normally more attracted to fair men, but Viggo Mortensen was born for the "rugged man" look.
Sexiness aside, we still have an amazing man. He is a capable leader (even if he does not want the power of kingship), intelligent, strategic, honest, and fiercely loyal.
His loyalty to Arwen is truly inspiring. They are separated for months. They could very well never see each other again, but he keeps his fidelity to her. Of course, this loyalty causes him to reject Éowyn, but he does so as gently as he can. He does not accuse Éowyn of anything or call her any names. He simply says, "I cannot give you what you seek."
I like watching him fight. He has that great combination of technique and improvisation. He gets really bloodied up in the process, but that makes his fighting all the more realistic.
I also like that although he holds great power as the heir of Isildur, he does not abuse that power. In fact, he doesn't even acknowledge said power until The Return of the King when he convinces the Army of the Dead to fight for him. So much for "All power corrupts."
#5: Faramir.
Sexiness aside, we still have an amazing man. He is a capable leader (even if he does not want the power of kingship), intelligent, strategic, honest, and fiercely loyal.
His loyalty to Arwen is truly inspiring. They are separated for months. They could very well never see each other again, but he keeps his fidelity to her. Of course, this loyalty causes him to reject Éowyn, but he does so as gently as he can. He does not accuse Éowyn of anything or call her any names. He simply says, "I cannot give you what you seek."
I like watching him fight. He has that great combination of technique and improvisation. He gets really bloodied up in the process, but that makes his fighting all the more realistic.
I also like that although he holds great power as the heir of Isildur, he does not abuse that power. In fact, he doesn't even acknowledge said power until The Return of the King when he convinces the Army of the Dead to fight for him. So much for "All power corrupts."
#5: Faramir.
Yeah, I'm probably one of not very many who would use this guy as an example.
As I think I mentioned in an earlier post, Faramir was my first Lord of the Rings crush. I really like his wavy strawberry-blond hair and his small, but expressive, blue eyes. He also has a good build; I feel like I would be satisfied if I saw him shirtless.
I'm not really sure why, but I really seem attracted to introverts. Of course, Faramir is not as introverted as Frodo, but Faramir definitely keeps his thoughts to himself. (I blame his tyrannical father Denethor for that behavior.) However, when Faramir does express his thoughts, he shows himself to be an honest, observant person.
Considering my obsession with Frodo Baggins, you might think I wouldn't like Faramir. After all, Faramir makes more than one threat to Frodo and has every intention of taking the Ring. However, Faramir changes his mind. He lets Frodo, Sam, and Gollum (not sure whether or not to call him Sméagol) go, even though he forfeits his life by doing so, and things are okay among Faramir, Frodo, and Sam in the end. No harm, no foul, as the saying goes.
#6: Éomer, son of Éomund.
#6: Éomer, son of Éomund.
One of my three Middle-Earth egos is a woman of Rohan named Nidmaras. This alter ego marries this man.
I like this guy for many reasons. Yes, I do think he's handsome, but that's only a small part of the equation. He is intelligent, logical, and a good strategist. He is not afraid to speak his mind, but at the same time he knows his place and holds back when he needs to.
He is also a good improviser. When he is banished from Rohan, he quickly adapts to his new life, soon becoming an even more capable fighter.
And he throws spears! How cool is that?! You never see spear-tossing today, except for the javelin toss at the Olympics.
#7: Meriadoc Brandybuck.
I like this guy for many reasons. Yes, I do think he's handsome, but that's only a small part of the equation. He is intelligent, logical, and a good strategist. He is not afraid to speak his mind, but at the same time he knows his place and holds back when he needs to.
He is also a good improviser. When he is banished from Rohan, he quickly adapts to his new life, soon becoming an even more capable fighter.
And he throws spears! How cool is that?! You never see spear-tossing today, except for the javelin toss at the Olympics.
Sure, he is overprotective, but I don't consider that to be a serious problem. He is protective, but not extremely controlling. In fact, I am more attracted than repulsed by his slightly overprotective nature. He can tell that Grìma Wormtongue wants to hit on his sister, and since Wormtongue is at least twice Éowyn's age, Éomer feels the need to protect his sister, and I really like protective men.
You might be wondering why I'm picking Éomer over Faramir; after all, the latter was my first-ever Middle-Earth crush. I am only picking Éomer because Faramir is taken; Éowyn marries him. As much as I like Faramir, I wouldn't want to ruin Éowyn's happiness, and I really like Éomer, so it really isn't a loss to me.
#7: Meriadoc Brandybuck.
One of my remaining two Middle-Earth alter egos is a Hobbit named Laurel Brandybuck. Merry is that alter ego's twin brother. (You can guess whom Laurel marries.)
I think of the four Hobbits, Merry reminds me the most of myself. He is very sensible, down-to-earth, and direct. I feel that all three of those characteristics apply to myself, which is why I see most of myself in Merry. Merry is also that great combination of people who have fun and people who follow the rules. He gets into trouble all the time, but he gets out of trouble just as easily.
He is also very loyal. He looks after Pippin like he would look after a younger brother, and when he and Pippin are separated, Merry really misses him. It's really quite sad, and their reunion, even though Merry is lying beneath a dead man when they reunite, is very touching.
Plus, I'll just like him forever for helping Éowyn kill the Witch-King. The Witch-King is my second-most-despised literary villain, with Sauron being first. So anyone who in some way works to bring down the Witch-King will be an instant like for me.
Plus, I'll just like him forever for helping Éowyn kill the Witch-King. The Witch-King is my second-most-despised literary villain, with Sauron being first. So anyone who in some way works to bring down the Witch-King will be an instant like for me.
On an unrelated note, here's your fun fact of the day. Dominic Monaghan, who plays the role of Merry, originally auditioned for the role of Frodo Baggins. That was a pretty good consolation prize, don't you think?
#8: Peregrin Took.
#8: Peregrin Took.
Mmm. Scottish accent.
To be honest, I just feel bad for Pippin. He tries so hard to keep himself out of trouble, but when he does something wrong, things go really, really wrong.
He can't help being so foolish! He's a Took; it's in his genes!
That being said, he is just a sweet person. He is very inquisitive, which can get him (and many others) in trouble, but he does learn quickly. I know people say that "the road to Hell is paved with good intentions," but I think Pippin's good intentions are part of his charm. And many times, his good intentions have good outcomes. For example, when he alerts Gandalf of Denethor's plans to kill Faramir, Pippin's actions end up saving Faramir's life.
Like pretty much everyone so far on this list, Pippin is very loyal, especially to Merry. In the extended version of The Return of the King, Pippin looks for Merry well into the evening following the Battle of Pelennor Fields, and when he finds Merry, Pippin does what he can to make sure Merry is comfortable. In the few moments of their reunion, Pippin becomes the Sam to Merry's Frodo, and it is just so touching. Just thinking about it brings tears to my eyes!
But I think the biggest thing about Pippin's charm is that he still remains relatively innocent when he returns to the Shire. He saw a lot of ugly things, but he manages to retain his childlike curiosity following the quest, and that really stands out to me.
#9: Gimli, son of Gloin.
#9: Gimli, son of Gloin.
This Dwarf is the kind of guy I would want as a friend.
He has a proud, stern, very funny exterior, but deep down he is a sensitive, loyal, caring individual. As with Sam, I just cannot say anything bad about Gimli.
There are plenty of lines from the movies that make me laugh out loud consistently, and Gimli is the source of almost every single one. ("He was twitching 'cause he's got my axe embellished in his nervous system!") I love that he has an attitude much bigger than his size would suggest. Normally I'm not attracted to pride, but for some reason Gimli's pride is okay with me. I think a humble Gimli would be boring, to be honest.
But as I said earlier, he has a very sensitive and caring interior, try as he does to conceal that side with his pride. When Aragorn supposedly dies in The Two Towers, Gimli is in utter shock, and you can really hear the sadness in his voice when he tells Éowyn the bad news. Gimli is then every bit as overjoyed when he sees Aragorn alive and (for the most part) well.
Gimli's loyalty is every bit as rock-solid as his stubbornness. He simply will stay beside Aragorn and Legolas, no matter the cost. I especially love that he tosses away that rivalry between Elves and Dwarves to form such a close, brotherly relationship with Legolas. The change in their friendship is one of many things I love about this trilogy.
#10: Gandalf.
He has a proud, stern, very funny exterior, but deep down he is a sensitive, loyal, caring individual. As with Sam, I just cannot say anything bad about Gimli.
There are plenty of lines from the movies that make me laugh out loud consistently, and Gimli is the source of almost every single one. ("He was twitching 'cause he's got my axe embellished in his nervous system!") I love that he has an attitude much bigger than his size would suggest. Normally I'm not attracted to pride, but for some reason Gimli's pride is okay with me. I think a humble Gimli would be boring, to be honest.
But as I said earlier, he has a very sensitive and caring interior, try as he does to conceal that side with his pride. When Aragorn supposedly dies in The Two Towers, Gimli is in utter shock, and you can really hear the sadness in his voice when he tells Éowyn the bad news. Gimli is then every bit as overjoyed when he sees Aragorn alive and (for the most part) well.
Gimli's loyalty is every bit as rock-solid as his stubbornness. He simply will stay beside Aragorn and Legolas, no matter the cost. I especially love that he tosses away that rivalry between Elves and Dwarves to form such a close, brotherly relationship with Legolas. The change in their friendship is one of many things I love about this trilogy.
#10: Gandalf.
This guy ... wow.
As with so many preceding men, I cannot say anything bad about Gandalf. He is the man I would want as a father. He is full to capacity with wisdom, love, and remarkable strength. He is by nature a sweet, gentle, affectionate man, but when planning for battle he becomes tough, logical, and strategic. I love that.
Unlike a certain wizard of Harry Potter fame (*cough cough* Dumbledore), Gandalf does not need magic to kick butt. In fact, he almost never uses magic. I really like that.
His wisdom probably inspires me more than anything else. He uses that wisdom to give advice that puts Dear Abby to shame. Admittedly, some of his words can seem dark at first ("Bilbo was meant to find the Ring, in which case you were also meant to have it"), but soon those words become true inspiration. I think that without exception the line "All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us" applies to everyone. Period.
My favorite trait about Gandalf? That loving side. Until Gandalf falls at the Bridge of Khazad-Dûm and Sam comes along, Gandalf is Frodo's go-to guy. The relationship between those two is truly beautiful, like a father and son. Once Gandalf comes back, he has a mostly concealed fear for Frodo's safety. You can also sense a fear and guilt that he may have sent Frodo to his death.
But what really gets to me is a scene in the Extended Version of The Return of the King. It's the scene in which the Mouth of Sauron presents Frodo's mithril and everyone thinks Frodo is dead. Gandalf silences Merry and Pippin when they give cries of grief, but as Gandalf holds the mithril in his hands, you can see tears in his eyes. He is crushed with grief and guilt, and since Gandalf is always the strong one, such an image really leaves one shaken.
Now here are two more fun facts for you. Ian McKellen's Gandalf voice was an imitation of J.R.R. Tolkien's voice. Also, if Gandalf were to take the Myers-Briggs Personality Test, he would likely score as a Mastermind (INTJ). I, too, score as an INTJ. For that reason, I will always feel a deep connection to Gandalf.
This concludes Part I of my five-part series. This was fun to write, and I certainly hope you enjoyed reading it. Don't worry; I have only one more Lord of the Rings character to get through.
As with so many preceding men, I cannot say anything bad about Gandalf. He is the man I would want as a father. He is full to capacity with wisdom, love, and remarkable strength. He is by nature a sweet, gentle, affectionate man, but when planning for battle he becomes tough, logical, and strategic. I love that.
Unlike a certain wizard of Harry Potter fame (*cough cough* Dumbledore), Gandalf does not need magic to kick butt. In fact, he almost never uses magic. I really like that.
His wisdom probably inspires me more than anything else. He uses that wisdom to give advice that puts Dear Abby to shame. Admittedly, some of his words can seem dark at first ("Bilbo was meant to find the Ring, in which case you were also meant to have it"), but soon those words become true inspiration. I think that without exception the line "All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us" applies to everyone. Period.
My favorite trait about Gandalf? That loving side. Until Gandalf falls at the Bridge of Khazad-Dûm and Sam comes along, Gandalf is Frodo's go-to guy. The relationship between those two is truly beautiful, like a father and son. Once Gandalf comes back, he has a mostly concealed fear for Frodo's safety. You can also sense a fear and guilt that he may have sent Frodo to his death.
But what really gets to me is a scene in the Extended Version of The Return of the King. It's the scene in which the Mouth of Sauron presents Frodo's mithril and everyone thinks Frodo is dead. Gandalf silences Merry and Pippin when they give cries of grief, but as Gandalf holds the mithril in his hands, you can see tears in his eyes. He is crushed with grief and guilt, and since Gandalf is always the strong one, such an image really leaves one shaken.
Now here are two more fun facts for you. Ian McKellen's Gandalf voice was an imitation of J.R.R. Tolkien's voice. Also, if Gandalf were to take the Myers-Briggs Personality Test, he would likely score as a Mastermind (INTJ). I, too, score as an INTJ. For that reason, I will always feel a deep connection to Gandalf.
This concludes Part I of my five-part series. This was fun to write, and I certainly hope you enjoyed reading it. Don't worry; I have only one more Lord of the Rings character to get through.
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