Have you ever seen it done skillfully? I must admit I haven’t, or at least, I can’t remember having done so.
I’d put forth Frodo in LotR as an example. His inability to function autonomously or survive alone is a constant theme through the entire series.
Thomas Covenant in Stephen Donaldson’s works is an over the top example - his entire dysfunction is the basis for the entire plot of the series.
Edit - In the case of Thomas Covenant - substitute “ex-wife” for “parent” but its the exact same devise used.
Most of the newer authors I read don’t really attempt such characters, at least that I can recall.
2 Likes
On my phone so sorry for bad grammar but have to mention Daisy from How I Live Now my favourite film and character and I think she is portrayed well and her mother has died and she has a bad relationship with her father though she also can’t cope due to various mental health issues
1 Like
Can I pile on and suggest the Pevensie children from the Chronicles of Narnia series? I mean, the whole series hinges on the evacuation and separation of the kids from their home and parents due to war and the idea that the oldest two, but particularly Susan, struggle with stepping up to help be responsible caretakers for the others while still being young themselves.
I would say A Series of Unfortunate Events is similar in that way, with the addition of being forced to be MORE responsible, perceptive, and honest than many of the adults in their lives in order to survive.
2 Likes
So true! This was one of my first and most influential series that I read that I often forget to acknowledge them.
1 Like
Yes, I love it, too!
The more I think about it, the more I realize how much The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe in particular really is aaaaall about parental absence and burgeoning autonomy in the face of adversity and unexpected life changes, but without having to explicitly bash you over the head with it. From Susan perceived as acting “bossy” by the others when she’s really just trying to look out for them as a parent would to the childless Professor’s awkward reluctance to directly interact as a father figure to Edmund’s resentment and subsequent manipulation by a woman he initially considers to be a much better mother substitute, it’s all there.
Hadn’t really thought about that aspect of those books as indepth as this until this thread, so awesome! 
3 Likes
What I dislike most is the typical 中二病 male protagonist.I don’t know how to say it in English,but it’s a quite common thing in Japan anime.
As for favorite,I like so many types of characters,it’s impossible to chose.But I do have a soft spot for Self-destructive characters
Someone mentioned ‘author inserts’ already and that’s the top of the list of dislikes for me. Whether they’re Mary Sues or even worse, otherwise decent characters suddenly being puppeted around to give a lecture on the author’s views about things and never allowed to be wrong. The target characters will usually just meekly take being moralized at for multiple paragraphs or be deliberately portrayed as either one note villains or incompetent and unintelligent because the author isn’t interested in back talk or agency from the straw men they’ve set up.
I see this even in traditionally published books sometimes and even if it’s regarding points I agree with it always leaves a bad taste in my mouth, it’s fake and gross in the same way most propaganda is.
Now as for character types I like…that’s a long list! However I guess I’ll give a shoutout to the always unappreciated straight man of the group who is just doing his job and being solidly competent and reliable in the face of everyone else’s over the top personalities and shenanigans. Half the time they’re the one that everyone else depends on to function yet they’re so rarely given half as much appreciation even by their author.
I love it too when a character that’s usually otherwise invisible or consigned to a dull role (every faceless guard that ever existed) is suddenly and unexpectedly allowed to have a personality.
6 Likes
Ever read the Tillerman cycle by Cynthia Voigt? Homecoming, Dicey’s Song, A Solitary Blue, etc? Homecoming in particular deals in such an impressive way with a girl having to suddenly shoulder parental responsibilities for her siblings–set in the 80s, the kids are literally abandoned in a parking lot by their mentally ill mother and out of fear of being separated set out to find a grandmother in another state. The whole series is great though, it deals with generational baggage and family relationships so well, and the siblings are all such genuinely likeable and well-realized characters.
Now for on-topic, as I grow older I find I don’t have as much patience anymore for characters whose whole lives fall apart in dramatic fashion after a single tragedy or loss. The whole parents dying, or girlfriend being killed cliche…it can work as motivation to a degree, but at the same time this kind of thing and worse happens to real life people all the time, and it’s pretty rare that a human being is so frail and unadaptable that they remain emotionally frozen forever at this moment in time and have it remain a driving force in their life for years and years NEARLY as often as portrayed in fiction.
3 Likes
Having read all these responses its so cool to see different peoples ideas regarding characters! With that said i honestly dont have a fave character type as long as their written well and are interesting, in the sense that there actions are unpredictable, they will become my insta fave <3 also badass women will always make me happy :>
Least fave would probably be characters who are written just to be the protags love interest, like they devote there whole life for the protags wants and needs and have no character development for themselves… its a waste of character tbh 
There is one type that I see far too often, and far too often, it is poorly implemented:
The quirky one. Whether they are a Manic Pixie Dream Girl or otherwise, they are deliberately not given focus by the author/showrunner/director, or what have you, purely to keep them “mysterious”. Character development slides off of them like water off a duck’s back. Too often there is no real thought given to where their quirks stem from, whether these quirks are symptoms of a legitimate problem, or the difficulties that the “quirky one” faces while trying to interact with society.
3 Likes
HUGE AGREE with OP here. I especially love those types of characters when they’re paired with/interact with the jokester-but-secretly-really-competent trope. A character that just spins circles around them with awful puns CONSTANTLY, and pretends to be all oblivious towards the smart-sadist’s hatred of them, except only the sadist really sees that the jokester is even PRETENDING and everyone is like “aww you guys seem close haha” and SS is like “haha yeah :)” but internally trying not to strangle them.
I suppose my favorite character trope would be suave/uncrackable facade villians having their facades cracked. Third act breakdowns are just SO satisfying… Also the characters themselves are fascinating to me. I’d like to see a CoG have an MC be one of these post-thwartment, where they’re trying to figure out what to do with their life now that their plans have failed. I also really like characters that are corrupted by their cause; religiously devoted, revenge fueled, etc. ALSO ALSO extremely enjoy characters that are like. The “just some guy” trope, but absolutely DONE with the important plot things happening. Completely unfazed by the terrifying horror-of-men threats. They get kidnapped for some random convoluted bloodline-gang-curse-ransom, and there’s an intriguing mysterious conversation happening in front of them and they’re just like. “Can I go now. Can I please go now. Can i- oh they’re fighting oh god. Uh. Can I leave-” bonus if they keeped getting roped into things and eventually get personally invested in the other characters and form bonds but are STILL like “oh GOD DAMNIT whatdyou MEAN she DIED. oh she’s a GHOST NOW??? WELL SCREW ME I GUESS??? WE’RE GOING TO PURGATORY??? FINE. WHATEVER. godamn.”
I love many types, but one I have a special love for is that sort of character that TV Tropes refer to as “nightmare fetishist,” (that is, not necessarily an actual fetishist,) the one who’s extremely fascinated by/loves the morbid, and whatnot. Not that I see this type of character often, but still.
I’m not sure about the least favourite, aside from stereotypes and such. Quirky characters can be fun, but sometimes it feels like the creators are going out of the way to show exactly how (exaggeratedly) quirky this person is, and it becomes extremely obnoxious. There are definitely a ton more, that was just the first that popped up in my head.
I really like the ‘partner in crime’ character that matches the MCs energy no matter what.
Snarky? They snark back. Need a smoke break? They’re with. Beat up people? They already started the fight. Lie in silence? They’re chilling at your side.
1 Like
I like those types, too. Even if I didn’t like Jolly Good as much as Tally Ho, I loved the dynamic between Fitzy and the MC because of that. Peak “friend who would help you commit murder and hide the body” energy.
A character type that’s become my favorite, at least as far as villains go, are the types of villain who are driven to their actions through strong moral convictions, but are no less villainous because of it.
And the flipside of the coin – heroes who are motivated by selfish reasons, but whose actions are no less heroic in spite of those reasons.
3 Likes
I love a character with a heart of gold, whether that’s clear from the outset or they’re prickly on the surface. I dislike the callous characters- I have nothing against ruthlessness or pragmatism, but when a character isn’t kind, that’s a huge dealbreaker for me. Characters who think they’re better than everyone else just because they’re smart also peeve me.
i’m also a huge sucker for detectives though i love me a weird little detective guy
3 Likes
Jerk with a heart of gold is probably my favorite character type (even better if it’s a badass jerk with a heart of gold). I like crabby characters, but I don’t like outright ruthless characters (unless it’s in defense of themselves or someone they love, then I’m totally down with it). They also have to be loyal.
Disloyal characters piss me off. If they’re cold (not surface cold, but genuinely cold-hearted), then I hate them even more.
I also don’t like feminine male characters. I don’t know if it’s how they’re written or what, but they grate on my nerves. Moody and kind is fine, but the blushy 13-year-old-girl behavior from a male character is cringe for me.
2 Likes
Favorite character: They’ve been through some serious shit and parts of their behavior are some kind of coping mechanism though it isn’t always immediately obvious. Usually social oddballs in one way or another (not necessarily in a negative manner, they just tend to stand out), intelligent, with a distinct sense of humor (ranging from lethal snark to silly puns, though some of them have been accused of being completely humorless by their peers). They can be an outwardly cold (Rosy from Mind Blind) or an outwardly warm (Ted Lasso, spoilery example) type. Sorry that this is so terribly specific but I really go hard for these types of characters.
I don’t have a “least favorite type”… or at least none I can think of right now.
2 Likes
I like characters who don’t belong, particularly for reasons outside their control. Characters who aren’t human, gamely trying to get along in the human world. Characters at a disadvantage due to culture shock, a sheltered background, or inexperience.
Characters who are outstandingly extraordinary in some way and outstandingly deficient, disadvantaged, or vulnerable in another.
Characters who are genuinely eccentric or thoughtfully nonconformist.
Characters experiencing a clash between abstract ideals and reality, or having a deep-seated worldview challenged.
Characters who remind me of Shakespeare’s Sonnet 94 (“They that have power to hurt and will do none”).
Heroes who are a little bit wrong, especially in combination with villains who are a little bit right.
I dislike characters the author seems too eager to get me to like.
Book boyfriends, by which I mean characters, regardless of gender, who were clearly written to be charming and tropey rather than nuanced and human.
Characters who constantly flirt.
Charismatic hedonists.
Living straw men, by which I mean characters who are meant to represent a belief system or philosophy, written by someone who has clearly made no attempt to understand how people of that belief system or philosophy actually think.
Introverted characters created for the express purpose of being brought out of their shells.
4 Likes
For women I usually prefer the goth gf type. Like Morrigan from Dragon Age. Strong, independent and sharp-tongued. The only issue I have is that she’s straight (I find her more of a repressed bi type). But yeah, I love women who are a bit morally grey. Bonus points for a dash of arrogance that stems from being really smart.
For men … Eh, my taste is rather inconsistent. Sometimes I am drawn to incorrigible psychopaths (looking at you, Voices of Nerat from Tyranny), but other times I am content with the shy, boy scout sort of people. It’s like a roulette wheel and there’s no way of telling what I like.
And I also have a rather weird preference for non-humans. Aliens, eldritch beings, robots, ghouls … Well, you name it. Even if they are not available for romance, it’s fun to hang around for the potentially out-of-the-world experience. And I do wish to see more of them get featured as LIs. Their romance can be really bizarre, but ultimately interesting.
2 Likes