The Fandom Favorites Tag

What ho, lads! It’s been too long since we’ve done a fun tag around here, hasn’t it? Never fear, the lovely Eva-Joy @The Caffeinated Fangirl just included me in her newly created Fandom Favorites Tag! Thanks, Eva! ❤

~The rules~

• Compile a list of up to ten of your favorite fandoms. Books, movies, TV shows—you name it!
• Tell us about your favorite character in each of those fandoms, along with an explanation of why that character is your favorite. (Your reasoning can be however long or short you’d like it to be.)
• Tag however many (or few) friends you’d like to participate.

Nice and simple, right? Of course, being the overthinker I am, I fretted a good deal over my fandom choices–and even over the definition of fandom itself. It’s the age-old question, “Does this story have a fandom, or does it simply have fans?”

To my mind, a fandom is a community which gathers around a work of fiction for the purpose of discussing lore, sharing headcanons, debating theories, and squealing over all the squeal-worthy things. For this reason, fandoms tend to spring up around multi-part stories with large ensemble casts. Whether it’s a book series, a film trilogy, or a TV show, you need enough material to foster that kind of widespread engagement. Sometimes fandoms even develop around a body of work from a particular author. For example, I wouldn’t say Pride and Prejudice has its own fandom, but Jane Austen definitely does.

I think you’ll agree all the stories I’ve chosen have a “proper fandom” according to this definition. Yes, I’m probably taking this assignment too seriously, but hey, what else is new? 😛

Without further ado, and listed in no particular order, here are my choices!

~The fandoms~

Star Wars

My favorite Star Wars character is Jyn Erso. I know a lot of folks probably expected me to choose Rey (first female Jedi in a Star Wars film!) and while I adore Rey, I always come back to Jyn at the end of the day. She’s got a raw, feral energy which really appeals to me. You’ll notice this trait in… er… several of my fandom favorites. I have a strong tendency to pick the most chaotic, unhinged, “fight-me-in-a-parking-lot-character” in the whole fandom and immediately go, “I want that one.”

Marvel

Steve Rogers will forever be my favorite MCU character. Steadfast, loyal, principled, yet with a bit of a rebellious streak to keep him from being too perfect. It was one of the great joys of my young adulthood to watch that streak grow wider with each new movie. “I’m not looking for forgiveness, and I’m way past asking permission.” YOU BETTER BELIEVE MY FACE NEARLY SPLIT GRINNING.

Doctor Who

To no one’s surprise, my favorite Doctor Who character is the Tenth Doctor, played to exquisite perfection by my favorite actor, David Tennant. Ten expresses the true range of everything the Doctor can be, from a wide-eyed child seeing the universe for the first time to a vengeful god bent on destroying the wicked. It’s hard to write an immortal character well, because it’s hard to make the audience (who are very much not immortal) feel the weight of those hundreds or thousands of years. With Ten, you feel it. Oh boy, do you feel it.

Discworld

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Speaking of immortals, Death is my favorite character from Terry Pratchett’s Discworld. In fact, Death may be one of the greatest fantasy characters of all time. Certainly he represents one of modern fantasy’s greatest achievements, shaping an anthropomorphic personification of human decay into a funny, quirky, downright lovable character, while still keeping him fundamentally Other and legitimately terrifying.

The Raven Cycle

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Certified soft boy Noah Czerny has long been my favorite character in The Raven Cycle. Though Ronan, Adam, and Gansey are far more intriguing and complex, there’s just something about Noah that draws me in. The glitter? The cuddles? The practical jokes? The horrific backstory and tragic fate? Who’s to say?

Six of Crows

When I first read Six of Crows, I tried to kid myself that my favorite character was Inej, but it’s Kaz. It’s always been Kaz. Petty little bastard who got chucked into the deep end of life at age 9 and refused to drown out of sheer spite? Heck yeah! Let’s go, baby!

Umbrella Academy

I’ve never understood why so many fans choose Klaus or Diego as their favorite Umbrella Academy character when Five Hargreeves is RIGHT FRICKIN’ THERE. How can you not be instantly captivated by the fifty-eight year old assassin trapped in the thirteen-year-old body?? The boy who’s in love with a mannequin and would literally kill to protect her???

Minor tangent here, but it amuses me when people say, “I love Character X because they went through so much trauma and suffering, but they came through with a smile on their face!” To each their own, Jeeves; but I want characters who go through hell to come out spitting blood and nails and ready to fight the entire world. That’s what draws me to somebody like Jyn, or Kaz, or Five.

She-Ra

Catra is not only my favorite She-Ra character, she’s also my favorite villain. Indeed, she’s the only villain I’ve ever liked. She has a rich, complex descent into darkness and an equally complex redemption arc. Plus, she’s got a very sexy voice, which doesn’t hurt her chances with me. 😛

Leverage

Eliot Spencer has long been my favorite member of the Leverage team. He’s the “hitter,” the muscle, the protector, which is an easy draw for me… but I also appreciate how much effort the writers put into making this character more than just muscle. Eliot is one of the most emotionally intelligent members of the crew, and arguably the most selfless. He’s great with kids, and even loves to cook.

The West Wing

Last but not least of my fandom favorites is Leo McGarry from The West Wing. Dear old Leo, stubborn, fierce, curmudgeonly, cunning, and loyal to the very end. I love him, Your Honor. ❤

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There you have it, my ten choices for the Fandom Favorites tag! As for my tag-ees:

Olivia @Meanwhile, in Rivendell

Charity @The Sacred in the Secular

Maribeth @A Writer’s Tale

Emily @The Altogether Unexpected

… and anybody else who wants to play!

Have fun!