While I don't want these sorts of Top 10 lists to become an annual thing, in which I go back and make a "redo" list, it is always fun to assess and look back on where I was and what characters have captured and held my attention for so long. Or, rather, what heroes.
The idea of making an anti-hero list has always amused me, and it would not be one too difficult to make. It certainly makes placing characters on this list hard. It can often be a tough line to draw for a heroes and anti-heroes list with me, as characters of late have been in a morally grey area. While there are some very clear good guys on this list, there are also some that you may tilt your head at.
Also, like my previous villains list redo, there will be some repeats on here...though not necessarily in the same order. This list is much different than the one before. With that said, let's get right into it!
Honorable Mentions
H1: Harry Potter ("Harry Potter lore): The first major fall from the list comes in form of everyone's favorite angsty teenage wizard. Harry, to me, was always a great character to step in and fill in their shoes, to see how I would react to these situations. He was a childhood hero of mine...but not an entirely complex one. I don't hate the character--clearly--but he isn't as intriguing as I may have once thought he was. He does, though, have strong loyalties and a passion to do good in the world that is unrivaled. I'm not through the roof excited for the next installment, as I already have my canon ending with the seventh novel, but I am curious what's being cooked up.
H2: Kara Zor-El (Supergirl lore): Ah, Supergirl. It's only recently that my interest has been peaked in the Daughter of Krypton, but she's often got an interesting story to read, or nowadays, watch. I've never really thought of her as a "female Superman" as some writers or creators may think, and it's when she's off on her own that she can really shine as a character. She's also someone that's constantly put through the ringer and comes out either stronger or changed for it, evolving her character and always adding more depth.
H3: Azoth/ Kylar Stern ("Night Angel" trilogy): The only reason that Kylar doesn't make the list is because he draws the finest line between a good guy and a bad guy (which is the main theme of the second novel, Shadow's Edge, funny how that works). Given how the "Night Angel" trilogy is my favorite piece of fiction, it should come as no wonder that the main character would appear somewhere on the list, but if he didn't have such tough decisions and a decent kill-count I would have him higher. Still, he is righteous and does what's best for his friends. He isn't as selfish as he would like to think.
And now, the Top 10!
10. Yusei Fudo (Yu-Gi-Oh! 5Ds)
In my opinion, Yusei is the best of the five major "Yu-Gi-Oh!" protagonists that we've seen. Both Jaden and Yugi both have too much good in them, like they're meant to be the typical Shounen hero, and Yuma and Yuya both seem a bit unbearable. Yusei brought just enough to the table to make him relatable. He was just a normal guy who wanted a shot at glory, sort of. He was wronged, and what makes things interesting is that his earliest motivation is bent around revenge. In "Yu-Gi-Oh!" that's a pretty crazy notion, and is something mostly seen only by the villains. I've already gone at length to why Yusei is awesome in my previous Top 10 list, but needless to say, Yusei brought the most character to the series that also helped put "5Ds" as one of my favorite anime of all time, too.
9. Jon Snow ("A Song of Ice and Fire"/ Game of Thrones)
It's tough to not have the morally righteous center of the series on the list. It's not necessarily the rich intrigue surrounding Jon nor the circumstance around him that put him on this list, but how he manages to handle all of it. He's a no-nonsense kind of guy that only in dealing with his own nonsense does he find his own strength. His circle of friends also make him much better, with Samwell Tarly being an amazing character from the series as well. Sometimes I forget that Jon is as young as he is, he's so rational and reasonable that it's clear as day he is the typical good-guy in fantasy...and yet he's the one dressed in all black like a villain. His motivations and confusing duties and how he goes about them also make him more complex, delving into what he thinks he deserves and what he truly wants.
8. Bruce Wayne (DC Comics lore)
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Another repeat from the previous list, I like to think Bruce Wayne over Batman because there have been nearly ten characters to take on the mantle of Batman, and some of them I'm not a big fan of (ex. Azreal & Jim Gordon). Bruce Wayne, though, will go out of his way to do good wherever and whenever he can. Sure, he keeps a distance because, even if people don't know he's Batman, he is still a target as a popular and very wealthy man. Plus, Bruce and Batman just feel like two different people. There is a man under the hood, yes, but there is also a man who makes the strategies and who puts in the effort to ensure that Batman sticks around. Some of the more recent issues of the "Batman" comic have illustrated the struggle that Bruce has in becoming Batman, showing that there is a transformation of sorts that needs to be done. Bruce completes Batman, and it feels that people often forget all the sacrifice that has to go into donning the cape and cowl. It's a sacrifice of, basically, his life.
7. Son Goku ("Dragon Ball" lore)
Ah, speaking of sacrifice. Goku is just a very fun-loving character that gets serious when he needs to. While not the most interesting of DB characters (no, he's on his way, trust me), Goku just seems to bring the most hype to the series. In some ways, that did cripple the show because we were always just sitting around, being teased by battles when we knew Goku would step in to save the day most of the time. Still, his weaknesses did bring an extra element to his character. He was unlike most characters in the series in that he would waste no time in sparing his enemy's life. The only times he had no regrets calling for someone to be finished off were Raditz and Cell, in DBZ at least (I can't clearly recall Dragon Ball, but he did spare Piccolo Jr. too). Everyone else he let go, like Vegeta, Frieza, and wanted Kid Buu to come back as a gentler soul. That was made Goku such a good guy. A good father? Well no, but he did care about his friends dearly and was often the first to jump in the line of fire to make sure they all stayed safe.
6. Luke Skywalker ("Star Wars" lore)
Ah, Luke. Now you wanna talk about a goody-two-shoes? For most of when we see him, anyway. Luke is the pinnacle of "Star Wars" characters, and is probably what one should look for in a Jedi along with Obi-Wan and Yoda. He's good, he wants the best for everyone, and while he may be thick-headed, when it comes down to it in Return of the Jedi, Luke really shines through. We don't get to see the best of him until then either, really. In Star Wars he's just kind of trying to get by, in Empire Strikes Back he's training and being an idiot, but in Return of the Jedi there's no doubt that Luke Skywalker has finally done it, and has completed his training. Is he the best? No, but, that's okay. He's a very good Jedi. I have no doubt that Vader would have happily served side-by-side with Luke had things gone better, and maybe even learned a little from him. I disagree with the notion of people wanting to see Luke turn evil because it would undermine his development completely. It'd be a twist, sure, but not one that makes much sense for the story. Luke as a Sith just doesn't work, it means that he's lost and everyone else has failed. He was tempted by the Dark Side but got over the temptation and assumed his full role as a Jedi. For that, he's pretty awesome.
5. Saber/ Arturia Pendragon (Fate/Zero & Fate/Stay Night (unlimited blade works))
The King of Knights, and probably the most famous character to come of the "Fate" series this side of Rin Tohsaka or Rider. Saber just has such a powerful presence when she first appears, and in either series of the anime. Yet, she also manages to follow up on that with incredible smarts and battle strategies. Plus, she's just a fun character to get to watch as the series' progress. She becomes both more in tune with the normal world while also learning to care more for her masters (well, with one exception but she sucked). Saber is arguably one of the most, perhaps the most, loyal of all the Servants that we see, but is certainly the most compassionate. Her drive for the Grail is somewhat questionable when you begin to think about it, but her motivation is as righteous as ever. However, there is one character that surpasses her whenever I think of the "Fate" series.
4. Lancer/ Diarmuid Ua Duibhne (Fate/Zero)
Lancer is just badass. A knight of Irish legend, Lancer proves to be the most noble of all the servants we see in the series and is, for me, the most unforgettable for it. He stole the show in most all of his episodes, and his friendship/ rivalry with Saber allowed the first season of the series to really stand out. He was an incredible fighter with his two spears, and while at first came off as a villain, I really saw him emerge as a hero when he came to cooperate with Saber, Rider, Irisveil, and Kiritsugu in the river battle. The juxtaposition of having a horrible man for a master against his drive to do good by the world and those he had been accused of wronging drove him to never again be seen as a man with traitorous habits, even when he was tempted to betray his own master. But even when he takes crap, he fights on anyway, because he knows that's what he has to do in order to both survive and prove himself as a noble man. Lancer...you're just awesome.
3. Future Trunks (Dragon Ball Z)
And the final repeat from the previous list comes in the form of a time-travelling half-breeded alien man that has a serious grudge against androids...but not the phones. Trunks is my favorite Dragon Ball character for the will of fire that lives inside him to avenge everyone he's lost as well as save a world that is not his own as well as people he has never known. If you think about it, Trunks is something of the ultimate hero. Since it's established that the DB timeline revolves around multiverse theory, there is nothing that Trunks can do to go back in time and affect his own world. Instead, he decides that his future is not one that anyone else should share, and nearly gets himself killed several times believing in his cause. He doesn't know Goku, Piccolo, or Krillin, but befriends them and allies with them in the fight against evil because it's the right thing to do. Trunks always appealed to me because of that, and because he was always just a really good person...and the only sensible character on Dragon Ball Z. He wasted little time going after the enemy, and you know what, bonus points for that!
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2. Moon Knight (Marvel Comics lore)
Unlike Batman, the reason I say the super hero's title is because of the fact that Moon Knight is his own character. Well, recently at least, though you could make the argument that he is summation of Marc Spector, Steve Grant, and Jake Lockley. Moon Knight is one of the most obscure heroes I know and I'm very pleased that his popularity is catching on more and more because he is, without a doubt, one of the most complex super-heroes out there right now, or just ever. He also walks that fine line between hero and anti-hero, but in his early days and in his most recent days Moon Knight has proven himself a fine citizen, jumping at any cause to find the strange evils that work in the light. What I like, though, is that these experiences are clearly never forgotten in the mind of the creators who do a good job of ensuring that Moon Knight continue to be a complex character. Not to mention that he's my favorite Marvel super hero...but not overall superhero.
1. Green Arrow (DC Comics lore)
Whoever it is under the cowl, they're typically pretty awesome. Green Arrow, as my favorite superhero, is a pretty clear choice to be up here on this top spot. I love Green Arrow for what he morally stands by. As he says in Justice League Unlimited, he fights for the little guy. He fights for the losers, for the people that are just trying to make it by and make the best of their lives. In many ways, Oliver Queen does the same. But, there's also been more than one Green Arrow. Each person under the cowl tends to bring something new and special to the table. Oliver brings that sense of righteousness and good anywhere, standing up for the good folk. Connor Hawke brings a neat spiritual element to it, invoking more of the peaceful side of things, sort of using the moral ground a hero stands on and keeping firm to it where Oliver may waver. Emiko Queen? Well she's just a little bundle of joy, but like I mentioned with Future Trunks and Lancer, she doesn't waste time or take anyone's crap. Besides, she stands by the fact that she is the true Green Arrow, and Oliver hardly ever has the time or energy to disagree with her. Green Arrow is just a great superhero, no matter where you may look. He's last for 75 years as of now, and it's not surprise if he keeps on going. I mean, just look how badass he is in that shot (squaring off against an equally badass opponent in Komodo).
And so, that's that for my new heroes list. Like I said, it's much different than before, but I stand by that these are my guys (and gals) for right now. I love all of them and have left a lasting impact on me.
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