Top Ten Heroes

Everyone's got a favorite hero, everyone has someone they remember watching or reading about from their childhood...or their lives now, it doesn't really have to be nostalgic. Heck, my favorite hero isn't really nostalgic, though number 2 definitely is. But, we're getting there.

Today I figured I would write about my top ten favorite heroes of all time, and a few honorable mentions that had a few flaws to not crack the Top Ten, or they just haven't been around long enough for them to be a favorite. Number 9 is a character I've only just started watching, actually.

So, without further ado, let's get right into it, starting with

Honorable Mentions

I don't really feel like talking a whole lot about these characters, since there are actually eight of them, so I'll just put a sentence description of why they were considered.

Superman: I mean, he's the Man of Steel, he's the example for all other super-heroes to follow, and he is arguably one of the strongest forces in the known DC universe.

Oliver Queen: Another character I've only just discovered, though Green Arrow has been a favorite DC character of mine for the longest time, Oliver Queen carries with him the weight of missions and has so many different stories and origins that I just like him for the mystery of what is real.

Eren Yeager: See, this'll probably change when more of the manga comes out, or when it finishes up, but for now, Eren just hasn't really impacted me on the level I feel like he should. Plus, in Volume 11, he gets his first Titan kill ever recorded, so, for a guy that wants to kill every Titan, that's a little weak-sauce, bro. But, nevertheless, he is probably one of the most driven heroes I have ever seen.

Ichigo Kurosaki: Imagine being thrust into a world where you don't know who the good guys are and being able to totally own basically everyone you come across, and you've got yourself Ichigo. He's a little bland in that he is like most anime heroes, but, still, I enjoy him being able to transform into things most members of the Soul Society cannot.

Avatar Aang: I picked Aang over Korra because Aang had a level-head and thinks with both head and heart...actually, Aang thinks more than Korra does. Plus, he did have to restore balance to the entire world by quelling the Fire Nation, and was able to connect to people better than Korra has been able to thus far.

Scott McCall: I was surprised that I was even considering Scott since he hasn't really done much for Teen Wolf, sort of relying on others, but then I realized, Scott is the crux of the show. Everything kind of revolves around him and not only that, but he always has some intriguing scheme to save the day. Being able to make the Demon Wolf be scared of you also gives for major points. Good job, Scott.

Percy Jackson: I've only read the first series of Rick Riordan's books, and I found that Percy was a pretty neat character to follow. Though, the reason he did not crack my list was because he did rely a little too much on luck and on things going in his favor. It was almost like he didn't make his own luck, he didn't control his destiny. Still, doesn't mean he wasn't awesome, he did force a volcanic eruption.

Captain America: This is actually the only hero I have on the list to be the hero name instead of like Steve Rogers or something because I like every iteration of Captain America thus far, whether it indeed be Steve Rogers or Bucky Barnes or even Nick Fury from the "Age of Ultron" incident. In every instance, Cap fights alongside mutant/ mankind alike to stop whatever force might be availing them. But mostly, 'merica.

So that was the honorable mentions, in no particular order mind you. That's not to say that the heroes that follow aren't flawed, all of them are. There isn't a perfect hero, because every hero has a brain and an unconscious that does not want them to do good. However, this are the heroes that connected to me on an emotional level or really just made me stop and go, "Hey, yeah, what a good guy!"

With that said, let's get started.

10. Super Mario--Super Mario Bros. game series

What a way to start off the list, right? With one of the most famous videogame icons ever. But that's not the reason he's in the Top 10--fame has nothing to do with this list (trust me).

No, I actually had to think about why Mario was on this list. I knew he was on it, I knew he was number 10, but why? I couldn't really qualify any of the honorable mentions over him for some reason. So I came up with reasons and found them to actually be pretty profound.

First, he is a plumber. He eats mushrooms that let him shoot fire. He fights dinosaurs and flying turtles. He saves a princess. He has to deal with annoying little brother. And he's gone into space.

Let's break that down a little, shall we? Mario is a plumber who eats mushrooms that lets him shoot fire while fighting dinosaurs and flying turtles to save a princess while dealing with an annoying little brother and eventually goes into space to save the galaxy.

A plumber does all that. That is incredible. Now, they might be meaning the kind of plumber like the grandfather from Ben 10, but, regardless, Mario travels across various different regions, worlds even, to save a princess. For one man to do all of that is an incredible feat that deserves a spot on the list.

9. Kazuto Kirigaya, aka Kirito--Sword Art Online

My first time going through, I enjoyed Kazuto's character but mostly found his relationship with Asuna to be the thing I liked most about the show. When I watched it a second time I found I was more intrigued with what Kazuto was thinking, and upon my third time watching it, I kind of wanted to be Kazuto.

Kazuto is a hacker, basically, or in SAO they call him a "beater" because he's a beta test and an apparent cheater. What I like is that he takes on such a role so that he cover for the death of one of his fallen comrades, so that it is less that he died in vain.

More than that, though, Kazuto is driven. In every episode, he wants to get something done, and he knows he has to get it done. In the episodes with Silica and Liz, he has almost not business in their affairs but really takes it upon himself to be the friend he knows they need. He does all that is in his power to help Silica, and he puts forth all his effort to protect Liz while they look for the proper metals.

In the ALO arc, of course, Kazuto desires nothing more than to be reunited with Asuna, daring to go back into the virtual world after spending over two years in it, putting himself at serious risk doing so.

Kazuto also, though, is able to for the most part flip the perspective of everyone trapped in the game. The four girls that he meets have their lives improved because of what he does for them and with them. Klein gets a purpose and becomes so much stronger, even creating a guild, thanks to Kazuto. He is even able to stop a war from happening in the ALO arc.

I really found that to be his best characteristic. It wasn't about just becoming stronger day in and day out, it was realizing that even though they were separated from the real world, there was life to be had and to be enjoyed. The best example of this is when he is laying down under the tree and convinces Asuna to take a nap. I never realized how big of a moment that was, because it showed both Asuna and the audience that while SAO was virtual, the minds trapped inside were real. Kazuto was able to make the best of a death game, which says a lot.

Red--Pokémon Red, Blue, Yellow, Silver, Gold, Crystal

If you don't know, Red is the name that is considered for the player. Like when you give yourself a name in the game, obviously, that's you. But really, in like the lore, the guy's name is Red.

And he is nothing short of awesome.

I mean, think about it. Red set out to capture all 150 Pokémon and did so, then he caught Mew. That's a task that some of us can't even do now. I almost did. But Mew evaded me because I didn't have a stupid Ultra Ball and it is the single greatest regret of my life. But I digress (MEW!!!!).

We see Red again, luckily, after defeating the Kanto League in Pokémon Silver, Gold, and Crystal standing atop Mt. Silver. When I first saw him, I was confused. Then the music started. And I knew: it's about to go down.

And it does, because Red is the toughest trainer in the game. Why? Because Red is awesome. Seriously, though. Look at what he does: he defeats the Indigo League (fantastic), he catches all 151 original Pokémon (nearly impossible), and makes an entire criminal organization disband in the matter of a few months (um...what?). He even wins at some of the Slot Machines in the Game Corner ARE YOU KIDDING ME. Red is a genius.

Plus, everyone but Blue loves Red. Everyone knows who he is. You know who Red is. If you met him in a Pokémon battle it'd be like coming across Yugi Muto in a Duel. You're going to lose, it's just something you kind of have to accept.

Getting back to the whole Team Rocket thing, let's examine his victory over them, shall we? There are five different occasions where he and his Pokémon  are able to cripple Team Rocket, even defeating them at their own secret headquarters that nobody had a clue they were in (I've kind of assumed now that the Gym Trainers in the Viridian Gym are actually Rocket Admins and Grunts). Red is just amazing, and deserves the epic battle music that he holds to this day!

Aragorn--The "Lord of the Rings" trilogy

Why not Gandalf, he fought the Balrog? Because Aragorn summoned an army of ghosts, THAT'S why Mr. Skepticism.

Yeah, you know Aragorn. Ranger of the North that returns to the throne in Minas Tirith upon the arrival of Sauron's dark army on the fields of Pelennor. Heir to Isildur. That fun stuff. As a kid, the Frodo and Sam scenes (you know, the ones with the fate of the world riding on them) weren't nearly as important. There were Orcs/ Uruk-Hai that needed killing (looking at you Two Towers, your awesome Battle of the Hornburg sequence), and Aragorn was just the guy that needed to stop them.

Plus, this guy could do anything. He could heal people (ish). He could survive falls off of cliffs. He walked into an entire army of Uruk-Hai. Do we understand this?

There's more that makes him a hero, too, of course, than just being awesome. It's that he is the King of Gondor and he really just does not want to be king--he's not Simba, to say the least. However, with come does the realization that he needs to take up this inheritance, and he takes it up like no other Man (literally, no one else from the race of Men). Sure, he has a cool coronation at the end of Return of the King, but really, he becomes the true king when he goes to the Ghosts in the mountain, to deserters.

He's the one who held them to their oath. So. Freaking Cool.

"What say you?"

6. Yusei Fudo--Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's

It's tough to top the King of Gondor...so what about the third King of Games? Yusei Fudo, while not highly regarded amongst the ranks of Duelists from the Yu-Gi-Oh! anime, is in my opinion the best Duelists for both his style and his characteristics.

Let's consider how both Yugi and Jaden both have a second spirit inside of them, and Yuma has Astral on the exterior to help him out. Yusei's got nobody spiritually, so instead he relies on the bonds of friendship. It sounds cheesy, I know, but, it actually works, because his friends are Signers and he draws power from them in dire situations.

Yusei is also an amazing Duelist. In The Facility, he was able to defeat someone with a Deck of randomly assembled treasure-cards. He was able to take down the best Duel Team, Team Unicorn, in the WRPG with only like 2000 Life Poitnts and six cards in deck. That's impressive as heck. Not to mention he has the best main card (like out of Dark Magician, Elemental Hero Neos, and Number 39: Utopia). Stardust Dragon is played in real decks to this day as a staple Synchro Card.

Not to mention Majestic Star Dragon, Shooting Star Dragon, and Shooting Quasar Dragon.

Granted, Yusei does have the same top-deck advantage of being a hero, but, I feel he (and Yuma to an extent) rely less on the draw and more on the cards that are already in play. There were a few times where Yusei needed a luck draw, but most of them were just Majestic Dragon that came from the power of the Signers and...whatever. But it seemed that whenever Yusei needed to make a big Synchro push, he already had his field set up for it, and was always ready to protect his assets.

Yusei was not only a good Duelist, but a genius Duelist. Out of the four main heroes (soon to be five), Yusei always thought strategically before making any move. He analyzed his opponent's behaviors and play-styles and moved on from there. In some cases, it could even be the personality of the Duelist, like when he dueled against Akiza or Jack early on in the show.

Speaking of emotions, too, Yusei was not short on them. When he got angry, he got pretty angry, even punching Jack in the face once. After facing off against Antimony, Yusei is really stricken over the loss of his friend who taught him pretty much everything he needed to defeat the Meklord Emperors. I just felt that Yusei was the more relatable Duelist of the main ones, and he was pretty cool to watch. Rev it up.


5. Ezio Auditore--Assassin's Creed II, Brotherhood, Revelations

Altaïr was awesome. Connor was impulsive and driven. Edward had the best gameplay. But Ezio, man, Ezio's story had me in tears at the end of it.

I mean, we meet the guy, and he's kind of a jerk. Then everyone in his family dies except for his mom and sister and you're like "aw, darn it guy." So you want to avenge them, but he's still a bit of a jerk. Then Assassin's Creed II ends and in Brotherhood we get a much different Ezio. You can tell he's been around the bend now, and he has a much stronger purpose. Mostly because his Uncle Mario died (I was not ready for that in Brotherhood, I was so mad) and now he has to get revenge on stupid Cesare Borgia.

But it isn't like last time. This time, he gets help by recruiting Assassins. And an interesting twist of fate, Ezio does not kill Cesare. Nope, gravity does. Ezio kills on the guards, as usual.

He also saves a man that some Romans are pretending to be Jesus. So that happens.

When I think about it, though, Ezio really becomes my favorite Assassin in Assassin's Creed: Revelations. Ezio is 51 and he looks it, even acts it a little. When you take too much damage, he isn't able to move around as nimbly as he usually would with like half a bar of health left. He is far wiser, though, than any Assassin we meet in game, able to adapt to the new Constantinople environment in a flash.

While the vilains of Revelations aren't very memorable, Ezio's story arc is one for the ages. It wraps up with Ezio finding the true Apple of Eden at Altaïr's corpse. I thought it was one of the coolest things ever to see him interact with at least some version of the great Master Assassin. The moment that I think I'll remember forever, though, is when the Apple activates and he is brought back to where he was at the end of the second game, where Minerva overlooked him to Desmond.

This time, Ezio acknowledges Desmond and tells him that there is no more that he can do. He acknowledges the fact that his life has been nothing more than a looking glass for a future Assassin to someday make sense of the messes he and Altaïr have made in their lives, and hopes Desmond can do the same.

Just those few moments go to show how far he has come. From being the hotheaded boy seeking nothing but to kill all who would do wrong his family to acknowledging Desmond in the future is quite the story arc, and a powerful one at that. He understands his role, which is even more incredible. Because Ezio knows that he did serve some role, something he had been looking for his entire life. Ezio wanted purpose and managed to find it.

His death is one of the best closures to a character, too. He dies at peace with a family and a wife that he loves with all his heart, something he has also longed for since joining the Assassins. Ezio Auditore, you are truly a master.

4. Son Goku--Dragon Ball, Dragon Ball Z, Dragon Ball GT

Wait how is this not your favorite hero SEAN WHAT are you saying to me?!

Yeah, Goku isn't number one. In fact, number four may even be a shocker to you. But there are three more people that I think are a bit better than Goku.

However, Goku is still the strongest character in all of Dragon Ball, that is without any frame of a doubt. Nobody can--okay, Bills but whatever--surpass him in strength. He always seems to get a leg-up on the enemy without them expecting, always able to come from behind and prove how strong he is. Sometimes, he just has to use his head (that's a Piccolo joke from those fights, by the way).

Goku also has a sweet arsenal of attacks, let's not kid ourselves, but let's also not focus on that.

Goku is an true hero to basically the very definition. On more than one occasion does he lay out his life to save his friends and save the world. He always wants everyone to be safe, even staying behind on a planet that is reaching its tipping point to explode. He's always confident, too, even if he knows he might not be able to win in a battle, such as against Cell. Goku will do anything for the people he loves.

Not only that, but, Goku was kind of the first Super Saiyan since, coincidentally, his father to become a Super Saiyan and defeat the tyrant that plagued the Saiyans for so long, Lord Frieza. That's nothing to sneeze at. I know becoming a Super Saiyan became kind of a staple for Dragon Ball Z later on, but, at the time, it was awesome because Goku was the only one to do it. And Future Trunks. That was a surprise, too.

Yet Goku is also a comical character, always quick to make light of a tense situation. When he arrives on Namek to take on the Ginyu Force, he pokes fun at Recoome who has demolished his friends. He messes around with Burter as well as Captain Ginyu, too. The best part is he can back it all up because he has more than enough power to defeat them.

Moreover, Goku is merciful, both a flaw and a curse. When he defeats Frieza, he spares some energy for the tyrant for him to live on and maybe challenge Goku again. When he is crushing Kid Buu with the Spirit Bomb, he secretly wishes for a rematch with Kid Buu when he has more energy and when they have an entire planet to himself. He even spares Vegeta from being killed by Krillin, knowing he has to have a proper rematch with Vegeta once he is all healed up and gets stronger. I just thought that was cool about him, that he thought everyone had an ounce of good in them. Except Cell. Because he is just evil. But so cool.

Harry Potter--"Harry Potter" series

"The boy who lived." "The chosen one." "Potta." Okay, nobody really called him that last one, but, it's what it sounds like when Snape is scolding him.

I always liked Harry Potter as a character because people used to say I looked like him. But I also never got my letter to Hogwarts, what's up with that, bro?

Thinking about it, though, Harry Potter is a very good hero because he is a very human hero. He has so much stuff flung at him, like people dying around him left and right, and he doesn't just stand there and take it and pretend to act tough. No, he gets rather damaged emotionally. He takes very harsh offense to the death of his parents, like anyone should. He cries, he laughs, he has emotion.

He is human!

Well, a wizard...are they still technically human or...? Ah, whatever. Anyway, Harry James Potter I found to be an extremely relatable character in terms of emotion, not so much what happens to him. He relies on his best friends for support, he has a favorite teacher he looks to for guidance, he has to deal with people who think themselves a better of someone. Those are all things that we have dealt with at one point or another.

His heroic traits, the ones he needs to saving the wizarding world, are very strong as well. He finds out that he is the Chosen One, and unlike most characters where they will be terrified or try to avoid it, Harry accepts his fate and knows he has to do everything in his power to defeat Voldemort, even it means, you know, getting killed in the process. He doesn't pretend to be the strongest wizard, either, because he most certainly is not. Hermoine is better at magic than he ever was, and Voldemort is a very powerful wizard that could've killed Harry several times if not for his arrogance.

Thus, Harry does not kid himself. He knows what he is, he knows what he has to do, and he does his best to do it, putting everything at stake as well as understanding what it is that is at stake. This is evident throughout the books, and is even burdened with keeping those he loves out of the fire-fight, and through their support does he grow stronger and his quest become better.

2. Future Trunks--Dragon Ball Z

You know how nowadays you'll be watching a show and someone dies and you'll freak out about it for the longest time? You know how that's supposed to happen when you're older and understand the concept of a character dying?

Well, I had that moment when I was six years old, when Perfect Cell returned from Other World and blasted Future Trunks through the chest. I freaked out, running out of my room and I had to tell my mom what happened. People had to know. Trunks was dead! I couldn't take it, my six-year old mind wasn't ready for my favorite DBZ character to get axed!

Trunks, to me, was just the epitome of cool. As a kid, my Trunks action figure was one of my favorites. When I played with my action figures, his was always one of the main ones in battle. He also died a lot, thanks to that stupid scene I still can't get over.

I mean, let's consider how he enters the show. Frieza's men are about to make short work of Earth when some stranger appears with a sword and cuts them all up.

"So, you must be Frieza."

WHO DOES THAT? I mean, seriously! Super-heroes don't even have cooler introductions! This guy just shows up literally out of nowhere and kills all of Frieza's men. Then he takes out Frieza without even breaking a sweat all while becoming a Super Saiyan while it took Goku like forever to do it. And he killed King Cold in a single blast. Trunks was awesome.

I always rooted for Trunks, too, because of what he fought for. He fought for the future. He might've been a little hotheaded at times or would jump the gun, but, most of the time he was the voice of reason that nobody listened to. He said they should run from the Androids, and what happens? They fight them and lose in a fight to them. He goes to finish off Semi-Perfect Cell because he knows that nobody will be able to stop Cell's perfect form and what happens? Cell's perfect form proves too much for most everyone.

Probably my favorite Trunks episode is the one where he goes back to the future to kill 17, 18, and Imperfect Cell. After watching him for all that time and to finally do what he set out to do, it was so gratifying. His dialogue in the episode is pretty great, too, it really shows what has been driving him the previous two seasons to save the world.

Trunks may not be the strongest DBZ character, but, to be the coolest character from my favorite show of all time really gives you some points.

However, not enough. There is actually someone above Trunks. You've probably guessed it by now.

Bruce Wayne--Batman lore (but not the 90s Batman movies with Kilmer and Clooney)

I couldn't put Batman because of the several iterations of Batman that I don't like. Azreal Batman I am not a fan of, Terry McGinnis is a cool Batman, yeah, but he's a little irrational sometimes, and Dick Grayson is better suited to be Nightwing, in my opinion.

We've seen Bruce Wayne in several different forms, and I like most of them. From the Adam West Bruce Wayne to the Michael Keaton Bruce Wayne to the Christian Bale sore-throat Batman to the animated series' Batman and even now in the Arkham games where is voiced by Kevin Conroy. Each provides an interesting depiction on the Dark Knight and every one of them, for the most part, is unique.

So why is Bruce Wayne on the list? Some people like to think he is a lesser Iron Man, to which I ask: can Iron Man defeat Superman?

No? Thank you, please sit down and continue watching Iron Man 2 you fool.

Bruce Wayne is a great hero not just because he flies around in a batsuit at night preying on criminals, but because he is ready for anything. He's ready for the day Superman goes too far, for example, and is capable of defeating Superman. Everyone pokes fun at the utility belt for being full of random things, but, hey, when you need shark repellent, you need it. It's good to have.

Physically, Batman is one of the more able-bodied heroes in DC's arsenal, able to stand up to martial arts masters like Deathstroke and even go toe-to-toe with the big brute Bane (though, not so much the first time around...hehe). In that respect, some people compare him to Oliver Queen, but again, I don't Oliver Queen can really recover from a broken back like Bruce Wayne can, not is Ollie capable of creating a new batsuit to fit a new Azrael.

I know that nowadays when most people think of Bruce Wayne they'll think of Christain Bale and to be honest I don't have a problem with that. Nolan's Bruce Wayne was kind of obviously Batman because he left a bit of a trail behind, but he was still a hero. He crashed his car for someone in The Dark Knight. That was cool...but heartbreaking, it was such a cool car. This Bruce Wayne was still a genius, still the same "no-killing" Batman, and still a terrific martial artist.

Though what I think separates Bruce Wayne from all the rest is that he is smart. Like, comparatively, he is extremely weak and can't always rely on muscle. In a fist-fight with Superman, he'd be clobbered. Fighting Wonderwoman, Green Lanter, Cyborg, Aquaman, Supergirl, you could name almost anyone from the Justice League and they are probably stronger than Bruce Wayne. So why does he hold such a position? Because he is crafty. They show this very well in the Justice League and Justice League Unlimited animated series. The top three heroes are Superman, Batman, and Wonderwoman. Why Batman? Because he is thoughtful, often able to get the team out of a jam in a jiff.

Not to mention he is one of the only super-heroes so far, and the Flash, to dodge one of Darkseid's Omega Rays. Why? Because he was able to use the environment around him to be able to trick a laser beam from a space-tyrant. That's awesome.

Bruce also created the Batcave pretty much all on his own, something other heroes like Green Arrow would soon come to copy.

Plus, when you have intelligent villains like the Riddler, Mr. Freeze, and of course, the Joker fighting you most of the time and you're able to figure them out constantly (thought not fully win but still come out on top), you've got to give Bruce Wayne some serious props.

Even in old age Bruce Wayne is awesome. We see this in Batman Beyond, where Bruce is basically Terry's conscious while Terry is in the suit. It's almost as if with age, Bruce Wayne does not lose his spunk.

So while Batman may not be the best hero (Azreal ruined it, blame him guys), Bruce Wayne certainly is and deservingly so.


Thus concludes this Top 10 list of heroes, something I've been meaning to do for a little while now. Though not as much as another Top 10 list I have coming right up...