We all have favorite characters. It’s time to give them some public recognition and attention.
And what better way to do that than a contest?
*ahem* Announcing…
The Great Character Clash of 2017
Sci-fi and fantasy characters locked in a battle for ultimate supremacy.
A tournament to determine the best of the best.
Five weeks. Thirty-two contenders. One champion.
via GIPHY
The Character Clash will kick off next week, but in the meantime, I need your help. My empty bracket is begging for someone to fill it with competitors, and that’s where you come in. So basically, you, O readers, are part of my nomination committee.
Nomination Rules:
1. Characters must be from sci-fi or fantasy—an equal (ish) mix would be nice, but I’m not going to be picky.
2. Only nominate characters from books, movies, and TV shows (no comic books).
3. There’s no limit to the number of characters you suggest, but there are only 32 spots. I’m going to have to pick and choose, so don’t be offended if your character(s) doesn’t make the cut.
4. Try to nominate characters most people would at least be familiar with.
5. If you pick an obscure character or one from a story that’s not well known, I’d appreciate it if you could either add a short description about why that character’s awesome, or include a link so I can get a basic idea of who the person is, what they do, etc.
6. If you pick The Doctor, specify which incarnation.
via GIPHY
8. If you’re not sure if a character qualifies as being from sci-fi or fantasy, suggest the character and name the story, and I’ll let you know. Movie example: Pirates of the Caribbean wouldn’t count.
9. I don’t care what skills/powers/qualities a character has. I’ll take strong characters, loyal characters, cunning characters, you name it.
10. Villains welcome and encouraged.
via GIPHY
12. I’ll be taking suggestions through this Friday. Any characters nominated after that won’t make it into the bracket pool.
Why Not Have a Free-for-All?
I’m limiting the character choices because simplicity for me.
But also for your sake. Once the bracket is filled, it’s up to the audience (aka YOU AWESOME PEOPLE AND ALL YOUR FRIENDS) to vote and determine who moves on and who gets eliminated. I don’t want to have a bunch of obscure characters nobody knows about and therefore aren’t able to vote for/against.
The more people that participate the better, so feel free to spread the word on social media and your blogs, via owl post and Palantir and intergalactic transmission.
The official hashtag (if you do that sort of thing) is #CharacterClash2017.
Looking forward to seeing your suggestions and having a blast with this tournament.
79 thoughts on “Announcing the Great Character Clash”
Seven of Nine from Star Trek Voyager. Captain Kathryn Janeway of same. Katniss Everdeen from The Hunger Games. Barry Allen from The Flash.
Ohhh, Katniss and Barry. YES. I haven’t watched Voyager, so not sure who Seven of Nine is, though I’ve heard of Janeway.
Here are my suggestions! I tried to pick characters that would be fun to contrast with other people, not just people I personally like. 😀
The Doctor (11th)!
Scarlet Witch
Star-Lord
Gandalf the Grey
Jack Sparrow
Doctor Strange
Toph from Avatar: The Last Airbender – or Katara!
Luna Lovegood
River Tam
^_^
Great idea, Bethany. I’m curious who River Tam is. Haven’t heard of him (her?) before.
River Tam (her) is from Firefly! (TV show, western in space, canceled after a few episodes, rabid fanbase. :D) http://www.imdb.com/character/ch0003810/?ref_=tt_cl_t8
Aha, thanks for that, Deborah. I at least know what Firefly is… 😉 Really want to watch it sometime.
Yessss you should! 😀 Aside from occasional annoying “content” it’s an EXCELLENT show. The writing and characters and world are all brilliant. <3
Also I love this Character Clash thing and I'll try to come up with some nominations sometime this week. 🙂
*puts on never-ending to-watch list*
Thanks! Sounds good.
Character: Puddleglum
Book: The Silver Chair by C.S. Lewis
Race: Marsh-wiggle
Description: Tall, lanky, like a stretched-out frog wearing a pointy hat. Grave. Pessimistic. Probably invented Murphy’s law. Basically, like every other Marsh-wiggle – except they think he’s too optimistic.
Why He’s Awesome: His extreme gravity provides most of the humor of the book (unintentionally, of course). Plus, in the darkest scene, he displays profound (but still semi-pessimistic) optimism with far-reaching heroic consequences.
Oh yes. Good old Puddleglum. He’d be quite the character to include.
Boba Fett
Ooh, this looks like a ton of fun!! I nominate…
Kit Livingstone from The Bright Empire series – https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9769032-the-skin-map
Prince Lionheart from The Tales of Goldstone Wood – https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11756117-moonblood
Dustfinger from the Ink trilogy – https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/71366.Inkheart
and Westley from The Princess Bride – https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21787.The_Princess_Bride?ac=1&from_search=true
Can’t wait to vote! 😀
Cool, thanks!
Edmund Pevensie.
Because Edmund is awesome once he stops being a traitor. He’s the best part of the Prince Caspian and Dawn Treader movies.
Good choice.
Can I suggest characters from picture books? 😉
My Willoughby (a friendly dragon) and Nickerbacher (a dragon who does stand up comedy). He “slays” you with laughter. Imagine the fun!
heh, heh, heh …
Haha, I guess you can. The only thing is, I don’t know if they’d get many votes since not many people know about them. But yes, I’m picturing the fun I could have with Nickerbacher and…just yes.
heh, heh, heh …
Edmund – The Narnia series, fantasy
Spock – Star Trek TOS, Scifi
Cat Noir – Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir, fantasy
Samwise Gamgee – LOTR, fantasy
Teyla Emmagan – Star Gate Atlantis, Scifi
River Tam – Firefly, Scifi
Okay, so I only know half the characters listed here… 😮
*wonders if he should be ashamed*
You should. 😛 Except Cat Noir. He’s a relatively new fandom…
Then I guess I’m partially pardoned? 😛
How can you say Pirates of the Caribbean doesn’t count???
I nominate
Nym from Storm Siren by Mary Weber
Sairu from Golden Daughter by Anne Elisabeth Stengl
Merlin from Merlin’s Blade
Artemis Fowl from Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer
Harry Potter
Hermoine Granger
Hagrid (really, any character from the Harry Potter books!)
Samwise
Just to name a few… there are so many good ones! After looking at such a wide variety of characters, you could almost have made multiple championships according to category, such as best villain, best hero, best side-kick, etc. Voting on this will be so hard!
Haha, well, PotC seems more “realistic.”
Great nominations, Jennette. Thanks for commenting! Hmmmm, great point with multiple categories. I’m gonna have to think on that…
Great idea (and I don’t know half of the ones mentioned either)!
Time to represent for a little Star Wars:
Darth Vader
Hans Solo
Luke Skywalker
I could name many more, but I know space is limited. 🙂
For fantasy, how about:
Willow (from the George Lucas movie)
Falkor, the Luck Dragon (from Never-ending Story)
Happy fighting!
Ah yes, how can we forget Star Wars?
Thanks for the input, DJ. 🙂
Willow!!!!
Ahsoka Tano, R2D2, Darth Vader/Anakin
Skywalker – Star Wars
The Tenth Doctor
Brom – Inheritance Cycle
Legolas Greenleaf – LOTR
Harry Dresden- Dresden Files
Good picks, Tiffiny. Thanks!
I’m just goin with the first ones that come to mind, however smart or not that may be….. Lucy Pevensie. Peter Pevensie. Samwise Gamgee. and Aslan. Yes, you can obviously see where my loyalties lie…. 😉
Haha, definitely no shame in those choices. 😀
Aslan – Chronicles of Narnia
Gandalf – Lord of the Rings, etc.
Samwise Gamgee – Lord of the Rings
The Doctor 11th – Doctor Who
The Daleks – Doctor Who (I know it’s an entire race but they’re basically all the same and were very worthy oponents for the Doctor)
The Weeping Angels – Doctor Who (Same reasoning as the Daleks)
The Borg – Star Trek: The Next Generation (Same reasoning as Daleks and Weeping Angels)
Ah, great list, Jillian. Love the mix of heroes and villains. 🙂
Captain Picard from Star Trek the Next Generation.
Aragorn from Lord of the Rings.
Khan from Star Trek.
Arthur Dent from Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.
Daniel from Stargate: SG-1.
Saruman from Lord of the Rings.
Wormtongue from Lord of the Rings.
Eowyn from Lord of the Rings.
(We’re doing a Lord of the Rings marathon at the moment, so I can’t help myself.)
I can’t wait to see who gets picked for the final 32!
Great list! Love the LotR theme.
Worthy Star Trek characters not nominated so far:
Dr. Leonard McCoy (original series)
Data (Next Generation)
Benjamin Sisko, Odo, Garak, and Kira Nerys (Deep Space Nine)
Other worthy sci fi figures:
Louis Wu (Ringworld–and other novels by Larry Niven)
Ender (Andrew) Wiggin (Ender’s Game)
The Mule (psychic villain in Isaac Asimov’s Foundation series)
Paul Atreides (Dune)
Neo, Morpheus, Agent Smith, the Oracle (The Matrix)
Mark Watney (The Martian)
Adrmiral Adama, Gaius Baltar (Battlestar Galactica)
And some favorite fantasy baddies:
Evil (Time Bandits)
Malificent (Sleeping Beauty et al.)
Sauron (LOTR)
Bavmorda (Willow)
Oohhh, I like the variety here, Travis.
The 10th Doctor and the 12th Doctor, River Song and Donna Noble, Captain Picard and Captain Janeway, Spock and Q, Iron Man and Thor, Professor Xavier, Doctor Strange…
Okay, okay, that’s enough…
I’m noticing a strong DW theme. 😉
How can I pick?
Legolas Greenleaf – LOTR
Samwise – LOTR
Gandalf the grey – LOTR
Lucy Pevensie – Narnia
Arya Dröttning – Inheritance Cycle
The Doctor (9th)
Clara Oswald – DW
Nehemia Ytger – Throne of Glass
Lysandra – Throne of glass
Padmé Amidala – Star Wars
Aelin Ashryver Galathynius – Throne of Glass
Leonard McCoy (Bones) – Star trek
Is Harry Potter considered fantasy?
If so: Regulus Black
Theres just too many amazing characters out there, it’s so hard to chose!
Harry Potter is absolutely fantasy.
Great choices, and a nice mix, too.
Eragon
…and how about Jewel the unicorn from Narnia?
Ah, Jewel. Great pick.
I second Artemis Fowl. I also second spock and Tenth Doctor.
I also nominate Janner Wingfeather from the Wingfeather saga by Andrew Peterson. And Marty McFly from Back to the Future.
Haha, yes! Marty. Somebody else suggested Doc Brown. LOL
I love this tournament!
Tom Bombadil
Vin (Mistborn)
Naomi Sunrider (most powerful Jedi ever – knocked a sun out of place!)
Tavi (Codex Alera)
Vin for the win! Thanks Josh, glad you approve. 😉 😀
Bean from the Ender’s Game series. One of the best and most well-developed characters I’ve ever read.
Bard Eanrin from the Tales of Goldstone Wood – he’s a fey creature, can be a man or a cat as he desires, with a witty tongue and a cat’s reluctance to be a hero… though he often ends up being one anyway.
I’ll second Han Solo from Star Wars
The Tenth Doctor – because he’s such an amazing iteration of that character, so torn between guilt and the thirst for adventure, so serious yet so light hearted… I could go on.
Eugenides from the Queen’s Thief series – story about a thief who is extremely good at his trade, enough so that he is actually sanctioned by the queen herself and works/reports directly to her. Gen is brilliant and cocky and every bit as good at what he does as he thinks he is. Also, he uses his brain to protect his country and prevent wars… which is admirable.
Liking the suggestions here, even if I’m not familiar with them all. LOL
Bard and Gen sound fascinating, and you can’t go wrong with the 10th Doctor. 😀
Oh, and Michael Carpenter from the Dresden Files – because he’s such a heroic and steadfast and loyal character and I love how he brings out the best qualities of Dresden himself.
And Malcolm Reynolds from Firefly/Serenity. One of my all-time favorite characters ever… swashbuckling rebel smuggler with a heart of gold.
Okay, I’m done now, I promise.
Haha, I’m fine with as many suggestions as you want to give. 😉
LOKI.
also star-lord
and Leia Skywalker!!
Great suggestions.
Vin from the Mistborn series
Jack Sparrow (a must! 😀 )
Legolas (LOTR)
Edmund (Narnia)
Lucy (Narnia)
Sam from LOTR
Loki (because his humor!)
The Doctor (of course 😉 )
Okay, I think I’m mostly seconding characters that others nominated already. 🙂
Great list!
(Uncle) Iroh – Avatar: The Last Airbender
Remus Lupin
Merlin – BBC’s Merlin
Kyo – Fruits Basket
Shasta – Chronicles of Narnia, Horse and His Boy
Fai D. Flourite – Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicles — He’s kind-hearted and loyal, even as he regrets the choices he’s made for survival and after the many trials he faces that threaten to change his entire character.
Inuyasha – InuYasha
Wow, that’s quite the selection. I’m surprised no one’s picked Merlin yet.
YES MERLIN lol only mentioned twice? I’ll mention him again below.
Hey Zac, hope this isn’t to much trouble but my fiance and I both picked 32 entrants: 16 fantasy, 16 Sci-fi. I’ll post them separately to make things a little easier and they are ranked in no particular order. These are mine.
Fantasy:
1. Gandalf, LOTR
2. Samwise Gamgee, LOTR
3. Reepicheep, Chronicles of Narnia
4. Faramir, LOTR
5. Prince Zuko, Avatar the Last Airbender
6. Puddleglum, Chronicles of Narnia
7. Gollum/Smeagol, LOTR
8. Wicked Witch of the West, Wizard of Oz
9. Willy Wonka, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
10. Iroh (Uncle), Avatar the Last Airbender
11. Draco, Dragonheart
12. Po, Kung-Fu Panda
13. Lu Yan/The Drunken Master, The Forbidden Kingdom
14. Xanth Filatine, The Edge Chronicles
15. Shrek
16. Tyrion Lannister, Song of Fire and Ice
Sci-Fi
1. Darth Vader, Star Wars
2. Doc Brown, Back to the Future
3. Harold Finch, Person of Interest
4. Obi-Wan Kenobi, Star Wars
5. Morpheus, The Matrix
6. E.T.
7. T-800, The Terminator Movies
8. Frankenstein’s Monster
9. Marcus Wright, Terminator Salvation
10. Scotty, Star Trek
11. Emperor Palpatine, Star Wars
12. Yoda, Star Wars
13. Elias, Person of Interest
14. Ahsoka Tano, Star Wars
15. HAL 9000, 2001: Space Odyssey
16. Robbie the Robot, Lost in Space/Various
Wow, love it, Aaron. Thanks for all the suggestions!
Here is Mary’s
Fantasy:
1. Aragorn, LOTR
2. Gandalf, LOTR
3. Samwise Gamgee, LOTR
4. Edmund Pevensie Chronicles of Narnia
5. Reepicheep, Chronicles of Narnia
6. Boromir, LOTR
7. Errol Stone, Staff and Sword Trilogy
8. Puddleglum, Chronicles of Narnia
9. Merlin, BBC’s Merlin
10. Martin the Warrior, Redwall
11. Newt Scamander, Fantastic Beasts
12. Captain Navarre, LadyHawke
13. Philippe the Mouse, LadyHawke
14. Golden Sparrow, The Forbidden Kingdom
15. Morganna, BBC’s Merlin
16. Gaius, BBC’s Merlin
Sci-Fi:
1. Spock, Star Trek
2. Captain Picard, Star Trek Next Gen
3. Captain Nemo, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea
4. Harold Finch, Person of Interest
5. Quorra, Tron: Legacy
6: Daniel Jackson, Stargate SG:1
7. Brennan Caldwell, Firebird Trilogy
8. Megamind
9. Data, Star Trek Next Gen
10. Lt. Uhura, Star Trek
11. Elizabeth Bennet, Pride, Prejudice, and Zombies
12. Mr. Darcy, Pride, Prejudice, and Zombies
13. Captain Kirk, Star Trek
14. Solora, Book of Eli
15. Jack Harper, Oblivion
16. Pavel Checkov, Star Trek
Thanks to Mary, too.
Captain Navarre of Ladyhawke!!!!! And Mouse! And Isabeau!
And the Bishop is by far one of the most despicable villains of all time… so you know… if you decide to make two brackets, one for heroes and one for villains… 😉
Kalladin Stormblessed from the Stormlight Archives (Brandon Sanderson)
OH. YES. If anyone deserves to be picked, he’s one of them.
Rand al’Thor from The Wheel of Time. Why has no one picked him yet? 🙂
Dark Vader
R2D2
Darth Sidious
Yoda
Luke Skywalker (I’ll refrain from naming 10 other star wars characters…)
Merlin (from the BBC show)
Ang ( Last Airbender)
Wolverine
Spiderman
Superman
Batman
Apocalypse
The Joker
The Phoenix
Professor X
I second the mention of Data (Star Trek next Gen)
Gandolf (LOTR
Saruman (LOTR)
Sauron (LOTR)
Cloud Strife (Final fantasy) sorry does that count? lol
Aslan (Narnia)
Lord Voldemort (Harry Potter)
Queen Cersei Lannister, (Game of Thrones)
Jack Sparrow (how is POTC not fantasy?)
This is a great idea, and I am excited to see what all is picked. Thanks for putting this together!
Wow, excellent list. Love the variety. And as for PotC…I guess as a fandom it just doesn’t leap to mind when you think of fantasy.
Hmm, I’m too late to nominate, but if Lila Bard isn’t on the list then it’s a travesty.
🙂
I’ve actually never heard of her. 😮
Gasp. I love POTC….however my husband concurs. Although I totally debunked all his reasons. After which he did admit the third movie would be considered fantasy lol. Also superheroes not fantasy. (More sci fi) This btw is a man who read way more fantasy than I. Including the entire wheel of tome and song of the and ice series. My conclusion. Classic fantasy is it’s a own sub genre 🙂
I apologize for typos. Not on a computer 🙂
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