Topic: ITT: Top 5 Characters from sci-fi ever
Anonymous A started this discussion 12 years ago #35,116
I was tempted to post "I'll start:" followed by a list, but I realized that I really have to think about this. I'll post later after I've chewed it over for some time. Anyway, R. Daneel Olivaw, Cat (from Red Dwarf), and Jane (from Orson Scott Card's Ender trilogy) are three who jump out immediately. (One Starfleet captain and Alan/Adam/Aaron/A* from Cory Doctorow's Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town might also make that list) I'll toy with this and come up with some reasons. Anyway, if you have a list (and maybe some reasons) please let me know! I would love to have some help/criticism in deciding on choices.
(Edited 1 minute later.)
Anonymous B joined in and replied with this 12 years ago, 13 minutes later[^] [v] #483,631
1. The Doctor, Doctor Who
2. Capt. Archer, Star Trek: Enterprise
3. Luke Skywalker, Star Wars
4. Kathryn Janeway, Star Trek: Voyager
5. Han Solo, Star Wars
FACT!
2. Capt. Archer, Star Trek: Enterprise
3. Luke Skywalker, Star Wars
4. Kathryn Janeway, Star Trek: Voyager
5. Han Solo, Star Wars
FACT!
Anonymous A (OP) replied with this 12 years ago, 26 minutes later, 39 minutes after the original post[^] [v] #483,632
@previous (B)
> 2. Capt. Archer, Star Trek: Enterprise
> 3. Luke Skywalker, Star Wars
> 4. Kathryn Janeway, Star Trek: Voyager
These would be some of the least inspiring characters (Meh. Luke's okay, but he's still a whining little bitch) I have ever encountered. Please offer your reasoning?
I can totally sympathize with "The Doctor" (In fact, I probably should have included him in my list. As one continuous character, he is certainly someone who needs to be considered rather than considering him as separate Doctors!) and Han deserves some consideration. But why the other choices?
> 2. Capt. Archer, Star Trek: Enterprise
> 3. Luke Skywalker, Star Wars
> 4. Kathryn Janeway, Star Trek: Voyager
These would be some of the least inspiring characters (Meh. Luke's okay, but he's still a whining little bitch) I have ever encountered. Please offer your reasoning?
I can totally sympathize with "The Doctor" (In fact, I probably should have included him in my list. As one continuous character, he is certainly someone who needs to be considered rather than considering him as separate Doctors!) and Han deserves some consideration. But why the other choices?
(Edited 2 minutes later.)
Anonymous A (OP) double-posted this 12 years ago, 44 minutes later, 1 hour after the original post[^] [v] #483,635
And just to make it clear: "best" is relative. "Best" can be whatever you like. You can think "best" means whatever you like for different characters. Just be prepared to defend your definition of "best" through some definition or criteria that can be applied uniformly within the series or universe that device is employed in. If your idea of "best" means "most narcissistic", then that's fine... just give some explanation as to why you think that's meaningful and relevant within the setting.
(Edited 3 minutes later.)
Anonymous C joined in and replied with this 12 years ago, 8 hours later, 10 hours after the original post[^] [v] #483,674
Anonymous C double-posted this 12 years ago, 30 seconds later, 10 hours after the original post[^] [v] #483,675
Killer Lettuce !!iNo3FkiZx joined in and replied with this 12 years ago, 35 minutes later, 10 hours after the original post[^] [v] #483,681
@483,632 (A)
> Janeway
> not inspiring
sir i wholeheartedly disagree
janeway was both awesome and cool
> Janeway
> not inspiring
sir i wholeheartedly disagree
janeway was both awesome and cool
Anonymous A (OP) replied with this 12 years ago, 1 minute later, 10 hours after the original post[^] [v] #483,684
Killer Lettuce !!iNo3FkiZx replied with this 12 years ago, 3 minutes later, 10 hours after the original post[^] [v] #483,685
@previous (A)
I just think that she's a good leader, and a capable captain. I certainly never disliked her adventures throughout the cosmos.
Granted, I'm not saying she's too 5 material necessarily, but I don't rate her as bottom-tier, myself.
I just think that she's a good leader, and a capable captain. I certainly never disliked her adventures throughout the cosmos.
Granted, I'm not saying she's too 5 material necessarily, but I don't rate her as bottom-tier, myself.
The Captain !PundosRBSM joined in and replied with this 12 years ago, 2 hours later, 13 hours after the original post[^] [v] #483,703
#1Meep joined in and replied with this 12 years ago, 12 minutes later, 13 hours after the original post[^] [v] #483,707
Not in order:
the Doctor (Doctor Who) Picard (Star Trek TNG), Deckard (Blade Runner), Han Solo (Star Wars) and Murphy (Robocop)
the Doctor (Doctor Who) Picard (Star Trek TNG), Deckard (Blade Runner), Han Solo (Star Wars) and Murphy (Robocop)
Captain Eo replied with this 12 years ago, 9 minutes later, 13 hours after the original post[^] [v] #483,711
Anonymous C replied with this 12 years ago, 3 minutes later, 13 hours after the original post[^] [v] #483,714
Anonymous A (OP) replied with this 12 years ago, 9 hours later, 23 hours after the original post[^] [v] #483,763
@483,685 (Killer Lettuce !!iNo3FkiZx)
Sorry, I had to do IRL stuff for a bit.
> I just think that she's a good leader, and a capable captain.
I just think the character is unevenly written; one episode she's gleefully meddling with the politics of some alien world and in the next she's refusing to help some friendly aliens because... ummm... the prime directive wouldn't allow that. She also seems to send poor Harry Kim on near-suicidal missions for supplies they "might need". And then in other episodes she gets all huffy about having to put her crew in danger, when she's already been sending them on near-suicidal romps for some stuff that might come in handy mending the hull! I know there were a bunch of different writers who made her say all those contradictory things, and I'm not knocking Kate Mulgrew's portrayal of the character. But the character of Janeway, over the series, comes of as a near-psychopath who just uses whatever excuses sound good to get her way. Had she ended up stuck in Future's End (S3E8), she probably could have excelled in American politics in the years to come.
Anyway, I had a hard time watching Voyager. I'm not it's biggest fan. If you found Janeway inspiring, then that's cool. I still can't see it though.
> Granted, I'm not saying she's top 5 material necessarily, but I don't rate her as bottom-tier, myself.
Meh. Voyager was fun to watch, but the writing sucked - too much treknobabble to get out of jams. TNG itself was guilty of this and coined the phrase data-ex-machina, but it just seemed way over used and ill-planned in Voyager. If you would like to enjoy some Voyager writing weirdness here is a good place to start. That isn't serious criticism of Janeway, it's just criticism of the writers of the series as a whole... Who suck at continuity! Could they have at least read the previous scripts where Janeway says X and then in their episode decides to do Y??
Sorry, I had to do IRL stuff for a bit.
> I just think that she's a good leader, and a capable captain.
I just think the character is unevenly written; one episode she's gleefully meddling with the politics of some alien world and in the next she's refusing to help some friendly aliens because... ummm... the prime directive wouldn't allow that. She also seems to send poor Harry Kim on near-suicidal missions for supplies they "might need". And then in other episodes she gets all huffy about having to put her crew in danger, when she's already been sending them on near-suicidal romps for some stuff that might come in handy mending the hull! I know there were a bunch of different writers who made her say all those contradictory things, and I'm not knocking Kate Mulgrew's portrayal of the character. But the character of Janeway, over the series, comes of as a near-psychopath who just uses whatever excuses sound good to get her way. Had she ended up stuck in Future's End (S3E8), she probably could have excelled in American politics in the years to come.
Anyway, I had a hard time watching Voyager. I'm not it's biggest fan. If you found Janeway inspiring, then that's cool. I still can't see it though.
> Granted, I'm not saying she's top 5 material necessarily, but I don't rate her as bottom-tier, myself.
Meh. Voyager was fun to watch, but the writing sucked - too much treknobabble to get out of jams. TNG itself was guilty of this and coined the phrase data-ex-machina, but it just seemed way over used and ill-planned in Voyager. If you would like to enjoy some Voyager writing weirdness here is a good place to start. That isn't serious criticism of Janeway, it's just criticism of the writers of the series as a whole... Who suck at continuity! Could they have at least read the previous scripts where Janeway says X and then in their episode decides to do Y??
Anonymous A (OP) double-posted this 12 years ago, 12 minutes later, 23 hours after the original post[^] [v] #483,764
Anonymous A (OP) triple-posted this 12 years ago, 25 seconds later, 23 hours after the original post[^] [v] #483,765
The Captain !PundosRBSM replied with this 12 years ago, 18 hours later, 1 day after the original post[^] [v] #483,850
Syntax joined in and replied with this 12 years ago, 4 minutes later, 1 day after the original post[^] [v] #483,851
For historical correctnessMeep replied with this 12 years ago, 4 hours later, 1 day after the original post[^] [v] #483,860
@483,765 (A) I'm not really sure. I'm really into the Bounty Hunter thing, and he's done really well by Ford