Top 5 Friday - Stolen from Lauren!

Okay, so I totally swiped this post topic from Lauren over at Half Deserted Streets, but I couldn't help it! I'm a bit TV fan and an even bigger character fan, so it just made sense to do my own top 5 list on the subject of:

Top 5 TV Characters
(I'm not using the "currently on tv" thing cause frankly? I'm of the opinion that there really isn't that much good tv on anymore...)

And so! Without further ado, and in no particular order...

1. Jack Bauer (from "24") - Seriously, does this guy even NEED an explanation? It's f-ing Jack Bauer, dammit! He's quite possibly one of the biggest badasses to ever grace the tv world. He has saved the world from terrorists countless times, and although he has suffered greatly and lost much, he still pulls through to do the right thing for his friends and his country. His almost superhuman ability to dismantle bombs at the last second and take on armies of terrorists with a single gun always leaves us wanting more.

2. Starbuck A.K.A. Kara Thrace (from "Battlestar Galactica") - Once again, a total badass, but in female form! Starbuck is a loud-mouthed, disobedient, emotional viper pilot who, with her gutsy and sometimes dangerous flying maneuvers and her total disregard for authority, always manages to pull it out of the fire at the very last second and save the day. Although she rarely feels at home anywhere but on the battlefield, her complex love life and unpredictable emotions make her perhaps one of the most human characters on the show (regardless of whether or not that's what she actually is - we'll never know for sure!).

3. G'Kar (from "Babylon 5") - Although not the most obvious choice if one were to select a favorite character from this series, I can't help but love G'Kar. He makes such an incredible journey as a character from the very beginning of Season One to the series end in Season Five, that I would be remiss if I didn't acknowledge that. He starts out as an impulsive, angry, and selfish individual who daily lives off of the hatred he feels towards those around him. By the end, he is an almost priest-like figure, who has forsaken his previous ways and instead serves as an ambassador for peace. He often speaks words of wisdom and truth, and is trusted deeply by those closest to him.

4. Fox Mulder (from "The X-Files") - Not only did I spend a great majority of my early pre-teen and teenage years nursing a major crush on this character, I have to admit that even today, he still holds a special place in my heart. But not for the same reasons! Today I love him not because I think he's cute, but because he really is such a fantastic character - he, too, makes an incredible journey throughout the series (9 seasons worth!), so much so that his role is almost entirely reversed by the end. His unwavering desire to "just want to believe" and his willingness to go to the ends of the Earth to seek out answers to the darkest questions of his heart, makes him an all-time favorite in my book.

5. Shepherd Book (from "Firefly") - Although this series was seriously and tragically short-lived, it still shines today as one of the best and brightest offerings from the mind of Joss Whedon. Firefly gave us so many lovable, complex characters, and it's difficult to choose a favorite - but the reason I went with Book is because he is quite possibly one of the most intriguing of the bunch. We never learn very much about him - just what he lets slip out in bits and pieces of conversation - but we can easily gather that he has a much more interesting past than he lets on. His ability to easily hold his own in both close combat and large-scale battle situations hints at a definite darker side than his usual subdued, preachy pastor front.


There are so many other characters I would have loved to include on this list!! Honorable mentions include:

Gaius Baltar (from "Battlestar Galactica")
Captain Jonathan Archer (from "Star Trek: Enterprise")
Captain Malcolm "Mal" Reynolds (from "Firefly")
Jake Green (from "Jericho")
Dana Scully (from "The X-Files")