30 Favorite Characters

From Thoughts of a Shieldmaiden.
Rules:  Without thinking about it too much, list 30  fictional characters that

• you really liked, or
• identified with, or
• who you think influenced you, or
• who you simply will not forget!

Well, you know me--I always over-think and over-analyze stuff.  So this should be fun!  *turns off analyzing-mode*

EDIT:  Silly me, I forgot to tag someone!  Well, I tag anybody who wants it.  ^_^

1. Sherlock Holmes.  Yeah, I'm a broken record.  Yeah, he tops every list, in my opinion.
2. Starbuck.  The one man who had the guts to stand up to Captain Ahab. 
3. Gollum.  Memorable, yesss he is.  I'll never be able to say the word "precious" again...
4. Boromir.  Gondorian knight from Lord of the Rings.  I realise he's an unpopular guy, but he may also be the most realistic, and one of the most epic, characters in the whole trilogy.  Underneath all the anti-heroism, he has a noble heart.
5. Fanshawe.  The enigmatic "suffering student", from Hawthorne's novel of the same name.  I didn't much like him at first, but I understand him better now; and he makes a very striking, Gothic type of character.
6. Eustace Bright.  Another college-student character by Hawthorne.  A cheerful, slightly eccentric young man, who enjoys telling stories to his army of younger cousins.
7. Marian Halcombe.  Strong, persevering heroine from The Woman in White, who will even go up against the evil Count Fosco, in order to save her sister.  Not a fan of the '98 movie, but the scene where she's eavesdropping on the balcony (or roof?) in the pouring rain is unforgettable!  One of the best heroine-moments in literature.
8. Count Fosco.  Speaking of.  The unique Fosco, with his mice and cigars and Rossini overtures and horrible conniving.  *shudders*
9. Digory Kirk.  Apart from his cool name, I'll always admire Digory.  I love the fact that he stands up to his nasty Uncle Andrew...someone had to do it.
10. Athelstane.  Am I the only one who likes this minor character from Ivanhoe?  He's dreadfully lazy, not very clever, and "dies" only to wake up at his own funeral.  Oddly likeable, compared to the boring title character.  *ducks tomatoes* 
11. Nancy Drew.  As portrayed by Emma Roberts.  Starts out as a Mary Sue, but her naivete and eccentricities make her very likeable.  I love how she tries to get along with everyone, unashamedly "likes old-fashioned things", is a neat-freak, and talks to herself.  I'll admit I don't have a sunshiny personality (alas), but I sure can relate to the old-fashioned and mystery-loving side of her.
12. Lt. William Bush.  As portrayed by Paul McGann.  How did I not think of him SOONER?!  The ultimate, austere naval officer with a strong sense of duty and justice.  The guy you'd want by your side in battle.  The guy who never smiles; but when he does, it's 100% more special.  (I'll shut up now, I promise...)
13. Alexander Taylor.  The charming tutor from the sadly out-of-print Williamsburg Years, by Nancy Rue (any other fans?).  One of my all-time favorite characters from childhood.  I literally can't explain how wonderful Alexander is...charisma is just part of it. 
14. Scarecrow.  "It's no use screaming at a time like this--nobody will hear you!  HELP!" <3
15. Cpt. Edward Pellew.  Classic Pellew:  "You behaved rashly--you had no right to open fire on that French ship--you ought to be ashamed for feasting on fresh beef when there were wormy biscuits on board--and by the way, I'm glad you made it back alive, son."  Gotta love Pellew...he's always there to give Hornblower a rant and a "Good job".
16. Eugene Onegin.  Personally, I call him an anti-romantic-hero.  Very flawed, memorable, and from another era entirely. 
17. Amy Dorrit.  Dickens's Cinderella character.  It would be interesting to read another author's take on Amy's story...I think Bronte or someone could have really highlighted the emotional/psychological struggles that Amy went through, in unfailing patience. We do get glimpses of it.
18. Dr. Livesey.  The good, sensible doctor from Treasure Island.  There's nothing like a sensible character.
19. Legolas.  The only guy who can wear long, pristine blond hair and get away with it. Legolas is unbeatable in this department.  And he has some mean archery skills.  <3
20. Alan Breck Stewart.  I'm horrified that I didn't remember him until just now...DUH, Marian!  Alan Breck, with the silver buttons, brilliant swordfighting, childish vanity, and persevering patriotism.  After Sherlock Holmes, he's my favoritest fictional hero in the world, and that's saying a lot.  
21. Prince Rilian.  The enchanted prince from The Silver Chair.  A very haunting, tragic character at first; the whole enchantment scene gets me choked up.  I like how (perhaps unintentionally) C. S. Lewis took the traditional fairytale-prince stereotype and turned him into someone the reader actually cares about.
22. Mr Guppy.  One of those (many) Dickens characters that you just can't un-remember.  He's funny, shrewd, and endearingly annoying.
23. Gandalf.  What can I say?  Gandalf is epicness in fictional character form.  In fact, he probably ties with Alan as my second-favoritest character.  He's got a sense of humor too--"And just bring out the cold chicken and pickles!"
24. Hastings.  As portrayed by Hugh Fraser.  Great character; he has such patience to put up with Poirot and his little grey cells.  Scary driver when it comes to the car chases, though!
25. Sir Guy Morville.  The unhappy hero of The Heir of Redclyffe.  Has a terrible temper but always, always tries to do the right thing (people today would call him OCD in this respect).  Frankly, I admire him all the more for it; and it's too bad he's been eclipsed by Darcy, Heathcliff, and other heroes that are popular with modern readers.
26. Philip Morville.  Well, you can't talk about Sir Guy without mentioning his devious cousin, Philip, who drives the story.  You don't like him, but you can't really hate him, either.  Well-written character.
27. Lord John Roxton.  Big-game hunter and protagonist in Doyle's The Lost World.  His confident and cheerful attitude is a much-needed relief in the story, plus he's wonderfully British.
28. Michel Dufrénoy.  Main character in Verne's Paris in the 20th Century. Michel feels like a misfit--he is a student of literature, but the world he lives in is all about technology, and it's the only way by which a person can succeed.  Michel isn't the most inspiring of characters, but there's certainly a lot of truth in him.
29. Alice.  Only Alice would run headlong into a rabbit-hole.  She's funny, clever, compassionate, talks to herself, and is a little too confident in her stock of knowledge. Wonderful character.
30. Mr Venus.  Another hilarious Dickens character.  And a taxidermist.  It doesn't get more Dickensian than Mr Venus.  :)