The Best Science Fiction Character of ALL TIME

[Beaker]

Heroine:
Mara - Lady of the Acoma
from Raymond E Fiest and Janny Wurts "Daughter of the Empire" series.
Family killed, left almost powerless has to marry worst enemy on the way back to the very top by the end of the trilogy. Quite a resume!

Villain:
The emperor Palpatine / Darth Sideous

Hero:
Darth Vader / Anakin Skywalker - he took his time getting there, but hero in the end

 

[Thadlerian]

Anasurimbor Kellhus of the Prince of Nothing series is probably the most interesting and engaging character ever written.

I think Kellhus is just a little to powerful (but then again, I haven't even finished The Warrior Prophet...). I'd say Drusas Achamian. That's a great character. Almost like a serious Rincewind.

I don't know if anyone else mentioned this, but I rather liked the crew from Farscape.

Oh yeah, forgot that. Pilot is great!

 

[Phobos]

I actually happen to hate Kellhus as a person the books and love Achamian but Kellhus definitely has more depth.

 

[K. Riehl]

Science Fiction: Gosseyn, the man with two brains!-From World of Null-A by Van Vogt
Fantasy: Corwin of Amber by Roger Zelazny

 

[GrownUp]

Who won this?

 

[mosaix]

Who won this?

Don't know, but I want to add Kryten from Red Dwarf.

 

[Toby Frost]

In fantasy: Alfred Prunesquallor from Gormenghast, followed by almost anyone else from Gormenghast, followed by Logen Ninefingers from The First Law (although Logen's kind of done by the end of the books). And can I have Ryhope Wood as a character?

In SF: Horza from Consider Phlebas, Mandala from The Forever War and Laurence Oliphant from The Difference Engine, all of whom feel like people rather than methods of proving the author's theory.

On TV: Jayne Cobb. Not just a man to laugh at but a flawed, 3D person (and one to laugh at). Sad to see him outdone by the psychic Mary-sue child, who was the worst thing in Firefly by a fair way.

 

[white_wanderer]

In Fantasy : I always liked either Sparhawk (david Eddings Elenium) or Druss the Legend. Both fantastic characters. Both leaders, charismatic and fuelled by Duty and Honour.

In Scifi, there's a few people who've mentioned Joshua Calvert, but in Peter Hamilton's Nights Dawn Triliogy the character of Erick Thakrar has no special powers but is so driven by his duty that he even works alongside the people he despises and puts his own life at risk just to pass on some information.

Obi-wan gets an honourable mention here i think. If he hadn't have gone into seclusion you get the distinct impression that he could have defeated the whole empire without breaking a sweat. It's a shame that Vader defeated him in A New Hope!

 

[GrownUp]

In Fantasy : I always liked either Sparhawk (david Eddings Elenium) or Druss the Legend. Both fantastic characters. Both leaders, charismatic and fuelled by Duty and Honour.

In Scifi, there's a few people who've mentioned Joshua Calvert, but in Peter Hamilton's Nights Dawn Triliogy the character of Erick Thakrar has no special powers but is so driven by his duty that he even works alongside the people he despises and puts his own life at risk just to pass on some information.

Obi-wan gets an honourable mention here i think. If he hadn't have gone into seclusion you get the distinct impression that he could have defeated the whole empire without breaking a sweat. It's a shame that Vader defeated him in A New Hope!

Did he defeat him? I rather think it was a choice, to evolve (like Pokemon do, after battles, into different, completely baffling Pokemon). A (gosh, morbid) gift to Luke?

If you strike me down, I shall become more powerful than you could possibly imagine.

 

[Boneman]

If you strike me down, I shall become more powerful than you could possibly imagine.

There have been threads discussing that 'non-event' so I won't go into it. Favourite character? Corwin of Amber - what that guy went through to fight for, to achieve and then walk away from, was incredible... Although I always liked Gurney Halleck in the original (those written by Frank, not the pale imitations that followed) Dune series.

TV/Film?: Buffy... but then how could I leave out Hiro Nakamura?

Not an easy question to answer...

 

[J Riff]

CRAG, from Fredric Browns Rogue in Space.

 

[reiver33]

Scorpius from Farscape
Malcolm Reynolds (Mal) from Firefly
Emperor palpatine from Star Wars

 

[The DeadMan]

Scorpius from Farscape
Malcolm Reynolds (Mal) from Firefly
Emperor palpatine from Star Wars

I definitely agree about Malcolm Reynolds!

 

[Xelebes]

Lawrence Waterhouse from Neal Stephenson's Cryptonomicon.

 

[Mouse]

Scorpius from Farscape
Malcolm Reynolds (Mal) from Firefly
Emperor palpatine from Star Wars

I'll second Scorpius. And add Stark. Loved that crazy one-eyed loon. Did anybody see Scorpius in Lost?

Can I add DeWitt from Dollhouse too, or doesn't that count?

 

[Starbeast]

So many good ones have been mentioned, so I'll keep it brief.

Dr Zachary Smith (Jonathan Harris) - Original LOST in SPACE series.

Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) - from The X-MEN a brave, no non-sense kind of guy with a heart of gold

Dr Who (Tom Baker) - odd at times, funny and enjoyable to watch

 

[ColdBurn]

Damn, Starbeast, you read my mind. Zachary Smith (AKA Jonathan Harris): campiest character in history, next to Cpt. Kirk!

 

[ValerieJLong]

My favorite in books: David Weber's Alicia DeVries (In Fury Born)
Movies: can't think someone up that's not mentioned a hundred times yet.

 

[A_J_Lath]

Scorpius from Farscape
Malcolm Reynolds (Mal) from Firefly
Emperor palpatine from Star Wars

Palp/Emperor/Darth Sid - seconded!

Frankly, he was the best thing in the prequels - helped, in no small part, by the fact that Ian McDiarmuid seemed the only actor there who got the hang of acting in a blue studio (maybe all his theatre experience helped, I dunno). I've always had a thing for the more cerebral baddies anyway - and Darth Sidious delivered in spades, IMO.

Pity we never got to see Darth Sid send some force lighting Jar Jar's way, thoroughly cooking the beast in the process. "Hmmm - tastes like shrimp..."

 

[The DeadMan]

Pity we never got to see Darth Sid send some force lighting Jar Jar's way, thoroughly cooking the beast in the process. "Hmmm - tastes like shrimp..."

I agree! At least they toned Jar Jar down some in the two following movies.