Top 20 Female Characters in Fiction

Like other facets of life, fiction is pretty much dominated by men (this is not at all a chauvinistic opinion but is an objective reality).  Truly, as far as most iconic and coolest fictional characters are concerned, fictional male characters dominates female characters in quantity and, arguably, quality.  For every one notable and impressive fictional female character, there are twenty male characters.  Just check out my lists for fictional characters – a considerable majority of them are males.     

Nonetheless, awesome fictional female characters do exist.  So to tie-up with women’s month (March), I decided to let the fictional female characters shine by listing my most favorite 20 female characters in fiction.

But before we go on, here are some notes:

• Let me first present the Honorable Mentions – characters considered but weren’t able to make the cut – in no particular order: Catwoman (DC Comics), Erza Scarlet (Fairy Tail), Beatrix Kiddo (Kill Bill), Jasmine (Disney’s Aladdin), Julie “the Cat” Gaffney (The Mighty Ducks), Android 18 (Dragon Ball Z), Alice (Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland), Jo March (Little Women), Kate Becket (Castle), Faa Mulan (Disney’s Mulan), Nikita (Nikita), Nico Robin (One Piece), She-Hulk (Marvel Comics),  Batgirl/Oracle (DC Comics), Invisible Woman (Fantastic Four, Marvel Comics), Lois Lane (Smallville), Chloe Sullivan (Smallville), Lana Lang (Smallville), Sarah Kerrigan (Starcraft), Supergirl (DC Comics), Ripley (Alien franchise), Trinity (Matrix trilogy), Princess Lea (Star Wars), Lola Bunny (Space Jam, Looney Tunes), Mary Jane Watson (Marvel Comics, Spider-Man-verse), Arwen (LOTR), Galadriel (LOTR), Eowyn (LOTR), and Naomi Armitage (Armitage movies)
• Considering the amount of popular female anime characters, I was legitimately surprised that no female anime characters cracked the top 20.  Erza Scarlet, Nico Robin, Android 18, and Naomi Armitage were the four female anime characters that I’ve considered; hence, they are my four most favorite female characters in anime/manga.  On the other hand, none of them are part of my list for most favorite anime characters who are all male (however, Android 18 is among my most favorite cyborgs, Armitage is one of my most favorite androids, and Erza is one of my most favorite swordsmen in fiction).   I guess interesting these four female anime characters might be, they didn’t really have enough compelling appeal to match up with Western female characters.     
• Lois Lane is one of the most famous non-superhero characters in superhero mythology.  Nonetheless, in my opinion, the greatest Lois Lane portrayal ever was done by Erica Durance in the TV series, Smallville.  It was Erica Durance’s Lois Lane that was considered for this list and not the actual comicbook character.  Smallville’s Lana Lang and Chloe Sulliven were also considered.  Yep, I love them Smallville girls.    
• Alice, of Lewis Caroll’s “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland”, was the first literary charater I’ve ever loved. 
• Arwen > Galadriel.  I’ve always held that opinion.

Let’s proceed… 

20.) M

There have been countless Bond Girls in the 007 franchise’s 50 year history.  But the most fascinating of all female characters from the Bondverse is not a Bond Girl at all, but Judi Dench’s M.  In the James Bond books, M – the head of MI-6 – has always been a male.  So the choice of Judi Dench to play M in Goldeneye was fresh and progressive.  With seven Bond movies, this female M proved to be the greatest M in Bond history.  She’s a true hardass head-spook – smart, resolute, bold, sensible, knowledgeable of the spy game, and knows what buttons to push with the generally unruly 007.         

19.) ELSA

Elsa is a recent character, and she has charmed me greatly to replace Jasmine as my most favorite Disney princess.  She has awesome ice powers, the essence of her character’s princess is not rooted on finding a prince, and she probably sang the most powerful animated feature anthem ever -- what’s not to love? 

18.) THE POWERPUFF GIRLS

Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup are a package and can’t really be separated.  Just having one is incomplete.  Hence, these three will only occupy one spot.  

The Powerpuff Girls are awesome.  You have to watch their well-written show to really appreciate them.  In a nutshell, they are supposed to be the perfect girls made from “sugar, spice, and everything nice” that gained superpowers (and maybe life?) due to “Chemical X” (yah, it’s an insane origin.  But there’s a lot of insanity and quirkiness in this show.  Again, you have to watch it to really appreciate it).  The Powerpuff Girls have to balance kindergarten and superheroing – fighting crime and monsters, or saving Townsville from any crisis – before their bedtime.        

17.) MYSTIQUE

It was only when making this list that I realized that Mystique is my most favorite female comicbook supervillain.  Though she has been part of the X-Men at some point(s), Mystique has been recognized as a supervillain through most of comic book history.  

She is cunning, sharp, and very observant; a capable schemer; very knowledgeable in weapons, computers, and tech; has proficient fighting skills; and is fluent in several languages.    Moreover, her mutant ability is copying a person’s appearance flawlessly – a power that she masterfully utilizes.  From these characteristics, Mystique is easily identifiable as a very deadly foe.   

  

16.) KIMBERLY HART A.K.A. THE PINK RANGER

There have been many pink rangers but the first and arguably most popular is Kimberly.  She’s my favorite female ranger ever in both Power Rangers and Super Sentai franchises.  Back in the 90’s, probably every boy of my generation that got hooked with the Power Rangers had a crush on Kim.      

15.) BELLATRIX LESTRANGE

While reading the Harry Potter books, this character never really struck me as awesome.  Then I watched the movies and saw Helena Bonham Carter bring this character to life – and she was splendid.  Ms. Carter’s Bellatrix Lestrange is probably the best thing that ever came out of the Harry Potter movies.  

Voldemort might be sinister, but I find him lacking, clichéd, and overrated.  He seems to me another megalomaniacal, narcissistic villain obsessed in destroying his archnemesis (i.e. Harry Potter) and ruling the world.  Bellatrix Lestrange, however, is just purely insane evil – in a Joker sort of way.  She doesn’t have any further ambition but merely takes delight in killing and causing mayhem.  The reason she hangs around Voldemort is because it is the best position where she can do exactly those things she enjoy.  As a villain, I found her more interesting and deeper than Voldemort.           

14.) EMMA FROST

I am part of the faction that finds Emma Frost a lot more interesting than Jean Grey as Cyclops’ partner.   Emma’s evolution from a major X-Men supervillain into becoming one of the team’s most essential members makes her a well-developed character.   She has an interesting personality and a massive sex appeal, which is only rivaled by her immense telephatic powers (at the present though, post-AvX, Emma’s powers are fluctuating due to her contact with and separation from the Phoenix).     

13.) WONDER WOMAN

With Batman and Superman, Wonder Woman completes DC Comics’ “Trinity.”  I’m impressed how Wonder Woman – a female superhero in a culture dominated by male – has become one of the most iconic superheroes in history.  If you list down the top 20 superheroes – in terms of popularity and cultural impact – Wonder Woman will probably be the only woman in the list, and she’ll be lying along the top 10 at least!   

Wonder Woman, being an Amazon and rooted in Greek mythology, is a pure, hard-boiled warrior.  She has a warrior philosophy, a warrior code, and possesses warrior fighting skills.   She will never back down a battle and has no trouble of going all out (unlike Superman, who only applies a fraction of his power to avoid killing and collateral damages).  Unlike Batman and Superman who will never kill, Wonder Woman has no reluctance in killing when necessary.  

I also like her trademark weapon, the Lasso of Truth, which can compel everyone to speak only truth when being questioned.  And I also like how she would deflect bullets and other projectiles by the use of her bracelets.  

12.) NANCY DREW

I grew up reading Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys.  But though my preference was more on the Hardy Boys books, I am well convinced that Nancy Drew is equal to two Hardy Boys.  As a teenage detective, Nancy is brave and smart; capable of solving her cases without the help of a partner.  The Hardy Boys, on the other hand, always have each other to rely on.  Nancy doesn’t have that benefit; still, she succeeds as much as the Hardies.  That’s one reason why Nancy is one of my top 10 most favorite detectives in fiction.

11.) TANYA

I extremely love Red Alert 2.  And I love the Allied’s Tanya.  Yes, she’s a generic sexy, badass “G.I. Jane” character.  But she still charmed me a lot.  As a unit, Tanya is a big asset – she is hardy, and can easily blow up ships and structures.  Her crazy laughter and “Shake it, baby!” catchphrase in the battlefield tells you that she is ready and thrilled for combat.  And I find her cooler than Lara Croft with regards to wielding handguns.   

10.) KATNISS EVERDEEN

J-Law’s Katniss (since I’ve only seen the movies; never read the books yet) could be the most striking fictional character I’ve only encountered recently.  She is not your archetypal heroine that requires romance.  Yes, she was in a “love triangle”, but that was merely incidental.  She was not really concerned with romance.  She has no room for it.  She’s too busy trying to survive each step of the way.  

As a survivalist, Katniss is smart, skillful, resourceful, and tenacious.  Though she is kind and avoids conflict as much as possible, her intense survival instincts will naturally kick in whenever she is put in a stressful survival situation, like in the Hunger Games, thus, she can be manipulative and ruthless if needed.  Furthermore, she is also a competent archer.        

However, make no mistake, Katniss is indeed adept in self-preservation but she’s not necessarily self-preserving.  She does prioritize the survival of her loved ones over her own.  

     

9.) CAPTAIN MARVEL

Carol Danvers a.k.a. Captain Marvel (formerly Ms. Marvel) is one of the most powerful heroes in the Marvel Universe.  This is a character that can go head-to-head with heavy guns like Thor and Hulk.  

I love how she was able to be her own character; becoming independent from and flourished more than the male superhero – the original Captain Marvel – she was initially based from.  In fact, she’s probably the only female counterpart of an established male superhero that became more successful than the male superhero she was spun-off from.   Cool characters Supergirl and Batgirl might have become, they have never surpassed Superman and Batman at all.   Carol Danvers as Ms. Marvel was able to do that, and now it’s pretty awesome that she’s the one carrying the “Captain Marvel” mantel now.  She showed us that, of course, a woman can be “Captain.”

Captain Marvel has a long way to go in becoming Marvel Comic’s Wonder Woman.  But I’m rooting for her to be just that – be an icon for Marvel Comics as much as Wonder Woman is with DC Comics.  And I believe that a live-action movie can propel her closer to that status.   Come on, Marvel Studios, make it happen!        

8.) BLACK WIDOW

Black Widow is technically not a superheroine.  She is a spook – a super-spy.  A non-superhero that is part of the superhero team, Avengers.  This is a big reason why she’s a very interesting character.    

She has no superpowers, but Black Widow remains one of the deadliest Avengers there are.  She is highly intelligent and multi-talented in spook field craft.  She is an equipped assassin and an extremely proficient combatant.  Moreover, for though the presumption is “Avengers don’t kill”, but because of her background, Black Widow is one of the handful Avengers that are comfortable in killing when necessary.  

Being played by Scar-Jo in live-action also significantly helped in increasing Black Widow’s standing. 

7.) STORM

For many years, the X-Man Storm has been my most favorite female character from Marvel Comics.  She is a legitimate badass and leader (Heck, she even beat Cyclops in a duel one time for the X-Men’s leadership!).  But what appealed to me most about her is, of course, her powers.  Her ability to manipulate and control weather easily makes her one of the most powerful superheroes in Marvel.   

6.) XENA

When I was a kid, I immensely enjoyed watching Xena: Warrior Princess.  For a long time, Xena was my most favorite fictional female character.  In fact, there was a span during those TV watching days in which Xena could be my most favorite character to watch in TV – surpassing Hercules, in which whose show Xena’s show spun-off from (those two shows were my favorites back then).

I can remember that there were four things that fascinated me most about Xena: 1.) she was a hot heroine, and an awesomely formidable and acrobatic warrior; 2.) she used to be a ruthless warlord, changed her ways, and became a champion for those that can’t defend themselves; 3.) her Indian-like war yell; and 4.) her trademark weapon, the Chakram.    

5.) CARMEN SANDIEGO

I like to think of Carmen Sandiego as the first girl I’ve ever chased. LOL.

When I was a kid, I played “Where on Earth is Carmen Sandiego?” and its sequels.  The gameplay of the Carmen Sandiego games require you to track down a syndicate of thieves across the world or time or the galaxy (depending on the game), catch them, and put them in prison.  Carmen Sandiego is the ringleader of these thieves and she would turn up eventually in one of the game’s rounds.  

From the start, there is a certain kind of allure about the whole thing with Carmen.  The intellectual exercises and training that I’ve obtained from hunting Carmen Sandiego charmed me into liking her as a fictional character.

4.) KUMIKO “YANKUMI” YAMAGUCHI

The Gokusen manga/anime never caught my fascination.  The live-action TV series, however, I found delightfully enjoyable.  One of the major reasons I grew fond of the show is because the lead character, Yankumi (played by Yukie Nakama), is probably the most attractive TV heroine I’ve ever encountered.  

But beyond her appealing physical appearance, I also find her character depth appealing.  You can’t help but admire her dedication as a teacher.  She dearly loves her students despite their problematic and delinquent natures.  While others look down on them as hopeless cases with no futures, Yankumi never loses faith in them.  Her students would initially mistrust, disrespect, and disregard her, but her sincerity and tenacity would eventually win them over.  She is bubbly and optimistic, with her enthusiasm often a source of annoyance to her students.  She wants her students to succeed, and exerting great energy and effort, she makes sure that her students would see this and do their best to strive for it.  

Her admirable qualities as a teacher alone should be enough to make her an awesome fictional character. But she’s more than that.  Behind her quirky and adorable physical appearance, she is actually a boss of a yakuza clan.  She is a formidable combatant with terrifying fighting skills (although the Gokusen Live! fight scenes are actually pretty clumsy).  She does her best to keep this aspect of her life a secret, but she is very much ready to fight to defend or save her students from trouble.            

3.) KIM POSSIBLE

During my late childhood and early teenage years, Kim Possible was one of my most favorite shows.  The show is about a teenage girl named Kim Possible who goes on crime-fighting and espionage-type missions as a hobby/part-time job.  Being a teenager, Kim also has to deal with teenage girl concerns like school, cheerleading, reputation, and boys – these teenage struggles serve as subplots.  It was a very entertaining animated series.  Each episode was delightful and humorous, and the show had several fun and engaging characters, the best among the lot is, of course, the titular Kim Possible.    

In some ways, Kim Possible is a parody of the “secret-agent”-type fictional character.  Still, Kim is an extremely captivating and kick-ass character.  She is very athletic and agile, smart and level-headed, can think fast on her feet, and very skilled in close-combat.  She’s so cool.  I also find her catchphrase, “What’s the sitch?”, pretty hip.  

2.) VERONICA MARS

I’ve only first encountered Veronica Mars and her show just last year.  I got intrigued after fans raised $2 million dollars in merely ten hours to make a Veronica Mars movie possible, so I checked out the show.  From episode one, I was totally hooked by the premise of the show and the charm of Veronica Mars, and ended up watching the entire three seasons – prepping myself for the movie (I’ve just recently seen it, and it was awesome).  I was very impressed.  

To me, Veronica Mars is like a combination of Nancy Drew and Buffy Summers.  She is an awesome fictional character.  Working as a PI, Veronica displays the investigative and deductive talents as well as the doggedness required for the work.  She is inquisitive; stubborn; bold; and very smart and witty.  She is a quick thinker and mentally composed; she can improvise or devise plans promptly on her feet, for the purpose of advancing her investigations or for getting out of trouble.  She is ready to employ daring and deceptive methods as long as it will get her results. 

Not only is Veronica a tough and intelligent gumshoe, but she also possesses an enjoyable gift of gab, sarcasm, and smart-assery.  She utilizes her quick thinking, not only for improvising during her investigation, but also in effortlessly making comebacks.  She has a sharp and smooth tongue, a talent that enables her to talk through anything and always having the last word.  I think the only character that can match Veronica’s wit is Buffy Summers.          

  

1.) BUFFY SUMMERS

Since I was in my late childhood, Buffy has been my most favorite female character, not only on TV, but in entire fiction.  I haven’t encountered any female character that can match the awesomeness of Buffy the Vampire Slayer yet.

As the fated Slayer, Buffy is well-equipped in clashing with vampires and other evils.  Buffy is well-trained in armed and unarmed combat.  She also possesses superhuman physical attributes, supernaturally potent instincts, and a healing factor (i.e. the bodily ability to repair physical damages quickly).  

Regardless of the strength and threat level of her opponent, Buffy will fight him or her the same way: display a confident and unwavering mind-set, be sarcastic and mocking, and just kick ass.  She never wavers, no matter how big the challenge thrown at her is.

When she briefly died, the epithet on her gravestone perfectly summed her up: “Beloved sister.  Devoted friend.  She saved the world.  A lot.”     

Last but not the least, she also ranks high in the hotness meter – a big plus.          

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Top 10 Traveling Parties in Fiction

In fiction, the most romantically thrilling stories are those involving journeys – such as quests and exploring or trekking through unknown lands.  Aside from being rich of mystery and adventure, what makes such stories of journeys exciting is the assortment of travelers that banded together to go on the journey, since, more often than not, the journey is more fascinating if it’s being undergone by a group rather than an individual. 

Here are my choices of the most interesting traveling parties that are involve in some form of adventurous journey – quest, exploration, voyage, expedition, and the like.

10.) KING ARTHUR & THE KNIGHTS OF THE ROUND TABLE (Monthy Python and the Holy Grail)

There are a few journeys in fiction that can rival the hilarious insanity of this satirizing of Arthurian legend.  The depiction of King Arthur and his knights in this movie had been extremely amusing.  This traveling party deserves a spot on this list for their hilarious “horse-riding” throughout their quest: they would mime as if they were galloping on a horse while their porters trotted behind them thumping coconut shells together to simulate hoof sounds.      

9.) LITTLEFOOT & FRIENDS (The Land Before Time)

Almost every Land Before Timemovie involves Littlefoot, Cera, Ducky, Petrie, and Spike travelling somewhere.  But the most dramatic adventure that this group of juvenile dinosaurs had will always be their first.  It was a pretty moving journey (from a very touching movie); I was still a toddler when I’ve first seen the movie (in Betamax, I think), but up till now, I can still remember the emotional investment that the toddler me has put into it while watching them journeying towards their families. 

8.) A “PARTY” OF “PLAYER CHARACTERS” (Dungeons and Dragons)

I never get the chance to play the D&D board game (it would have been awesome if they made an epic PC game based on this premise and property), but from what I understand, the experience was pretty fun and engaging.  Players get to role-play “player characters” and form “parties” and complete “adventures” and “campaigns.”  Yep, that sounds fun and engaging indeed.

There was also a TV show based on the premise of the game.  The party consists of friends, aged between 8 to 15, that have been magically transported to the realm of D&D after taking a roller coaster ride.  Upon arrival, they were given “player character” weapons and identities – Ranger, Barbarian, Magician, Thief, Cavalier, and Acrobat – by the Dungeon Master.  Their main journey revolves around finding a way home, but at the same time, helping folks and fighting the evil they encounter along the way.   

7.) THE ARGONAUTS (Jason and the Argonauts)

One of the most enduring tales of journey is that of Jason and his Argonauts’ quest for the Golden Fleece.  This tale originates from Greek mythology, but my definite understanding of the story was from the 1963 movie.  This was my first encounter of the concept of warriors/sailors voyaging on a ship, having episodic adventures along their way, and it mightily appealed to me. 

I liked the Argonauts (being dubbed as such for their ship’s name was “Argo”, after its builder, Argus) for they were supposed to be a group of elite, badass heroes.  Even the strong-man Hercules was a member of the Argonauts.  They seek glory and adventure, and believe they will obtain them by accompanying Jason. 

6.) THE CREW OF USS ENTERPRISE (Star Trek)

“Space: the final frontier. These are the voyages of the starship Enterprise. Its five-year mission: to explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life and new civilizations, to boldly go where no man has gone before.”

That’s the original tagline of Star Trek.  As far as “star-faring” journeys are concerned, the original TV series could be the most well-known (as for the movie reboot, the journey has just started in Into Darkness).  That’s why it’s called Star Trek in the first place.  The characters of this show – the crew of the USS Enterprise – would turn out as one of the most beloved and iconic ensembles of characters in fiction. 

5.) THORIN’S EXPEDITION TO THE LONELY MOUNTAINS (The Hobbit)

The Hobbit, the prequel to the epic Lord of the Rings, depicted one of the most legendary fantasy journeys ever.  This journey was undertaken by an expedition composed of a wizard, a hobbit, and 13 dwarves, whose purpose is to reclaim the dwarves’ mountain kingdom and its immense treasury from the dragon Smaug.  It was during this journey that the hobbit Bilbo “re-discovered” the One Ring, which would be the central plot device in LOTR.   

4.) KA-TET OF 19 (The Dark Tower)

At first, Roland Deschain’s ka-tet(meaning a band bonded by “ka” or destiny or fate) has no formal name.  But along their journey, they observed that the number “19” was recurring everywhere.  They realized that the path they are on was under the “ka of 19”, and Jake (if I remembered right) suggested calling their ka-tet the “ka-tet of 19.”    

This band of travelers was assembled by Roland, the last Gunslinger, midway his journey towards the Dark Tower to accompany him.  They were individuals from different 20^thcentury periods from our world, and were struggling from some form of misery (e.g. drug addiction, split personality disorder) and only found “relief” when they joined Roland.  Along the way, Roland would train them the gunslinger way and they would eventually become talented and capable gunslingers themselves.   

Deep inside, Roland is sadly aware that his companions will be mere “expendables” for his journey; that in the end, he will be the only one remaining standing before the Dark Tower.  In some ways, his companions know this, too, but are still willing to press on, for they, like Roland, are also compelled by ka and the Dark Tower to do so.    

3.) SANZO’S PARTY (Gensomaden Saiyuki)

Made up of the coolest foursome in fiction, Genjyo Sanzo, Son Goku, Cho Hakkai, and Sha Gojyo were tasked to journey westwards to retrieve the stolen Holy Sutra, which is a catalyst for reviving a powerful demon.   I really mean what I said about this four being the coolest foursome in fiction.  Not even the Fantastic Four, awesome superhero team they might be, can match the kickassery and charisma of these four.  No matter how disadvantageous or tough the battles they face during their travels, they always win in a cool and badass style.  Their mode of transportation is a mini dragon that can transform into a jeep; that’s another reason why they are an awesome travelling group. 

2.) THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING (Lord of the Rings)

The purpose of the fellowship is to accompany and protect the ring-bearer, Frodo, in his quest of disposing Sauron’s ring into Mt. Doom.   Though they failed in doing so – leaving Frodo and Sam to complete the mission – and disbanding just merely a third into Lord of the Rings, the Fellowship had made enough impact to become a favorite of mine. With sword, bow and arrow, axe, and magic – they were a collection of formidable warriors who were capable of taking on multitudes of enemies at one time.    

1.) STRAW HAT PIRATES (One Piece)

The Straw Hat Pirates are one of the most awesome ensembles or teams in fiction.  They are in constant adventuring, with the intention of finding the titular “One Piece” someday and of together accomplishing their dreams.   Each of them has different goals and dreams in life but essentially believe that by helping their captain, Monkey D. Luffy, achieve his own dream of becoming pirate king, they are set to achieve their own dreams along the way.  They are a diverse bunch with different skills and personalities, who are fantastic in their respective roles in the crew.  Most importantly, despite the petty comical arguments that sometimes erupt among them, they maintain a strong bond of belongingness and friendship with each other.

Honorable Mentions: The expedition to Atlantis (Atlantis: The Lost Empire); Phileas Fogg, Passepartout, and Aouda (Around the World in 80 days); the crew of the “Dawn Treader” (The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader); Dorothy and friends (The Wizard of Oz); Christiana, her sons, Mercy, and the other pilgrims (The Pilgrim’s Progress)

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Next to "Sherlock", "True Detective" is the Best Thing to Happen on TV this Year

True Detective is about state police detectives Marty Hart and Rust Cohle who found themselves, in a span of 17 years, having to deal with a disturbing murder mystery wrapped in occultism and conspiracy.  During their investigation, the two of them, both being flawed individuals, also had to deal with their personal demons, and whose opposing personalities made them often be at odds with each other (even coming close to physical blows).  But in spite of the difficulty of working together, they still managed to properly get the job done at the end of the day.    

Next to Sherlock, True Detective could turn out as my most favorite TV show for 2014.  It was extremely engaging and thrilling that it was completely hard to turn away from it; I watched all episodes of the first season (pre-downloaded) in one sitting (that has to be something around eight hours straight).

I’ve noticed that all of the TV shows I currently like and follow have elements of humor in them.  So it was kind of an “odd-man-out” case for the grim True Detective with me.  Despite having a “serious” tone, the show still mightily appealed to me.   

It’s just that there are a lot of things to love about this show.  First of all, it was an intelligent detective-mystery story, and I’ve always loved the genre.  The opening theme was also pretty fine and catchy.  The narrative and dialogue (especially whenever Rust is involved) were completely rich, stimulating, and simply well-written.  But the show’s finest appeal was the strong and captivating performance of its leads, Woody Harrelson and Oscar-winner Matthew McConaughey.  The creepy and grim sensibilities also mightily boosted the mysterious charm of the entire tale.  Heck, the mood was gothic enough to provoke many fans to expect that a Lovecraftian, supernatural twist was going to happen. 

There are also some things I didn’t like about this show – like a couple of dull minutes spent on unnecessary scenes and the main villain turning out to be a cliché – but they were minimal.  Overall, this show has been awesome. 

Can’t wait for season 2. 

As an anthology series, a new cast, a new story, and a new setting are to be expected next season.  Rumors on who will be next season’s detectives range from “strong female characters” to Brad Pitt, which makes it pretty intriguing.  Whoever it will be, I expect that the quality would still be the same (or better) than season 1’s.  

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Top 10 Strategists/Tacticians in Fiction

Strategy and tactics are usually being interchanged or considered as the same thing.   In a sense, maybe generally, the two are synonymous to each other.  For me, however, strategy is mostly about the broader, pre-battle preparation; the process of meticulous plotting and laying down all the necessary steps and details before actual execution.  Tactics, on the other hand, are on-battle decision-making – the proper management of resources on hand; analysis of present situations and conditions; and then after quick evaluations, the adapting or tweaking of the set plan to fit the given evaluation.  Usually, strategy is more of having a “big-picture/theater” foresight, and tactics are more on the approaches being taken on a specific operation.    

There’s a possibility that my perception of the two concepts could be wrong, of course.  Whether I’m correct or wrong, this list has my top ten choices on fictional characters that I found fascinatingly impressive in their depictions of the definitions I’ve mentioned above.  This list is not necessarily arranged in increasing brilliance or success as a strategist or tactician, nor in overall quality as a fictional character, but in how I found them interesting as a strategist or tactician.          

10.) T.J. DETWEILER

T.J. is the ringleader of the Recess gang, the six main protagonists of the awesome Recess animated series.  T.J. is lazy (accounting for his average to low grades), but he is sharp and smart, using his energies and talents in ensuring that he and his friends will always have a fun time.  Sure, his strategizing opportunities and applications are limited to the playground and committing pranks, but his scheming talents are nonetheless creative and bear precision.  Gus could be the army boy of the gang, but T.J. has the real makings of a successful general.   

9.) SHIKAMARU NARA

  

Shikamaru’s father, Shikaku, is definitely a better strategist and tactician than Shikamaru.  In fact, he probably is the best strategist/tactician character in Naruto, for in the Fourth Shinobi War, he was appointed as Chief Strategist of the Allied Shinobi Forces.  His plans and tactical advices were so brilliant, that it even earned him the praise of the Raikage.  However, he is merely a third-tier character, while Shikamaru is an important secondary character, hence, he was more exposed and we get to see more of his character’s depth and development. 

Shikamaru is quite lazy, but he possesses genius-level intellect.  He is both a brilliant strategist and tactician; when he’s thoroughly focused, he can think ten moves ahead of his opponents as well as quickly formulate a hundred strategies and then picking the best one.  He can quickly analyze a situation, but he is more effective when given time to devise a plan beforehand.   

8.) HATAKE KAKASHI

The argument can be made that Shikamaru is a better strategist/tactician than Kakashi.  Still, I find Kakashi more interesting than Shikamaru. 

With his innate genius intellect and his Sharingan allowing him to maximize his observation, Kakashi can quickly analyze his opponents and device an efficient approach in engaging them.  He also gives much importance to teamwork, thus, he always incorporate those who are with him in the execution of his line of attack, which actually strengthens the chance of his plans succeeding. 

He is widely considered as a master strategist/tactician that he was made next in line as Hokage (and almost became one, if Tsunade didn’t regained consciousness; bummer) and was named one of the five Division Commanders during the Fourth Shinobi War. 

7.) CAPTAIN AMERICA

Aside from being a man of great courage and integrity, the reason why smarter or more powerful heroes are very much willing to make Captain America lead them is because he is one of the best tactical minds on the planet (some, like Spider-Man, even consider him as the greatest tactician on Earth).  Recently, in Infinity, Cap’s strategy-making was a significant factor why the galaxy’s combined forces were able to turn the tides of the war against the Builders, who were just an inch away from absolute victory. 

6.) BATMAN

Batman, possessing a genius-level intellect, has trained himself to be a master detective and to be extensively knowledgeable in several fields.  But more than that, Batman’s genius also manifests as a strategist and tactician.  In fact, there is an unwritten rule out there: Given enough time to prepare, Batman will be five steps ahead of everybody and can beat anyone.  Time and time again – in comics and cartoons – Batman has been portrayed in proving this presumption true.    

5.) ANDREW “ENDER” WIGGIN

Ender is a boy genius and the most brilliant among all child prodigies being trained to become future commanders in the war against the alien Formics (or “Buggers”).  Ender is so brilliant as a strategist that the Earth military has to mislead him into thinking that he’s merely playing combat simulations when he has been actually given command of the entire human forces.  Thinking it was just a training simulation, Ender executed a brilliant but brutal strategy that wiped out the entire Formics race, which would depress Ender later on when he learned the truth. 

4.) YOICHI HIRUMA

As the Deimon Devilbat’s quarterback, Hiruma is not exceptionally athletic (though he does have some special skills).  However, as a “control tower”, he’s a genius plotter. He is quite cunning and perceptive, and his strategic mind works like a combination of that of a chess player and of a poker player (which he is both good at).  He specializes in trick plays – which are part of an overall well-schemed game plan – and utilizes psychological warfare, making his strategies unpredictable.  Because of Hiruma’s efforts and leadership, the Deimon Devilbats became a very formidable team.  When Japan assembled an All-Star American football team, Hiruma was easily the undisputed leader, for the other players – former opponents – acknowledged his talents.

3.) NATHAN FORD

 

Nathan Ford, or “Nate” for short, is the mastermind of “Leverage Consulting & Associates” – a five-man team of thieves and con-men that are out to steal back from the rich and powerful any stuff that they have unrightfully taken from the common people.  Nate can effortlessly formulate elaborate, twist-filled heist and con jobs; any operation he proceeds to device and oversee will have all important details covered, thus, it usually runs smoothly.  If unforeseen developments null aspects of his master plan, he claims to always have a “Plan B to Plan Z” on hand (or is quick to device one, if there was initially none).  Danny Ocean, brilliant heist mastermind as he is, has nothing on this guy.  

2.) ARTEMIS FOWL

Here’s another boy genius strategist.  In a young age, he is already a calculative criminal mastermind that is capable of scheming thoroughly-thought plans.  He can mentally simulate hypothetical scenarios and calculate the respective outcomes with phenomenal precision.  Hence, whether he’s up against supernatural or human opponents, Artemis usually figures out a way to come out on top in the end.  (That’s why if I have to make a new League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Artemis Fowl will be my choice for a leader.) 

1.) LELOUCH LAMPEROUGE (ZERO)

Lelouch/Zero has a Geass which can mind control people.  However, though his Geass is an invaluable asset, his brilliant strategic mind is equally important to his successes.  The extent and shrewdness of the plans and operations that Zero can scheme and execute are mindblowingly awesome – this is a major reason why I extremely love the anime Code Geass and Lelouch as a character. 

Lelouch is the greatest strategist/tactician character I’ve encountered so far in fiction.  In fact, great strategists/tacticians the others in this list might be but they probably aren’t capable of orchestrating World Peace to happen.  Lelouch was able to do exactly that!               

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The "Bernels" for 2013's Big Screen

The Oscars are just a few days away, and as I’ve mentioned in my “Bernels” for the Small Screen of 2013, the “Bernels” for movies of 2013 is set to tie-in with the Oscars’ seasons.  So this is it.  It’s time for another informal movie awards based on my movie standards and tastes.  You might notice that the categories are mostly different from last year’s.  That is to be expected, since the “Bernels” is inconsistent and informal, merely catering to my personal whims, biases, and preferences; it’s just for fun!      

Also, as what was made precedent in the last year’s “Bernels”, movies of the previous year that I’ve only been able to watch after I’ve already made my list for the year’s top movies are qualified for the awards.  Hence, 2013 movies like Frozen, Grudge Match, 47 Ronin, and About Time, which I was only able to get the chance to watch in early 2014 (from January 1 up to the time of writing), are all included in the considerations for the “Bernels” along with the 2013 movies that I’ve got to see in 2013.    

BEST MOVIE: Frozen

If I had been able to see Frozen during 2013, it would have been number one in my “top movies of 2013” list.  Yes, it’s my favorite 2013 film.  I like it so much that, as of writing, I have seen it thrice already.     

Frozen was something fresh and different as it avoided most of the obvious clichés and tropes one would expect from such kind of animated feature.  Therefore, there was the presence of legitimate, unexpected twists which added to the overall amazing quality of the movie.  I found it a bit more sophisticated than previous Disney animated movies.

In a thematic level, this movie contains enough depth that different metaphors – ranging from Christianity to homosexuality – have been derived from it.  Moreover, it has been refreshing to be reminded that “finding true love” is not always about the romantic variety and how “love at first sight” is usually superficial and unreliable. 

Frozen was a stunning and delightful film that has a fascinating story, appealing characters, fine humor, fantastic visuals, and stirring musical numbers.  If ever I have included some BEST ANIMATED MOVIE and BEST MUSICAL categories, the “Bernels” for those will go to Frozen as well.       

A Frozen 2 NEEDS to happen!

BEST MOVIE HERO: Odd Thomas (Odd Thomas)

I thoroughly enjoyed Anton Yelchin’s portrayal of the “Odd One” – that in a year that gave us great and memorable male movie heroes like Asa Butterfield's Ender Wiggin, Martin Freeman’s Bilbo Baggins, Robert Downey’s Iron Man, Dwayne “the Rock” Johnson’s  Roadblock, Brad Pitt’s Gerry Lane, George Clooney’s Matt Kowalski, and Vin Diesel’s Riddick – my pick is still  Yelchin’s Odd Thomas.  Yelchin has fantastically did everything right in bringing to life in the big screen all the necessary character elements that made Odd Thomas the fascinating and loveable character I’ve encountered in the novels.   

Runner-ups:  Tony Stark/Iron Man (Iron Man 3), Roadblock (G.I. Joe: Retaliation), Riddick (Riddick), Gerry Lane (World War Z), Matt Kowalski (Gravity), Ender Wiggin (Ender’s Game), Bilbo Baggins (The Hobbit: the Desolation of Smaug)

BEST MOVIE HEROINE: Elsa (Frozen)

As soon as I’ve finished watching Frozen, it was clear to me that Elsa is not only a unique Disney princess and one of the most fantastic ice-powered fictional characters ever, but that I also find her a more interesting character than Katniss Everdeen, last year’s winner and who was set to repeat if it wasn’t for Elsa. 

Runner-up: Katniss Everdeen (Catching Fire)

BEST MOVIE VILLAIN: Khan Noonien Singh a.k.a. John Harrison (Star Trek Into Darkness)

I like Benedict Cumberbatch’s Khan more than the original one; his portrayal was more charismatic, badass, and engaging.   He was one of the major reasons why Into Darkness has been awesome.  Khan has been an enjoyably magnetic villain, and no other male movie villain in 2013 ever came close of becoming as interesting as Cumberbatch’s Khan.   Not even Tom Hiddleton’s charismatic Loki or Lee-Byung Hun’s badass Storm Shadow.           

BEST MOVIE VILLAINESS: Faora-Ul (Man of Steel)

In Man of Steel, Faora is a ruthless and skilled warrior that serves as General Zod’s lieutenant.   But in spite of being a secondary villain, she proved to be more captivating, more menacing, and more kickass than Zod, the actual main villain.   Heck, she was even probably the most interesting character in the entire movie.  Seriously.  Kick Ass 2’s Mother Russia might be a brutal, badass villainess like Faora but she’s far from being as appealing and dominant. 

Runner-ups: the possessed Mia Allen (Evil Dead), Mother Russia (Kick Ass 2), Mizuki (47 Ronin)  

BEST MOVIE DUO: Roadblock & Duke (G.I. Joe: Retaliation)

Even if the movie had turned out revolving around these two characters, I would have been okay with that.  The Rock and Iron Mike possessed great chemistry together; they were awesomely funny.  Too bad, Duke got killed.   I wish they will revive him for the 3^rd movie. 

Runner-up: Burt Wonderstone & Anton Marvelton (The Incredible Burt Wonderstone); Special Agent Sarah Ashburn & Detective Shannon Mullins (The Heat)

BEST CAMEO: Captain America (Thor: The Dark World)

 

I greatly appreciate this cameo.  Seeing Chris Evans mimicking Tom Hiddleston’s Loki mimicking Chris Evans’ Captain America (that’s how that scene was shot) was a real treat.  

MOST OVERRATED MOVIE: This is the End

 

This movie was generally well-received by critics, but I found it awful.  Oh, I admit, that there were a couple of things I found hilarious about the movie (e.g. the respective cameo scenes of Michael Cera and Emma Watson).  Still, overall, I found that the humor of this movie was seemingly dependent on the narrative getting too vulgar and undignified, which I found appalling and disgustingly desperate for laughs.  

MOST UNDERRATED MOVIE: Now You See Me

Critics hated it.  But I loved it.  It was my choice for best movie of 2013before I got to watch Frozen.  I found Now You See Me a smart, entertaining, and thrilling “magic show.”  I’m at a loss why the critics didn’t like it.  Really.  Every second of this movie has been pretty engaging. 

BEST “MORE-THAN-I-HAD-EXPECTED” MOVIE: About Time

The widow of Henry DeTamble hooks up again with another time traveler, this time, a clone of Bill Weasley in possession of a Time Turner. 

That’s what I originally thought how the movie will look like. 

I thought that this was to be your usual RomCom with time travel as plot device.  But I was mistaken with that presumption.  About Time is actually something that has more depth than that.  It was thoughtful and witty, and I greatly enjoyed it.   

In fact, the romance, and the protagonist’s usage of his abilities to win the girl of his dreams, though it was an integral part of the narrative, was never the real heart of the story.  The main theme was basically about family, living life with no regrets and getting the most out of it, and the importance of wise decisions.       

BEST “EQUALLY-GOOD-AND-BAD” MOVIE: 47 Ronin

47 Ronin received negative reception from critics but I was never the kind of guy that agrees with critics anyway.  I have my own standards.  And by my own standards, I can’t exactly tell what I feel about this movie.  I certainly do not hate it.  But I’m not praising it either.

It got great swordfights and visuals.  But it also felt lacking, untidy, and having too much of Keanu Reeves’ character being forced on us.  The story was merely passable – it had unnecessary and uninspired parts, but it also had some traces of the script being one to two re-writes away from becoming epic.  

It felt both compelling and annoying.  I can’t really explain it properly, except that, to me, it felt like the awesome and the awful in this movie just cancelled each other out.  It was equally good and bad.  

Overall, it is still a movie worth watching, if you have some extra time, but not the kind of movie that needed to be prioritized.         

MOST DISAPPOINTING MOVIE: The Lone Ranger

I really wanted this movie to be good.  The Lone Ranger is such an iconic character and it would have been great for him to have a healthy movie presence in modern pop culture.  Unfortunately, Lone Ranger has been a big, insane mess. Oh, I found it entertaining overall – having Johnny Depp as Toto guarantees that it’s going to be weird but entertaining – but it was still some messy entertainment.  I found the movie confused on what kind of mood it would want to go.  It was underwhelming at times, and then overwhelming at times.  There were instances in which it seems to be treading on the path towards something epic, but there were also significant instances wherein it was purely crazy – and not the good kind of “crazy” but the awful kind.  It was constantly fluctuating between extremes, that in the end, it just felt mediocre.        

MOST HILARIOUS MOVIE: Grudge Match

There was no other 2013 movie that made me laugh as hard as Grudge Match.  Really.  Sylvester Stallone and Robert De Niro had wonderful comedic chops, and with the help of funny supporting cast members Kevin Hart and Alan Arkin, this movie was enriched with several hilarious scenes and dialogues.  There is a good possibility that this movie could have made my top movie lists for 2013 if I had just been able to see it last year; for not only was it packed with hilarity, it also has a good story that is chock-full of heart.      

Runner-Ups: The Incredible Burt Wonderstone, Despicable Me 2, The Croods, Monster University 

BEST “IT’S-SO-BAD-THAT-IT’S-GOOD” MOVIE: Sharnado

I guarantee that this movie is going to be one of the most god-awful movies you will ever watch.  But I don’t think you will be bored nor regret watching it.   

Sharknado’s quality is your typical Asylum – cheap, nonsensical, and, most importantly, deliberately intended to be bad.  The narrative pace and scene transitions are messy, inconsistent, and disorganized.  The CGI is horrible.  The script, directing, and cinematography are very poor.    The premise of sharks being brought by storm surges and then tornadoes is just too ridiculously crazy, and it’s loaded with batshit, implausible happenings.

But because of these, it ironically became watchable.  I couldn’t stop groaning and snickering with every scene, but I couldn’t stop watching either.  Its awfulness, dumbness, and insanity made it hilarious.  This is the kind of stuff Mystery Science Theatre 3000 can lampoon the best and mine comedy gold from.  And that’s the charm of this movie.  You could almost hear the sarcastic and ridiculing commentary from the MST3000 guys… and then you’ll realize that you’re the one actually doing it

BEST DANCE SCENE: New Year’s Party Dancing (About Time)

This scene was during the early part of the movie, in the New Year’s Eve Party – the evening before the protagonist learned from his father that he can travel back to the past.  This was definitely one of the funniest scenes I’ve encountered in 2013.  Domhnall Gleeson’s character found himself with an undesirable dance partner as Sugababes’ “Push the Button” plays in the background.  The awkward dancing and troubled look on his face were just priceless.     

 

MOST BADASS MOMENT: A chained Riddick beheads someone using just his foot! (Riddick)

To merely describe it, won’t do it justice.  You have to watch it for yourself to see how awesome it was.  But here’s what transpired:  Among the bounty hunters that went hunting for Riddick, the leader of the first group of bounty hunters (there were two) was big A-hole, who earned Riddick’s wrath after he killed Riddick’s dog-like pet and by just being a constant A-hole.  Riddick was eventually captured, and while he was chained, he threatened the Big A-hole bounty hunter that if he ever gets off his restraints, within five seconds (I think, I forgot the exact number), he would cut off his head, and then put it in the container that the Big A-hole intended for Riddick’s severed head.  All within his promised five seconds.  Indeed, later on, with just the shackles on a foot taken off, Riddick was able to make true of his threat.  Again, describing it won’t do it justice.  You have to see the entire sequence to understand its epicness. 

BEST ACTION-PACKED MOMENT: Jaegers vs. Kaijus (Pacific Rim)

This is self-explanatory.  Every monstrous, badass battle between Jaegers and Kaijus were simply unmatched and tremendously gratifying.

Runner-ups: House Party Protocol (Iron Man 3); Jack Wilder vs. Dylan Rhodes and the FBI – especially the part the part where Wilder weaponized some cards into projectiles (Now You See Me)

BEST MUSICAL NUMBER: “Let It Go” (Frozen)

“Let It Go” is a powerful song.  But it was only in its rendition by Queen Elsa in Frozen in which I find it extremely moving.  I checked out Demi Lovato’s version, both the music video and the live performance, and found it unremarkable; its arrangement sounded synthetic and inferior to the brilliant arrangement of the rendition done in Frozen, which wonderfully articulated the musical emotion appropriate for the song.   And even when Idina Menzel – speaking and singing voice of Elsa – sang it live, it doesn’t measure up to Elsa’s performance in that iconic Frozen sequence; probably because the glorious visual display of Elsa’s ice magic was accompanying the music and it significantly enhanced the impact of the song. 

I totally adore Elsa’s “Let It Go” scene.  As I’ve mentioned earlier, I’ve watched Frozen thrice already.  But I’ve gone to watch the “Let It Go” part of the movie at least a dozen times. 

MOST UNEXPECTED TWIST: The “Mandarin” was a stone-head actor hired by the main villain to be a dummy (Iron Man 3)

This development has been pretty controversial.  Reception has been polarizing.  My very own feelings about it were mixed.  I’m kind of disappointed that a real Mandarin with powered-rings has not been portrayed in the big screen.  On the other hand, I also enjoyed and appreciated how this astonishing and amusing development came out of nowhere and blew everyone’s mind.  

MOST SHOCKING MOMENT: Kal-El breaks Zod’s neck (Man of Steel)

“SUPERMAN DOESN’T KILL!!!” I wanted to scream that out when I saw it.  I was legitimately stunned.  I had to calm my excitement by mentally reminding myself that Man of Steel was an “Elseworld”-kind of tale.   

BIGGEST MOVIE-RELATED NEWS: Batman vs. Superman!!!

There’s probably no bigger movie news in 2013 than this.  Or, at least, no other movie news in 2013 that got me more excited than this.  I’ve always wanted a Batman/Superman movie to happen.  (I’ve already discussed more about this, along with other Justice League-related developments) 

Runner-Ups: Veronica Mars movie was made possible by Kickstarter, Warcraft movie

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