We all love to have a good hero to root for when it seems like all hope is lost. And you can't really have a hero without a villain to test them to their limits.
This bloghop is to celebrate our favourite heroes and villains from films, tv, books or whatever you like. The hosts of the hop are
Dani at Entertaining Interests and
Jackie at Bouquet of Books, so make sure you check them both out and the others taking part on the linky list.
I have three categories for my heroes and villains:
TV series:
Buffy Summers is by far my favourite hero from TV. Being summoned to her calling while still in high school meant she had to grow up pretty fast, often having to leave the enjoyments of normal life to everybody else. Even going out on a date is fraught with peril for this poor girl.
She has so much thrown at her, including demon boyfriends, homework, growing pains and parental woes, and she still manages to kick ass and save the world over and over.
She has died twice to save the world, and finally made it to heaven where she could be at peace, before being ripped out again and forced to live back on Earth. Through all of this she keeps the battle going.
She is a tough, strong young woman struggling to get through each day the same as the rest of us, just with added stuff on top.
Gabriel Gray, more well known of course as Sylar, was truly a villain to fear. Stalking all those he could find with a 'gift' so that he could take it and add to his collection, how could anyone stop someone with such an arsenal of powers. When I first started watching Heroes I wondered just who would be strong enough to defeat him.
Trying as he did in the later series to turn himself around to the good side, he still couldn't completely resist the urge to kill and keep new powers for himself.
Coupled with the struggle over whether he is a brother of the Petrelli's, he was always going to be unpredictable, no matter who he was dealing with.
This is one of the reasons I loved his character so much, you never new what he was going to do next.
Who'd have thought he'd be such a great Spock?
Film:
Harry Stamper - Armageddon (1998)
This film may not tick everyone's boxes but I loved it when it came out. I liked the cast and enjoyed the story too.
It may not have been all that scientifically accurate and the chances of an oil rig crew actually being trained by NASA are pretty slim but hey, it was a good adventure and provided a good distraction for a couple of hours.
Harry was the protective father sent on the mission with his soon-to-be son-in-law and there was obvious tension to begin with. But at the end when he pushes AJ into the lift, knowing he won't be returning from the mission I couldn't contain the tears. His last lines, telling AJ he would be proud to have him as a son sealed it, and I was blubbing all over the place.
He saved the world, making the ultimate sacrifice in the process. You can't get much more heroic than that. Plus, come one. It's Bruce Willis ...
Annie Wilkes - Misery (1990)
A seemingly calm and caring nurse comes across her favourite writer, stranded and injured in the snowy wilderness.
We'd all like that to happen to us, right?
I'm not sure though that we'd go to the same extremes to keep them in our house or resurrect our favourite characters that they have just killed off. I'm right on this, right? Right?
Annie turned out to be a complete head case, as we all know, and I've only ever been able to watch 'that' scene with the sledgehammer once. Every time since I have to close my eyes like a baby.
Books:
Harry Flashman - created by George MacDonald Fraser
Harry Flashman is a reluctant hero, falling into situations mostly by accident or in the pursuit of some selfish deeds to suit himself. Somehow though he ends up coming out of it as a hero, and enjoying all the benefits and status that go with it.
He usually gets himself into a scrape in the pursuit of money or, more often, women. His attention is focused so much on these things he doesn't realise the situations he is getting into.
What is actually some act of cowardice on his part to save his own skin usually comes across as some act of bravery, which he doesn't bother to correct.
It's fun seeing just how he manages to get out of the next escapade.
Heathcliff - created by Emily Bronte
I have recently read Wuthering Heights for the second time, and I find it hard to find any good or nice characters in it. At some point, they all behave in ways detrimental to their companions. The only exception would perhaps be Nelly Dean, and at a push Hareton Earnshaw.
Heathcliff is a true villain though, plotting at length to get his revenge on Hindley Earnshaw and Edgar Linton. He seems to plan in advance, manipulating everyone to work to his own ends. Even using his own, frail, whimpering son to get the rights and access to his enemy's land and property.
I could feel the relief alongside the other characters when he finally went mad and met his maker. He cast a very dark shadow over everything that happened throughout the story.
I thought I'd feature Tom Hardy's Heathcliff for all the ladies, ;-)
Who are your favourite heroes and villains?
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