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@sarah-inkdragon

This is an incredibly interesting topic and I can’t wait to read some more answers.

For me, my favourite characters (and the ones I relate to a lot) are “strong female characters” but ones that have personality and uniqueness. Or girls that struggle with femininity, but not in a “not like other girls” way and more in a examination of traditional feminine gender roles and expectations sort of way. Eowyn, for example, rather than the generic YA heroine.

Despite my initial skepticism regarding The Hunger Games (it took me ten years to actually read them) I related to Katniss a lot. Occasionally this made me hate her, because she had all the worst parts of me as well, but that didn’t stop her from being relatable.

The male characters I relate to most tend to be softspoken, kind and adventurous. The Hobbits (all of them, but particularly Frodo and Merry–book Merry not so much movie Merry), Marcus from The Eagle of the Ninth, Prince Caspian, and Hiccup from How to Train Your Dragon. I know these two character types are very different but I relate to them both in a number of different ways.

When it comes to characters I love but don’t relate to, we have sacrificial and kind, gentle people, Such as Sam Gamgee, Aragorn, Captain America, Black Panther, etc.

Characters I love to hate include villains that do not necessarily get a redemption arc and are definitely evil. Scar from The Lion King, The White Witch, Saruman, you get the idea. I also do like villains who are redeemed, or who are morally grey, as long as poetic justice is involved in some way or another. I don’t like characters like Loki who never get their comeuppance and never have to beg forgiveness for their crimes. Ask me about Loki anytime and I’ll gladly give you a rant.

My least favourite trope of all time is the angsty bad boy. “Bad boys” can be done well, but 90 % of YA novels don’t.

Anyway, some rambling thoughts for you to consider 🙂