favorite character ever created by joss whedon? by est120

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favorite character ever created by joss whedon?

POSTED BY: EST120
UPDATED: Sunday, September 5, 2004 11:10
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Friday, September 3, 2004 2:35 AM

okay, there have been a few threads about favorite firefly character and now there is one about most annoying firefly character, but my question is, of all three joss whedon shows (angel, firefly and buffy) which recurring or main character is your favorite?

choose someone that appears in multiple episodes and not someone what shows up only once and then promptly dies or something.

if you REALLY want, go ahead and even choose a character from a movie joss whedon has written or worked on (titan ae, alien resurrection etc). i am curious to see everyone's answers! all these character more of less came from the same person, let us find out which one is the favorite!

i have to take wesley. he swings between being a complete dork to being a complete bad---. last night's rerun of the group fighting the beast that brought the end of the world was a good example. in the episode before, they all get thrown back into their younger personalities and wesley is a complete loser. then, in the next episdoe, while fighting the beast he pulls out two pistols and starts shooting, runs out of bullets and pulls a shotgun and starts firing. good stuff. he is my favorite.

"i can't comprehend the ways that i miss you, they come to light in my mistakes."
-neko case

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Friday, September 3, 2004 3:28 AM

DACUTE1

My favorite would have to be River, "plus, I could kill you with my brain." Unfortunately River wasn't able to be fully developed. In the sense of growth and development by favorite character would have to be Willow. I wasn't a huge fan of Willow's in the beginning, but after Vamp Willow and Evil Willow I was able to see a wide variety of character.

Kaylee: Wash, tell me I'm pretty
Wash: Were I unwed I would take you in a manly fashion
Kaylee: 'Cause I'm pretty?
Wash: 'Cause you're pretty

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Friday, September 3, 2004 3:40 AM

RHYMEPHILE

Easy, a thousand times over: Faith. Lots of people hate her because she's evil, she tried to kill Buffy, Angel, Wesley, et al, but I have a soft spot for her. I wish they could have come through with the Faith TV series.

Although I'm sure not all of the characters on his shows were created solely by Joss, for the sake of the thread we'll assume.

I'd also have to say I have always loved Wesley, even in his various dorky incarnations, but especially in the fourth season on Angel. He's dark, unapologetic, and has lots and lots of weapons.

And finally I'd choose Mal. I seem to like my characters evilly or anti-heroic, and Mal falls into the latter category.

So, in order, Faith, Wesley, Mal.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
All of me is beautiful and valuable, even the ugly, stupid, and disgusting parts.

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Friday, September 3, 2004 4:26 AM

IDEFIX

can't decide. there are too many.
so let's just name a few and hope it's really only a few, the longer I think the longer the list gets.

Giles, Wesley, Spike, Willow, Simon, Lorne

ok no order there and no pattern.

I love Giles because he can be hard and unrelenting but choses to be softspoken and nice. he's the steady rock in all the chaos.

I love Wesley because he's changed so much, grown and learned and still always was himself. he's the one that always had to make the hard decisions and always made them alone and bore the mostly not so nice results without much complaint.

I love Spike becaue he always knew he was love's bitch and he's man enough to admit it. he's had more soul without a soul than many humans have. he's 80% big bad talk and 20% raw violence with a heart of gold.

I love Willow because I coulnd't resist her, she's sweet and she's powerful and she's oh so very unwise in using her power but always with the good intentions and an innocence you simply can't have when taking your lover's memory away, something I consider a very bad violation. worse than rape because the person doesn't even know what's been done to them. she's a big, scary, attractive contradiction to me. I love her for it.

I love Simon for his clumsiness, for his devotion, for his sincerity, for his integrity. he's pure, the perfect man.

I love Lorne for his unconditional goodness that he only compromised at the very end and then with a very sad look on his face. he's the one that shouldn't have to kill and still he does, when it's necessary. a bit like Kaylee taking the gun but then not dropping it but doing what needs to be done. he's a hero for that and for turning away after. it's not his fight, fighting is not his life, he's no soldier, no warrior. he's a singer. it's hard to make that decision when surrounded by warriors fighting the good fight.

they are just so exceptionally deep. all of them and that's what makes the shows what they are. Joss doesn't do halfcooked characters with no story and no life and no soul. he takes the right actors and tells them the right things and there are people on the screen not characters. he makes them go beyond and be whatever the character needs to be.

Idefix

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Friday, September 3, 2004 4:31 AM

DIETCOKE

Wow, this is a tough question because the thing I love about Joss' shows is the characters. They all are very unique, real, and likable even when their really, really evil.

But I guess we never forget our first. The one who caught my eye as I was channel surfing one day (I would never deliberately watch a show with vampires) was Lorne. He was green, drinking a seabreeze, and singing with the voice of an angel. Had to stop surfing long enough to hear the song because he was so great. Then I learned that Lorne was a demon, but a really nice guy, and that if people wanted their auras read by him, they would have to sing Karaoke. What could be more devilish than having people who can't sing, sing Karaoke? Then Angel started singing Barry Manalow. This took evilness to a whole new level. I remember thinking that this demon creature, Lorne, had obviously been created by a very, sick mind... What can I say, I was hooked. That lead me to begin watching reruns of Buffy and buying the Firefly DVDs and I owe it all to the character of Lorne. He made me stop channel surfing long enough to introduce me to the best writer on television.

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Friday, September 3, 2004 4:36 AM

DIETCOKE

Very well said, Idefix. Those are the reasons that I like all those characters as well.

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Friday, September 3, 2004 4:50 AM

HONORBOUND

Oh come on guys. Is everyone forgetting Drusilla? She has got to be one of the best characters to watch. I get a side ache whenever she is on. She's a lot like River, but just a little more so on the crazy side of things.

A kind word turneth away wrath, but not as well as superior firepower

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Friday, September 3, 2004 5:34 AM

WILLOWY

Willow. Of course.

She of the inner sweetness and, conversely, the big bad power. I love the dichotomy that is her. She wants nothing more in the world than to be loved. That's something I can identify with.

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Friday, September 3, 2004 5:55 AM

THEDUKE333

Easiest question of the day for me.....Malcolm Reynolds. I love that hard look on his face when he's not messing around. "I do the job, and then I get paid. Go run your little world" He can hang out with you, and then he can slam you against the wall for the good of the ship. I want to be just like him when I grow up.

TheDuke333

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Friday, September 3, 2004 6:33 AM

THESOMNAMBULIST

This is an extremely tricky question....

Joss's characters, from the largest to the smallest are always well developed and integral to the plot, so it's a really tough question.

So many rely on each other to form and develop that it's difficult to single any out. However I shall as it's a fun question to.

I have a real soft spot for Fred - just because she's soo cute and I loved the way she once tried to do an angry lion growl, but it came out more like a cat purrr! (So sweet)

However all things considered I'd have to go with ANGEL
For television and even for cinema (should it ever happen) Angel is the most interesting character that a TV show has ever produced.

An evil Vampire with a viscious history of murder and acts of cruelty, repents in modern day LA. The concept is genius and the character would often take you, as a viewer, into questionable moral ground.
He is thought provoking and extreme and for that Angel gets my vote.

Other favs would be Xander - just because he was the most human an ordinary....a looser like moi :)

TheSomnambulist

www.cirqus.com

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Friday, September 3, 2004 6:42 AM

EST120

Quote:
Originally posted by TheSomnambulist:
I have a real soft spot for Fred - just because she's soo cute and I loved the way she once tried to do an angry lion growl, but it came out more like a cat purrr! (So sweet)

bwahahahahaha! i remember that! "you're a vampire, not in cats."

"i can't comprehend the ways that i miss you, they come to light in my mistakes."
-neko case

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Friday, September 3, 2004 8:00 AM

THESOMNAMBULIST

bwahahahahaha! i remember that! "you're a vampire, not in cats."

Yep that's the one! She won me over with that :)

TheSomnambulist

www.cirqus.com

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Friday, September 3, 2004 8:21 AM

RAVENWHYTEWING

I think I need to seperate between the series.

As far as Buffy, first and foremost Spike-he has such a duality. One the one hand, he loves to play around, and joins the party of evil willingly. On the other hand, he is completely (inserting euphamism for obvious reason) kitty-whipped. There is hardly a single woman he knew well he couldn't help but run around like a puppy for.

Angel-Cordelia. One of the most dynamic characters I have ever seen. And the best thing was it was a slow change. It wasn't just an episode where she said, "K, I'm different."
Until possessed, at any rate.

Now, as far as firefly? I think it would actually be the sheriff from Train Job, in Paradeso. He is the closest thing to Mal, barring Mandy, that he ever meets. And the sheriff is such a character that he only shows up once, but you can tell he will be remembered.

We can't all be heroes, since some of us have to sit at the curb and clap as they go by.

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Friday, September 3, 2004 9:52 AM

RUXTON

I think you have ALL missed the obvious, most-important character, without whom there would have been NO long-term Buffy, NO Angel, and most certainly NO FIREFLY.

Thus my all-time favorite character of those created by Joss, the character to whom we owe EVERYTHING, is:

BUFFY, as played flawlessly and tirelessly by Sarah Gellar, from beginning to end of that series.

...........Ruxton

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Friday, September 3, 2004 10:05 AM

MAUGWAI

I do love Spike, Jayne and the Grooselug, but in the end I was so excited every time Illyria came onscreen. I really wanted to see what she was going to do. I kept saying, "I like her so much!" after just about everything she said. She was so aware and innnocent at the same time. I wanted to hug her, except that she'd have either given me a completely horrified look, discussed the merits and motivations of hugging, or ripped my head off. It could go either way. And that scene where she was playing Crash Bandicoot was priceless.

So even though I feel a little like I'm betraying Spike, I've gotta go with Illyria. I wish we'd gotten to know her better.

"Dear diary, today I was pompous and my sister was crazy."

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Friday, September 3, 2004 10:12 AM

BIKISDAD

Fred was always so sweet and vulnerable, plus incredibly smart. When she died in "A Hole in the World", I felt like I was right there with Wesley. There were a lot of tragic/sad moments over the years on Buffy/Angel, but that was the one that really got to me like no other.

Fred - That's my girl.

Apathy on the Rise. No One Cares.

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Friday, September 3, 2004 2:55 PM

LITTLEMANLOVESFIRE

Mal. No question.

Runner up has to be Anya - the cleverest character he ever created. By which I mean it was extremely clever to create her and write her - not necessarily that she was clever! The points Anya makes about the human condition by being new to it are genius. She speaks what everyone feels and never dares to share.

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Friday, September 3, 2004 5:54 PM

SHERIDANMOVIEGUY

Definately Jayne. Always go with the comic relief. A guy not quite up to moral standards, yet still loves his family and friends. Thats kind of like me, except I'm not as strong, or as good a shot.
Runner up would be Mal. They get the best lines.

Every episode of firefly is better than most of the movies I see for my profession, and that makes it special.

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Friday, September 3, 2004 8:22 PM

THRAWN

Whoever said Ilyria, I agree. Ilyria, in her short time on the show, totally blew me away. I've never enjoyed a character as totally as her - never a single bad moment. Unique and exciting. Had she been around for four years, this might have not been true...part of the reason is that there are only a few moments, and they're all priceless. The key is that they're all priceless. I loved Ilyria.

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Saturday, September 4, 2004 3:04 AM

LITTLEMANLOVESFIRE

Good point about Ilyria actually. She's kind of like an Extreme Anya in a way. Powerful ex-demon trapped in a weak human body and unable to comprehend anything.

I'd love to see more of her (we say her but I get the impression Ilyria is more male than female - as much as that counts with a God anyway).

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Saturday, September 4, 2004 7:34 AM

REDCLAIRE

Quote:
Originally posted by Honorbound:
Oh come on guys. Is everyone forgetting Drusilla? She has got to be one of the best characters to watch. I get a side ache whenever she is on. She's a lot like River, but just a little more so on the crazy side of things.

When I saw this topic, I immediately thought.. Drucilla! Every time she was on, I giggled with glee. She seems so delicate and demure, then you get to see how crazy and evil she is. I just loved the way she spoke!

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Saturday, September 4, 2004 10:32 AM

GROUNDED

Oz then, purely because he doesn't have as high episode count, Doyle.

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Saturday, September 4, 2004 10:41 AM

CYBERSNARK

Hmm.

With all due love to Firefly, it's a tie between Spike and Illyria.

Spike for being simultaneously what every guy wishes he was (cool, tough, badass), and what every (well, this) guy is embarrased to be (dorky, sentimental, frequently clueless, and prone to repeated physical injury). Also, a hopeless romantic, much like myself.

Illyria for the reasons so many people have given. Unlike most TV monsters who aspire to the Lovecraftian status of "Beyond Good, Beyond Evil," Illyria truly made it. She wasn't Evil, just really, really powerful and had never had reason to consider humans as anything more than just walking bacteria.

In many ways, she reminded me of a feminine version of Sesshoumaru.

Plus, I love her summary of Spike.

Quote:
I like this one. . . He makes funny noises when I hit him.

-----
We applied the cortical electrodes but were unable to get a neural reaction from either patient.

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Saturday, September 4, 2004 11:01 AM

MOJOMAN360

Skip

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Saturday, September 4, 2004 12:19 PM

MACBAKER

Favorite male characters?
Top three:
Buffy/Angel: Spike (James Marsters is such a talent, and the character of Spike is so uniquely original).
Firefly: Mal (Nathan is such a natural actor, and this is such a great character).
Other: Elgyn (The Captian of the Betty/Alien Resurrection, and a template for another captain).

Favorite female characters?
Top three:
Buffy: Faith (Eliza somehow manages to make Faith sympathetic, no matter how dark her actions became, which is a tribute to both her acting ability and the writers).
Angel: Fred (From sweet brilliant Texas girl, to demon goddess, Fred was always such unique and fascinating character).
Firefly: River (Summer plays this part so well, you understand why Simon would do anything to protect her).

I'd given some thought to movin' off the edge -- not an ideal location -- thinkin' a place in the middle.

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Saturday, September 4, 2004 5:18 PM

LUNAKITTY

Angel + Cordy + Faith + Spike + Simon + Tara . Couldn't pick just one. :(

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
River: Is it time to go to sleep again?
Simon: No, mei-mei, it's time to wake up.

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Saturday, September 4, 2004 5:39 PM

SUCCATASH

Favorite character?

Out of Firefly, I pick Book.

Compared to all the years of Buffy/Angel verse, and the time the characters had to develop, I pick Wesley. He is the best.

"Gott kann dich nicht vor mir beschuetzen, weil ich nicht boese bin."

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Saturday, September 4, 2004 6:15 PM

TMURRIE

A tie between Spike, Xander and Anya. But then again there's Giles and Willow and Gunn and Angel...ok to pick ONE it would be Spike.

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Sunday, September 5, 2004 11:10 AM

CORNCOBB

Definitely Spike. Whether he's being evil, love-struck, heroic, pathetic, bada**, funny, tragic or any combination of the above. That character was a big part of what got me hooked on Buffy (and, consequently, all Joss' other work). Plus I feel he's a lot like me. Only I'm not evil. Promise

Runners up are Mal and wesley, although I love most of the characters on these shows.

"Gorramit Mal... I've forgotten my line."

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