Best Science Fiction Screen Character Of All Time?

Trollheart

Trollheart

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Hello fellow humanoids.
I'd like to see if anyone is interested in trying to work out who we consider the best science fiction character ever? I'd want to compile a list, whittle it down and then vote everyone into a place on the list, ending up with a number one character. If anyone would like to help out or take part, the idea would be to I guess split the characters into decades (before 60s, say, 70s, 80s, 90s etc) and to restrict the list to those on screen, either TV or film. The reason for that is that, sf fan and avid reader though I am, I'm sure there are numerous characters I've never read about, and it wouldn't be fair to vote them off without knowing anything about them. I'd also suggest leaving out superheroes, as for me, though some do come under a general sf banner, most really don't and I'd consider superhero fiction more a separate genre.

Anyone who would like to help compile the list, please post here with your suggestions. I'll be making my own list up in the next few days and will post it here, though I expect it will be less than comprehensive, which is why I will need your help.

Oh yeah: monsters are acceptable, as long as they have some sort of rudimentary intelligence, as are robots and androids, and you can nominate several characters from one movie/series/franchise.

Thanks for reading and hopefully some of you will be into this and we can have some fun.
Later
TH
 
I don't know about the best, that would be too subjective. But the ones I go back and watch for...
Warrant Officer Ellen Ripley [from Alien and Aliens, especially the beginning of Aliens]
Sergeant Kyle Reece [from Terminator] / Corporal Hicks [Aliens] - Both state of the Bad-Ass art...
Inigo Montoya [From Princess Bride "Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die." Just too cool]
 
Urgghh! I hate these questions as they're always so subjective.

Still, my nomination goes to Captain John Sheridan from Babylon 5. He did what he thought was right for the galaxy as a whole. He then goes against an illegal government on his home planet. That takes some Chutzpah. :)
 
Thanks guys,
Some responses: yes of course it's subjective. I watched "Britain's Greatest Comedy Character" two nights ago (my inspiration for this) and unbelievably, Basil Fawlty came fifth! I mean, come on! But the important thing is it's fun. I mean, who is better - and I know this is an original question and has never been asked before - Picard or Kirk? Which Doctor do you prefer? Is "new" Starbuck better than old? The point is it fosters debate and perhaps mild (hopefully anyway) argument - please leave your lightsabers at the door with the Wookie, ladies and gentlemen, we don't want anyone getting hurt or, worse, sued! - and is, you know, fun to talk about. Nobody will ever agree that X is the greatest etc, but if it just gets us talking about those characters, those shows, those films, those writers, surely that's a good thing?

As for bringing fantasy into it, maybe. Who's for that? I don't mind, but can you really put, say, Buffy up against G'Kar or whatever? Let me know what the general feeling is and I'll make a decision.

Thanks for the suggestions so far. Feel free to add more - you're not by any means restricted to one character, it's a list (bigger the better) I'm trying to compile first.

Thanks
TH
 
Rodders said:
Urgghh! I hate these questions as they're always so subjective.
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Agreed. The problem is that best is never defined.
The cleverest?
The nicest?
The nastiest?
The funniest?
The most influential?
Or, as is usually the case, simply one's favourite. :unsure:
 
Yeah, again I agree but again I say, this is not supposed to stand up in court. It's merely for fun. I guess you can look at criteria like - how much have they contributed to sf as a genre? How much did they contribute to YOUR interest in SF? How successful have they been in their universe? How well are they known, perhaps even outside of sf (who, after all, doesn't recognise the name Darth Vader, or Captain Kirk, or Spock, or Ripley, while non-sf fans may scratch their heads if you mentioned John Sheridan, Boomer or Davros)? How well written are they? How well rounded as a character? How have they influenced the behaviour/creation of other sf characters? Best, is indeed a bad word to use: maybe favourite would be better?

Your list raises as interesting question, and one I had not considered till now: should cartoon/animated characters be included? Bender and all of Futurama, Rick and Morty, Jetsons et al, or should animation be left strictly out and we concentrate only on "real" sf characters? Interested to hear your opinions. Good list by the way.
 
Some of these already mentioned:

Arthur Dent
Ford Prefect
Marvin
Slartibartfast
Zaphod Beeblebrox
Trillian

and

Rimmer
Lister
Kryten
Cat

and

Penfold
Dangermouse
Baron Silas von Greenback

and

Totoro

and

Lady Penelope
 
Trollheart said:
I also think Fantasy characters in movie and TV shows would be much less numerous than those in science fiction. For me, Fantasy is very much - or at least mostly - a literature genre.
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You clearly haven't been paying attention.

In any case, that's fine. I was only asking because I could only think of fantasy characters I would describe as "favorite," not out of any doctrinaire impulse.
 
Rick Deckard
Roy Batty

'Mad' Max Rockatansky

Snake Plissken
R. J. MacReady

Alex Rogan
Grig

Bill Sykes
Sam Francisco

Bill S. Preston, Esq.
Ted Theodore Logan

Dr. Ellie Arroway

Corben Dallas
Leeloo Dallas
Jean-Baptiste Emanuel Zorg

Mal Reynolds
Zoe Washburn
 
Trollheart said:
Dangermouse is both a cartoon character (duh!) the inclusion or exclusion of such has yet to be decided, and tmk has nothing to do with sci fi?

@ Elckerlyk: we're not voting yet, just compiling the list, or trying to. Obviously Spock will be on it.
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Strong sf elements in Dangermouse including outerspace, strange dimensions, bems etc.
 
Bill and Ted
Barbarella
Robby the Robot
Steve Austin
Valerian
Mork
Groot
Ming the Merciless
 
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