Hi, welcome back!
So no further delays - this is my To 20 Favourite Male Characters of all time list. Same rules and disclosures that applied to my Favourite Female Characters list also apply here: One character per franchise to be included, fictional characters only, this is all my subjective opinion, etc.
Oh, and to make this perfectly clear once and for all in 2016: Feminists don't hate men. Here is the list of men whom I enjoy and think really break traditional ground on how tough and alpha male this sex is usually represented. No male wish fulfilment fantasies here. Real men feel emotions and respect women and other marginalized people. Or these men just make me laugh, or think about how complex and cleverly-written they are, without falling back into the traditional broody, film-noir archetype, or the "charming arsehole" and pervert cardboard cut-out that seriously needs to die in all medium.
And now, I'll start the list.
20. Megamind ('Megamind')
The "villain"of one of Dreamwork's most underrated movies. Megamind is like a combination of things I adore: Flawless computer animation, moves and humour like Jim Carrey and Robin Williams, a psychological look into how good and evil are perceived and whether or not they are inherent or by an individual's choice. And why they make that choice to begin with. Megamind - real name unknown - chose villainy because he thought that's what he's good at, and he couldn't change anyone's minds about the "honourable", white, arrogant Superman-parody Metroman. Megamind's role is to be Metroman's foil, and he looks like a traditional alien invader, so why try to be anything else if people are always going to be suspicious of you anyway? Let's play the bad guy everyone would feel comfortable with you being. I know I'm probably putting too much thought into an animated comedy, but Megamind's character really stuck with me by how complex (nature vs nurture) and entertaining he is. Never annoying or pretentious in his sob story to gain audience sympathy. Even if his relationship with love interest Roxanne Richie is borderline creepy; the only real downside to the film, in my opinion. I dislike Will Ferrell in a lot of things, but Megamind is one of his more subdued and emotional performances. Plus he is genuinely funny in this. This blue man is like Ballister Blackheart from the graphic novel 'Nimona'; also a perceived villain in a deconstruction of a society which prefers the world was purely black and white in morality. I love the way Megamind is written and animated (his facial expressions say far more than dialogue ever could). It's a crying shame he'll most likely never have a sequel which explores his internal struggles further.
19. Ted Crilly ('Father Ted')
One of my favourite sitcoms, set in good ole Ireland, gets a shout-out. Father Ted Crilly is like the male version of Geraldine Granger, for obvious reasons. They are a lot alike, not just that they are both priests. Ted is the straight man in his own show, but he is as entertaining and flawed as all the other socially-bankrupt oddballs he somehow came to be associated with. He's neurotic. selfish and greedy at times, and keeps losing his faith back-and-forth but comes back to it by the end of an episode. He can be a victim of crazy and narrow-minded circumstances started by the church, be both a quiet, nervous bystander and a loud stressed-out lunatic, and also get into his own troubles via misguided antics like seeking fame, fortune and a glamorous lifestyle. Taking his current household into account, him wanting better for himself can be understandable. Ted is a sitcom character whom you feel for but not pity, and both laugh with and at without experiencing guilt. If you've seen the series and its twenty-five episodes of ingeniously-set-and-timed jokes, you'll get what I mean. Ted, despite his anxiety, is a brave hero when a situation calls for it, too. He can't be put into one sitcom-archetype box - the Roman Catholic priest is multilayered and shaded in his comedic and dramatic performance.
RIP Dermot Morgan.
18. Jet Black ('Cowboy Bebop')
The more I think about it, Jet Black might be the only character in 'Cowboy Bebop' I honestly like. Spike Spiegel isn't as cool or badass as the whole world claims he is - he is no different from the boring sci-fi male power fantasies I've seen so many times before. Faye Valentine exists for fanservice and to be a damsel in distress; let's cut the crap about her being a "strong female character". She's a useless victim most of the time (however I love Wendee Lee's performance of her in the English dub). And while I like the originality and liveliness of Edward's character, I feel she isn't in the show as much as she should be and is underutilized overall. Jet Black is who I would call a "cool guy". He is an ex-police officer, the ship's cook, a weapon's man, mechanic, and pilot. He also has a cyborg arm. Jet latches onto a mild-mannered outlook on life, and is still tough and serious when he needs to be. For a responsible hardworker, he possesses a light, laid-back sense of humour. He plays the badass, sage, and comic relief roles far better than the other characters - and he receives no credit for either. Jet is both the father and big brother figure (but he prefers to be seen as a big brother, so as not to seem old) in the 'Cowboy Bebop' crew and family. He is easy-going, warm, tough, intelligent, and funny without trying, and always sticks to his principles even when things get very personal. An underappreciated, well-rounded creation - an actual character in my eyes - Jet Black is a missing star in the space race.
17. Captain Hook ('Peter Pan')
I've already talked quite a bit about Hook in my book review of 'Peter Pan', so go check that out for further information. I just think that - at least in the original play and book - Captain Hook is a poor boy trapped in a man's body in Neverland. For this reason I find it sad and ironic that he's portrayed as hating Peter Pan for his youth rather than for Peter's dangerous and often murderous "games". He's a pirate who only wants to leave Neverland to get away from the Lost Boys, who border on 'Lord of the Flies' in their destructive behaviour on the island. A good villain is a victim - Hook embodies this, and isn't recognised for it. I also link his character to that of Mr Darling - a man forced to grow up too fast because of his old-fashioned status as the "man of the house" and who goes into temper tantrums when he isn't getting attention. Toxic masculinity can break men and boys emotionally and mentally - making them develop insecurity and male-entitlement complexes or, in Peter Pan's case, take the phrase "boys will be boys" to sociopathic levels. This is my interpretation, but it's this very human, psychological case study, plus the complex personality of the "cartoony" bad guy Captain Hook, that is the reason for why I am fascinated by him. His relationship with his right-hand man Smee is also funny and interesting. I wonder about Hook's past, what his childhood was like, who he was before Neverland. You could write a whole book about his origins and mindset before and after meeting Peter Pan. Are revenge for his hook hand, and youth, really the only reasons he hates Peter? Or something darker? Like fear towards the boy who will never grow up - physically, emotionally and mentally. Both a child and a tragic adult, Captain Hook can be silly yet deeply sympathetic in his stunted circumstances.
16. Tamaki Suoh ('Ouran High School Host Club')
A bishonen parody, Tamaki is a breath of fresh air in the "tough" and "tragic" male heroes so prevalent in anime (and in anywhere, in fact). Underneath the smooth, princely performance, Tamaki is as much a child as the depicted shotacon of the series, Honey: Silly, spastic, vulnerable and exceedingly hilarious. The way he is written and animated, Tamaki pulls off both physical comedy and powerful drama with seemingly no effort; without breaking a sweat in between. If he isn't as determined and energetic at night as he is by day, I'd swear he's solar-powered. He spends his time charming the socialite girls at the prestigious Ouran Academy - in his own Host Club. But his deceptions and manipulations of emotions are not malicious: He genuinely cares about women and wishes them to have a good time. For someone who's "shallow" and "narcissistic", Tamaki enjoys entertaining others and making them feel good about themselves. Any eff-ups he makes comes from his naivety than anything else. His secret past as a partly-disgraced illegitimate offspring in a rich family spurs his approach to make everyone he meets happy. His attitude is: Always look on the bright side of life. The brave yet stupid prince touches the hearts of all the friends he makes, even if said friends are loathed to admit it. There is nothing shadowy, suspicious or even arrogant, bitter and selfish about Tamaki; he harbours no animosity. Although his overprotectiveness of the heroine, Haruhi, leans towards the Madonna/Whore double standard of "innocent" girls needing to be protected from sexually-liberated "bad girls" - a big flaw in an anime that makes fun of sexist anime stereotypes and cliches, and analyses gender fluidity and sexuality. Tamaki does try to help Haruhi constantly without (consciously, at least) ulterior motives, so there's that. In conclusion, Tamaki Suoh is the clown prince of shining a much-needed light on boring bishonen templates. Entertaining, funny as hell, and a little sad, he is one of a kind.
To be continued in Part 2.
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