Favorite Movie Characters

Since the beginning of the year has been a bit slow, I wanted to share my favorite movie characters. These are the characters that stand out from many of my favorite franchises. I limited myself to one character per franchise so as not to overpower the list with many characters from one universe. With that being said, here are my all-time favorite movie characters.

1. The Genie (Aladdin)

The Genie from Aladdin is my all-time favorite Disney character. The Genie has such a high energy and steals every scene he is in. Robin Williams is a fantastic voice actor and does a great job bringing Genie to life. His numerous impersonations are just so much fun. He is also the character to perform my favorite Disney song "Friend Like Me".

2. Donkey (The Shrek franchise)

Donkey is my other favorite animated character. He is so much fun in every single Shrek movie. The banter and annoyance he gives Shrek is just so funny to watch. This is another perfect voice casting with Eddie Murphy as Donkey. I also love to quote one of Donkey's lines "We'll stay up late swappin' manly stories and in the morning, I'm makin' waffles".

3. Tony Stark (The Marvel Cinematic Universe)

Tony Stark is my favorite Marvel character. I love the arc he goes through in the MCU. He starts as a selfish man-child and slowly transforms into a respected mentor and ultimately chooses to sacrifice himself to save the universe. Robert Downey Jr. was born to play this role as he perfectly embodies the personality of Tony Stark. He is such a powerful character that the MCU just hasn't been as good without him.

4. Han Solo (The Star Wars franchise)

Han Solo is my favorite Star Wars character. He has this casual confidence that makes him such a cool character. He is another character that goes through quite an arc starting as a smuggler only in it for the money to a full-blown rebellion general and hero. Han Solo is also the one original character that the sequel trilogy did right. Harrison Ford is great in the role even though he didn't like doing it.

5. Indiana Jones (The Indiana Jones franchise)

Indiana Jones is my second Harrison Ford character on this list. Just like Han Solo, he has this casual confidence that makes him so cool. (It must just be a Harrison Ford thing). I also like how Indiana Jones has this subtle humor to him. It just makes him that much more fun. He was designed as an American equivalent to James Bond and I think the character achieves that perfectly. He also has such an iconic look to him with the whip and fedora. He sets a gold standard for all adventure heroes.

6. The Joker (The Batman franchise)

The Joker, specifically Heath Ledger's Joker, is my favorite DC character. He brings such a different style to the Joker than any other actor has. He is so smart and diabolical as he goes out to prove that even the best people can be turned bad. His famous line "Why So Serious" will forever be embedded in culture. His performance is what elevates The Dark Knight to that next level.

7. Legolas (The Lord of the Rings franchise)

Legolas is my favorite Lord of the Rings character. Even though he doesn't have many memorable lines or character growth, he is just such a cool character in his action sequences. Every Lord of the Rings and Hobbit movie has some moment to remind everyone how cool Legolas is whether it be shooting orcs while surfing on a shield down the stairs or taking down an oliphant all by himself. Legolas is the reason that my fantasy weapon of choice would be the bow and arrow.

8. Forrest Gump (Forrest Gump)

Forrest Gump is my favorite drama movie character. He is just such a genuine and nice person that you can't help but like him. Even though he is not intentionally funny, his absent-mindedness and innocence make him a very funny character. He is just nice to everyone he meets and always sees the good in people. Tom Hanks is great in the role and showcases the range of his acting.

9. Spock (The Star Trek franchise)

Spock is my favorite Star Trek character, specifically Leonard Nimoy's Spock. He is probably one of the characters that I relate to the most as he is driven by logic and reasoning while also struggling to understand people's feelings. I like how his character slowly grows a bond with the other members of the Enterprise to the point where is much closer to being human.

10. Jack Sparrow (The Pirates of the Caribbean franchise)

Jack Sparrow is my favorite live-action Disney character. He is just so goofy and fun. Johnny Depp is perfect as the character and made the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise so much better. The franchise would not be the same without him. I like how he acts dumb at times while at other times managing to pull off well-thought-out plans. He also has a lot of funny lines that make me laugh every time.