ok, a thought came to mind ~ only to be a topic, here & now.. ;} the subject of heroes & villians, those archetypes of legendary nature that serve as inspiration for us to carry on with daily life...they can be found in literature, film, music, animations, history, comics & even video games ~ we cross paths with them, & while most are experienced & brushed aside, there are others that send shimmers into our minds & hearts, for their ways of being, their modes of thinking ~ their very essence creates a spark...& after seeing them in action, we think & reflect on just how amazing they are ~ perhaps to a point of collecting all insight as to who they are all about, or perhaps to the point of worshipping (& yes, even such fans exist..). so this topic of the moment is this ~ who(m) are you inspired by & why? remember that the skies the limit here & if there's more than one, curious minds wish to know.. mmm, for myself ~ i'm drawn to the following archetypes..

Aeon Flux ~ to this day, Aeon is an inspiration to me ~ perhaps because she represents a part of me that would like to be in a similar profession that she's in, especially in the world that she's a part of; so in respect, i'm a big fan of her style & personality, not to mention the series ~ she takes nothing from no one, in a professional manner, of course..

Ayame (Tenchu) ~ a recent addition, but one worthy of note ~ anyone who is familiar with Tenchu (Fatal Shadows) will know what i speak of...along the same lines as Aeon i suppose, but far more stealthy...it is the spirit of the warrior that attracts me to this one, a spirit that is so hidden in this day & age......now whether or not that's a good thing remains to be determined..

Etna (Disgaea) ~ she's bubbly in the twisted sense, just don't get on her bad side! but i really like her style of dress; i'll wager none here knew that about me, yes? ;p

I-no (Guilty Gear) ~ i'm a fan for the series, & I-no is my favorite character to use when playing; her style is unique, & i really like how she incorporates the power of sound into her combos; not to mention the hat that has a persona all on its own.. & as you can guess, she is my avatar to the left <<<

one last note..
villians are also valid in this thread ~ is that possible? ;}

I'm just going to focus on heroes here.

No heroes here. I'm never drawn to or identify with any heroes or villians in any form of fictional media or publication for that matter.

The heart and soul of a hero really isn't defined well, to me at least, in someone with super powers or badass abilities. I'm not saying it gets in the way or takes away from a hero or villian, but that's not what makes a hero.

It's easy for Superman to bust his invunerable balls to save peoples lives, because what does he really have to fear? What does he have to sacrifice? It's not the same thing as a police-man having to stare down the barrel of a robbers gun, or those firemen that ran in the World Trade Center during 9/11?

Altruism, anyone?

When you've got to conqueror the greatest fears of them all for a just cause, that's what makes a hero.

Those who are truely vunerable, yet put themselves at risk for a great cause are the greatest of heroes. When you think about, we don't need to turn to comic books or other fictional media for heroes.

Not to sound cliche, but there is a hero within us all. That is the hero I'm drawn to; the one within us all.

Personally, whenever I read a comic watch a movie read a book, I am always drawn to the villians. I guess becuase I see the path of good and doing what is right as just something all beings are already defaulted to do. But then these villians have deviated from this default setting of righteousness for some reason or another and, its usually those reasons or choices that interest me the most. In a less diffused way of saying it, I'm more interested in the psycology of the villian.

Characters that blur the line between good and evil are some of my favorite, such as Venom and Magneto.
But these are mearly entertainment purposes.


As for anyone who influences me, I know that my Uncle is the biggest influence in my life and,I would have to say that I believe the same thing that HC says, I'm drawn to the hero within us all.

I to am drawn to those that walk the path between good and evil, such as Michael Moorcock's Elric, Marvel's Deadpool, both of G.I. Joe's ninjas Snake-Eye and Stormshadow. And I suppose I better include the one of the few heros that inspire, Optimus Prime

There are also the classic heros of myth such as King Aurthur and Greek mythology. Also real world heros, such as the police, firemen, and the troops fighting Bush's folly.

Super Evil All Time Villain List with pictures!

Yea ok so I am more inclined to the darker archetype. Be they inclined to evil for personal gain or maybe a simple misguidance. Remember, evil will always triumph, because good is dumb.

------------SPOILERS--------------------------------

In no particular order:

Original Trilogy Darth Vader - The Empire Strikes Back

The Dark Lord of the Sith, simply a hand of the Emperor? For this presentation I am going to stick with the Lord Vader from the original three movies, suffice to say, this character is not taken to full potental in the Prequel series. From the menacing black armor and deaths head mask to the creepy regulated breathing apperatus, Vader just personifies evil. Perhaps just a herald of the Empror and, in the first movie, seemingly commanded by Tarkin, there's no denying that Anakin Skywalker belongs in this list.

Thulsa Doom - Conan the Barbarian

"They say Thulsa Doom is a thousand years old." Sorcerer of Set, bloodthirsty overlord of pillaging hordes, and general nuisance to Conan, Thulsa Doom satisfies his lust for weapons of steel and murder through sheer brutality and dominance. At a whisp of his hand he compels his followers to seal their fate for their devotion to his dark cause.

Roy Batty - Blade Runner

Misunderstood evil in a replicant shell. Roy Batty only seeks the answer to the question any sentient being asks, that being "who am I?" Batty does not know good from evil, only that he is alive and will be soon be gone forever. In an epic cinematic moment, Batty comes face to face with his creator Tyrell, his "god" if you will. Unable to reconcile his undeveloped emotions in the face of the creator, he does what comes natural to his being, he viciously murders Tyrell. At the close of this scene, as he "descends" in an elevator, the impact of what he has done hits him and the realization floors him.


Kid Miracleman - Miracleman

Reinvented by Alan Moore, Kid Miracleman is arguably the most malicious super villian ever. Young Johnny Bates, being experimented on by mad scientist Dr. Emil Gargunza, receives the ability to switch bodies with a more powerful being via a post hypnotic phrase. Kid Miracleman is driven insane by being trapped inside Johnny Bates' psyche and when finally released, unleashes a killing spree in London, murdering and mutilating thousands in a psychotic rampage at super speed for hours. Finally brought down by Miracleman, an exhausted Kid Miracleman utters his phrase and reverts to his child form. Miracleman sees his chance to end Kid Miracleman's menace and kills young Johnny Bates.

William Leather - Planetary

Loosely based on Johhny Storm from Fantastic Four, William Leather is one of the Four Voyagers who are mutated by dimensional anomalies in space. The Four Voyagers are the antithesis of the Fantastic Four, bent on world domination. In an homage to DC comics heroes, an infant alien lands on earth, sent by a dying race on a doomed planet. William Leather is first on scene to survey the situation. In one of the most chilling scenes in the series, Leather decides the best course of action is to delay the inevitable and murders the helpless alien.

There you have it. I could go on but I narrowed the list down to these.

where Darth Vader is concerned, i would fully agree that the prequels suffered in that aspect & Darth Vader (of the old school..) holds such a formidable presence...the other day, i finally took a look into the official art book for the 3rd film of the prequels......needless to say, my jaw hit the floor ~ i was seriously impressed by all the wonderful drawings that were used for development of this film..

...

but what the *beep* happened? i was far more entertained by the pages of the artbook as opposed to the actual film; even the poses of the Jedi & Sith held so much more of a commanding presence in its pages than the film.. *shrugs* lol, perhaps a deviation from the subject just a bit, but it's true ~ did Lucas drop the ball? i would wager that Lucas never found the ball to drop.. oO` mmm, now that you mention it ~ Conan the Barbarian is still a fav..

Thulsa Doom is such a classic..

Heros and Villians, Good and Evil, The Righteous and the Fallen, The eternal struggle of unlimited facets that date back to the very origins of humankind. Such a vast topic, I would like to try to touch base on some of the thoughts that haven't been presented yet.

This matter is often a matter of perspective. I believe we've established that already hear in this thread. Hero's aren't always saviors, and Villians aren't always destroyers.The eternal struggle (on a less tangent level than physical conflict) is determined by the popular oppinion. Also, as humanity has grown in age, technology and sophistication, the line between Good and Evil has seemed to deterioirate into a cross-bread Grey area, Moreso in our present world-society than ever before.

Heros and Villians are decided by the times, and with time, indaviduals (or groups of indaviduals) of either side may defect to the other, or fade away into the background of grey anonimity.

im typically drawn to strong female characters but simply being strong minded isnt enough for me they need to have some power to back it up

heres some examples in no particular order

Lenneth-Valkyrie Profile

Aelia-Valkyrie Profile <---i particularly like her attitude

Maria Tryador-Star Ocean3

Nel Zelpher-Star Ocean3 <---like her attitude as well
Orhla-Chrono Cross

*nods* lenneth valkyrie ~ i'll admit, that was a wonderful game & yes, i played it...my fav's were both lenneth & freya; perhaps because of their personas of who they truly are beyond the confines of mortal concerns.. but i remember that this was a game that i had to play from the beginning several times before i got it right......frustrating, but well worth the time; though, i wish they made a sequel for ps2..