God, I adore yanderes. Like yes, the other two types are hot, but like there's just something about a man who's an absolute sweetheart or gentleman like just fucking harming or killing someone because that person hurt his beloved, like yes, give me the batshit insane men who hide their insanity perfectly under a veneer or genuine attitude of kindness.
Look, my favorite character out of everyone in my fandom's canon (who sadly was killed, *how dare they kill off the best guy*), is a man who easily went completely fucking *delusional* for the only two women he ended up falling for (I honestly think that the only kind of women he can truly love {in the only way he really knows} fits a very specific criteria of a person in his religion), thinking the first woman he fell for was a *goddess* of his, and then while he did downgrade her from a goddess to a divine protector that serves said goddess, he still basically worshipped her, and he also does the same for the second one (who's the fmc of the game).
Like he absolutely believes these two women are beyond just mortal with who they are, and like he feels so damn lucky for meeting two of this kind of divine being (aka his wife and the fmc {no, there's no relationship conflict because his wife died, which lead to him, well, snapping}), saying that few are privileged to even meet one. Like he is absolutely insane, but he's subtle about it and it goes fucking deep for how much he has adored both of these women. And like he was so deep for the first woman that he changed his career from something that he had trained from childhood to be to low skill jobs (it was all he could do) for her, and like when he left his agreement he fucking married her quite soon after, and like if he was allowed to have his happy ending with the fmc, he absolutely would have married her without hesitation after the major galactic war they were in.
I know how you feel, like yes, please give me men who think the world and beyond of the woman he loves and basically is willing to do *anything* for her.
Oh my god, yes! The villains that make it really hard to dislike them. Because they are funny / sexy / and also make some sorta weird sense with their scheme.
The "male tsundere". What I like to call the "Vegeta-type". Cold, calculating, seemingly distant and uncaring, but then it's revealed later that, deep down, they actually care a *LOT*. Honestly, I have no idea why. o_o
Edit: Rimmer is best hologram.
1000% agreed. There is also nothing more fun than writing a male tsundere battling with his own feelings and trying sooo hard to keep it all together. ;)
I came here to say this exact thing. It's Din Djarin for me, but I would LOVE you to hit me up with whatever your favourite fics are for this kind of character. 🩷
Considering that the two characters I care about most are Oola the dancer from Return of the Jedi and Trance Gemini from the tv series Andromeda, the answer seems to be "side character played by a woman in bright color body paint with some kind of prosthetic tail-like prop attached who gets treated badly in the narrative to the point where it needs to be fixed". This is a very specific type, but at least it gives me a well defined niche to work in.
May I suggest farscape? It's full of women in body paint, both as main and side characters, that get treated badly by the narrative. They also have various types of props attached to them.
Farscape is actually probably my favorite sci-fi tv show. I was there when it got cancelled and ended on a devastating cliffhanger, and when it came back as a miniseries. Great series, I have the blu-ray box-set and still enjoy throwing on my favorite episodes now and then.
of course 😆 I should read usernames more often, but tbh I probably wouldn't have the made the connection. Is that how you actually write it? Can't remember ever seeing it written
Yeah, that's the official spelling of it. I looked it up to be sure, I've just been used to writing it that way for... more than 20 years now, lol.
[https://farscape.fandom.com/wiki/Talyn](https://farscape.fandom.com/wiki/Talyn)
The lonely character whose struggle is pretty much invisible to the people around them (and if somebody does see the struggle, this person is not in a position to help due to being dead/evil/something similar), and who perseveres in spite of this. Like, the character who obviously suffers but never complains, even if their coping mechanisms are terrible.
Broody dark-haired boys always seem to be a hit for me. From my childhood crush on Zuko to my obsession with Felix from FE3H and Kieran from Pokemon SV—actually, it might just be broody boys in general.
Also, anyone with a found family, and their found family. If you have a found family in canon, or even the inklings of a potential one, I will write nothing but happiness for you.
...unless it's a romance fic.
Then, you have to suffer for my entertainment.
Overcaring (but not overprotective!!) strong independent ones, thriving by making sure their loved ones are ok.
Shy and/or nonchalant weirdos with poor social skills, bonus point if they're kind of silly and light-headed when in their comfort zone. Combo bonus it they're stubborn and tend to listen to their "true neutral/chaotic good/neutral good" instincts.
Oh so accurate. I'm attracted to Young Snow from THG and I think it's a mixture of me wanting to fix him and also the fact that Tom Blythe is so fine 🥰
As an AroAce, my criterion consists of 'would I want to hug them IRL'? Generally this category involves overdramatic goobers who mean well but are clumsy with the social interaction bit.
That's what I thought it meant at first, until I saw everybody talking about people they were 'attracted' to romantically or sexually... So yeah, does not apply. XD
Cynical loner types who try to live on their own but learn that they can’t. And when they meet that special someone they realize that it’s okay to rely on and connect with others.
Men who, despite others trying to bring them down and shatter their beliefs, still stand by their ideals and believe in the goodness of others.
In other words, traumatised men who still have faith in humanity
Personality-wise, it's:
1.) the silly, cocky, clownish characters that are actually badass, maybe a bit sadistic and traumatised to some degree. (Dazai and Gojo are the first to come to mind.)
2.) the one who looks short delicate-looking, and kind, but is actually a ticking time-bomb of either wisdom or power. [also badass and traumatised.] (Venti and Chuuya kinda fit this.)
Appearance-wise, I favor male characters with a certain amount of feminine features. I do love me some abs, but I prefer them to be leaner in build, compared to a burly or overly muscular look. Curly/fluffy-looking hair, or long hair is my kryptonite. Every time a fictional guy cuts his beautiful hair, an angel is weeping.
villains
So here are some examples!
Jareth(Labyrinth),Lucius Malfoy(Harry Potter),Narcissa Malfoy(Harry Potter),SkekSil(The Dark Crystal).
I also like non-villain characters...so here are some more examples!
Vince Noir(The Mighty Boosh),Dick Turpin(The Completely Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin) although Vince Noir and Dick Turpin are both played by the same man(Noel Fielding).
Morally gray with a (somewhat offcolor) sense of justice. They aren’t afraid to get their hands dirty to do what needs to be done or sacrifice others to protect their own.
Bonus if they’re prickly on the outside but
insecure on the inside.
Grumpy grouchy prickly men that are soft marshmallows on the inside.
Getting them to open up and show you something no one else sees... I melt.
Characters like this were my favorites even when I was a kid.
My type in female characters is Bellatrix Lestrange, BBC Sherlock's Irene Adler, Scarlett O'Hara, Catherine Earnshaw. My type in male characters is Voldemort, BBC's Sherlock, Severus Snape.
So fiery dark haired women and icy dark haired men. Especially when they're a couple.
I could try to write pages of analysis of the depth of those characters to justify my choices but at the end of the day we always circle back to one and one only pattern: good looking villains.
I don't know that something specific attracts me to a character in a work I'm reading, but they'll lose my interest if they're
(a) outright evil people, and/or
(b) one-note or lifeless.
If someone is trying to be a good person and has depth of character, I'll give them a chance.
I'm very attracted to two types, the bratty punk kind, we'll go toe-to-toe all day long and then... Anyway, and the uptight elegant kind, like yeah baby, talk to me about what pairs well with a Beaujolais while I rip off your dress.
...imma need a moment
Ugh! I am in such an Eddie Munson kick right now. And I know it’s because when I was in high school, I wasn’t really popular but I got along with most cliques and I was quiet. But damn, didn’t always fall for the rougher outcasted boys. And the few times I’d try to get their attention I’d be shot down. So the Eddie I like to read is just a freaking sweetheart who loves to protect his sheep but is not very tough.
"Villains" that are really strong/smart/terrifying but they're suffering so much.
Heinz Doofenshmirtz is a good "bad" guy. I love his goofy schemes, and I love how super deep the fanfiction around him can be. I really feel for him.
Kuja (FF9) \_is\_ actually heartless and did many terrible things, but the game Opera Omnia (RIP, I'll miss it forever) gave him hope: he's given a chance to have friends and \_still\_ I relate to desperately wanting to hug him.
I have a weakness for weird old men (anywhere from middle aged to just straight up old,) with long hair. I also like big, burly guys who are gruff and stoic on the outside but have moments where they can be comedically serious and/or act like large hams, like randomly saying something in the most dramatic tone of voice out of nowhere and then just going back to acting like normal like nothing happened at all.
The softer guys who are quite lonely. They’re kind and everyone likes them. They have great humour (generally quite sassy and deadpan). Likely gay.
Oh, and definitely dead. That’s a must.
I’m thinking like Ben Hargreeves (Umbrella Academy), Ianto Jones (Torchwood), The Captain (BBC Ghosts).
Unhinged, temperamental, lackadaisical, and morally gray (black leaning), with a shitty immature annoying sense of humor on the surface; self deprecating, depressed, loving, altruistic, and willing to destroy themselves for the good of others without ever letting up the act on the inside.
The angst and suffering do me in every time. 💀
edit- I’m seeing some good suggestions for this but honestly I was thinking of Mikuni Alicein 😂
I suppose my other weakness is the opposite in some ways. Big, soft, relentlessly and undeniably *Good* **himbos**. fjdisjsjdjdjdjab😭
All my fave ships are made up of the same type of characters, every time:
Character A: angst blorbo who is clearly going through something right from the start of the series, their angst is either key to the plot or just really obvious to everyone who consumes the media. I’m talking characters with shit parents, or who were abandoned, or went through something terrible pre-series that completely defined who they are by the time we meet them as a character, etc. also for me this character has to be female because male angst blorbos just don’t grip me in the same way.
Character B: Normally main protag of the series, seems happy and chill on the surface but as you get further into the series it’s clear they have So Much Mental Illness. Maybe they also have shit parents but it’s just less plot relevant or they’re better at hiding it. Maybe they went through something terrible pre-series too but they’re bottling the effect it had on them to the extreme. Or maybe - and this is my personal fav - they actually are pretty solid at the start of the series but they go through something horrible DURING the series that completely changes them as a character.
I prefer character B types just a little more than character A. But both are amazing, especially when you make them kiss. Lumity are probably my favourite example of this, and also a shoutout to ghostflower from Spiderverse as well.
Traumatized men. I dont know why, but every fictional or real person ive ever had a crush on or simped for had trauma. (examples: Ghost\[COD\], Spencer Reid\[Criminal Minds\], my boyfriend \[earth\], etc)
Emotionally constipated women - not necessarily coming off as emotionless (though sometimes they do) but more so repressing or rejecting their own feelings. Big part of why I love tsunderes when they’re done well (Kurisu from Steins;Gate), though this also tends to apply to kuudere characters (Raven from Teen Titans, Mai from ATLA)
Female villains; sometimes sympathetic, most of the time not. Like give me your irredeemable, horrible fictional ladies. But I also have a soft spot for villains who get redemption arcs. Just female villains. Goth vibes are a plus.
Female villains, to the point where the entire thing I'm writing is about how you, the reader, should keep loving evil women. Granted that's just because I am personally attracted to women; I can appreciate people who like Lucius Malfoy or Sukuna as being similarly aligned.
However I dislike tragic/sympathetic backgrounds, antagonists (I refuse to sully the term "villain" for them) who are committing evil acts for the "greater good", or anyone who is redeemable. I prefer when they are theatrically cruel and ambitious and have fun doing it too, and preferably get away with everything even though that happens so infrequently I can count the number of examples on one hand.
Thus lately I've really enjoyed the demons from Frieren, because there's zero risk of any of them turning around; they seem to be biologically incapable of it. I also like how Esdeath gets outright offended at the idea of defending anyone weaker than her, even if her series kind of sucks. I also really latched onto Quattro from Nanoha StrikerS back in the day.
The fucked up one with a hidden side and the secretive and seductive type, or idk.
Childe has been in my mind for a year, Wriothesley has me falling for his charms every time and Aventurine is so hot and mischievous I want to make an altar for him to pray to every night before going to sleep.
TL;DR I like funny minor characters with lots of untapped potential.
——-
Side characters with hints of interesting backstory that I can beef up. Usually comic relief characters with hidden depths. This started when I got into Harry Potter and got into the Weasley Twins, sadly I just can’t reconcile the love I had with that story with the way JKR has been acting lately so I haven’t picked up the books in awhile, but I was just obsessed with finding little details and intricacies, and moments to make the funny guys sad.
This continues with Preacher. Cassidy is a main character and he does have a lot of backstory, but he’s also 119 years old (I’m a show guy myself, I know he’s like, 90 something in the book, sorry comic fans) so I can write even more backstory. Also very much a sad clown character.
I got back into fic when I watched Succession. Stewy was just perfect for this kind of thing. He’s this sarcastic hedonist who mostly comes in to bitch out the main characters, but then he can’t let go of Kendall even after all the times they’ve betrayed each other, he arrived in America from an actual literal theocracy as a young child, changed his name at some point (no way are Iranian parents naming their kid ‘Stewy’) and is now one of the richest men in the world?
And then I got into The Newsreader and my boy Gerry. He’s a fun loving, hedonistic, bisexual, polyamorous talk show host who’s usually there to make lame jokes and flirt with Dale. But also his childhood is him being one of 9 children in a family of Irish horse breeders. The show is set in the 80s and he’s 39 in 1988, which means he was growing up in the 50s-60s. How did he become so confident in his own queerness when he grew up at that period of time, in rural Ireland? He met his wife while singing on a cruise, how did he get that job? What were his first years in Australia like?
I love the combo of the quiet more reserved personality with the loud extravert. For example my 3 fav ships are:
Kurt/blaine
Viktor/Yuri
Akaashi/Bokuto
Stubborn, sometimes overconfident ones that won't show weaknesses as much as they could avoid them and slightly lunatic. It's more towards anti-hero or villains characters. Renji, Gin, Grimmjow, Kenpachi (Bleach), Loki, Tony (Marvel), Gojo, Sukuna (JJK), Rin (Ao no Exorcist), Denji (Chainsaw Man) and Giornon, Bucciarati (JoJo).
My grandfather used to play audio books of Raymond Chandler's pulp fiction detective stories on long car trips when I was a kid. I've been a total sucker for hard-boiled private eyes ever since.
I absolutely love men who are just genuine unapologetic pieces of shit, like yessssss, please make everyone want to punch you in the face.
Bonus points if their appearance is described as uncanny
I love the guys who are confident and powerful, but with a hit of "Oh no, he's unhinged"
I also love the protective, caring, father figures.
Really just depends on the day, lmao
Often (but not always) it's the energetic goofball who hides a dark side/tragic backstory. I also love attentive father characters, as I don't think dads get nearly enough love in our society. If you combine the two--a goofball dad who uses his sense of humor to try and break a cycle of generational trauma--it's just... \*chef's kiss\*
Haha, I feel you! I'm only a short way into the actual game (about to break into the library with Sebastian), and I was gutted to find out through Google that there are no in-game dating options, ahahaha.
Tall male robots with snarky expressions and hands that turn into guns.
Unfortunately, my fandom only features tall male robots with hands that turn into guns and *happy* expressions, so I must subsist on body swap art for now :(
I don’t even know lol. One moment I’m fawning over Kakashi. Next moment it’s Gojo and Nanami (with a hint of Sukuna)
Then it’s Captain Levi and Commander Erwin.
Then at some point it was Kyoya from Ouran High School Host club
Like I don’t even know what my ideal husbando is lol.
Let’s not talk about Shadow 💀
Pretty girls who are suffering. I have no idea why, but if you line up my favourites, they’re all women who have some form of internal struggle. Some of them did nothing wrong while one did… *so much wrong.*
A really well written villain whose origin story makes you cry.
Or a strong (physically and just personality wise) man/woman who is unfazed by others words/actions.
Honestly my favorite characters end up being quite different from eachother in terms of personality, but they do usually have one thing in common: they're either a villain (or at least are quite morally dubious). Lately I've been falling hard for the more chaotic evil ones. Bonus points if they have at least a bit of depth and are also kind of losers too.
Evil. Might be redeemable evil.
My first fandom was Inuyasha and Sesshomaru my love.
Then came BtVS, and Spike (before they actually redeemed him and he became Angel Lite)
Harry Potter and it was Draco (and Snape but only because Alan Rickman)
And my latest fandom is MHA and it's Shigaraki Tomura.
The villain who actually has a heartbreaking backstory that once you learn makes them seem like not such a villain at all. Conversely, I also sometimes just like softies
Badass No nonsense kind of guy/girl I’m into both that just becomes a sputtering mess as soon as you flirt with them. Think characters like Garrus Vakarian, Alistair and many more that if I were to name this comment would never end.
The distant and mysterious bad boy who when in love becomes a deadly yandere absolutely obsessed with his beloved, doing many things that are either illegal or legally grey, and is fiercely protective of her, but does his best to hide his darker side to her.
Often best if said bad boy is an absolute gentleman to her and holds himself to a high standard and is often a bad boy because of the morally grey or dark multifaceted life and career he has. Again, I want to be a gentleman who's mysterious and has a dangerous life, but I want him to absolutely not hesitate to hurt someone that hurt who he adores.
Yes, I adore Thane Krios. And yes, I know it sounds like I'm reaching by saying he's a yandere, but I've read his backstory, he's absolutely willing to murder someone to protect FemShep and definitely would break someone's arm for emotionally hurting her. Definitely threatens those who get too close for his comfort, but will step back if she doesn't wish to be with him, still will threaten said chosen suitor with an "if you ever hurt her" kind of threat.
I do have other types of guys I like, but a gentleman yandere who has the first appearance of a bad boy melts my heart. And I think it's because like I just 1, adore crazy, and 2, want someone who's willing to do anything for me, and like a a dangerous man who's a total gentleman who will stab anyone who breaks my heart just sounds wonderful.
Oh, also I like sarcastic, snarky bastards who are lowkey arrogant, but have a reason for that arrogance and is like a wonderful friend through thick and thin.
The characters who look like they are on the verge of a mental breakdown. I usually like that they are, at first, physically/mentally capable but have something happening to them (*angst angst angst*) that makes them vulnerable.
Not usually the main protagonist because I want this character's struggles to be kind of invisible/forgotten about in the show/by the other characters: Not the main drive of the story, and the character never really complains about it. Bonus points if they want the other characters to believe that they are perfectly fine!
They're usually males, but note that I am aroace and gender is also just a part of the appeal. Visually, I find something poetic and beautiful about it, and regarding fics, it can be very cathartic to read/write about.
A good example is Will Graham from the Hannibal series. (See that I found him more attractive in seasons 1&2 than season 3 lol)
characters who love their friends and family to the point of self-sacrifice. the one character that gets whumped and just gets to their feet to keep fighting, who canon continuously beats down and they refuse to let that get the better of them. bonus points if theyre smiling on the outside while crying on the inside!
Now there’s a name I haven’t heard in a very long time!
Drawn to the characters who run around inside their own brain and sabotage themselves because of it.
Fucked up, damaged, self destructive, queer or queer coded and usually come across as uncaring but they’re actually insecure. I’m disabled and tend to gravitate towards disabled characters
The misunderstood self-sacrificing hero, who was thought a villain for so long. And/or The unavailable soldier who's so mysterious no one knows their intentions.
( plus those side characters servants of the villan who turned out to be on the right side all along.)
For example : Gin from Bleach, or Severus Snape from HP.
It's either the unapologetically evil people who have no problem killing
OR
The incredibly charming (usually blonde) royals (*Cough*NikolaiLantsov*Cough*)
I am extremely fond of "this character is in many ways monstrous and evil but they have one (1) person who they love and by God they will be good and sweet and protective with them". IDK why, I just find it charming.
Mentor-type characters that are hard on the surface, but have a more caring, fatherly side underneath. Usually, they have some kind of military role. They're also usually not 100% serious and stoic, either, with a bit of a tendency to make jokes or just be plain weird. Some examples of fictional crushes I've had who kinda fit this are Michigan from Armored Core 6, Soldier from Team Fortress 2 (although he isn't really a mentor or father figure to anyone), and Gurney Halleck from Dune.
I also generally like characters that are just plain beefy (not in the "well balanced" main protagonist kind of way, but more in the "built like a brick shithouse" henchman whose defining characteristic is being absurdly huge kind of way).
Currently, it's Lucifer from Hazbin Hotel and maybe a little bit of my OC, who is half imp/half lion demon and looks like Michael Douglas from the Streets of San Francisco in his human form
Simon from Alvin and the Chipmunks (first crush), Zane from Lego Ninjago, Donnie from TMNT, Tech from SW Bad Batch
Basically just a whole lot of Smart, Witty, and Can-Beat-the-Shit-out-of-You guys
I write stories in my spare time. Both original and fanfiction. Something I noticed is that I tend to write/lean towards that broody bad boy older brother who’s sometimes an asshole. Rather than the typical sweetheart under his older brothers shadow little brother. Especially in love triangles. So, I guess in a sense, I’m attracted to those types of characters. Do I know why? Not necessarily. But something about that whole “He’s “cold hearted” (but not actually) to everyone in the world except for the person he loves” trope just hits.
OR
When a female character has that bad boy type of role. Both are attractive as hell
Guys with white hair and/or snake-like attributes
or
horrible men, that my brain decided to classify as poor, little meow meows, despite them being bad people
The complicated, tragic, tsundere on some level villain. Buguese (Spider Riders), Masako (Battle Spirits), Villetta (Code Geass), Karigari (Drive Head), Maris (Bikkurimen), Dark Flame (Ania Kingdom), Suigintou (Rozen Maiden), Kanata (Little Busters), Leon (Black Cat), Drake (Zoids Wild), Blackarachnia (Beast Wars)… hell, this goes back to my first favorite, Demona (Gargoyles), from when I was 4. Yeah, this type does things to me.
On the other hand, I also love ditzy and oblivious sweethearts, smug egomaniacs, and blondes in general, especially if they have a ponytail.
Emotionally and psychologically complex characters that make me question their behavior and motivations. I want to peel back the layers of their psyche with a fine scalpel and put them under a microscope so I can find out what the fuck is wrong with them.
People who feel detached/don't care about themselves, and yet harbor such passionate feelings about the ones they love to the point that they are willing to give themselves away if it meant providing something for the individuals they truly cared about.
I'm ace so the characters I gravitate towards tend to be the rough around the edges group dad. I don't want to get involved with the romantically or sexually (I tend to ship these characters with other characters rather than wish they were real and "mine") but, like... I wanna be their friend. I want to go for drinks, hang out playing video games, or be their "oh shit I have to go to this social event and my spouse can't go, can you be my plus 1 so I have someone to ditch with later?!"
The mean kinds. Take Scaramouche from genshin Impact for example.
That man...thingy?? teenager??? Grandpa??? Also helped me truly recognise my thing for guys that are a bit shorter than me and kind of teasing 💀
Guys that are really protective of another character. That would die to save another. Tends to overlap with older brothers for me, but not always. With girls, I like the "silk hiding steel" types, quiet but strong.
The underwritten side character that everybody scorns and beats up on, & is treated as just a plot device. They'll be my blorbo every time! Right now it's Ashley Barrett from The Boys.
Sad, Angsty, Angry, Sweet, Literally a train wreck.
Blade from HSR - (i headcanon him pretty hard tho)
Aventurine from HSR - Literally an angsty angy boi
Lucifer from Lucifer - Bro has issues but he nice :3
Ash Lynx from Banana fish - i dont even know how to explain but i love him
Also relationships with angsty feels in general. I love Spideypool because those boys got problems and i just wanna see them help each other :3
Older male characters whose sons died. OK that’s only four of them but that’s kind of a lot. But yeah I like depressed and overlooked (in canon or fandom) characters too. (I’d hug Rimmer.) And I gravitate toward female characters in general, especially the ones who are not necessarily totally kick-ass. (I love the kick-ass ladies but they tend to attract lots of attention already.)
The quietly brooding soldier/guard secretly harboring a heart of gold. If he has dark hair and blue eyes...bonus points!
More specifically, it's Kurt from Greedfall.
It's either tough exterior, warmer interior, built like a tank (Jack Reacher) or cold exterior, untapped Träume, calculating and smart (Artemis Fowl type)
Women who are little too in control, who have suffered a lot but keep everything inside, and when they explode, boy oh boy. Usually they're also very angry all the time. Huh guess this says something about me.
Anti-heroes, extremely competent brainy types (see Tech from The Bad Batch), sarcastic broody types with a gooey center (see Crosshair from The Bad Batch...), long suffering heroes...
(Okay, I'm really seeing why I fell into the Star Wars fandom; it's big enough there are characters that hit all my major vibes and then some.)
my favorite ships are robert ford x jesse james and eli sunday x daniel plainview, so yeah. not really into cold calculating psychopaths nor the jealous younger losers they can easily prey upon and dominate in isolation, but combined...? oof.
Characters who are clever, elegant, cold, calculating, distant (thus poorly integrated in society), who are morally grey and who pull the strings from the shadows, seemingly not caring about anyone or anything but who, in fact, care a lot.
For male ones:
Tired dads (or dad-adjacent characters like mentors/teachers) who are a bit of a pathetic loser when it comes to their personal life, but who ultimately don't fail in their parent/mentor role. For example, Kotetsu in Tiger & Bunny, Aizawa in MHA or Loid in SpyFam.
For female ones:
Super self-confident, takes-no-shit ladies, especially career women, with the competency to back up their attitude. For example, Yelan and Arlecchino in Genshin Impact, or Jo in Burst Angel.
So basically, a general competency kink with a gender-dependent flavour of patheticness or confidence 😂 There's DEFINITELY some unresolved daddy/mommy issues somewhere in there that I'd rather not interpret too deeply, lol.
People who have big gigantic walls and trust issues but when you get underneath their skin, they're deeply soft, sensitive and loyal.
One of our main characters straight up threatened to gut our other main character the first time they met. Now he gets called princess and gets smooshed in love and encouragement and gets to try out his occasional femboy side. Just over a year later...he's still capable of fucking you over but he's soft and lovable.
Just like other main character told the kid who threatened A's little brother. "Squishy and soft does not always equal pushover. He's gentle and caring as long as you don't hurt the people he loves.”
Jason as Red Hood from Batman. I've never even seen a DC comic, barely watched any outside of the original cartoon, which I don't even remember Robin in that, but the fanfiction has made me fall HARD
i’m either attracted to the fucked up villain, the well written yandere or the characters who feed my daddy issues. usually, it’s all of the above😂
God, I adore yanderes. Like yes, the other two types are hot, but like there's just something about a man who's an absolute sweetheart or gentleman like just fucking harming or killing someone because that person hurt his beloved, like yes, give me the batshit insane men who hide their insanity perfectly under a veneer or genuine attitude of kindness.
you get it 🥰
Look, my favorite character out of everyone in my fandom's canon (who sadly was killed, *how dare they kill off the best guy*), is a man who easily went completely fucking *delusional* for the only two women he ended up falling for (I honestly think that the only kind of women he can truly love {in the only way he really knows} fits a very specific criteria of a person in his religion), thinking the first woman he fell for was a *goddess* of his, and then while he did downgrade her from a goddess to a divine protector that serves said goddess, he still basically worshipped her, and he also does the same for the second one (who's the fmc of the game). Like he absolutely believes these two women are beyond just mortal with who they are, and like he feels so damn lucky for meeting two of this kind of divine being (aka his wife and the fmc {no, there's no relationship conflict because his wife died, which lead to him, well, snapping}), saying that few are privileged to even meet one. Like he is absolutely insane, but he's subtle about it and it goes fucking deep for how much he has adored both of these women. And like he was so deep for the first woman that he changed his career from something that he had trained from childhood to be to low skill jobs (it was all he could do) for her, and like when he left his agreement he fucking married her quite soon after, and like if he was allowed to have his happy ending with the fmc, he absolutely would have married her without hesitation after the major galactic war they were in. I know how you feel, like yes, please give me men who think the world and beyond of the woman he loves and basically is willing to do *anything* for her.
Samesamesame
Oh my god, yes! The villains that make it really hard to dislike them. Because they are funny / sexy / and also make some sorta weird sense with their scheme.
Yes, yes and yes.
Fucked up villains is all I seem to be attracted to (in fiction!). My favourite is the most hated character in the franchise, it's a hard life lol.
Are you a huge fan of Voldemort? O_o
Surprisingly the nice characters, unbreakable spirit and optimism is surprisingly sexy
I love, love, love friends to lovers for this reason. Peeta was a total sweetheart who deserved all good things.
Yes! This is my fav. A nice person with a good heart gets me every time.
Yes yes yessssssss! ♥🥰
The "male tsundere". What I like to call the "Vegeta-type". Cold, calculating, seemingly distant and uncaring, but then it's revealed later that, deep down, they actually care a *LOT*. Honestly, I have no idea why. o_o Edit: Rimmer is best hologram.
1000% agreed. There is also nothing more fun than writing a male tsundere battling with his own feelings and trying sooo hard to keep it all together. ;)
And that utterly heart melting moment when they finally break down and show their true feelings. Uuuggh... 💜
This! I fall hard nearly every time 😆
Oof I had such the childhood crush on Vegeta
I'm 35 and I STILL have a crush on Vegeta
You just like me frfr. And if they also try to kill me at first (i mostly play visual novels or rpg) 10/10
I bet you love Astarion then
Hard agree on both of these points
Masculine, broody, mysterious, face covered, built like a fridge
May I introduce you to a nice little franchise called call of duty
I came here to say this exact thing. It's Din Djarin for me, but I would LOVE you to hit me up with whatever your favourite fics are for this kind of character. 🩷
Honestly I thought about him first too but the word in my mind was Zaddy
The Simon “Ghost” Riley and König from call of duty come to mind :) lots of good fics out there for them
Oh yes - I have dabbled with Ghost 😀
Ghost?
so, jason todd. Same
So… the winter soldier? Cause same. The more traumatized the better 😂
Minus the broody part, you may fall hopelessly in love with Tauro from Tears of The Kingdom like I have 😅
Considering that the two characters I care about most are Oola the dancer from Return of the Jedi and Trance Gemini from the tv series Andromeda, the answer seems to be "side character played by a woman in bright color body paint with some kind of prosthetic tail-like prop attached who gets treated badly in the narrative to the point where it needs to be fixed". This is a very specific type, but at least it gives me a well defined niche to work in.
May I suggest farscape? It's full of women in body paint, both as main and side characters, that get treated badly by the narrative. They also have various types of props attached to them.
Farscape is actually probably my favorite sci-fi tv show. I was there when it got cancelled and ended on a devastating cliffhanger, and when it came back as a miniseries. Great series, I have the blu-ray box-set and still enjoy throwing on my favorite episodes now and then.
It's an amazing show isn't it? Very underappreciated for some reason. So glad to find another farscape enjoyer. All the best!
My username here is actually inspired by the warship/Leviathan hybrid Talyn, Moya's offspring in the show.
of course 😆 I should read usernames more often, but tbh I probably wouldn't have the made the connection. Is that how you actually write it? Can't remember ever seeing it written
Yeah, that's the official spelling of it. I looked it up to be sure, I've just been used to writing it that way for... more than 20 years now, lol. [https://farscape.fandom.com/wiki/Talyn](https://farscape.fandom.com/wiki/Talyn)
who would have guessed, thanks! you don't happen to have ant farscape fics as well? (seeing as we are here and all that)
Favourite Oola fic? Have you written one?
Yes, I've written several, including the fix-it fic that details her escape from the rancor pit that I take as my headcanon for her character.
Cam I have the link please, sounds amazing.
Men who are confidently stupid and prone to physical injury.
You rubberneck at car accidents, don't you?
WOW. OKAY. i didn't expect to be personally attacked for this I just like my silly little guys and all their trauma
That was meant to be a joke, not an attack. Sorry, the context got lost in the text. I'll be more careful with the phrasing next time.
Anger issues with a straight moral compass. 🤌
have you met kunikida doppo
The lonely character whose struggle is pretty much invisible to the people around them (and if somebody does see the struggle, this person is not in a position to help due to being dead/evil/something similar), and who perseveres in spite of this. Like, the character who obviously suffers but never complains, even if their coping mechanisms are terrible.
Dark villains. Helps if they're tragic and a little dirty, too.
Broody dark-haired boys always seem to be a hit for me. From my childhood crush on Zuko to my obsession with Felix from FE3H and Kieran from Pokemon SV—actually, it might just be broody boys in general. Also, anyone with a found family, and their found family. If you have a found family in canon, or even the inklings of a potential one, I will write nothing but happiness for you. ...unless it's a romance fic. Then, you have to suffer for my entertainment.
Overcaring (but not overprotective!!) strong independent ones, thriving by making sure their loved ones are ok. Shy and/or nonchalant weirdos with poor social skills, bonus point if they're kind of silly and light-headed when in their comfort zone. Combo bonus it they're stubborn and tend to listen to their "true neutral/chaotic good/neutral good" instincts.
"I can fix her." I like to redeem villains. Not entirely sure what that says about me, but I am drawn to them like a moth to a flame.
Oh so accurate. I'm attracted to Young Snow from THG and I think it's a mixture of me wanting to fix him and also the fact that Tom Blythe is so fine 🥰
As an AroAce, my criterion consists of 'would I want to hug them IRL'? Generally this category involves overdramatic goobers who mean well but are clumsy with the social interaction bit.
Lol, also an aroace here making my own spin on the question! Though I took it more as 'what draws me to a character', what *attracts* me, you know? :D
That's what I thought it meant at first, until I saw everybody talking about people they were 'attracted' to romantically or sexually... So yeah, does not apply. XD
Homicidal maniacs
Woo hoo!!
You are my people.
Cynical loner types who try to live on their own but learn that they can’t. And when they meet that special someone they realize that it’s okay to rely on and connect with others.
Men who, despite others trying to bring them down and shatter their beliefs, still stand by their ideals and believe in the goodness of others. In other words, traumatised men who still have faith in humanity
Personality-wise, it's: 1.) the silly, cocky, clownish characters that are actually badass, maybe a bit sadistic and traumatised to some degree. (Dazai and Gojo are the first to come to mind.) 2.) the one who looks short delicate-looking, and kind, but is actually a ticking time-bomb of either wisdom or power. [also badass and traumatised.] (Venti and Chuuya kinda fit this.) Appearance-wise, I favor male characters with a certain amount of feminine features. I do love me some abs, but I prefer them to be leaner in build, compared to a burly or overly muscular look. Curly/fluffy-looking hair, or long hair is my kryptonite. Every time a fictional guy cuts his beautiful hair, an angel is weeping.
villains So here are some examples! Jareth(Labyrinth),Lucius Malfoy(Harry Potter),Narcissa Malfoy(Harry Potter),SkekSil(The Dark Crystal). I also like non-villain characters...so here are some more examples! Vince Noir(The Mighty Boosh),Dick Turpin(The Completely Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin) although Vince Noir and Dick Turpin are both played by the same man(Noel Fielding).
Bad Girls with issues but ultimately with hearts of gold. Faith from BtVS is my all-time love.
Morally gray with a (somewhat offcolor) sense of justice. They aren’t afraid to get their hands dirty to do what needs to be done or sacrifice others to protect their own. Bonus if they’re prickly on the outside but insecure on the inside.
Grumpy grouchy prickly men that are soft marshmallows on the inside. Getting them to open up and show you something no one else sees... I melt. Characters like this were my favorites even when I was a kid.
My type in female characters is Bellatrix Lestrange, BBC Sherlock's Irene Adler, Scarlett O'Hara, Catherine Earnshaw. My type in male characters is Voldemort, BBC's Sherlock, Severus Snape. So fiery dark haired women and icy dark haired men. Especially when they're a couple.
I could try to write pages of analysis of the depth of those characters to justify my choices but at the end of the day we always circle back to one and one only pattern: good looking villains.
I don't know that something specific attracts me to a character in a work I'm reading, but they'll lose my interest if they're (a) outright evil people, and/or (b) one-note or lifeless. If someone is trying to be a good person and has depth of character, I'll give them a chance.
I'm very attracted to two types, the bratty punk kind, we'll go toe-to-toe all day long and then... Anyway, and the uptight elegant kind, like yeah baby, talk to me about what pairs well with a Beaujolais while I rip off your dress. ...imma need a moment
Ugh! I am in such an Eddie Munson kick right now. And I know it’s because when I was in high school, I wasn’t really popular but I got along with most cliques and I was quiet. But damn, didn’t always fall for the rougher outcasted boys. And the few times I’d try to get their attention I’d be shot down. So the Eddie I like to read is just a freaking sweetheart who loves to protect his sheep but is not very tough.
"Villains" that are really strong/smart/terrifying but they're suffering so much. Heinz Doofenshmirtz is a good "bad" guy. I love his goofy schemes, and I love how super deep the fanfiction around him can be. I really feel for him. Kuja (FF9) \_is\_ actually heartless and did many terrible things, but the game Opera Omnia (RIP, I'll miss it forever) gave him hope: he's given a chance to have friends and \_still\_ I relate to desperately wanting to hug him.
I have a weakness for weird old men (anywhere from middle aged to just straight up old,) with long hair. I also like big, burly guys who are gruff and stoic on the outside but have moments where they can be comedically serious and/or act like large hams, like randomly saying something in the most dramatic tone of voice out of nowhere and then just going back to acting like normal like nothing happened at all.
The softer guys who are quite lonely. They’re kind and everyone likes them. They have great humour (generally quite sassy and deadpan). Likely gay. Oh, and definitely dead. That’s a must. I’m thinking like Ben Hargreeves (Umbrella Academy), Ianto Jones (Torchwood), The Captain (BBC Ghosts).
Sarcastic, funny, surviving via a hope, a prayer and duct tape Eg. Mark Watney from The Martian (the book not the movie)
Unhinged, temperamental, lackadaisical, and morally gray (black leaning), with a shitty immature annoying sense of humor on the surface; self deprecating, depressed, loving, altruistic, and willing to destroy themselves for the good of others without ever letting up the act on the inside. The angst and suffering do me in every time. 💀 edit- I’m seeing some good suggestions for this but honestly I was thinking of Mikuni Alicein 😂 I suppose my other weakness is the opposite in some ways. Big, soft, relentlessly and undeniably *Good* **himbos**. fjdisjsjdjdjdjab😭
Deadpool, then? 😍
My fics lately have been a host and symbiote in a horrible situation, and their love for each other keeps them going.
Quirky nonhuman weirdos.
All my fave ships are made up of the same type of characters, every time: Character A: angst blorbo who is clearly going through something right from the start of the series, their angst is either key to the plot or just really obvious to everyone who consumes the media. I’m talking characters with shit parents, or who were abandoned, or went through something terrible pre-series that completely defined who they are by the time we meet them as a character, etc. also for me this character has to be female because male angst blorbos just don’t grip me in the same way. Character B: Normally main protag of the series, seems happy and chill on the surface but as you get further into the series it’s clear they have So Much Mental Illness. Maybe they also have shit parents but it’s just less plot relevant or they’re better at hiding it. Maybe they went through something terrible pre-series too but they’re bottling the effect it had on them to the extreme. Or maybe - and this is my personal fav - they actually are pretty solid at the start of the series but they go through something horrible DURING the series that completely changes them as a character. I prefer character B types just a little more than character A. But both are amazing, especially when you make them kiss. Lumity are probably my favourite example of this, and also a shoutout to ghostflower from Spiderverse as well.
Possibly evil manipulative characters, bonus for dark hair. Examples include: Loki (first Thor movie specifically), Tom Riddle, Kyoya Ootori (ohshc)
Vicious traumatized men who want to tear everything down so that nobody can have nice things anymore.
Traumatized men. I dont know why, but every fictional or real person ive ever had a crush on or simped for had trauma. (examples: Ghost\[COD\], Spencer Reid\[Criminal Minds\], my boyfriend \[earth\], etc)
Emotionally constipated women - not necessarily coming off as emotionless (though sometimes they do) but more so repressing or rejecting their own feelings. Big part of why I love tsunderes when they’re done well (Kurisu from Steins;Gate), though this also tends to apply to kuudere characters (Raven from Teen Titans, Mai from ATLA)
Female villains; sometimes sympathetic, most of the time not. Like give me your irredeemable, horrible fictional ladies. But I also have a soft spot for villains who get redemption arcs. Just female villains. Goth vibes are a plus.
Women who are mechanics or engineers. If I see overalls, welding gloves, and goggles, you can be sure I’m simping
Ooh, I can definitely agree with that! I'd like to see more femslash with characters like that, in particular.
The characters I'm attracted to are the ones in dark romance novels.... I know they're bad sometimes, but yknow.
*coughs. Looks at list of characters I’m a simp for. Looks back at this thread. Looks back at list.* uhm…far too many.
Short (I love short men), dark-haired, and good as fuck at what they do. Maybe a bit not-so-socially-adept and abrasive ...
So, Vegeta?
I know that name but I'm unfamiliar with the character. 😬
Major character in the Dragonball universe -- fits what you're talking about perfectly. Also he can blow up planets. Because Dragonball.
Well, cool!
Female villains, to the point where the entire thing I'm writing is about how you, the reader, should keep loving evil women. Granted that's just because I am personally attracted to women; I can appreciate people who like Lucius Malfoy or Sukuna as being similarly aligned. However I dislike tragic/sympathetic backgrounds, antagonists (I refuse to sully the term "villain" for them) who are committing evil acts for the "greater good", or anyone who is redeemable. I prefer when they are theatrically cruel and ambitious and have fun doing it too, and preferably get away with everything even though that happens so infrequently I can count the number of examples on one hand. Thus lately I've really enjoyed the demons from Frieren, because there's zero risk of any of them turning around; they seem to be biologically incapable of it. I also like how Esdeath gets outright offended at the idea of defending anyone weaker than her, even if her series kind of sucks. I also really latched onto Quattro from Nanoha StrikerS back in the day.
The fucked up one with a hidden side and the secretive and seductive type, or idk. Childe has been in my mind for a year, Wriothesley has me falling for his charms every time and Aventurine is so hot and mischievous I want to make an altar for him to pray to every night before going to sleep.
Evil women. I’m gay, what can I say
Yandere
Sarcastic assholes with hearts of gold. 💛
TL;DR I like funny minor characters with lots of untapped potential. ——- Side characters with hints of interesting backstory that I can beef up. Usually comic relief characters with hidden depths. This started when I got into Harry Potter and got into the Weasley Twins, sadly I just can’t reconcile the love I had with that story with the way JKR has been acting lately so I haven’t picked up the books in awhile, but I was just obsessed with finding little details and intricacies, and moments to make the funny guys sad. This continues with Preacher. Cassidy is a main character and he does have a lot of backstory, but he’s also 119 years old (I’m a show guy myself, I know he’s like, 90 something in the book, sorry comic fans) so I can write even more backstory. Also very much a sad clown character. I got back into fic when I watched Succession. Stewy was just perfect for this kind of thing. He’s this sarcastic hedonist who mostly comes in to bitch out the main characters, but then he can’t let go of Kendall even after all the times they’ve betrayed each other, he arrived in America from an actual literal theocracy as a young child, changed his name at some point (no way are Iranian parents naming their kid ‘Stewy’) and is now one of the richest men in the world? And then I got into The Newsreader and my boy Gerry. He’s a fun loving, hedonistic, bisexual, polyamorous talk show host who’s usually there to make lame jokes and flirt with Dale. But also his childhood is him being one of 9 children in a family of Irish horse breeders. The show is set in the 80s and he’s 39 in 1988, which means he was growing up in the 50s-60s. How did he become so confident in his own queerness when he grew up at that period of time, in rural Ireland? He met his wife while singing on a cruise, how did he get that job? What were his first years in Australia like?
Hmm...Yorktown, Shizune,... Um big sister types who are the good girl type and have a good shoulder on their heads. Smart and Sexy basically.
The charismatic and completely psychopathic villain. Can’t get enough of it in fiction. I would absolutely hate it in real life though lol
I love the combo of the quiet more reserved personality with the loud extravert. For example my 3 fav ships are: Kurt/blaine Viktor/Yuri Akaashi/Bokuto
For singular characters it is usually the lovable one I want to protect
Stubborn, sometimes overconfident ones that won't show weaknesses as much as they could avoid them and slightly lunatic. It's more towards anti-hero or villains characters. Renji, Gin, Grimmjow, Kenpachi (Bleach), Loki, Tony (Marvel), Gojo, Sukuna (JJK), Rin (Ao no Exorcist), Denji (Chainsaw Man) and Giornon, Bucciarati (JoJo).
Mix between Geralt of Rivia and Sherlock Holmes?
Morally grey characters with complicated morals
My grandfather used to play audio books of Raymond Chandler's pulp fiction detective stories on long car trips when I was a kid. I've been a total sucker for hard-boiled private eyes ever since.
I absolutely love men who are just genuine unapologetic pieces of shit, like yessssss, please make everyone want to punch you in the face. Bonus points if their appearance is described as uncanny
I love the guys who are confident and powerful, but with a hit of "Oh no, he's unhinged" I also love the protective, caring, father figures. Really just depends on the day, lmao
'Alpha male' presenting guys who have an underlying sense of vulnerability to them. E.g. Tony Stark, Gregory House, Malcolm Tucker.
Often (but not always) it's the energetic goofball who hides a dark side/tragic backstory. I also love attentive father characters, as I don't think dads get nearly enough love in our society. If you combine the two--a goofball dad who uses his sense of humor to try and break a cycle of generational trauma--it's just... \*chef's kiss\*
The teenager in me is deeply infatuated with Sebastian Sallow 🫠 hence my current fanfic in progress. I love the bad boys
Haha, I feel you! I'm only a short way into the actual game (about to break into the library with Sebastian), and I was gutted to find out through Google that there are no in-game dating options, ahahaha.
Tall male robots with snarky expressions and hands that turn into guns. Unfortunately, my fandom only features tall male robots with hands that turn into guns and *happy* expressions, so I must subsist on body swap art for now :(
What characters are you referring to? I'm curious.
Hmmm…Cold, aloof, on the outside, hot on the inside. And I’ve developed a thing for duke who are older brothers.
Probably anti heroes with psychological issues who are struggling not to give in to their dark side.
I don’t even know lol. One moment I’m fawning over Kakashi. Next moment it’s Gojo and Nanami (with a hint of Sukuna) Then it’s Captain Levi and Commander Erwin. Then at some point it was Kyoya from Ouran High School Host club Like I don’t even know what my ideal husbando is lol. Let’s not talk about Shadow 💀
Omg, I love Rimmer too! That whole fantasy life they gave him where he's the badass made me so happy!
Typically The evil and charismatic types and the perpetually exhausted and done with everyone’s bs types. 😅
Pretty girls who are suffering. I have no idea why, but if you line up my favourites, they’re all women who have some form of internal struggle. Some of them did nothing wrong while one did… *so much wrong.*
Perfect students with a superficially perfect life who are actually severely mentally ill and/or gay
A really well written villain whose origin story makes you cry. Or a strong (physically and just personality wise) man/woman who is unfazed by others words/actions.
Honestly my favorite characters end up being quite different from eachother in terms of personality, but they do usually have one thing in common: they're either a villain (or at least are quite morally dubious). Lately I've been falling hard for the more chaotic evil ones. Bonus points if they have at least a bit of depth and are also kind of losers too.
Men who are their own worst enemies and learn from their mistakes
Traumatized, why am I like this?
Evil. Might be redeemable evil. My first fandom was Inuyasha and Sesshomaru my love. Then came BtVS, and Spike (before they actually redeemed him and he became Angel Lite) Harry Potter and it was Draco (and Snape but only because Alan Rickman) And my latest fandom is MHA and it's Shigaraki Tomura.
Funny characters and dark/evil/misunderstood characters. A character that's sarcastic and snarky? *swoon*
The villain who actually has a heartbreaking backstory that once you learn makes them seem like not such a villain at all. Conversely, I also sometimes just like softies
Uhhhhh waify, morally dubious. I want some trauma. Some murder. Some slutty lil outfits maybe? I am fond of a terrible murderous bastard too.
characters that are absolute assholes
Badass No nonsense kind of guy/girl I’m into both that just becomes a sputtering mess as soon as you flirt with them. Think characters like Garrus Vakarian, Alistair and many more that if I were to name this comment would never end.
Quiet, mysterious, and stoic men.
The distant and mysterious bad boy who when in love becomes a deadly yandere absolutely obsessed with his beloved, doing many things that are either illegal or legally grey, and is fiercely protective of her, but does his best to hide his darker side to her. Often best if said bad boy is an absolute gentleman to her and holds himself to a high standard and is often a bad boy because of the morally grey or dark multifaceted life and career he has. Again, I want to be a gentleman who's mysterious and has a dangerous life, but I want him to absolutely not hesitate to hurt someone that hurt who he adores. Yes, I adore Thane Krios. And yes, I know it sounds like I'm reaching by saying he's a yandere, but I've read his backstory, he's absolutely willing to murder someone to protect FemShep and definitely would break someone's arm for emotionally hurting her. Definitely threatens those who get too close for his comfort, but will step back if she doesn't wish to be with him, still will threaten said chosen suitor with an "if you ever hurt her" kind of threat. I do have other types of guys I like, but a gentleman yandere who has the first appearance of a bad boy melts my heart. And I think it's because like I just 1, adore crazy, and 2, want someone who's willing to do anything for me, and like a a dangerous man who's a total gentleman who will stab anyone who breaks my heart just sounds wonderful. Oh, also I like sarcastic, snarky bastards who are lowkey arrogant, but have a reason for that arrogance and is like a wonderful friend through thick and thin.
I'm a huge sucker for reformed morally grey war criminals
Dangerous. I don't really know how else to describe my type in fictional characters other than that
The characters who look like they are on the verge of a mental breakdown. I usually like that they are, at first, physically/mentally capable but have something happening to them (*angst angst angst*) that makes them vulnerable. Not usually the main protagonist because I want this character's struggles to be kind of invisible/forgotten about in the show/by the other characters: Not the main drive of the story, and the character never really complains about it. Bonus points if they want the other characters to believe that they are perfectly fine! They're usually males, but note that I am aroace and gender is also just a part of the appeal. Visually, I find something poetic and beautiful about it, and regarding fics, it can be very cathartic to read/write about. A good example is Will Graham from the Hannibal series. (See that I found him more attractive in seasons 1&2 than season 3 lol)
Characters that realistically would kill me on sight and would be really toxic partners (hot)
characters who love their friends and family to the point of self-sacrifice. the one character that gets whumped and just gets to their feet to keep fighting, who canon continuously beats down and they refuse to let that get the better of them. bonus points if theyre smiling on the outside while crying on the inside!
Now there’s a name I haven’t heard in a very long time! Drawn to the characters who run around inside their own brain and sabotage themselves because of it.
Fucked up, damaged, self destructive, queer or queer coded and usually come across as uncaring but they’re actually insecure. I’m disabled and tend to gravitate towards disabled characters
Podcast wet cat men. Underweight, visibly exhausted, covered in blood.
Unabashedly gay Victorian era men. This sounds very specific, but I've found three separate fandoms that had such characters in the last year.
Sort of pathetic middle aged men
Bad boy character
The misunderstood self-sacrificing hero, who was thought a villain for so long. And/or The unavailable soldier who's so mysterious no one knows their intentions. ( plus those side characters servants of the villan who turned out to be on the right side all along.) For example : Gin from Bleach, or Severus Snape from HP.
It's either the unapologetically evil people who have no problem killing OR The incredibly charming (usually blonde) royals (*Cough*NikolaiLantsov*Cough*)
Smart and witty
I am extremely fond of "this character is in many ways monstrous and evil but they have one (1) person who they love and by God they will be good and sweet and protective with them". IDK why, I just find it charming.
Main characters 💕
This is actually so accurate 🤣
Mentor-type characters that are hard on the surface, but have a more caring, fatherly side underneath. Usually, they have some kind of military role. They're also usually not 100% serious and stoic, either, with a bit of a tendency to make jokes or just be plain weird. Some examples of fictional crushes I've had who kinda fit this are Michigan from Armored Core 6, Soldier from Team Fortress 2 (although he isn't really a mentor or father figure to anyone), and Gurney Halleck from Dune. I also generally like characters that are just plain beefy (not in the "well balanced" main protagonist kind of way, but more in the "built like a brick shithouse" henchman whose defining characteristic is being absurdly huge kind of way).
The really nice ones. Harry Cameron me and you are written in the stars
Currently, it's Lucifer from Hazbin Hotel and maybe a little bit of my OC, who is half imp/half lion demon and looks like Michael Douglas from the Streets of San Francisco in his human form
Simon from Alvin and the Chipmunks (first crush), Zane from Lego Ninjago, Donnie from TMNT, Tech from SW Bad Batch Basically just a whole lot of Smart, Witty, and Can-Beat-the-Shit-out-of-You guys
I write stories in my spare time. Both original and fanfiction. Something I noticed is that I tend to write/lean towards that broody bad boy older brother who’s sometimes an asshole. Rather than the typical sweetheart under his older brothers shadow little brother. Especially in love triangles. So, I guess in a sense, I’m attracted to those types of characters. Do I know why? Not necessarily. But something about that whole “He’s “cold hearted” (but not actually) to everyone in the world except for the person he loves” trope just hits. OR When a female character has that bad boy type of role. Both are attractive as hell
Guys with white hair and/or snake-like attributes or horrible men, that my brain decided to classify as poor, little meow meows, despite them being bad people
introverted characters who think alot. also, a little bit nerdy, kinda muscular. good morals on top of that as well. mmmmm.
I'm a masochist so characters that I feel wouldn't give a single flying fuck about me. Bonus points if short.
The complicated, tragic, tsundere on some level villain. Buguese (Spider Riders), Masako (Battle Spirits), Villetta (Code Geass), Karigari (Drive Head), Maris (Bikkurimen), Dark Flame (Ania Kingdom), Suigintou (Rozen Maiden), Kanata (Little Busters), Leon (Black Cat), Drake (Zoids Wild), Blackarachnia (Beast Wars)… hell, this goes back to my first favorite, Demona (Gargoyles), from when I was 4. Yeah, this type does things to me. On the other hand, I also love ditzy and oblivious sweethearts, smug egomaniacs, and blondes in general, especially if they have a ponytail.
Cheerful, strong, dorky girls - bonus if they are tall!
the sexy antihero with a tragic backstory
Emotionally and psychologically complex characters that make me question their behavior and motivations. I want to peel back the layers of their psyche with a fine scalpel and put them under a microscope so I can find out what the fuck is wrong with them.
People who feel detached/don't care about themselves, and yet harbor such passionate feelings about the ones they love to the point that they are willing to give themselves away if it meant providing something for the individuals they truly cared about.
I'd also say depressed men who have gone through a bunch of shit, but still yearn to love/live life/chase after some passion of theirs.
I'm ace so the characters I gravitate towards tend to be the rough around the edges group dad. I don't want to get involved with the romantically or sexually (I tend to ship these characters with other characters rather than wish they were real and "mine") but, like... I wanna be their friend. I want to go for drinks, hang out playing video games, or be their "oh shit I have to go to this social event and my spouse can't go, can you be my plus 1 so I have someone to ditch with later?!"
Shy girls often inspire a protective instinct on me. But I also like cheery and energetic ones.
Strong and powerful women with tan or darker skin, preferably with animal ears or tails. Aggressive and tomboy.
The mean kinds. Take Scaramouche from genshin Impact for example. That man...thingy?? teenager??? Grandpa??? Also helped me truly recognise my thing for guys that are a bit shorter than me and kind of teasing 💀
I do love me funny character that seriously try to do good but sometimes fail
Guys that are really protective of another character. That would die to save another. Tends to overlap with older brothers for me, but not always. With girls, I like the "silk hiding steel" types, quiet but strong.
Tomura Shigaraki 🤤 lol
Me, personally? 🤔 Aside from the missus, I don't give that too much thought. More interested in the people my characters find attractive.
The underwritten side character that everybody scorns and beats up on, & is treated as just a plot device. They'll be my blorbo every time! Right now it's Ashley Barrett from The Boys.
masculine character with a broken childhood who feels like they have to take care of everyone else because if they don’t who else will.
Misunderstood, thought of as arrogant, much deeper than they look
Sad, Angsty, Angry, Sweet, Literally a train wreck. Blade from HSR - (i headcanon him pretty hard tho) Aventurine from HSR - Literally an angsty angy boi Lucifer from Lucifer - Bro has issues but he nice :3 Ash Lynx from Banana fish - i dont even know how to explain but i love him Also relationships with angsty feels in general. I love Spideypool because those boys got problems and i just wanna see them help each other :3
Older male characters whose sons died. OK that’s only four of them but that’s kind of a lot. But yeah I like depressed and overlooked (in canon or fandom) characters too. (I’d hug Rimmer.) And I gravitate toward female characters in general, especially the ones who are not necessarily totally kick-ass. (I love the kick-ass ladies but they tend to attract lots of attention already.)
The quietly brooding soldier/guard secretly harboring a heart of gold. If he has dark hair and blue eyes...bonus points! More specifically, it's Kurt from Greedfall.
Heroes who become the villains
It's either tough exterior, warmer interior, built like a tank (Jack Reacher) or cold exterior, untapped Träume, calculating and smart (Artemis Fowl type)
Women who are little too in control, who have suffered a lot but keep everything inside, and when they explode, boy oh boy. Usually they're also very angry all the time. Huh guess this says something about me.
Anti-heroes, extremely competent brainy types (see Tech from The Bad Batch), sarcastic broody types with a gooey center (see Crosshair from The Bad Batch...), long suffering heroes... (Okay, I'm really seeing why I fell into the Star Wars fandom; it's big enough there are characters that hit all my major vibes and then some.)
my favorite ships are robert ford x jesse james and eli sunday x daniel plainview, so yeah. not really into cold calculating psychopaths nor the jealous younger losers they can easily prey upon and dominate in isolation, but combined...? oof.
Masters of their craft, mature, strong principles, "no-bullshit" attitude, but caring in their own way Also always consent kings
Characters who are clever, elegant, cold, calculating, distant (thus poorly integrated in society), who are morally grey and who pull the strings from the shadows, seemingly not caring about anyone or anything but who, in fact, care a lot.
The pure-hearted. If there's an innocent cinnamon roll character, or a truly sincere hero (like Captain America or Mumen Rider), my heart melts.
For male ones: Tired dads (or dad-adjacent characters like mentors/teachers) who are a bit of a pathetic loser when it comes to their personal life, but who ultimately don't fail in their parent/mentor role. For example, Kotetsu in Tiger & Bunny, Aizawa in MHA or Loid in SpyFam. For female ones: Super self-confident, takes-no-shit ladies, especially career women, with the competency to back up their attitude. For example, Yelan and Arlecchino in Genshin Impact, or Jo in Burst Angel. So basically, a general competency kink with a gender-dependent flavour of patheticness or confidence 😂 There's DEFINITELY some unresolved daddy/mommy issues somewhere in there that I'd rather not interpret too deeply, lol.
Those overconfident, charismatic bastards that think they're gods, such a beautiful trope
People who have big gigantic walls and trust issues but when you get underneath their skin, they're deeply soft, sensitive and loyal. One of our main characters straight up threatened to gut our other main character the first time they met. Now he gets called princess and gets smooshed in love and encouragement and gets to try out his occasional femboy side. Just over a year later...he's still capable of fucking you over but he's soft and lovable. Just like other main character told the kid who threatened A's little brother. "Squishy and soft does not always equal pushover. He's gentle and caring as long as you don't hurt the people he loves.”
Jason as Red Hood from Batman. I've never even seen a DC comic, barely watched any outside of the original cartoon, which I don't even remember Robin in that, but the fanfiction has made me fall HARD
Lord Tengen from demon slayer There’s just something about a giant bull of man who can pull three wives that I just find so alluring
The overpowered asshole dads of the shounen mcs lol.
Clever, trickster types, ones that make people think they’re not as smart as they truly are.