The most decent character of all time

gorfias

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Just watched twin retrospectives of Captain America and Ironman on youtube and I'm wondering: of everything you've ever seen or read or watched: who among those characters had the best character?

Very hard for me to pick. Superman told Swampthing that he strives as he does for humanity because he "loves them". Cap? Love Tony but it always felt like he had his heart in the right place as Steve was rightfully trying to educate Iron Man on rightness. Batman is wounded and wise. Luke Skywalker was ready to die to save his father.

I've read Spiderman comics that put the heart of Peter Parker front and center: his very goodness can save all of humanity.

Me? I'll vote Steve Rogers. Captain American. Even with the super soldier serum in him, it his character that makes him special. So many great characters out there but, I'd write he wins the decency stakes.

Your thoughts?
 

Satinavian

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How about Erin from Kemono no Souja Erin ?

Of course you could also cheat and go with one of the Kirins of Twelve Kingdoms, but Rakushun might actually be a better candidate as he is more a fleshed out person and less an embodies ideal.

Overall it is difficult. Many of the really decent characters in fiction are only presented for a couple of defining scenes, but not enough to get a good enough grasp for their whole character.
 
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Mister Mumbler

Pronounced "Throat-wobbler Mangrove"
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Captain Carrot of the Ankh-Morpork City Guard. A character so good, honest, and decent that he causes others to be decent themselves (if only to not disappoint him).
 
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Kyrian007

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Michael Carpenter, from The Dresden Files. Decent, gentle but a fierce warrior, pious without arrogance, kind and accepting, religious but accepting and open minded. Michael is the kind of uncomplicated hero, most heroes aspire to be. Here's a quote where he's talking to Harry about fighting against mortal foes.

“It's one of the things that makes us different than they are, Harry. The blood on their hands does not make it right to bloody my own. My choices are measured against my own soul. Not against the stains on theirs.”

And an excerpt that shows off he's got a good sense of humor, from an early appearance Harry and Michael are facing off against foes...

“Holy shit," I breathed. "Hellhounds."
"Harry," Michael said sternly. "You know I hate it when you swear."
"You're right. Sorry. Holy shit," I breathed, "heckhounds.”
 

happyninja42

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Michael Carpenter, from The Dresden Files. Decent, gentle but a fierce warrior, pious without arrogance, kind and accepting, religious but accepting and open minded. Michael is the kind of uncomplicated hero, most heroes aspire to be. Here's a quote where he's talking to Harry about fighting against mortal foes.

“It's one of the things that makes us different than they are, Harry. The blood on their hands does not make it right to bloody my own. My choices are measured against my own soul. Not against the stains on theirs.”

And an excerpt that shows off he's got a good sense of humor, from an early appearance Harry and Michael are facing off against foes...

“Holy shit," I breathed. "Hellhounds."
"Harry," Michael said sternly. "You know I hate it when you swear."
"You're right. Sorry. Holy shit," I breathed, "heckhounds.”
Yeah as much as I love Michael from the early run of the series, I find it more difficult to enjoy his character, given Jim has him literally spout apologetics talking points at times, when Dresden is criticizing faith and stuff. He's not overtly bad about it, but when I hear his lines, being repeated IRL by knuckle dragging mouthbreathers, I find myself grinding my teeth a bit.

Vash the Stampede.


Time Stamped at 14:12 on the why.​
Beat me to it.
 
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Drathnoxis

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Reading Les Miserables right now and Monseigneur Bienvenu is a good contender. He's so good that he can cause hardened criminals to mend all their ways after meeting him once.
 

SilentPony

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I mean Tali'Zorah springs to mind. Pretty damn wholesome character all around. Less so Lirara, like her as I may there is no getting around that she's a *****.
Samara is painfully decent, like in the uncompromising murder my own children because they're daemon spawn way.
OH! Duo Maxwell! He's fun too.

But yeah, hard to beat Steve Rodgers. The Captain America trilogy is by far the best Marvel did, full stop. Not even Iron Man's character and arc compares.
 

XsjadoBlayde

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Hannibal has always been a stand up dude. Ready to eat the rude. A true inspiration for one's morale compass and his cooking really sets the mood.
 
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TheMysteriousGX

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Senshi is ecologically friendly, personally friendly, widely tolerant of diverse belief systems as long as the aren't involved with the supernaturally unnatural, and just wants you to eat a balanced diet. Initially joined the team because A) they clearly needed help and B) he was there to provide it.
105AB4C4-8FFC-465D-B028-E7823D884122.png
 

Worgen

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Whatever, just wash your hands.
Sans. Hes punny, hes lazy, hes friendly, hes ready to throw down if you are a dick and just lets you pass if you aren't.
 

09philj

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Paddington Bear.
It is fairly miraculous that Michael Bond managed to make those books so effortlessly nice without making them sickeningly saccharine.
 
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Gordon_4

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I mean Tali'Zorah springs to mind. Pretty damn wholesome character all around. Less so Lirara, like her as I may there is no getting around that she's a *****.
Samara is painfully decent, like in the uncompromising murder my own children because they're daemon spawn way.
OH! Duo Maxwell! He's fun too.

But yeah, hard to beat Steve Rodgers. The Captain America trilogy is by far the best Marvel did, full stop. Not even Iron Man's character and arc compares.
Liara only goes full cold hearted ***** in Mass Effect 2 and even then Shepard can soften them a little. In Mass Effect 1 it’s a pretty even split between her and Tali in terms of awkwardly adorable and wholesomeness. I do agree that Tali remains fairly consistently decent throughout the series where Liara due to her activities between games had to have more than a few cups of concrete.

But I’m still giving my gong jointly to Captain America and Superman. You just don’t get more decent these two Boy Scouts.
 

Absent

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The boring one
Henri Vernes' Bob Morane. Tintin could come as a close second, but his world was tinted by Hergé's early racism and colonialism, whereas Morane was always a staunch antiracist indigenist.

But both have this pure-of-heart heroic chivalry aspect. Typically, one of the big bad in Henri Vernes novels, while attempting to kill Morane, would occasionally, out of respect, offer him a way out provided that Morane would promise to never oppose his plans again, and Morane would always condemn himself by responding that he's unable to make this promise. I just love this kind of sacrificial, self-defeating integrity, and sacred value given to one's word. There's something absolutist, in these heroes that reject pragmatism and go full kantian deontology, refusing to resemble the baddies in any way ("Why don't you get rid of these bandits, they wouldn't hesitate if they were in your place" "- Precisely, we're not bandits."). It can be seen as naive and childish, but I'll always adore this.

And then, of course, there is The Doctor. A Man Who Never Would.
 
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Baffle

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Frodo Baggins, but not in a way that's even slightly likeable. Like, you don't have to be a dick to be fun, but he doesn't seem to be fun at all?
 

Kyrian007

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I think one of the most heavily featured decent characters would have to be Father John Patrick Francis Mulcahy from M*A*S*H. Over the 11 years the series ran, he was one of 4 'main' characters with appearances in every season, and one of three that also appeared in the movie. And he was the only one of those three remaining that also went on to one of MASH's spinoffs. And across all of that he was always portrayed as a selfless, humble, and (surprising considering he was a Catholic Priest) incredibly tolerant. He conducted religious services for soldiers of any faith, once even acting as proxy for a Rabbi at a bris. When an injured Korean man refused treatment because of ill spirits, Fr. Mulcahy approved of and observed a traditional Shaman exorcism. One of the most decent characters I can think of.
 

Gordon_4

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I think one of the most heavily featured decent characters would have to be Father John Patrick Francis Mulcahy from M*A*S*H. Over the 11 years the series ran, he was one of 4 'main' characters with appearances in every season, and one of three that also appeared in the movie. And he was the only one of those three remaining that also went on to one of MASH's spinoffs. And across all of that he was always portrayed as a selfless, humble, and (surprising considering he was a Catholic Priest) incredibly tolerant. He conducted religious services for soldiers of any faith, once even acting as proxy for a Rabbi at a bris. When an injured Korean man refused treatment because of ill spirits, Fr. Mulcahy approved of and observed a traditional Shaman exorcism. One of the most decent characters I can think of.
That man makes me cry at times. The real time episode "Life Time", he has a line that you can tell (for the character) hurt to say.

Mulcahy: Dear Lord, I've never asked you this before and I don't know what you'll think of me for asking it...but if you're going to take him anyway, please take him quickly so we can save the other one...