Have you ever watched a film, read a book, or played a game and found yourself moved to tears? Have you felt worried about the well-being of one of your favorite characters? Everyone has a favorite character, and I will be asking students of AHS what their favorite character is and why.

Freshman Amy Muliadi says that she doesn’t have a favorite character, but a favorite ship. Amy’s favorite ship is “Calzona” from the long-running show Grey’s Anatomy. The couple is comprised of Callie Torres and Arizona Robbins. When asked why “Calzona” is her favorite ship, she replied that she appreciates the representation of the LGBTQ+ community.

Junior Kirti Madireddy loves the Selection Series, a collection of five books written by Kiera Cass. Her favorite character throughout the series is America Singer. Kirti can relate to the character’s life story, because “she always has to do things based on the approval from others.”

Freshman Peter Le’s favorite fictional character is Percy Jackson. Percy Jackson is “a pentalogy of fantasy adventure novels written by American author Rick Riordan.” Peter looks up to this character because of his ability to control water, along with his strength in perilous situations.

Senior Stella Saw’s favorite character is Jo, from the book Little Women. This American classic follows four teenage girls on their path to adulthood, filled with obstacles and hardships. One of the reasons Stella admires this character is because of their similar personalities, and how she can relate to how the Jo feels. In addition, she is inspired by this character because “she rejects the social views and gender roles of that time and chases after her dreams despite all the disapproving comments from her family.”

Freshman Nolan Chu loves Cory from the TV show Cory in the House. According to Nolan, it’s his favorite anime and he loves Cory’s hilarious personality. Although I’m not sure that the show is an anime, it’s truly a childhood classic.

Sticking with the “anime” theme, senior Ronald Hui’s favorite fictional character is Obito from the show Naruto Shippuden. He explained that, “As a villain, he was able to realize all of his wrong doings and attempted to fix the destruction he created.”  Along with that, Ronald says Obito later sacrifices his life to save the world, and redeems himself for his past.

Freshman Briana Hui’s favorite character is Eleven from the Netflix Original Stranger Things. Briana loves that the character is strong and can fight for and protect others. As a fan of the show, she also recalls that Eleven uses her powers for good instead of evil, which makes her the protagonist throughout the series.

Freshman Joyce Pang loves the fictional character Hermione Granger from Harry Potter. Hermione is one of the protagonists, fighting alongside Harry Potter and Ron Weasley throughout the series’ illustrious seven books. Agreeing with Briana’s sentiments, Joyce loves this female lead because of her independence and ability to hold her own. She also likes the extra dynamic she adds to the films, with her sassy and quick-witted personality.

Senior Charlene Huang enjoys watching The King of Qin in the Chinese TV series, The King’s Woman. The show is a historical fiction that was based on romance and the dynasties in Ancient China. According to Charlene, “It was extremely interesting to see such an aura of power and dignity acted out on top of the major romance storyline.”

Sophomore Sofia Mediana’s favorite character is Jim Halpert from the American series, The Office. The incredibly successful comedy follows the turmoils and adventures of employees in a failing paper company called “Dunder Mifflin”. Jim is one of the hilarious characters in the show. Sofia loves the harmless, but creative pranks Jim pulls on Dwight (his coworker). She also said, “His sense of humor throughout the show aligns perfectly with what I find funny.” In addition to his comedic side, she also loves the relationship between him and his wife Pam.

Lastly, I interviewed freshman Sarah Kwang. She replied that her favorite fictional character is Captain America a.k.a. Steve Rogers from the Marvel Comics Universe. Although she has never read the comics, she loves that the character remains true to himself and fights for a cause he believes in. Not to mention his humorous obliviousness to the modern world, after being trapped in the ocean for decades.

Overall, fictional characters can be an inspiration for others and a way for people to feel represented in a show. In my opinion, it’s also great to be able to relate to a character that many look up to.