The Reason I Love My Favorite Characters by Pinestripe

Pinestripe shares why they love their favourite characters.

People come to love fictional characters for many different reasons. A lot of readers look for a character with a complicated and well-written arc- those who have changed dramatically throughout the story. Many love a character with an interesting backstory, others look for a complex personality, and yet others like a funny character. Well-written villains can be fascinating to read about, and characters with a deep secret intrigue fans.
Some Warrior cats who are beloved by their fans are Ivypool- most likely because of her courage and determination that we can admire, Hollyleaf- because of the dramatic turns of her life, Hawkfrost- because he is a cunning and fascinating villain who adds tension to the story- and Jayfeather, because his grumpy personality and sarcasm never fail to entertain.

The many reasons behind our love for certain characters is a fascinating topic, and it got me thinking- why do I love my favorite characters? How did I choose which ones are the best?
The answer soon became obvious to me, and I wanted to share it because I feel like it’s a pretty uncommon way of choosing favorite characters.

When I choose my favorite characters, I don’t look for mystery or complexity. I don’t usually choose out of fascination or intrigue for their backstory, and the amount of tension they add to the plot seldom interests me.
So what do I care about in my favorite characters?
When I choose a favorite character, I look for someone with a nice personality. Someone who is kind and has integrity.
A popular character might be a great hero or a great villain. I’ve found that what I prefer most is for them to be a great friend.
An interesting character arc or backstory is great to have in a character, but to me it’s not as important as their personality.
I like a pleasant personality in characters. It doesn’t have to be deep or complicated- just them being friendly and kind is enough to make them likable to me.
Traits that I look for in potential favorite characters are kindness, playfulness, a sense of humor, friendliness, devotion, and gentleness.
I tend to like characters who are not just great to read about- but would be great to be around.
One wouldn’t want to come face to face with a fierce, strong, hostile Warrior, or a cat who is so grumpy that they are impossible to get along with. These can still be very great characters, but to me, they are more great to read about than to imagine meeting. The characters who would be good to be around would most likely be gentle, easy to befriend, and maybe even a little funny- and characters who are good to be around are usually the ones I personally prefer.
Something else I’ve noticed is that I often find myself liking minor characters. I think this is because with minor characters, the focus is not as much on complex character development, but more on their personality traits and the way they act. This isn’t a set requirement for my favorite characters, unlike the other things I’ve described, and I’ve actually liked major characters, too. It’s more of a pattern I’ve noticed that many of my favorite characters are minor, not all.

Now that I’ve described what makes me choose a favorite character, let’s look at my favorite Warrior cat and see how these reasons apply.
My favorite Warrior cat is Honeyfern. The first thing I noticed about her that made me love her is her kindness.
I remember reading the part that really made me start liking Honeyfern. It was chapter 11 of Dark River.
Here are some quotes from it.
“‘Don’t worry,’ Honeypaw whispered, falling in beside Lionpaw. ‘I missed a sparrow yesterday.'”
“‘Look!’ Honeypaw jerked her head toward the clearing. A mouse was sitting between the snaking roots of the beech, a nut between its forepaws. … ‘That should be easy to catch.’ She blinked encouragingly at Lionpaw. ‘It doesn’t even know we’re here.'”
This part made me fall in love with Honeyfern’s character! It’s a simple scene, but it shows parts of her personality that I love. I’ve reread it many times just because I love how Honeyfern acts so much.
She was so sweet to Lionpaw! Reading this made me wish to have a caring friend just like Honeyfern- I would love for her to help me out that way!
Another part about Honeyfern that I thought I would mention is when Foxpaw pounced on Lionpaw, bragging that he could catch a fox, and Honeypaw teased him, saying, “Well, you’ve proved you can catch a sleeping cat!” I like her sense of humor in this, and she seems like a really fun cat to play and joke around with.
Honeyfern’s death was very heartbreaking, and I found myself wanting to comfort her. It was also heroic- proof that the character I’ve loved so much is truly a very good, noble cat. I miss her, and I wish I could read more about her. I miss the simple, yet heartwarming scenes that seemed to be based more on characters’ personalities rather than the actual plot.
Honeyfern didn’t have a complicated backstory or arc, but she still managed to become my favorite. Because she is a cat with a kind heart, has a likable, sweet personality, and is truly someone I would love to meet.

I’ve come to love most of my other favorite characters in the same way. By looking for positive traits and a good personality to have around.
I’ve always had a special soft spot for gentle and caring characters, and also for those who are enthusiastic and supportive.
When finding a favorite character, I don’t just love them as an interesting book character, but rather, as someone I would love to know in real life. Someone I would love to be friends with. To me, them being kind and a great friend is the most important thing.
How do you choose your favorite characters?