It took some doing but we finally managed to concoct a list of the most iconic fictional characters and we hope that you like them! Any characters you feel as though we’ve missed off? Please comment below.
We’re not going to take the easy way out by regurgitating another best-of/top-ten list of the same old faces. Nor are we going to stuff the list with superheroes (one or two might crop up) because that’s too easy.
Instead, we’re going to stick our neck out and choose ten iconic fictional movie characters, with a few that don’t always get the credit they deserve. By all means, expect some familiar faces, but there will be a few leftfield surprises and maybe even an Oscar or two.
We’ll try to include as many genres as we can and focus on characters that are both interesting and different. So, in alphabetical order (why not?) let’s welcome our cast:
Annie Wilkes
I bet you weren’t expecting Kathy Bates in one of her finest roles to pop up. Those who have watched (endured?) Stephen King’s movie adaptation of Misery (1990) will already know what we’re talking about.
No spoilers, but Annie Wilkes is the last person that you want as your number-one fan. And Bates got Best Actress at the ’91 Oscars for her chilling performance.
Batman and The Joker
A joint entry at number two. Batman has been on both our TV and movie screens since 1966 when Adam West donned the iconic mask and cape. Camp, light-hearted beginnings have darkened over the years, culminating in 2022’s Batman with Robert Pattinson leading the crusade against crime.
But Batman’s archenemy, The Joker has been played by some of Hollywood’s greatest stars -Jack Nicholson, Heath Ledger, Jared Leto, Joaquin Phoenix- and is arguably the real icon here.
James Bond
This could be the most iconic fictional character on this page. Ian Fleming’s creation has, like Batman, gone from ‘fun’ to ‘mean’ over the years, but he’s retained that quintessential suaveness throughout.
Bond has permeated into our ordinary lives what with all those gadgets and fast cars. And who can think of a casino without instantly conjuring up an image of James Bond in a Tuexedo ready to take on a game of baccarat?
In fact, Bond’s legacy and his hobby of casino gaming has inspired many to partake in casino games themselves whether it be online at one of the many casino providers accessible or at land-based venue similar to where Bond would visit himself.
I still can’t play a game of Poker to save my life though! I’ll stick to Blackjack.
John McClane
‘Welcome to the party pal’, as McClane himself said in the first of Roderick Thorp’s ‘Die Hard’ franchise.
A bit like Bond at the Casino, who can see a man in a vest and not think of McClane giving it all to the bad guys?
Bruce Willis solidified his iconic movie character with an incredible performance but still to this day one question remains unanswered (despite Bruce denying that it to be) is Die Hard a Christmas movie or not?
Jules Winnfield
You know who this is, but you might not know the full name of the character. But if we were to recite some of his most quotable quotes such as, “I’m sorry, did I break your concentration?” you may have guessed who it is.
That’s right, movie fans, Jules Winnfield is the potty-mouthed character played by Samuel L Jackson in Pulp Fiction.
He won a BAFTA as Best Supporting Actor and was nominated for an Oscar (which he should have won!) in return for his trouble.
Marge Gunderson
Francis McDormand won a Best Actress Oscar for her part in Fargo, Joel (her husband) and Ethan Coen’s understated masterpiece about a kidnap gone very, very wrong.
A true one-off that led to a TV series of its own, while McDormand went on to win three more Oscars, three BAFTAs, two Emmy’s and two Golden Globes.
Manco
The one mystery character that we’ll just leave anonymous for a little while here within our iconic fictional movie characters list.
Man who? We’re going to keep you guessing, but he’s one of the most iconic movie characters in history. He’s also the star of three genre-defining movies directed by one of Hollywood’s finest directors.
We’ll let you know who he is later on…
Mr Bean
Having made the leap from TV to the big screen, Rowan Atkinson’s reticent rubber-faced funny man has a universal appeal that harks back to early cinema.
A genuine comedy icon that crosses generations. I’d highly recommend the films they’re absolutely hilarious, true British comedy and its finest.
Spiderman
We could have just as easily gone for Superman, but Spiderman has done so much more for the superhero genre.
He first appeared on TV in 1977 but it wasn’t until 2002 when director Sam Raimi took Toby Maguire over Manhattan’s skyline that this superhero became a legend.
And ‘Into the Superverse’ changed the game by challenging preconceptions of the entire superhero oeuvre. Yeah, Spiderman’s probably the greatest superhero ever.
If anyone asks me who my favourite Spiderman is it’s a tough contest between Andrew Garfield and Tom Holland for me but I think Tom just about pips it to the post with Tobey McGuire just not cutting it for me.
Withnail
Bit of a niche one, this. But like Annie Wilkes at the top of the page, if you know, you know. And fans of Bruce Robinson’s 1987 film about a pair of out-of-work actors really know, in fact, they’ll quote the whole film for you given half the chance.
Withnail, played by Richard E Grant, is arguably the greatest anti-hero of all time. If you’ve not seen ‘Withnail and I’, you must.
Oh, before we leave you…
‘Manco’, Spanish for ‘one-armed’, is Clint Eastwood’s former man with no name in Sergio Leone’s classic trilogy ‘A Fistful of Dollars’, ‘For a Few Dollars More’ and ‘The Good the Bad and the Ugly’.
So which one is your favourite out of these iconic fictional movie characters or do you have one of your own? Comment below but for now, that’s a wrap!
Cut!
