This is my favorite time of year where I get to explore the characters I loved most throughout 2023. There’s been quite a few stories I’ve gotten to read or watch and some of those characters really left a strong impression on me. Something I always try to do whenever I read or watch anything is see what it is about the characters that makes me feel something that I can learn from. With how storytelling is so character driven in modern storytelling, as a writer I want to learn how to write better more relatable and endearing characters. With that in mind, these are the top 5 characters that really spoke to me in 2023.
I will do my best to avoid spoilers but some are unavoidable.
5. Frostnova and the Yetis – Arknights: Fuyukomori Kaerimichi
I’ve always liked Frostnova but seeing her adapted in the anime made me like her even more. What makes her a compelling antagonist is the fact that she could very well have been an ally to Rhodes Island. The strength of her character is not only her intimidating presence, but also her morality and her respect for those who fight honourably. Reunion, especially in the anime, is seen more as a tragic opposing force to Rhodes Island and Frostnova embodies that perfectly. Just like her brothers and sisters, she’s afflicted with oripathy (a kind of cancer in their world) and is slowly dying but fights for a future for her comrades. Frostnova and the Yetis aren’t actually malicious or evil, rather they just want to survive in a world that fears and despises them. In a sense, one could view her and her people not really as antagonists, but as tragic figures in a fight they didn’t ask for. By the end of the series, the pain and fury Frostnova felt was so palpable, it was hard not to feel heartbroken alongside her.
4. Lavinia Falcone aka Penance – Il Siracusano, Arknights
Lavinia follows the archetypal morally just authority figure in a cesspool of crime and villainy that is the Siracusan judicial system. It’s made clear that she genuinely believes in the rule of law and seeing it flouted so brazenly behind closed doors irks her so very much. But what makes it even more difficult is her position is essentially secured by her own sponsorship and relationship with one of the most powerful families in Siracusa. Its something brought up to her almost immediately in the story as it’s apparent to everyone how she’s able to be so outspoken against how the mafia families do things. The fact that she’s aware of it too makes it all the more poignant. What I really liked though was that she wasn’t this unshakeable figure in her beliefs. She does struggle to maintain her hope that things can be better as things become insurmountably worse for the law-abiding commonfolk.
3. Yumi & Painter – Yumi and the Nightmare Painter, Brandon Sanderson
The dynamic between Yumi and Painter was incredibly endearing and to talk about one without the other didn’t seem right. Both of them mirror each other in a way that’s so relatable to most of us that seeing them persevere through their struggles together is a very cathartic experience. Yumi with the crushing weight of her responsibilities and Painter having failed to live up to the expectations placed upon him. They both faced a sense of imposter syndrome in their own ways and it was a very endearing and cathartic experience to see them help each other through their troubles and trauma. It’s not a complicated story but the two of them make it something truly special to experience and resonate with.
2. Furina – Fontaine’s Archon Quest, Genshin Impact
I was genuinely surprised how good the archon quest was in the latest update to Genshin Impact. When taken as a whole, the story was so well crafted and all the characters were interconnected and endearing in their own ways. But Furina was something truly special in how dynamic she was. She goes from very silly and panicking to very melancholic and deep in thought and turmoil as the prophecy looms over them. But her story was something truly touching with how much she’s endured for her people. She was alone for so long and seeing the mask crack and eventually disappear was truly a heartbreaking experience. The fact that I teared up as her truth came to light was something I won’t forget.
1. Cellinia Texas – Il Siracusano, Arknights
My favorite character for 2023 took some careful consideration. I had to review all the stories I had read and viewed this year and really consider what had the most impact on me. When I had reread Il Siracusano from Arknights, it started coming back to me why Cellinia Texas was one of my favorite characters of all time and especially in 2023. Cellinia Texas was always a mysterious figure in Arknight’s story. We only ever knew she had a shady past but never knew the gruesome details. But with Il Siracusano, we learned almost everything about her tragic past.
Cellinia Texas’ story is one that truly surprised me in a way I never expected but one I found very refreshing and, in a way, relatable. At her core, Cellinia is a good and noble person who wants to do good by her friends. But her family was one of the major families of both Siracusa and Columbia and resulted in bloody dealings and conflicts, ultimately leading to the downfall of her family. It all sounds like the making of an intense revenge story of a daughter wanting to avenge her family, but that wasn’t the case at all. Cellinia was just exhausted by it all. Exhausted by the endless violence and scheming in Siracusa. She chose to leave it all, just wanting a good and quiet life with her friends. She chose to try and forge a new life for herself but ultimately returned to Siracusa to face the questions haunting her since then. But what I liked most was that she wasn’t made out to be this triumphant hero returning home or this legendary woman seeking revenge for her family name. She was just Cellinia Texas of Penguin Logistics.
Bit more of a stream of consciousness piece but when talking about characters that moved me, it’s easier to let the emotions I felt do the writing for me. That’s what I think matters most about writing a compelling character after all, the fact they make the reader or viewer feel something deep down. Obviously we all have types of characters we enjoy most, mine being characters in hopeless situations persevering and finding some kind of hope despite everything. Those are the type of stories I want to write and ultimately the best stories you can write are the ones you’d want to read yourselves.
Thank you all for reading my posts for 2023. I know this hasn’t been the most consistent year for me but I’m hoping to change that in 2024. I’ll be taking a holiday break and returning back on 01/08/2024, hopefully with exciting news regarding my book series, The Legend of Nariko.
Have a Happy Holidays and a great New Year! 😊
– Raphael
Raph's Cozy Musings 