We collected input from hundreds of visitors to the site, convention attendees, and industry professionals to compile the list of the 100 Greatest Fictional Characters of All Time. You can see the beginning of the project here, where you’ll also find an index of all the results to date.
After counting down the previous 99 characters, today we bring you the character who topped the voting list and earned the #1 spot!
1. Batman
Appears In: DC Comics
Created By: Bob Kane and Bill Finger
Influence:
It’s no huge surprise to us that the Caped Crusader is the top character on our list of the Greatest Fictional Characters of All Time, as voted by our readers. From his first appearance in Detective Comics #27 in 1939 through his current movie dynasty, cartoon series, and comic books, Batman has been an enduring hero for the ages. His origin and storylines have influenced future comic heroes toward darker tales, and his rogue’s gallery has redefined the importance of entertaining and engaging villains. Batman’s cultural impact is evident and unquestionable.
Fandom:
Batman is a superhero without superpowers. In the face of tragedy and adversity, he has trained himself to be the most brilliant and capable man he can be, and he uses gadgets and tools to appear otherworldly to his enemies. He also operates with a strict code of conduct and ethics, setting him apart from the villains he pursues. It is Batman’s reliance on his own human abilities, coupled with his unbending morality, that makes him a unique and favorite character for legions of fans.
Voter Comments:
“Batman is almost self-explanatory as a choice for number one. He is vengeance, he is the night, but he is also the very best and worst of humanity distilled. Who else is a coldblooded badass and a sensitive loner? Who else is as unforgiving and merciful? Everyday life is our Gotham, and Batman is that innate sense of justice that we all feel deep down when someone picks on the little guy.” – Perry Frost
“He’s simply the best any normal human can be.” – ADP
Previous character: #2
Thank you for following our countdown all the way from 100 to 1! On Monday we’ll look back at some of the characters who didn’t quite make the list, and we’ll also examine some rankings and selections that surprised us.
Also, I do not get what people see in Holden Caulfield. So many see him as something great or symbolic of the ’50s generation. I see a pathetic, whining coward whose vocabulary is every bit as offensive as it is limited. I’m sorry, but there’s just nothing to like about him.
But I’m really glad Frankenstein’s monster made the list. He is one of my all-time favorites, and I’m glad that so many feel the same way.
WHA- THE HELL? BATMAN? NOT YODA OR VADER, PIKACHU OR ASH KETCHUM, N OT EVEN SHERLOCK HOLMES?
WHERE THE F— IS HANNIBAL LECTER?! He wasn’t on this list at all!!
WHAT!!! Batman?!?!?!?! Tony Stark can fly circles around Bruce Wayne any day.
Batman is the correct answer, but Bond should have been in the top 5, and any list that doesn’t include Hannibal Lecter is questionable.
I seriously doubt the depth of knowledge of a lot of these characters. All bias aside, it seems like a lot of these characters got on through sheer name recognition. For example, even though I am a big Doctor Who fan, The Doctor is not worth of the number 4 slot, and it seems that Batman and Superman drew from this heavily. I’ll admit, I don’t dislike them too much, but they are not very deep characters, and are certainly not as deep as other characters that aren’t on the list, or were put slots 80-100.
What Batman number one as a factional character?!??!?!?!? Mario is number one,whos the rest of these stupid characters.
Come on peoples be serious, Batman is wayyy better than Superman, he is human, he makes being heroes more possible, he stands up for moral value, he is a character that is worthy of this post, he is a character worth seeing on this list…. ♥♥♥♥ Batman he is sick and COLWESOME
Where is Kelso from That 70s Show? He’s the funniest character ever
WTF? Batman? Yea right…
WHERE’S REGAN MACNEIL????????????
THE TERMINATOR GOD DAMN IT, WHERE’S THE TERMINATOR?WHERE’S THE PREDATOR TOO???
Where is the Dark Knight (Monty Python and the search for the Holy Grail) or Tom Servo (mst3k)
excuse me.. I had many thoughts on my mind.. I meant Black Knight (monty python)
No Tyler Durden?
Where’s Tyler Durden ?
superman number 1
Wow. There were some good picks on this list, but the top 20 or so were TERRIBLE. So many one dimensional characters. Harry Potter? What a joke. Superman? Boring. hat makes a character interesting are complexities; things like internal struggles, flaws make a charcter unforgettable. A 100 greatest fictional characters of all time list that doesn’t include Don Quixote is utter madness.
where’s Napoleon Dynamite?!