Top Ten Most Heroic Heroes II

...and now some good guys!

You can tell by my lists that i watch movies and cartoons a lot more than i read comic books. As i recently told some wandering troll, mainstream superhero usually doesn't do it for me. Anyway, here we go...

Rooster Cogburn: He's old, he's a drunk, and he shoots first and asks questions later. But when the chips are down, he's a really good guy to have on your side. It was hard finding a quote for Rooster, because he says so many great and hilarious things all the time. And yeah, Jeff Bridges > John Wayne.

The Driver: He's honestly kind of a heartless bastard, but when he sees a woman and her kid in trouble, he really goes all in to help them out. It was hard finding a quote for him because he hardly says anything. And what's his name? No name? That sucks.

Naruto Uzumaki: I've been watching a lot of Naruto this year. Even if the other characters are cooler, Naruto is still a great hero to have at the core of your story. It's great how he constantly wins people over and saves their souls with little more than his bumbling, irrepressible optimism. They say he wises up later in the series and stops being such a doofus, and i'm almost sorry to hear that.

A-Ko Magami: Like Naruto and the Cap, A-Ko is one of those congenitally decent characters that you can't help but like. It's hilarious how she has superhuman strength and can do amazing things, but no one really notices because she doesn't make a big deal out of it. Oh, and she gets bonus points for being the secret love child of Superman and Wonder Woman.

Lisbeth Salander: She's more of an anti-hero, but whatever. (Huh, i might need to make a list of my favorite anti-heroes sometime.) Even though she mostly looks out just for herself, it's hard to blame her when she seems to inhabit an evil manverse where every other guy is a woman-devouring predator. And the subplot where she gets revenge on her rapist is way, way more interesting than the main murder mystery. There are two more Dragon Tattoo movies on the way, and i'm stoked to see them.

Frylock: Frylock inhabits a cartoon world where every other being seems to be selfishly pursuing their own demented ends and glutting their twisted appetites, so his decency and optimism really stand out. He's similar to Dr. Quinn, who almost made the list, but i didn't want Adult Swim to be, you know, overrepresented. I chose Frylock because Dr. Quinn kind of lost his moral center a lot in the unspeakably horrid final season of Sealab 2012.

Jin: Poor Jin. He has insane skills and unimpeachable dedication, but his life is ruined through a gross injustice and has no chance to have the life he deserves. Mugen and Fuu constantly take advantage of his essential decency, and Mugen gets all the fan love because he's the bad boy. But when it comes time to confront Kagetogi Kariya, who's the man for the job? Jin, that's who. Yeah, Mugen, you go fight those three psycho retards on the beach, and let Jin take cares of the ultimate samurai.

Captain America: His origin movie may have been weak compared to Iron Man and Thor, but i really loved this guy in The Avengers. Unlike the others, he never had any hubris or rage or dark past to overcome; he was apparently a great guy from birth. Hopefully, his sequel will be better.

Aang: I really, really, really wanted to put Korra on this list, but i just can't. I still think it's unforgivable that she was bailed out after losing her powers and robbed of her chance at greatness. I bet she'll get her due in the next three seasons, but for right now, i gotta give it to Aang. He saved the world as a kid, and apparently kept on being totally awesome for a long time afterward. Best avatar ever. So far.

George Bailey: It really is a wonderful life.