There are popular movie characters, and there are the top tier of iconic big screen presences. Most of these come from massively popular franchises, with entire generations of film fans able to root for their favorite's heroic or villainous adventures. But which characters are the most popular of all time? The answers might surprise you, and two of the top three characters happened to be played by none other than the always badass and handsome Harrison Ford. Indiana Jones is the number 1 favorite character in cinema, while Han Solo manages to grab the bronze and come in third place.
This information comes to us from Total Film Magazine (via Games Radar), which polled its audiences and had them vote for their favorite silver screen characters. A list of 100 characters was compiled, with each entry getting its own cover for the publication. You can see the top ten characters below.
1. Indiana Jones2. Batman3. Han Solo4. Ellen Ripley5. James Bond6. Travis Bickle7. Hannibal Lecter8. Gandalf9. The Joker10. Princess Leia
Those are some seriously iconic movie characters. From sci-fi characters like Ian McKellen's Gandalf to Robert DeNiro's signature character from Taxi Driver, there is a mix of silver screen badasses represented in this list-- although maybe not in the order you'd assume. Let's break down what this list is telling us.
Batman and Han Solo are definitely not surprising choices for the top 3 most beloved movie characters. Both of them represent total badasses, who balance kicking ass with one liners and a signature sense of style. Han Solo has attitude in spades, after seemingly only being interested in himself during his early appearances in A New Hope and Empire Strikes Back. But his softer side is soon revealed, and his recent return in The Force Awakens has been praised as one of the film's strongest points.
Batman is his own form of badass, and has been played to varying levels of success in movies over the years. But the past two incarnations of the character have been well received, especially Christian Bale's excellent protagonist in the Dark Knight trilogy. And now Ben Affleck has taken on the cowl, and brought the most war torn and experienced Batman we've ever seen on film.
Indiana Jones is another badass character played by Harrison Ford, although it's a bit surprising that he happened to edge out both Bruce Wayne and Han Solo. But he has led his own Spielberg franchise, and has remained a main figure of pop culture. Another surprise from the list is how far down Princess Leia is. Barely making the top 10 with the last spot, Leia is many Star Wars fans' first celebrity crush. Her metal bra is infamous, and Carrie Fisher has recently brought the character back for the new trilogy of films. But even though she has such a special place in many fans' hearts, it looks like she wasn't top 5 material.
The only other female character from the list is Sigourney Weaver's Ellen Ripley. This is another no brainer, as Ripley is the quintessential sci-fi badass. Her quick wit and fortitude helped her escape two different attacks by the Xenomorphs. The Alien franchise has never been the same since she departed, and her grit is probably only matched by the likes of Linda Hamilton in the Terminator franchise.
Do you agree with this list? Let us know in the comments below, and be sure to check out our 2018 release list to plan your trips to the movies in the New Year.
