Most realistically good character in fiction

[WhiteFangofWhoa]

Peter Parker. At least as good-natured and altruistic as Supes in most versions, but being only human he needed a good metaphorical kick in the face first to prevent his ridiculous powers from going to his head.

I remember there was an arc in the Spectacular Spider Man 'toon which called attention to the fact that Peter is sort of cheating to get his photos, but it never hurts anyone (at least after he learns his lesson early on about when not to stop and take pictures of something), and I wouldn't begrudge him that small leg up with everything else that he has to put up with, especially since most of that money goes towards helping his aunt pay the bills, or paying his own rent. These small concessions to practicality and realism are how I figure a very well-raised science-focused teenager would handle the situation.

 

[newfoundsky]

I would say the main character from the Giver. All the Givers before him knew that the society was flawed, but stayed with no intention of making it better. The MC (Can't remember his name) is so righteous in his conviction that the society is not a utopia that he steals a damn baby (a twin that was going to be euthanized because he was the smaller of the two babies) and runs, with the book ending as he approaches a cabin outside of the utopian village.

Whoa I never see anyone who has read The Giver. That is a good example.

Who wrote The Giver then? Sounds quite Brave New World like. I loved Brave New World too.

Spoiler: the book has been out twenty god damn years people, but if you absolutely must not know the plot of this thing, I'll spoiler tag it for you. Also, there is apparently a movie coming out next year, so there is that.

I would say it is more like 1984 only without the governmental suppression. The only people that know anything about anything are the Givers, who know things because they remember what it was like before the Community became what it was. All the war, famine, death and disease, but also what it is like to see color, to feel a breeze, and to feel the sun. The Givers exist as insurance basically. Everyone gets to live on without knowing that there is less or more to life, and be happy in that ignorance because they don't know any better, and the Givers are there to remember how to handle a situation that is unusual, such as a stranger coming into the community, or a food shipment being delayed.

 

[Lieju]

I remember there was an arc in the Spectacular Spider Man 'toon which called attention to the fact that Peter is sort of cheating to get his photos, but it never hurts anyone (at least after he learns his lesson early on about when not to stop and take pictures of something), and I wouldn't begrudge him that small leg up with everything else that he has to put up with, especially since most of that money goes towards helping his aunt pay the bills, or paying his own rent. These small concessions to practicality and realism are how I figure a very well-raised science-focused teenager would handle the situation.

Also he builds all of his tech himself, like the webshooters (when they're not organic) and spider-tracers and other stuff. He needs to have funding somehow.

 

[Padwolf]

snippidy
Mansfield Park is well worth a look when you're done with P&P! Probably Austen's best book.

I adored Mansfield Park! Another great one is Northanger Abbey, which feels almost like a satire of books like Mystery of Uldolpho. It's really good. I can read her books over and over.

 

[GabeZhul]

Ciaphas Cain, HERO OF THE IMPERIUM. The guy is a friendly commissar (which is already something incredibly outstanding in the WH40k universe), and he is a deconstruction of the classical heroic qualities: He is heralded as a hero, besting foes a simple commissar would normally stand no chance against, surviving encounters where even seasoned Space Marine squads would call quits, all the while being humble, highly social and a father to his men and friend to his fellow officers... but under all the imperial propaganda he is just a simple if talented man who suffers from almost pathological levels of self-deprecation, most of his reputation stems from his attempts to keep himself as far from danger as possible (thus befriending the troops so that they wouldn't "accidentally" shoot him in the back and always trying to invent other tasks for himself in order to avoid the front-lines), yet somehow he always manages to get himself involved in the most dangerous battles any time he is deployed.

On the surface he is the HERO OF THE IMPERIUM with an entire mythos cobbled around him. Underneath that however he is just a simple soldier who tries his hardest not to get killed and all his actions are in one way or the other are focused on achieving that goal... yet underneath that layer is an actually good, heroic person who repeatedly shows that he genuinely cares for the lives of the people under his command.

In short, Ciaphas Cain is not a good guy because he subscribed to some sort of heroic ideal or moral, he just is, and subsequently he became a hero not because he tried to be one, but because he was just doing what he knew how to do best and people recognized him. That's what I think real life heroes are like, and that's why I think he is one of the most realistic portrayal of one in fiction.

 

[Quickman]

Logan Ninefingers from Joe Abercrombie's "First Law Trilogy".

Many who have read the series will criticize this. Hence the following explanation:

- He does what is ultimately right in the end.
- His fighting prowess, though uncontrollable (and retconned later in "Red Country" as being controllable, then retconned even later in the same entry) is used for the more moralistic outcome over the less likely, morenationalistic outcome.
- Due to the fact that his actions caused many events which lead to war, he is the one who opposes King Bethod on the moral notion that he is the one who has to stall these events and stop them from unfolding.
- He's a man who has committed many evils in his youth only to later have a repentent outlook on his actions later on. Ends up despising the way he once lived and becomes more peaceful as a man as time goes on. Becomes very fatherly/grandfatherly towards the end.
- Non-judgemental character and good man who tries to protect his own.

Honestly, he IS the quintessential "realistic good guy".

 

[Tamayo]

Logan Ninefingers from Joe Abercrombie's "First Law Trilogy".

I see what you did there.

Mmm, no he isn't. He's The Atoner. (Careful, tvtropes.org link.) He tries, and mostly fails, to overcome his evils. Trying to be good is a major step to being good, yes, but in the end he is still the Bloody-Nine, and being a terrifying merciless berserker is the only way he can ever achieve what he wants to see happen; he isn't capable either morally or mentally of doing better. He is a tragic hero, and tragic heroes fail because of tragic flaws.

If you want a believable fictional good guy, try Michael Connelly's police detective Harry Bosch, of his long-running series that begins with The Black Echo. They are mostly excellent books, too.

 

[Quickman]

Logan Ninefingers from Joe Abercrombie's "First Law Trilogy".

I see what you did there.

Mmm, no he isn't. He's The Atoner. (Careful, tvtropes.org link.) He tries, and mostly fails, to overcome his evils. Trying to be good is a major step to being good, yes, but in the end he is still the Bloody-Nine, and being a terrifying merciless berserker is the only way he can ever achieve what he wants to see happen; he isn't capable either morally or mentally of doing better. He is a tragic hero, and tragic heroes fail because of tragic flaws.

If you want a believable fictional good guy, try Michael Connelly's police detective Harry Bosch, of his long-running series that begins with The Black Echo. They are mostly excellent books, too.

...however, he is of higher morality than those he fights. Even if we do believe he is " more grey" he is ultimately the lesser evil than those he opposes. Conan the Barbarian did it for the sake of reading and plundering the land. Roland Deschain wanted to see the Dark tower and climb to the top.

Logan however, is moral.

Your argument states that "killing is bad" without observing the fact that he is the lesser evil and using the techniques he learned through warfare, prowess, and fighting as a way to defend others later on (even make the more moral of the two outcomes to happen) and ultimately reach towards the greater goal.

Edit - also TVTropes are the written, subjective opinions of others. Take it with a grain of salt.