Okay, I tried posting this on FB, but no one has played along yet. Maybe folks here would be interested. Several weeks ago I wondered what fictional characters I would include in a fellowship of nine people/beings (myself included) to go on an adventure -- any adventure. The catch is that I would have to pick only one person from a fandom, so I couldn't stack my group with folks from Harry Potter (for example). Here's the list I came up with, followed with explanations.
1. The Doctor, Doctor Who 2. Rey, Star Wars 3. Aragorn, The Lord of the Rings 4. Hermione, Harry Potter 5. Wonder Woman, DC Universe 6. Tony Stark/Ironman, Marvel Universe 7. Leonard "Bones" McCoy, Star Trek 8. Morel Mackernasey, Hunter x Hunter
Explanation: (1) The Doctor: He's brilliant, kind and, of course, his sonic screwdriver and the TARDIS could come in handy. I didn't pick a particular incarnation. I need to get to know some of the classic Doctors better to rule some out, but I can say that I definitely would not take the first Doctor with me -- too cranky, and he comes across as incompetent at times. (I've heard Six is cranky, too, but I don't really know him. I'd be tempted to leave him out just for his clothes.)
(2) Rey's an excellent pilot and mechanic, not to mention the fact that she has the makings of a fantastic Jedi. She also has a good heart. Had I not chosen her, I would have picked Kaylee from Firefly as my mechanic and just gone without a good pilot.
(3) I didn't pick Gandalf, because he never seems to be around when you need him. Aragorn would be a great companion on long hikes through the wilderness, and he'd be handy in a fight. I was sore tempted to pick Sam, just because he is so dependable, but Aragorn won out.
(4) Hermione got this slot because of her intelligence and dependability. She's a very talented witch, so this semi-makes up for the fact that I passed on Gandalf.
(5) Wonder Woman. No explanation needed. Wonder Woman is awesome. :)
(6) Tony Stark -- brilliant, and you get his suit along with him. My choice from the Marvel Universe was difficult. If I went with my heart, I'd pick Nightcrawler. Practically speaking, I ended up debating between Bruce Banner (the uncontrollable factor of the Hulk was a drawback), Tony Stark (his arrogance was an issue), and Wolverine (great fighter, but not as amazingly intelligent as Banner or Stark). Intelligence plus the suit won out.
(7) I needed a medical doctor, and while there were several to choose from, my favorite is Bones, so he got this slot.
(8) Morel is by no means the strongest character in Hunter x Hunter. I could have picked Gon, but he is too emotional and, as some characters in Hunter x Hunter noted, he's really amoral. Also, I think Gon and Killua operate best as a team, so I don't like to split them up. What I like about Morel is that he is generally cheerful and even-tempered, he thinks things through, and he's dependable. He's also soft-hearted. It was all about likability here.
What I learned about myself: Pilots aren't that important to me; I would have foregone one if Rey hadn't been available. I'm swayed by likability. I really value intelligence and dependability, and kindness matters a lot, too.
If anybody else wants to take a crack at forming a team, I'd love to see what you pull together. Taking the time to do it is actually worthwhile, because you learn a bit about what you value!
1. The Doctor, Doctor Who
2. Rey, Star Wars
3. Aragorn, The Lord of the Rings
4. Hermione, Harry Potter
5. Wonder Woman, DC Universe
6. Tony Stark/Ironman, Marvel Universe
7. Leonard "Bones" McCoy, Star Trek
8. Morel Mackernasey, Hunter x Hunter
Explanation:
(1) The Doctor: He's brilliant, kind and, of course, his sonic screwdriver and the TARDIS could come in handy. I didn't pick a particular incarnation. I need to get to know some of the classic Doctors better to rule some out, but I can say that I definitely would not take the first Doctor with me -- too cranky, and he comes across as incompetent at times. (I've heard Six is cranky, too, but I don't really know him. I'd be tempted to leave him out just for his clothes.)
(2) Rey's an excellent pilot and mechanic, not to mention the fact that she has the makings of a fantastic Jedi. She also has a good heart. Had I not chosen her, I would have picked Kaylee from Firefly as my mechanic and just gone without a good pilot.
(3) I didn't pick Gandalf, because he never seems to be around when you need him. Aragorn would be a great companion on long hikes through the wilderness, and he'd be handy in a fight. I was sore tempted to pick Sam, just because he is so dependable, but Aragorn won out.
(4) Hermione got this slot because of her intelligence and dependability. She's a very talented witch, so this semi-makes up for the fact that I passed on Gandalf.
(5) Wonder Woman. No explanation needed. Wonder Woman is awesome. :)
(6) Tony Stark -- brilliant, and you get his suit along with him. My choice from the Marvel Universe was difficult. If I went with my heart, I'd pick Nightcrawler. Practically speaking, I ended up debating between Bruce Banner (the uncontrollable factor of the Hulk was a drawback), Tony Stark (his arrogance was an issue), and Wolverine (great fighter, but not as amazingly intelligent as Banner or Stark). Intelligence plus the suit won out.
(7) I needed a medical doctor, and while there were several to choose from, my favorite is Bones, so he got this slot.
(8) Morel is by no means the strongest character in Hunter x Hunter. I could have picked Gon, but he is too emotional and, as some characters in Hunter x Hunter noted, he's really amoral. Also, I think Gon and Killua operate best as a team, so I don't like to split them up. What I like about Morel is that he is generally cheerful and even-tempered, he thinks things through, and he's dependable. He's also soft-hearted. It was all about likability here.
What I learned about myself: Pilots aren't that important to me; I would have foregone one if Rey hadn't been available. I'm swayed by likability. I really value intelligence and dependability, and kindness matters a lot, too.
If anybody else wants to take a crack at forming a team, I'd love to see what you pull together. Taking the time to do it is actually worthwhile, because you learn a bit about what you value!