Ever have a "crush" on a fictional character?

P-Jay · Dec 26, 2012

There were always characters that have inspired me, or given me a different outlook on things... but never have I really had a strange romantic attraction to a fictional character until now. :Wha:

I'm a 23 year-old extroverted male, and (at the risk of sounding pompous) I do have a girlfriend (yes, in real life...), and have dated many different girls in the past. So I'm finding this sensation really fascinating and peculiar.

I finally got around to reading the Hunger Games trilogy, and upon finishing the second book, I found that I'm developing an odd "crush" on Ms. Katniss Everdeen. (The fictional character, not Jennifer Lawrence from the movie.. Not to say that she's unattractive.) The sense of attraction got me wondering if this impact on male readers was intended by Suzanne Collins when she was writing it.

What do you think? Anyone ever have a crush on a fictional character? Or better yet, a character who wasn't written in with the intention of being a male heart-throb or female bombshell?

Or am I just crazy? :crazy:

GinnieHazel · Dec 26, 2012

I think it's quite a common thing. If you spend enough time with fictional characters it's bound to happen.

I had quite a thing for Nightcrawler.

frankiebrown · Dec 26, 2012

Jericho Barrons.

/swoon

jeffo20 · Dec 26, 2012

P-Jay said:
The sense of attraction got me wondering if this impact on male readers was intended by Suzanne Collins when she was writing it.

I expect Ms. Collins would be quite pleased to know that readers were getting 'crushes' on her characters; I would certainly love it if I could get that sort of reaction from readers (hell, I just want to have readers!). My guess, however, is she just wrote the character the way she wanted and didn't worry about whether anyone would crush on her or not. Unless she mixed up some love potion #9 while she was writing and had it embedded in the book somehow.

thothguard51 · Dec 26, 2012

Lets see,

Yes, many times...

Persei · Dec 26, 2012

Just all the time.

P-Jay · Dec 26, 2012

jeffo20 said:
My guess, however, is she just wrote the character the way she wanted and didn't worry about whether anyone would crush on her or not. Unless she mixed up some love potion #9 while she was writing and had it embedded in the book somehow.

I think your guess is what the case is. People are naturally attracted to different personalities. Maybe I just never knew I had a thing for the courageous/fierce type.

johnhallow · Dec 26, 2012

I'll throw out Hester Shaw from Mortal Engines. Which is odd, seeing as her face is meant to be horribly disfigured. I think I just really, really like her character.

A bit mean, a bit brusque, but good on the inside, and she was insecure enough that she got a bit spiteful when she was jealous. Not that I like spite, but that whole not-completely-secure thing is hot. As much as I like girls who are in control, I prefer girls who don't give off a "I'm fine with or without you vibe", because it makes you feel a bit... unimportant, I guess. Like you could go and your disappearance wouldn't matter for very long.

So yeah, Hester Shaw is my not-meant-to-be-hot crush

aixsponsa · Dec 26, 2012

I had a thing for Grand Admiral Thrawn...

Tepelus · Dec 26, 2012

GinnieHazel said:
I think it's quite a common thing. If you spend enough time with fictional characters it's bound to happen.

I had quite a thing for Nightcrawler.

I did too.

Liosse de Velishaf · Dec 26, 2012

I wouldn't say it's ever been quite identical to my crushes on real people, but I have had "crushes" of a sort on fictional characters a few times.

lbender · Dec 26, 2012

Yes, of course, especially a few of the ones I've created. To be honest, if the female characters I create aren't attractive to me (assuming I wrote them to be attractive), how could I suspect they'd be attractive to anybody else? I'd be surprised if other authors didn't feel the same way.

P-Jay · Dec 26, 2012

Liosse de Velishaf said:
I wouldn't say it's ever been quite identical to my crushes on real people, but I have had "crushes" of a sort on fictional characters a few times.

Oh, for sure. A "real-person" crush is way different, to say the least.

But like someone posted above, a big part of the "fictional crush" is probably due the fact that we spend so much time immersed in the novel too.

I just read the first two books, and watched the movie within the last couple weeks... So that's probably a big catalyst for the crush I'm having.

It's nice to know I'm not the only one with these experiences. Either that, or we're all insane together!

leahzero · Dec 26, 2012

All. The. Freaking. Time.

It's fun when the BF and I have crushes on the same character, regardless of their sex.

bearilou · Dec 26, 2012

Oh yeah.

OOOHHH yeah.

P-Jay · Dec 26, 2012

Wow, now I'm starting to feel like the odd one out for only having experienced this once. :tongue

buz · Dec 26, 2012

Queequeg.

(In seriousness, no, I've never had a crush on a fictional or actual person, but if I did...probably Queequeg.)

Sonneillon · Dec 26, 2012

Crushing on fictional characters is a totally common thing. It's why you have teen-to-grown women on Tumblr crying, "MY BABIIIIEEEEES!" over forty-year-old men who sell their souls to save their brothers or jump off high buildings. It's why Snape has such a massive following and why Draco In Leather Pants is a trope.

KateSmash · Dec 26, 2012

Yup. Totally in the throes of one right now, actually. It always ends up being a minor character that needs way more screen time.

NeuroFizz · Dec 26, 2012

These are cases of writers doing a good job. In order for a character to pull that kind of response from a reader, the character has to seem real, in the sense the motivations for his/her actions have to seem realistic, as do the emotions behind his/her actions and reactions. Either alternately, or in addition, the situations created by the author must have strummed an emotional chord in the reader, so the character's actions seemed honorable, even heroic. This is what writers should do, and if some readers develop crushes, that provides a good measure of how well it was done.

bearilou · Dec 26, 2012

Sonneillon said:
Crushing on fictional characters is a totally common thing. It's why you have teen-to-grown women on Tumblr crying, "MY BABIIIIEEEEES!" over forty-year-old men who sell their souls to save their brothers or jump off high buildings. It's why Snape has such a massive following and why Draco In Leather Pants is a trope.

Yep. That's exactly what I'm doing. Right now, even as I type this.

/sarcasm

angeluscado · Dec 26, 2012

Oh yes. Definitely

Sonsofthepharaohs · Dec 26, 2012

Sonneillon said:
It's why Snape has such a massive following and why Draco In Leather Pants is a trope.

LOL - Draco in Leather Pants was unknown to me until I spent a few hours getting immersed in TV Tropes. Freakin hilarious.

Yes, I get crushes on fictional characters, but if I listed all of them I'd have listened to this One Republic album at least another 8 times before I was done.

*And pause while I sing into my hairbrush at the chorus of Stop and Stare*

Ahem.

My first literary crush, to my knowledge, was Mr Rochester. I don't know why. I must like really damaged and abusive men.

And on that subject...

Christian Grey. I know, I know, but just... *goes off on flight of depraved fancy*

OK, back in the room.

I do like non-fucked up characters, honest. Er...

Diomedes from the Iliad. Hektor I admired, but Diomedes I wanted to abduct like an Amazon on a manhunt, and take some poetric licence with him

Gynn · Dec 26, 2012

When I was a boy, I was in love with Noah Hathaway! I used to watch "The Neverending Story" over and over because he was in it.

ArachnePhobia · Dec 26, 2012

I once developed a crush on a fictional character at age five.

That might not feel so weird if that crush had gone away at some point, but it never did.

Ever have a "crush" on a fictional character?

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