FANTASY PROTAGONIST TIER LIST!

My fantasy protagonist tier list! Let me know what you think of these great characters in the comments down below. Who are your favorite fantasy characters?
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[@DanielGreeneReviews]

What Tier List should I do next??

[@fitness2947]

Daniel Greene the best fantasy betrayals

[@evilkiller298]

You are Daniel Greene you can do what ever you want!

[@albinodeer7449]

Maybe titles? How well it compresses the story into a single phrase (or even a word) + how well it sounds & catches the attention

[@desislavageorgieva2362]

Top 10 antagonists or bad guys you can't help but like/love

[@mihokspawn]

Well the next Tier List is clear: Gandalfs, the wise old mentors.

[@jimmymcjimface2607]

"Build a man a fire, you keep him warm for a night. Set a man on fire, you keep him warm for the rest of his life." Harry Dresden

[@VicRibeiro777]

XD

[@neriumsuitedher]

Hmmm I'm almost certain that it's a Pratchett quote too

[@jimmymcjimface2607]

@@neriumsuitedher maybe, i dont think ive read too much pratchett

[@joshgilbert2812]

Dance With Me Then it is. Harry follows up by saying “Tao of Pratchett” even.

[@Christopher._M]

Great quote

[@josephperezcodes1173]

The truth to why Jon Snow was C Tier was because S Tier, he “Dun wunnit”.

[@elanor2006]

hahah, while I like Jon cause he is a good person, but his chapters are kinda boring imho, it's only in Book 5 I started to find him interesting.

[@MetalFire1998]

I Love him in die Show more then in die books... until season 4. and we dont need to Talk about s8... SHE IS MUH QWEEN

[@elanor2006]

@@MetalFire1998 ​ well, yeah, in the show Jon was more interesting from the beginning, but nothing counts after Season 4, the characters that were similar to their book counterparts died after season 4.....FUCK THE SHOW it killed all it's character's personalities and who they were at their core....

[@omarabdelkadereldarir7458]

@@MetalFire1998 *confused screaming

[@vatsdimri3675]

@@elanor2006 I actually liked him since his book 3 beyond the wall plot.

[@artaratoryx4077]

Kaladin not getting S tier is an unforgivable crime, but I still liked the video

[@benstannard3574]

And Locke Lamora in my opinion. Daniel didn’t say why he wasn’t higher!

[@jasonkonas]

@@benstannard3574 I know, but he does that with all his tier lists. He will rave about a character while giving no negatives only to down rank them unexpectedly. I am always taken aback when he does that.

[@hosihbhb6496]

After 20 years if reading fantasy i thought i'll never have a definite favorite charachter beacuse there are so charachters that i love but Kaladin proved me wrong he is now by far my favorite charachter of all time

[@averyhodge8528]

I have to agree with him, Kaladin is a great character; but the past two books have had growth; but Oathbringer pretty much high arced him as needing to grow before he could advance.

[@averyhodge8528]

@Arthur Pilgram I wouldn't say he was OP, because of the fact that he was only compared to shard-bearers, Parchendi and normal people; but when he fought Szeth, he was outmatched. Basically, at those times we had no actual combat oriented knights radiants to compare him to. Which, in hindsight is a great way to do it, cause we are shown his limitations when the KR are finally showing up. Still powerful; but limited with what he can do.

[@angusmacdonald8663]

Speaking of Aragorn, I love how they say he's a master healer but all he does is throw kinsfoil leaves on things

[@mcstotti8691]

Yes but it is also somewhat connected to somekind of natural healing abilities he has a la healing hands.

[@timpeterjensen2364]

Does that not making he the worlds best healer though, like Imagine a doctor "you have a sore throat, here drink some tea, HEALED!" "oh you have a broken leg, here drink some tea, HEALED!" "oh you are infested with the essence of a supreme evil dark lord, here drink some tea, HEALED!" Like that doctor would be pretty effective.

[@michaelcooper4245]

He’s no Merle Highchurch.

[@angusmacdonald8663]

@@mcstotti8691 I never thought about it that way and think that's really cool. Thank you so much for explaining that to me :)

[@briangallagher3106]

Kinsfoil? Aye it’s a weed.

[@declanm6596]

Sam is easily one of the greatest characters of all time.

[@oliverpapa1487]

And he's the real hero

[@ItalianStallionBDM]

Weak

[@halion4487]

One of? No way, he is the singular greatest hero, as he put up with Frodo for several months. No hero has ever put up with that much suffering other than Sam. If anything, he’s a bit of a Mary Sue, as we never get an explanation for the limitless amount of inner strength he had to not punch Frodo’s face in at least once. I think sam could fight god if he wanted to

[@hamletprinceofdenmark5896]

@@halion4487 but the elves sir, they told me not to leave Mister Frodo, and I don't mean to.

[@halion4487]

Hamlet Prince of Denmark even more proof of his honour, he swore to protect Frodo, and did just that

[@VolvagiasBlaze]

i still think Frodo is A tier, especially cause of the ending of his arc. it's so rare to see a character succeed and yet still suffer the pains and trauma of their adventures. it's a lot more interesting, and i wish more characters did it. Granted i haven't read a lot of fantasy books and i don't know how many characters have to deal with PTSD and can't return to the normalcy and peace of their previous life, so if there are more that have this kind of arc please let me know, cause i think it's interesting

[@hamletprinceofdenmark5896]

I think Frodo going west with the elves is a metaphor for him dieing during the war of the ring. Sam is left to put his life back together in the shire without his friend. Tolkien writing about his homecoming from the war maybe?

[@thomasfort1013]

@@hamletprinceofdenmark5896 its not a metaphor at all. Where he went was Valinor, which is the place the Valar made for the Eldar. Frodo and Bilbo were permitted to go because they were bearers of the Ring and the only way to have some peace and healing was at Valinor. When Sam's wife, Rosie, died he too was permitted to go to Valinor and was able to be with Frodo in their last days.

[@hamletprinceofdenmark5896]

@@thomasfort1013 yeah I read the silmarilian too man. But think for a minute. Tolkien fought in the great war, how many of his friends didn't come back, or were so fucked up when they did that they needed care? Now think again about same living out his time in the shire while Frodo goes west. As to what Sam does afterward, the return of the king only really says that Sam could be mayor, but not whether he goes west later in life.

[@thomasfort1013]

@@hamletprinceofdenmark5896 I understand your point and its a great analysis of the horrors of war and how people cannot be healed from it. I just think of Frodo going West to find healing and peace is more of a realistic thing than a metaphor of passing away or "dying". As for Sam going to Valinor its found in Appendix B in the year 1482 of the FA(FA starts in the year 1422 by the count of the Shire). It reads: 1482 - "Death of Mistress Rose, wife of Master Samwise, on Mid-year's Day. On September 22 Master Samwise rides out from Bag End. He comes to the Tower Hills, and is last seen by Elanor, to whom he gives the Red Book afterwards kept by the Fairbairns. Among them the tradition is handed down from Elanor that Samwise passed the Towers, and went to the Grey Havens, and passed over the Sea, last of the Ringbearers."

[@thomasfort1013]

@@hamletprinceofdenmark5896 also Sam was elected mayor 7 times.

[@ImSupposedToSleep]

Where is Shrek though? How about a "redemption arc characters" tier list. Although, that could turn out to be a very spoilery video :/

[@ImSupposedToSleep]

@-ZINC - you have a point, I changed my comment just in case

[@ce666isa3]

@@user-jn3xq3dr6r I think that was his point.. to spoil

[@thomashartka2926]

@@user-jn3xq3dr6r Thanks for the comment. Edited and put the spoiler warning ;)

[@thomashartka2926]

@-ZINC - No worries, I have the spoiler warning in there now ;)

[@TheDcraft]

-ZINC - can you spoil Harry Potter though? I mean the series ended, what like a decade ago.

[@danielwilliams9459]

If we're talking first 2 books, I would agree with Jon Snow being in C tier, but A Storm of Swords and A Dance with Dragons shot him straight up to at least A tier for me.

[@aimal666]

Agreed. His internal struggle in ADWD with what he'd always wanted (the Stark name) and his duty, and how that war of love vs. duty informed so many of his decisions made him one of the most compelling main characters I've read about.

[@JLchevz]

In Dance hes incredible

[@ItalianStallionBDM]

Hes average

[@ipromisethatserendipityisa9656]

I agree but if we consider the series with his "dunt wannit" "you are muh queen", he would be a D for me after that.

[@AJBouc]

Over 5 books, Jon Snow went from reject bastard nothing teenager to the assassinated Lord Commander, with so much mind turmoil in between. This doesn't happen easily. Huge huge character development growth written by GRRM

[@thomasrobinson601]

If the books get finished I imagine we will get more major developments with R+L = J

[@16m49x3]

Yeah, but it's still pretty predictable while also caused by happenstance

[@damp2269]

Jon is one of my top 3 POV characters but is very predictable and all the changes on him are forced upon him which sort of explains the B tier IMO.

[@pamelaguerra3768]

@@16m49x3 but Jon's reaction to it could be interesting and unpredictable R+L=J doesn't actually say anything about him personality wise

[@ElijsDima]

But his character doesn't actually evolve or change during that. The circumstances change, Jon Snow's actions, intent, and outlook remain the same.

[@jxomxo]

I don’t know, Frodo is easily an A tier at least on principle alone but I kinda feel differently from pretty much everyone else ever and I think Elijah Wood’s performance elevated him up to S tier for me. Frodo’s arc is one of the most powerful I’ve ever seen, and that ending fucks me up every time; he’s so brilliantly written, and Wood’s performance really brought more nuance for me. I suppose probably he and Sam are equally the two best characters in the series but I’d say Sam is more enjoyable and Frodo is just more interesting.

[@iamqtpie2825]

Yes, thank you for saying this!

[@ladyreverie7027]

Agreed I think Frodo is incredibly underrated!

[@Devou5]

Nobody: Daniel Greene: FANTASY BOOK SMELL TIER LIST luv your videos btw

[@mariebourgot4949]

^^

[@zynpkrdg]

I'm sorry, I understand that people relate to Kaladin's depression, but there is just SO MUCH MORE to his character than just depression. He is a natural leader, he never looks down or bends, he cares so much and tries to help everyone, even those who are forgotten by others, he never discriminates, he doesn't shy down when faced with "authority", he tries to do the right thing because it is right, he can understand people so well, and even *I* want to follow him to a bridgerun when reading, he has that affect on people. He keeps going and fighting even when he is tired _for_ people. And I have realised, in all of Stormlight characters, everything seems more beautiful in his chapters. All the other characters and Roshar just seem more beautiful through his eyes. I just love him so much.

[@specialknees6798]

Yeah but I think what people take issue with is that his honorable qualities aren't unique. I personally don't have a problem with that, as I'm a sucker for characters who will do what is right at all costs, especially if they struggle to stay on the right path but ultimately succeed. Kal is my favorite character ever. I don't know if I'd go so far as to say he saved my life, but his story gave me so much strength during the darkest periods of my life and made me genuinely want to be a better person. To "take the first step." Kaladin hits me in just the right way, and I identify with him to an extreme degree. However I get that by all appearance he can seem kinda generic as a morally upstanding, heroic warrior who inspires everyone around him to follow his lead. That description applies perfectly to other characters like Aragorn for example.

[@smashOsmash]

"He doesn't evolve much" A quote that aged worse than milk ~Daniel Greene (Talking about Harry Dresden)

[@xandara75]

Man, now I'm intrigued. I started listening to dresden files last week because of Daniel and I'm at the start of book 3 now. Literally my biggest complaint about Harry is that he doesn't actually evolve all that much throughout the books I've read. Now I'm hyped to listen on.

[@smashOsmash]

@@xandara75 yeah, Daniel said Harry is one of the most well developed Fantasy characters ever. i never read any of the books but that made me want to

[@albinodeer7449]

Calling it now: Rand's going to be S

[@deanryanmartin]

It only took him a second to rank Rand on S-tier.

[@iogssothoth666]

@@deanryanmartin not even a second. He put him up there in the same breath he said his name.

[@deanryanmartin]

@@iogssothoth666 Hahaha. Yeah.

[@Azn_Bran]

@@deanryanmartin haha for sure! I cant totally speak since I am only mid-way through WoT however Rand is not S tier IMO and since he ranked other characters without finishing their respective series I think its fair. I've come around a bit on Rand but taking the other rankings here into account id put Rand at A-/B+

[@spencerknighton9908]

@@Azn_Bran Without saying more...It's because you haven't finished WoT that you don't know why he's S

[@danielvanrooyen9602]

Oooo Daniel, Daniel, Daniel. The internet is going to scream at you with some of those picks, you do you.

[@stevemadden3642]

Daniel van Rooyen Dresden changes MASSSIVELY between book 1-15, the shift after he loses Lasciel, then Susan, then finds his daughter is crazy.

[@brandonpinky8148]

@@stevemadden3642 Seriously! Besides maybe Rand, he is the one character on this list that has changed the most.

[@Macapta]

What is Harry Potters defining character trait? Sass, pure sass.

[@noraeld5020]

And 3rd or 4th book and after: ANGST

[@cinthiagoch]

​@@noraeld5020 I almost threw away the 5th book in a fit of rage because Harry was getting on my nerves. I just wanted him to shut up and let me enjoy the story.

[@manoknowfish]

@@cinthiagoch lol me too

[@desmondmyers]

To be fair that’s a pretty realistic rendering of a teenager though. I resonated with him a lot in that book

[@lilypond5158]

I loved it when he snapped back at Snape or Umbridge

[@lennysmileyface]

Daniel: "Jon, you will be S tier!" Jon: "I dun wan eet. You are muh kween." Daniel: "Fine, C tier it is."

[@andrewreising4541]

While Kvothe is the protagonist of the KKC, I am also convinced that he is the true villain of the series as well. 1) He doesn't take responsibility for the consequences of his actions. 2) He has somehow broken the world and let in things like the Scraelings from the Fae realm. 3) He caused the war that many of the young men in town have been swept up in. 4) Rather than staying and trying to fix things, he faked his death and ran away, leaving others to clean up his mess.

[@laurentiu.f8804]

Eh isnt a lot of what he did manipulated by that omniscient thing in the tree? I forgot its name but its hard to blame Kvothe for the world burning when that thing set everything in motion

[@andrewreising4541]

@@laurentiu.f8804 The Cathay. And yes, it is true that The Cathay told Kvothe that this would happen. That doesn't absolve Kvothe from refusing to take responsibility for his actions and running away instead of trying to fix things.

[@albertocarlosjunior]

The "old" Kvothe is more interesting than "young" Kvothe.

[@yesididitverywell]

Well we won't really know until book 3 comes out... if it ever actually does.

[@domilontano]

I'd have put Kvoth in D tier. He's predictable and rather flat. Funny sometimes, but not really that interesting. Good read nonetheless.

[@Dalenthas]

As someone with depression, I love Kaladin because of how well Sanderson handles his depression. Sanderson makes it clear that Kaladin has been suffering from depression from a very young age, and the changes in his circumstances change how it affects him fairly realistically. I love that his depression doesn't just magically disappear when his circumstances improve, but it changes how it's expressed. Sanderson does a good job of balancing the constant struggle that is depression with keeping it fresh and interesting to read. Contrast how repetitive Sazed's trauma induced depression felt in Hero of Ages with Kaladin's depression and it shows how much Sanderson has grown as an author.

[@federicojimenez2065]

Completely agree!

[@shikasin5775]

Sanderson consulted with mental health professionals to make sure he was doing it well.

[@kv4648]

Ohhh So that's why. Idk but that aspect made the book completely unreadable for me.

[@clementdenis4212]

Aragorn starts very old so he can't have much evolution : his love life is already set, he has already grown from hesitant young hero to wise old king and so on.

[@judeconnor-macintyre9874]

He completed his character arc before the book began.

[@slavking2797]

I completely disagree with Harry Potter being a blank slate. He's stubborn and an ass. I would argue he might even be considered unlikable. He refuses to listen to logic, acts irrationally towards his friends and is quite reckless in general. In my opinion Daniel Radcliffe was the bland one, having none of the characters mischievous energy.

[@janhavi1977]

I personally didn’t find him unlikable, mainly because the times when he was a bit of a douche, he was a kid dealing with PTSD. A lot of people dislike him in OoTP, but I actually feel he shows his vulnerable side and is more sympathetic in that book. But I agree he’s not a blank slate. Maybe a little bit in the first book, but even there he has a lot of sass. I think they took away some of his edges in the movies. Made him less flawed. Same with Hermione. Although, movie Hermione also kind of took away some of both Harry and Ron’s moments, and became even more perfect. Basically the movie characters are less flawed and less interesting than book characters.

[@testingpro6723]

True

[@elgranqenk2]

He has a personality. But Only thing I never liked about him is that he's a Gary Stu. Until the very end of the series there are way too many stronger Wizards or Witches including Voldermot. He only beat Voldy because of the love magic thingy. Plus, Dumbledore made the heavy lifting in finding Voldemort's horcruxes.

[@tinamoul]

@@elgranqenk2 Isn't that the point he's the chosen one, but he's not a particularly spectacular wizard? I feel that's touched on repeatedly in the books.

[@elgranqenk2]

@@tinamoul Your point is? He's still not that good of a character.

[@adammoshinsky6012]

Dan, just commenting to say I love the heck out of your channel. Even when I find myself disagreeing with you, I can't help but respect your reasoning regarding the topic at hand; the same goes for your passion for this wonderful genre so many of us love - bounds of respect. Keep up the great work, man.

[@TheBeeesKnees]

I really can’t get enough of these. Keep up the great work! ❤️

[@Mharriscreations]

Here are some of my thoughts. Aragorn - S tier. Kaladin - S tier Vin - A+++ tier. She's just about a half step away from S. Kvothe - B tier. He's good, but very much a Mary Sue. Frodo - S tier. Rand - Only read the first book so far, so he starts at a C+/B Harry Potter - C+ And here are some others that I can think of that weren't mentioned. Fizchivalry Farseer - S+++ (not my favorite character at all, but definitely the most well written character I've ever read. Ever.) Drizzt - B+ Sabriel - B Kylar Stern - A Logan Gyre - A+ As an author, who's only published one book so far (though more are on the way really soon) it makes me wonder how people would rate some of my characters.

[@TitasReal]

My favourite fantasy character of all time is fitz chivalry farseer, and the Assassins Apprentice is not even my favorite book but i just love fitz just for the fact that you get engaged with him from his childhood to his death with everything that goes on with him

[@KyriosHeptagrammaton]

It's in my top 5 favourite series because of Fitz, could possibly be my favourite series of all time if not for the ending of the last book.

[@ladyreverie7027]

My favourite is the Fool from the same series!

[@BookswithBrittany]

This is one of my favorite videos of yours! I agree with a lot of your answers!

[@gregoryalfonso5332]

What about Geralt? I started reading the Witcher series a couple weeks ago and it's the first series I've ever been driven to read through the entire series. I just finished the 4th book (time of contempt) and have loved every minute of it!

[@edkolbe1850]

Whenever I reread LotR I picture and hear Viggo as Aragorn even with the difference in character arc and motivation. There may be a day where he is not S tier, but it is not this day!

[@tulkdog]

John Snow TV version would be D- tier

[@Franc--sg7zo]

So does Daenerys, Jaime..... Every character ruined in seaseon 8!! Lol

[@tulkdog]

Franky 2100 Too true, but John Snow had been wrecked since he died

[@ItalianStallionBDM]

Kit Harrington was never my friend

[@raffa4456]

Jon Snow was already screwed when they'd cast Kit Harrington. Jon as a character lives off his charisma, and casting an actor that has the charisma of a wet piece of cloth? And also just sucks at acting generally? Wasn't really a going to do him any good and the writing declining season by season, dramatically in season 7 and 8, he was a terrible main character and just hard to watch with a similarly bad Emilia Clarke as the other main character.

[@PartridgeQuill]

Loved this list. I agree with almost every one of your choices. Also, letting us submit options for these videos sounds so fun!

[@amirsharif6003]

Aragorn is an established character. He's like 80 years old. He KNOWS himself. He's done growing and learning...he's now stepping into his path.

[@Alchemist1330]

Ummmmmm.... John snow is not the protagonist of ASOIAF. if there is one it is Tyrion, he has the most chapters and has interacted with the most other characters.

[@elanor2006]

Jon is one of the protagonists, Tyrion is the other, then Arya, then Dany these four have the most chapters than any other characters, and well Bran is also one, in the books at least it's obvious he is important, and I think Martin himself said that if he had to name main main characters, these five were it !

[@Juanpa_SC]

Don´t want to spoil The Dresden Files so I will say just this: you will change your mind after you finish all the books to date.

[@ItalianStallionBDM]

In a good way?

[@neisan92]

@@ItalianStallionBDM Absolutely

[@colburn0004]

I think Kaladin is more a product of the characters interactions with him and not great in and of himself. Shallan and Adolin antagonizing him and being irritated with him, Dalinar and his crew respecting him. It's those perspectives from the other characters that make Kaladin, and it makes those characters more interesting. Totallly agree with you on Kaladin. One of my favorite scenes in the entire series is when he's walking up with a lot of people and Adolin just says under his breath that Kaladin is probably the leader of the group already. That scene is so great and it's not so much because Kaladin is great but because of how the other character view him that is great.

[@jaxpk2669]

WHERE THE HELL IS GERALT????? HE IS SSSS

[@grimreads]

Dresden improves a lot after book ten. He is an S for me.

[@CaptainIvanDanko]

Imagine Aragorn in the same tier as Harrison Potter lol

[@timetraveler0002]

Harrison Pottery

[@elijahdavila3684]

Harold Potts

[@nionashborn7626]

Harold Cobbler

[@malsummers6515]

Harry Poppers

[@sernoddicusthegallant6986]

Dont worry, hes got good company next to Harrison Dresden

[@alexbartschi602]

so sorry I haven't subscribed until now I honestly thought I did XD but yeah keep up the amazing work Daniel!!!!

[@steviereads]

I am a huge, huge fan of Name of the Wind and Kvothe but I totally hear you

[@anirablue]

Locke is a definite S tier for me, even though the series isn't finished yet. I highly doubt I won't enjoy his character in the next book, even if he starts burning down orphanages.

[@Kreamcroque]

I still don't understand the praise for Lies of Locke Lamore. Yes he is charasmatic, maybe overly so with the amount of wit displayed, but I think he's a rather flat character. But maybe I'll enjoy his arc more in the other books

[@neriumsuitedher]

Stupid orphanage totally deserved it >:[

[@Kreamcroque]

@@neriumsuitedher That's the thing, I wouldn't know if they deserved it or not as no depth is given through personal motivation... #my2ct

[@machspeed7610]

The pain to my lad Harry Potter. I dound the sassy SOB had loads of personality and evolved through out the series.

[@danielstorll4537]

Despite rarely agreeing with you on your tier lists, I genuinely love your videos.

[@Tazza19931]

Really great video as always. Would've loved to have seen where you'd put Geralt of Rivia and Gavin Guile, though.

[@saturated3821]

I really liked Frodo always when reading the books. He's portrayed as slightly different from other hobbits. He's a little more introspective, maybe a little more introverted, and there is just a tad of something elf-like in him from the beginning, and that influence grows during the story. As a different, introverted kid, I think I really latched onto Frodo's character. If S-tier is ground-breaking though, I wouldn't put him there either, but A is deserved.

[@abelrodriguezbernat7811]

I miss FitzChivalry Farseer from Robin Hobb's books. An easy A-tier for me. Good video as always, Daniel.

[@jonasvanmaldeghem688]

Because he hasn't read RotE yet, I believe. Fitz would be S tier for me.

[@neriumsuitedher]

Absolute SSS tier.

[@abelrodriguezbernat7811]

I agree with both of you Jonas and... Sure, I'll dance with you ;) It's only that I didn't want to sound fanatic, because I love this character so much

[@ordowaid.2665]

good one! you could rank fantasy settings next!

[@bhatfield1417]

Great video

[@zanb1747]

Kaladin for number 1 spot period

[@desislavageorgieva2362]

this!

[@janhavi1977]

Absolutely! I think he just might be my favorite protagonist ever!

[@moritzrein2907]

I really love Frodo in the books, because he, in a way, is not really your super typical fantasy protagonist. That's because of the ring. He doesn't really have a character ark. But he just gets completely destroyed by the great burden of the ring. Frodo went from a care-free, happy, cheerful hobbit to a completely destroyed and broken "slave" that pretty much has PTSD. I'd describe it as kind of a "negative character ark". And also, it subverts the expectations of the typical arc going from a happy, care-free hobbit to a heroic badass. That's not what Frodo is. And if you really want to have a character trade that evolves is that he, over time, has more and more pity for gollum! From "it's a pity that bilbo didn't kill this foul creature!" to "OMG I feel compasion and pity for you lol". And in the end the pity aspect leads to the success of the story! If gollum would have been killed, the ring would have never been destroyed!

[@ThePhilatron]

Great list! As long as you have a logical justification for your rankings I'm happy

[@halofan117halofan6]

Kvothe at the start of book one was just amazing in my opinion, and there is still room for him to fail, I mean why does he end up where he is, is yet to be explained. In my opinion what messed him up for me was the middle of book 2 where he is with the faery godess of you know what. Just seemed hella cringey and so out of character for him.

[@slavking2797]

Literally read that part 5 minutes ago! Did not like it at all.

[@mihokspawn]

Well If you paid attention in Elodin's classes you would understand how and why it actually works that a virginal, horny, impressionable, or just teenage boy would under massive prolonged exposure to the embodiment of Lust become attuned to it. Same as his attuning to the Name of the Wind under Sword Tree.

[@andreescalona8902]

@@mihokspawn whenever I reread Wise Man's Fear, I skip everything related to Felurian faster than Daniel put Rand on S tier for this list

[@megashark1013]

"For me, Lyra is going to be A-tier." *Happiness noise*

[@AleksandarIvanov69]

The thing about Aragorn that you said is pretty interesting. If modern fantasy has made protagonist low self-esteem leaders and that is appealing to people, that is a big problem. A healthy leader is a confident leader, because he knows what he is worth! This meek, low energy, ashamed almost type of leader character put there as an ideal, a role model etc., sounds really unhealthy...

[@princessthyemis]

That's actually an absolutely excellent point I've never even considered before!

[@annettetesta8816]

Thats why I like Gavin Guile - je has his problems, but he doesn't waste time doubting himself.

[@rayraffiki1856]

There's a new His Dark Materials coming out? I'm definitely going to have to look into that

[@DBourque12]

Alright I've had it.. booktube's Harry Potter slander has gotten out of control!! Daniel isn't the only one but having Harry below Vin much less in B tier is disrespect to a different level. Btw I'm a huge fan of the channel except in terms of Harry Potter. Out of the 300+ books that I've read in my life, it is the only book that I've ever bought on the release date after waiting 6 hours in a book store and judging by how packed the bookstore was I can confidently say no other book series has generated that level of excitement! Being nearly the best selling book of all time and the reason many people give fantasy a chance should give it more clout than ALL reviewers give it.. Harry Potter and the entire series need to get more respect esp since we have to hear the constant shilling for WOT and LOTR! It's epiclessness should not drag it down to the level it does. Sorry. I still love you Daniel. Keep up the good work👍🏽

[@joaofarias9986]

A tier? Kaladin, thy name is character development. Starts as a surgeon aprentice, goes to soldier, ace soldier, slave, captain, hero, highmarshall, retired soldier, messiah and single handlly invented mental health care in his world.

[@toastedmarshmallows6348]

Summed that up nicely. And I agree!

[@IbbyMelbourne]

I don’t know what list you need to make next, but I do know we need Dalinar on it.

[@spencerhall5930]

"Reread Lord of the Rings" you say? Well lucky for you I had just barely started a read through when this video came out. The problem as mentioned by a couple others is the style of how characters are written in modern vs classic fantasy. In modern fantasy you get a much more complete inner dialogue, whereas in Lord of the Rings, we only get glimpses of this and anything more we need to infer, though some of that isn't that large of a leap to do. There are a few points to Aragorn to clarify. First I'd mention as some have commented, he's lived for quite some time when we first meet him, so you could argue his development was in the past. Though, I still think there is something there, either in terms of development or in terms of complexity, to elevate him beyond mid range 'B' tier. He still retains a certain uncertainty, but less so about the throne. From Moria to travelling down the Anduin to the breaking of the Fellowship, we get to see a bit into his mind and see his uncertainty in leading the group in the task at hand. He fails to make a decision, so by the actions of the enemy that choice is taken from him, a mistake he does not repeat. In more of a literary device, we see as the Fellowship is travelling, glimpses of his future state of king as we see Aragorn transfigured in the eyes of his companions. A nobility that he is near to, but has not yet attained. Then, after all of this we see his nobility shine. We may have been fooled by what we thought was a man self-interested in his claim to an ancient throne. But after the breaking of the Fellowship we see his noble purpose is not just to take what is rightfully his. There are companions, Rohan, and Men in general to save. Not simply because he wouldn't have a throne to rule from, but because of his duty to them. Each of these time it is at the peril of his life, which if it was lost he would never attain his prize of the throne. Then after the Battle of the Pelennor Fields, with war still raging, he releases Dead Men of Dunharrow from their curse in honor of his word. Thus submitting his desire to the fate of the One Ring. So with that in mind what tier is he? You can judge for yourself, but I'll give the answer through my eyes. Middle of the road B? I think that's too low for this. Top rank S tier? That's probably a bit too high. That leaves A. An excellent place for a "great" and "awesome" character as you call him.

[@katelyn4358]

I just love Vin so much. You're 1000% correct.

[@sippintea1323]

Daniel, have you done a video yet about the sub genres within the fantasy genre?

[@DanielGreeneReviews]

Sippintea I should

[@nucleargandhi2709]

"We have Aang." * Earthbends rock over Daniel's head * "I'm gonna go ahead and put Aang in A tier" Smart move

[@mefistogirl]

Hey Daniel, I just discovered your channel yesterday and I've been binging it ever since. You've helped me so much to find out what I want to read next. I've been struggling with it for a long time, so thank you. Is this a good place to share some recommendations? I'm just gonna put them here for now, but lemme know if there's a better place for them. I'd really appreciate it if you could read The Vorrh by Brian Catling. I haven't found very many people who read it, (except Alan Moore who got me into it) and I'm really dying to have a deep discussion with someone about it. I'm warning you, it is extremely, profoundly weird. Also, I'd love to hear your opinion on any Octavia Butler book. She is amazing and deserves to be more widely known. Love your videos, look forward to seeing you in my feed and again thank you :)

[@Nikita-hq7nq]

Honestly, I'll watch any video of yours that's formatted like this

[@Cybernetic800]

Geralt is a S rank protagonist

[@Lilac-and-Gooseberries]

Apparently the new Dark Materials books will be following Lyra. The first one, which came out October 2017, is a prequel with her as a baby but the next two are set after the third.

[@fallenhero3130]

I know you don't usually review movies, but this video has actually made me curious. Would you make a LOTR movie review?

[@calebburns2223]

thought i was going to see Kip on the list... oh well. loved the video

[@markgreene4711]

Harry underrated.

[@marcdankers6331]

Where is Fitz? Robin Hobb's characters are amazing!

[@neriumsuitedher]

Fitz may just be THE best protagonist ever. I'm not completely sure, but it's possible.

[@flowetic7212]

I was looking for this comment, because I can’t imagine I am the only one missing him on this list.

[@TheDcraft]

The thing about Harry Potter is he's suppose to be just your basic run of the mill person. Like you or me or anyone else. At it's heart, I would say Harry Potter is mainly an idea story, like a detective novel, mixed with miliue story (a story that focuses on the setting/world) for good measure. And the thing is, with both those types of stories, character takes a back seat (to the world in miliue stories and to the mystery/what you learn in idea stories). The reason for this is that if Harry was more complicated and unique the Wizarding World would be less fleshed out and compelling, and, like wise, the mystery the reader has to figure out would become less important if Harry was more realized.

[@Calintares]

Harry does kind of showcase both the advantages and disadvantages to doing a "chosen one"-plotline the advantage is you get to both have an easily relatable character and you get to make the character the center of everyting. the disadvantage is the character becomes almost entirely reactive.

[@Dalenthas]

You talk about how Sam is S Tier and Frodo isn't, and call Sam a sidekick... I'd argue that Samwise Gamgee is the actual protagonist of the LotR trilogy and Frodo is more of a plot device.

[@calebbenoit7011]

Have you read Tolkien's Children of Hurin? I'd be interested to know how you feel about the book and Turin as a character. One of my favorites and a distressingly tragic character. I like the idea of a protagonist doomed to constantly fail.

[@laurelelasselin]

Ah yes, Túrin Turambar Neithan Gorthol Agarwaen Adanedhel Mormegil. Killed his friend, married his sister and committed suicide.

[@Mumrik597]

My favourite protagonists is probably FitzChivalry Farseer and The Fool ( Elderling series by Robin Hobb)

[@zacharymorrow8321]

Love those two and their bromance but man those books were a slog

[@Mumrik597]

@@zacharymorrow8321 I just don´t agree thet they were a slog. Slow paced, sure, but they had so much that I really loved.

[@clairemeehan4141]

I was thinking the same thing - Fitz and the Fool would be my choice of S tier characters!

[@Mumrik597]

@@clairemeehan4141 Indeed. The whole story is soo very good. It's not extremely action packed, but oh the writing of these characters. It's not that long since I finished the series, but I, think I'll re-read it soon.

[@trvkvlt6667]

How I cried when I finished Assassin's Fate. I love the characters some much.

[@gavinsmith9871]

you going to do Sci Fi characters so my boi Darrow can be included?

[@firelinecrazy7992]

MY GOD DANIEL LET HIS BEARD GROW, HE LOOKS FANTASTIC

[@Dominik-ev9en]

Honestly I have to say I dig your choices. Maybe some minor variations here or there but in general I do agree. Swapping Rand and Kaladan would be my major difference. Good choice of characters to evaluate too. I missed Kylar from Way of Shadows but good pick in general. P.S.: Oh and Logen Ninefingers from the First Law Trilogy

[@noutsakh.2135]

It is getting out of hand. We have to talk about this. Your Tier List addiction, Daniel. It's okay. You'll get through this

[@mariebourgot4949]

^^

[@derpimusmaximus8815]

Well, Aragorn doesn't grow so much over the books because he's already 80-odd when we first meet him at the Prancing Pony.

[@peterepeatepete2845]

New to the channel, been listening to kingkiller and it is Definately a book where the world is more interesting than the character. Dead on about the romance in the books, it makes me want to claw my eyes out. I’ll be curious as to how you rank Dresden after book 12. He has a major “failing” in that book that haunts him going forward and it’s pretty amazing to read. Too many books do a terrible job with long term consequences for their actions and Jim Butcher nails that one. I know he’s only in one book (sorta) but where would you put Kelsier in this list? His character (and the way he shapes Vin) might be my favorite single thing written by Sanderson, and as you know that is saying a lot.

[@giannisandritsos3641]

I am gonna come out and voice (always lovingly) my disagreement with Daniel regarding Jon Snow. There are very, very few characters that have a better character arc than him. Nothing that Jon does is extra on unjustified, all his actions can be linked to previous events. Meanwhile he still manages to be a very human character at the forefront of the concept of "the human heart at conflict with itself" with the "Blood/love vs honor/duty" constantly coliding in a fascinating emotional showdown That scene where he thinks in ADWD:"He remembered Robb with snowflakes melting on his head "kill the boy and let the man be born" he thought of Bran clibing a wall... Rickon's laughter Sans braiding Lady, singing to herself...Arya with her hair like a bird's nest... "I think we must change our plans" said Jon Snow. THAT is one of the best passages in the series (and fantasy as far as I am concerned).

[@kariem6998]

I definitely agree, Jon snow is one of my favourite fictional characters of all time

[@andrewjazdzyk1215]

I think the show version of the character is pervading people's minds when they think about him

[@ojb48o]

When I'm reading ASOIAF, Tyrion is the protagonist. He's an S, can't argue with the Jon Snow ranking.

[@jasonkonas]

There are no protagonists in Game of Thrones books (beyond Ned Stark). All you have are point-of-view characters. I don't think he should have used Jon Snow at all. He should have used this opportunity to put Richard Rahl in the F category for the laughs.

[@thomaspan6514]

Jon is the most boring main to me.

[@CAM3RoN11]

@@thomaspan6514 Jon as a character is pretty weak compared to the others but the Nights Watch story line is amazing which is told through Jon's PoV chapters. So Jon's chapters are some of the best in the series but his depth of character is lacking something.

[@zanahoriabaila1020]

The part that I find hilarious is that Aragorn is pegged as the main portagonist here

[@alanaran1575]

Daniel have you read any of Riyria? They're not as deep as some fantasy novels but I really enjoy them. Revelations is the main story while Chronicles is a prequel about previous adventures mentioned within Revelations. If you haven't already, you should check them out!

[@fanta4897]

Where is Sam or Gandalf? Both arguably more main protagonists than Frodo or Aragorn.

[@Cubannerd]

I like Rothfuss' writing and I like the concept of the Name of the Wind but I disliked Kavothe a lot as a character.

[@albertocarlosjunior]

I like Kvothe's character, but him is the Gary Stu 101, the only weakness he has is poverty.

[@MaxCadyS]

Kvothe's perfection at everything he does is annoying as F, which is a shame because Rothfuss has created a great world steeped in mysticism.

[@KyriosHeptagrammaton]

I was alright with him until he broke that kid's arm. Sure the kid said some terrible stuff, but he's a kid and this is /breaking an arm/ in a medieval setting. He could lose that arm or die, but instead everyone cheers Kvothe on.

[@nafrasheed5110]

Lord Cameron lmaoo kid said some things , man kvoth is barly older then a kid who lost more then most his age , you think he just gonna let that slide . Kvothe is good at everything but thats also his weakness , he good at everything yet when he is retelling his life , he has nothing , he lost everything be isnt successful, hell he sucks at eveeythinh now , the book is trying to tell you a story of a man who became something and lost everything.

[@KyleAPemberton]

@@albertocarlosjunior His weaknesses are his quickness to anger, his lack of respect for authority and his unstoppable curiosity.

[@nimito_burrito]

Daniel do you think there are any Kingkiller characters that you'd put as B or A tier?

[@joshuascott3428]

love your content discovered some cool books. why do you never talk about conan the barbarian after all robert jordan wrote 7 conan novels

[@tigertalk3690]

Are you gonna write a fantasy novel of ur own? Just wondering coz I reckon you could write an AWESOME fantasy novel.

[@artaratoryx4077]

He’s writing one right now

[@tigertalk3690]

Alex Latella thank you, didn’t know

[@ce666isa3]

@@artaratoryx4077 what's it called

[@annaliesebrandt5637]

Killing me with kaladin over there.... S tier for sure!

[@beckydean4374]

Have you tried the Green Rider books? Light reads, with granted some issues, but I like the progression of the story over the series as things get darker.

[@Applebliss99]

Me *visibly shaking trying to hold myself back from fighting you about Jon Snow and Frodo*

[@Saidor570]

Shallan deserves an S tier in my opinion, if another video of this style is published, my favorite main character of this series, she just evolves so much! Becomes so strong, and learns to face this world. Without mentioning her tragic past... I would also like to see other characters from The Lord of the Rings, The Wheel of Time and A song of ice and fire! Without forgetting Andrej Sapkowski and Robin Hobb's books! :D

[@neriumsuitedher]

She is one of my favorite female fantasy characters ever, and definitely my favorite female protagonist. I relate to her so much, and she inspires me to be stronger and braver. I don't understand the hate she gets at all...

[@Saidor570]

@@neriumsuitedher Is she so hated?? :o Thinking about it, Egwene is one of my favorite characters in The Wheel of Time, yet she received a lot of hate from the fan base... Maybe I just love hated characters... :o

[@neriumsuitedher]

@@Saidor570 I'm not a big Egwene fan so I haven't paid much attention to her. As for Shallan, when I was waiting for Oathbringer and Tor was releasing chapters until its release I saw that many were frustrated, annoyed and bored with her.

[@Saidor570]

@@neriumsuitedher I only read the two first books, but among the main characters I think Shallan is far more interesting than Dalinar. This is why I hope the third book, focused on the latter I think, will change my mind.

[@neriumsuitedher]

@@Saidor570 That's the thing about Stormlight, most characters are great. Shallan, Kalladin, Dalinar... but also Adolin, Navani and others.

[@philipthavenius9801]

To be fair a lot characters that start of being on the older side shouldn't get too much development unless they are put into situations that they haven't encountered before that are game changing.

[@diegoscb]

The genius of the youtuber: goes from apologizing for making people mad to using the strong emotions his viewer is feeling to make them follow him on twitter. Well done.

[@leonardomangiapan1160]

Fantasy Battle tier list please!

[@Blarg6306]

Only one I disagree on would be Dresden, easy A Tier, maybe S Tier with later, spoilery series developments. 100% yes to Vin S Tier though, one of the best characters I've ever read. (edit: spelling correction)

[@giovanni1984]

Another great video Daniel. Can agree with most, but Harry Potter above Jon?? Nah, but hey his was one of my favourites from ASOIAF so I'm biased haha.

[@neriumsuitedher]

Can't WAIT for him to go darker in WoW.

[@kingslayer3365]

@@neriumsuitedher EXACTLY. He just DIED. You want character growth? I think we're about to get some, and yes, it will be dark (I think). I'm excited but also kind off nervous.

[@lupamartins8830]

PLEASE do another plot summary video for the first wheel of time book the way you did one for the stormlight archive

[@ptsteelers]

Great video, but as someone new'ish to most fantasy, it would help if you told us the book or series that all the characters are from. You did that for most of them, but there was one or two that you didn't tell us, or at least I didn't hear it. Maybe i missed it? Like, for example, Caliden? Kaliden? No idea what series he is from. Sure, I could look it up, and will, but would be nicer, more new user friendly :-) if you would tell us. Anyway, been enjoying your videos and please don't take my comment as a knock. Peace.