fannish5: Five characters who are best at what they do
1.) Benjamin Linus (Lost). What Ben does is perhaps best described at "surviving via mindgames and manipulation" with a sideline of "don't be afraid to get yourself beaten up now and then and be in a seemingly powerless possession, it makes people even better to manipulate". You could argue that Jacob and Smokey are even better at this, but I ask you back: who's still around by the time the show ends? Huh? I rest my case.
2.) Xena (Xena: Warrior Princess). There have been female warriors before and since, but I'd still put Xena against anyone else, male or female, in martial combat. (Not that I don't say "strategy" or "long term survival".) How did that great nonsense verse go... "You've not lived till you've been gored/By Xena". *hums melody from The Bitter Suite*
3.) Natasha Romanov(a) (The Avengers). Best spy of them all, clearly. Someone should write the crossover where she and Ben match mindgame and pretending-to-be-powerless-using-real-emotions-to-trick-enemy skills, but it won't be me. In my fanon, there's just one thing Judi Dench!M really can't forgive Nick Fury for, and that's for making Natasha an offer Natasha couldn't refuse before she could.
4.) Havelock Vetinari (Discworld). Best benevolent tyrant ever (except if you're a mime). As opposed to many a competent power player, he doesn't even seem to have their Achilles heel, i.e. not allowing any other competent people to rise, thereby creating a lack of goverment competence once they've shovelled off the mortal coil. (*looking at you, Bismarck*) It's point of discussion whether the Patrician is grooming Moist or Carrot as his successor, but either one would not do a bad job.
5.) Kalinda Sharma (The Good Wife). Might or might not be the world's best P.I., but is definitely the best one in the show's Chicago. If I needed either dirt to be dug up or my innocence proved, Kalinda is the Private Investigator I'd hire. If I could afford her, that is.
This entry was originally posted at http://selenak.dreamwidth.org/807096.html. Comment there or here, as you wish.
2.) Xena (Xena: Warrior Princess). There have been female warriors before and since, but I'd still put Xena against anyone else, male or female, in martial combat. (Not that I don't say "strategy" or "long term survival".) How did that great nonsense verse go... "You've not lived till you've been gored/By Xena". *hums melody from The Bitter Suite*
3.) Natasha Romanov(a) (The Avengers). Best spy of them all, clearly. Someone should write the crossover where she and Ben match mindgame and pretending-to-be-powerless-using-real-emotions-to-trick-enemy skills, but it won't be me. In my fanon, there's just one thing Judi Dench!M really can't forgive Nick Fury for, and that's for making Natasha an offer Natasha couldn't refuse before she could.
4.) Havelock Vetinari (Discworld). Best benevolent tyrant ever (except if you're a mime). As opposed to many a competent power player, he doesn't even seem to have their Achilles heel, i.e. not allowing any other competent people to rise, thereby creating a lack of goverment competence once they've shovelled off the mortal coil. (*looking at you, Bismarck*) It's point of discussion whether the Patrician is grooming Moist or Carrot as his successor, but either one would not do a bad job.
5.) Kalinda Sharma (The Good Wife). Might or might not be the world's best P.I., but is definitely the best one in the show's Chicago. If I needed either dirt to be dug up or my innocence proved, Kalinda is the Private Investigator I'd hire. If I could afford her, that is.
This entry was originally posted at http://selenak.dreamwidth.org/807096.html. Comment there or here, as you wish.