The Other Answers
Those that were not guessed:
2. Final Fantasy
Ramza Beoulve: Ah, Ramza. Moral and just, fighting for those he cares about but so driven by a sense of decency and justice that if need be, he'll even put aside those personally important to him for the sake of the greater good. Ramza loses everything around him because of his unwavering morality, but through it all keeps what is truly important: his soul.
3. Suikoden
Chris Lightfellow: Chris is another fine example of a virtuous hero. Much like Utena, she keeps her own unerring sense of justice and morality at all times, refusing to accept what the world tells her is necessary and striving to find a better way. She's strong, elegant, a hero born for the role even as she pushes it away, and I can't figure out how the HELL they figured Hugo was protagonist material over her. To my mind, cannon or no, Chris is the true champion of Suikoden 3.
5. DC Cartoons (NOT including The Batman, for the same reasons and in the same magnitude as the exclusion of the recent SW films)
Batman: What is there to say? Batman's an ordinary guy who fights for personal justice rather than a universal sense of it, who incidentally is just smart and skilled enough to defeat every supervillain (or superHERO) who stands in his way. When the shit goes down, the other Justice League members may be important pieces in the game of heroism and fate, but Batman's the chess master playing it.
6. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Raphael: Not much to say here. He's just cool, and as awesome as nunchaku are, Raph's sais are the second coolest weapons ever.
7. Grandia
Tio: To be honest, it's a HARD decision between Tio and Maregg. All the Grandia 2 cast are awe-inspiringly excellent characters, and the Grandia 1 bunch are great, but it's Mareg and Tio who are the deepest, most complex and intricate characters. In the end, I have to go with the automata girl--seeing the miracle of a soulless robot find a humanity within her through the love of her friends is almost as incredible as the miracle that for once, the Quiet-Doesn't-Know-Much-About-Humanity Chick personality type is actually done not only well, but expertly.
9. Azumanga Daioh
Sakaki: I dunno what it is about her, but she just seems really neat. While the rest of the cast are mostly empty comic stereotypes (not that they aren't done well, mind), Sakaki is in a league of her own. She's got a sling of odd quirks beneath her quiet, caring silence, and trying to get a full handle on who she is is half the charm of her. Not that it's a lack of characterization that makes you do so--it's just left mysteriously enough that you have to do your own thinking about her before you can understand her, and when every other character around her can be completely understood just by hearing a full 3 sentences they say, it's interesting to have such a unique girl in there with the rest.
11. Chrono Trigger
Marle: It's a tough choice here. Frog and Robo are such great characters, deep and cool, and even characters which aren't very complex like Ayla or Magus are still great. But in the end, it's Marle with her kind and ever-positive attitude that, for once, is backed by a strong personality that's my favorite. She's like a combination of the happy, cheerful girl type and the stubborn, tough princess type--and it seems that sometimes, you can get a great character by combining two bad ones.
12. Lord of the Rings
Samwise Gamgee: A true and brave friend to the bitter end. Frodo's great and all, but let's face it--he just didn't have the same kind of emotional fortitude and trust that Sam did. Brilliantly heart-warming character, he is, and let's not kid ourselves: we all kinda think he and Frodo should've gotten together in the end.
14. Kingdom Hearts
Beast: Aside from being a fucking POWER-HOUSE, the Beast is tragically great. Who knows what he's seen and done on his journey to rescue Belle? Yet he will do, and perhaps has, anything to find the person who is most dear to him. It reminds me of Cloud in that game and his search for Aeris--it's not about love or romance or anything like that. It's about finding something, someone, who makes you who you are, a soul (or heart) which you can never forget and never give up on. Beast rules.
2. Final Fantasy
Ramza Beoulve: Ah, Ramza. Moral and just, fighting for those he cares about but so driven by a sense of decency and justice that if need be, he'll even put aside those personally important to him for the sake of the greater good. Ramza loses everything around him because of his unwavering morality, but through it all keeps what is truly important: his soul.
3. Suikoden
Chris Lightfellow: Chris is another fine example of a virtuous hero. Much like Utena, she keeps her own unerring sense of justice and morality at all times, refusing to accept what the world tells her is necessary and striving to find a better way. She's strong, elegant, a hero born for the role even as she pushes it away, and I can't figure out how the HELL they figured Hugo was protagonist material over her. To my mind, cannon or no, Chris is the true champion of Suikoden 3.
5. DC Cartoons (NOT including The Batman, for the same reasons and in the same magnitude as the exclusion of the recent SW films)
Batman: What is there to say? Batman's an ordinary guy who fights for personal justice rather than a universal sense of it, who incidentally is just smart and skilled enough to defeat every supervillain (or superHERO) who stands in his way. When the shit goes down, the other Justice League members may be important pieces in the game of heroism and fate, but Batman's the chess master playing it.
6. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Raphael: Not much to say here. He's just cool, and as awesome as nunchaku are, Raph's sais are the second coolest weapons ever.
7. Grandia
Tio: To be honest, it's a HARD decision between Tio and Maregg. All the Grandia 2 cast are awe-inspiringly excellent characters, and the Grandia 1 bunch are great, but it's Mareg and Tio who are the deepest, most complex and intricate characters. In the end, I have to go with the automata girl--seeing the miracle of a soulless robot find a humanity within her through the love of her friends is almost as incredible as the miracle that for once, the Quiet-Doesn't-Know-Much-About-Humanity Chick personality type is actually done not only well, but expertly.
9. Azumanga Daioh
Sakaki: I dunno what it is about her, but she just seems really neat. While the rest of the cast are mostly empty comic stereotypes (not that they aren't done well, mind), Sakaki is in a league of her own. She's got a sling of odd quirks beneath her quiet, caring silence, and trying to get a full handle on who she is is half the charm of her. Not that it's a lack of characterization that makes you do so--it's just left mysteriously enough that you have to do your own thinking about her before you can understand her, and when every other character around her can be completely understood just by hearing a full 3 sentences they say, it's interesting to have such a unique girl in there with the rest.
11. Chrono Trigger
Marle: It's a tough choice here. Frog and Robo are such great characters, deep and cool, and even characters which aren't very complex like Ayla or Magus are still great. But in the end, it's Marle with her kind and ever-positive attitude that, for once, is backed by a strong personality that's my favorite. She's like a combination of the happy, cheerful girl type and the stubborn, tough princess type--and it seems that sometimes, you can get a great character by combining two bad ones.
12. Lord of the Rings
Samwise Gamgee: A true and brave friend to the bitter end. Frodo's great and all, but let's face it--he just didn't have the same kind of emotional fortitude and trust that Sam did. Brilliantly heart-warming character, he is, and let's not kid ourselves: we all kinda think he and Frodo should've gotten together in the end.
14. Kingdom Hearts
Beast: Aside from being a fucking POWER-HOUSE, the Beast is tragically great. Who knows what he's seen and done on his journey to rescue Belle? Yet he will do, and perhaps has, anything to find the person who is most dear to him. It reminds me of Cloud in that game and his search for Aeris--it's not about love or romance or anything like that. It's about finding something, someone, who makes you who you are, a soul (or heart) which you can never forget and never give up on. Beast rules.