Hello everyone! Today I am doing TTT meme about character traits I love!
We all have characters we love but what makes us love them so much? I want to know what do you fall in love with, guys!! Or, maybe you would rather talk about what makes you roll your eyes because ugh, i’ve had enough of this guy…? I’m here to listen to that as well!
Below, I mentioned ten character traits and ten characters I love because of them!
October 8th: Character Traits I Love
Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl and you can find weekly topics on her page.

1️⃣ The Sarcastic Type
Yeah, that’s everyone’s number one as of late, huh? I mean we have Percy Jackson, Harry Potter, nearly every YA heroine…
What can I say? I’m pretty basic with this one but it’s popular for a reason. It’s FUN. And fun is important to me as a reader. Besides, who doesn’t want to read about that person who stuck it to the big baddie and even the bus driver laughed?? Come on, don’t lie to me.
Of course, it can be overdone and badly done and all of that but it is a risk worth taking because this is a classic.
2️⃣ True to Themselves
I love to read about people with their moral code.
They may be a total mess of a person but they know where the boundaries lie and they would rather do it their way and die than bend and live another day. They stay true to their character.
It usually also entails loyalty to others as well or loyalty to some cause or simply loyalty to humanity.
Kate Daniels‘ life would be so much easier without protecting anyone but can she walk away if she sees somebody who needs help? No. No matter how fucked up she is she puts up her share and doesn’t walk away until the deed is done.
3️⃣ The Mastermind
I love a character with a plan.
The thinker. The one who plays mind games, manipulates the situation, whose super power is their inteligence.
We saw the raise of Sansa Stark, Kaz Brekker and his long sighted plans. Personally, I also love Teodora DiSangro from The Brilliant Death.
They all can stay cold blooded in stressful situations and play the long game. Of coure, they cannot predict everything and they have to mess up sometimes and fail to keep things believable and interesting but, come on, it will be a pleasure to see them get out of that.
4️⃣ Idealistic / Realistic combo
I know it’s technically two traits and two characters but it works best juxtaposed.
Crier has been raised in a palace. She doesn’t witness the cruelty of the world first hand. She knows that humans are second class citizens and she wants to fix that but she believes that she can do it by writing papers and convincing the ruling class. She is naive.
Ayla knows blood well. She knows that you won’t get anything you don’t fight for and the fight doesn’t guagantee it either.
I love those contrasting viewpoints and they make characters seem so much more intense?
5️⃣ The Morally Grey Type
Another popular one.
Come on, there’s at least one morally grey character you enjoyed. Was it Kaz Brekker? Loki? I think V.E. Shwab has some.
My last favourite is Maika from Monstress. She survived an internment camp and she’s mostly self-serving but she also shows a caring side from time to time. She doesn’t want to be irredeemable but won’t give up on herself either even if it may endanger others. She is forced by circumstances but she’s walking a thin line.
And we love that thin line, don’t we? That push and pull. That slipping in and out of darkness. That do they deserve a redemption?? It’s just so addictive…
6️⃣ Lovable Scoundrel
We all love Han Solo. We all lust over Valkyrie from Thor: Ragnarok.
Why?
They’re one mess of a human being (or, you know, a goddess) but they’re still kind of a softie underneath it all.
Here, I chose a less known example — Aela Crane. A pirate forced to work for the crown she hates. She would gladly abandon the quest but she doesn’t really have options right now and she has to bid her time. She’ll go through this and then she’ll get her revenge. Unless she makes a friend along the way and starts caring about people. Wait, what??
7️⃣ The Rebel
Ah, we all love rebelious types.
I don’t care about rebelling without a cause though. It’s just annoying. If you rebel, I want it to be against injustice not just some boring teenage hormones. I had enough of it in real life already.
Arnaka Skytree is rebelling against the mysoginistic society she’s living in as well as the classism and entitlement of the rulling class. She believes that by conforming to the injust society she has the blood of those who are harmed by it on her hands and inaction is being complicit.
8️⃣ The Oblivious One
Oh, I will always find a way to include slow-burn and pinning everywhere.
And what a better way to have both of those than to make one of the pair oblivious as fuck???
Plus, it’s a pure comedy.
Wei WuXian from Mo Dao Zu Shi is one of the most intelligent men alive (and dead, I guess? It’s not a spoiler — he just comes back to life at the start of the novel) but, oh boy, can he be dumb??? Took him like 20 years to realise that a boy is in love with him. Somebody help that bisexual disaster, please…
9️⃣ A Total Agent of Chaos
I could put Loki in here, there’s so much content with him but no, I had to go with this minor character I was obsessed as a kid.
Erra appears in the 4th Kate Daniels novel and she’s one of my favourite characters ever.
I can’t spoil who she is but she’s such a shithead. She’s smart and she can care for a few chosen ones in a way but she’s also batshit crazy and wants you to know that.
I mean, what else do you want from a woman?? I’m in love.
🔟 Determined
I read once that a character always always needs a goal. They need to want something or there’s no plot.
Tiffany Aching wants many things. Then she also needs many things.
And she never expects to get them for free. She doesn’t even consider not being the one who puts in the work and gets a job done.
There are other characters like that. I also love Adam Parrish from TRC. But Tiffany also has that simplicity of a child that makes her determination really the focus of her character. She wants a thing? She gets up and gets it.
What character traits do you love? Or maybe you would rather say a word about those you hate?
Link your TTT in comments!
–E.

The total agent of chaos and the oblivious one are my sworn-by loves. 🙌🏾 ❤️ I love them so much. And who doesn’t love the sarcastic type? 😉
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Right?? They’re the funniest types!
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Your list is so well done! I do love my morally grey characters though…
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Thank you!! Morally grey characters will be the downfall of all of us lol
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“And what a better way to have both of those than to make one of the pair oblivious as fuck???” – Hahaha this cracked me up, and I so agree with you! I absolutely love romance dumb-dumbs.
Characters with their own moral code I love, too, especially because moral codes are so subjective. Great list!
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Dumbasses to lovers is a superior trope lmao Especially if everyone around is sure as fuck that they’re dating but wow, me? they would like me?? haha! they’re too good to like me! :’) I love the angst
Yes! I love the exploration of various moral codes!
Thank you 🙂
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You have some really great and unique choices! I agree so much with sarcastic, lovable scoundrel, mastermind, I need to find all these in one character lol. Also nice that you put some book cover examples. I saw a big collector’s edition hardcover of Monstress at B&N today and it looks SO beautiful.
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Thank you! ❤
Oh, wouldn't that be cool?? Can't think of a good example though
Yes, I thought it would be good to have some pictures to go with it but it took me a while to come up with exapmles of characters to do that lol
OMG, I need to get that someday!! I only read it on my laptop so far… T.T
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Excellent list! I love to hate the oblivious ones… Like, Harry Potter was thick as a brick!
Also so glad you mention The Soulstealers as it is one of my favourite books I read this year and it seems like it’s getting No Love!
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Yes! He was so thick! Or, I think, it was more the case of being so focused on one thing he missed everything else happening around him which is the best case of oblivious, let’s be honest. It hits harder if the smart ones are being the oblivious ones as well! Pure comedy!
Oh, no! It was so fun! We read it with the Sapphic Book Club this year and it seemed like everyone liked it! She definitely needs More Love!! ❤
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I love sarcastic characters and Percy Jackson is a great example! Agents of chaos are so fun to read about too, they make everything more exciting and unpredictable!
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Yes! The fun and excitement are the most important to me while reading! If the characters are bores I don’t want them! 😀
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Great list! I love the morally grey types as well. They’re great to root for.
Here’s my TTT
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Thanks! They’re always the most intriguing
It’s already Thursday but I’m checking it out right away! 😁
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There are so many good ones on your list! 😀 The sarcastic type and the rebel are always great. The Loveable Scoundrel though… I haven’t seen that on anyone else’s TTT post but it’s awesome! I always end up falling in love with those characters and then laughing at their antics. They add such much needed levity to a tense plot. Fab list! 😀 Jen
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Yes, Lovable Scoundels are always so much fun! I wish there were more female characters like that though.
Thank you, Jen! 😊
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I’m loving all of these lists!
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Love your list! You’ve picked great traits.
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Thank you, Bookish Hooker!
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I love total agents of chaos! They’re so fantastic! Great list!
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Thanks! Yes, they’re the funniest! 😀
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