I haven't read all the way through, because I wanted to make my own list without being influenced by others. It was hard! I love all the characters so much. But my top ten are:
10. Doctor Cornelius: He was very committed to what he believed in. Miraz could have done some serious things to him, had he found out all the things he was telling Caspian. But he told him anyway. And if you think about it, that saved Narnia. Without him, none of the events of PC could have happened.
9. Polly Plummer: She is a really, really good friend. And very brave, as well. She swallowed her fear and went exploring with Digory. Then, she tried to keep him from ringing the bell. When he didn't listen, actually hurt her physically, and woke up the White Witch, she was still quick to forgive when he said sorry. And she didn't only say it, but also proved it. She didn't have to go with Digory and Fledge, nor did she have to stay when they were cold and had no food. But she did, and he probably couldn't have made it without her. She would have been higher, but I didn't like her as much in LB. She seemed too harsh with her words about Susan. Yes it was true, but they had to have been close once, and it just seemed like she no longer cared at all. Where was the forgiveness then?
8. Reepicheep: What exactly can I say about him? You have to love him, with his endless worrying about honor and his unfailing chivalry. But he also has a great faith. And to think that he wanted to get to Aslan's country so much that he was willing to ride up a wave at the end of the world? He could just keep falling, and falling, and falling... But that didn't scare him. He wanted to get to Aslan's country more then anything.
7. Eustace Clarence Scrubb: He was okay in VDT, but I adored him in SC. He tried to reach out to Jill and be a good friend, both at Experiment House and on the edge of the cliff. He ended up getting tossed off, his greatest fear, but he didn't hold that against her. (Well, not much, anyway.) He showed a lot of loyalty to Caspian by immediately telling the owls that if their meeting was in any way against the king he wanted no part of it. That was pretty brave, considering that fact that he was vastly out numbered. And while he did get taken in by the promise of luxury at Harfang, he didn't try to make any excuses as to why they messed up, as Jill did. He was willing to own his mistakes.
6. Hwin: I love Hwin because of her... faithfulness, I guess. She's not used to hard riding, and she seems to be a bit shy, but she does what needs to be done. She digs in and sets the pace when Bree can't, and she is very humble. Plus, how can you not love her response to Aslan?
5. Puddleglum: I had almost forgotten about Puddleglum, not liking him much when I was little. But when I re-read the Chronicles after VDT came out, and he became one of my all-time favorites. He's so funny with his endless pessimism, but under that is a heart of gold. He sticks to what he says he's going to do, and he doesn't even waver when things get tough. His outlook, depressing as it may be, helps with that, I think. A clear view of reality makes for a clear view of Aslan. He's an amazing friend to Eustace and Jill, as well.
Now it's getting harder! Numbers 2-4 are very close.
4. Jill: I love Jill because she's so easy to relate to. She's a tough girl, but she's also not afraid to let her emotions out. I also share her fear of underground places. I would have totally freaked out, had I even been unfortunate enough to fall into the Underworld. But she just whined a little, held on to her friends, and recovered well. She's spunkier then Lucy, Susan, and Polly, which is fun. She knows what she wants and will do what needs to be done to get it. And she likes horses-- that gets her points!
3. Edmund: How can you not love him? He didn't hang with the best of crowds in England, and in Narnia he was unfortunate enough to bump right into the White Witch. But he turned it around and put his strong feelings and passions into something good and proved his true character and love for justice. He's great with Eustace after the whole dragon thing, and he's good with a sword. My favorite line of his is from HHB: "But even a traitor may mend. I have known one that did."
2. Lucy: Was the username a hint at all?
Lucy was my first character role model. Her faith is amazing, and since I was six, I've wanted to be like her. Then, as far as personality goes, I can relate to her as well. I especially feel her pain in VDT with the magician's book, thinking of yourself as second best to someone "prettier" then you and wondering if your friends really love you as much as they say they do. And her relationship with Aslan is something to be envied.
1. Aslan: I mean, it's a given. And I understand Him here so, so much better by reading about what He did there. As long as I can remember, the words "Courage, dear heart" have popped into my head whenever I feel like I
can't do something. (But that's a bit off topic.) How can you not love him?