My Top 10 Most Memorable Secondary Characters

Top Ten Tuesday topic is a meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

AKA, dang Suzanne Collins, you sure know how to write secondary characters.

Seriously, I am going to apologize upfront that nearly half of these characters from The Hunger Games trilogy. But you know what, I’m not really that sorry, because they’re awesome and deserve to be seen as such! I could easily do a Top 10 Hunger Games secondary characters, but I refrained myself. Here they are, in no particular order…

1. Haymitch, The Huger Games trilogy

haymitch&katnissHaymitch starts out as the old, drunkard Victor who feels trapped by the system the Capitol has set in place, but with many thanks to Katniss, grows to believe change is possible.

Haymitch takes the seat across from me. “We’re going to have to work together again. So, go ahead. Just say it.”
… All I can say is “I can’t believe you didn’t rescue Peeta.”
“I know,” he replies.
There’s a sense of incompleteness. And not because he hasn’t apologized. But because we were a team. We had a deal to keep Peeta safe. A drunken, unrealistic deal made in the dark of night, but a deal just the same. And in my heart of hearts, I know we both failed.
“Now you say it,” I tell him.
“I can’t believe you let him out of your sight that night,” says Haymitch.
I nod. That’s it.

2. Cinna, The Hunger Games trilogy

Cinna is an incredible secondary character, who shows great strength and great restraint, quietly rebelling against the Capitol in his own way and loving Katniss the way she needed someone to love her.

“Don’t worry. I always channel my emotions into my work.  That way I don’t hurt anyone but myself.”

3. Effie, The Hunger Games trilogy

At first Effie seems as flighty and silly as Capitol people come, but through Katniss and Peeta, we see her change and as she comes to  realize just how truly evil the Games are. Unfortunately, however, we don’t know how her story ends.

4. Finnick, The Hunger Games trilogy

Just like Katniss, I was suspicious of Finnick at first. I mean, “Do you want a sugar cube?”? Really? Creepy! But he proves to be so much more than the famed hunky Victor Katniss believed him to be. He proves to be someone who loves deeply and will fight for what he believes.

“Did you love Annie right away, Finnick?” I ask.
“No.” A long time passes before he adds, “She crept up on me.”

5. Iko, The Lunar Chronicles

Iko is Cinder’s robot companion, but she’s far from boring, bursting with a fun personality regardless of whether she is talking to Cinder about Prince Kai or if her program has been re-routed into a ship where she laments getting used to her new “body.” Iko definitely made me smile several times while reading Cinder.

“Prince Kai! Check my fan, I think I’m overheating.”

6. Max, The Book Thief

 

Max is a Jew in Nazi Germany who hides in Liesel’s basement. Liesel comes to befriend him and they talk to each other about words and nightmares, helping each other through their own tragedies.

7. Rudy, The Book Thief

The-Book-Thief-Liesel-Rudy-CROPThe story of Liesel’s best friend seriously gave me all the feels. What is not to love about a rambunctious young boy who relentlessly pursues and teases the girl he’s crazy about?

The only thing worse than a boy who hates you. A boy who loves you.

8. Repicheep, The Chronicles of Narnia

Reepicheep, the most daring and courageous mouse of all, starts off a bit prideful, but in the end is humbled as he enters Aslan’s country. I love this feisty mouse and his story.

Reepicheep: I can eat and sleep and die for my King without one [a tail]. But a tail is the honour and glory of a Mouse.
Aslan: I have sometimes wondered, friend, whether you do not think too much about your honour.

9. Bean, Ender’s Game

Bean is one of the very few people Ender can rely on in the middle of his chaos of trying to discover who he is when the weight of the world is literally upon him. It’s neat to see their friendship develop and it made me interested in reading about Bean’s point of view in Ender’s Shadow, but I have not yet.

“They can’t break you.”
“You’d be surprised.” Ender breathed sharply, suddenly, as if there were a stab of pain, or he had to catch a sudden breath in a wind; Bean looked at him and realized that the impossible was happening. Far from baiting him, Ender Wiggin was actually confiding in him. Not much. But a little. Ender was human and Bean had been allowed to see.

10. Valentine, Ender’s Game

ender&valentine

Ender’s sister Valentine is also a very interesting character. She is incredibly smart but is considered too compassionate for the role of saving mankind from aliens, but she is exactly who Ender needs as he is falling apart. But Valentine is not perfect, as she allows their other brother, Peter, to manipulate her into exercising out his political schemes. It’s interesting to watch her reactions to Peter and Ender in the novel, and I am really looking forward to seeing how Abigail Breslin portrays her in the movie.

Ender: I didn’t want to see you.
Valentine: They told me.
Ender: I was afraid that I’d still love you.

What do you think of these secondary characters? Who are your favorite secondary characters? 

41 Responses to My Top 10 Most Memorable Secondary Characters

  1. This may be a risky thing to say here but…I didn’t really care for the hunger games. (dodges tomatoes).

    I will be honest and didn’t read the books and am basing only on the movie, but it was just ‘meh’ to me. I thought it was a good movie, but not the be all, end all, that it was made out to be.

    With that said, I think Haymitch was a very memorable character. I enjoyed his role and not just because it was Woody Harrelson playing it. The others didn’t stick out in my mind as much. I think Rue stuck out though. Pivotal point in Katniss’s ordeal and just a very likable girl.

    Of course love the Ender’s Game references, and if you liked Bean now, wait until you read Ender’s Shadow. There are many who like his character more than Ender even.

    Anthony

    • Can’t believe I didn’t think of Rue, you’re right on about her. The Hunger Games books are WAY better than the movie. I enjoyed the movie, but it definitely does not carry all the nuances of the books.

  2. Excuse me, but I’m seriously fangirling right now because you included Valentine and Bean. You’ve made my day!

    Also, I think we can solidly confirm that the secondary characters in THG were far better than the primary characters (with the exception of Peeta)

    • Yay for Bean and Valentine! I love the primary and secondary characters in HG… I think Suzanne Collins really knows how to craft interesting and whole characters.

  3. Oh my gosh. Yes, yes, yes. Cinna was my favorite character in the Hunger Games trilogy, and Finnick was my second favorite! And Iko is just the best. I wish she was real. And mine. <3

    • Haymitch is pretty frustrating, I get that, but I do feel like he grows a lot. And he doesn’t go from imperfect to perfect, he’s still imperfect at the end, but he’s definitely changed.

      The Lunar Chronicles are great! I’ve been happy to see lots of Iko love today!

  4. I can’t believe I forgot Cinna and Haymitch : ( Bad me! Anyway.. I’m reading The Book Thief, so I have to agree about Rudy – I love him! I love how open he is about liking Liesel!

  5. I love the HG and all of the characters within. Cinna is probably my favorite secondary character. I read Ender’s Game YEARS ago. I need to give it a second look before the movie comes out. I really need to read Cinder and The Book Thief. I have both on my TBR and the audio of Cinder checked out. Great list!

  6. Um, is it bad that I basically shouted almost every name on your list when I read it! All the Hunger Games ones, Max, Iko…ADORE. Sigh. Catching Fire will be painful for me.

  7. I have to laugh. I thought I could put almost all the characters from Hunger Games, but I refrained. Good for you!! I thought about Madge, she was a great character too.

    Iko is an amazing secondary character.

  8. Hooray for Max! I also loved Haymitch too, but I vowed to keep it down to one person per book for one reason or another, so wound up just sticking with Cinna. Great list.

  9. Okay, I haven’t read The Enders Game but YES to everything else. I included The Hunger Games, but none of the characters you chose. Not because I didn’t love them though! And YES! The Book Thief has great secondary characters as well. So glad you chose them 😀

  10. Reblogged this on The Worlds top 10 of Anything and Everything!!! and commented:
    Today is Sunday which means it is guest post day! Today’s post is from ‘Amy’ and brings us a “My Top 10 Most Memorable Secondary Characters” which features some very surprising people. So I hope you enjoy it and show it as much love as you do my own top 10′s. But if you think you can do better or interested in doing the same please drop me an E-Mail: turtle4578588@gmail.com But until then here is today’s….

  11. I think Lando Calrissian would be added to mine 🙂
    I’m yet to read The Book Thief although I did buy it the other day. I am currently reading Love in the Time of Cholera. I can’t say who is the best secondary character in that yet

  12. I’m so old school that the only one of these characters I know is Valentine, and I know her from the books. I’ve not seen the movie.
    I think that Samwise Gamgee is one of the best secondary characters. He’s the finest best friend anyone could have.

    • Valentine is much better developed in the book than in the movie, for sure! Samwise is a good choice! I haven’t read LOTR yet but I love him in the movies, especially Return of the King!

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