Top 10 Most Iconic Fictional Characters of All Time

The Top Ten
1 Batman Batman aka Bruce Wayne is a fictional superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and first appeared in Detective Comics #27. In film, he has been portrayed by Lewis Wilson, Robert Lowery, Adam West, Michael... read more

It doesn't matter who the actor is, who the writer is, or how badly some people could ruin his comics or movies. It doesn't change the fact that he's Batman! He will always be great in all media: comics, movies, TV series, animated series, animated movies, and video games, with dozens of different incarnations.

Be it comics, TV, video games, or movies, Batman will always be one of the first characters to come to mind.

Er, why is Forrest Gump #1? More people know of Batman than Gump.

2 Bugs Bunny Bugs Bunny is an animated cartoon character, created by the staff of Leon Schlesinger Productions (later Warner Bros.) He is one of (if not) the most famous cartoon characters, and he is in the show Looney Tunes. His famous quote is "What's up doc?". He is a gray colored bunny with big teeth and big... read more
3 Mickey Mouse Mickey Mouse is a funny animal cartoon character and the official mascot of The Walt Disney Company. He was created by Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks at the Walt Disney Studios in 1928. The first cartoon featuring Mickey Mouse was the iconic "Steamboat Willie" released in the year 1928.

Ha! Hey, everybody! It's me, Mickey Mouse! Say, do you want to come inside my clubhouse? Whoops, wrong topic. Mickey Mouse himself was the golden age for most grandparents as kids! He pretty much planted the ideas for Jerry and Bugs in their creators' heads. An oversized, talking mouse that sings and dances - how is that not iconic?

Crap and overcommercialized nowadays (just take a look at Mickey Mouse Clubhouse), but he used to be great and far more iconic. Proof of this is that to get children to wear gas masks during WW2, the masks were styled after Mickey Mouse.

4 Forrest Gump Forrest Gump is a fictional character who first appears in the 1986 novel by Winston Groom. Forrest Gump also appeared on screen in the 1994 film of the same name directed by Robert Zemeckis.
5 Superman Superman is a comic character. And probably the first powerful superhero in the fictional world. The character was created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, high school students living in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1933. It was published by DC comics. The first animated superhero movie was superman... read more

Unquestionably the most iconic fictional character of all time. If you showed this list to everyone on the planet, more people would know Superman than anyone else.

He's Superman! Easily the most iconic character. To prove it, I'll compare him with the ones currently ranked above him.

Superman (5th) vs. Batman (4th): These are the two big DC superheroes. However, Superman is more iconic because he kickstarted the superhero genre. Without Superman, Batman would not exist.

Superman (5th) vs. Mickey Mouse (3rd): This is probably the closest comparison here. I'm giving this to Superman by a hair because of what Mickey has become. These days, he's mostly thought of as a commercial mascot, with most people having never seen a single one of his cartoons. Superman's comics are more widely read worldwide.

Superman (5th) vs. Bugs Bunny (2nd): Now, I like Bugs better than Superman, but is he more iconic? No. Bugs is a close number two to Mickey in terms of cartoon fame, and as we've already proven, Superman is more iconic than Mickey. Therefore, he is more iconic than Bugs Bunny.

Superman (5th) vs. Forrest Gump (1st): Excuse me while I laugh. Forrest Gump is considered iconic? I suppose his movie is well-known, but that does not justify being number one on this list, more iconic than not only the ones I've mentioned above but also Darth Vader, Mario, Charlie Brown, Pikachu, James Bond, Spider-Man. I could go on and on. Superman is so much more iconic than this guy. (Also, Gump has 17% of the votes on this list. For reference, Bugs currently has 11%. Is this some kind of joke?)

Lastly, the Superman "S" is the second-most recognized symbol around the world - the only thing that beats it is the Christian cross. That seals it!

6 Darth Vader Darth Vader is a Star Wars character and the main antagonist of the first three original Star Wars films and the main protagonist of the Star Wars prequel trilogy under his original name Anakin Skywalker. He had been trained as a Jedi but defected to the Sith lord and Galactic Chancellor Palpatine... read more

Instantly recognizable just from his breathing. You don't even need to see him to know who it is. And his design is so simple that it is difficult to replicate in new characters.

When you ask what character everyone knows, it has to be the man himself, Vader. I love almost all the characters on this list, but everyone who ever read this list knows who this badass is.

Team Vader! Also, why is Forrest Gump first? I mean, I get that he's a good character, but he's not really that iconic, honestly.

7 Super Mario Mario, originally named Jumpman, is the main character of the Super Mario Bros. franchise, created by the creative director and video game designer at Nintendo of Japan, Shigeru Miyamoto. Mario has appeared in almost every Mario game, including games in spin-off series as a playable character, with... read more

Likely one of, if not, the most iconic face of gaming. If it weren't for Mario, then there would be no Sonic, for example.

Relevant in the '90s, relevant now, relevant forever. That's Mario.

MARIO WILL NEVER DIE!
Mario is definitely iconic. People of all ages most likely know Mario. He's one of the best-selling video games of all time, with a TV show to boot.

8 Harry Potter Harry James Potter is the title character of J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter series. The majority of the books' plot covers seven years in the life of the orphan Potter, who, on his eleventh birthday, learns he is a wizard.

I'm pretty sure anyone who has access to the internet has heard of him.

9 Spider-Man Spider-Man is a fictional superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics existing in its shared universe. The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and writer-artist Steve Ditko, and first appeared in the anthology comic book Amazing Fantasy #15 (August 1962) in the... read more

Spider-Man is relatable to anyone. Without the costume, he is still Peter Parker, dealing with normal people's issues and stuff.

Spider-Man should definitely be way higher than this. Maybe even surpassing Superman AND Batman. No offense, but it's pretty obvious. This is obviously outdated.

10 James Bond Royal Navy Commander James Bond is a fictional character created by British journalist and novelist Ian Fleming in 1953. He is the protagonist of the James Bond series of novels, films, comics and video games.

Not a big fan, but he is surely more iconic than Charlie Brown.

His name and suit say everything!

The Contenders
11 Charlie Brown

Good grief. He's like 70 years old. Several generations know of Charlie Brown.

12 Pikachu Pikachu (Japanese: ピカチュウ) are a species of Pokémon, fictional creatures that appear in an assortment of video games, animated television shows and movies, trading card games, and comic books licensed by The Pokémon Company, a Japanese corporation. A mascot of the Pokemon franchise, it's... read more
13 Godzilla Godzilla is a giant monster originating from a series of tokusatsu films of the same name from Japan.
14 Joker The Joker is a fictional super villain created by Bill Finger, Bob Kane, and Jerry Robinson who first appeared in the debut issue of the comic book Batman (April 25, 1940) published by DC Comics. Credit for the Joker's creation is disputed; Kane and Robinson claimed responsibility for the Joker's design,... read more

Everyone who knows of Batman knows the Joker.

15 Goku Son Goku (Kakarrot) is the main protagonist in Dragon Ball franchise created by Akira Toriyama in 1984. He has many abilities like, super strength, utilization of ki, flight, teleportation, super speed, enhanced reflexes, and Super Saiyan transformation that increase strength, speed, and durability... read more

I think he is the best childhood memory for us right now, both as a teenager and as an adult.

16 Yoda Yoda is a fictional character in the Star Wars space opera franchise created by George Lucas, first appearing in the 1980 film The Empire Strikes Back. He is portrayed by Frank Oz.
17 Barbie
18 Captain Jack Sparrow Captain Jack Sparrow, played by Johnny Depp, is a fictional character and the main protagonist in the Pirates of the Caribbean film series. He is a pirate in the film series... read more

He was part of the best film decision ever. Depp played Sparrow perfectly, and Sparrow is the perfect character.

You'll remember this as the day when you almost got Captain Jack Sparrow on top!

19 Indiana Jones Dr. Henry Walton "Indiana" Jones, Jr., often shortened to "Indy", is the titular character of the Indiana Jones franchise. Created by George Lucas, Indiana Jones is an archeologist adventurer. His signature fedora and whip have become fixtures in popular culture. Indiana Jones is portrayed by Harrison... read more
20 Sherlock Holmes Sherlock Holmes is a fictional private detective created by British author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Referring to himself as a "consulting detective" in the stories, Holmes is known for his proficiency with observation, forensic science, and logical reasoning that borders on the fantastic, which he employs... read more

Who doesn't know this character?

21 Eleven Eleven is a fictional character of the Netflix science fiction horror series Stranger Things. She is portrayed by Millie Bobby Brown.
22 The Doctor (Doctor Who)
23 Aang Avatar Aang is a fictional character and the protagonist of Nickelodeon's animated television series Avatar: The Last Airbender, voiced by Zach Tyler Eisen. Aang is the last surviving Airbender, a monk of the Air Nomads' Southern Air Temple.
24 Legolas Legolas is a character in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium. He is a Sindarin Elf of the Woodland Realm and one of nine members of the Fellowship of the Ring. He has been portrayed by Orlando Bloom in the live action movies.
25 Rocky Balboa Robert "Rocky" Balboa is the title character of the Rocky film series. The character was created by Sylvester Stallone, who also portrayed him in all six Rocky films and two Creed movies.

I'm sorry, but if you are any bit cultured, you know who Rocky Balboa is. You also know his famous quotes that are on par with "With great power comes great responsibility." Rocky Balboa is a pillar of Hollywood.

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