Robots, vampires and the like innately have superpowers. Otherworld humans almost always have superpowers. So it's understandable why these fictional characters would be a step above the run of the mill people we see in reality. But fictional characters who supposedly live on Earth just like us are more intriguing. Why are they so great? The answer generally is yet more superpowers, but let's break it down:
Superpowered: Nozomi, Tsubomi, Erika, Urara, Kanade, Mana, Honoka, Nagisa, Ako, Miyuki, Mai, Saki, Haruka, Kirara, Hibiki, Inori, Mirai, Rikka, Yayoi, Reika, Hikaru, Nao, Alice, Madoka, Elena, Yuko, Megumi, Love, Nodoka, Hinata, Manatsu, Chiyu, Hana, Mayu, Komachi, Sara, Ricca, Kotori, Otome, Yume, Himeno, Kiyotaka, Sakura, Tamaki, Aisia, Nanaka, Orihime, Uryuu, Riruka, Haku, Nanoha, Asuna, Ryoutarou, Yuuki, Akihiko, Keiko, Shino, Karen, Suguha, Rika, Kazuto, Kuririn, Bulma, Yamucha, Videl, Tienshinhan, Makie, Yue, Nodoka, Chisame, Kirie, Kip, Autumn, Shiori, Kotone, Rei, Chiharu, Aiko, Saki, Eri, Yume, Isao, Masanori, Tsubasa, Kaiki, Kiritsugu, Rin, Shirou, Sakura, Mai, Akane, Lucia, Kotori, Shizuru, Kotarou, Chihaya, Yukie, Battler, Mikoto, Touma, Kuroko, Uiharu, Misaki, Itsuwa, Kagome, Miroku, Sango, Lelouch, Suzaku, Kallen, Li, Aoshi, Hajime, Shinta, Sannosuke, Makoto, Misao, Seijuurou, Satou, Yoshika, Sanya, Eila, Hikari, Lucchini, Naoe, Itsuki, Yuuna, Karin, Sonoko, Gin, Sumi, Mamoru, Saito, Hayate, Ryoga, Shampoo, Ukyo, Ranma, Akane, Teletha, Kaname, Nami, Sousuke, Mikuru, Anthony, Peter, Simon, Yoko, Kamina, Yume, Ranta, Haruhiro, Shihoru, Yukino, Irina, Rintaro, Suzuha, Recca, Tokiya, Kaoru, Fuko, Masaomi, Liu, Chun-Li, Ryu, Akito, Yurika, Kyoma, Asuka, Shinji, Shinobu, Ringo, Kenichi, Natsu, Miu, Mitsuri, Tanjiro, Sakura, Syaoran, Christopher, Neko, Kana, Akane, Himawari, Nene, Shou, Agito, Kennosuke, Yukina, Harry, Hermione, Ryoma, Rentarou, Hiraku, Seiya, Terry, Mai,Tomochika, Yuna, Shima, Light, Akari, Oboro, Shichika, Tanya, Aya, Cid, Almus, Noriko, Yoji, James, Kyousuke, Minmei, Kurisu, Rika, Keima, Shiori, Tenri, Kanon, Yukito, Yuka, Umi
Superpowered people come in many different shapes. Some have access to superpowered tools, some can transform into superpowered forms, some benefit from mind controlling others, they're psychics, magicians, can wield ki, have beyond human limits skills, can time travel, etc. The characters of SAO are superpowered in that they have special abilities that affect the real lives of people regardless of it being virtual reality. For digital A.I. lifeforms or people stuck in a virtual world virtual is real.
A lot of the Earth based people with superpowers are isekai protagonists who started powerless on Earth but when transferred to their new worlds were granted various blessings. Regardless, it's easy to be cool when you have an outsized influence on the world, by virtue of having gifts regular people could never hope to acquire, so all these people are basically cheaters.
There's another way to have outsized influence on the world, however, and that's by commanding large numbers of underlings through a non-merit-based process.
Royalty/Nobility/Super-rich/Well-Connected: Jun'ichirou, Euphemia, Nunnaly, Nagi, Izumi, Kyon, Shinichi, Roland, Yuuhi, Jun'ichi, Eru, Yumi, Touko, Shimako, Kaya, Yoshino, Shirley, Rin, Valentine, Youta, Suzume, Hairi, Eve, Rito, Hasumi, Chiho, Hisui, Vivi, Rebecca, Aragorn, Theoden, Boromir, Petralka, Eowyn, Padme, Henrietta, Historia, Charlotte, Licia, Siegfried, Soo-Won, Yona, Sorsha, Buttercup, Sansa, Arya, San, Valashu
The remainder are admirable for more legitimate reasons, but it's still possible to categorize them into smaller groups:
Artists: Uta, Nina, Alice, Nico, Honoka, Kasumi, Chika, You, Chisato, Kanon, Ruby, Azusa, Mio, Tsumugi, Yui, Ritsu, Sagiri, Masamune, Emily, Kirino, Ayase, Ruri, Moritaka, Akito, Miho, Sora, Miu, Aoba, Nene, Ko, Yun, Haruka, Miki, Miku, Iori, Mayaka, Iori, Itsuki, Ai, Ruby, Aquamarine, Rin, Ichigo, Aoi, Hana, Ai, Chitose, Wakana, Haruhiko, Fuu, Kasumi, Io, Nanami, Nanako, Sonata, Kanata
Athletes: Kou, Aoba, Momiji, Mizuki, Yuhei, Tatsuya, Minami, Toma, Soichiro, Haruka, Kumiko, Reina, Noboru, Ai, Ai, Yaichi, Kokona, Hinata, Aoi, Subaru, Tomoka, Maho, Goro, Chisato, Mutsuko, Minori, Hatoko, Misaki, Minami, Mizuki, Hiyori, Saki, Taichi, Hikaru, Hiro, Akari, Miho, Genichiro, Keigo, Ryoma, Kintaro, Toki, Saki, Shino, Yuuki, Kuro
Skilled Warriors: Indiana, Pete, Haruhiko, Karen, Sayaka, Tadakatsu, Yamato, Kazuko, Shouichi, Reina, Keiichi, Shion, Makina, Yuuji, Sachi, Hinagiku, Ryuya, Minato, Mugen, Jin, Ryo, Shenhua, Thorfinn, Lucius, Ryouta, Emilia, Nathaniel, Martin, Takashi, Han, Hayate, Erwin, Welkin, Claude, Riley, Chise, Caim, Hak, Madmartigan, Yor, Wesley, Inigo, Orcbolg, Jin, Shichimi, Natane, Spike, Akeno, Ranpha, Lise
Geniuses: Tsukasa, Anzu, Kotomi, Sodachi, Satoko, Hotaro, Andrew, Kenji, Victorique, Yoru, Riku, River, Loid, Danlo, Sora, Shiro
These folks earned their admiration, but mostly had inborn talents no one else could hope to match which made their paths possible.
Which makes the remainder all the more intriguing. How can you stand out as one of the most admirable people in imagination if you lack any advantages? Through pure virtue. So let's categorize the remaining standouts by the virtues that struck my eye:
Nice: Jun'ichi, Ryou, Kyou, Tomoyo, Yukine, Sanae, Mikan, Haruna, Kouichi, Kodaka, Ayumu, Megumi, Junichi, Ai, Miya, Kyosuke, Aya, Karen, Kippei, Kobeni, Akari, Popura, Komari, Lorelai, Ui, Kaywinnet, Lutz, Sumomo, Lucinda, Kokoro
Loving: Otomi, Minori, Nemu, Charles, Noeri, Koko, Yuzu, Kanako, Nagisa, Tomoya, Akio, Nayuki, Sayuri, Hotaru, Ageha, Kobato, Sena, Kaya, Koharu, Sakura, Naruko, Jinta, Asuho, Chinami, Alice, Chiwa, Ai, Chisato, Taiga, Runa, Meguru, Yuu, Haruka, Makoto, Yura, Shizuka, Chiyo, Yuuri, Gemma, Harukaze, Jinto
Tenacious: Aoi, Komari, Sasami, Haruka, Kanata, Kudryavka, Riki, Yuichi, Shiori, Akiko, Michiru, Amane, Yozora, Mayuri, Isara, Chihiro, Mizuki, Ume, Futaba, Asu, Kotonoha, Mirai, Rin, Suzu, Nausicaa
Hardworking: Aoi, Yuuta, Kyou, Naoya, Nagisa, Kiyokazu, Ohana, Kukuru, Simon, Benno, Lawrence, Kureha, Emilico
Courageous: Mei, Ushio, Rin, Wakaba, Asa, Kotori, Hina, Kazumi, Sae, Izumi, Yuzuyu, Yukari, Matsuri, Hinako, Shuri, Airi, Chihiro, Beatrice
Wise: Yusuke, Akane, Genjuurou, Miyuki, Malcom
There's also the 'otherworld humans' who lack superpowers, who should be credited for what vaulted them to fame. They've been distributed to the above categories.
Of course, there are many superpowered, virtuous people. Or virtuous princesses. Or virtuous athletes, etc. But strong, talented, influential people are innately admirable, so there's too much of a taint connected to them, like, oh of course you'd praise them. That's why I most wanted to single out the people whose only admirable quality was their virtue. These are the fictional characters who impress me the most, because the authors had the least to work with to make me like them, and yet like them I do. It's also interesting that these six virtues are the ones I most readily fall for. Of course I could have used some other words and grouped them by those words, but I think these six are the most fitting, which means these really are the six virtues I'm looking for in a person. I like these six virtues because anyone can have them, the capacity for these virtues are universally distributed among all mankind, so your worth is earned when you display them. And apparently I love loving people most of all, (the largest group of fictional characters admired with no special advantages). Given the worldwide falling birthrates, we sure could use more of them.
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