My favorite minor characters are...hard to choose. I'm the sort of reader/viewer/consumer who tends to identify more with minors than the majors. For the sake of clarity, I'm defining "minor character" as having a third-tier relationship to the protagonist(s) and/or the plot. Secondary characters get a lot of glory; but we really shouldn't gloss over the amazing third-string who get so little time on page/screen yet have a notable impact on the story.
Because I'm a girl who enjoys making lists here my
Top 3 Favorite Minor Characters:
1. The Master of the Young Amelia -- the merchant ship's captain from Dumas's
Count of Monte Cristo (the book, not the movie)
. A man who recognized the genius beneath the filth of the escaped fugitive pretending to be a shipwrecked sailor. The captain was a man of authority who also had the humility to recognize and appreciate that Dantes was a rare gem of an asset to the crew. Yet, the captain didn't abuse Dantes, didn't manipulate or conspire against him, he didn't punish Dantes for seemingly being a better man than he. The captain was one of the few characters in the book about revenge and betrayal, who was a genuinely good guy.
2. Pree -- The club owner/bartender from
Syfy's Killjoys (played by actor Thom Allison).
Counselor, comic relief, and amazing eyebrows that he uses to great effect, Pree is the guy who when shit's gonna blow, grabs the booze. He owned my heart after that. He was a minor character in Season One, but Season Two Ep1 featured him prominently, so I'm hoping for more screen time for that character.
A hat tip to our own Veronica Scott for her interview with Killjoy's show creator Michelle Lovretta. If you haven't tuned into this Sci-Fi bounty hunter series, you're really missing out.
3. Asta -- the dog from the
Thin Man movies. Comedy + mystery + happy couple + mischievous dog = everything I love in a movie. I dare you not to cry, "Asta! Asta!" the next time you see a fox terrier.
