Since I introduced this series last week and let everyone know this post was coming, I feel like just diving into the list is best. So in no particular order, here are my five favorite male Young Adult characters!

1- Eric from the Divergent series: This is probably not who everyone would expect me to choose, but I honestly find Eric to be more interesting than Four! Eric is one of those characters that I feel is misunderstood and is so much more complex than readers might believe him to be. The collection of short stories about Four gives a glimpse at a younger Eric, an Eric that is confident, but also slightly insecure and jealous of Four. The glimpse we get of  a younger Eric raised so many questions for me about him that it led me to see him in a different light. Like in the one scene (I won’t give any spoilers, I promise), where he does something that I know a lot of people thought was an asshole move and just an opportunity to show off his cruelty and flaunt his authority, but I viewed it as an important lesson for all the Dauntless initiates. Eric may be cruel, but there is logic and reason behind his actions. Eric is also strong in his beliefs and never wavers from them even when he knows what the consequences could be. I really, really, REALLY hope that one day Veronica Roth will release some short stories or a novella about Eric because I have so many questions about him that I’ dying to know the answers to! (Think I can email her and beg for this to happen?)

2- Damon Salvatore from The Vampire Diaries series: Damon Salvatore is one of those male fictional characters that you wish was real, but probably shouldn’t. Damon is spiteful, vengeful, selfish, cold, cruel, the list goes on and on! But he is also loving and he has the ability to be selfless and he is redeemable. Damon is complex which only makes him more interesting because his complexity leads him to being unpredictable, which makes me love him even more. Book Damon or television Damon, I love them both (although I could never imagine book Damon to be as hot as television Damon is)!

3- Harry Potter from the Harry Potter series: What can I say about Harry that hasn’t been said by millions of fans worldwide? Harry guided so many of us through our childhoods and teen years, dealing with many of the issues we face during those years such as bullying, trying to figure out who we are, first crushes to name a few. Harry is just one of those characters that I feel will never be forgotten because he has impacted the lives of so many readers worldwide. Despite his magical powers and living in a world we could only imagine living in, Harry is easy to relate to because we all face what he goes through at some point in our lives (well except for a Dark Wizard constantly trying to kill us). I think all the reasons why Harry is on this list goes without saying, so this leads me into my fourth pick, another character from the Harry Potter series.

4- Draco Malfoy from the Harry Potter series: Draco is the exact opposite of Harry and it’s that opposition that makes me love Draco so much. Draco is everything Harry isn’t and I’ve always felt a big part of that is due to Draco’s father. The Malfoy family has a long lineage and his father expects him to live up to the Malfoy name. We see Draco bully others the way his father bullies him, which explains a lot about Draco’s personality and his actions. But deep down Draco is a scared and insecure boy with good inside of him and in the end, he does prove himself to be redeemable (well I see it that way, others might not). Draco is another character that I feel has a lot more to him than what is shown and that is a part of what draws me to his character.

5- Augustus ‘Gus” Waters from The Fault In Our Stars: Augustus Waters is one of those fictional characters who- in my opinion- you won’t ever be able to get over. Augustus has so many great traits- He’s loyal, funny, realistic but optimistic, and he changed Hazel’s life in the  best way a person can change someone’s life. His “I’m in love with you” speech is one of the most beautiful and unforgettable things I have ever read. The impact Augustus had not only on Hazel, but on me as well puts him on this list for me. I’m not sure I can truly put into words how much his character and this novel as a whole impacted me.

If there’s one thing I noticed with this list is that many of my favorite male characters are bad guys. I think there is something about a fictional bad boy that gets under my skin and makes it hard for me to forget them. With female characters I look for someone I can relate to, but that doesn’t seem to be the case with my male character choices!

I’m really curious to know who your five favorite male Young Adult characters are! I’m also curious to know what you think of my picks. I know some aren’t the popular choice, but I believe in honesty and will never say something just to gain popularity! Like I wrote in my last post- Being different is OK and I will hold true to that! I haven’t decided what my next genre will be yet, so please give me some suggestions on a genre you might like to see!