The Best Fictional Characters Who Never Give Up

Perseverance is one of the most admirable traits a person can have and it’s quite common in fiction to have a protagonist who deals with adversity at every turn. These characters might watch the people they love die, while facing hurdle after hurdle. The average person would cut their losses and give up. Since these fictional characters are so extraordinary, they never give up, despite every hardship they face.

In literature, determination shows up in some of the most famous characters of all time. Odysseus traveled for decades, facing monsters and war in order to get home to his wife. Captain Ahab searched for a mythical whale, even when he was labeled crazy for doing so.

In supernatural fiction, characters like Harry Potter, Frodo, and Buffy are given plenty of opportunities to abandon their quests, but choose to press on. Practically every superhero character is also imbued with this admirable trait.

As rare as perseverance is in real life, it’s a common character trait in some of the best fiction, from television to books. Vote up the best fictional characters below, those who never gave up, even when things were tough.