Because you like Marius in Les Miserables
Elena Gilbert is the quintessential girl-next-door who gets involved with the new "boy" at school. See them in The Vampire Diaries.
The brilliant and well-adjusted Ender Wiggin is being groomed for the next generation of military leaders to fight alien invaders. See them in Ender's Game.
Shrek is a nasty-on-the-surface ogre with a heart of gold and an earful of wax. See them in Shrek.
Phoenix Wright is an easygoing defense attorney who is rarely defensive. See them in Ace Attorney Series .
Just a hint of human emotion lurks under the enigmatic exterior of Rei Ayanami. See them in Neon Genesis Evangelion.
When the going gets tough, Rick Grimes gets tougher. It's a very useful trait when the world goes to hell. See them in The Walking Dead.
Lelouch vi Britannia is a high school student by day, masked destroyer of tyrannical empires by night. See them in Code Geass.
A charismatic and misunderstood FBI agent, Dale Cooper relies on dreams and premonitions to solve cases. See them in Twin Peaks.
When Rin Matsuoka is not swimming, he mostly spends his time brooding or listening to angry Dubstep. See them in Free! Iwatobi Swim Club.
Castiel might be an immortal angel, but the human world is still more than a little confusing. See them in Supernatural.
Ethan Hunt's mission, should he chose to accept it, is to save the world from impossible threats. See them in Mission: Impossible.