Because you like Ishmael in Moby Dick

Stranded on Mars, Mark Watney is armed with quick wits, an electronic diary, disco music, and an undying resolve to make it back. See them in The Martian.

Father to a murdered son and husband to a murdered wife, Maximus Decimus Meridius will have his vengeance. See them in Gladiator.

David Wooderson has clocked in hundreds of hours cruising around town looking for fun. See them in Dazed and Confused.

Small and curious, he is a 50-year-old baby of a peculiar green species with unusual abilities. See them in The Mandalorian.

After years of living vicariously through other people's heroic stories, Wade Watts is about to become a hero himself. See them in Ready Player One.

A Wakandan spy, Nakia is capable, caring, and just the right amount of stubborn. See them in Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Barbara Kean is loving, selfless, and caring. But, she's less stable than she'd like to admit. See them in Gotham.

Beneath Arthur's brash demeanor lurks the heart of a compassionate future king destined to unite the five kingdoms. See them in Merlin.

If this slick ad man doesn't like the conversation, he changes it—while drinking and smoking. See them in Mad Men.

Though she can seamlessly flit between glamorous identities, Sydney Prosser is more vulnerable than she pretends to be. See them in American Hustle.

Goh Peik Lin is funny, unfiltered, and a fiercely supportive friend. See them in Crazy Rich Asians.

Sharply perceptive and stubbornly principled, Jane Eyre might not have a very loud voice, but she knows when and how to use it. See them in Jane Eyre.