Character vs. Character

This week I had intriguing conversations, one with fellow CRWBadgirl Jenna Patrick, the other with at-large Badgirl, Britt Kent.  Both discussions were about the character Shane Walsh from AMC's The Walking Dead.  Even if you don't follow the show, keep reading, you'll still follow the point.

To sum it up the convos, liking a character's "character" is not the same as liking the character. 

I adore the character of Shane Walsh.  I've never read the comic and I haven't seen the first season, but judging by all of Season 2 and what we know of Season 3 (aka 2.5), he is exactly the kind of character I love to read about, watch, and write in my fiction.  While his character (meaning ethical or moral quality) is severely lacking, his character (meaning the persona represented in this role) is superb.  Shane is the walking monkey wrench in your plan, the charging rhino in the zombie apocalypse survivor camp.  Shane brings the drama!  Without the character of Shane, there might be peace and quiet on the show ... for a little while.

Viewers that don't like Shane argue he's unpredictable, unreliable, and way too tempermental.  I disagree.  I find him very predictable. Homocidal, but predictable.  If you're not Lori or Carl, you're zombie bait or means to an end.  Period.  I can always rely on his solution to every problem in this zombie filled reality to be Kill now! F*** a bunch of discussions and questions.  His temperament is always the same. Belligerent and Angry.  And I love him for it.  I love what he adds to the show, the plot, and what he brings out in the other characters.

ATTENTION: Spoilers below!  Skip the blue print if you aren't up to date on your viewing pleasure!


*SPOILERS*
And I will miss him so.  I'm not concerned with the drama levels of the show (b/c there's plenty of that to go around), but his is a special kind of cray cray drama that cannot be replaced.  :( RIP Shane Walsh.


If you don't watch The Walking Dead, here's another amazing and far more irreplacable character of questionable character: 

Hannibal Lecter. The ultimate in characters you love, but don't want over for dinner.  There's no questioning his defective moral compass, but you know how his personal set of ethics work and it makes for an amazing persona.  Our nightmares wouldn't be the same had we never met the good doctor.

So who are your favorite characters with questionable moral character (or those who lack it completely)?  Who do love and love to fear?