Foreword

So I thought I'd start this list before Les Miserables came out with Anne Hathaway doing what I know will be a breathtaking job of playing Fantine and completely forcing me to rethink how I set up this list. Meanwhile, I will also be composing a list after this dedicated to characters who I think are manly.

Why am I doing this? When I first had the idea of creating this list, I brushed it aside because I thought it was inherently superficial. Nobody wants to hear about what female characters I think are more beautiful than others. If there's one sure way to degrade the opposite sex, it's by rating them on their appearances. I didn't want to write anything superficial. My disposition changed when I realized that I could make a few significant notes about humanity and discuss beauty on more than one level. Then I got the idea to make this a countdown, so as to better divide the list and dedicate more time to each entrant, and which leads me to the present.

These characters, through their personalities and the way their appearances have reflected them, have fundamentally affected my image of what beauty is over time. Sometimes I have had huge crushes on the characters, while at other times I have not crushed on the character but she has molded the image in my mind of what makes for a woman. Sometimes I end up really appreciating people who remind me of the character. The ten people of this compilation have together come to help define my understanding of what makes femininity wholesome.

This list will naturally include pictures, of course, since there's no better way to describe someone's external beauty, but I would also like to explain through words why their personalities make their faces stand out.

A distinction must be made so that it is clear that this list specifically refers to the depictions of fictional characters and not the actresses who play them. Therefore beforehand I will have to give honorable mention to multiple characters played by Jennifer Connelly, such as Marion Silver (who has such a beautiful name) and Sarah (from Labyrinth), and characters played by Zooey Deschanel and Audrey Hepburn, who have all played beautiful and appealing characters, but too much of their appeal was because I was already predisposed to admire their portrayers. In the upcoming examples I think that the actresses who played my favorite characters are themselves beautiful, but primarily because of their association with the given character.

Now, there are certain characters who did not make the list that I'd like to get out of the way right now via more honorable mentions. Violet Parr was my official Disney crush and imaginary girlfriend back in fifth grade. Merida from Brave currently holds that title, but animated characters are off limits in this list. Amy Pond, Rose Dawson, Io, Hermione Granger, and Mary Poppins are all beautiful in different ways, along with many others who come to mind that I won't mention just because I know people like some sense of mystery on these lists and hopes that their choices will make it (only to completely hate on the list maker when the #1 choice is either an underdog or overrated).

But anyway, those aren't my Top 10. This foreword has gone on long enough. Time for me to ramble on about individuals, starting with...

10 - Juno MacGuff

When I first saw posters for this indie film, I thought it was going to be nothing but an obscure raunchy comedy, but somehow my judgment must have changed, because I ended up wanting to watch it somewhere along the line. Probably an advertisement.

What matters was that I watched it, and it was one of the best indies I've seen. Very touching and all that.

The first thing that's cool about Juno is her name. I'm attracted to a pretty name just as much as I am to a pretty face, and this one matches her personality. It's pretty, but quirky, which is who Juno is. And she doesn't need a nerd to be quirky. She's very sure of herself, and a deadpan snarker. Casting Ellen Page for her was perfect, since Ellen has this distinct sound to her voice that's perfect for a casually sarcastic teenager.

She can be a bit aggressive in a social way. After all, she went and got pregnant, which was sort of the main plot point, but even after that unexpected little bump she handled things quite well. It's not like she shrugged it off, but it didn't completely change her. The worst part, really, was realizing the social stigma that came with teenage pregnancy, but other than that she remained her eccentric self. She could have been really insecure, but she got along with whoever was willing to just chill.

Yeah, I guess that since she's not a nerd you could alternatively classify her as a Manic Pixie Dream Girl, but at least she isn't fixing up the life of a brooding young man - and she's the main character. So she's known well for he likes and quirks, but that was a lifestyle she chose. Among other choices. She could be a real person and not just an imaginary archetype. If she was a perfect MPDG, she's be nothing but quirks, and she inverts it by truly having some deeper concerns, such as making sure something good happens to her baby. And really, many a teenager can be awkward and weird, and she enjoys it to its fullest extent. Go life.

And seriously, she has a hamburger-phone.