Z is for Tali'Zorah

Garrus Vakarian: "Do you ever miss those talks we had on the elevators?"
Tali'Zorah: "No."
Garrus Vakarian: "Come on. Remember how we'd always ask you about life on the flotilla? It was an opportunity to share!"
Tali'Zorah: "This conversation is over."
Garrus Vakarian: "Tell me again about your immune system."
Tali'Zorah: "I have a shotgun."
Garrus Vakarian: "Mmmmaybe we'll talk later."

Tali'Zorah nar Rayya is a quarian from the Mass Effect games. You first meet her when she is on her pilgrimage, a journey outside the Flotilla where she is trying to bring back something of worth.

Tali's a mechanical genius, and I always have her in my party for her skills in electronics and hacking. Plus, the conversations you have with her in the elevator are the best. Her back story is fascinating too. If I was Commander Shepard, Tali would probably be my best friend because she's just plain awesome.

I also hear if you don't romance either of them in Mass Effect 1 or 2, Tali and Garrus (my other favourite) develop a relationship, which makes me happy.

Shout out to blogger buddy Z: To Jeremy at Retro-Zombie. He's a pretty awesome dude.

Y is for Yoshi

I remember always waiting impatiently to get to the Yoshi levels when playing Super Mario Bros. as a kid. I remember always waiting impatiently to get to the Yoshi levels when playing Super Mario Bros. as an adult.

There aren't enough Yoshi levels, I say! I've had a lot of fun playing the more recent Wii version with friends, and swallowing your buddies and spitting them into a pit of lava is just the best. And everyone knows Yoshi is the character you race to select when choosing your characters in Mario Kart. (I've actually had to pick a new favourite because he's always so in demand.)

Shout out to blogger buddy Y: To Roland D. Yeomans, for writing such thought-provoking posts.

X if for Professor X

Professor X: "Listen to me carefully, my friend: Killing will not bring you peace."

Well, Professor X actually is not my favourite X-Man (I'd have to go with Nightcrawler or Mystique), but I couldn't think of anything else for X!

He is an admirable character, that's for sure; he has a strong moral code and his mind powers are pretty awesome. I've never read the comics so I can't speak to those, but I thought Patrick Stuart was a good pick to play him in the movies. His death was sad in the third one, but that whole movie was kinda sad in its awfulness.

Shout out to blogger buddy X: This one goes to ninja Ali Cross! (Because an X is like a cross, sillies). She rocks.

W is for Wolf

Wolf: "No, no! 'Rare' implies dangerously cooked. When I say rare, I mean let it look at the oven in terror, and then bring it out to me!"

I was surprised at how many of you knew about the movie The 10th Kingdom when I mentioned it in my top ten countdown. It is in my top ten largely because of the character Wolf.

Wolf is a human, but he's got many wolf-ish tendencies (plus a tail). I feel like his role could have been ridiculously stupid and wrecked the whole movie if put in the hands of the wrong actor, but Scott Cohen was the perfect choice to play him, and pulls the character off spectacularly.

He is downright hilarious, and has the most quote-able lines in the movie. The serious moments where he tries to keep his wolfish nature in check are also some of the most interesting parts of the movie.

Shout out to blogger buddy W: To Annalisa Crawford at Wake up, Eat, Write, Sleep for being such a positive example of a hard-working writer!

V is for Vivi

Vivi: "But... But I have to... I have to find out who I am... I'm scared... What if I'm not even human...?"

How can I not mention my avatar Vivi? Final Fantasy IX is actually my favourite Final Fantasy game so far. I love the characters and the plotline. Vivi is a fascinating character--plus he's, you know, adorable.

He's a Black Mage, one of the more useful companions to have in your party, in my opinion. As the story progresses, it is revealed that the Black Mages are mindless tools created by Kuja, designed to die after one year. Vivi is different than the other mages, but he struggles throughout the game with questions about his existence and origins.

I'm disappointed that you don't actually find out what happens to him at the end of the game.

Shout out to blogger buddy V: To fellow nerd Joshua at Vive le Nerd!

U is for Delores Umbridge

"Hem-hem."

Umbridge is one of my favourite bad characters. She is a complex lady, as she is fighting on the "good" side, but she's so delightfully dastardly. Her evil side plus her affinity for kittens and fluffy pink things makes her intriguing. The Order of the Phoenix is my least favourite book in the series because Harry's a whiny idiot for most of it, but I did enjoy the introduction of her character.

Forcing Harry to write lines with his own blood is just so awful a punishment. She's one of those characters you love to hate, and it's all the more satisfying when she gets carried off by centaurs at the end after insulting them; just what she deserves.

I also thought the actor who played her in the movies did a fantastic job.

Shout out to blogger buddy U: To fellow writer Mina Burrows! How did I get Mina Burrows from the letter U? Well there's a U in bUrrows, of course.

T is for Taran

Taren: "Llonio said life was a net for luck; to Hevydd the Smith life was a forge; and to Dwyvach the Weaver-Woman a loom. They spoke truly, for it is all of these. But you,' Taran said, his eyes meeting the potter's, 'you have shown me life is one thing more. It is clay to be shaped, as raw clay on a potter's wheel.”

One of my favourite children's series is The Chronicles of Prydain by Lloyd Alexander (The Black Cauldron movie is based off one of the books, but is really a terrible representation). Taren is the main character--an assistant pig keeper. That's correct, you read that right. Not even a pig keeper, but an assistant pig keeper.

The assistant pig keeper goes on a dangerous, life changing journey to help resist the forces of the terrible Arawn, along with many loveable companions, including the pig Hen Wen, the furry creature Gurgi, the bard Fllewddur Fllam, and the princess Eilonwy.

Read this series to your kids if you haven't. And to yourself too.

Shout out to blogger buddy T: Tyrean from Tyrean's Writing Spot is a sweetheart who always has a kind word to say.