Broken

I love a broken protagonist. That character who shouldn't be likeable, or who is profoundly damaged, yet you are cheering for them. My brother got me hooked on The Mentalist and the lead, Patrick Jane, is a wounded soul after losing his wife and daughter, but most people will never know that about him. He covers with a smile, a smooth comment, or a carnival trick. (The first 6 seasons are free for Amazon Prime members if you're intrigued).

Or there's Dr. Gregory House (House is also on Amazon Prime). He just seems like a jerk. He's rude, he's arrogant, and he's physically crippled and bitter. But you somehow still love him. That brokenness makes him relatable.

Right now I'm writing a broken character. He's been through enough grief for three lifetimes, but isn't giving up. And maybe that's what makes these damaged, broken, lost characters so likable to us: even though they have been through the worst, and it changed them, they aren't giving up. Whether they aren't giving up on their quest to do their job, or to find healing, or to know God, they won't let anything knock them down for good. And that's what makes us cheer for them.

I would love to hear who is your favorite broken protagonist?