Sometimes the best people are fictional. Throughout my life, I’ve found comfort in fictional movies, books and television shows. They’re an escape from reality and I can’t help but picture myself in the fictional worlds I see or read about. Comfort characters are people I relate to, empathize with or simply want to give a hug to. So without further ado, here are my top five comfort characters. 

Charlie Kelmeckis from The Perks of Being a Wallflower

Charlie is an awkward freshman in high school and the protagonist of this book and movie. Despite his traumatic past, he cares deeply about those around him. His character resonates with me because I see a part of my awkward high school self in Charlie. Like Charlie, I have hope that things will work out, despite my feelings of sadness. 

Rory Gilmore from Gilmore Girls

Rory is everything I wanted and still want to be. She excels at everything she does, from academics to being a good friend. Her goals and struggles remind me of my own, which I find comforting because it means I am not alone, even if she is fictional. The show accurately captures everything about a teenage girl’s life and what it’s like to become an adult, which is something I appreciate as I navigate my own life as a college student who’s learning how to grow up on her own. 

Amy Antsler from Booksmart

Time flies and Amy knows that. In this movie, she’s trying to fit four years of high school experience into one night. She’s everything to love in a character — she’s quirky, smart and socially awkward. Once again, I see a part of my awkward high school self in her, who was overly obsessed with academics and needed a push from her friends to have a bit of fun. 

Jim Halpert from The Office

Oh, to have a Jim in my life. Jim is a well-known prankster around the office and knows how to have a good time. It doesn’t take much for him to show up on screen for me to start smiling or laughing. He’s madly in love with Pam Beesly and will do anything for her. They’re my ultimate relationship goals. 

Damon Salvatore from The Vampire Diaries

Hear me out, Damon Salvatore is not that bad. Yes, he is undeniably toxic and cruel at times. Yet, the lengths he will go to to protect Elena Gilbert are extraordinary. That man will take a bullet for her over and over again, which makes him loveable. Plus, he’s a vampire, and who doesn’t dream of a vampire boyfriend?

Whenever I’m in need of an escape, I go to my comfort characters. They bring me familiarity and joy that I can’t necessarily get in the real world. Although they’re fictional, their ability to love others and portray real-life scenarios makes them real. I know they don’t actually exist in our world, but their respective worlds are just as meaningful to me as this one.