List of Brunette Antagonists and Protagonists

My last couple of posts have been about how people with blonde hair are recently being presented as evil or just mean characters. No longer the symbol of beauty as it was in the time of chivalry and knighthood, blonde characters have recently been pushed to portray evil. This post is a list of brunettes (or black-haired) antagonists and protagonists from books, movies, TV shows, and maybe even a few video games. Enjoy!

Brunette (or Black-Haired) Antagonists:

1. Katherine Pierce (The CW's The Vampire Diaries). Although in the books she was actually flaxen-haired, Elena Gilbert's freaky vampire twin has little in the way of sympathy. And it's hard to like her, really. One conversation and you immediately think, "Ice Queen." It makes me feel bad for Elijah, Klaus, Damon, and Stephan. What were they thinking?
2. Damon Salvatore (The CW's The Vampire Diaries). Relax, TVD fans, he'll be in the "Protagonist" section, too. But in the beginning of the series (and the book) he was painted as the bad guy. I think he even enjoys it sometimes. No doubt he certainly looks the part with his black hair, blue eyes, and devil-may-care swagger.
3. Dean and Sam Winchester (The CW's Supernatural). Let's face it. These guys are their own worst enemies.
4. Morgana Le Fey (BBC's Merlin). Katie McGrath is absolutely gorgeous as the legendary Morgana, illegitimate sister to equally-legendary Arthur Pendragon. Why is it always the half-siblings who never get any love? Oh, yeah. That's right. Because illegitimate children were frowned upon during that time because Christianity and the Catholic Church were both battling for Europe during the Dark Ages.
5. Loki (The Avengers). Personally I prefer the God of Mischief to the God of Thunder, but to each his own. I love the smooth exterior Tom Hiddleston grants to Loki, this kind of con artist with ice beneath his skin.
6. Young Magneto (X-Men: Days of Future Past). Okay, I will be the first to admit that I haven't seen this movie yet, but I know what happens. We forget for a while that the man playing chess in a giant library turns into the same man playing chess in a plastic prison after trying to wipe out New York. We meet Magneto when he is, by our definition, a villain. But when you understand the backstory and work out the story in your mind, that word, "villain," becomes hazy. He may not be on the same side as Professor Xavier, but is he an antagonist? For the sake of argument, let's just say yes. But remember, every villain is a hero in his own mind.
7. Ian Quinn (ABC's Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.). This lucrative business man may have the world fooled with his generous donations to charities, but Coulson and his team know the real man behind the mask.
8. Grant Ward (ABC's Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.). This was the most shocking plot-twist in the entire series. More shocking than Skye's heritage, more baffling than the improvements made on Coulson's car, affectionately named Lola. And after the bomb is dropped, we started seeing how torn Ward really was about his mission and the emotion he felt for his team. For him, the lines between teammate and traitor were never well-distinguished. We are left wondering if he will ever find himself again, or if Hydra has poisoned his mind to the point of seclusion. Who is Agent Grant Ward? A soldier without a cause? An agent without a director? A man without a mind?
9. Clove (The Hunger Games). Some people have mentioned there being a romance between Clove and Cato. The Untold Romance of the Hunger Games or something to that effect. Honestly it's hard to keep track of twenty-four tributes from twelve different factions all trying to kill each other. At the end of the chapter all you remember is this person is the one with the sword, this one has a fox-like face, and that one killed Rue.
10. James Moriarty (BBC's Sherlock). 'Nuff said.

Brunette (or Black-Haired) Protagonists:

1. Katy Swartz (Lux Series). I really like this character because for one thing she's a bookworm and a blogger (two things I've been regretfully slacking on lately) and she can give as good as she gets. That trait seems to be a requirement when you're in a relationship to Daemon Black.
2. Daemon Black (Lux Series). Luxen, older brother, sarcastic by nature but with a capacity for extreme sensitivity. Yep, it's easy to see why readers love Daemon so much, albeit he can be absurdly annoying at times.
3. Dee Black (Lux Series). The only girl in the trio of her family, Dee's vivacious, Alice-Cullen-like personality is lovable and infectious. But I often feel bad for her because everyone treats her like she's going to break in half. A lot of motivations behind some dodgy behavior have been along the lines of, "I did it to protect Dee," or "I couldn't let Dee get involved/hurt," etc. Which, don't get me wrong, is very sweet, but let's face it: no one can protect her forever. Not even her brothers.
4. Dawson Black (Lux Series). The other male in the Black family triangle. He's spent a disturbing amount of time out of the books, and once he returns, the circumstances surrounding why he was absent become even more disconcerting. However, once I read Shadows, the prequel to the first Lux book, it was easy to love Dawson's easy-going manner and his obvious devotion to his sister, Dee.
5. Elena Gilbert (The CW's The Vampire Diaries). We are talking about protagonists here, not just heroes or saving graces. Technically she's still the main character in the show. Anyway, she started out as a good girl and has mostly tried to stay that way, but after everything she's been through, no one can blame her characteristically for occasionally going off the deep end. Still, she is TVD's leading lady and we hold out hope that she and her friends don't give in to temptation.
6. Damon Salvatore (The CW's The Vampire Diaries). As promised, here is the elder Salvatore brother. It's kind of sweet because he does try to be a better person for Elena, and there are times when you really see what all he's had to do to get where he is now, mentally and morally.
7. Diggle (The CW's Arrow). The coolest bodyguard ever and sidekick to Green Arrow, this former war vet is one of the best characters Arrow has to offer.
8. Roy Harper (The CW's Arrow). Man, The CW is dominating these lists. At any rate, Arrow/Oliver Queen has taken in this young gang-banger as his protégé after said gang-banger was injected with a serum that amplified his physical abilities, giving him unnatural strength and agility, but also a mind so focused that he sometimes forgets that annihilation is not the means to an end.
9. Melinda May (ABC's Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.). Let's not forget that Ming-Na Wen also played the speaking voice of Mulan in Disney's 1998 telling of the legendary female warrior who took her father's place in the army. But in this fun series from the Marvel Universe, we get to see Ming-Na as Agent Melinda May do some serious butt-kicking of her own. It's always a delight to watch beloved characters adapt to a different skin, as is the case for both soldiers.
10. Jemma Simmons (ABC's Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.). She may not be Hermione, able to invoke instant paralysis with 0.1 microliters of dendrotoxin, but Simmons is so adorable throwing around words like "aglet," "nanobatteries," and other biochem jargon, that we can't help but love her.
11. Skye (ABC's Marvel's Agent's of S.H.I.E.L.D.). This witty, dusky computer hacker won over both audiences and Coulson's team with her outside-the-box thinking and resourcefulness.
12. Rick Grimes (AMC's The Walking Dead).
13. Glenn Rhee (AMC's The Walking Dead). Okay, so I don't keep up with this series, but Glenn always struck me as pretty cool, so for that he's included in this list.
14. Rogue (X-Men). Rogue is one of my favorite X-Men. Why? I think her ability is really cool, able to basically borrow another mutant's powers temporarily, albeit to their discomfort.
15. Gambit (X-Men). This is my other favorite X-Men character. I love Gambit's devil-may-care attitude, his southern charm, and the fact that he fights with a bow staff. Kind of reminds me of my brother.
16. Logan/Wolverine (X-Men). A man with a most intriguing past, Wolverine has seen a lot of turmoil in his days. Although famously more of an anti-hero (Like Batman), he always has something new to show us, whether it's in sadistic comments, action scenes, or belting out "Bring Him Home" when no one's watching.
17. Bonnie Bennett (The CW's The Vampire Diaries).
18. Richard Castle (ABC's Castle). Ah, who can resist Whedon veteran? Nathan Fillion brings light and life to Richard Castle, a mystery novelist who uses one of New York's best detectives as a muse for his books. It's certainly a delight to watch their colorful banter as Castle and Detective Kate Beckett solve homicides, put bad guys behind bars, and try their best to bring closure to the families.
19. Kate Beckett (ABC's Castle). Smart, intrepid, and relentless, Detective Kate Beckett is the perfect muse for mystery novelist Richard Castle. She is also faithfully one of our favorite characters because of her incredible instincts, her heart, and her ability to hold her own in a predominantly-man's profession.
20. Kevin Ryan (ABC's Castle). The more sensitive of his partner duo, Detective Ryan is no less good at his job whether he and Esposito are at the precinct or out on the streets.
21. Javier Esposito (ABC's Castle). I love that Esposito is a war veteran. It just adds so much depth to his character. Although he can sometimes be a bit macho, he and Ryan make an unstoppable pair as they solve homicides alongside Beckett and Castle.
22. Snow White (ABC's Once Upon A Time). Once Upon A Time remains one of my favorite shows on television! I love how they've taken classic fairytales and their characters and given them a darker twist. Snow White is no exception, and she has proven worthy of the title Princess, Queen, Hero, and Mother throughout this series.
23. Prince Charming/David (ABC's Once Upon A Time). It's wonderful to see someone as faithful and devoted to his family as David, aka Prince Charming. Those qualities seem to pull him through trial after trial, no matter who the foe.
24. Killian Jones/Captain Hook (ABC's Once Upon A Time). I think it's safe to say that Hook is a good guy right now. Though he was certainly a shady character in the beginning (he is a pirate, after all), this nomadic rapscallion has won over audiences everywhere.
25. Regina (ABC's Once Upon A Time). Regina's on-again-off-again status as villain was getting a bit wearisome, but it's nice to see her stick to one side for more than three episodes. And she does make a lovely queen, even when she is ripping people's hearts out. To each his own, I guess.
26. Ruby/Red (ABC's Once Upon A Time). Another one of my favorite characters, just because it's Red Riding Hood! No longer is she the innocent little girl who got lost in the woods on her way to Granny's. Once Upon A Time has given Ruby a solid, memorable character who resounds with watchers and remains a loyal friend to others.
27. The Doctor (BBC's Doctor Who). I am referring to Doctors 9, 10 and 11, Christopher Eccleston, David Tennant and Matt Smith, respectively. I'm not sure about the Doctors before these ones or the ones after them, but they are brown-haired, and they are protagonists.
28. Sherlock Holmes (BBC's Sherlock). This is my other favorite show. I can't get enough of the British humor and I've always been a fan of Sherlock Holmes, whether it was the books, the animated series, or even the Wishbone adaption. (Remember Wishbone, that adorable dog from Oakdale who imagined himself as main characters from famous literature?) I don't think anyone is suited to play England's smartest detective better than the incredible Benedict Cumberbatch, do you?

Well, I hope you enjoyed this little segment. Tell me what you think. Do you agree with some of these? Disagree? Who would you add to these lists?

-Grace