We all have that one character that makes our hearts melt every time we see them on screen or read about them in our favorite book but what if you could take them out on a Valentine’s Day date? Who would you take?

Some students and teachers have found comfort in and attraction towards fictional characters. In fact, it’s fairly common. These characters we fall in love with are designed and written intentionally to be likable for the audience. Some examples of these intentionally-written comfort characters include Jughead from Riverdale and Derek Shepherd from Grey’s Anatomy.

According to an article by TVtime, some of the most liked characters from 2020 include Michael Scott from The Office, Annalise Keating from How to Get Away With Murder, Chandler Bing from Friends and Naruto Uzumaki from Naruto.

Freshman Landon Griesbach has found his Valentine on the fairy tale side of fiction.

“My fictional Valentine would be Captain Hook from Once Upon a Time because we would either hang out in a tavern or go sail the seas by ourselves,” Griesbach said.

The character Captain Hook is also known as Killian Jones on the show and is portrayed by actor Colin O’Donoghue.

For many people, shows like this can provide an escape from real-world problems and taking their favorite characters on a Valentine’s Day date could be a dream come true.

“I’ve never had a crush on any fictional characters before. I was going through a tough time when I was watching Once Upon a Time, and I was just like ‘Yes!’” Griesbach said.

For students like sophomore Lana LaMar, fictional character crushes influence their type in real-life partners.

“I really like Howl from Howl’s Moving Castle because he’s pretty and has a good fashion and decorative sense. His character impacts my potential partner preferences in the sense that I prefer more feminine people with elegant or witchy aesthetics,” LaMar said.

Fictional crushes tend to be physically attractive and usually have very likable personalities, which draws viewers towards their character in order to create a relationship between the viewer and the character in order to further engage the viewer with the show, movie or book.

“I feel [Hook and I] would get along really well and he would be great to be around and I love his accent. Also, have you seen the man? He’s gorgeous,” Griesbach said.

Some people have also found their fictional Valentine’s through mainstream movies and media.

Freshman Raul Prado says his fictional Valentine date would be “Shrek, because he is hot.”

Others have also found that their fictional comfort characters have come from specific shows and movies that they enjoy.

Junior Kamryn Sulzner says her fictional Valentines would be Logan Huntzberger from Gilmore Girls and Cedric Diggory Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.

“They’re both sweet, have their priorities but still have time to hang out with people and play sports,” Sulzner said.

For some, it’s hard to believe that their Valentine’s could be taken from anywhere but who they will spend it with in their real lives. Activities director Jonathan Sumner chose his wife for his Valentine without hesitation.

“I would not want anything other than what I have,” Sumner said.