8. James Norrington – Pirates Of The Caribbean
Barely even a supporting character, and even occasionally an antagonist in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, James Norrington is actually something of an unsung hero, too.
This isn’t necessarily down to his actions (as his allegiance seems to be relatively fluid) but is more about Norrington’s nature. He may be a naval man in a time when men of power were almost always corrupt, unpleasant and relatively bloodthirsty, but Commodore James Norrington was undoubtedly a good man that gets very little recognition.
For a start, he’s shown to never treat his intended wife Elizabeth Swann as property – even when she’s stolen away from him by a roguish swashbuckler, he accepts that she’s in love with the other man. In fact, not only does Norrington buck tradition of the time by treating his woman as, y’know, an actual human being, but he throws his career away over it.
While he’s not exactly a paragon of kindness and selflessness in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, he does act in a manner that actually makes him more heroic than most of its protagonists, and that surely earns him a spot on this list.
Most fellow readers of LOTR tend to believe Sam is the main character of the entire story. He is considered a ring bearer and does eventually leave the for undying lands. His worth and perception in the entire story is more inline with the reader than say Frodo.