The human mind is weirder than fiction. That's why I prefer to deal with computers. They don't do weird things like fall in love with fictional characters ;)

Absolutely! I have fallen in love with fictional characters many-a-time in my long life!

Yes, I do believe you can and are more succeptable to when you are young. When you fantasise about someone that you have a crush on and imagine them to be all these different things. You build them up to be this perfect piece of fiction. But then if you have the privelidge of making that fantasy a reality, you become let down, as that person can never match up to the fantasy character that you have made up of them in your head. The reason some people become so infatuated with movie stars and famous people is that they create a whole view on what they believe that person would be like, even making excuses for them when they see something stupid that they have done in the mags, just like they would a lover. So I do believe it is possible to fall in love (in a sense) with a fictional character.

oh!! yeah sure. at least it doesn't let you down. I'm already in love with edward cullen, harry potter, a young Sirius black etc. etc. etc.

Yes, because fictional characters are far beyond just a smiley face on a piece of paper. They have personalities, appearances, and are purposefully better than real people. They don't have physical genetic flaws and they can't break your heart or deny you. Fanfictions and such sometimes include "OCs" and get the reader involved which simulates real life with this character. Just because they "aren't real" (which they are real to some people who have different concepts of real) doesn't mean you can't feel an attraction to them. It's like seeing a movie actor or actress on TV. You know you'll never be able to be with them or even meet them but that doesn't matter because you admire and love them so much. You dedicate a part of your life to them by checking news about them, their history, other movies they've done, etc. If a fictional character has a personality, events in their lives, family & friends, an appearance, a voice, a life, isn't that about the same as a real person? But they can't dump you or cheat on you after getting you pregnant... that was both the truth and a joke.

By defintion, love is a strong affection for another arising out of kinship or personal ties. A fictional character is "another". Personal ties may be obsession with the character, as it is pesonal, and it ties you to the fictional being. Yes, it is possible, and I have proven so.

I'm gonna have to say yes since the first person i truly fell in love with was a chatterer in a video game...

I've always thought Korra from Avatar was pretty attractive, and a badass.

I particularly like this picture of her: Korra art

I was just telling my friend this morning that I think I actually fell in love with Ian O'Shea from the book, The Host.

I really don't see how it's NOT possible, as long as you READ about the fictional character. Something about reading just makes you feel so connected to them. I don't think you can fall in love with a fictional character by a movie.

Oh, it can happen and I find it to be welcoming to someone who has no boyfriend or girlfriend in real life.

Definitely, and I have. And I don't just mean in the obsessive infatuation sense; this has gone on for well over a year, and I've watched my feelings develop and change from infatuation to a deeper love, in the exact same way as my feelings did for my ex-partner of five years.

It's hard to make someone understand, but the close friends who have watched the entire process agree that what I am feeling is no different than any other 'true' romantic love. For me, it was possible because a.) I wrote character-centric fanfiction, which got me in my character's head for months and b.) he was an unpopular character (I became universally recognized in the fandom as /his/ guardian), which gave me a very personal sense of emotional intimacy with him.

I've also used self-insert fantasies to literally create a life with him, with simple routines (5:20 PM every day, when he would get home from work had he actually been real, I sit down with 'him' to watch a show and share a cup of tea together, among other daily shared routines). Nor do I idealize him or ignore his faults; I've written out exactly what arguments we'd have (some lasting months and never have a total solution), and write 128K fanfiction that capitalizes on his weaknesses. His weaknesses and faults are as important to me as anything else.

As for the question of whether or not this is healthy: I engage in this, understanding that it prevents me from wanting to cultivate romantic relationships with other people BECAUSE I am in a position in my life where cultivating longterm romantic relationships is infeasible anyway (I move countries every year). But moving countries every year also means that I cut myself off from all my real life social support annually, friends and all, and imagining this relationship and indulging in these emotions gives me a sense of social support and connection even when I keep moving. Further, I'm a health psychologist, and the hormones associated with such emotions are related to positive health outcomes and better immune function, etc., so by allowing myself to feel those emotions and to flood my system in those hormones does actually improve my health!

i was 'in love' with many fictional characters for years!