I’m still watching the second (and last) series of The Gifted but John Proudstar aka Thunderbird was pretty much instantly my favourite character in the show – and this show has a lot of interesting and layered characters.

The word “nice” is often used when you can’t think of anything else to say to describe someone, but John is just so nice and decent in the best way. He is kind and caring and the way he’s so tactile with people just works and is never too much. He seems like the kind of guy who would give great hugs.

John is a mutant. His powers include super strength, invulnerability, and heightened senses and foresight, meaning he can track people and see a short time into the future. The fact that he’s this big, strong guy just makes his caring nature even more pronounced. John frequently uses his own body as a shield to protect others from bullets or debris without a second thought.

His background in the military along with his abilities help make John an incredibly capable and natural leader. Though sometimes John doubts his abilities due to having so many people relying on him and he’d do anything to keep them safe. In my opinion, this insecurity over his leadership makes him a better leader. He knows his strengths and weaknesses and the way he can turn to his best friend and co-leader Marcos for support.

John is a fighter in every sense. He is great in combat and he’s emotionally and mentally resilient. I love how in tune he is with others, especially those he cares about, and he always tries to do the right thing even if that means making difficult choices.