Most everyone has at least one story that resonated with them so much they’ll never forget it. Today, I’m giving a brief overview of five fandoms and how they had a lasting impact on me and still influence my day-to-day life.

Why I love it: Gargoyles is a series I still re-watch and love, not because of the action, or plot, or themes, or voice acting that far exceeded its contemporaries, but because of the cast. These were the first fictional people to become real for me in all the ways that mattered.

Summary: The main (human) character, Elisa, an NYPD detective who always seems to work the night shift, encounters a clan of 1000-year-old gargoyles, and while she initially reacts like most people would and thinks they’re monsters, she puts a hold on passing judgment too quickly and takes time to get to know them, resulting in a lasting friendship.

A little history: While I don’t care for the third set of Star Wars films (or anything produced after the Disney buyout), the original trilogy was something I watched over and over as a kid, and I liked it so much I have most of the novels and children’s books Lucasfilm put out between the advent of A New Hope and 2012, when the aforementioned buyout occurred.

Why I love it: But all that aside, the original trilogy encapsulated the conflict of the ages in a grand battle between the Empire and the Rebellion. Even though the Empire had far more resources, the Rebellion did everything in their power to see the galaxy free from the Emperor’s tyrannical hand, including sacrificing their lives. But in the end, those sacrifices were not in vain, and against staggering odds, the Empire fell. Good prevailed, and evil lost.

Why I love it: Star Blazers lives rent-free in my heart, and it always will. By the time I was 12, the cast had become like family to me, and the story itself had grown beyond fiction. It was a source of courage, inspiration, and admonition. It was these people and their story God used to give me perspective on who I was, and that glimpse changed my life. It was here the spark of love for writing kindled, even though I didn’t know it yet.

Summary: The main cast sets out on an impossible voyage of 296,000 lightyears to save Earth from an alien assault, but along the way, they learn more about their enemy and discover the ones they’re fighting against are far more similar to them than is comfortable. But even returning home victorious doesn’t end their story, and as the saga continues, they gain an unlikely ally who shapes their future, and the future of the universe.

Why I love it: Although this three-season Nickelodeon hit came out years before I first saw it, when I found it as a college student, the story and cast immediately gripped me. It had been ten years since I found Star Blazers, and learning to love another story was worlds away from what I expected when I put a beaten-up library DVD in my computer’s CD drive. Within the first few episodes, I knew the familiar ache of longing for someone’s redemption, and because of that, I watched all three seasons through within a few weeks. ATLA became a new addition to the list of stories that had breeched the barrier between their world and mine to touch my heart.

Summary: A 12-year-old boy holds the fate of the world in his hands and must travel to all four nations to learn how to save it. Along the way, he makes friends and faces imposing enemies while he learns more about himself and how to accomplish this impossible task given to him by birthright.

Why I love it: Even now, in my thirties, animation represents 85% of what I choose to watch. There’s a certain life to it that live-action just can’t duplicate for me. Trollhunters was something I had browsed past on Netflix for at least 18 months before clicking on it, but after a single episode, I knew I’d found a story worth watching and went through all three seasons within a month. It wasn’t until three years after my initial discovery of this show that I realized what had happened. Once again, God had grown something past fiction to teach me who I was and how to intentionally use the gifts He’d given me. Because of TH, I understand why I am who I am, and I stopped being afraid to say so.

Summary: A 15-year-old high school freshman discovers an amulet that transforms him into a hero tasked with saving all of trollkind. Only problem is, the title of Trollhunter has never fallen to a human before. While battling ancient enemies, the main character, Jim, must also balance school, friends, and keeping his mother in the dark about his heroing. But though Jim has magic armor and a sword made of daylight, he can’t save humanity and trollkind alone and must rely on friends (and family) to help see him through even the darkest of nights.

What fandoms contributed to making you the person you are today? Let me know in the comments.