[Rayneing]

Keiichi - Keiichi is the hero of Higurashi. He made a lot of mistakes near the start, but he is also the first to learn from them, and then helps the others when they make the same mistakes. When Rena becomes paranoid of her friends just like he did, he is the one that convinces her to believe in them. When Shion decides tha killing Satoko's uncle is the only solution just like he did, he is the one that manages to convince her that they need to find a non-violent solution. And ultimately, he and Rika are able to save Satoko frm her uncle, which allows Rika and Hanyuu to learn the truth about Takano. It's only a shame he doesn't feature so heavily in the last arc, something I hope changes in the third season.

Mion - Mion is without a doubt the most loyal to her friends out of all the characters. She is after all, the only one that never loses her faith in them even once, something even Rika has done. Constantly throughout the years, she has made herself into a kind of caretaker of everyone else, constantly looking after them as the leader of the club, and her loyalty is put to the test in the last episode where she is willing to take a bullet for everyone else.

Rika - Rika has had a hard time. She's been forced to watch her friends succumb to Hinamizawa Syndrome over and over again and die over and over again, and she has no idea why any of this is happening. She has become disillusioned with everything, and wants nothing more than for this cycle of death to stop and finally grow older with her friends. Rika's struggle is the central part of the story, and it is heart-breaking to watch. However, Keiichi is able to show her just how important faith in her friends is, and eventually, she is able to conquer fate by believing in everyone else just like they believe in her.

Akasaka - I've been a fan of Akasaka since he first appeared in season one, even if it was only for two episodes. Just like Keiichi, he is one without ties to the village, which also means he is in a perfect position to help Hinamizawa with its problems. It was only unfortunate that Rika's message never got through to him until the very last arc. Akasaka's dedication to protecting Rika (and the totally badass way he did it) makes him one of my favourites easily.