I like characters that make sacrifices to accomplish great things. *spoiler alert* I really admired Mirabelle and Astrid. Mirabelle was a very good Master Wizard, and IMO would have been a better leader than the Dovahkin. I admired Astrid because, despite the fact that the Night Mother was there, she stuck to her convictions, right up until the end. Among living characters, Tolfdir and Balgruuf are my favorites. And they're not mad at all. They're just old
