| Name | Book | Author | Notes | Refs |
|---|
| Holden Caulfield | The Catcher in the Rye | J.D. Salinger | The 17-year-old protagonist of author J. D. Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye. He is universally recognized for his resistance to growing older and desire to protect childhood innocence. Since the book's 1951 publication, Holden has become an icon for teenage rebellion and angst, and now stands among the most important characters of 20th-century American literature. The name Holden Caulfield, as shown below, was used in an unpublished short story written in 1942 and first appeared in print in 1945. | |
| Angel Clare | Tess of the d'Urbervilles | Thomas Hardy | Angel Clare, the love interest of Tess, admits to his father, a reverend, that he would not like to become a reverend after Mr. Clare finds a book that is "moral" but not "religious." Angel proceeds to tell him that he cannot follow the Church while "she refuses to liberate her mind from an untenable redemptive theolatry." When Tess assumes Angel Clare's religion, or lack thereof, she expresses that she and her husband do not "believe in anything spiritual." When she explains Angel Clare's reasoning for his lack of faith, Tess "paralleled" work from "Dictionnaire Philosophique to Huxley's Essays." Thomas Huxley created the concept of agnosticism,[1] and Voltaire, the writer of The Dictionnaire, attacked many aspects of Christianity.[2] | |
| Meursault | The Stranger | Albert Camus | An Algerian ("a citizen of France domiciled in North Africa, a man of the Mediterranean, an homme du midi yet one who hardly partakes of the traditional Mediterranean culture") who seemingly irrationally kills an Arab man whom he recognizes in French Algiers. The story is divided into two parts: Meursault's first-person narrative view before and after the murder, respectively. | |
| Mothwing | Warrior Cats | Erin Hunter | Mothwing lacked belief in StarClan ever since her brother, Hawkfrost, admitted to faking the sign which led to her becoming a medicine cat. She usually hides her lack of faith, believing that the Clans would not stand for a medicine cat who did not believe in StarClan (as communing with StarClan is normally a large part of a medicine cat's duties). | |
| Brady Hartsfield | Mr. Mercedes | Stephen King | An American 30-year-old serial mass murderer. Stopped believing in a god after the awful events involving his little brother, Frankie. | |
| Ivan Fyodorovich Karamazov | The Brothers Karamazov | Fyodor Dostoevsky | One of the titular brothers and the most amoral one. Ivan's agnosticism stands in contrast to his half-brother's, Alyosha, devotion. | |
| Alexei Nilych Kirillov | Demons | Fyodor Dostoevsky | A mentally ill socialist, who doesn't believe in God and desires the whole world to commit suicide and set itself free from fear. | |
| Howard Roark | The Fountainhead | Ayn Rand | An architect born in 1900, Roark is a model of artistic integrity, doing things in the way he thinks is right rather than in the conventional way. He is oblivious to social norms and pressures. | |
| Nikolai Vsevolodich Stavrogin | Demons | Fyodor Dostoevsky | A socialistic revolutionist. He admitts he doesn't believe in God in his talk with Shatov. | |
| Noirtier de Villefort | The Count of Monte Cristo | Alexandre Dumas | A former Jacobite, he's an atheist, as revealed in the second half of the novel. | |
| Taryn Strayer | White Nights, Black Paradise | Sikivu Hutchinson | An African American woman non-believer and fictional member of the San Francisco-based Peoples Temple church at the center of the Jonestown, Guyana massacre tragedy | | |
| Name | Debut | Creator(s) | Notes |
|---|
| Anarky | Detective Comics No.608(Nov. 1989) | Alan GrantNorm Breyfogle | A.k.a. Lonnie Machin, an ambiguous superhero/villain in publications of DC Comics.[3] | |
| Beta Ray Bill | | | An alien superhero from Marvel Comics, who believes that if something even dwells in the heavens, it is pointless to worship that "something".[4] |
| Booster Gold | | | A.k.a. Michael Jon Carter, a superhero in publications from DC Comics.[5] |
| Dr. Manhattan | | | From the graphic novel and Watchmen,[6] who thinks that God doesn't exist, has also said that he is nothing like God. |
| Johnny C | Johnny the Homicidal Maniac | Jhonen Vasquez | Serial killer in Johnny the Homicidal Maniac.[7] |
| Maggie Greene | The Walking Dead Issue 10(July 2004) | Robert Kirkman | A character who founded in The Walking Dead |
| Iron Man | Tales of Suspense Issue 39 (March 1, 1968) | | A.k.a. Anthony Edward "Tony" Stark, a superhero in the Marvel Universe.[8] |
| Eugene Porter | The Walking Dead Issue 53(October 10, 2008) | Robert Kirkman | A character in The Walking Dead |
| | | In the graphic novel Watchmen, this character says that they "Looked at sky through smoke heavy with human fat and God was not there. The cold, suffocating dark goes on forever, and we are alone" |
| Hank Pym | | | A.k.a. "Ant Man", a Marvel Comics character who founded in The Avengers[9] |
| Spider-Man 2099 (Miguel O'Hara) | | Peter David, Rick Leonardi | Miguel O'Hara doesn't believe in God, but still calls on him. |
| Mister Terrific | | | A.k.a. Michael Holt, a superhero in the DC Comics Universe.[10] |
| Savage Dragon | | | Superhero who stars in his eponymous series from Image Comics.[11] |
| Starman (Ted Knight) | | | Superhero from DC Comics and member of the JSA.[12] |
| Colossus/Piotr Rasputin | | Len Wein, Dave Cockrum | Member of the X-Men, originating from Communist Russia, hence his atheism. |
| Zoro | | Eiichiro Oda | | |
| Name | Game | Notes | Refs |
|---|
| Emperor of Mankind | Warhammer | The Emperor saw religions as irrational superstitions that divided Humanity. To replace the old traditions of religion and faith he created an atheistic ideology known as Imperial Truth. | |
| Ted Strayer | Fallout 3 | A non-player character living in Rivet City. When Rev. Clifford tries to convince Strayer to believe in God, he responds that there is "no way in hell". | |
| Andrew Ryan | BioShock | Half Antagonist in BioShock, created the underwater city of Rapture as a refuge from a world consumed by government, altruism and religion. "I believe in no God, no invisible man in the sky." | [13] |
| Sibrand | Assassin's Creed | In his last words to Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad after the latter dealt with the Teutonic knight with his Hidden Blade and said that he would be safe in the arms of God soon enough, Sibrand replied that there was nothing waiting for him in the end, not even God or the afterlife, that they did not even exist and that it was the one thing what he feared most. | [14] |
| Rodrigo Borgia | Assassin's Creed II | During his duel with Ezio Auditore da Firenze at the Vatican Vault, after failing to activate the Vault door because he did not have any First Civilization DNA in him, Rodrigo told to Ezio in the middle of the duel that he looked for God in the vault, shocking Ezio, which led to the latter to ask whether God was really in the Vault. Rodrigo replied that God being in the Vatican vault was a more logical answer and far more interesting than God being in the sky with angels singing cherubim all around. Ezio then asked what God would do once Rodrigo entered the vault. Rodrigo replied he was only after power, which Ezio asked whether God would give it up easily. Rodrigo then told that whatever lay beyond the Vault wall would not be able to resist the Staff and Apple and that they were made for felling gods. Ezio, being already a believer, replied that God was omniscient and omnipotent, and that mere artifacts could not harm Him, to which Rodrigo falsely accused Ezio that he took up the image of God from other men. Ezio was shocked to learn of Rodrigo's atheism and rejection of the Bible, despite his papacy. Rodrigo then scoffed that Ezio was still too naive. Rodrigo then replied: "I became Pope because it gave me ACCESS. It gave me POWER. Do you think I believe a single god-damned word of that ridiculous book? It's all lies and superstition. Just like every OTHER religious tract written over the past ten thousand years." | [15] |
| Al Mualim | Assassin's Creed (2007 video game) | During his final fight with Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad in Masyaf and brief talks about the Apple of Eden while the latter was bound by the Apple's powers, Al Mualim confirmed that Altaïr was immune to the effects of the Pieces of Eden, to which Altaïr asked what illusion it was. Al Mualim said: "That's all it's ever done, this Templar treasure, this Piece of Eden, this word of God. Do you understand now? The Red Sea was never parted, water never turned to wine. It was not the machinations of Eris that spawned the Trojan War, but this! Illusions, all of them | " Altaïr argued that what Al Mualim had planned was no less than an illusion, to force men to work for him against their will. Al Mualim then denies the existence of any God whatsoever, by saying: "Is it any less real than the phantoms the Saracens and Crusaders follow now? Those craven Gods, who retreat from this world that men might slaughter one another in their names? They live amongst an illusion already. I'm simply giving them another, one that demands less blood." Altaïr then said that they were safer choosing these "phantoms", rather than force them to give up their right to choose. Al Mualim was disappointed, claiming that logic had left Altaïr's mind and was replaced with emotion. Still unconvinced, Altaïr was released from being bound to the Apple's power, after which he swiftly defeated Al Mualim in combat with some difficulty, finally ending his Mentor's life by plunging his Hidden Blade into his throat. During Al Mualim's final moments, he tells Altaïr to take the Apple, to which Altaïr replied to his Mentor that he held fire in his hand, which should have been destroyed. Al Mualim was not convinced even then, believing that the Apple could end the Crusades and create true peace and that he would never destroy it. Altaïr then promised him that he would destroy it, with the latter dying after challenging his student to truly destroy it. | [16] |
|---|
| Mario Auditore | Assassin's Creed II | When speaking of the Auditore Villa Pastor to Ezio, Mario says "The prete (priest) seems a nice enough fellow, but I've never been much of a believer.". | [17] |
| Arno Dorian | Assassin's Creed Unity | By the end of the game, Arno described the Creed in strongly atheistic terms and claims that there exists no higher power to judge humanity nor does a supreme being watch over humanity or punishes them for their sins, and that only humanity itself can guard itself against its own obsessions. | [18] |
| Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad | Assassin's Creed and Assassin's Creed II | After starting to research on the Apple of Eden, Altaïr began to have doubts about the existence of a God, citing various conflicts and contradictions in the religious books available in the Holy Land during his time, noting how cruel they were in their punishments of those who rejected the books, and thus began noting them down in his Codex. Altaïr, much like Arno Dorian, professed the Assassin's creed in strongly atheistic terms and called the "light of God" as a light that blinds society and forces it to "stumble about in ignorance". | [19] |
| Niko Bellic | GTA IV | This main character often muses that he does not care whether or not God exists, saying that any faith he had died after the numerous atrocities that he witnessed and took part in during the war, however, in reality, he does not agree to this point and constantly shouts out to God to bless Liberty City. He states that because of his firsthand experience of seeing what human beings are capable of, he does not believe humans have souls. However, he did say that only barbaric creatures did not have any souls and that he did not know whether God is complicated or not. | |
| Terrence Sweetwater | | During an idle conversation with Haggard, Sweetwater reveals that he rejects the concept of sin and a god, referring to them as "superstition", as well as just stating that he does not believe in a god. | |
| Dr. Isiah Friedlander | GTA V | During a therapy session, when one of the main protagonists Michael de Santa asks whether Dr. Friedlander believes in evil, Dr. Friedlander simply replies that he is a man of science and that religion is used to relieve others' tensions. | | |
| Name | Work | Notes | Refs |
|---|
| Holo | Spice and Wolf | Holo initially scoffs at the notion that one god created the entire world and everything in it; later on in the series, she states that there cannot possibly be a god given how much pain and sorrow there is in the world. However, she should be considered an agnostic as she herself is a wolf deity; she knows that gods like herself exist but expresses disbelief in a monotheistic God. | |
| Brian Griffin | Family Guy | Originally he was a closeted atheist in earlier seasons and it is revealed in "Love, Blactually" that he is an open atheist like Seth MacFarlane himself, who claims that this character represents him most. This was revealed where he is seen at the library and he is looking for The God Delusion by atheist Richard Dawkins. His atheism comes under attack in "Not All Dogs Go To Heaven" when he comes out to the Griffins about his atheism, and Meg, in a drastic effort to convert Brian to Christianity, makes his atheism public knowledge, quickly making him a social outcast until near climax of the episode. At one point in the episode "Not all Dogs Go To Heaven", Brian says, "You're barking up the wrong tree. I am an atheist." However, in the episode April in Quahog Brian is seen praying as a response to the news report about a black hole that was discovered near the Solar System and was about to suck the Earth inside (the black hole turned out to be an April Fool's joke plotted by Channel News 5). Stewie then teases Brian for it. | |
| Malloy | Brickleberry | In "Two Weeks Notice", Malloy tries to convince the show's main protagonist Steve Williams that God cannot exist because of hunger, suffering and war particularly using Africa as an example. Malloy also dismisses that Heaven and Hell after life connections exist. | |
| Pope Francis | Brickleberry | In Brickleberry, Pope Francis is parodied as a homicidal trash-talking con artist who is only interested in making money off of high church attendance having claimed that religion is just a "made up fairy tale". Because Woody Johnson grew a hemorrhoid that looked like Jesus, people stopped coming to church and started rushing to see his hemorrhoid, which made Pope Francis try to kill Woody. | |
| Bullet | Paradise PD | The Paradise Police Department's contraband German Shepherd who alters the Bible for his own gain. | |
| Professor Hubert Farnsworth | Futurama | In the Simpsons/Futurama crossover, Simpsorama, it is revealed that Professor Farnsworth is an atheist, and he goes even as far as to make an atheist prayer. | [27] |
| Mr. and Mrs. Weatherhead | The Poor Kid (South Park) | Both them are militant agnostics who oppose any statements of certainty in the episode "The Poor Kid". | |
| Rick Sanchez | Rick and Morty | In the pilot episode, Rick states, "There is no God, you gotta rip that band-aid off now, you'll thank me later" once he hears Summer say, "Oh my god" | |
| Daria Morgendorffer | Daria | In the episode Groped by an Angel, her sister asks, "But, there's nothing watching over us? Nothing keeping track?" Daria replies, "until I see some pretty convincing evidence to the contrary, I think we're on our own." | [28] |
| Edward Elric | Fullmetal Alchemist | In both series and the manga, Edward mentions to Rose that he doesn't believe in God, stating: "Alchemists are scientists. We don't believe in unprovable concepts like "God."" | | |
| Live action television shows | Character | Quotes / Notes | References |
|---|
| Coronation Street | Ken Barlow | | [29] |
| Bones | Temperance Brennan | | [30] |
| Wayne Callaway | "Just because we're atheists doesn't mean we don't know right from wrong. " | [31] |
| The Following | Joe Carroll | | |
| Dexter | Trent Casey | | [32] |
| Orange Is the New Black | Piper Chapman | | |
| Six Feet Under | Brenda Chenowith | | [33] |
| Fear The Walking Dead | Madison Clark | "If I believed in God, which I don't, I'd ask where's the cosmic joke?" | [34] |
| The Big Bang Theory | Sheldon Cooper | | [35] |
| Peep Show | Mark Corrigan | | [36] |
| Scrubs | Perry Cox | | [37] |
| Barney Miller | Arthur Dietrich | | |
| Doctor Who | Doctor | | |
| Numb3rs | Charlie Eppes | | [38] |
| The Good Wife | Alicia Florrick | | [39] |
| Babylon 5 | Michael Garibaldi | | [40] |
| The Walking Dead | Rick Grimes | "I'm not much of a believer." | |
| The Walking Dead | Carl Grimes | "Heaven is just another lie, and if you believe it, you're an idiot." | [41] |
| The Following | Ryan Hardy | | [42] |
| Moonlighting | Madeline Hayes | | [43] |
| The Conners | Darlene Healy | | |
| The Big Bang Theory | Alfred Hofstadter | | [44] |
| The Big Bang Theory | Beverly Hofstadter | | [45] |
| Jessica Jones | Jeri Hogarth | "If I believed in God I'd say her sense of humor is for shit" | |
| Sherlock | Sherlock Holmes | | [46] |
| The Boys | Homelander | "No God. The only man in the sky... is me." | Episode: "The Only Man in the Sky" |
| House | Gregory House | | [47] [48] |
| Glee | Kurt Hummel | | |
| The Mentalist | Patrick Jane | | [49] |
| The Boys | Annie January | "There's nobody in the sky watching over us. Not God, not Homelander, not anybody. It's all just... lies." | Episode: "The Big Ride" |
| Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. | Daisy Johnson | | |
| Battlestar Galactica | Billy Keikeya | | [50] |
| Dawson's Creek | Jen Lindley | | [51] |
| Father Ted | Dougal McGuire | | [52] |
| Extras | Andy Millman | | [53] |
| The Walking Dead | Molly | | |
| Dexter | Dexter Morgan | | [54] |
| The X-Files | Fox Mulder | | [55] |
| The Walking Dead | Paula | "Well, the good news is maybe you'll see her again soon." | [56] [57] |
| The Walking Dead | Patrick | Carol described Patrick as a "practicing atheist." | [58] |
| The Walking Dead | Carol Peletier | | |
| Community | Britta Perry | | [59] |
| Perception | Daniel Pierce | | [60] |
| The L Word | Alice Pieszecki | | |
| The Walking Dead | Eugene Porter | | |
| It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia | Dennis Reynolds | | |
| Firefly | Malcolm Reynolds | "You're welcome on my boat. God ain't. | [61] |
| The Walking Dead | Maggie Rhee | "I know it's not my business, and feel free to believe in God, but the thing is you've got to make it okay somehow no matter what happens." | [62] |
| House of Cards | Peter Russo | "I don't believe in God." | | Peter Russo from House of Cards">January 22, 2017 . Atheist & Agnostic Characters Peter Russo from House of Cards . https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211221/IHI4bYHDke8 . 2021-12-21 . live. The Gutter Monkey . . September 28, 2021. |
| Game of Thrones | Salladhor Saan | "The one true god is what's between a woman's legs, and better yet a queen's legs." | [63] |
| Doctor Who | Sarah Jane Smith | | |
| True Detective | Rust Cohle | | |
| House of Cards | Douglas Stamper | "I believe there are things beyond our control, who or what is controlling them, that I don't know." | | Peter Russo from House of Cards" /> |
| All in the Family | Gloria Stivic | | |
| All in the Family | Michael Stivic | | |
| Glee | Sue Sylvester | |
| Skam | Isak Valtersen | "Me? I believe in science. The theory of evolution. Nothing else." | [64] | |
| House of Cards | Frank Underwood | | [65] |
| Defying Gravity | Steven Wassenfelder | | |
| Freaks and Geeks | Lindsay Weir | | |
| Outrageous Fortune | Loretta West | | [66] |
| Doctor Who | Rory Williams | In the episode The God Complex, the Doctor, Amy, and Rory were trapped in the prison of the Minotaur, a creature which feeds off of faith. Since Rory was "not religious or superstitious", he was the only one who could see the exit, but it disappeared whenever he tried to show it to anyone else. | |
| Community | Jeff Winger | | [67] |
| Grey's Anatomy | Cristina Yang | | [68] |
| The Americans | Elizabeth Jennings | | [69] |
| The Americans | Philip Jennings | | [70] |
|
