Britain has been responsible for some of the greatest inventions in history, from the telephone to the television to the tank. Alright, that last one might have been something of a folly, but during our down-time from creating armour-plated bringers of death, we’ve also given the world some of its most memorable genre characters.

The Doctor

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Harry Potter

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James Bond

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Sherlock Holmes

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And in recent years, they’ve come to dominate all forms of entertainment, with Doctor Who making a triumphant return to the TV; Sherlock Holmes receiving rapturous acclaim on both the big and small screens; James Bond preparing his 23rd assault on the global box office; and the various Harry Potter spin-offs making J.K. Rowling richer than Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg and God combined.But who is the greatest British hero of them all? Read on as we profile the aforementioned masters of the universe, then vote for your favourite in the concluding poll so we can finally put this long-standing IGN office debate to bed.Technically this fella’s a Gallifreyan, but characters don’t come more quintessentially British than The Doctor, so for that reason, he makes the cut. First broadcast on BBC One in November 1963, Doctor Who is a sci-fi action-adventure that revolves around The Doctor, a Time Lord who traverses the universe in his TARDIS, a sentient space-craft disguised as that most British of landmarks, the police box.Hilarious, eccentric and at times downright exasperating, the lovable rogue can also perform the rather useful trick of regenerating whenever death comes knocking at his door. This ingenious conceit means that our hero can be a cantankerous old buffer one season and a trendy young whippersnapper the next, and over the years he’s been played by the disparate likes of William Hartnell, John Pertwee, Tom Baker, David Tennant and, most recently, Matt Smith.A natty dresser and possessing of his own kick-ass theme tune, The Doctor is both brave and compassionate, and over the years his incredible intelligence has helped him outsmart the dastardly likes of the Daleks, the Cybermen and The Master.Cool, calm and collected under pressure, The Doctor’s mysterious past endlessly intrigues, while the fact that he saves the universe on a near weekly basis makes him a British hero more heroic than most.Harry James Potter is the greatest wizard of them all. Orphaned as a baby by “He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named”, Harry was whisked off to Hogwarts School of Wizarding on his 11th birthday and promptly spent the next seven years battling both puberty and the forces of evil.A pop culture phenomenon, J.K. Rowling’s books have sold nearly 500m copies worldwide, while the movies and merchandise have generated in excess of $15b in revenue. But why have the adventures of this bespectacled hero been so damn successful?Much of the brand’s popularity has to do with Rowling’s vivid imagination, with Hogwarts a dazzling invention chock-full of marvel and wonder. But the reason people keep coming back to the books and films is Harry, a hugely sympathetic central character who starts out timid and shy but transforms into a tyrant-terminating titan over the course of seven stories. Along the way he masters Quidditch, finds love, travels through time, and does battle with a whole host of monsters, from trolls to dragons to dastardly Death Eaters.Daniel Radcliffe initially struggled to find his feet in the role initially, cute and adorable as the young boy wizard, but struggling with some of the more dramatic scenes in the early films. He improved with each entry, however, so much so that by the time Deathly Hallows rolled around, it was impossible to imagine anyone else in the role.Yet while by the end of the series the character has turned into an all-powerful wizard, Harry’s story is nevertheless a very human one about a boy endeavouring to find acceptance in a world he doesn’t understand. And that’s something we can all empathise with.“The name’s Bond. James Bond.” Super-spy. Lady killer. Card shark. Tall, dark (in the books at any rate), handsome, and possessing of that all-important licence to kill. Heroes don’t come cooler than James.Created by writer Ian Fleming in 1953, the character - codename 007 - has been adapted for radio, television, comics and video games, but he is best known as the protagonist of 23 official (and two unofficial) movies that make Bond the longest continually-running series in film history (and lagging just behind Potter in the success stakes).Sean Connery, George Lazenby, Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton, Pierce Brosnan and Daniel Craig have all brought the character to life onscreen, each actor imbuing the role with their own brand of manly testosterone.Indeed Bond is masculinity personified: an expert in hand-to-hand combat, he drives the fastest cars, beds the most beautiful women, and continually puts his life on the line for Queen and country.Sure, his attitude towards the fairer sex is a little out-dated, but that has been redressed in recent movies, making him a true hero for the 21st Century. And if that weren’t enough, he's the only guy on this list who can wear Speedos and still look cool.The daddy of them all, the first Sherlock Holmes story was published way back in 1887, and since then Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s creation has become one of the most popular and influential characters in modern literature. The world’s first 'consulting detective' Holmes uses his immense powers of deduction to solve the mysteries that the police cannot, and his most famous cases include A Study in Scarlet, The Sign of the Four and, of course, The Hound of the Baskervilles.His talents are varied and many, with Holmes an expert swordsman, a powerful bare-knuckle fighter and an expert in Japanese martial art barritsu. He’s also a master of disguise, while he plays a mean violin and a formidable game of chess.The character has had a huge resurgence in the last couple of years, thanks to the success of Guy Ritchie’s film series (in which he is played by Robert Downey Jr.) and the BBC’s small-screen adaptation (where Benedict Cumberbatch plays the role).Both versions feature fiendish mysteries inspired by Conan Doyle’s original stories, but they are also powered by the enigmatic friendship between Holmes and his right-hand man, Dr. John Watson, their bond one of the most intriguing and enduring in all of literature.But it’s Sherlock’s inscrutible intelligence that keeps audiences interested 125 years after his inception, Holmes’ masterful analysis and brilliant powers of deduction influencing everyone from Poirot to Columbo to Spock, and turning him into a true hero for the ages.

Chris Tilly is the Entertainment Editor for IGN in the UK and wants to see all four of the above assemble in an Avengers-style team-up movie. His nonsense can be found on both Twitter and MyIGN