I am a huge fan of characters that don't speak very much or at all. This may not come as a huge surprise.
Even better when they can hold their own, without any compromises to their character or what they're trying to achieve. There is motivation here for me that outstrips pretty much anything else a piece of media could say.
Kimiko from the TV show The Boys has been a treat to watch. There is clear reason in her silence, which adds to her character rather than detracts or constrains it. Also she's cute when she rips people's heads off :3
Moving to, as my friend has ungenerously put it before, a show for babies: Miraculous Ladybug has Kagami whom I attune with a very normal amount. She does talk, but only when necessary and saying only what's needed. Plenty of examples of this in media, I just stumbled upon this one and quite enjoy it.
This is where the trend ends for fictional characters whose names begin with K and are 6 characters long. I am very interested in continuing this mind you.
Shōko Nishimiya from Koe no Katachi wrecked me when I first watched it almost a decade ago. It's been too long to remember the subtleties, but it hits too close to home for me to call it my favourite rendition of this thought. Good film though.
A search online for mute characters pulled up Shizune Hakamichi, who comes from a time where I was shitposting on corners of the internet that I would rather erase. So that one's a bit cursed still. Also her route was SHIT
Chell, Doomguy, and Gordon Freeman all fit the bill, but I don't feel it as much with video game protagonists. Maybe there's this expectation that they don't have to speak in that type of media. I can't immediately think of nonverbal NPCs, though this would likely appeal to me far more.
Most words I speak are weighed down with unease, and the sense that I'm always a step behind what I'm supposed to say feels inescapable. The more casual the talk, the worse it becomes. I don't understand how anyone can reach deep into their decades of knowledge, pull out the exact silly media fact or quip required, and belt it out all in a microsecond. By the time I've stewed over a sentence long enough to trust it, we're talking about anarchist communes or some shit.
The thought of dropping it all feels nice. Even with the knowledge that I'd lose that necessary connection to people that's (mostly) required to get closer to them.
It remains unrealistic. I'd have to drop too much from my life to be able to continue with stability. So I watch these fictional little characters and squee with glee and envy.