Since popular fiction and religious stories have inspired many aspects of classes, races, and magic in Dungeons and Dragons, it might be fun to discuss equivalents and counterparts of DnD classes, races, and magic in non-DnD books, films, TV shows, theatre, mythology, and games.
TV, movies, and videogames will probably be the most common sources of inspiration for how younger players perceive classes imo.
Being able to reference these productions could be a good way to help new players visualize the ways that their characters interact with the in-game world.
Here's an example:
In the movie "Stardust", the main male protagonist Tristan is a commoner who gets trained into a martial fighting class (perhaps a rogue?).
The female protagonist Yvaine, a fallen Star, could be classified as a Sorceror who uses the magic of the stars.
The villains could be classified as Warlocks, because they gain magical powers by siphoning them from external power sources; the villains seek to drain Yvaine of her sorcerous power to fuel the villain's magical spells and restore their youth.
Michael Carpenter from The Dresden Files is the best paladin in any story there is. This is an objective fact.
A manga example:
Negi Springfield as a spell-point-using wizard. He learns new spells through study and practice, and has graduated from a formal magic school. His spells can be interrupted by stopping the incantation (before he learns to cast without incantations, which itself is similar to the 3e metamagic feat Silent Spell). He carries a staff which he frequently focuses his magic through, though he calls it a wand (which is similar to the 4e use of an implement). Also, anyone can study magic in that world; you don't have to be specially gifted to use magic, which is in line with the tradition of the wizard class from at least 2e through 5e.
Lord_Ventnor wrote:
Paksenarrion, definitely is one of the best paladins of literature.
For monks, I’ll go with the Bloodguard from the Chronicles of Thomas Covenant. They fight without weapons or armor, and their vow allows them to transcend physical limitations.
In videogames, I would think Kratos from the God of War series would count as a barbarian. He even rages.
lawrencehoy wrote:
Techincally speaking, Roland (of the 12 Peers of Charlemagne) is THE Paladin ... though in D&D, I guess he would actually be a fighter. 
Also, I posit that Gandalf is actually a Bard, not a Wizard. He casts some spells, sure, but he also fighters with a sword, does his fair share of storytelling, and is seriously into the (bardic) lore.
Kayal wrote:
Aragorn: Fighter
Boromir: Fighter
Gandalf: Celestial NPC
Gimli: Fighter
Legolas: Fighter
lawrencehoy wrote:
I agree with the best representation of a paladin being Paksennarion, although Michael from the Dresden Files is a close second.
However, Gandalf was a fake (in the books). Yes, he was good at fireworks, but what does he actually do? All of his accomplisments are off-screen (fighting the balrog) and we just take his word for what happened. In other cases he's taking credit for other people's work like when the hobbits convinced the treants to take out Saruman and then he claimed it was his idea all along.
So Gandalf? Noble/Politician. Maybe rogue with a high charisma. He has connections, influence and a really fast horse but little more.
OoftaMeg wrote:
Brock_Landers wrote:
For a nonconventional paladin, I like Solomon Kane--he even gets smite in one story (too hard to decide between Paks and Michael Carpenter as the best paladin).
As long as we are bringing up Dresden, does anyone notice that he uses 3 spells over and over, gets powered up by a fallen angel, loses that power and gets powered up by an angel, then gets juiced up by Mab. [Off topic, but that is how magic ought to be in D&D.] Multipact warlock, which isn't a 5e thing, but was a 4e thing.
Captain Picard from Star Trek: the Next Generation would make a fine paladin.
SirAntoine wrote:
Harry Dresden could be represented by a Warlock with the Pact of the Tome in 5e. Wizard or not, his biggest strength in the books tends to be his absolute mastery over ritual magic.
And Gandalf would be represented as a Solar who assumes the shape of a bearded man.
OoftaMeg wrote:
Lord_Ventnor wrote:
OoftaMeg wrote:
Luke Skywalker is a Paladin
adembroski11 wrote:
Iron Man: Wizard
Thor: Tempest Cleric
Captain America: Battlemaster Fighter/Rogue
Hulk: Barbarian
Brock_Landers wrote:
Roughly half of the standard human comic book heroes: monk
Nist498 wrote:
Brock_Landers wrote:
Chewbacca is a miniature giant space sasquatch.
arnwolf666 wrote:
Good call on Solomon Kane!
Hiero from Hiero’s Journey is perhaps literature’s only multiclass psion/ranger/cleric.
Mechatarrasque wrote:
arnwolf666 wrote:
lawrencehoy wrote:
OoftaMeg wrote:
One of the great things about the Sparhawk character was how he was clearly a holy warrior, a paladin. Yet he was also very human. It really opened my eyes to how a paladin could be more than a one-note Lawful Good PC, while still being a Lawful Good PC, if that makes any sense.
Orethalion wrote:
Ralif_Redhammer wrote: