Lots of people like to "Like" things. I am of course referring to the Facebook Like, which has become a simple shortcut to stamping your approval on something. Whether it's an interesting update, a pithy comment, a brand, a website, a movie, an album, or a game, Facebook users the world over are addicted to clicking "Like" all over the social network to publicly state their personal tastes.

MakeUseOf has a very popular Facebook Page, and the most popular Facebook Pages are owned by celebrities. Having already detailed the most popular comedians on Facebook and the most popular musicians on Facebook, it's time to take a look at the most popular fictional characters on Facebook. These are public figures who are so beloved by the general public they've managed to rack up millions of Facebook Likes. And yet none of them actually exist in the real world. Who are these people?

Superman

5 Million Likes

Superman is probably the most famous superhero in the world, and his legend is continually added to by appearances in comic books, movies, video games, and merchandise marketed to little children. That figure of 5 million may be close to the number of people who perished in the closing scenes of the most recent movie, The Man Of Steel. Coincidence?!

Flo, The Progressive Girl

5 Million Likes

Flo is thankfully the only marketing tool that makes our list, but the very fact that even one advertising gimmick has hit such heady heights is rather worrying. 5 million people have Liked Flo, the face of Progressive Insurance since 2008, which is absolutely brilliant news for both the company and the advertising executives, but not so good for the rest of us.

Elmo

5.5 Million Likes

Elmo is perhaps the most famous character on children's TV show, Sesame Street. Judging by the 5 million people who like the little red fella on Facebook, he's certainly one of the most popular, beaten only by the Cookie Monster. Kevin Clash resigned from voicing Elmo in 2012, so his popularity may wane. I always preferred Oscar the Grouch anyway.

The Stig

6 Million Likes

If you don't watch Top Gear then you should start doing so immediately. It doesn't matter whether or not you're into cars and know the difference between a camshaft and a spark plug, Top Gear is about more than just automobiles. One of the biggest draws of the show is a tame racing driver who never speaks. He's called The Stig, and he has racked up more than 6 million Likes on Facebook.

7.5 Million Likes

To have one Sesame Street character on this list is strange, to have two is just ridiculous. The 7.5 million Facebook Likes the Cookie Monster has so far managed to amass means he is more popular than many bona fide celebrities. Which is pretty amazing for a Muppet whose only claim to fame is his ability to wolf down cookies at an alarming rate of knots.

Barbie

8 Million Likes

Barbie is a doll that has been with us since 1959, and yet she hasn't aged a day in all that time. Or put on any weight, for that matter. A timeless quality backed up by endless incremental changes and an ever-evolving wardrobe of clothes and accessories ensure Barbie finds popularity with generation after generation. Even on Facebook.

Donkey from Shrek

8 Million Likes

The first Shrek film was released in 2001 to huge commercial and critical acclaim. And while the titular character voiced by Mike Myers is popular, his trusty sidekick Donkey, voiced by Eddie Murphy, trumps him in the popularity stakes. There hasn't been a new Shrek film released since 2010, but Donkey remains as popular as ever, with 8 million Likes on Facebook to show for it.

Batman

10 Million Likes

Wherever Superman goes, Batman will follow closely behind. Another DC Comics superhero whose popularity seemingly knows no bounds, Batman is perhaps more famous now than ever before thanks to the Dark Knight trilogy starring Christian Bale and directed by Christopher Nolan. A lot more than 10 million people have seen those films, so this number is, if anything, a little on the low side.

Annoying Orange

12 Million Likes

The Annoying Orange is an orange that's annoying. I know, it's a tough concept to grasp, but it's one that has managed to form the basis for a Web series that eventually made it onto television thanks to the Cartoon Network. I must confess to not being a fan of this show in any of its guises, mainly because I find the cast of characters incredibly annoying. Which is the point, I guess. Still, it made our list of the best original comedy channels on YouTube, so it can't be all bad.

Mr. Bean

43 Million Likes

And so we come to the end of this list, and the top spot for most popular fictional character on Facebook goes to Mr. Bean. Here is a character that was compelling for the briefest of brief periods in the early 1990s, and yet has somehow managed to rack up a rather impressive 43 million Facebook Likes. I assume the popularity is a result of the show being aired in 245 territories around the world, but still, I despair, I really do.

Conclusion

I can just about understand people's fascination with Liking things on Facebook, but what makes people Like fictional characters? I mean, Superman and Batman are easy to love, but Mr. Bean? And Flo, the Progressive Girl? The practice is still beyond me, but I welcome your explanations.

Do you Like any of these fictional characters on Facebook? What made you visit their Page and click the box to declare your love for them? Please let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.

Image Credit: Lukasz Porwol