Sherlock Holmes

Why it matters

Holmes also rises a bit on the full pass. He is not just a famous character. He is still the default mental picture for brilliant detective work. A clue trail, a genius solver, a loyal sidekick, and the final explanation scene — culture keeps returning to this bundle again and again. That is why Holmes beats some lower entries with narrower footprints. He is useful in more places. Even people who never read Doyle often know the Baker Street vibe, the pipe-and-cap image, and the Holmes/Watson pairing as a basic story engine.

Cultural Footprint

• Associated Baker Street, deerstalker cap, pipe, detective silhouette
• Associated Holmes and Watson as the genius-plus-loyal-partner pairing
• Popularised clue-first detective stories built around deduction

One-liner

A strange, brilliant detective and his doctor friend solve cases by noticing what everybody else misses.