Portrayed by Gregory Peck in the 1962 film adaptation, Atticus topped the 2003 AFI list by beating out action figures like Indiana Jones and James Bond.

Atticus defends Tom Robinson against false charges of raping a white woman, challenging the deeply entrenched racism of depression-era Alabama.

After he drops the dog with a single rifle bullet, his children learn their quiet, intellectual father was once known in town as "Ol' One-Shot".

Set two decades later, this early draft of the classic story reveals an aging Atticus opposing civil rights and attending a racist Citizens' Council meeting.