It's a tie between Esteban and Zia.
Esteban is that truly great kind of character - a genuine, good hearted, strongwilled and determined young male figure who everyone is cheering on. I say genuine because you can see his slight imperfections and how he grows as the series goes from episode to episode. I also say genuine because many characters (and actors) are artificially squeezed into a role where they have to play, for example in this case a young male hero. And yet it is so rare when the character actually is all those things and yet at the same time are genuinely themselves, complete with their slight flaws. There is no pretension to Esteban. He ranks up there with other great young male heros like Huckleberry Finn. He cares about helping all people - Spanish, Incas, everyone who is good. Esteban can be slightly silly at times too - but when things get tough he deals with the challenge. Typical wear for him is sandals, long white T-shirt with a long thin belt double looped over it and brown leggings that look like extended, close fitting long shorts (kind of like what pro cyclists wear like in the Tour du France)
Zia, the Inca girl, is a remarkable feminine figure - she is caring, unafraid, intuitive and is dedicated to helping others. She is a strong, positive female role model. Throughout the whole show, she was there to help out her friends and followed where the boys went (except fot that washing scene heh). Her clothes were pretty, her personality was strong, honest and good. She, like Esteban, wants to help and protect people. Her ability to communicate often helped soothe over conflicts or problems. She is an excellent companion, exactly the kind of person that you want on your side, or, as in the case of Esteban, near your side. It's fairly obvious that there is something going on with Esteban and Zia, maybe not physical, but there is without a doubt a very strong emotional bond between them. Zia, her name, means either "light and splendor" or a kind of nutritious grain or plant. Typical wear for her is her attractive light orange natural and simple dress outfit and her "Inca girl" sandals. I almost want to call it the "hippie girl" dress except it looks more Indian than hippie.
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and bonus runner-up props to Tao for being one of the coolest animated black kids in the history of animation. Even though he was from an ancient civilization (Heva, Atlantis, Mu same thing really) he is obviously the black kid on the adventure. He is very smart and seeks the Cities of Gold not out of greed, but to learn more about his ancestry. Tao is an invaluable part of the team. White boy Esteban and Tao often have different ways of approaching a problem. They eventually are great friends. The three children, together, form a nearly unstoppable team.
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