Both have their merits. A healthy combination of both is ideal. All of my favorites have the same goals of bettering humanity and giving their all to secure a safer, prosperous future for the ones that follow, which one cannot do as a weakling. That's not to say my liking of them is dependent on their martial status completely, but without their strength of body, their strength of mind and spirit cannot exist.
So, it goes hand in hand for me. However, anybody that judges the reasons why somebody favorites a character is a condescending, insecure little prick. Just because somebody sees power or fighting ability as an attractive quality and likes said character for that alone doesn't make it any less substantial. Picking preferences like this is entirely subjective.