I think there are a few key factors in making a good character. This is one of the better questions of the last few days! But I might only be saying that because it is easier to answer than some of the others we have had in the last week or so.
Making a character is not just about picking the right skills, feats and equipment to give to the right set of stats. I feel that if you’re going to make a good Character you have to like it yourself. You could make the perfect combination of stats and skills, yet if you do not like what you have made you will not enjoy yourself.
The character must fit in the group. Playing a solo act is great and might sound like fun. But you will quickly find that you will be bored at the table as the story is going to focus on the players that are working as a team far more often then it will shine the spotlight on you.
The Character needs to have a reason for what they are doing. Your character needs the motivation to put themselves into the situation that they are going into session after session. If they have no motivation or drive. Why would they keep doing it ?
The Character needs to make sense. Do not bring a Pirate into a game taking place in the Himalayas without a DAMN good backstory!
Runkle Plays Games 
I have read a few of these today and I think the answer has to be slightly vague. A “Good Character” needs to meet the needs of the player, GM, the party and the story all in qual measure. What that means will change from game to game. If your opening scene for a grand campaign is “You open your eyes and the world swims into focus, you have a splitting headache but you have no idea where you are, who you are or who these people are around you.” then a great back story is as much use as a chocolate teapot. If the game is oen PC and one GM then you can be as antisocial as the story calls for and it could take the game to entirely new places, try that in a party of Paladins and it may not be such a good game session. If the character is fun to play then it is meeting your needs as a player and if it helps the story along and is fun to referee then it is probably meeting the GMs needs.
I don’t think you can actually write a recipe for a good character unless the first ingredient is the campaign it is going to be in.
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That’s why this one was short and basic. I was not very inspired. I have done this kind of post before and much like what you said I just Knew that everyone was likely to say the same things.
Personally looking back I kind of wish I would have just gone with an alt question today.
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On a slightly different topic I am actually reading the DnD 5e rules at the moment so more of what you talk about may make sense in the future. Soon I will actually know what ‘Feats’ are! This does relate to character creation as I will be making some characters just for myself to run through the process so it is not entirely unrelated.
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I think you will be surprised when you see you want a more old school feel to your game. You can opt not to use feats in 5E. Players can take the Attribute increase instead.
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I have not touched DnD since AD&D 1st Ed. that I ran and I played in a 2nd Ed game in the early 90s.
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I think you might be surprised by how in many ways it does recapture the feel. I hope you like it!
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It defintely feels more sophisticated than 1st ed. so far. I have a lot more to read before I can form an opinion though.
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