Top Ten Badass Female Fictional Characters

     For too long, the roles of women in fiction were limited – they were wives or mothers, love interests or side characters, ‘virgins or whores’, and thus their roles were largely defined by men. As years gave passed and feminism has made progress, our books, films and TV shows now feature more and more feminist characters, who are certifiable badasses. Badass can have a few different meanings for me; it could be a strong, brave fighter, but it could also be someone who stands up for what they believe in, goes out and gets what they want, or just generally displays good characteristics. Originally, I was going to write a top five, but I couldn’t choose, so I went with ten, in no particular order. And these women are taken from works of fiction I enjoy – there are plenty of others out there who I couldn’t include, or who I don’t yet know about. And I’m not saying that any of these characters are perfect, but they are all characters I’ve admired for various reasons (minor spoilers ahead).

1) Mulan – The original badass of all the Disney Princesses, Mulan is a hugely important character, especially for young girls watching princess films. She pulls off a hugely risky move, defying every expectation of her gender, by imitating a man to join the army. And she does all out of love, in order to protect her father. And then she goes on to save the whole of China, proving that women can do anything they set their mind to. She is brave and strong, also with a strong sense of justice and a huge amount of compassion. It’s also very important for intersectional feminism to have representation of non-white characters, with these badass, feminist attributes (I wish I had more on this list, but I struggled to think of many amongst my favourites, proving that this is problem that continues to exist).

(source)

2) Agent Carter – The MCU can definitely be faulted for not having a female-led film yet (until Captain Marvel arrives) but there are plenty other badasses around – Black Widow and Agent May spring to mind. They did give us a female-led TV show, in the form of Agent Carter. Peggy is a standout for me, as she doesn’t have superpowers, and lived in a time far more difficult for women than the present, yet she never lets that stop her. She takes no nonsense from anyone, and fights back against the system that would relegate her to little more than a receptionist (now that the men have returned from the war), despite the fact she could outsmart everybody in the room. She doesn’t wait around to be rescued, and instead goes out to save the day herself.

(source)

3) Supergirl – DC’s first few superhero TV shows featured male protagonists, so it was refreshing for them to then turn to Kara Danvers (and not her more famous cousin) for the next. Her powers give her an obvious advantage over most people, but even around other aliens and powered people, she holds her own. She frequently makes it very clear that she can protect herself – and everyone else – and has no patience for anyone who tries to make her take a backseat. There are other female characters in the show, such as Alex Danvers and Cat Grant, who are badasses in their own way too, and none of them have roles that are solely defined by men.

(source)

4) Hermione Granger (Harry Potter) – Harry may be the protagonist of the series, but he would never have gotten as far as he did without Hermione. We all know she’s a genius of course, but there’s also a reason she’s a Gryffindor and not Ravenclaw. She’s exceptionally brave, choosing to help Harry and put her life at risk to save others. She’s loyal to those she cares about, and as she grows up we see her learn to understand the things that are most important (more important than following rules) – acts like founding S.P.E.W. and Dumbledore’s Army (because let’s not forget whose idea that actually was) prove this, as well as her compassion, ambition, and motivation. And it’s important to have a character like her in such a famous series; she was certainly a large influence during my childhood years!

(source)

5) Merida (Brave) – An arranged marriage? Merida is having none of that, and she’s far from the old-fashioned, typically girly and meek Disney princesses. She rails against the idea from the outset, adamant that she will be able to lead the clan without need of a husband. She even beats all her potential suitors in the archery competition, to win her ow hand. The fact that such a competition exists is highly problematic, but it does provide opportunity for girls to see that this is something that can fight back against. Merida is also a great character in the ‘Once Upon A Time’ TV version of her, which continues her story, and she proves to (the men of) her clan and others that she can be a great leader.

(source)

6) Jane Eyre – Not all badasses have to be fighters who save the world. Some can achieve their own triumphs, with smaller feminist acts., and given that Jane Eyre lived in a time when women had even fewer privileges then today, her accomplishments should definitely be given badass status. Jane’s greatest desire and motivation was to be independent, not relying on anyone besides herself. She works to earn her own money, and refuses any marriage that would compromise her independence. At a time when a lot of women were expected to only be wives and mothers, she makes her way in the world alone, and only eventually accepts marriage on her terms.

(source)

7) Princess Leia (Star Wars) – We can’t forget the most badass princess in the galaxy now can we? I think we can all agree that Leia is the strongest, most competent character of the original trio – perhaps even in the entire Star Wars series. She even becomes a General is the newest instalments. She should be remembered for making it clear that princesses don’t just sit around in tiaras, waiting for their prince, and can go out and save the whole galaxy just fine by themselves, thank you very much! She is willing to do whatever it takes for the cause, risking her own life whenever necessary, and is also a wise, diplomatic political leader, capable of organising an entire resistance.