Have you ever turned off a film or TV show half-way through because you just couldn’t stand the writing? Maybe there were far too many car chases, or the dialogue spoken by doctors was extremely unrealistic. Or perhaps, the way the female characters were written was painfully cringey.
I’m not sure why it’s so difficult for writers to craft complex female protagonists with depth, but apparently it is, because well-written leading women aren't always easy to find. But if you’re looking for something to watch that features a character you’ll actually love, we’ve got your back. Redditors have recently been discussing their favorite strong female leads from the screen, so we’ve got a list celebrating them all below. Enjoy scrolling through, and be sure to upvote the characters that you’re a huge fan of too!
#1
Ellen Ripley in Alien. She’s the OG.
jmorfeus:
Recently when I rewatched the film I distinctly thought that the film made it on purpose that the crew repeatedly dismisses or ignores her idea because she's a woman (like it happens to so many women in professional setting even now, moreso back when it was shot) and that the film made it one of the explicit points not to do that (she was right all along, every time).
Strange how the mind works.
But at the same time it didn't feel forced or fake like so many modern "feminist" movies/recasts and I think Ripley really is the perfect example of a strong female lead.
jmorfeus:
Recently when I rewatched the film I distinctly thought that the film made it on purpose that the crew repeatedly dismisses or ignores her idea because she's a woman (like it happens to so many women in professional setting even now, moreso back when it was shot) and that the film made it one of the explicit points not to do that (she was right all along, every time).
Strange how the mind works.
But at the same time it didn't feel forced or fake like so many modern "feminist" movies/recasts and I think Ripley really is the perfect example of a strong female lead.
Report
172points
#2
Let’s add Uhura, then. She encouraged all girls and black people in general to aim their sights on space and science.
Report
164points
#3
Wednesday and Morticia Adams. They both are strong willed, confident females who don’t give an F about what other people think about them.
Report
152points
#4
[Linda Hamilton as Sarah Connor]
Icing on the cake is that John can immediately tell who the fake Sarah is in that scene. Cause his mother would never dare to risk his life to save her own.
Jahaangle:
[Linda Hamilton as Sarah Connor]
Stabbed through the shoulder, one hand reloading her shotgun, almost taking out the T-1000 herself only to run out of ammo.
Her first instinct is to protect John before the T-800 shows up.
That scene is brilliant.
SayNoToStim:
[Linda Hamilton as Sarah Connor]
Her escape from the mental institution is one of the best scenes in film, across any genres. Watching the cause of all of your problems walk around the corner just as she's escaping from those said problems is going to break anyone, and two minutes later she's leaning out a car window as it drives shooting at the T1000.
XchrisZ:
[Linda Hamilton as Sarah Connor] yelling at John to get back under the bullet proof vests while shooting out of the back of a moving vehicle. Such a great example of a mother being a mother and a bad a*s.
Icing on the cake is that John can immediately tell who the fake Sarah is in that scene. Cause his mother would never dare to risk his life to save her own.
Jahaangle:
[Linda Hamilton as Sarah Connor]
Stabbed through the shoulder, one hand reloading her shotgun, almost taking out the T-1000 herself only to run out of ammo.
Her first instinct is to protect John before the T-800 shows up.
That scene is brilliant.
SayNoToStim:
[Linda Hamilton as Sarah Connor]
Her escape from the mental institution is one of the best scenes in film, across any genres. Watching the cause of all of your problems walk around the corner just as she's escaping from those said problems is going to break anyone, and two minutes later she's leaning out a car window as it drives shooting at the T1000.
XchrisZ:
[Linda Hamilton as Sarah Connor] yelling at John to get back under the bullet proof vests while shooting out of the back of a moving vehicle. Such a great example of a mother being a mother and a bad a*s.
Report
125points
#5
Dana Scully. Even caused an uptic of women in STEM studies.
Caira_Ru:
I’m very biased, because I was at a pretty critical age in my own development when Scully and Mulder were also developing, but there were so many things that they did so incredibly well that it’s been my favorite fiction show for decades. The X-Files shaped me to think the way I think, in a lot of ways.
Scary, funny, touching, horrific, wholesome, sexy but not contrived (for many seasons at least) or over the top and most importantly, the female lead had more to offer to most situations than the male.
Mulder was relatable sometimes and almost always adorable, but as a teen girl, Scully was EVERYTHING!
She was smart, capable, compassionate, confident, and funny. Logical but always able to see past social and scientific constraints. Aware in her femininity but not dependent on it. Full of faith without ever pressuring others to believe the same.
She also was fallible and vulnerable, questioned herself and others, and snapped sometimes when someone hurt her.
If I had to sum her up in 6 words: She owned it. All of it.
Edit: I also felt like I was maybe bi for a couple decades because of Gillian Andersen’s Dana Scully on the X-Files! Sure, I was attracted to the men - Mulder, that one guy who maybe was his brother, and Skinner especially - but I thought “wow… women can sure be attractive, too…”
I finally realized I just had a hard-on for Dana Scully AND men!
Caira_Ru:
I’m very biased, because I was at a pretty critical age in my own development when Scully and Mulder were also developing, but there were so many things that they did so incredibly well that it’s been my favorite fiction show for decades. The X-Files shaped me to think the way I think, in a lot of ways.
Scary, funny, touching, horrific, wholesome, sexy but not contrived (for many seasons at least) or over the top and most importantly, the female lead had more to offer to most situations than the male.
Mulder was relatable sometimes and almost always adorable, but as a teen girl, Scully was EVERYTHING!
She was smart, capable, compassionate, confident, and funny. Logical but always able to see past social and scientific constraints. Aware in her femininity but not dependent on it. Full of faith without ever pressuring others to believe the same.
She also was fallible and vulnerable, questioned herself and others, and snapped sometimes when someone hurt her.
If I had to sum her up in 6 words: She owned it. All of it.
Edit: I also felt like I was maybe bi for a couple decades because of Gillian Andersen’s Dana Scully on the X-Files! Sure, I was attracted to the men - Mulder, that one guy who maybe was his brother, and Skinner especially - but I thought “wow… women can sure be attractive, too…”
I finally realized I just had a hard-on for Dana Scully AND men!
Report
122points
#7
Margie from Fargo. She's the only moral, reasonable, responsible person in a town full of insanity. She deals with it all, while being pregnant and still finding the time to have emotions, but keeping them separate when there's a job to do.
Report
117points
#8
She may not have been the 'main' protagonist but Rachel Weisz as Evelyn in The Mummy (1999) was for me the perfect mix of feminine, brains and grit. Just loved her. And she wasn't a mary sue either. She make mistakes.
Report
114points
#9
The original, animated Mulan.
They don’t make the mistake of having her just walk onto the training ground with the other rookies and just automatically know everything and be the best. She falls on her a*s and generally gets the s**t kicked out of her just like everyone else. And by the time she becomes a competent fighter, her comrades are all competent fighters with her. But she still has that little bit of an edge to her due to her intelligence.
My point being, she’s “done right” because she’s actually believable.
They don’t make the mistake of having her just walk onto the training ground with the other rookies and just automatically know everything and be the best. She falls on her a*s and generally gets the s**t kicked out of her just like everyone else. And by the time she becomes a competent fighter, her comrades are all competent fighters with her. But she still has that little bit of an edge to her due to her intelligence.
My point being, she’s “done right” because she’s actually believable.
Report
110points
#11
Michelle Yeoh in Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon.
She’s not a one dimensional, no emotions having badass trope of a character. Her femininity wasn’t cut in order for her to be “strong”. She’s a whole human being.
She’s not a one dimensional, no emotions having badass trope of a character. Her femininity wasn’t cut in order for her to be “strong”. She’s a whole human being.
Report
107points
#12
[Clarice in Silence of the Lambs]
It's great because the movie acknowledges her strengths, weakness and challenges as a woman. Often lazy writers make a woman character strong by just making her more masculine. Clarice is a decidedly feminine lead (petite, soft spoken, etc) yet still a complete badass.
It's great because the movie acknowledges her strengths, weakness and challenges as a woman. Often lazy writers make a woman character strong by just making her more masculine. Clarice is a decidedly feminine lead (petite, soft spoken, etc) yet still a complete badass.
Report
107points
#15
Elle Woods. I love how feminine she is. An absolute girly girl and yet she totally rocks as the main character. And when the other girl thinks she's trying to sleep with the professor but instead they actually just talk it out instead of use miscommunication as a plot device? Such a good movie.
leobubby:
So happy this movie came out when I was 13 years old, her persona and the way she handled being girlie and pinkish and intelligent at the same time was so fundamentally important for my self development. I can be girly and funny and interesting AND smart all at the same time and I will not let anyone dull my shine!
trauma_queen:
And her innate kindness shows throughout the movie as well! It comes off as true security - not feeling the need to put others down or act superior, lifting others up! I am in a male dominated profession, and I am so grateful that where I work currently, the women are team players , secure, kind, and genuinely support one another. Elle woods is interesting and smart and girly... And the antithesis of a mean girl. I love that most of all
leobubby:
So happy this movie came out when I was 13 years old, her persona and the way she handled being girlie and pinkish and intelligent at the same time was so fundamentally important for my self development. I can be girly and funny and interesting AND smart all at the same time and I will not let anyone dull my shine!
trauma_queen:
And her innate kindness shows throughout the movie as well! It comes off as true security - not feeling the need to put others down or act superior, lifting others up! I am in a male dominated profession, and I am so grateful that where I work currently, the women are team players , secure, kind, and genuinely support one another. Elle woods is interesting and smart and girly... And the antithesis of a mean girl. I love that most of all
Report
97points
#17
[Samantha Carter from Stargate]
They were originally going to have her in a more revealing outfit than the guys, but the actor protested, saying something along the line of: this this is the military, we would all be wearing the same thing.
Which I think ultimately helps with the show's credibility.
Secret_Ad_1541:
A great character and one thing that really stood out, and was kind of unusual, was that she was not treated any differently by the SG-1 team because she was woman. She was an invaluable asset to the team, and everyone knew and acknowledged it. Jack, Teal'c and Master Bra'tac were all experience, elite warriors and Carter was respected and treated as their equal. And, even though Amanda Tapping was an attractive woman, I was glad that they didn't turn her character into eye candy, like you would see in so many other shows and movies. Sam was awesome and a badass who didn't have to strut around and tell people about it, because they all knew it.
They were originally going to have her in a more revealing outfit than the guys, but the actor protested, saying something along the line of: this this is the military, we would all be wearing the same thing.
Which I think ultimately helps with the show's credibility.
Secret_Ad_1541:
A great character and one thing that really stood out, and was kind of unusual, was that she was not treated any differently by the SG-1 team because she was woman. She was an invaluable asset to the team, and everyone knew and acknowledged it. Jack, Teal'c and Master Bra'tac were all experience, elite warriors and Carter was respected and treated as their equal. And, even though Amanda Tapping was an attractive woman, I was glad that they didn't turn her character into eye candy, like you would see in so many other shows and movies. Sam was awesome and a badass who didn't have to strut around and tell people about it, because they all knew it.
Report
89points
#18
Fiona from Shrek. She was willing to admit when she was in the wrong and grow personally, stood up for herself and her friends and didn't get sucked in by the pretty boy show off, she actually kicked his butt.
Report
85points
#19
Any woman written by Terry Pratchett, really.
My favorite is Granny Weatherwax tho.
My favorite is Granny Weatherwax tho.
Report
77points
#20
Disney's **Moana**. Y'all don't have kids?
That girl speaks truth to power, finds evidence, heads off on a dangerous trek, saves the world (basically), returns home and makes her small town better. And the whole time there's no distraction from any romantic interest.
Badass.
That girl speaks truth to power, finds evidence, heads off on a dangerous trek, saves the world (basically), returns home and makes her small town better. And the whole time there's no distraction from any romantic interest.
Badass.
Report
74points