29 strong female characters on TV

Fierce Females - Kimiko (The Boys)/Cookie (Empire)/Eleven from Stranger things — Photo: Jasper Savage/Amazon Studios; Chuck Hodes/FOX; Netflix

A strong female lead is more than just picking up a sword and saying, "I can do anything a man can do." Their journeys take on a complexity not afforded to many characters on television; courage that exists in both quiet decisions and loud proclamations, seemingly endless motivation and energy, and the wits and fortitude to outlast even the deadliest foes and demons. From the White House in Scandal to the depths of hell in Buffy, the Vampire Slayer, check out a few of the smartest and strongest women to kick ass on the small screen.

01 of 27

Annalise Keating (How to Get Away With Murder)

No one knows how to rock a courtroom or clean up a mess like Annalise Keating (Viola Davis). Fighting her own demons over six seasons, she also found time to regularly save her students' lives, win impossible court cases, and head up a landmark class-action case for criminal justice reform at the Supreme Court. And that's even before we mention her killer fashion sense and unapologetic sexuality. Ultimately, How to Get Away With Murder was about Annalise stripping away her mask to live the life she truly deserved. And we can't think of anything fiercer or braver than showing that kind of vulnerability after fighting for decades to prove yourself. —Maureen Lee Lenker

02 of 27

Eve Polastri (Killing Eve)

Killing Eve is not your typical spy thriller, so it makes sense that the woman at the heart of the BBC America series—Sandra Oh's Eve Polastri—is a deeply flawed, complicated woman. When the bored, desk-bound MI5 agent suddenly becomes an MI6 foreign intelligence operative, she discovers her life's calling in a thrilling, cat-and-mouse hunt for assassin Villanelle (Jodie Comer). We dare you to stop watching as these two fierce and fascinating women constantly find themselves in each other's orbits! And as Eve questions what true independence is and what she really wants out of life, viewers just might find themselves looking inward alongside her. —Rachel Yang

03 of 27

Leslie Knope (Parks and Recreation)

If you ever need to feel inspired, just watch any episode of Parks and Recreation. Whether it's merely trying to turn a dirt pit into a park or the Herculean effort of running for city council in a town that hates her, main character Leslie Knope (Amy Poehler) just doesn't know the word "quit." And no matter how impossible a task seems, she goes at it full force—and with a smile on her face. This hard-working, passionate government employee is a role model to everyone everywhere because she's empowering, supportive, and driven. You want to be her and be her best friend. —Sydney Bucksbaum

04 of 27

Michonne (The Walking Dead)

Battle-tested in a world that's zombie-infested, the ronin of the Walking Dead universe, portrayed by Danai Gurira, became a fan favorite the second she stepped on screen. While the quiet warrior starts off with just a samurai sword, two Zombie lackeys, and a mysterious past, she gradually becomes a central figure on the show. With the amount of adversity she overcomes throughout the series, there's truly no other choice for which apocalypse survivor you would want to guide you through a world full of flesh-hungry walkers. —Marcus Jones

05 of 27

Angela Abar (Watchmen)

Whether in or out of costume as the masked vigilante Sister Night, Angela Abar (Regina King) exudes righteous fury and ass-kicking power from the moment she first appears on-screen in HBO's Watchmen. Born in Vietnam (which in the Watchmen-verse becomes the 51^st U.S. state), Angela eventually lands in the Tulsa Police Department, taking on the Sister Night mantle after a horrific massacre that leads all cops to wear masks. With an absolutely no-nonsense attitude ("I got a nose for white supremacy, and he smells like bleach") and detective skills to rival any version of Batman, Angela is truly a hero for our times. —Tyler Aquilina

06 of 27

Buffy Summers (Buffy the Vampire Slayer)

Despite her petite stature, we learned throughout the show that it would be foolish to underestimate Buffy Summers (Sarah Michelle Gellar). The vampire killer's quick thinking and courage proved that you don't need to be the biggest and baddest person in the room to help people. Buffy saved the world over and over again, and she did it while battling another terrifying demon—high school. —Rachel Yang

07 of 27

Kimiko (The Boys)

The Boys - The Female — James Minchin/Amazon

The TV industry seems obsessed with the silent-but-deadly female archetype. X-23 (Dafne Keen) in Logan. Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) in Stranger Things. And now Kimiko (Karen Fukuhara) in The Boys has entered the fray, but she does so as a fully formed, interesting character with a deep history. Sure, she can pluck the eyes right out of the heads of Russian mobsters due to the superpower-inducing Compound V formula that runs through her body. Sure, she can get her neck snapped and then shake it off moments later as if it were just fatigue. But she's also a lover at heart. After being forced to fight in a militia group and then caged by human traffickers, she's now living life. Don't let her fists of death fool you. She's obsessed with musicals and enjoys dancing. —Nick Romano

08 of 27

Olivia Pope (Scandal)

D.C.'s champion gladiator broke barriers onscreen and off as the first Black female lead character on a network TV drama since 1974's Get Christie Love! As the go-to crisis manager for the political elite, the Scandal protagonist, played by Kerry Washington, is one of the most powerful women in America. She does her best work in the gray areas of morality but still pulls off wearing the white hat. When she's not thwarting what feels like multiple coup attempts, assassination plots, and rigged elections, she's making popcorn and red wine look like the most enviable snack around. —Marcus Jones

09 of 27

Wynonna Earp (Wynonna Earp)

Demons, skin-walkers, and vengeful spirits are all in a day's work for the titular heroine of Wynonna Earp (played by Melanie Scrofano), the great-great-granddaughter of legendary Western lawman Wyatt Earp. Wynonna has a way with a gun—specifically the magic family gun, Peacemaker—and a witty one-liner as she grapples with a whole heap of supernatural foes, with her sister Waverly (Dominique Provost-Chalkley), the immortal Doc Holliday (Tim Rozon), and Waverly's sheriff girlfriend Nicole Haught (Katherine Barrell) by her side. The O.K. Corral has nothing on this. —Tyler Aquilina

10 of 27

Meredith Grey (Grey's Anatomy)

You thought a list of fierce, powerful women on TV could exist without Meredith Grey (Ellen Pompeo) being included? The first in a long line of inspirational Shonda Rhimes-created leading ladies kicked off Grey's Anatomy by having a one-night stand with a hot guy the night before she started her dream job, and we absolutely love a sex-positive, empowered woman having a good time (although we definitely don't recommend sleeping with your future coworker). She fights for what she believes in, even risking serious jail time to do it. Over the course of the long-running series, she's gone from a lowly intern to being the chief of general surgery, all while raising three kids as a widowed mom. Not all superheroes wear capes—some wear scrubs. —Sydney Bucksbaum

11 of 27

Xena (Xena: Warrior Princess)

XENA-WARRIOR PRINCESS, Lucy Lawless, Episode: Return Of Callisto, 1995-2001 — Everett Collection

Billy Eichner might've kickstarted the "Lets' go, lesbians!" meme, but fans of Xena: Warrior Princess were shouting that at the screen in the '90s throughout the show's six-season run. It was the overt subtext (that might as well have just been text) between warrior woman Xena (Lucy Lawless) and her sidekick Gabriel (Renée O'Connor). Despite male relationships, including a little tryst with the God of War himself, the pair always found their way back to each other and fought everything the world of Greek mythology threw at him. Not only is she an icon, but Xena also single-handedly made chakram cool. Don't lie. You, too, have a makeshift chakram you once made out of cardboard buried in a box in your closet somewhere. —Nick Romano

12 of 27

Sydney Bristow (Alias)

Agent Sydney Bristow (Jennifer Garner) has her entire life snatched from under her at the very start of Alias after her fiancé Daniel (Edward Atterton) is killed and she discovers the group she is working for, SD-6, is not actually part of the CIA, but a secret group working against them. As she weathers prophecies, family secrets, and many wild wigs through six seasons to solve cases and take down bad guys. By the end, viewers saw her balancing her family and a career in espionage, all while managing to be a triple-agent. —Alamin Yohannes

13 of 27

Samantha White (Dear White People)

Samantha White (Logan Browning) sees Black students' issues at her Ivy League institution and is committed to speaking truth to power on Dear White People. Sam seeks out the truth through her unapologetic and bold nature, and fights to demolish bigotry—even when it doesn't serve her personal life. College can be a difficult time of changing allegiances and challenging experiences, and as Sam and her classmates learn, figuring out one's own identity is one of the hardest tests in school. —Alamin Yohannes

14 of 27

Olivia Benson (Law & Order: SVU)

LAW & ORDER: SPECIAL VICTIMS UNIT — Virginia Sherwood/NBC

Not just strong and brave, Detective Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay) of the NYPD's Special Victims Unit brings a sincere, empathetic nature and deep emotional intelligence to her job making her the best of the best. Nowadays, she's risen to the rank of Captain, and she influences the detectives in her unit with her decades of dedication to the job, and her never-ending commitment to uncovering the truth, and getting justice for the victims. And there's no better friend anyone could ask for. When her old partner, Elliot Stabler (Christopher Meloni) came back into the picture, she helped keep him together after the murder of his wife. —Jolie Lash

15 of 27

Peggy Olson (Mad Men)

Mad Men's Peggy Olson (Elisabeth Moss) wasn't meant to achieve her goals, becoming the secretary to ad man Don Draper (Jon Hamm) was meant to be the end of her professional trajectory, but she made it the beginning of her career with skill and determination. Working her way up through a toxic, male-dominated industry, and having the strength to quit Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce at one point knowing her talents were not being recognized, are testaments to her incredible fierce character development over the run of the show. Her last scene is walking out of the office with her sunglasses on and box in hand in the finale? Iconic. —Alamin Yohannes

16 of 27

Dana Scully (The X-Files)

On The X-Files, Gillian Anderson's character Dana Scully cemented herself as one of the most iconic sci-fi characters of all time; a doctor and skeptic who explored the paranormal alongside her partner at the FBI, Mulder (David Duchovny). The character was so beloved that it created what is called "The Scully Effect," women in real life who choose to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) inspired by Scully. —Alamin Yohannes

17 of 27

Jessica Jones (Jessica Jones and The Defenders)

Jessica Jones (Krysten Ritter) is a bold and unruly former hero who lives life on her own terms. People are scared of her powers, and others are determined to convince her to use them for good, but Jessica only moves when she wants to. The Marvel character is a refreshing reminder that we can live on our own terms, that every hero's journey is their own, and that superpowers go beyond a super suit. —Alamin Yohannes

18 of 27

Veronica Mars (Veronica Mars)

Teenage P.I. Veronica Mars (Kristen Bell) broke the mold for young characters. The scrappy teen doesn't back down to anyone, from spoiled rich kids at school to the corrupt officer at the precinct. Veronica Mars is known for its unique tone, fun characters, and a few strong mystery arcs, but its lasting impact is its lead character. No superpowers, just wit, and a taser. —Alamin Yohannes

19 of 27

Cookie Lyon (Empire)

If clothes could talk, Loretta "Cookie" Lyon's (Taraji P. Henson) fashionable statements would tell an inspiring yet powerful story of a businesswoman raised in Philadelphia's harsh inner-city streets all on their own. Known for rocking lavish furs, her luxury clothing expresses Cookie's desires for her family after spending 17-years in prison for dealing drugs, a stint that provided the seed money for the label she founded with her ex-husband Lucious Lyons (Terrence Howard). Her choice of intriguing colors and patterns highlight her love for music and art, and the elaborate statement pieces she adds reveal she is a woman of distinction. From harsh prison experiences to building a generational dynasty, Cookie's clothes tell the story of a woman that refuses to fail due to her passions: Family and music. —Joshua Edwards

20 of 27

Eleven (Stranger Things)

It was hard not to adore adorable pre-teen Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) when we first met her—on the run after having escaped Hawkins National Laboratory, and curious about everything as she encountered things in the real world. Despite years of being experimented on, Eleven was able to trust the group of young boys she came across, nicknamed the Party. And they had her back when she needed them most—saving Hawkins, Indiana, from the Demogorgon and the Upside Down. Psychokinetic abilities aside, Eleven was also brave enough to express her want of a family (which came in the form of David Harbour's Sheriff Jim Hopper), and need to fully embrace life as a young person—dances, first kisses and all. —Jolie Lash

21 of 27

Alicia Florrick (The Good Wife)

Alicia Florrick (Julianna Margulies) found herself making headlines as a wife whose famous husband (Chris Noth) is in the midst of a scandal, and The Good Wife tracks her journey as she starts her own life again. Alicia wins cases, navigates a complex workplace where very few believed in her, and fights against people who see her as an extension of her husband. The newly-liberated Alicia gets angry, ambitious, and occasionally ruthless, but she's done suffering fools or caring about other people's expectations of her. —Alamin Yohannes

22 of 27

Diana Prince (Wonder Woman)

Before an infinite amount of superhero content was available across multiple platforms on demand, there was Lynda Carter's Wonder Woman. Across three seasons, the Amazonian princess Diana—later known as Diana Prince while in disguise—navigates life in her new home in the United States while fighting crime with the aid of her magical accessories: bullet-deflecting bracelets and a golden lasso. Not only did Wonder Woman inspire young women in the '70s by proving females weren't the weaker sex, but her legacy continues to grow through recent iterations of the character on the big screen through Gal Gadot. Carter was pretty inspirational in her own right as one of the first Latinas to portray a superhero. —Rosy Cordero

23 of 27

Robyn McCall (The Equalizer)

With a very particular set of skills and a passion for the underdog, Robyn McCall (Queen Latifah) is the hero we all need. Whether she's saving a diner shop waitress deep faked into involvement in a murder, or getting justice for teenagers caught in mafia crossfire, McCall doesn't let anything stop her—including the law, and one Detective Marcus Dante (Tory Kittles), who can be both friend and foe. And like all smart heroes, she's got some of the most loyal friends, all of whom have their own very particular set of skills they'll employ for anything McCall asks for. And while saving the downtrodden is a busy job, she's also there as a good mom to teenage daughter Delilah (Laya DeLeon Hayes). —Jolie Lash

24 of 27

Jessica Fletcher (Murder, She Wrote)

If Jessica Fletcher (Angela Lansbury) was on the case, you knew it would get solved. The retired English teacher turned successful mystery writer solved crimes for 12 seasons on Murder, She Wrote. Armed with her cardigan and her intellect, the widow became a hero by disproving many of the assumptions people would make about her due to her age (and inability to drive). The novelist-turned-detective was an asset to authorities—whether they appreciated the help or not. —Alamin Yohannes

25 of 27

Catherine of Aragon (The Spanish Princess)

The Spanish Princess Stephanie Levi-John (Lina), Charlotte Hope (Princess Catherine), Nadia Parkes (Rosa) CR: Nick Briggs/Starz — Nick Briggs/Starz

History has often resigned Catherine to the ignominy of losing Henry VIII's heart to Anne Boleyn and helping spur him to break from Catholicism. But as she's portrayed by Charlotte Hope on The Spanish Princess, it's clear she's far fiercer than she's often remembered. Catherine is tenacious and determined to seize her birthright as queen and to fight for love and country. If her indomitable will in season 1 wasn't enough, wait until you see her in season 2, going to war in full armor while pregnant (which, yes, is true). —Maureen Lee Lenker

26 of 27

Carrie Mathison (Homeland)

Claire Danes as Carrie Mathison — Stephan Rabold/SHOWTIME

CIA Agent Carrie Mathison (Claire Danes) doesn't play by the agency's rules, but in all fairness to Carrie, when she has a hunch about something terrorism-related, she's usually right. It can't be easy being one of the smartest agents, especially when dealing with politically-minded management, but luckily, Carrie has a champion in Saul Berenson (Mandy Patinkin), who believes so strongly in her talents, that he'll go all the way to the president to defend her. Carrie's willingness to tackle her bipolar diagnosis in healthier ways as the seasons continue is just another example of her strength. —Jolie Lash

27 of 27

Obara, Nymeria, and Tyene Sand (Game of Thrones)

Game of Thrones? Though Obara, Nymeria, and Tyene Sand (Keisha Castle-Hughes, Jessica Henwick, and Rosabell Laurenti Sellers, respectively)—three bastard daughters of Pedro Pascal's Oberyn Martell—remained under-utilized and underdeveloped by the blockbuster HBO series, there were enough flashes of brilliance and badassery to inspire visions of what could have been, and to secure the Sand Snakes a place in the fierce female character pantheon. Let's give them a spin-off! Surely HBO can find room in its ever-expanding Thrones TV universe. —Tyler Aquilina