Girl Power in Fiction

As a girl, I'm all for women's rights.

Yes we can!

In fiction, we meet lots of brave, daring, female characters who are every bit as amazing as the men. Here are a few of my favorites:

1. Hermione Granger

Potterheads, rejoice! Another Harry Potter reference comes your way. Anyone who's read the books or seen the movies knows Hermione Granger, the girl with Ravenclaw wits and Gryffindor bravery. She's always got her nose in a book, and her vast pool of knowledge often proves helpful to Harry and his friends. She's up for any sort of intellectual challenge, and is an eternal know-it-all. But over the course of the series, she stops being obnoxious about it, and her friendliness and helpfulness increases.

2. Martha Jones

Now I know a lot of you Whovians are like "I didn't even like Martha that much. She was just like a lame version of Rose." But hear me out a minute. Whatever Martha was, she was a strong-willed, independent woman. She wasn't going to hang around for a man she knew wouldn't love her back. She had the independence and foresight to voluntarily leave the Doctor, and was one of the few to do so. She wasn't just going to be a stay at home wife and mom, either, though. She finished her studies and became a doctor, showing she was a capable woman. She stayed behind for her family because she knew the value of caring for and sticking up for family.

3. Elsa

Anyone who's seen Frozen will agree; Elsa is the epitome of the independent woman. After a childhood of self-imposed isolation, she refuses to allow her sister to marry a stranger, then accidentally uses her powers to set off an eternal winter, and flees to a mountain where she makes an elaborate ice palace and lives in isolation again. This is because she cares enough and is responsible enough that she wants to go where she (thinks) she can't hurt anyone. Unlike most Disney princesses (or in this case, queens), she doesn't fall for just anyone that comes her way. In fact, she doesn't fall for anyone at all. The only love she displays (besides the love of a queen for her country and people) is towards her sister. She's an amazing woman, I think we can all agree.

4. Merida

Basically, the whole movie is about girl power. Merida is an awesome Scottish princess who runs away because she doesn't want to marry any of the suitors her parents are suggesting. She wants to rule her own life, and if that doesn't say feminism, nothing does.

5. Katniss Everdeen

This girl just plain kicks butt! She is tough, even tougher than a lot of male protagonists. She works to help other people, but she's not some sort of servant. In the grand scheme of things, she does what she wants, and isn't afraid to use almost any means necessary to obtain salvation for others and herself, and to make things go her way. She's loyal, even in a game where the goal is to kill each other. That takes a lot of guts, and that's just what she's got lots of.

6. Princess Leia

Okay, so she may not be quite as good as some of the others on this list, but she's still pretty awesome. I mean, mere minutes after her rescue, she pulls out a gun and saves herself and her rescuers. She's pretty good with a lightsaber, too.

7. Éowyn

Sure, the witch-king had it coming when he said "no man can kill me", but that doesn't make Éowyn any less great. She rode into battle disguised as a man, taking two hobbits who she sympathized with along on her horse, and then defeated one of the biggest bad guys in the entire series (aside from Sauron himself, of course)!

8. Matilda

If you haven't seen the movie or read the book yet, you really should. This little girl, Matilda, overcomes adversity by reading books. Her parents don't think much of her, but we know she's a genius. She even teaches herself telekinesis and uses it to punish the mean people in her life in exceedingly humorous ways.

9. Lucy Pevensie

She is the first to discover the wardrobe, after all. She goes where the boys fear to tread, and has no problem with discovering a magical land inside a wardrobe. She's also very brave.

10. Donna Noble

Okay, you've probably guessed by now that I'm partial to Doctor Who. I can't help it, I'm a Whovian through and through. Donna is brave, rude, and not afraid to slap the Doctor (multiple times) and tell him when he's wrong. She berates him for not helping enough people, for being cruel, and for generally being a jerk. She's a strong-willed woman who isn't afraid to speak her mind. Go Donna! This is especially true in the case of the Doctor-Donna, who sadly didn't last.

And that's the list. Comment and let me know who your favorite strong female in fiction is.