In a world dominated by male lead franchises, it’s often rare to find inspiring female protagonists that remain unaffected by the lens of patriarchy.
Despite women’s incredible strength, intelligence, and charisma, female characters have been long sidelined as merely the love interest. Luckily, this trend has slowly started to shift, as more and more powerful and inspiring female characters are finally granted the role of protagonist. This women’s history month, we recognize characters in television, movies, books, and beyond that deserve main character status, even if they only have it in our hearts.
Katniss Everdeen, The Hunger Games
The front woman of the 2010s dystopian craze, there are very few characters more iconic and inspiring than Katniss Everdeen. Thrust into a fate she could not anticipate or choose, Katniss valiantly volunteers to take her younger sister’s place in the annual “Hunger Games” competition. Throughout this smash movie and book franchise, Katniss is forced to commit horrible acts to ensure her own safety. Yet, she never strays from her morals and dedicates herself to the revolution. This series often gets attention for its infamous love triangle, but the true love story at the center is Katniss’ for her sister, Primrose Everdeen. The bond between the two sisters is a defining element of the series as a whole, and the reason for Katniss’ bravery in the face of the Capitol.
Paris Geller, Gilmore Girls
Forget Rory, the true star of Gilmore Girls is the uptight yet tenacious Paris. She can be aggressive, especially as she moves towards her long-term goal of attending Harvard and later medical school, but she is also a deeply emotionally complex character who is secretly sensitive. As the show continues on, several of the women lose their drive and grit, but this is never true for Paris. She does have her controversial moments, but she stays true to her end goal of attending medical school.
Tahani Al-Jamil, The Good Place
The Good Place houses a fair amount of emotionally complex and developed characters — Tahani is one of the most fascinating, as she rewrites her own future. At the beginning of the series, Tahani is marked by her desperate need for status and connection, hoping that a relationship will cure the hole that her fraught familial relationships have left. As she continues through the afterlife, Tahani rediscovers her own worth aside from those she aligns herself with. She is one of the few characters in the entire show that’s happy ending comes from a discovery of her own purpose rather than a romance.
Jess Day, New Girl
Who’s that girl? An elementary school teacher who wears her heart on her sleeve, Jess is often characterized for her wacky, occasionally outlandish personality. Despite the never-ending sparkle she carries with her, she does not let anyone underestimate her or dare to hurt her friends. In a speech that is now the most defining of the series, she proclaims “I have touched glitter in the past 24 hours…. and that doesn’t mean I’m not smart and tough and strong.” Jess’ bizarre personality is never truly diminished for the sake of conformity; instead, her unique individuality strengthens her relationships with her best friend Cece and her roommates.
Sydney Adamu, The Bear
“Because you’re The Bear!” Even though this restaurant centric drama highlights Carmen Berzatto as the protagonist, Sydney is the heart of the show. Her fierce ambition mixed with heart allows her to successfully climb the ladder at this up and coming culinary destination. Sydney is at the core of all the operations within the restaurant and regardless of her lesser experience within the industry, she is unafraid to criticize an unrealistic menu plan or fight back against Carmen’s mood swings. Although she is introduced after the death of the original holder of “The Bear” title, she exemplifies all of its qualities — level-headed, fierce, and passionate about the art of cooking. Sydney’s actress, Ayo Edebiri, has played a huge role in her development throughout the series, as she has become a producer, writing and directing many Sydney centric episodes.
Robin Scherbatsky, How I Met Your Mother
“Haaaaave you met Robin?” Perhaps one of the most iconic 2000s sitcom characters, Robin begins as Ted’s dream love interest, but refuses to let herself be put within that box. As a woman in the communications field, Robin’s career always comes first, and she never neglects her dream in the face of relationships. She makes her intentions clear from the start — career over the possibility of children – but despite this she maintains close interpersonal relationships, namely her friendship with Lily Aldrin.
Alexis Rose, Schitt’s Creek
We all wish we could be “a little bit Alexis”! Starting off as a shallow, facetious, and egoistical young socialite, Alexis Rose has one of the greatest character arcs on television. After misfortune strikes and her family is left with only a rundown motel in the shabby town of Schitt’s Creek, Alexis’ life is forever altered as she begins to navigate the world in a new way. Slowly but surely, she reinvents herself within the town, choosing to go back to school and even start her own business. One of the most unique elements of Alexis’ development is that her true personality never changes — even as she explores her new potential in the world, she keeps her bubbly, extroverted personality. She deviates greatly from the misogynistic notion that women need to lose their zest for life to become grounded and respectable characters.
Rosa Diaz, Brooklyn Nine-Nine
Not only is Rosa Diaz one of the toughest cops at the Nine-Nine, she started off as one of the only openly bisexual female characters on television in the 2010s. Despite her hardened resolve, Rosa is very emotionally affected by people’s perception of her and reliant on close relationships in her life. Throughout the series, she loses some of the people closest to her, but it never diminishes her drive. Rosa fights for what she knows is just, even when it means disagreeing with loved ones.
Enola Homes, Enola Holmes
Star of the soon to be trilogy franchise, Enola Holmes is the bright teenage sister of the infamous detective Sherlock Holmes. Despite disapproval from her two brothers, Enola is very adventurous and constantly seeking out new cases to solve until her mother’s unlikely disappearance. Desperate to find the woman she idolizes the most, Enola risks all she has ever known to track her down. Her story, inspired by Enola Holmes Mysteries book series, defies many of the social norms of the time period she was raised within.
Annabeth Chase, Percy Jackson & The Olympians
One of the most iconic female protagonists since Hermoine Granger, Annabeth Chase can do anything Percy and can probably do it better. As a daughter of Athena, she’s intelligent but also aggressive as she inherits her mother’s knack for war strategy. Throughout her many quests in children’s series, Annabeth is kidnapped, betrayed, and underrecognized for her efforts but she never strays from what she believes to be right.
Brooke Davis, One Tree Hill
It’s a miracle that Sophia Bush’s performance captivated early audiences, otherwise the world may have never known Brooke Davis. Originally written as a shallow, male-centric side character, Brooke Davis became the fan favorite character of the series through her heart and her leadership. Captain of the cheerleading team and head designer of her own fashion line in high school, Brooke is highly accomplished but still makes time for the people that matter to her. She is bubbly and extroverted but not without depth, as she proves with her unlikely friendships with the nerdy Mouth McFadden and her once archnemesis Rachel Gatina. Brooke is always willing to lend support, whether it’s letting an acquaintance live with her for a few months or creating outfits for special occasions; she has a huge heart, but very little tolerance for disrespect, either of her or her friends. Beyond this, her actress, Sophia Bush is an incredible social justice advocate!
Olive Pendergast, Easy A
Who doesn’t love a good Emma Stone role? In Easy A, Olive’s witty personality is the perfect combatant against anything that comes her way…until malicious rumors begin to tear down her past reputation. A comedic film about gender roles and sexuality, Stone’s Olive crafts her misfortune to her own advantage, allowing herself to find power in the hurtful insults thrown her away. Not only is she brilliantly, wildly funny, and loving, but Olive will not accept the stigma women face for their own sexuality despite her less than evident lack thereof.
Lydia Martin, Teen Wolf
Intelligent and beautiful, Lydia is one of the most popular girls at Beacon Hills High. Though beyond her status is a girl who is traumatized and hurting from an emotionally abusive relationship and her kidnapping. Left in the dark by even her closest friends, Lydia is left to navigate the supernatural world all alone. With the school labelling her as crazy and a dangerous villain captive in her mind, Lydia is one of the toughest characters in the entire series, and perhaps the most beloved by fans.
Natalie Berzatto and Tina Marrero, The Bear
Although The Bear was already mentioned on this list, it felt remiss to exclude two minor characters that possess the same grit, heart, and talent as Sydney. Even though The Bear only has three notable female characters, all three receive main character treatment throughout the series, with individual arc centric episodes and undying relevance within the plot. Tina, who begins as a mere background character wary of Sydney’s place in the kitchen, grows to become one of the most inspiring, heartwarming, and relatable characters. Her journey of following her passions in spite of her age leads her to “The Beef”, where she sharpens her skills and becomes an asset. Additionally, Natalie, nicknamed “Sugar” for her reputable kindness, is the friendly yet assertive sister to Carmen and associate for the restaurant’s operations. She is beloved due to her tendency to alleviate others’ troubles, but troubles arise as she recognizes this behavior is rooted in her decaying relationship with her mother, the matriarch of the Bearzatto family.
Elle Woods, Legally Blonde
She loves pink and she’s at Harvard Law! Elle Woods is one of the most iconic defiances of the cruel stereotypes that female characters must choose between beauty or brains. Her bubbly spirit and love for fashion never diminishes her academic pursuits, and her immense popularity in pop culture has inspired plenty of young girls.
This list is merely a compilation of some of my favorite female “main characters”, and this March, I encourage everyone to find some new favorites of their own. Whether from this list or not, now is the time to honor characters that offer a glimpse at the incredible spirit of real-life women.