It’s important to write empowering female characters. Thousands of young girls watch television on a daily basis. They are exposed to all sorts of representation both positive and negative. I’ve been lucky enough with the shows I am obsessed with. They have provided me with a plethora of female role models to look up to. I’ve compiled a list of some of them. These characters are more than just my favorite ones to grace the screen. They are characters that have inspired me to be my true self, to never give up in life. All of these fictional women have helped me realize that all I need to do is be my awesome and authentic self.
- Piper Halliwell
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Piper was one of the Halliwell sisters from Charmed (1998-2004) she was always my personal favorite. I think it’s the development of her character that really stood out to me. She started off as this nervous, over-thinker that wanted to hide away from all her problems. But by the end of the show, Piper Halliwell was leading the battles and calling the shots. She grew into such a strong, independent, and courageous character. Not to mention her sarcasm got more intense. Piper became a woman willing to do anything to protect her family, and I look up to her so much for that.
- Raven Baxter
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That’s So Raven was always, and will always be, one of my favorite Disney Channel television shows. Raven Baxter is a teenage girl living in San Francisco, but she gets VISIONS. How awesome is that? She was always a confident character, and as someone who was more on the reserved side, I was really inspired by Raven to be more self-assured about myself and the things I believed in. Honestly, one of my favorite moments in the show is when Raven shuts down a magazine, and tells them there is not one single standard for beauty. That is something little girls still need to see on their TV screens today.
- Caroline Forbes
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The blonde vampire from The Vampire Diaries was always a character that I related to. Caroline Forbes started off as an insecure character. She felt overshadowed by everything in her life and she never felt like she was worth something. After she becomes a vampire, her confidence skyrockets. She becomes this empowered woman that starts to see all of the positives in life. Plus, she has a habit of beating supernatural beings in fights even when they are supposed to be stronger than her. People need to stop underestimating pretty faces.
- Daisy Johnson
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Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D is one of my favorite shows (seriously, look for an article on that soon!). My love for this show stems from Daisy Johnson/Skye. Her brilliance with computers is astounding. Young girls and women really need to see more female characters depicted with a strong background in STEM. Daisy certainly fits that bill. She is a character that never gives up on what she believes in, and she will literally go to the ends of the universe for her loved ones. Plus, her child-like glee when she first joined the S.H.I.E.L.D team was very entertaining.
- Jane Villanueva
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I have repeatedly talked about my love for Jane the Virgin. But the reason I am so obsessed with it is because of Jane Villanueva. The way she navigates through life as a writer is something that speaks to me on a deep spiritual level. Watching her struggle with all things writing; generating ideas, editing, getting published, and even the actual writing–is something that I relate to. It took a long time for me to admit that I wanted to be a writer. I don’t even want to think about how long it took me to realize that it was a career option for me. But Jane certainly helped me come to my senses.
- Alex Russo
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I grew up hooked on Wizards of Waverly Place and I regret none of it. Alex Russo was a character I instantly connected with. I adored her fashion sense,of course, I could never perfectly recreate her iconic layered looks. But what spoke to me the most about Alex Russo was her laid back personality and hilarious quips. I could quote her all day and never get tired of it. Teenage me aspired to be like her and adult me kinda wants to have some of her carefree attitude towards life.
There are so many more fictional characters I have looked up to throughout my life that I could have mentioned here but it would be impossible for me to list every single one of them. Television shows are dependent upon having well developed characters. There have been instances where I have stopped watching a show because the lack of well written female characters. There needs to characters for young girls and women to look up to. Maybe the next time you decide to watch a television show, you might find yourself drawing on the strength of some of its awesomely portrayed female characters.