Strong female characters in TV shows are important for women of all ages to be able to watch. There are many dynamic female protagonists that break the “girl-next-door” female character image and instead send messages of how a “girl boss” can be both masculine and feminine to make an impact on the world. These characters show girls that they can be emotional and caring, but also strong, determined, and successful. Though there are so many strong female characters in TV shows nowadays, I decided to focus on a few that inspire me the most. These female characters are incredibly strong and embody many important leadership qualities, despite obstacles they have faced either in the past or struggles shown throughout the seasons.
Leslie Knope from Parks and Recreation
Leslie Knope is the embodiment of an empowered female in a TV show. She works hard day and night to make Pawnee’s Parks Department the best it can be. When she falls ill with the flu and has a very high fever, she powers through a presentation anyways and does an amazing job. She always put her female friends, especially Anne, above anyone else. She even started a day to celebrate her girlfriends and called it “Galentine’s Day”. This is a day that many friends celebrate the day before Valentine’s Day. Her strong work ethic, determination, and love for her female friends make her the ultimate girl boss.
Daenerys Targaryen from Game of Thrones
Daenerys develops into a strong, confident, and ambitious female character who doesn’t let anyone boss her around. Her intellect and ability to rule are both constantly underestimated because she is a woman in a male-dominated setting. However, they never make the mistake of underestimating her more than once. Unlike other powerful characters in the show, she chooses compassion over domination or instilling fear. She brings people together in a way that no one had done before, which makes her unique and the strongest leader.
Sutton Brady, Jane Sloan, and Kat Edison from The Bold Type
Sutton, Jane, and Kat are all great examples of strong women who are trying to advance in their careers while figuring themselves out. Not only are they all individually strong and empowered women, but together they can achieve anything. Though they have had ups and downs in their friendships, the three never let any argument or guy get in the way. They are great examples of how people can come from completely different backgrounds and have very different stances on a variety of topics yet can still remain best friends.
Annalise Keating from How To Get Away With Murder
Annalise Keating is a strong criminal law professor who intimidates her students but earns their tremendous respect. As a defense attorney, she is very successful in defending people who are accused of committing serious crimes such as murder. As a professor, she challenges her students to think critically and work vigorously. She is passionate about her class and forms a close bond with a few of her students, allowing her to open up about her faults and struggles.
Olivia Pope from Scandal
Olivia Pope is intelligent, strong, and deliberate with her actions and words. She never shies away from putting people in their place when they say something she doesn’t agree with or anything that simply isn’t true. As a crisis manager who specializes in fixing political scandals and situations, she deals with a lot of men in power. Some of these men think they can talk to her in a demeaning and aggressive way, but she immediately fires back at them using her intellect and expressing her confidence. Every challenge she deals within her area of work only makes her work harder instead of giving up as most people would. Her perseverance and ability to stick up for herself are truly admirable.
Olivia Benson from Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
Olivia Benson is aggressive, bold, intimidating, and strong. As a member of the Special Victims Unit, Olivia has to be tough to deal with criminals and she truly is. She has no problem coming up with intelligent, on-the-spot remarks to criminals. No one can intimidate or scare Olivia Benson. She proved that a woman can be just as strong as any man and successfully lead a team. Not only is she extremely tough, but she also has a wonderful heart and cares a lot about others.
All of these strong female characters embody important traits to express towards young women. They teach women to stick up for themselves and to never back down from a challenge. These women are not to be underestimated!