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20 of the Most Fabulous Female Heroines That Inspire Girl Power

Photo: BBC

I’m celebrating girl power today and bringing some of the most fabulous leading ladies out into the limelight. From the brainy and clever to the ones kicking ass and taking names, I’ve covered the gambit in this list. I’ve also chosen not to discriminate and considered candidates from movies, books, and television. Some of the women I’ve included simply because they hold a special place in my heart, others because they are just too amazing to leave out. See if you can guess which ones are which.

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I’ll give you a short rundown of the kind of heroines you can expect to find. Hermione Granger is a definite contender. She’s the smartest girl in her class and wicked with a wand. Hermione is one of my brains over brawns characters, and she certainly makes a compelling argument in favor of it. Characters like Donna Noble from Doctor Who also make an appearance. Donna is not quite brains or brawn but rather somewhere in the middle where us average humans dwell. But, seriously, who could possibly overlook her? She’s damned funny and has her own quirky unique qualities that make her a fantastically memorable heroine. In the brawn category, I’ve included the infamous Cat Woman. Here is a woman who can take care of herself and has fun while she’s doing it.

So, as you can see I’ve provided a wide range of inspirational heroines for your perusal. Many of them are familiar, but a few choices may just move you to seek them out and learn more. I hope you love these amazing ladies as much as I do.

20 Fabulous Female Heroines

#1 Rose Tyler in Doctor Who

Rose Tyler; heroines
Billie Piper as Rose Tyler in Doctor Who Photo: BBC

#2 Irene Adler in Sherlock Holmes

Rachel McAdams as Irene Adler in Sherlock Holmes
Rachel McAdams as Irene Adler in Sherlock Holmes. Photo: Warner Bros.

#3 Elizabeth Bennet in Pride and Prejudice 

Photo: Focus Features

#4 Katniss Everdeen in The Hunger Games

Photo: Lionsgate

#5 Kate in Lost

Kate from Lost
Evangeline Lilly as Kate in Lost
Photo: ABC

#6 Hermione Granger in Harry Potter 

Emma Watson as Hermione Granger in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix Photo: Warner Bros.
Emma Watson as Hermione Granger in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Photo: Warner Bros.

#7 Cat Woman in The Dark Knight Rises

Anne Hathaway as Cat Woman in The Dark Knight Rises Photo: Warner Bros.
Anne Hathaway as Cat Woman in The Dark Knight Rises
Photo: Warner Bros.

#8 Donna Noble in Doctor Who

The Doctor and Donna
Catherine Tate as Donna Noble in Doctor Who
Photo: BBC

#9 Ella from Ella Enchanted

Ella Enchanted

#10 Elizabeth Swann in Pirates of the Caribbean

Kiera Knightley as Elizabeth Swann in Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End Photo: Disney
Kiera Knightley as Elizabeth Swann in Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End
Photo: Disney

#11 Sophie from Howl’s Moving Castle

Howls Moving Castle

#12 Emma Swan in Once Upon a Time

Jennifer Morrison as Emma Swan in Once Upon a Time Photo: ABC
Jennifer Morrison as Emma Swan in Once Upon a Time
Photo: ABC

#13 Melayne in The Secret of Dragonhome

Dragonhome

#14 Danielle in Ever After

Ever After

#15 Belle from Beauty and the Beast

Belle from Beauty and the Beast Picture: Disney
Belle from Beauty and the Beast
Picture: Disney

#16 Rapunzel from Disney’s Tangled

Mandy Moore as Rapunzel from Disney's Tangled Picture: Disney
Mandy Moore as Rapunzel from Disney’s Tangled
Picture: Disney

#17 Dorothea from Middlemarch

middlemarch

#18 Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery

Anne of Green Gables

#19 Maria from The Sound of Music

Maria The Sound of Music

#20 Catherine in the CW’s Beauty and the Beast

Kristin Kreuk as Catherine in the CW's Beauty and the Beast Photo: CW
Kristin Kreuk as Catherine in the CW’s Beauty and the Beast
Photo: CW

 Do you have any heroines in mind that I’ve left out? Sound off below…

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By on September 5th, 2013

About Rebecca Lane

Rebecca Lane grew up in the hot desert landscape of Tucson, Arizona where she decided early on she wanted to write, if only to mentally escape her blistering surroundings. She has always been enamored of the arts and literature. As a child she often wrote short stories, and rewrote the endings of novels that she simply could not abide. She received her Undergraduate degree from Sarah Lawrence College in New York, where she was lucky enough to also spend a year studying at Oxford University. While she began her journey dreaming of the day she would sing opera in a large Manhattan theater, she found in the end she could not stand waitressing and simply could not give up books and her hopes of someday writing them. She is currently working as a freelance writer/editor and earning her Masters in English and Comparative Literature from Columbia University.

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6 thoughts on “20 of the Most Fabulous Female Heroines That Inspire Girl Power”

  1. Don’t laugh, but Lagertha, Ragnar’s wife, from The History Channel’s The Vikings. She’s played by Katheryn Winnick. I loved this show and she’s one tough lady!

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