The Best Examples Of The 'Strong Female Protagonist' Done Right

In the late 80s when my older Sister was pregnant with what would be her only child, the usual baby name exploration was in full effect.

One of the names that immediately rose to the top was Ripley. It's relatively unisex, but my Sister loved the name because of her favorite character in one of her favorite film franchises.

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Sigourney Weaver's heroic character Ellen Ripley from the Alien films.

At the time, only 1979's Alien and 1986's Aliens had been released. But those two films cemented Ripley as a sci-fi and a horror icon. Weaver would go on to play some iteration of Ripley in four films.

For many movie fans, Ripley is a female lead and action hero done well.

Reddit user ska2oosh asked:

"Who is a 'strong female protagonist' done right?"

Elle Woods

"[Reese Witherspoon's] Elle Woods [from the Legally Blonde franchise]. I love how feminine she is. An absolute girly girl and yet she totally rocks as the main character."

"And when the other girl thinks she's trying to sleep with the professor, but instead they actually just talk it out instead of use miscommunication as a plot device?"

"Such a good movie."

~ Raktoner

"So happy this movie came out when I was 13 years old; her persona and the way she handled being girlie and pinkish and intelligent at the same time was so fundamentally important for my self-development."

"I can be girly and funny and interesting AND smart all at the same time and I will not let anyone dull my shine!"

~ leobubby

"And her innate kindness shows throughout the movie as well. It comes off as true security—not feeling the need to put others down or act superior, lifting others up."

"I am in a male dominated profession, and I am so grateful that where I work currently, the women are team players , secure, kind, and genuinely support one another."

"Elle Woods is interesting and smart and girly... And the antithesis of a mean girl. I love that most of all."

~ trauma_queen

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Chrisjen Avasarala

"[Shohreh Aghdashloo's] Chrisjen Avasarala in The Expanse."

"Intelligent and ambitious, unapologetic, but also capable of personal reflection and growth."

~ Sudden-Suggestions

"Yeah, all of the women in that show were good, but Avasarala is a good example of how to do this without making her physically strong as a trope."

~ AYASOFAYA

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Samantha Carter

"[Amanda Tapping as] Samantha Carter from Stargate."

"They were originally going to have her in a more revealing outfit than the guys, but the actor protested, saying something along the line of, 'This is the military, we would all be wearing the same thing'."

"Which I think ultimately helps with the show's credibility."

~ bitemark01

"Carter was a great character and one thing that really stood out, and was kind of unusual, was that she was not treated any differently by the SG-1 team because she was woman."

"She was an invaluable asset to the team, and everyone knew and acknowledged it. Jack, Teal'c and Master Bra'tac were all experienced, elite warriors and Carter was respected and treated as their equal."

"And, even though Amanda Tapping was an attractive woman, I was glad that they didn't turn her character into eye candy, like you would see in so many other shows and movies. Sam was awesome and a bada** who didn't have to strut around and tell people about it, because they all knew it."

~ Secret_Ad_1541

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Yu Shu Lien

"Michelle Yeoh [as Yu Shu Lien] in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon."

"She’s not a one dimensional, no emotions having badass trope of a character."

"Her femininity wasn’t cut in order for her to be 'strong'."

"She’s a whole human being."

~ Expressdough

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Princess Fiona

"Princess Fiona from Shrek."

"She was willing to admit when she was in the wrong and grow personally, stood up for herself and her friends, and didn't get sucked in by the pretty boy show off—she actually kicked his butt."

~ bread_idiot_bread

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Evelyn Carnahan

"She may not have been the 'main' protagonist, but Rachel Weisz as Evelyn in The Mummy (1999) was for me the perfect mix of feminine, brains and grit."

"Just loved her. And she wasn't perfect either. She made mistakes."

~ burtsdog

"It would have been real easy to create some sort of relationship drama for her and Rick for the sequel."

"Instead, they made them a happy, successful, married couple that communicates their issues like healthy adults, raising a well-adjusted, well-mannered son, all while hunting and killing an ancient evil for the second time in a row."

"And none of it feels even slightly underdone."

~ KGBFriedChicken02

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Kim Wexler

"[Rhea Seehorn's] Kim Wexler [of Better Call Saul] is one of the most complex characters I’ve seen. She’s definitely a great example of a strong female protagonist done right."

"I always think of that line she says early on, 'You don’t save me. I save me'."

~ CabbageStockExchange

"I finished Better Caul Saul about a year ago and I still think of how composed and disciplined Kim Wexler is, and how much compromising it must have taken for her to live a new, mundane life in Florida."

"She’s actually inspirational in her professionalism and dedication."

~ hellomolly11

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Chihiro

"Chihiro in Spirited Away… she starts out as a scared little girl who needs protection from those around her to becoming someone who, through her own decisions and courage, finds clever ways to protect herself and her loved ones."

~ danklinxie

"There's a reason Spirited Away claimed the No. 1 spot as the highest-grossing anime of all time."

"Chihiro was a great female protagonist. If we're mentioning anime, any Miyazaki film does this in spades."

~ FlightlessGriffin

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Ellen Ripley

"[Sigourney Weaver's] Ellen Ripley in Alien. She’s the OG."

~ thebelsnickle1991

"I rewatched Aliens a few days ago. Ripley is not just one of the best female protagonists in film, she is one of the best everything, full stop."

~ fulthrottlejazzhands

"Recently when I rewatched the film, I distinctly thought that the film made it on purpose that the crew repeatedly dismisses or ignores her idea because she's a woman. Like what happens to so many women in professional settings even now, moreso back when it was shot."

"And that the film made it one of the explicit points not to do that—she was right all along, every time."

"But at the same time, it didn't feel forced or fake like so many modern movies/recasts. I think Ripley really is the perfect example of a strong female lead."

~ jmorfeus

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Sarah Connor

"Linda Hamilton as Sarah Connor [in the Terminator franchise]."

"Stabbed through the shoulder, one hand reloading her shotgun, almost taking out the T-1000 herself only to run out of ammo."

"Her first instinct is to protect John before the T-800 shows up. That scene is brilliant."

~ Jahaangle

"Her escape from the mental institution is one of the best scenes in film, across any genres."

"Watching the cause of all of your problems walk around the corner just as she's escaping from those said problems is going to break anyone, and two minutes later she's leaning out a car window as it drives shooting at the T1000."

~ SayNoToStim

"Icing on the cake is that John can immediately tell who the fake Sarah is in that scene. Because his mother would never dare to risk his life to save her own."

~ Heiminator

"Her yelling at John to get back under the bulletproof vests while shooting out of the back of a moving vehicle."

"Such a great example of a mother being a mother and a bad a**."

~ XchrisZ

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Mulan—cartoon version

"The original, animated Mulan."

"They don’t make the mistake of having her just walk onto the training ground with the other rookies and just automatically know everything and be the best. She falls on her @ss and generally gets the sh*t kicked out of her just like everyone else."

"And by the time she becomes a competent fighter, her comrades are all competent fighters with her. But she still has that little bit of an edge to her due to her intelligence."

"My point being, she’s 'done right' because she’s actually believable."

~ RedWestern

"'I don't think I can do this'. That was so real and refreshing."

"She wasn't out to prove that women can fight too—she was there to save her father."

~ iceariina

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Clarice Starling

"[Jodie Foster's] Clarice in Silence of the Lambs. It's great because the movie acknowledges her strengths, weaknesses and challenges as a woman."

"Often lazy writers make a woman character strong by just making her more masculine. Clarice is a decidedly feminine lead (petite, soft spoken, etc...) yet still a complete bada**."

~ Methzilla

"I love exactly how it acknowledges her challenges, too. She's not constantly complaining 'ugh, men 🙄' to the audience. Instead we're just shown her actual world."

"The shot of her in the elevator at the beginning of the film is one of my favorites."

~ Ezira

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Uhura

"[Nichelle Nichols'] Uhura [of the Star Trek franchise] encouraged all girls and Black people to aim their sights on space and science."

~ VapoursAndSpleen

"YES! As a Trekkie, I LOVED Uhura, still do."

"Smart character, brave and sexy."

"I met Nichelle Nichols and she was a little older, but that woman was more beautiful in person than on the screen. Absolutely gorgeous and so kind."

~ Labradawgz90

"There’s a documentary about her. Nichelle Nichols actually did a lot to help NASA recruit Black, BIPOC, and female astronauts. Extraordinary woman."

~ Character-Version365

"For a while (maybe still) women and non-white astronauts referred to themselves as 'Uhura's Children'. Four astronauts she recruited/inspired to join NASA were on the Challenger."

~ DaddyCatALSO

"Not only did Nichols portray a character that was an incredible role model, but in 1977, she also partnered with NASA to recruit minority and female personnel." ~ NASA statement on Nichelle Nichols

- YouTubeyoutu.be

Dana Scully

"[Gillian Anderson's] Dana Scully [of The X-Files]. Even caused an uptick of women in STEM studies."

~ homelyme

"I’m very biased, because I was at a pretty critical age in my own development when Scully and Mulder were also developing, but there were so many things that they did so incredibly well that it’s been my favorite fiction show for decades. The X-Files shaped me to think the way I think, in a lot of ways."

"Scary, funny, touching, horrific, wholesome, sexy but not contrived (for many seasons at least) or over the top and most importantly, the female lead had more to offer to most situations than the male."

"Mulder was relatable sometimes and almost always adorable, but as a teen girl, Scully was EVERYTHING!"

"She was smart, capable, compassionate, confident, and funny. Logical but always able to see past social and scientific constraints. Aware in her femininity but not dependent on it. Full of faith without ever pressuring others to believe the same."

"She also was fallible and vulnerable, questioned herself and others, and snapped sometimes when someone hurt her."

"If I had to sum her up in 6 words: She owned it. All of it."

~ Caira_Ru

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Marge Gunderson

"[Frances McDormand's] Margie from Fargo. She's the only moral, reasonable, responsible person in a town full of insanity."

"She deals with it all—while being pregnant—and still finds the time to have emotions, but keeping them separate when there's a job to do."

~ Curses_at_bots

"My very first thought."

"She’s not physically ripped, she’s not a tech genius, she’s just the embodiment of female competence and everyday bravery."

~ herculaneum

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Who would you add to the list?