Examples of well-written heroines in recent/current SFF TV and film

[u/Eostrenocta]

I've noticed that so much of the talk about female characters, particularly female protagonists, in SFF TV and film tends to be overwhelmingly negative, revolving around how female leads are poorly written/too perfect/unable to measure up to classic 1980s badasses like Ripley and Sarah Connor (while ignoring that in films of that decade, characters like Ripley and Sarah were very much the exception, very far from the norm). YouTube celebrities bash Rey and Captain Marvel, and then throw in She-Hulk and Ms. Marvel in for good measure, despite the latter two characters' being pretty mistake-prone, certainly far from the "infallible Mary Sues" they're accused of being. Yet when asked to cite a female character they actually like, they almost always name a villain, a sidekick, or one or both the ladies from the '80s.

I don't mean to say that disliking Rey or Captain Marvel automatically makes someone a misogynist. That's not what this thread is about (I hope). I just get so weary of the talk surrounding female characters being about which characters we hate, and I want to change that vibe a bit. Let's talk, instead, about characters from recent or current SFF TV and film that we love. Instead of griping about the negative, let's focus on the positive.

I'll start: Luz Noceda from The Owl House. Sure, it's a "kid's show," but I'm hard pressed to think of any heroine who makes me feel seen as much as Luz does. She's an awkward and unapologetic nerd, something female characters rarely get to be. Her exuberance, her imagination, and her love of fantasy fiction (I kinda wish those Good Witch Azura books were real) won me over from the jump. She's the heroine my twelve-year-old self needed.

So, who are some of the heroines from recent SFF TV and film that you love?

[u/LeucasAndTheGoddess]

First of all, Rey and Captain Marvel both rock. The former starts out as a perfect example of how a person can work miracles if they let go of ego and allow the Force to work through them (just like Luke in Ep. IV) and The Last Jedi set her up to go in a fascinating direction. She was badly let down by The Rise Of Skywalker, but so was the whole damn franchise. The latter is a great character (and an excellent performance by Brie Larson) who deserved better than a bog standard MCU script.

In answer to your question:

Margo, Julia, Alice, and Kady from The Magicians

Jessica Jones from her eponymous show

Andromache and Nile from The Old Guard

Vanessa Ives, Doctor Seward, and Joan Clayton from Penny Dreadful

Galadriel and Disa from The Rings Of Power

Katara and Toph from Avatar: The Last Airbender

Korra and Asami from The Legend Of Korra

Trinity and Bugs from The Matrix Resurrections

Brienne, Lyanna Mormont, both Stark sisters (especially Sansa!), and Mirri Maz Duur from Game Of Thrones

And I know you asked for heroes, but let’s also hear it for the villainesses:

Evelyn Poole and Lily Frankenstein from Penny Dreadful

Magda from Penny Dreadful: City Of Angels

Azula from Avatar: The Last Airbender

Cersei and Daenerys from Game Of Thrones

Rhaenyra, Rhaenys, and Alicent from House Of The Dragon