I didn’t write yesterday, but that’s okay because instead I get the opportunity to write on International Women’s Day! And I thought, why not celebrate? So without further ado, here are some of the most awesome, bad-a, butt-kicking, powerful females in renowned literature, film, tv, and music! In my humble opinion and in no particular order:

Audrey Hepburn

Who doesn’t love Audrey? She is an icon and has played some of the most fascinating women in literature and film from Eliza Doolittle to Holly Golightly. She is one of the most beautiful women to have ever lived, both on the outside and on the inside.

 

 

Hermione Granger

Hermione is on everyone’s list and for good reason: she’s the brightest witch of her age! What I think I love most about Hermione though is her work ethic. Hermione is not a natural genius but spends hours and hours of studying and learning information. It just goes to show that hard work is 10x more important than talent.

 

Princess Leia

Princess Leia is the best of the best. Smart, resourceful, funny, powerful, moral, and can shoot better than basically any of the males in the franchise. Every Star Wars fan at some point has wanted to be Princess Leia. And who else can make ridiculous lines like “half-witted, scruffy looking nerd herder” sound so demeaning?

 

Belle

My personal favorite Disney princess, Belle is wonderful character! We like her free spirit from the get go, but love her even more after her evolution where she learns to see the good in everyone and every situation. She also teaches us the fundamental lesson that it’s okay not to fit in.

 

 

Katniss Everdeen

Everyone already knows how much I love Katniss, so I’ll try to spare you a tirade. But I can’t help it! That girl is on fire! I think Katniss paved the way for a new kind of heroine among the masses: a severely flawed and human one. She defied YA Mary Sue’s and stereotypes, and I love her for it.

 

Velma

I feel like Velma is the unsung hero of Scooby Doo. Seriously. Without her, the Mystery Gang would’ve never gotten anywhere. Here’s to celebrating the geeky girl!

 

Luna Lovegood

I love Luna Lovegood! I love her, I love her, I love her. She’s a new kind of female heroine, in my opinion. She’s smart and strong, but also holds a genuine fragile and ethereal quality to her. She’s truly quirky and outside the box. She is who she is without being contrived or pretentious.

 

Jo March

I think we can reasonably assume that Jo March is everyone’s favorite from Little Women. She is truly a woman ahead of her times. Controversial, brash, artistic, but utterly lovable. I love that she would’ve been considered a shocking lady for her times, but that she has morals and real intent.

 

Angelina Jolie

You can say what you like about Angelina, but there’s no denying that she’s an icon. I love that she wears combat boots even though she’s one of the most stunning women alive. I love that she is so active in humanitarian work. I love that her films cover so many genres and a variety of subject matter.

 

Aibileen Clark

We all could use an Aibileen to tell us “we is kind, we is smart, and we is important” every day. Her story in The Help is inspiring and tear jerking and good on her for all that she did.

 

Eowyn

Eowyn is basically amazing, and my favorite female character from Tolkien’s works. The Witch King was all like, “Come at me, bro,” and Eowyn said, “I am no bro.” Only it was way cooler and epic than my modern Tolkien translation. I’m also glad that Tolkien was aware enough to change his plans of marrying Aragorn to creating Faramir just for her. Too bad their beautiful relationship was jipped in the film adaptions.

 

Jennifer Lawrence

She’s kind of already on here since she is amazing as Katniss, but Jennifer Lawrence is so amazing that she gets her own shout out. Jennifer Lawrence is becoming an icon of her own and one of the greatest actresses of our generation. There’s no doubt in my mind that she’ll go down in film history. I love how down-to-earth she is. To me, her persona in Hollywood is a celebration of the humanity and imperfection of females that we women so often try to hide.

 

 Anna

Everyone loves Elsa for her awesome solo and cytokinetic powers, but Anna is the real heroine of Frozen. Anna is adorable and loving. Sure, the whole getting married to someone you just met thing is forehead smack inducing. But fortunately, she learns and is a great example of confidence and bravery for young girls.

 

 

Cassie Sullivan

I hope Cassie Sullivan gets the respect she deserves in the YA fiction world. I love her genuineness and her spirit in relenting circumstances. Her unwavering devotion to her family is also admirable. She’s definitely a new favorite female protagonist to me.

 

Adele

Adele is such a powerhouse and so refreshing. I can’t stand how base and over sexualized pop music has become. Adele is like a beacon of hope in the overwhelming chaos of bad, stupid music. I love how she went viral with her first album, appeasing the hunger of all music lovers. Then she disappeared. But with the release of her 2^nd album, suddenly she is topping the charts and feeding our deprived souls once more.

 

Elizabeth Bennet

Oh Elizabeth. Jane Austen’s most beloved character. Her wit, her humor, her charm. She is like that awkward girl that doesn’t want to paint nails or gab about American Idol and whose sense of humor nobody seems to get. Maybe that’s why all us English majors love her so much.

 

 

Mary Poppins

Practically perfect in every way. I’m so excited to see another Mary Poppins movie in the works. If I ever was in need of a nanny, she’d definitely be my first choice. Jumping into chalk paintings, dancing on chimneys, sounds like my kind of party.

 

 

Elphaba

I admit, I did not get the popularity of the Broadway musical Wicked. Or at least I didn’t until I went and saw it for myself. Elphaba is awesome! Her story  and her willingness to stand up for what is right touches my heart. And I wish I could hit high notes in my chest voice like her.

 

 

 

River Tam

River Tam is one of the most bad a** female characters ever. That’s really all I have to say because I don’t know how to describe any of my thoughts about her. Maybe her mental illness speaks to me somehow. I’m not sure. But she’s great!

 

 

Molly Weasley

Proof that moms are not a force to be reckoned with. She may spend most of her time homemaking, but when she’s not, she’s out slaying witches like Bellatrix. You can re-read that section replacing the w of witches with a b if you feel so inclined.

 

Honorable Mentions:

Rey

Padme Amidala

Black Widow

Scarlet Witch

Jean Grey

Catwoman

Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Professor McGonagall

Mulan

Reese Witherspoon

Judy Garland

 

Who did I miss? Who are your favorite fandom females? Happy International Women’s Day!