It's Women's History Month, and many others are far more qualified and important in talking about the women of history who stood out and continue to inspire, especially in times when social freedoms and qualities are or are attempted to be walked back by wannabe kings. But one thing I think I can comment on is the women I encountered in my life through fiction, the women who left an impression on me. These are the figures who influenced by taste towards including either female leads, or having women in prominent/dominant positions, or having a large female representation in the cast.
This list isn't comprehensive, it's meant to be scholastic, it's a day late for International Women's Day, and I'm just one bisexual white British man with opinions. I'm not the final say, and shouldn't be, and I'm not in a position to speak about minorities outside liking some characters in fiction who belong to them. I also know my taste in fiction is occasionally more mainstream than it should be. Want to know more about writing female characters from a female perspective, please check out Emily Inkpen, who is creating a series of articles on her blog about writing female characters, including the pitfalls men fall into (I admit, I've probably stumbled into them myself)
So, without further ado, my list in no particular order.
- Kathleen "Kitty" Jones: The third protagonist of Jonathan Stroud's Bartimaeus trilogy, introduced in the second book The Golem's Eye, Kitty helped elavate this series from an enjoyable romp to a solid favourite. After seeing the oppressive control of magicians first-hand, and having the ability to negate their power somewhat, Kitty becomes a keystone in the growing conflict between magicians, their djinn slaves, and commoners. She is a standout, though I won't say how much as that's spoilers.
- Tehanu/Therru: I couldn't not put an Ursula le Guin character here, and she's amazing. A child who is taken in by Tenar after being horribly scarred by an abusive family, Tehanu's journey through her titular book at The Other Wind is one of self-actualisation and recovery from trauma. I could put her adoptive mother Tenar in here as well, but Tehanu gets extra points for also being a dragon. Even the debabably terrible Ghibli film based on le Guin's books manages to create a more than serviceable Tehanu.
- Ursula Morrow: A recent find from Gareth Powell's Future's End that was a lovely surprise. She's a great character, snappy yet not invulnerable, and dealing with several issues at once in a way that doesn't feel overly dramatic or silly. There is also the AI character Chris who presents as female, but I chose Ursula as she is the lead, and she is very much the one in control of things by the end of the story.
- Queen Elizabeth I: Yes, she's a historical figure, but the version played by Glenda Jackson in Elizabeth R is more than a little fictionalised, despite the series avoiding some of the regular traps surrounding her and Robert Dudley. Not all, but enough that isn't not egregious. As played by Jackson, Elizabeth is a presence, a forceful character at once liberated and burdened by her position as head of church and state. I find myself unconsciously comparing other fictional or fictionalised queens to this portrayal.
- Buffy Summers: An obvious pick, and again an old one. And sadly from a writer whose reputation has gone downhill in recent years following revelations about his behaviour and character. But I'll still say Buffy's someone who was part of my culture growing up, and the one I engaged with the most. Xena was also around at this time, but it was Buffy I connected with. I also saw most of the final season, which left me with a solid impression of a woman who grits her teeth and does what is necessary in the face of a seemingly impossible threat.
- Romana: Another oldie, sorry. But an oldie I adore. A Doctor Who character explicitly created as a foil and equal to the time-travelling alien, Romana (full name, Romanadvoratrelundar) is my favourite companion in the whole series. She does fall into the distressed companion trope a few times sadly, but she also has the brains and wit to not sit quietly or whimper about it. She often escapes on her own, or saves the Doctor, and having someone who can return the Doctor's technobabble shot for shot is something the recent series has...sadly lacked. The Doctor needs someone who won't stand being talked down to again.
- Yú Xiùlián and Yù Jiāolóng: I couldn't pick between these two lead women from Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, probably the archtypical modern wuxia. The central emotional conflict of the film revolves around these two, the role of women in both Qing Dynasty-era and modern Chinese society, and their respective attitudes towards the men in their lives. Both are tragic in different ways, but they were also incredible examples to me of women who struggled against a system in contrasting ways: Xiùlián with calm and quiet determination, Jiāolóng through brash and open rebellion.
- Catwoman: I just adore her, and if I ever get the chance, I'd love to write a Catwoman story of her just doing her own chaotic-good thing. I've got four versions that stick in my mind and are something which brings a smile to my face. The 1960s version played by three different actresses--Julie Newmar, Lee Meriweather, and the glorious Eartha Kitt--is pure unadulterated camp. Michelle Pffeifer's version from Batman Returns is certainly something, but not a favourite as she's a bit too dark. Halle Berry's 2004 version is...an acquired taste, like her film, but she's a lot of fun. And Ann Hathaway's version in the third of Nolan's Batman films is the one bright spot in a very dull film--if only she didn't have the most forced Batman romance ever.
- Adèle Blanc-Sec: I admit, I've never encountered the original comic version, only the interpretation that came from Luc Besson in his 2010s movie. Again, unfortunately, another product from a problematic creator. But I have to honestly say, I really like Adèle, portrayed with suitable verve and spunk by Louise Bourgoin. She is still feminine by the standards of her character's time, but with an added touch of devil-may-care and couldn't-give-an-F that elevates her above the standard protagonist for this kind of adventure. Not perfect, but worth a watch, and a favourite for good reasons.
- Lightning: I came to the Final Fantasy series by way of the movies, with my first game exposures being the divisive Final Fantasy XIII and the wider Fabula Nova Crystallis concept. This was once an unpopular opinion, but I really like Lightning. She's not a perfect character, but she was deliberately written that way. She's quick to anger, withdrawn, pushy, but ultimately admits and seeks to atone for her mistakes. Her evolution across three games from stoic soldier to penitent divine warrior to saviour of the world is an arc I found engaging and enjoyable.
- Zero: A character from the niche Drakengard series who...might raise eyebrows. She is a foul-mouthed ex-prostitute and criminal who is revived by mystical forces to destroy humanity. She grudgingly works against this assigned fate, though due to how the story is told, she initially comes off as a psychopath hunting down her sisters and slaughtering anyone in her way. She is also caustic at best and abusive at worst to her companions. But beneath the F-bombs and casual talk of sex, there is a real depth to her, and her attitude is one I actually really like. A refreshing breath of foul-mouthed yet good-hearted air.
- Lara Croft: I've saved her for last as I did a whole video on her and uploaded it onto my YouTube channel on her fictional birthday last month. Lara isn't perfect; she's got a lot of archaic elements attached to her character, has suffered from being created by and managed by men for a chunk of her lifetime, is highly sexualised in a lot of her marketing, and she likely doesn't reflect much of the pushes for diversity present today. But she's the one who made me fall in love with games as a story medium, and solidified my love of women in fiction. Video linked below.
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