Favorite Female Characters

[jackwabbit]

So, a poll over on whedonland  is looking for nominations for favorite female characters from movies, books, and television other than those found in the Whedonverse. (Yes, that means I can't put Zoe and Kaylee in, though my fingers tried to anyway.)

You can list up to twenty, so I did. (Why not?)

Here's what I came up with off the top of my head, without too much thought:

Sam Carter (Stargate SG-1)
Aeryn Sun (Farscape)
Laura Holt (Remington Steele)
Dee Dee McCall (Hunter)
Deanna Troi (TNG)
L'waxana Troi (TNG)
Katherine Janeway (VOY)
Jadzia Dax (DS9)
Scarlett/Shana O'Hara (GI Joe)
Kit Keller (A League of Their Own)
Leia Organa (Star Wars Trilogy)
Elizabeth Weir (Stargate Atlantis)
Dana Scully (TXF)
Luna Lovegood (Harry Potter)
Hermione Granger (Harry Potter)
Trinity (The Matrix)
Helen Magnus (Sanctuary)
Danni Reese (Life)
Syd Sherman/Codex (The Guild)
Janet Fraiser (Stargate SG-1)

Thoughts? Who are your favorites?

Comments

[lolmac]

Thursday Next!

All of Tamora Pierce's female characters.

Nien Cheng (Life and Death in Shanghai)

Commander Ivanova, Ambassador Delenn, and Lyta Alexander (Babylon 5)

Barbara Hambley's female leads -- Gillian, Joanna, Lucy (I don't remember the last names)

That'll do for starters.

[jackwabbit.livejournal.com]

See, this is why I have you people. To tell me of whom I should learn next (for example, you know I haven't watched B5, and I also haven't read Tamora Pierce).

I plan to correct the B5 deficiency soon (it's on my "to do" list), and we'll go from there!

[lolmac]

Tamora Pierce often gets overlooked, because her books are classified as YA. But some of the best writing is in YA. Her books are fantasy, mostly quick reads, and mostly feature kick-ass female characters. The Protector of the Small quad and the Becca books feature kick-ass female characters with lots of animal companions.

And I suspect you're going to fall in love with B5. Because it's just that good.

[jackwabbit.livejournal.com]

Dude, YA is awesome, and about all my brain can handle most days!

*goes back to reading The Softwire, Book 4*

[jackwabbit.livejournal.com]

Oh, a blonde Weir fan, huh?

I understand.

I like brunette, just because I know her better, but I can totally see your point. I was always a bit disappointed that they forgot certain aspects of Liz's character when they put her in command. Then again, they did the same thing to Sam, so...whatever.

[xfirefly9x.livejournal.com]

Pretty awesome list! :)

Happy Birthday btw.

[jackwabbit.livejournal.com]

Thanks x 2!

[curuchamion.livejournal.com]

... You haven't seen Sapphire and Steel? I shouldn't be surprised - I mean, it's this tiny little show nobody's heard of - but, somehow, almost everyone's heard of it. Because it is awesome.

Basically, it's David McCallum and Joanna Lumley doing a sort of creepy British cross between Doctor Who and the X-Files, with no special effects budget at all, but with incredible amounts of UST and awesome snark. And they're aliens.

eponymous_rose has done a hilarious spoiler-free picspam (http://eponymous-rose.livejournal.com/156835.html) to introduce people to the series; please, take a look. I bet you won't regret it. :D

[jackwabbit.livejournal.com]

I'm guessing you think I haven't seen it because I didn't put any characters from the show on this list? Fair enough. But perhaps I just don't consider them favorites? You never know...

Actually, though, you're right. I have no clue what you're talking about. I have a feeling that if I did, I'd quite love it. But in reality, I don't know the show or even the actors. Though I think David McCallum is the guy from The Man from Uncle? And I only know that because a friend is into that show. I wouldn't swear on it.

This is probably a side effect of my not being British, no? Who knows? And if you want to know something really shocking, well, here goes. I've never seen a single episode of Doctor Who.

Ever. Think on that.

[curuchamion.livejournal.com]

'I'm guessing you think I haven't seen it because I didn't put any characters from the show on this list?'

Actually, I checked your interests list and tags as well. *g* I was really pretty surprised - going by your writing (which I tend to read voraciously without commenting, I'm afraid), it is indeed exactly the sort of thing you'd love.

Also, it's only 34 episodes making up 6 stories; you can watch the whole canon in a week. (Um, if you're crazy like me, that is...) It's available on YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/user/dalek64) and on Netflix (http://www.netflix.com/Movie/Sapphire_and_Steel_The_Complete_Series/70018214?strackid=17d84e156516450d_0_srl&strkid=2101640516_0_0&lnkctr=srchrd-sr&trkid=222336), whichever you prefer.

And really, it is amazing. It was made in the early '80s, with no FX budget at all, and manages to be not just good but great anyway - thanks to excellent writing, clever filming, and two remarkable actors. I very much doubt you would have left Sapphire off your list if you'd ever seen her in action; she's just that awesome.

'I think David McCallum is the guy from The Man from Uncle?'

Yup. And these days, he's on NCIS, if you've ever seen that show. He's Ducky the medical examiner.

(So Lothi hasn't talked you into watching MFU yet? *g*)

'This is probably a side effect of my not being British'

*shrugs* Well, I'm not British, either. OTOH, I don't have TV, so I watch random DVDs of things that went off years ago.

'I've never seen a single episode of Doctor Who. Ever. Think on that.'

Hey, till last year, neither had I. I still haven't seen very much - I was knitting "The Scarf (http://www.doctorwhoscarf.com)", wanted some backstory, and wound up making friends in the fandom.

Anyway... think about it. Ask Lothithil about it, if you want another earful on the subject. ;-) Take a look sometime.

And if you wind up wanting to check out the fandom, the main comm is sapphirensteel. :D

[jackwabbit.livejournal.com]

Actually, I checked your interests list and tags as well. *g* I was really pretty surprised - going by your writing (which I tend to read voraciously without commenting, I'm afraid), it is indeed exactly the sort of thing you'd love.

Ah. Well, that makes sense, doesn't it. Ye olde interest list. I forget about that. And thanks for reading my writing. I do appreciate it. Nice to know someone out there does! *g*

And really, it is amazing. It was made in the early '80s, with no FX budget at all, and manages to be not just good but great anyway - thanks to excellent writing, clever filming, and two remarkable actors. I very much doubt you would have left Sapphire off your list if you'd ever seen her in action; she's just that awesome.

Sounds fun, but odds are good I'll never see it.


Yup. And these days, he's on NCIS, if you've ever seen that show. He's Ducky the medical examiner.

I've never seen NCIS. Again, not likely to.

(So Lothi hasn't talked you into watching MFU yet? *g*)

Um...nope. We're not too much with the pushing fandoms on each other, lothi and I. Don't know why. Just don't. It's never come up.

I don't have TV, so I watch random DVDs of things that went off years ago.

Ditto. Well, I have a TV, but I also have a husband, so...I don't really have a TV. Besides, watching TV means I can't write/read/play, so I don't do it often. Which brings me to why I'm not likely to ever watch this show. Simply no time to watch TV. Just don't do it much at all, and when I do I tend to watch with an agenda, meaning I'm watching for a blog, or for a fic, or something like that. I do have some shows I'd like to watch eventually, but that list is so long as to be, well, insurmountable. I add things to it on occasion, but I know I'll never watch them. Just how it is. Currently, if and when I watch a new show, I'll probably watch Babylon 5, as it is a huge hole in my geek knowledge. After that, I dunno. We'll see.