10 Female Fictional Characters That Do Feminism Proud

Honorable Mention: Elena Gilbert from The Vampire DiariesThe Vampire DiariesI would give Elena her spot on this list, but I'm not the biggest fan of her character later on in the show. I will say that I liked The Vampire Diaries for its distinction from Twilight and other vampire series of its ilk. It seems like every vampire story features a female who falls in love with the troubled, brooding vampire who wants to rip her throat out. And that's messed up. No, seriously, I used to be in an abusive relationship and I have NO patience for these kinds of storylines, no matter if the guy turns out to be redeemable in the end. When Elena finds out that Stefan, the brooding guy who looks really good in tight pants, is a vampire, she doesn't swoon. She doesn't find him dangerously attractive. She doesn't start wishing that he would give up and turn her into a vampire as well. She shuts the door in his face after telling him that her priority is to protect her family. Yes, she is devastated by that for some time, but I have such respect for her taking that stance. Honorable Mention: Lieutenant Uhura from Star TrekSpock Uhura Nichelle Nichols is one of my heroes. She is, of course, the woman who played Uhura on Star Trek. She was the female half of the first interracial kiss on television. She was a spokesperson for NASA at one point. She's just a cool person in general. And then you look at her character. Uhura was a black female holding her own on a ship full of men with some personality disorders, usually involving megalomania or narcissism. Like all female Star Trek characters, she has some run-ins with the crew that should have been reported to the Corporate Ethics hotline. She's an extremely capable officer. She's welcoming to strangers and has a curious mind. She is a heck of a dancer as evidenced in Star Trek V: The Final Frontier. I even like Uhura in her incarnation played by Zoe Saldana. She's slightly different and a lot more open with her sensuality, but she is still a great lady. Moving on.

 
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Contributor

That's Kaki pronounced like the pants, thank you very much, my family nickname and writing name. I am a Red Sox-loving, Doctor Who-quoting, Shaara-reading walking string quartet of a Mormon writer from Boston. I currently work 40 hours at a stressful desk job with a salary that lets me pick up and travel to places like Ireland or Philadelphia. I have no husband or kids, but I have five nephews to keep me entertained. When not writing, working or eating too much Indian food, I'm always looking for something new to learn, whether it's French or family history.