10 Female Fictional Characters That Do Feminism Proud

1. Princess Leia - Star Wars Carrie Fisher's Princess Leia tops any number of lists for me. Best Female Leads. Funniest Politicians. Most Romantic Heroes. Funniest Hairstyles of the '70's. So why does she deserve the #1 spot on this list? You may say she doesn't and you're entitled to that opinion, but let's take a look at her redeeming qualities. #1 is the fact that, during her own rescue, she grabs a gun and shoots her way out of danger. Yes, that means they all smell like rotting cabbage and space eel for a few days afterwards, but she is the only one who had the guts to actually take action in that scene. She stands up to everyone, whether Grand Moff Tarkin or Han Solo. She helps plan the attack on the Death Star. And she does all of this while wearing cinnamon buns on her head around the age of 19. As the series evolves, so does her character. Episode V finds a little sadder and wiser, since war has changed everyone we met in the first movie. She is not very in tune with her own feelings. She--squick, ick, bleagh--retaliates against Han Solo's arrogance by kissing her twin brother. (I know she didn't realize it at the time, but I thought it was a pretty stupid thing to do even then.) In the Expanded Universe, we see her taking up a lightsaber against Darth Vader in Splinter of the Mind's Eye. (Another stupid thing to do, but it was for a noble cause.) She becomes the Chief of State for the New Republic. She fights far too many wars while suing for peace. But in the movies, she is a force for good. She predated Hermione by 1.5 decades, but she is the voice of female reason who can play shoot-'em-up with the best of the boys. She commands the respect of her peers and the fear of her enemies. She is quite the woman, but aside from her sharp-tongued rants against certain Corellians and their walking carpets, she's able to be on an equal footing with the men.