10 Deeply Unusual And Unconventional Literary Heroes

7. Lisbeth Salander

First Appearance: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson Small but ferocious, cold but sexy, Lisbeth Salander has struck a chord with people around the world. Salander is one of two the protagonists in the Millennium trilogy by Stieg Larsson. She is a genius-level hacker with some serious social problems. Her social skills are so dismal that the other main character, Mikael Blomkvist wonders if she suffers from Aspergers. Regardless, Salander is certainly different. Even her description is very alternative; she has short dyed black hair, piercings and tattoos, most notably the large dragon tattoo that is on her back. While she is the female in the heroic duo, Salander is far from a damsel in distress. In fact, she can be downright vicious when she wants to be. With her gothic look, asocial skills and callous demeanor, Salander could have very easily been a villain in another story, but she makes for an awesome hero when given the opportunity.