10 Greatest Original TV Heroes Of The Last Decade

6. Jessica Jones: Jessica Jones (2015-2019)

Krysten Ritter’s Jessica Jones struck a cord with viewers because of how deeply human she is. Suffering from PTSD, alcoholism and a total lack of faith both in human kind and herself, unlike her shinier, impeccably moral cinematic counterparts, Jones never claims to be a hero. She doesn’t always know the right thing to do and more than anything wants to live a normal, low key life.

Her moral ambiguity and character flaws make her far more relatable then your average hero and Ritter’s performance is full of small tics and uncertain trembles; a stark change from the larger than life personas of most heroes. With no secret identity to hide behind, she is exposed to the world and that makes her vulnerable, despite the super strength she possesses.

It is these qualities that make Jones the most compelling lead in a superhero show in the past decade. Other heroes’ journeys tend to focus on their external struggles where Jessica Jones focuses far more on the internal struggle. Her battles with David Tennant’s wonderfully malevolent Killgrave is more a battle of wills than your usual smashy punchy kicky affair, with a climax that relies on emotional investment in Jessica Jones’s journey instead of laying waste to a giant disposable CG army.

The cultural significance of helping to kick off the female lead super hero movement cannot be underestimated either. Coming years ahead of Wonder Woman and Captain Marvel, Jones still offers the most nuanced and relatable female hero we have.

Also, as iconic goes, she wears a leather jacket. Nuff said.