1. Sansa Stark (Game Of Thrones)
I know, I know. People are going to be up in arms about this decision and I know why - Sansa Stark is the archetypal girly girl, a unique individual in the world of Game of Thrones and in my opinion, easily the most misunderstood and underrated heroine on television at the moment despite a top-class performance from young fledging actress Sophie Turner. Critics of Sansa are quick to point out her failings and put a huge amount of unnecessary blame on her shoulders for events that were simply beyond her control, namely the death of her father. Simply put, Sansa is not to blame and to blame her is a bit of a cop-out. Joffrey, i.e. Little Lord Psychopath, is the one who ordered the execution and the Lannisters were the ones you engineered it to protect their own. Point in fact, Sansa is shown several times begging for absolution for her father and despite her puppy love for Joffrey is horrified and completely apopletic with grief and rage when Ned is killed regardless of her pleas. After this, she is so horrified with Joffrey, her love turns into hate and her idyllic, idealistic dreams of marriage and true love are forever tainted and corrupted. Often negative comparisons are made of Sansa to her much more active tomboy sister Arya who is shown actively seeking her family and then revenge when they are hunted down and killed. However, Sansa is not less weak than Arya - she's just as strong but in a different way. Had the roles been reversed, quite frankly neither girl would have survived: Arya is no diplomat and strategist and Sansa is no assassin and killer. The reason both girls have survived is simply down to the fact that they're exactly where their strengths lie and where they can best adapt and survive. Sansa is a strong, brave, terrified girl whose best skills and chances of survival lie in being tactful and being cautious and playing the political game, rather than stabbing Joffrey in his sleep or poisoning Cersei's wine. In this respect, Sansa's stereotypical femininity, beauty and grace are perfect tools for fitting in with the royals of King's Landing, a place where she's hoping to survive and play the long game. In that respect, don't mistake her for being weak and don't mistake her for being selfish or cruel, something considered by many fans of the show. Whether or not fans' opinion of Sansa will change over time remains to be seen, but I truly hope it does improve. I can more than understand Sansa being seen at the beginning as being a spoilt teenager but after seeing what she has to endure to survive and the horrors and tragedies she's suffered, I truly hope that this underrated character gains the respect she deserves. Sansa might not be a visionary leader like Daenerys or an assassin like Arya but make no mistake: she's a heroine alright. Did we miss any grossly underrated TV heroines who should have made the list? Share your own picks below.