At first glance, Leela would seem to be a feminists nightmare; a primitive warrior sauntering around the Tardis in a skimpy chamois leather outfit, and being in a Henry Higgins-Eliza Dolittle relationship with the Doctor. Who affectionately refers to her as Savage from time to time. Despite that, in her own specific way, she was definitely one of Doctor Whos strongest female characters at that point. While she may lack the academic intelligence and social graces of people from other cultures and time periods, she is significantly intelligent in other ways and adaptable to a number of situations. And naturally, shes a very capable warrior, even managing to kill a Sontaran commander at one point. But no amount of Sontaran killing compares to the biggest point in Leelas favour: she doesnt kow-tow to the Doctor. Yes shes nowhere near his level (which is true of 99% of companions) but as much as he tries to civilise her, she never buckles and fundamentally remains the independent warrior who wouldnt take no for answer and dashed into the Tardis instead of staying behind on her home planet. She was Doctor Whos first real action girl and certainly set a benchmark for the strong female characters that followed.
JG Moore is a writer and filmmaker from the south of England. He also works as an editor and VFX artist, and has a BA in Media Production from the University Of Winchester.
