2. Willow Rosenberg - Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Nearing the top of the list at number two, this one-time nerd turned Wiccan badass experienced unparalleled growth that may very well have stolen the show. From her humble beginnings as a Sunnydale High sophomore to becoming a truck driving magic mama, we never expected the girl that knew the softer side of Sears would take us on such a ride. Arguably, Willows development over seven seasons exceeded that of her peers including the Scooby Gangs leader and the shows namesake, Buffy. This is certainly due to the unique events that shaped Willow in a way so distinct from her peers; realizing she was a lesbian, becoming dependent on supernatural elements, and almost destroying the world. Sure, these are all things Dark Phoenix has experienced (well, okay, maybe not the lesbian thing, or did I miss something?) but taking this journey with Willow felt more personal than it did with Jean. On this side of the screen Willow made waves as she became half of one of the first lesbian relationships on television at the time. Though the show seemed to normalize homosexuality (Willows coming out wasn't super earth shattering for Buffy and the Slayerettes despite how unexpected it was), this character trait inevitably set Willow further apart. Unfortunately her mounting addiction to magic inevitably cost Willow the aforementioned relationship. We were hopeful that all was not lost when the two reconciled but their reunion was brief as the writers used a stray bullet to remind us that anyone is expendable for the sake of a leading characters development. Willows resulting fall from grace was one messy trip that left her alienated, weak, and broken-hearted; exactly where she needed to be to become a stronger character. In spite of everything, we are who we will always be and Willow reminded us of that as she redeemed herself through remorse and self-control that was not for the weak of will. From being quirky about her color-coded class notes to making the Magic Box not so much a box, Willow never went so far off the deep end that we couldn't identify with her. Through it all, Willow felt like one of us and, more importantly, we wanted her to be.