5 female characters that redefined what it means to be 'strong'

For decades, the phrase “strong female character” was taken too literally in popular media. A woman’s strength, more often than not, meant standing shoulder to shoulder with a man. It meant wearing tight suits - both the shoulder-padded and catsuit variety - throwing punches at the villain and strutting into boardrooms with a perfect one-liner.

Of course, the problem isn’t that these characters represent traditional toughness. Certainly, watching women take charge on screen is important and long overdue. But the issue arises when a certain kind of “badass heroine” becomes the only version of strength we’re allowed to see.

That, thankfully, is starting to change. With the rise of shows like Euphoria and Girls, we’re seeing a return to complex female leads who are just as commanding but much more vulnerable. They represent the strength  in women who manage to get everything wrong, spiral out of control, or fall apart. And if they do bounce back, owning that journey as entirely their own.

Here’s our list of five female characters who redefined what it means to be strong and stayed true to themselves through the good, the ugly, and everything in between.

Written and directed by Phoebe Waller-Bridge, the series follows a woman who is grieving, flailing, and painfully self-aware of it. Her love life is a mess, her business is crumbling, but she owns every moment of it.

Directed by Darren Aronofsky, this psychological thriller follows a ballerina obsessed with being the best. Nina is ambitious and constantly on edge. Her unraveling is brutal, but she never stops  pursuing greatness, no matter the cost.

Written and directed by Greta Gerwig, this coming-of-age film follows a teenager who lies, fights with her mother, and runs away. She’s confused, burnt out, but oh-so-relatable to anyone who has ever been a teenage girl.

Created by Ram Madhvani and written by Sandeep Shrivastava, the series follows a woman pulled into the drug world after her husband’s murder. Aarya is scared but determined, showing up for her family even when the world punishes her for it.

Adapted from Sally Rooney’s celebrated novel, Marianne is fiercely quiet, emotionally unavailable and guarded - but she never tries to be understood or hates herself for it. 

These women remind us that strength has many forms - but perfection is never one of them.