I already made a list like this, but I love television so much, I just can’t help myself. I’m always invested in a female character with complex emotions and an interesting storyline rather than being a boring background character. In no particular order, here’s five more of my favorite female television characters.
- Annalise Keating, How to Get Away With Murder
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An iconic character created by Shonda Rhimes, Annalise Keating is a powerful lawyer and professor. She is a complex woman with a hard shell but has a soft spot for those she loves, and she does whatever it takes when it comes to fighting for what she believes in.
- Elena Alvarez, One Day at a Time
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Elena Alvarez is a queer icon. She speaks her mind and despite being a lesbian Latina, she uses her privilege to create a larger conversation among her family.
- Elena Gilbert, The Vampire Diaries
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I guess I just love characters named Elena! Elena Gilbert gets a lot of hate for some reason; I guess some people think she’s boring or annoying. I, for one, find Elena to be compassionate, intelligent, and selfless. I was always rooting for her throughout the series.
- Phoebe Buffay, Friends
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I don’t care what anyone says, Phoebe is the best in her friend group. She’s quirky, kind, and absolutely hilarious. Any Phoebe-centric episode is an episode I can get behind.
- Toph Beifong, Avatar: The Last Airbender
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Anyone who’s seen Avatar knows how much of a badass Toph is. One of the youngest characters in the series, Toph is a blind Earthbender with the most charismatic personality out of any of her peers. Toph nation rise!
I’ve gushed about ten of my favorite female characters in film and on television, so it looks like I have nothing left but to turn to my favorite men on the screens. Stay tuned.