12. Shuri – Black Panther
Who plays her: Letitia Wright
Powers/Abilities: Abilities and powers include necromancy, super agility, animorphism, a genius-level intelligence, and so much more
Why she’s so empowering: I know that there are other female superheroes in Wakanda that fans will expect to make it to this list, but Black Panther has one that can never be beaten. Shuri is the chief tech officer and one that offers something for all young girls (and even boys) to look up to.
Despite her age, she has stood up to people and shown off her genius-level intelligence. Yet, she doesn’t let that intelligence get in the way of her ego. She’s kind-hearted, always looking for a way to solve a problem and keep the people around her safe.
Those who haven’t seen Black Panther yet or read the comics will have seen Shuri momentarily in Avengers: Infinity War. That appearance is enough to show just why she belongs in the top 12 of this list. She stepped in when everyone else said it was too dangerous. She put her life on the line to try to keep Wakanda and everyone inside safe.
When it comes to the comic and Black Panther, she shows her full abilities. This is the woman who made Wakanda the technical advanced place that it is. If it wasn’t for her, there’s no way the technology and the Panther Habits would be what they are today. If anything, we can take away the maturity and intelligence strength from her character, showing that even support is invaluable.
This entry links back to Felicity Smoak in a way, showing that those on the sidelines are still as important. However, Shuri is higher on the list because of her age and also her fighting abilities when she needs to use them.