25 most empowering female superheroes of all time.
It’s easy to overlook some of the female superheroes in movies, on TV, and in the comics. Because they’re not physically strong, they’re often viewed as lesser than their male counterparts. One thing that’s forgotten is the mental or emotional strength, which can often take much more energy than physical, especially in the long-term.
Whether you’re looking at the comics, delving into the Arrowverse on the CW, or even looking at the movie incarnations over the years, there are strengths that we can take from so many characters. Yes, Captain Marvel and Wonder Woman will come to mind, but what about the likes of Mantis, Felicity Smoak, and Scarlet Witch?
Empowerment is more than just physical strength. It’s about looking at the personality, doing what’s right, or even a strong resolve. There’s an element of character development and intelligence, as well as being unwavering in beliefs.
With all that in mind, I’m looking at the various characters over the years. As I’ve not read every single comic, some of the versions I’m focusing on the movie or TV show characters, taking the empowering storylines we’ve been delivered through them. Here are the 25 most empowering female superheroes of all time.
25. Mantis – Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
Who plays her: Pom Klementieff
Powers/Abilities: Empathetic abilities
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Why she’s so empowering: Wait, Mantis is the first on the list? I know this is a woman many will initially scratch their heads at, but Mantis shows that physical strength doesn’t mean everything. What she lacks in understanding of cultures and her physical strength, she more than makes up for in her mental strength.
We just have to look at how she helped take on Thanos in Avengers: Infinity War to see that she’s a superhero and one to look up to. While everyone else fought against him physically, she was able to tap into his mind and control him. She held him for as long as she could, making it clear that she was one to watch out for. Mental strength is often hard to portray, but the MCU has managed to show it tenfold for Mantis.
Then there’s her willingness to do the right thing. Despite being raised by Ego and feeling a debt to him, she realized that he was doing the wrong thing. Rather than help destroy the universe, she turned against him and worked with the Guardians. She certainly didn’t have to considering her initial loyalties, but it showed her sacrifice in a way – ending everything she once knew.
There is a lot that we can take away from her when it comes to mental strength and even physical resilience. Young girls can see that being smart or being strong isn’t what makes a good woman.
24. Negasonic Teenage Warhead – Deadpool
Who plays her: Brianna Hildebrand
Powers/Abilities: High-impact kinetic charges (in the movies), telepathic and precognitive powers (in the comics)
Why she’s so empowering: While she can come across as a moody teenager, there’s more to Negasonic Teenage Warhead than meets the eye. First introduced in Deadpool and then brought back in Deadpool 2, she shows that even teenagers can help save the world.
She’s more of a teenage with attitude, and wouldn’t you have that if you were a mutant? This is a character that on the surface looks like a sidekick, but she’s more than that. When she needs to be, she’ll be in the background, but she has thoughts of her own and isn’t afraid to stand up to adults when necessary.
Negasonic speaks her mind. Sure, sometimes answering back is a bad thing, but she’ll give as much as she’s given, especially when it comes to Deadpool.
One of the most empowering elements to Negasonic Teenager Warhead (or Ellie Phimster if you’re on secret identity named basis), is that she’s the first LGBT character shown in a same-sex relationship on the big screen. While the superhero world has been mostly made up of the straight white man, there’s far more diversity in recent adaptations and Ellie gives young girls (and boys) someone to look up to.
Hiding part of yourself from other people will always mean you’re hiding part of yourself from you. Ellie shows us that being yourself is a good thing. Don’t hide because you fear what other people will think or say.
23. Elektra – Daredevil
Who plays her: Jennifer Garner and Elodie Yung
Powers/Abilities: Skilled assassin everyone should be afraid of
Why she’s so empowering: In the comics, Elektra has always been a force to be reckoned with. While onscreen we were struggling to find empowering women at one time, in the comics we certainly weren’t.
Jennifer Garner took on the first incarnation in the 2003 version of Daredevil and then the 2005 version of Elektra. Unfortunately, poor writing didn’t help cement her character in history at the time, but through that you could see that she was an assassin and would always need to watch your back.
It’s been since the Netflix-Marvel series, Daredevil, that the character has been redeemed and showed as the assassin she really is. Yung has taken everything from the comics about the character and brought her to life on the screen. This is a character who needs to come into the Marvel movies (I know, it won’t happen) because she’d be a force with the likes of Black Widow, Captain Marvel, and so many others.
While she’s not the most traditional of female superheroes, she is most definitely one. Okay, maybe an anti-hero or vigilante, but she’s still empowering and one that needs to be watched.
When she has a mission she goes all in. She shows that going after what you want isn’t a bad thing. Being confident and having an inner strength are good things. At the same time, she shows that it is possible to let your guard down. Every now and then, at least.
22. Princess Leia – Star Wars
Who plays her: Carrie Fisher
Powers/Abilities: None. She’s human!
Why she’s so empowering: Princess Leia is one of the women least considered a superhero. She holds no power of her own – although, arguably she should be able to access the force as the daughter of Anakin Skywalker. Well, she has no physical power. She does have political power.
It’s that power of authority that makes it possible to control missions, but those missions still have to go through others. Yet, the authority offers the chance for her to show her leadership skills and gives her a confidence boost.
Considering Princess Leia was created in the 1970s, it would be easy to think of her as a damsel in distress. After all, there is a part in the second movie that will make you cringe because of her costume. But that doesn’t stop her from being empowering. The second she gets a chance, she uses her chains and manages to take out the alien keeping her as a slave.
Leia isn’t afraid to love, nor is she afraid to fight. She’ll go on the most dangerous missions, which is how we initially meet her in Star Wars: Episode IV. How can she tell people to go on these missions if she’s not willing to put her own life at risk?
She does this time and time again. Throughout the course of three movies, we watch as she is the great mind behind the men. She helps tame a wild space pirate and boosts her brother’s confidence when he needs it the most. But despite all, she has her beliefs and never wavers in them.
21. Karolina Dean – Marvel’s Runaways
Who plays her: Virginia Gardner
Powers/Abilities: Solar abilities
Why she’s so empowering: I’ll admit I almost overlooked Karolina Dean at first because I haven’t seen Runaways yet or read the comics. I know, I know! But the more research I do and the more I look into who she is, she more than deserves a place on this list.
Karolina Dean quickly became a fan-favorite in the Marvel series on Hulu. She looks like a typical All-American teen, but on the inside, she has deep-rooted secrets and a personality to impress.
This is one of those characters that comes from a shady background. Her parents are evil, sacrificing innocent girls. Yet, Karolina is able to step away from all that. It’s proof that it’s not all about nature or even nurture. There can be an element within yourself or personality traits that come from the social circles around you.
We’ve only seen the start of Gardner’s interpretation of the character on-screen. We’ve seen that eagerness to learn and control her powers, while also wanting to do things for good. The comics have shown us much more.
She can take on the leadership role when necessary. Yet, she certainly has her flaws, which makes her far more human that some of the other whole-human characters (Karolina is actually an alien).
In the comics, she’s one of the few lesbian superheroes. The storylines haven’t quite been focused on in the way they could, but there’s hope this continues in the Hulu live-action series. If that does happen, Karolina would certainly move further up this list.
20. Scarlet Witch – Avengers
Who plays her: Elizabeth Olsen
Powers/Abilities: Magic powers, time and reality manipulation, teleportation
Why she’s so empowering: Ability-wise, Scarlet Witch is one of these most powerful female superheroes around. She would be able to take down the likes of Black Widow and even possibly Captain Marvel, while also standing up against Wonder Woman well. But right now, she doesn’t have the confidence in herself or her powers to do that.
And yes, I know that she’s emotional and does have an inner strength, but there’s a child-like inner strength. As she learns more of the world, she starts to question her part in things, and that leads to a sense of lack of self-confidence.
Scarlet Witch has shied away from her abilities, using them when necessary. However, she will always fight for good. Even when she was fighting against Tony Stark for what his bombs did to her family, she wanted to fight on the side of good. Eventually, she realized that Ultron had manipulated her and she had to switch sides.
And that switch is what makes her empowering. Wanda Maximoff is able to show that there’s no need to apologize for being manipulated. There’s no weakness in trying to do the right thing and accepting that you were wrong in the first place.
The more she gains confidence in herself, the stronger her abilities have become. She’s the one many will go to for help. Yet, she weighs up both sides. Sure, she remained loyal to Hawkeye in Captain America: Civil War but she did consider both sides and realized she was, in essence, being kept prisoner.
19. The Wasp – Ant-Man and the Wasp
Who plays her: Evangeline Lily
Powers/Abilities: Genius-level intelligence, skilled fighter, use of shrinking technology.
Why she’s so empowering: When it comes to Ant-Man, it’s all about The Wasp. Also known as Hope Van Dyne, she’s a character often most overlooked, possibly because she’s rarely made it to the big (or even small) screen.
Hope is one of the smartest characters you’ll ever meet in the comic world. She mastered her father’s shrinking technology before she even tried it out for herself and has routinely shown her ability to think quickly in tough situations.
Let’s also not forget that she can fight. Like another character to come on this list, she proves that being smart doesn’t mean being weak. Mentally and physically strong, she shows everyone that you can have the best of both worlds. You just have to be willing to work hard.
Before becoming The Wasp, Hope proved worthy. She wanted the best for the world, taking down villains that were stronger and more experienced than her. This focus and determination is another positive trait to take away.
Arguably, it’s the willingness to do the right thing without even the technology that makes her so empowering. She shows that having goals and morals is a strength, while focusing on the family that matters is something more than worth doing.
In the end, she became The Wasp but it wasn’t until she proved herself and understood her skills more that the offer was made. It became more of an honor instead of a birth right or expectation.
18. Quake – Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
Who plays her: Chloe Bennet
Powers/Abilities: Vibration generation, immune to the vibration’s harmful effects, psychic shielding, expert spy skills, martial arts training
Why she’s so empowering: Quake, also known as Daisy Johnson, is the character we’ve watched grow for five seasons on Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. There’s still more to come, as she proves herself worthy and an integral member of the team. Without her, not as much would have been accomplished.
But that’s not the reason for the empowerment. Daisy has taught girls and boys a lot about themselves. She’s proved that you don’t just have to be fully trained from a child to be a master at certain skills. She’s shown that learning and training don’t mean weakness. They help to build strength, resilience, and skill, removing the weaknesses and boosting the strengths.
One thing to take from Daisy is her ability to take down one of the strongest known villains. She was able to knock Magneto out through her powers, something that very few have managed. It shows how her skills can be managed and focused, adding to what training can do.
Despite her parentage, Daisy has also proved the idea that nature doesn’t affect who you are. Just because her dad was a villain doesn’t necessarily make her one. She’s kind-hearted, although stubborn and sometimes forceful in her views and opinions. If she doesn’t agree with something, she will most definitely let you know.
With so many strong women out there, it can be easy to overlook Quake. However, it’s her willingness to fight for good despite who she is on a DNA level that makes her so empowering.
17. Mystique – X-men
Who plays her: Jennifer Lawrence, Rebecca Romjin, among others
Powers/Abilities: Shapeshifting, super agility, healing, agelessness
Why she’s so empowering: The first we’re introduced to Mystique in 2000’s X-Men, she’s on the side of evil. She works with Magneto but it’s clear there is more to this story. The prequel series with Jennifer Lawrence in the role certainly shows why she is so empowering. Delve into the comics and you get even more of a sense.
This is a mutant who hates that she’s different. She wants to be able to fit in, but can’t do that in her own skin. Fortunately, her shapeshifting abilities allow her to fit in with everyone else, but she dislikes the fact that she has to hide part of who she is from the world.
It’s this backstory that helps us understand why she makes the decision she does. One thing is for certain, she’s never wavered from the one thing she’s wanted the most: to fit in. That’s where the empowerment comes from.
While she’s made some bad decisions to be able to feel comfortable in her own skin, she’s also shown that there’s a respect gained for being unwavering in beliefs. We can all take something from this – just not the lessons in killing people.
There is also a sense of loyalty. She initially sides with Charles Xavier and doesn’t switch to Magneto’s side instantly. This is a woman who learns more about the world and the two different sides, making her own mind up in the process. She refuses to allow herself to be manipulated, showing a strength of character, even if she does make bad choices.
16. Polaris – The Gifted
Who plays her: Emma Dumont
Powers/Abilities: Electromagnetic manipulation and flight
Why she’s so empowering: The Gifted delivered us a female superhero to follow for a mixture of good and bad reasons. Polaris, also known as Lorna Dane, is the daughter of Magneto (some of the time, anyway, depending on the comic/iteration) and has an affiliation with a number of different organizations.
All she wants is a world that’s safe for mutants. Fed up of the hatred against her kind, she just wants to live in peace. That doesn’t mean she wants humans gone, but there are times that she will side with the wrong people to get her way, like the Inner Circle. Yet, at the end of the day, Polaris will always attempt to do the right thing.
That can include giving up her daughter. Knowing that she could never keep her daughter safe, she leaves her with her aunt. Hidden from other mutants, she knows that there’s a chance her daughter will grow up good and loved, even if her daughter hates her.
It’s sometimes hard to find a positive in flaws, but Polaris is one that is empowering. She shows that it’s okay to want something so badly that you’re willing to make sacrifices. We also see that mistakes can happen and it’s what you do afterward – that redemption storyline.
This is a character that reminds young girls and women to be true to themselves. That you can love – it doesn’t make you weak. In fact, love can make you the strongest person in the world.
15. Domino – Deadpool 2
Who plays her: Zazie Beetz
Powers/Abilities: She’s lucky. Very lucky.
Why she’s so empowering: I bet Domino wouldn’t come on your list of best female superheroes at first, would she? I’ll be honest and say I almost overlooked her myself until a recent rewatch of Deadpool 2. And it was that rewatch that cemented her as #15 on my list.
Domino doesn’t really have a super power of the traditional kind. She’s able to bend luck her way. What could go wrong for her opponent will go wrong when she’s around. What could go right for her, will always go right. Despite never knowing how to parachute, she landed with style and was the only one to survive that jump (except Deadpool, of course).
While she doesn’t technically have any fighting abilities or even any super powers, she would be able to take down some of the strongest villains and even superheroes around. Her ability to bend luck her way isn’t the only reason why.
She’s skilled. She remains one step ahead and looks for all sorts of loopholes and weaknesses. This is a woman willing to use her opponent’s weaknesses, with little feeling if they should fail. The end goal is in sight.
For some, that should be a weakness in itself and we wouldn’t want everyone to be unfeeling or without family. However, there is a positive trait to take from it. Go after your goals and don’t be afraid of everyone who tries to put you down.
14. Jean Grey – X-Men
Who plays her: Famke Janssen, Sophie Turner, among others
Powers/Abilities: Astral projection, telepathy, psychokensis
Why she’s so empowering: Jean Grey is one of the strongest mutants you will find in the X-Men universe. That should push her further up this list, but it’s not all about physical strength that can make a woman empowering.
There’s still more to come for this character with the upcoming Dark Phoenix movie, but we can look at the comics for why Jean Grey does deserve to be on this list. As one of the strongest mutants, she certainly has plenty to offer but there was always the fear that the powers would control her instead of vice versa.
She’s a woman who has shown mental strength in controlling her powers. Training herself from a young age, she’s focused on being the best she can be. But that isn’t without its faults. She’s made some bad choices and they’ve strengthened her character.
While she has focused on controlling her powers, she’s not afraid to admit when she’s inexperienced. This has taken time, but includes an element of empowerment. She’s continually tries to improve, showing to everyone that there’s nothing wrong with admitting a weakness as long as you’re willing to work on that weakness. There’s an element of humanity to her.
Then we can’t forget her willingness to sacrifice herself for her team. While it didn’t actually happen in the end, she was willing to put her life on the line to make sure the X-Men got away. There’s a certain mental strength that comes with that willingness to sacrifice yourself, which we can all learn from.
13. Felicity Smoak – Arrow
Who plays her: Emily Bett Rickards
Powers/Abilities: Her brain
Why she’s so empowering: Felicity Smoak may not have any super powers in her own right, but she’s still a superhero. And she’s most definitely an empowering superhero right now. She is Overwatch.
If it wasn’t for Felicity, there is no way that Oliver, Diggle, and the others would be able to defeat the villains they have. Without Felicity, they would have been arrested or even killed. Star City would have been destroyed and the world would have disappeared.
Felicity is the brains of every single operation. She is the one that can make the gadgets and will manage surveillance throughout a mission. She’ll try to remain 10 steps ahead of everyone to make sure Team Arrow is safe at all times.
While we may not be able to get out there and fight, she shows that those on the sidelines are just as important. She may not have the physical strength, but there’s a power to the mental capabilities. This is a character that makes it clear there’s nothing wrong with being uber smart. Everyone needs the tech girl.
We seem to be currently in a time where everyone needs to be physical strong. We get these storylines of women takin down their attackers through physical means. We have the Black Widows and the Wonder Women, and it can make those without the physical traits feel lesser.
However, support is always important. There’s this extra strength in being the one behind the computer. You can’t do anything except be the person you are.
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.
11. Valkyrie – Thor 3
Who plays her: Tessa Thompson
Powers/Abilities: Superhuman strength, speed, abilities
Why she’s so empowering: I’ll get her downfall out of the way and that’s her drinking habits. One of the reason the character doesn’t quite make it into the top 10 is her initial portrayal in Thor 3. However, there’s so much overlooked from the comics and the potential future (remember, we never saw her death in Avengers: Infinity War).
Valkyrie goes by a number of aliases throughout her time, but one thing has remained consistent: she’s a warrior. Her physical strength is something to love, but she’s also someone who has a lot of physical strength.
The character has changed considerably over the years, which is why I’m focusing on the Thor 3 version of her for this entry. She was the last of her kind, full of survivor’s guilt and baggage, that gives her an element of humanity that we wouldn’t usually see in such a character.
In a sense, she wants family and acceptance again. At the same time, she wants forgiveness for surviving when everyone else died; for her weakness not to go out with all the rest. And while that initially leads to her drinking, it also plays a part in her redemption afterward.
She realizes that there is an inner strength. This is a woman who finds comfort with someone bigger and scarier than her, but not necessarily on a relationship level. We get that sense of friendship and comradery that she’s needed since the deaths of her kind.
Initially standoffish, she becomes someone willing to protect others. She finds that Asguardians do need her and there’s a way to make up for everything she believes she did in the past. The inner strength and willingness to grow as a person is certainly the empowering trait for this female superhero.
10. Gamora – Guardians of the Galaxy
Who plays her: Zoe Saldana
Powers/Abilities: Superhuman strength and agility, faster healing abilities
Why she’s so empowering: Gamora isn’t the most traditional superhero. In fact, there are many others people will think of before her but that’s part of the reason she deserves to be in the top 10.
First coming to our screens in 2014 in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 1, not many knew what to expect. Those who had read the comics knew more, but even then, would this incarnation of her be the same?
What we got was a flawed superhero who wants the best for the world – and the galaxy. As the adopted daughter of Thanos, we immediately held back on liking her. After all, she was raised to be a living weapon and expertly trained to ensure she could take down almost anything in the galaxy. However, she chose a path of good.
When everything was against her, Gamora wanted a path of redemption. She joined with Quill and the others to help protect the world from her father. And when it came to it, she was willing to sacrifice herself to keep the world safe.
Little did any of us know that she would be the key to Thanos’ success. His love for her overpowered everything and she was sacrificed but not for the reasons we wanted.
It was Gamora’s inner strength that made her so empowering. Of course, she was physically strong and capable, but she was also independent and focused on her mission. She used her training for the greater good, showing that there is a sense of nature in the “nurture vs. nature” argument.
9. Sara Lance – DC’s Legends of Tomorrow
Who plays her: Caity Lotz
Powers/Abilities: Master assassin, tactician, archer
Why she’s so empowering: Sara Lance doesn’t hold any of her own super powers. In fact, she’s not technically a superhero from the power/abilities standpoint. She starts off as an assassin and develops into a vigilante, but doesn’t that actually make her a superhero? Well, it does for this list.
Initially being introduced as the younger sister of Laurel Lance who was presumed dead after the ship accident, Sara came back as an assassin for the League of Assassins. In fact, she’d broken away from them and was in hiding, leading to Oliver Queen finding her.
One thing we’ve seen from Sara is her growth in her character. Initially, she stole her sister’s boyfriend. This isn’t a woman we should like and the earlier incarnation certainly isn’t empowering. It’s what Sara has since become.
She’s broken away from being an assassin and become a Legend. After initially helping to protect Star City, she is now the captain of the Waverider, leading a bunch of ragtag vigilantes to try to keep the universe and time safe.
On top of all that, we have this positive LGBT character. She doesn’t shy away from who she is, making no apologies for her sexual orientation. Sure, at first she did, but like Negosonic Teenage Warhead, she’s proven that hiding who you are isn’t just a lie to others but a lie to yourself. Sara has grown in confidence since accepting who she really is, which has made her an excellent leader and that’s something we can all gain from.
8. Laurel Lance Earth 1 – Arrow
Who plays her: Katie Cassidy
Powers/Abilities: No powers of her own, but trained at fighting and technical powers, including the sonic scream.
Why she’s so empowering: One thing you’ll notice about the majority of superheroes on this list is that they have some sort of ability. Whether they’re aliens or meta humans, they’ve gained their abilities through some sort of supernatural method or alien technology. That’s not the case for Laurel Lance, the Earth-1 version.
Why the Earth-1 version? Because this one is far more empowering than the version we currently have on our screens. That’s nothing bad about Black Siren on Arrow, but there’s something about the Black Canary.
She had heart and willpower. This was a woman who wanted to live up to her sister’s name. Despite being weak in many areas, including physical strength, she wanted to take down the villains when nobody else would step up. She put on the mask and the costume and put her life on the line.
While this isn’t a sign that we should all become vigilantes, it’s more about what this represents as inner strength. Things will always knock us down. People will tell us that we can’t do anything. Laurel makes it clear that you don’t have to listen. When someone knocks you down, you just pick yourself back up.
Plus, when out of her costume, Laurel would be the defender of the innocent. She chose to work to put the bad guys away through legitimate methods. Her good heart was there long before the costume and staff came along.
7. Buffy Summers – Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Who plays her: Sarah Michelle Gellar (I’m not including Kristy Swanson’s 1992 movie version, sorry!)
Powers/Abilities: Super strength, super hearing, the ability to do almost anything.
Why she’s so empowering: Buffer Summers may not be your most traditional superhero, but she is a female who needs to be on this list. The 1990s child inside me doesn’t let me overlook her.
To be honest, if I could, I would have put the Halliwell sisters on this list too. They came from the same time period that had a lack of strong and empowering women but Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Charmed delivered.
Why was Buffy Summer so important and empowering? She was the unassuming hero. A Valley girl at heart, she had to quickly learn how to toughen up and manager her new abilities. At the same time, she had to come to terms with the fact that Slayers die young – and the younger the called, the better.
Throughout seven seasons, we watched as Buffy took down creatures older than her, managed her broken hearts, dealt with school and college, and understood that there was power in friendships and family. While every other Slayer had been alone, she was the one to break the norm and she was the better for it.
Buffy remained grounded. She showed that having people to care about and love made you a better person. And despite friends turning their backs on her at times, she always came through as the one to save the world. She literally sacrificed herself for the good of the world.
6. Thunder – Black Lightning
Who plays her: Nafessa Williams
Powers/Abilities: Density manipulation
Why she’s so empowering: Worried I was going to leave out Anissa Pierce? If this was just based on comics, maybe I would. There’s something about the comic character that just isn’t as fleshed out or developed as Black Lightning’s creation. Maybe part of that is due to lack of time and there’s time to fix that.
In the TV series, we have our first black lesbian superhero. That’s empowering in its own right, but there’s far more to Anissa (superhero name Thunder) than that. She’s also a woman who will stand up for her beliefs and fight for what’s right. Unafraid of controversy, she will go on marches and make her opinions known.
When Anissa initially learns about her powers, she doesn’t shy away from them. In fact, she takes the time to learn more about them, heading out to a junk yard to practice. It’s only when she finds out her dad is Black Lightning that she’s able to fully understand and control her powers, but she shows that willingness to learn.
Her own personality in standing up for what’s right continues through her need to protect the city. This puts her at loggerheads with her younger sister when Jennifer learns about her own powers, not able to understand why someone with superhuman abilities would want to get rid of them. In a way, she took a view for many fans, who believed Jennifer had a duty to use her powers for good.
With her personality and her willingness to do what’s right, Thunder is one of the female superheroes we can all follow. There’s something positive for everyone to take away.
5. Supergirl – Supergirl
Who plays her: Melissa Benoist
Powers/Abilities: X-ray vision, heat vision, ability to fly, and so many more abilities/powers.
Why she’s so empowering: I’m sticking with the Arrowverse version of the character for this list. Not only is she the most recent, but she has shown some of the most growth. She is more adult than any other version of the character we’ve ever seen. While that may be annoying for some of the comic book fans, it’s been refreshing for those of us who have needed an empowering female.
Supergirl is one of those superheroes who will always put others first. She fights for good and is willing to put her own life on the line for the safety of the people around her. Hey, she’ll even jump worlds to make sure others are safe.
As Kara, she juggles her superhero duties and her journalistic qualities. She looks for ways to make the world a better place, even when she’s out of costume. This is a kind-hearted and loving woman, who has learned to be more confident in her own abilities.
One of Kara’s strongest traits is her humility. She’s certainly one of the most powerful characters on any of the Arrowverse shows, but she doesn’t take over all the time. However, it’s clear when she’s in Arrow or The Flash, there’s something major going down. This is the fire power.
Yet, she will always let others take the lead. She waits for people to figure things out alone. Just look at the “Elseworlds” crossover, when she let Barry and Oliver figure out they needed to act like each other. She had already figured that out, but wanted them to do it for themselves, showing she isn’t cocky and arrogant like many other superheroes would be.
4. Black Widow – Avengers
Who plays her: Scarlet Johansson
Powers/Abilities: Agility, martial arts, slowed aging, enhanced immune system, and much more
Why she’s so empowering: As a Russian agent, Natasha Romanova is a deadly force and could have been one of those characters The Avengers would have to kill. Yet, she got away from the people who raised her and turned her into the assassin that she is. This in itself is empowering, showing that you’re not who you are raised to be.
Yet, there’s so much more to this character. Black Widow may her some agility and martial arts training, but she isn’t just a fighter. She has developed connections and loyalties. She’s routinely shown that having people to love isn’t weakness but doesn’t dwell on the past.
Despite her loyalties to people (like Hawkeye), she will be on the opposite side of a war when necessary. Captain America: Civil War showed her willingness to fight on the side she believed was right. Yet, when she realized it was wrong (sometime off-screen) she went back to fight with Captain America and focused on protecting the world.
She has a willingness to accept when she is wrong. Black Widow can own up to her mistakes but will always stand up for herself when she is sure she’s done the right thing. This sort of personality trait is something we can all learn from – she loses the pride, which many of us suffer from having.
There’s much more to come from this former Russian spy and plenty of time to tell it. One thing is certain, she’s one of the most empowering women on TV.
3. Jessica Jones – Jessica Jones
Who plays her: Krysten Ritter
Powers/Abilities: Superhuman strength and durability, skilled in combat, excellent detective skills.
Why she’s so empowering: Whatever the fate of Jessica Jones in the coming months/years, there’s no doubt that the titular character is one of the most empowering female superheroes to grace the small screen. She shows that despite everything going on, you can still do good. Your past doesn’t make you who you are, but it can contribute to growth and development in a good way.
Jessica’s story is one of tragedy. When she was a child, her parents were killed in a radioactive explosion, causing her superhuman abilities. After being adopted by the Jones family, she was ostracized by much of her class, but Peter Parker was there as a kindred spirit. Some of that story has been adapted and changed for the TV series, but it’s still important to show the type of woman this character has become.
One of the most empowering elements of the Netflix series is the post-traumatic stress disorder storyline. The majority of shows and movies struggle to tell PTSD storylines well. They fail in balancing storytelling with the true depiction of mental health, but Jessica Jones does that.
Jessica isn’t perfect, making her human. She has her faults and her mental health certainly contributes, but she doesn’t allow it to define who she is.
There are times that she’s definitely cold and distance. She can be your worst nightmare, but deep down, she’s a good person just trying to survive in a dark and dangerous world. After all, if she wasn’t, there’s no way she would have become the private detective she is.
2. Wonder Woman – Wonder Woman
Who plays her: Gal Gadot
Powers/Abilities: The powers of the Amazon warriors
Why she’s so empowering: What isn’t there to love about Wonder Woman? Gal Gadot’s incarniation is certainly the one that we think of when it comes to empowering women. While I’ve got nothing against any of the others, they were dated and the storylines had the sexism that came with those storylines.
Gal Gadot’s version was as powerful as you’d expect an Amazon warrior to be. She didn’t bow down to men. As she spoke up to the parliament as World War I fought on, you could see that she didn’t look at a man with the view that he was more superior.
She encouraged others to be better versions of themselves. Because of her, Steve Trevor was a hero in his own right. Wonder Woman encouraged Etta Candy to be a stronger woman. We got to see this positive role model for our younger generation.
Gadot’s version wasn’t an in-your-face empowering woman either. She just didn’t see why women were considered the weaker sex, proving that many women have the inner strength that is needed. She had the courage to take on evil and make sure the world was safe.
One of the most iconic moments is as she walks through No Man’s Land. With her shield and armor, she ricochets the bullets around her, creating a path for others when they wouldn’t even dare – naturally, being human she couldn’t, but Wonder Woman wasn’t sticking around.
When it comes to her Justice League appearances, she’s always been one to follow. In a group that is mostly made up of men, the character continues to stand out, lead by example, and encourage the men to be better and stronger people.
1. Captain Marvel – Captain Marvel
Who plays her: Brie Larson
Powers/Abilities: Superhuman strength and the ability to channel cosmic energy to create powerful blasts
Why she’s so empowering: There’s no doubt that many are looking forward to seeing Captain Marvel on the big screen. The hype around the movie has been immense, and this character has been a long time coming.
Captain Marvel is the most powerful known character in the MCU. After all, Nick Fury made a call to her after realizing that half the world was disappearing. Whether he knew she would survive the Thanos finger snap or not, he knew that out of anyone, she would be the one to put it right.
And that’s where the empowerment comes from. While every other character has had to prove themselves when it comes to a major disaster, Captain Marvel is the one being called upon. Sure, her origin story involves some proving of herself, but not to the extent of so many other women on the big and small screen.
Captain Marvel is already at the same level of the likes of Captain America, Iron Man, and even Batman over in the DC Universe. She’s the one to rely on, which isn’t common for a female superhero.
Granted, in the origin stories of Carol Danvers in the comics, she wasn’t originally Captain Marvel. That’s a title that has been given to her over the years, but she’s the one that the majority of hobby fans will immediately think of when it comes to the iteration. This is the version used in many of the Marvel video games. This makes her empowering in her own right, showing that women can be remembered for themselves and not a man who comes before them.
Do you agree with this list? Who is the most empowering female superhero to grace your screen or your comic books? Share your thoughts in the comments below.