I wrote a series of posts a few years ago about strong women characters in sci-fi and fantasy. My goal was to highlight some well-written female characters who are strong leaders, every bit equal to men, and yet still feminine. I’d like to continue that series with another few posts discussing some other strong female characters.
First off, a strong female character is not a male character in a woman’s body. Women are inherently different in more than just biology, and those differences are important to portray well in fiction if a strong female character is to be believable. Yes, women can be warriors, leaders, and protectors (traditionally male attributes), just as men can be gentle, calming, and nurturing. We’re all human, after all. But in a story, a strong female character needs to be so much more than just a gender-swapped man.
Many fantasy and sci-fi stories have an overwhelmingly male cast. All too often, the “token female” is just that—serving either as romance/sexual tension, and/or to simply say “this story is all about equality because look a woman.” I want to cover three female characters (from film, TV, and books) who I believe are excellent examples of well-written strong women. In this post, I’ll discuss Wonder Woman—specifically, as she’s portrayed in the 2017 film.
Wonder Woman
Wonder Woman is an iconic character who’s been written, drawn, and performed admirably by so many different people over the years. And of course she’s strong—she’s a superhero, after all. She’s got to flip a few tanks and deflect a few bullets regardless of her gender, because that’s the way comic books work.
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