In the age of superhero shows, superpowered people and characters with extensive skills and abilities are often the heart of geek culture. However, plenty of characters without abilities, both on and off superhero shows, have traits that make them deserving of powers and superhero status.
Some are characters who help out superheroes, while others have abilities that elevate them almost to superhero status but are often overpowered by their more famous friends.
Read about 21 characters we think should be superheroes — whether with actual superpowers or being considered superheroes in their own communities.
Alex Danvers (Supergirl)
On Supergirl, Alex Danvers works for the Department of Extranormal Operations (DEO), a clandestine government organization that fights and manages extraterrestrial threats. Alex is also the older Danvers sister who typically lives in the shadow of her younger sister, Kara Danvers — also known as Supergirl. However, she’s a trained agent and is incredibly intelligent, witty, and highly versatile in her physical skillset, from hand-to-hand combat, weaponry, and laboratory training as a medic. Seeing Alex develop abilities and become a superhero isn’t unbelievable and even her powerful gadgets could rocket her to superhero-dom — although we’re also happy with her just the way she is.
Alex Parrish (Quantico)
A brilliant agent born to a Caucasian father and an Indian mother, Alex Parrish is one of the brightest students in her cohort at Quantico, the FBI Academy. After being recruited and trained, she went on the run after being framed for the bombing of Grand Central Station. She spends season after season outwitting the world’s smartest individuals and uses her wits to survive while also saving the world at the same time. In her own right, Alex is already a superhero and should be considered one — she’s, in fact, saved the fate of the free world.
Fitz and Simmons (Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.)
Leo Fitz and Jemma Simmons are S.H.I.E.L.D. Academy foes-turned-friends-turned lovers and some of the smartest scientists alive. Fitz, the engineer, and Simmons, the biochemist, work with Director Phil Coulson’s team on their missions. The fateful team and dynamic of FitzSimmons always act as the sidekicks to Daisy Johnson, Director Coulson, Yo-Yo, and the rest of the team. However, each of them have almost literally gone to hell and back for each other, and they each possess combat skills — not to mention their intellect. They’ve saved so many people and are invaluable members of their teams, so why not call them superheroes?
Karen Page (Marvel Netflix shows)
The secretary-turned-investigative journalist romantic interest of Matt Murdock — aka Daredevil — is a superhero in her own way. She’s come out of her shell and will stop at nothing to reveal the truth, having been the witness to a murder and having murdered herself in order to avoid getting killed. She’s mild-mannered but strong-willed, and she has great investigative journalism skills that put her on the map. Her ability to reason with and empathize with the Punisher also gives her an advantage — it’s her version of a superpower. Giving her abilities would also allow her to do even more good in Hell’s Kitchen.
Noah Bennet (Heroes, Heroes Reborn)
Noah Bennet is the father of the powered Claire Bennet, a high school girl with the ability to regenerate and heal almost instantaneously. However, he’s also an agent for the Company, a secret organization that works to track powered humans. In a sense, Noah Bennet is a classic anti-hero — he works for the side that most of the superheroes see as bad, but he works to protect his powered daughter, Claire. He believes he’s doing good and overall, he aims to do what he thinks is right. He also has an impressive skillset and has plenty of flaws — but at the end of the day, he’s only human and would die for so many people.
Leslie Knope (Parks and Recreation)
Leslie Knope is the deputy director of the Department of Parks and Recreation in the fictional Pawnee, Indiana. She’s the heart and soul of the office in the mockumentary series and loves her job virtuall more than anything in the world (except waffles!). Giving Leslie Knope superpowers could be one of the best things to ever happen — or one of the worst. She’s peppy, cheerful, and never stops trying to do the right thing and do good in the world, which are all great traits of a superhero. With abilities, she could probably save the world.
Amy Brookheimer (Veep)
The sassy, witty, brilliant, and hot-headed Vice President Selina Meyer staffer has her own special abilities as she navigates the wide world of politics. Amy is a close confidant of VP Meyer — who eventually becomes the president — and she’s extremely quick and a great staff member but rather volatile as well. She’s a superhero with people and is usually the sanest of the Veep team, even if she gets angry very quickly (or is that simply just superhero hamartia?). Giving her abilities in the Veep world wouldn’t make much sense, but she could certainly get much more done in a 24-hour workday that way.
Wynonna Earp (Wynonna Earp)
Wynonna comes back to her hometown of Purgatory after learning of mysterious happenings, only to discover that she’s the heir to a curse that she must break, caused by her great-great-grandfather, the infamous gunslinger Wyatt Earp. She and her sister, Waverly, along with a steady team of fearless friends fight against demons in Purgatory and the surrounding area where the demons are trapped, the Ghost River Triangle. Wynonna already works to save the Ghost River Triangle from demons, revenants, and various hell-beings — so why isn’t she a superhero? With her supernatural gun, she has her own kind of special abilities which manifest in killing revenants. She’s also extremely witty and clever, and she is a great combatant and loyal friend. Even though she might not have innate abilities, Wynonna is about as close as you’ll get to a true superhero of today’s television.
Peggy Carter (Marvel’s Agent Carter)
Peggy Carter is Captain America’s former love interest before he was frozen in the ground, and she’s also an agent at the Strategic Scientific Reserve, or SSR — a S.H.I.E.L.D. precursor. A legend in her own right, Peggy Carter is often overshadowed by her male counterparts at SSR, but she’s truly the best of them all. Bright, confident, and great with a gun, Peggy is a real superhero in the Marvel world, even if she doesn’t have abilities like the rest of them. She has saved America from destruction and has also uncovered many schemes — arguably more than many of the traditional Marvel superheroes.
Sarah Manning (Orphan Black)
Sarah is one of several cloens on Orphan Black, but she stands out as one of the most fearless as she joins her clone sisters in tracking down who did this and discovering the truth behind the clones. Although Sarah herself would be very cynical about gaining abilities, her wit gets her out of so many sticky situations and being able to do this is a superhero in and of itself. With a hard childhood and having to survive while also figuring out the mystery behind Leda and her clone sisters, Sarah is a superhero for the clones and her daughter.
Claire Temple (Marvel Netflix shows)
Claire Temple is a trained nurse as well as a former love interest for Matt Murdock as well as a current love interest for Luke Cage. However, her strength lies in her fighting abilities as well as her confidence — she takes it upon herself to train and develop her fighting skills, helping out Colleen Wing, Danny Rand, and others in their fight against forces of evil. She also helps many superpowered individuals out of tight spots with her medical training. She’s eager to help and quick to jum into a dangerous sitaution, even if it means that it might cause her harm. Some even hypothesize that she might become the character White Tiger, a character from the comics who is a hero for hire.
Veronica Mars (Veronica Mars)
Veronica Mars is an average high school student who moonlights as a private investigator for independent cases. Veronica Mars’ sleuthing skills are unrivaled and her struggles match that of a superhero’s. The mystery aspect of the show is reminiscent of Jessica Jones, and Veronica must reconcile various tragic events with her everyday life as a teenager. Secret identities are the hallmark of a superhero, so why not make her one?
Angie Tribeca (Angie Tribeca)
Detective Angie Tribeca is arguably the brightest of the bunch at the police station — with her police partner and eventual romantic partner Jay Giles, along with a fellow police duo (one human, one talking dog). In this wacky, absurdist series, Angie is the best of the police force as she tracks down bizarre criminals and saves the world from certain death. Angie also has a kid, which is rare for a female superhero, and she has pulled off a number of incredible stunts, cementing her status as an honorary superhero.
Jennifer Pierce
Jennifer Pierce is the younger daughter of Jefferson Pierce, aka Black Lightning — a high school principal by day in the city of Freeland and a superhero by night with the power to control electrical currents. Jennifer’s older sister, Anissa, has the power to control her body density and goes by the superhero name Thunder — but Jennifer wants nothing to do with abilities. Although she is still not in control of her recently manifested abilities, Jennifer has the potential to become a great superhero if she eventually decides to. Even if she still isn’t ready and wants to support her father and sister, she can still be considered a superhero in her own right. Plus, she already has superpowers!
Eve Polastri (Killing Eve)
Eve Polastri, a former Mi5 (British domestic intelligence) agent, becomes an MI6 (British foreign intelligence) agent whose mission quickly becomes international when she begins to track a serial killer around the globe. She’s kicked off for undermining authority, but ultimately that’s what really gets her far in the hunt, because she has great instincts that other detectives can’t catch onto. Imagine what Eve could do with abilities — she already nearly single-handedly tracked Villanelle and survived every encounter with her (not to mention making Villanelle fall in love with her and almost killing the serial killer). Nevertheless, her intellect and detective abilities are unmatched and she’s also undervalued at MI6, making her a perfect candidate to be a superhero.
Taystee Jefferson (Orange is the New Black)
Taystee is, without a doubt, Litchfield’s superhero. Taystee, a young black woman in the foster care system when she was younger, is eventually put into the prison system after being coerced into dealing drugs by her foster ward. She takes the fall for a correctional officer’s (Piscatella’s) death and also fights for inmate rights at every step. She’s a great friend and even makes friends with the Warden, Caputo and the prison staff, giving her great diplomacy skills. Even without abilities, she’s a champion for rights for all and has the track record to prove it.
Kenneth Parcell (30 Rock)
Kenneth is 30 Rock’s mystery, but he’s also funny, naive, and able to accomplish exceedingly difficult tasks with incredible ease. Kenneth is a PA on set, but he works closely with Liz Lemon, Tracy Jordan, and the rest of the crew. 30 Rock is a comedic behind-the-scenes reimagined version of SNL, following a group of writers who create the sketch/variety show TGS. Kenneth is the young, naive Southern staff member, but he does everything with such joy that it’s hard to give him a hard time for anything. This is his superpower, and it’s really up to him whether he wants to reveal it or not. He never backs down from a challenge and is always cheerful even in the face of conflict — making him a perfect superhero.
Trish Walker (Jessica Jones)
Trish Walker is the adoptive sister of Jessica Jones, a woman who gains special abilities after a mysterious car accident when she was young. Jessica was taken in by the mother of Trish Walker as a publicity stunt, but Trish and Jessica eventually become friends and avoid Trish’s mother’s grasp, forcing Trish to become a child star. In the comic, Trish is the superhero Hellcat — and in Jessica Jones, Trish may still get a chance to become that superhero. After the events of Season 2, it appears that Trish has developed abilities like her adoptive sister — which is what she wanted. Although they came at a price and her desire from them doesn’t come from a place of complete morality, her desire to do good in the world is also enviable.
Paula Proctor
Paula is a paralegal works at a law firm with Rebecca Bunch, a woman who moves from New York to West Covina, California, to pursue a crush from childhood summer camp. Paula stands by her best friend, Rebecca, through thick and thin — and she also has impressive abilities ranging from lockpicking to hacking. Paula often acts as the comedic relief, but she’s smart, talented, and devoted to her work. With this skillset, her loyalty, and her desire to do good, Paula is the everyman’s superhero, even if she is considered the “office bitch.”
Daughters of the Dragon (Marvel Netflix shows)
In the comics, Colleen Wing and Misty Knight make up Daughters of the Dragon, a duo comprised of Colleen, a trained fighter, and Misty, a police officer. Both are talented and extremely skilled, and in the Netflix universe, they begin to form their team during the second season of Luke Cage. Individually, Colleen Wing is often extremely overshadowed by Danny Rand, also known as Iron Fist, but her story is intriguing and her abilities and skills unrivaled by most. A trained fighter, Colleen is immensely skilled and runs her own dojo — helping Danny out of tough spots and also lending her superpowered friends a hand during the Defenders. Misty is a police officer who works closely with Luke Cage and excels at her job, and she eventually loses her arm in the line of duty. However, with Colleen and Danny’s help, she gets a bionic arm, and the Daughters of the Dragon are back once again.
Sherlock Holmes (Sherlock)
Based on the character in the Sir Arthur Conan Doyle series, Sherlock Holmes is one of the world’s greatest minds. He operates a detective agency with his partner, Dr. Watson, and together they solve mysteries as well as save the world from the evil villain Moriarty. With his genius intellect, wit, and high-functioning sociopathic tendencies, Sherlock is, in many ways, a superhero. He uses his abilities for good and even has a sort of a sidekick in the form of Watson. He also has his fair share of flaws, which still cements him as somewhat of a superhero, and he even comes back from the dead with a ridiculous stunt — what non-superhero could do that?
