Many from misogynistic worlds, these ladies are prime examples of strength, confidence, and a blind belief in yourself. They stand their ground, they know what they’re worth, and they’re not going to let anyone get in the way of that.
Peggy Carter, for example, actually said, “I know my value. Anyone else’s opinion doesn’t really matter.”
She’s number one on this list because Peggy sets an example for everyone to follow and it’s necessary to show that she wasn’t from the present day; Peggy existed after World War II, when the men came home and tried to take everything back from the women that had to stand up and fill in while the men were fighting.
Below, here are 17 women that have faced unlikely odds, been pressured into giving up their beliefs in the world or themselves, yet they stood strong and conquered.
Agent Peggy Carter – Marvel’s Agent Carter
Peggy stood her ground in the 1940s, during a time when men thought of women as things to be owned rather than actual human beings that were / are capable of just as much, if not more. This falls especially true at the S.S.R., where Peggy worked tirelessly to save the country and the world, even knowing when to stand down to her much less qualified cohorts.
Emily Prentiss – Criminal Minds
Emily’s time on Criminal Minds has been bumpy. She’s come and gone many times, but her new role as the Unit Chief in Season 12 has really brought out the best in her. She finally has the ultimate say in what the team does, and where they go, and having this power and not taking advantage of it or losing control of it has shown that Emily can get anything she believes in. Just like her team will take down any killer.
Cat Grant – Supergirl
Let’s face it, don’t we all wish we had the confidence of Cat Grant? She believes in herself and her abilities to the extreme, and she always follows through with what she promises. Her confidence is admirable, and it’s no wonder that she built a company from the ground up and became such a success with her wit.
Emma Swan – Once Upon a Time
Emma came to Storybrooke not knowing who she is, who her family is, or basically anything except for what had happened in her life. Through Henry discovering her, Emma has grown to be an unstoppable force, and not just because she’s “the Chosen One.” Her stubbornness aids her confidence, so when she believes in something, there’s no one that can get in her way.
Jessica Jones – Marvel’s Jessica Jones
Jessica went through hell in her life, yet she still came out on the other side stronger and more determined than ever. She knows what is right, and she knows what she wants to do, and while those things may clash sometimes, Jessica takes no crap from anyone and it’s really an admirable trait, until she gets herself in trouble.
Rayna Jaymes – Nashville
Though Rayna may have recently past, her memory and spirit live in Nashville forever. She opened doors for stars like Juliette Barnes to come in and behave as they did, because Rayna showed her strength and confidence through the courage she used during many hurdles of her life. She will be missed dearly.
Sara Lance – Legends of Tomorrow
Being one of the two ladies on the Waverider over the past two seasons, Sara has really had to fight over the men in her life (as usual) to fight for what she believes in and what she thinks the team should do. However, it shows how strong Sara and her team believe she is, as she became the Captain of the Waverider, even after Rip’s return. And she managed to do a far better job than he ever could.
Lucy Preston – Timeless
Lucy, being the only historian and woman on her team, is often having to stand her ground with Rufus and Wyatt to tell them what to do, what is right, and how things are supposed to work. Even with the stress of saving the day, and saving her sister, Lucy works tirelessly to protect history and she knows how much she means to the team.
Laurel Lance – Arrow
Laurel dealt with Oliver talking down to her for years, but she never gave up. She stood her ground when she took on the Black Canary mantle, even though Roy, Oliver, and Diggle were speaking to her as if she had no idea what she was getting herself into. She stood her ground when Oliver returned back and assumed everything would go back to how it was before, with him calling all the shots and being in charge of what Laurel does. Even in death, Laurel still knew what she wanted and who she wanted to be, and that’s admirable on its own.
Mona Vanderwaal – Pretty Little Liars
Mona is an example of how to badly handle this belief. She took her aggression out on the girls, but she knew what she wanted, and knew how to get there. Even now, after months in Charlotte’s dollhouse, Mona still knows that she’s smarter than everyone else in Rosewood, and she has a bright future in front of her.
Lexa – The 100
Lexa was put into a position of power before she ever had a chance to learn to doubt herself. She knew that her word was law, so she had to start putting extra consideration into what she demanded, what she believed, and what she did, because all of her people were watching the Commander.
Olivia Pope – Scandal
Olivia isn’t a piece to be won. She’s the best at “handling” things, and she knows how well she does at her job. Her personal life on the other hand is quite messy, but no one is perfect. Especially not Olivia. But she has a blind determination to achieve her goals, and she won’t let anyone stand in her way.
Olivia Benson – Law & Order: SVU
We’ve seen Olivia overcome so many obstacles through this job, including attacks on herself, and yet she’s still strong, and she still has an unwavering belief in herself and her team.
Iris West – The Flash
What would The Flash be if Iris didn’t call Barry out? She keeps him in line, and her work as a journalist keeps The Flash honest. She stopped him from killing, or attempting to kill, a villain, and she will always be there to keep Barry from changing because of his role as Central City’s superhero.
Catherine de Medici – Reign
Catherine takes matters a little too far sometimes, but that’s only because she’s believes that everything she thinks is correct. If Peggy was from a time when women were barely seen, Catherine is from a time where women are seen as property to be owned, yet she never let that stop her. After all, she is their Queen, and they will listen to her.
Alex Parrish – Quantico
How many times has Alex saved the day now? The rest of the world didn’t believe in her, yet she knew that only she could fix the mess she was in after she was framed for the bombing. Yet, when her friends and coworkers were taken hostage in season 2, Alex could’ve left and gone for help, but she knew that she was capable of saving lives, and that’s exactly what she needed to do.
Laurel Castillo – How to Get Away with Murder
Laurel suffered through Wes’ death, and is now on her way to becoming a mother. She’s seen tragedy, been through it, and been responsible for it, so she has every reason to just fall apart and crumble, but she doesn’t. She still believes in the world, in her self and her friends, and she’s willing to do whatever it takes to get what she wants and what is right.
