Growing up as a very 'girly girl', female representation was soooo important to me. I was the biggest Disney Princess fan and always looked up to female role models. I could relate to them and admire their strength and intelligence. That's why this issue is extremely important to me. This month, I want to count down the top ten female characters from books, movies, and television shows that inspired me and many others all around the globe! (In no particular order)

Jessica Jones in Marvel's Jessica Jones

This show only recently hit our screens and I'm already anticipating season 2! Jessica Jones is an incredibly powerful character who is a survivor of rape who does everything in her power to take down her enemy (Killgrave) and prevent him from using his mind control on other people. She's badass, strong, and incredibly protective and caring of those she loves. And with her sense of humor and 'don't give a f***' attitude, she's definitely one of the best Marvel heroes out. 

Elizabeth Bennet in Pride and Prejudice

What makes Lizzie such an amazing character is her strong-minded nature and ability to stand out from a crowd to follow her heart. In a family full of sisters who are taught to marry a man for his wealth to ensure economic security, Elizabeth instead wishes to marry out of love. She's complex and not just one-dimensional - especially for a character written in the 1800s when women weren't in positions with a lot of power. We appreciate her for her wit, courage to stand up for her beliefs, and daring to be different in a society that was against it. 

Tiana in The Princess in the Frog

I think that Tiana is probably one of the most underrated Disney princesses out. Don't get me wrong, I think it's incredibly cool how Disney is taking the 'don't need a man' route to enforce stronger females but you have to remember: Tiana is a BLACK WOMAN who was trying to start up her OWN BUSINESS in the 1920s!!! Talk about a difficult task! She works double shifts, educates herself, and sets realistic dreams. It sounds a little far from Disney's very fantasy make-believe princess plots, but wow is it inspiring. We admire princesses for their pretty features, awesome solos, and gorgeous dresses - but don't forget about their intelligence too!  It's what makes them who they are. Tiana is incredibly driven, strives to succeed and you know, turns into a frog for a little bit but let's ignore that part. 

Annalise Keating in How to Get Away with Murder 

A POC female lead? Who is extremely intelligent? AND bisexual? Give 👏🏽 us 👏🏽 some 👏🏽 of 👏🏽 that 👏🏽 right 👏🏽 now! Annalise Keating is all those diverse things rolled up into one - and diversity is just one of the reasons why we love seeing her on our televisions screens. She's also incredibly smart when it comes to being a lawyer and very protective and caring of her five law students who always seem to be getting themselves into trouble. Another reason we love her is for how incredibly strong she is. She's a rape survivor, and one of the great things about this show is that it didn't use that plot to make the show more interesting or dramatic- it was simply something that was pointed out in an emotional scene that brought awareness to the situation and went on to prove how strong she is. Props to the show for not using it as an episode hook! Actress Viola Davis, was the one who even came up with the scene where Annalise took off her makeup and wig at the end of one of the episodes. This Emmy award winning actress really knows how to embrace natural beauty - and for that, we love her just as much as the character she plays. 

Arya Stark in Game of Thrones

When you think of a badass GoT character, Arya Stark is probably one of the first names that comes to mind. If I was to sit here and list all the awesome things she's done, we'd be here all day. So instead, I'll just list her best qualities. She's incredibly brave (especially considering how young she is), determined to avenge her family, pretty awesome with a sword - even when blind. And, she has no time for your gender roles. When you see a teenage girl taking down men twice her age and size, you have to stand back in admiration. If any of us could be as ruthless as Arya Stark, we'd be unstoppable. Godspeed my Queen. 

Daenerys Targaryen in Game of Thrones

I know, I know: "Another Game of Thrones character Dorothy, really?" But they're all just so badass! Last one, I promise. Daenerys is filled with determination to take back the throne that was stolen away from her father when she was a kid. She has to deal with being sold away as a bride, her douchebag of a brother, and the constant derogatory remarks of men who view her as nothing more than an object of pleasure. If she can take all that and still stand proudly and say she's the Khaleesi and mother of dragons, you have to give it up for her. She still remains determined and confident, regardless of all the obstacles being thrown in her direction. 

Mulan in Mulan

Another character who has no time for your gender roles. Mulan literally transforms herself into a man in order to save her father from fighting in the war, taking his place instead. From trying to become a suitable bride to training with soldiers, her life changes in an instant. The selfless act lands her in a psychically challenging situation that at first, she finds herself struggling with. But after a lot of determination, she manages to pick up her pace and master fitness and combat. She's intelligent, heroic, and completely selfless in all her acts. She also manages to save all of China, so that's cool too. 

Princess Leia in Star Wars

Princess Leia has to go down as one of the most memorable female characters of all time. Fighting in a rebellion with two males and never being the weak link made her a huge favorite to any little girl who grew up watching these films (aka me). Even when being captured by Jabba the Hut, she never once played the damsel in distress. She was stubborn, defiant, and doing all she could to try and rescue Han. Her best quality has to be the ability to not take crap from anyone. She insulted Darth Vader to his face and shot down any doubtful remark Han threw her way. A character that was so strong minded and still a total badass at an older age is definitely one to be admired. Princess Leia will always go down as one of the greats. 

Hermione Granger in Harry Potter

Hermione was always a favorite of mine. So much so that I even named my pet hermit crab after her when I was eight. I'd never been so impressed by a character before and I was in admiration of her intelligence. Harry and Ron made sure to never forget to tell her how useful she was to them. Without her, Harry would have never been able to take down Voldemort. She was the brains behind the whole operation but could still throw a killer spell in the direction of any Death Eater. Talk about multitasking! It takes a lot of motivation and dedication to devote yourself so much to education and her effort to always better her knowledge made her stand out among most other female charactesr. Being able to beat someone up is always a cool skill, but knowledge is the real power. 

Matilda in Matilda

Speaking of intelligence, there was no character out there that was more intelligent than Matilda. Despite her terrible living situation, she locked herself away with books and taught herself how to be an adult, since the ones around her weren't helping. Aside from the fact she was basically at college level smarts during her first school year, she was also an incredibly brave young girl. Standing up against her scary principle Ms. Trunchball when everybody else quaked in fear made her seem pretty awesome. Her kind heart and protective nature for those she cared about made her an admirable favorite of mine and many others. 

Who was a female character that you looked up to when you were younger? Is there a woman killing it on screen now that you're obsessed with? I want to hear all about it! Comment below and tell me about the coolest female characters you know!