Analyzing Women’s Strength in Fiction: Mental Strength in TV and Anime

1. Kurisu Makise, Steins;Gate:

Subcategory: emotional

At the young age of seventeen, Kurisu Makise was a renowned genius, had already graduated from college, and was working on a theory of time travel. However, her true genius became known to the viewers when she joined the Future Gadget Lab and worked alongside Okabe Rintaro. They uncovered truths about time travel during this confusing, but amazing anime series. If it weren’t for Kurisu, let’s just say some bad stuff would’ve fallen upon the Future Gadget Lab members. Kurisu is a popular anime heroine for a reason; underneath her mild tsundere attitude, she’s kind and bright, and after the mid series twist, practically saves Okabe from his own mind over and over again. Some people think of her as a Mary Sue, but to me, they couldn’t be more wrong. Kurisu has plenty of faults, but her selflessness is truly what makes her such an amazing character. I can’t say more due to spoilers, but she is one of the best TV heroines I can think of in recent memory. 

2. Root, Person of Interest:

Subcategory: physical

Root started off as a villain, plain and  simple. Despite her sweet face, she was quite frightening, cold, ruthless, and would do anything to get what she wanted. But as the series went on, it became clear that she was on a redemption journey, and largely due to The Machine, she began to understand the value of human life and became an important member of Team Machine. Root’s character journey was a fascinating thing to watch; she never lost some of her dark qualities, and was an amazing anti-heroine. Some may judge her character for her first episodes, and while I can’t really blame them, she had such amazing character development that I ended up growing quite attached to her character. She was able to reevaluate her views on human life, and her experiences slowly but surely changed her for the better. And her intellect helped save the team on many occasions. 

3. Sally Sparrow, Doctor Who: 

Subcategory: emotional

Sally may have only appeared in one episode of Doctor Who, but this only proves that sometimes, the most memorable characters are the minor ones. She has left her imprint on the show, and even now, some fans wish for her return, myself included. Sally helped defeat The Weeping Angels, some of the most frightening aliens on the show, with little help from a video nerd and some videos The Doctor sent from the past. She was so brave, and was able to evaluate and analyze threats and keep her cool reasonably well. I never understood why Sally never came back to the show, or why she didn’t even become a companion. She was one of the most independent and capable characters on the show, and it’s clear that even if she never becomes a companion, she could become an invaluable ally even now. 

4. Dana Scully, The X-Files:

Subcategory: emotional

Despite her staunch disbelief in aliens and the supernatural (even though coming across them on multiple occasions) how could I not put Scully on this list? She’s the logic of the two main characters (the other is Mulder; he’s more of a dreamer), and has saved themselves several times. She’s reliable, capable, and observant. Even without a belief in the supernatural, she is still able to thwart them just as well as Mulder. She has saved many, many lives, and due to her logical nature, she is often able to get information out of clients and victims faster and easier than Mulder. There’s a reason she’s one of the most famous and celebrated heroines in TV history. 

5. Re-L Mayer, Ergo Proxy:

Subcategory: physical 

Sadly, Ergo Proxy was an anime I started last year, but couldn’t watch much of due to being busy. But from what I’ve seen, it’s interesting, beautiful, and has developed main characters. Re-L Mayer starts as being rather arrogant and full of herself, but she’s an intelligent, observant detective who grasps details quickly. When her view of her world is shattered, she doesn’t break; she changes and grows. She has a stronger emotional range than most in Romdeau, and she uses this to her advantage to work with people’s perception. She even begins to realize she isn’t as brave or tough as she believes herself to be, and grows because of this. Ergo Proxy may be underrated, but Re-L is considered as an amazing protagonist. 

Do you like how I used images for all five heroines? I may be doing the same treatment to my past lists. And next week shall be mental strength in movies!

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