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15 most kickass women on television – Guest Clack

buffy-summers-vampire-slayerOur Guest-Clacker today is Julia Hass, a twenty-something living in the Boston area. Upon realizing she could not major in “being Tina Fey” in college, she’s been taking some time off trying to figure out what to do with her life, and watching TV. A lot of TV. She discusses her various attempts at employment, politics, pop culture, music, her family, and super-cute boys at her personal blog.

Is anyone else sick of this Twilight phenomenon? Because I am. God, I am. In case you haven’t heard, Twilight is the epic love story of Bella (a human) and Edward (a vampire), full of enough thwarted, passionate romance and heartfelt-yet-ridiculous declarations of adoration to make any tweeny girl sigh.

And while I have never been a fan of the whole cliched vampire/human pairing, this takes my dislike to whole new levels, and I will tell you why — it hurts every notion I have ever held dear about heroines. Bella, as far as a heroine goes, is pretty lame. She’s flat, drab, and completely helpless without her boyfriend, who follows her around everywhere and (creepy spoiler alert!) watches her while she sleeps.

If it was just romance-starved teenaged girls lapping this up, maybe it wouldn’t sit so wrong with me. But it’s not — women (and men) of all ages seem to be obsessed. Recently a friend of my sister’s, whom I have always regarded as sensible, intelligent, and absolutely above this nonsense, called to rave about how much she loved the books and how fabulous they were; how romantic.

I read the other day that President-Elect Obama, a man I normally have great respect for, was reading the books to his daughters, Sasha and Malia. As far as I’m concerned, this widespread Twilight-mania is a serious issue. What is this teaching us, as women? That it’s okay to be blah, morose, helpless human beings? That we are nothing until some icy-cold Prince not-so Charming comes along and borderline stalks us? I’m not buying it.

My solution, as always, lies in television. Forget Bella, I say. Instead, turn on your television and watch my top fifteen inspiring female characters.

15. Stella Bonasera (CSI: NY)
Sometimes the world knocks you down, and no one gets right back up better than Stella; she’s come through an abusive relationship with a man who held her hostage and tried to kill her (and then was forced to kill him), gone through an HIV scare, and deals with the gruesome world of being a CSI in New York City every day. And yet she still manages to be warm, caring for her colleagues, and one heck of a tough lady.

14. Miranda Bailey (Grey’s Anatomy)
Forget everyone else on this show (Lord knows I have). There may be lots of women who are at one point admirable, but at some or another they’ve gone through the inevitable Shonda Rhimes wringer, leaving them shadows of their former awesomeness, pleading and needy at the feet of their romantic partners or hallucinating them or just acting plain old ridiculous. But no one cuts through the bullshit like Miranda Bailey. Known as “the Nazi,” Bailey is hard-working, driven, fierce, and completely kicks ass. But her bark is worse than her bite. In private she is compassionate to her patients, a loving mother and wife, and a dedicated friend. Meredith should take lessons from her. A lot of lessons.

13. Betty Suarez (Ugly Betty)
There is nothing Betty cannot do, no obstacle she cannot charm her way through with her big, orthodontic smile and heart of gold. Despite endless teasing and impossible task after impossible task, Betty has come through each and every one of them with her head held high, as smart and wonderful as ever. Betty is the textbook example of what makes true success — not beauty or wealth, but hard work and compassion.

12. Kara Thrace (Battlestar Galactica)
Kara Thrace is like the female version of Chuck Norris, only cooler. When the Boogeyman goes to sleep every night, he checks his closet for Kara Thrace. Despite a troubled and abusive childhood, Kara grew up to be the best Viper pilot and part of the Admiral’s inner circle. Kara doesn’t deal with authority, either. She is the authority. So maybe she’s kind of dead, but she’s back. Is she a Cylon? Is she not a Cylon? Do we care?

11. Olive Snook (Pushing Daisies)
Sure, Ned’s number one lady Charlotte Charles may have the prettiest dresses and the Piemaker, but Olive’s got a solid hold on our hearts. She easily could have been a simpering, insipid character, her only dimension being her unrequited love for Ned. Instead she’s quirky, funny, big-hearted, on heck of an up-and-coming P.I., and one of the most lovable characters on the show. (Which is saying a lot, considering the show she’s on.)

10. Zoe Washburne (Firefly)
Usually in any swashbuckling, action-packed adventure, the crew of protagonists is all-male. At the very least, the leader’s right-hand man is, well, a man. Not so in Joss Whedon’s well-loved cult classic. Zoe, the second mate on Captain Mal Reynold’s rough-and-tumble ship Serenity, served with Mal in the civil war. She’s tough, loyal, cool in the face of danger, and one hell of a shot. But what makes Zoe so lovable is that she is so much more than just the muscle on Serenity. Zoe is also married to the ship’s pilot, Wash, who doesn’t even pretend to wear the pants in their relationship. She is as compassionate as she is deadly, strong, self-assured, and sexy. What more could you ask for in a heroine?

9. C.J. Cregg (The West Wing)
The West Wing certainly doesn’t have any shortage of phenomenal female characters, from Donna Moss to Mrs. Landingham to the first lady Abby Bartlet, but a head and shoulders (literally) above the rest stands C.J. Cregg, first press secretary and then Chief of Staff. C.J. is witty, brilliant, and the heart of the Bartlet administration, where she not only plays with the boys — she beats them. Barltet describes her as “like a ’50s movie star,” citing her dedication, energy, and capability as some of the greatest things about her. We couldn’t agree more, sir.

8. Robin Scherbatsky (How I Met Your Mother)
Most women on television (and especially in sitcoms) want one thing — babies. Some want to find the loves of their lives, sure, but when it comes down to it, they want to find that person, marry them, and presumably, have babies. And then along came Robin Scherbatsky.

Robin is the complete opposite to Ted, the main character she originally served as a romantic interest for. She is strong (but still human), witty, career-oriented, and funny. She’s that girl that every girl wants to be and every guy wants to be friends with (and, let’s not lie, a little more than that, because she’s pretty hot). Robin and Ted break up because she doesn’t want the fairytale ending Ted wants. She doesn’t want kids, she doesn’t want to get married, all she wants is awesome friends, good times, and a kick-ass career. But unlike most career women on television, Robin isn’t a one-dimensional work robot. She’s a funny, warm, gun-slinging, laser tag-playing former pop star who’s amazing enough to even make Barney Stinson, the world’s most incurable bachelor, fall in love. Don’t worry, Barney, we’ve all fallen in love too.

7. Carla Espinosa (Scrubs)
Is there anyone more awesome in Scrubs than Carla? She may only be a nurse, but there is nothing in her life she isn’t great at. She manages to marry and look after Turk (and J.D., by association), is a strong friend to Elliot, doesn’t take crap from the janitor, and strangest of all, is admired by the prickly Dr. Cox. Everything J.D. struggles with, she sails through with grace and wit, while still being sympathetic enough to sit down at the end of the day, eat ice cream, and gossip with him. Really, she deserves sainthood, but hopefully putting her at number seven on this list will be a worthy substitute.

6. Lorelai Gilmore (Gilmore Girls)
Who doesn’t wish Lorelai Gilmore was their mom or, at the very least, their best friend? Lorelai doesn’t go by the beaten path. She eschews the perfect life her parents set out from her, instead getting pregnant out of wedlock and coming into her own on her own — without help from anyone. She works hard to get her degree, raise her (amazing) daughter, and build up her inn on her own, again, with very little help (always taken reluctantly) from her parents. And despite many pitfalls and backslides, she made it.

She manages to create for herself a place in Star’s Hollow with the job she wants and the man she loves by her own merits, because she’s strong enough on her own to get what she wants. And it’s true, what she got in the end may not be as glamorous as being, say, a CEO or marrying a prince, but it’s what makes her happy. And anyway, real princes are severely overrated — her prince makes one hell of a cup of coffee.

5. Temperance Brennan (Bones)
There are plenty of guys on TV who are scary-smart. Guy nerds have pretty much had solid representation since there was a Q to each Bond and since MacGyver sauntered around saving the world with a Swiss Army knife and a roll of duct tape. Shows like Chuck and The Big Bang Theory show that the male geek is still beloved and going strong. So what’s a geeky girl to do? Look to Temperance Brennan.

Though she may be woefully inadequate when it comes to pop culture references or the subtleties of human nature, she is otherwise an intellectual powerhouse — not only the gun-toting, crime-fighting leading forensic anthropologist in the nation, but a best-selling author and certified genius. Heck, in one of the most recent episodes she solved a crime on a flight to China using only what the passengers had in their carry-on luggage. Take that, MacGyver.

4. Veronica Mars (Veronica Mars)
For anyone who ever wished that there was a Nancy Drew who totally kicked ass, look no further than Veronica Mars. Veronica’s a plucky teen detective that could give any classic noir P.I. a run for their money. She’s hell-bent on solving crimes, from the big deals like her best friend’s murder and her own rape to petty burglaries, vandalism, and high school pranking.Veronica’s got a fast-talking, tough-as-nails exterior, a pit bull named Backup with one hell of a bite, the coolest camera with the best zoom ever, and a pragmatic, cynical, take-no-prisoners attitude. And underneath it all, she’s still a marshmallow. Deep, deep underneath it all.

3. Liz Lemon (30 Rock)
Too often, we as women are told we must have it all. The women we see seem to be perfect, juggling their romantic lives, family lives, and jobs with grace, all the while managing to always look as though they have just stepped out of a fashion magazine. Sure, that’s admirable, but it’s hard to relate to. And then along came Liz Lemon.

Liz Lemon does not have her life together. She frequently runs around with food in her hair, is married to her work, and almost incapable of having a healthy romantic relationship. And yet women everywhere admire and want to be her. The secret is that Liz is someone we can relate to. She does things we’ve wanted to do like running away with a baby or buying an expensive and ultimately useless wedding dress.

We, too, cannot put together furniture from IKEA or stop snacking on whatever it is that we wish we could just quit (in Liz’s case, the imported Mexican cheese curls that give her a pregnancy scare). She is funny and lovable and holds her head high no matter how badly she screws up. So she’s not your traditional heroine, but who cares? She’s Liz Lemon, and it seems nobody can get enough of her.

2. Pam Beesly (The Office)
Is there a more unlikely heroine than a receptionist at a paper company? And yet, Pam Beesly inexplicably is one. At the beginning of the series Pam is a mousy pushover, in a loveless, never-ending engagement with her high school sweetheart, Roy. The only color in her drab, dead-end life is office pranks and long-forgotten dreams of becoming an artist.

But the joy of Pam is that more than any other character on the show, we get to watch her grow and evolve before our very eyes. Pam kicks Roy to the curb, enrolls in art classes, and grows a backbone with her head held high. And she does it for herself, despite being in what seems to be a never-the-right-time love with Jim, the show’s resident dreamboat. (That’s right, everyone, I went there.)

Pam’s ability to plow through the romantic angst and grow on her own ends up not only fulfilling her on a personal level, but paves the way for her and Jim to finally get together the way fans have been rooting for since day one. Pam is funny, adorable, warm, and strong. She’s an ordinary woman who makes doing ordinary things extraordinary, and that’s what being kickass is all about.

1. Buffy Summers (Buffy the Vampire Slayer)
There’s a reason Buffy’s an icon for a generation — she’s awesome. This cheerleader-turned-slayer both literally and figuratively kicks butt while always having a great quip (and, let’s not forget, really great hair). Nothing stands in Buffy’s way, be it vampire boyfriends (of which she’s had two), dying (done it, twice), or the constant forces of darkness that make a normal life a pipe dream. Buffy is strong, capable, lovable, and most of all, human — a heroine girls can relate and aspire to no matter how far-out her adventures seem. Everything Twilight aims to do, Buffy was doing ten years before, and ten times better.

Bella who?

Photo Credit: CW

Categories: | Clack | Features | General | Guest Clack |

55 Responses to “15 most kickass women on television – Guest Clack”

January 1, 2009 at 12:50 PM

Hm. Kick ass…

Where’s Summer Glau? Where’s Eliza Dusku? How about Mariska Hargitay? What about the Halliwell sisters?

I’m not saying I don’t see your point but Dushu’s vita is full of ass-kicking.

All I’m getting afraid off thinking of Pam Beesley is paper cuts… I would even suggest you put Cagney and Lacey on that list instead of her… I can only assume you put the list together like this because of diversity but then you shouldn’t number it. I mean remember dark Willow in season seven, she kicked more ass blinking ;-)

Basides, those two will break up very soon to give The Office enough momentum for another three seasons… still betting money on that one :-)

Ok you guys finally did it I’m going to watch Buffy again… right now. All of it.

January 3, 2009 at 12:45 AM

And Mariska HArgitay /Olivia benson is where? she is the most kick ass woman on tv……her and Ziva i love the office and i love pam but she doesnt reeally scream Kick-ass, BUT OLIVIA ON THE OTHER HAND

January 1, 2009 at 12:53 PM

With all due respect to your list, IMO there is no-one….
NO-ONE….as awesome as Sharon/Boomer in Battlestar Galactica. HANDS DOWN!

January 1, 2009 at 5:51 PM

Man, I had crafted this great reponse indicating that Buffy was overrated (not even the best character on her own show), and my broswer crashed, and most not have posted. Poop.

I will say, though, that Tim-1 is wrong. Boomer doesn’t even make the top five on the show. That would go Kara, Cally, Kara, Cally, Roslin.

Seriously though, Kara, Six, Xena (that’s just for Akbar), Roslin, Kat.

And back to the original post, I would have Veronica Mars as my number one.

January 1, 2009 at 1:57 PM

I’d just like to mention Catherine Willows on the original “CSI” and maybe even Calliegh Duquesne on “CSI: Miami”. Don’t knock a woman who can field strip a Glock.

January 1, 2009 at 3:50 PM

What about Xena: Warrior Princess? She was about as badass as you can get, and knew how to take care of herself. Plus, she could beat the crap out of almost any man that came after her. Over the seasons, her story became one of seeking redemption for previous wrongdoings towards humanity,(there were many, and some of them horrific,) owning up to and correcting said wrongdoings if she could, and acting out for the benefit of the greater good.

I also agree with Sebastian that cagney and Lacey would make a sonderful addition to your list.

January 1, 2009 at 7:17 PM

Deputy Jo Lupo on Eureka! Can handle any weapon, hand to hand combat and still look great.

January 1, 2009 at 7:21 PM

Twilight – ugh. Worst vampire movie ever. Bella is an awful character, all around.

Otherwise, I guess we disagree on kickass. I’ll give you Buffy, Kara, Lorelei, Veronica and Temperance, but I’m iffy on others (Liz, Carla, Robin) and really disagree with some (Olive, PAM!). Heck, Melinda on Ghost Whisper would kick Pam’s ass all over the place.

Kate on Lost (and I’m not a Kate fan), Patty Hewes on Damages, Grace Hanadarko on Saving Grace kicks major ass, as does Deputy Chief Brenda Johnson on The Closer. Sookie on True Blood held her own this year, and Mary on In Plain Sight was a great addition to strong, witty and take-no-prisoners types of gals on television. These are just a few that come to mind.

We can agree to disagree, cause we’re kickass women ourselves. ;-)

January 1, 2009 at 8:08 PM

As a product of Generation Girl Power, I’ve become woefully impatient with the feminist movement and the portrayal of “powerful women” in general — and Twilight has certainly shaken me out of that a bit.

Props to you for shaking things up a bit. Finally, strong women are actually topical.

January 1, 2009 at 8:27 PM

Pam Beesly, hell yes! Being kickass has a whole hell of a lot more to do than the ability to literally kick someone’s ass.

Don’t underestimate Beesly. It’s usually the quiet ones who go all hulk-smash when they get pissed.

January 1, 2009 at 8:36 PM

There is 1 person I would add to this amazing list. Samantha Carter. There’s just nothing like a smart, beautiful, and strong woman who holds a weapon. :P

I need to watch Buffy again, it’s been a while since I’ve partook of the amazingness that is Buffy. :)

January 1, 2009 at 9:08 PM

The article states 15 kickass women, then “my top 15 inspiring characters”. I would have to point out the difference for myself personally. While I find Starbuck wonderfully badass and kickass, I patently do not find her inspiring (Not unless I get car jacked anyway). While Laura Roslin’s kickass abilities are more subtle, I do find her inspiring.

If articial kickass can be included, I like Summer Gau and Tricia Helfer.

January 1, 2009 at 9:10 PM

That should read “artificial”.

January 1, 2009 at 9:17 PM

And Glau. Sorry I jammed two fingers this morning.

January 1, 2009 at 11:58 PM

‘She’s an ordinary woman who makes doing ordinary things extraordinary, and that’s what being kickass is all about.’ Preach it. We all have our own interpretations of “kick ass”. I think yours is very similar to mine.

I was happy to see Veronica in the top five. She is definitely my ultimate heroine (and woman, but this list wasn’t about girlcrushes so that’s another story). :D

January 2, 2009 at 12:03 AM

What about Amanda Tapping? Col. Samantha Carter on Stargate SG-1 (ten years), Stargate Atlantis (one year) and now Dr. Helen Magnus on Sanctuary (one year). Both Carter and Magnus are brilliant (science), logical, have a sense of humor, and are loving and caring, with honed aptitudes of curiousity.

And Dana Scully from The X-Files? A doctor and a FBI Special Agent, investigating the paramormal, unusual, mysterious, and creepy cases? Who overcomes extreme skepticism and ultimately not only believes in Mulder’s mission, but continues fighting his fight? And did it all wearing heels?

January 2, 2009 at 12:33 AM

Of course this is not a list for all people in all places. This is the author’s personal list of people, with her own definition of “Kickass.”

Some of you people…. I’ll just leave it at that.

January 2, 2009 at 12:50 AM

The purpose of the post was to strike up discussion and lively discourse. Seems to me that the post did just that :)

(Unless you were talking about Tim-1’s unhealthy obsession with Grace Park, and if so, we’re all right there with you :) )

January 2, 2009 at 9:37 PM

Unhealthy? Are you a docter? Against my better judgement I will share with you a bit of background that hopefully will somewhat douse your petty, uncalled for remarks.

When I first seen Boomer climb out of that raptor I was smitten. By no means smitten to the point that I want to camp out in her yard or stalk her life. Grace Park doesn’t even know I exist. My “Park Worship” as you like to say, ends at the end of my pen or keyboard. Yes, my zeal and admiration for her is real….but harmless. To me, she is the ideal woman. How many men can love a woman that completely and have zero fear of ever having a broken heart at being rejected, crushed, etc.? I can love the perfect woman safely. It is a luxury in a way,

You see. I have the best of both worlds. I am married to(and very much love) a beautiful young wife. We are having a son (our first child) in Feb., We both have fine careers….I live like a King.

Now Dorv, before you respond with an “ok dude” or such like you usually do when I speak to you with any depth….remember I always talked to you with respect….respect it seems you have not earned. But I hold no ill will for you, in fact, this little disclaimer was really written for any persons who (perhaps understandably) has gotten the mistaken idea that I would be unhealthy to the very person I hold the highest esteem (save wife and future son).

If people yet still strive to disparage my healthy admiration for the WORLD”S FINEST ACTRESS, well then, I just don’t give a damn about them.

January 2, 2009 at 10:01 PM

Oh Tim-1, I always thought of your 8 love as extravagant gallantry. You always seem like a Knight in the Court of 8. And believe me, in my BSG travels there is ALWAYS a Knight in the Court of 8 around.

I think Dorv has been giving you cyber-noogies, but you are always so nice to everyone, I don’t think he meant to be hurtful.

May I extend congrats to you and your wife on the upcoming birth of your son. Children are such a blessing. A loving family is such a blessing. Good for you!

Don’t go changing on us Tim-1!

January 2, 2009 at 11:29 PM

bsgfan2003

I just had to add yet another comment to thank you for your kind words. If it were to be a girl, we were going to name her “Medea Grace” after the beautifjl Grace park. Just think, She would have been the child of a beautiful woman and named after a beautiful woman….how could she have gone wrong! (LOL)! But a boy is just fine too! Thank you bsgfan, for being the sweet person you are.

February 11, 2009 at 5:44 PM

Wow, Tim-1, I just now saw the response to this… BSG has it right, its all about the cyber-noogies (Because if I were to talk about my… er… admiration.. for Anne Hathaway on one of these boards, how her combination of Grace (!), beauty, and talent…).

January 2, 2009 at 12:10 PM

*chuckle*

What Dorv said.

I think we’re discussing the definition of “kick ass” here, that’s all.

I really think Julia meant to say “Awesome” whereas I personally took it the “literally kicking ass” way.

January 2, 2009 at 1:58 AM

Perhaps some people are taking too narrow an interpretation of “kick-ass”…. Obviously, it varies person to person, but at least in this case it’s not meant to only describe people who actually kick ass. I’d think of it more as a list of “top 15 female characters who, if I had a young daughter/sister, I would want her to watch.” Liz Lemon and Pam Beesly don’t save the world a la Charlie’s Angels, but they are strong, down-to-earth, moral, and funny, which is really what we should all try to be. I mean, I would be happy with myself if I were half as awesome as Liz Lemon.

January 2, 2009 at 2:44 AM

This is delightful and I think an excellent compilation of many of television’s totally “kickass” ladies. And I agree 100% with the above commentator, about Pam and Liz Lemon being role models that I would want my own daughters to watch.

Anyway, I don’t think it matters who’s at the top or who’s at the bottom. All the characters on there deserve the recognition. And personal opinion is personal opinion, after all. :)) This list hits the spot for me!

January 2, 2009 at 12:12 PM

Liz Lemon a rolemodel? That woman is close to mental. She always makes the wrong decisions. Pam’s the absolute opposite and I would hand over my imaginary children to her in an instant but Lemon’s just crazy.

January 2, 2009 at 3:02 AM

I am all a-flail with the awesomeness of your selections! Brennan! Liz Lemon! Buffy Ann Summers! Pamela Beesly! (Who will always, I think, be my #1 hero.) Thank you for reminding us all that, in spite of Bella Swan’s truly terrifying prominence in the world, there are still some spectacularly kickass fictional ladies out there.

January 2, 2009 at 9:38 AM

Sidney Bristow!!!

January 2, 2009 at 12:35 PM

Le sigh! Once again, some editor somewhere has made an inaccurate assumption and misspelled Lorelai Gilmore. l-a-i, people, it’s LoreLAI.

I agree wholeheartedly with everything on this list, maybe with the exception of Pam Beesley, because I just don’t find her all that inspiring personally. I’m glad she’s grown a spine and done things on her own in the past few seasons, but still, she’s missing that something that makes me go YES!

And I’ll agree with Veronica Mars so long as we set up an extra parameter and call her Season One Veronica.

As for the other comments, I’ll agree that Sam Carter (SG1) needs serious recognition as a kickass TV character, as well as Sydney Bristow (Alias). But a numbered list always has to have a limit! I’m sure Julia could have gone for days and days. :D

January 2, 2009 at 2:44 PM

Coming to Julia’s defense here … she spelled it right and I edited it, with some obviously poor fact-checking … sigh … off to fix it now, thanks for pointing this out!

January 2, 2009 at 3:25 PM

Oh, I knew it wasn’t Julia! I’ve been talking Gilmore Girls with her for years. :D

January 2, 2009 at 12:42 PM

I haven’t actually read Twilight, but everything I’ve heard about it screams ugh to me…

As for the characters on your list, I fail to understand Pam’s inclusion, but yes to Buffy on all accounts. But where is Xena? (I think a few other readers have already suggested her as well)

January 2, 2009 at 3:42 PM

I love that your list consists of three-dimensional characters instead of just any women who fights on a TV show. I think much more thought was put into this list than many others I have seen.

January 2, 2009 at 5:02 PM

I love lists like yours, because there are so many truly awesome female characters out there. But I just have to say, President Laura Roslin and Sam Carter are totally missing on that list. While Buffy certainly can kick some ass, she’s a little overrated in my opinion…

January 2, 2009 at 5:17 PM

If you hadn’t been shooting to pick each woman from a different series, I’d totally say River Tam (played by Summer Glau, as folks have been suggesting) and Laura Roslin should be on there. And yeah, where IS Xena?

Irregardless, love your list! I’ve always had this secret cross-over desire to see Starbuck and Zoe fight or have some sort of other confrontation/interaction… it’d be one heck of a light show! They’re woman wrought of steel to say the least.

January 2, 2009 at 5:29 PM

What ????? Where is Laura Roslin !!!! the best presient in TV ???? :( she is awesome !!!

January 2, 2009 at 7:47 PM

Where’s Ziva David from NCIS?

She’s more kick-ass then any of them.

January 2, 2009 at 10:52 PM

Love this list but it is missing some of my favourites:
– Lisa Cuddy from House (Serisously, she is one of the only one’s who can deal with House not to mention that she has the task of running the whole hospital)
– Ziva David from NCIS (she is like the DEFINITION of kick-ass!) ;)
– Kate (or Juliet) from Lost – Both of them can hold their own on that island.

January 3, 2009 at 7:14 AM

You seriously can’t make a list with that title and not include Dana Scully. Half of these characters listed wouldn’t even exist on screen if she hadn’t opened the doors.

January 3, 2009 at 10:29 AM

How can you have that list without having Ziva David from NCIS on there? She’s strong and independent and can scare the crap out of almost any man, including gang members, and yet she manages to be sexy at the same time.

January 3, 2009 at 12:16 PM

this was a great list.i love that Robin from HIMYM is on there.i just knew she would be.shes so amazing.i cant say on Scully cause i’ve never seen her(dont watch SciFi stuff)
BUT u need Ziva David!(& maybe Lisa Cuddy)

January 3, 2009 at 12:38 PM

No Samantha Carter from Stargate?
Or Abby Scuito or Ziva David from NCIS?
Or Miss Parker from Pretender?
Or Calleigh Duquesne from CSI: Miami?

And I’ll second those that mentioned Dana Scully. She really did kick open some doors for really strong, smart female characters.

I do love that you included Kara Thrace, Zoe Washburne, and CJ Cregg. Some of my personal favorites :)

And for the record – I have ZERO interest in Twilight. (and I am a self-admitted vampire addict but I just could care less about Twilight. Bring on season 2 of True Blood though!)

January 3, 2009 at 3:47 PM

Some other kickass women who haven’t been mentioned (besides Dana Scully and Miss Parker):

Anna Forbes (This Life) – sadly, not many Americans seem to know about this great 90s show. She was IMO one of the most compelling and charismatic characters ever, not just female characters but character in general: intelligent, ambitious, funny, sarcastic, sexy, sassy, complex and vulnerable
DCI Jane Tennison (Prime Suspect)
Major Kira Nerys (Star Trek: Deep Space 9)
Captain Shane Vansen (Space: Above and Beyond)

and Battlestar Galactica has a lot of kickass women: besides Starbuck, there’s President Laura Roslin, various versions of Number Six (particularly Natalie and Caprica in earlier seasons), D’Anna, Athena, Cain (a love-to-hate and quite villainous character, but still a great and strong character), Kat etc.

January 3, 2009 at 7:39 PM

OH yeah! Thank you for mention our gun-toting, brainy, sexy, Kick-Ass Brennan!!! :D :D :D

January 4, 2009 at 12:08 AM

I must add another:

Sydney Bristow from “Alias.” While I love Brennan, Buffy, and Pam…you just canNOT leave out Sydney. She might be the kick-assest of them all!

January 4, 2009 at 12:44 PM

Nice reference to Lorelai Gilmore. Not only does she have her business together, her musical taste and reference to political and pop culture are top notch.

You did forget Nancy Botwin from Weeds…what kind of soccer mom has the balls to cell pot to keep her family afloat? She is fantastic..insane, but fantastic!

January 5, 2009 at 1:25 AM

Brennan is pretty kick ass. She’s amazing!

January 5, 2009 at 10:37 AM

I’m glad I’m not the only one who still thinks Buffy is the best!!

January 6, 2009 at 12:33 AM

You almost lost me when you started with the Twilight-bashing, which is basically a cliche at this point, but you won me back with your inclusion of Betty, Olive, and Lorelai, especially since they are not the kind of kick-ass I thought you’d focus on, especially since there’s a picture of Buffy up there. Those women are the kind that it’d be easy to forget about, especially since they don’t literally kick asses, but they are strong, well-written women who can take Bella any day. And Pam! At first I was like, eh, how long did it take her to do anything? How much ass does she really kick? But then I remembered that she’s probably (along with the rest of the peeps on The Office) one of the single most realistic characters on television, thereby making her awesomeness all the better. So yeah, I quite like this list and how you broadened the definition of kick-ass to encompass a lot of strong tv women.

January 15, 2009 at 5:43 PM

You can’t have a list of kick ass women without Sydney Bristow! Otherwise, good job :)

February 11, 2009 at 9:20 PM

Dorv….Thank you. I humbly wish to apologise again for being too cross with my statements to you on this post. Even the Yancy street gang got all over me about it. I express my opinion strongly and I should be professional when it comes to a little good-natured flak now and then. You have been (and are) a person I respect. I think Grace Park would expect a professinal attitude from her number one fan. If you were to stop razzing me, I’d think you were mad at me. As always I (and my friends) look forward to reading your posts. Forgive me.

February 11, 2009 at 9:30 PM

Also, forgive my spelling….that should be “professional”. OHHHHH!!!! I hate it when I make spelling errors!

February 11, 2009 at 9:51 PM

How embarrasing! I think I actually had that spelling right. Think I need a brandy.

February 19, 2009 at 7:17 AM

Charaters mentioned were good enough but you might include nikita from la femme nikita t.v series.she is a good example of kick-ass girl

March 22, 2009 at 8:25 AM

I was trying to explain the meaning of Kick Ass to my Japanese students ( I teach English in Japan) but those who had watched west Wing knew CJ Gregg. This is kinda how I explained it in Japanese
https://japansugoi.com/wordpress/please-explain-the-meaning-of-kick-ass/

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