What does it mean to be a "strong female character?" The phrase is often applied to Wonder Woman or Game of Thrones' Arya Stark. But if you ask us, the idea of strength has nothing to do with sheer physicality or the ability to wield a sword. As these Netflix shows demonstrate, strong female characters are present in all walks of life and all roles.
Take the Netflix series Unbelievable, which is based on a distressing true story. Toni Collette and Merritt Wever play two steely investigators who devote countless days and nights to tracking down a serial rapist. In the same show, Kaitlyn Dever demonstrates resilience portraying a survivor of sexual assault. Even when she's feeling broken, she keeps going.
We look to TV shows for escape—and for examples. Maybe you derive strength from seeing Beth Harmon (Anya Taylor-Joy) defeating chess foes, all while battling deep grief and feelings of abandonment, in The Queen's Gambit. Or perhaps you admire Regina King's character in Seven Seconds, who fights for justice after the unthinkable happens to her son. You might even admire Claire Underwood's (Robin Wright) boldness, even as you cringe at some of her more immoral actions, in House of Cards.
However you define "strong female character," you'll find badass women in these Netflix shows across genres, including thrillers, comedies, and yes—our favorite royal drama.
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1
The Queen's Gambit
Anya Taylor-Joy's character in The Queen's Gambit is so compelling you'll wish she were a real person. Beth Harmon discovers her aptitude for chess while living in an orphanage. Her unbelievable mind brings her incredible opportunity, but wherever she goes, whether it's a tournament in Moscow or Kentucky, her problems follow her. The Queen's Gambit is a unique coming-of-age story.
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2
Seven Seconds
Directly tackling race relations in America, Seven Seconds finds Latrice Butler (Regina King) seeking justice after her 15-year-old son dies in a hit-and-run accident that the police department tries to cover up. While the crime show was cancelled after just one season, King earned an Emmy nomination for her heartbreaking performance.
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3
Firefly Lane
In Firefly Lane, two women derive strength from their decades-long friendship. Tully (Katherine Heigl) and Kate (Sarah Chalke) meet as teenagers in 1974 and remain constants in each others' lives, through college and careers in broadcast news. As opposite as two friends could be, they cheer each other on and push each other to new heights.
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4
Unbelievable
Inspired by a true story, Merritt Wever and Toni Colette portray detectives Grace Rasmussen and Karen Duvall, two badasses that eventually connect the dots found in various rape cases to figure out the attacker's identity. In addition to Wever and Colette, Kaitlyn Dever fearlessly plays a young survivor of sexual assault named Marie, who no one believes after she comes forward.
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5
Dear White People
Based on Justin Simien’s celebrated film of the same name, the series follows Samantha White (Logan Browning) at her predominantly white Ivy League college. Each season, Sam's character grapples with frequent cyberbullying as the host of Dear White People, a politically-charged radio show that covers Black identity in response to racism on campus.
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6
The Politician
Ryan Murphy's first production for Netflix equally shines the spotlight on Hollywood icons (hello, Gwyneth Platrow and Bette Midler) and newcomers (for eye candy, look no further than David Corenswet). But no one kept us on the edge of our seat as much as Jessica Lange's Dusty Jackson. The show follows Payton Hobart (Ben Platt), a neurotic teen obsessed with becoming president of the U.S., however, it's Lange's portrayal of an overbearing grandmother—one who poisons her own blood relatives á la The Act—that made us binge this series in one weekend.
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7
The Crown
Sorry, Claire Foy fans: The Emmy-winning actress will no longer return to the period drama as Her Majesty. Filling in her shoes is The Favourite's Olivia Colman, who for season 3 of The Crown rounds out a cast that also includes Helena Bonham Carter and Ben Daniels. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Colman joked about feeling nervous as Foy's replacement. "Everyone loves Claire Foy ... So I have got the worst job in the world at the moment." The new season premieres November 17.
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8
Rhythm + Flow
Folks at Netflix headquarters decided to cast Cardi B as one of three judges in its first foray into the reality music competition show world—and for good reason. As she and T.I. and Chance the Rapper meet fresh talent from across the country, she delivers laugh-out-loud one-liners that'll make you glad to have stayed home.
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9
What/If
2019 has once again thrust Chicago and Bridget Jones's Diary star Renée Zellweger into headlines—and not only because of her lauded performance in Judy, the Judy Garland biopic. In Netflix's What/If, she portrays Anne Montgomery, a ruthless venture capitalist who will do just about anything (a.k.a. try to steal your husband) to win at her business deals. You'll love to hate and hate to love her.
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10
One Day at a Time
Unlike Norman Lear’s wholesome '70s sitcom, this reboot stars a Latina-lead cast that includes Oscar-winner Rita Moreno as abuelita Lydia and Justina Machado as Penelope Alvarez, a working-class mother of two raising her Cuban-American family in Los Angeles with the help of her mom. With humor, the show manages to address immigration issues, racism, and mental illness.
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11
Maniac
Golden Globe winner Emma Stone makes her Netflix debut as Annie Landsberg alongside Jonah Hill's Owen Milgrim in Maniac. The new dramedy finds Annie and Owen placing trust in Dr. James Mantleray—played by Justin Theroux—a sinister scientist offering drugs in exchange for mental clarity.
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12
Godless
Screenwriter Scott Frank studied western novels like Deadwood and The Virginian to accurately depict 1880s New Mexico in Godless, a Wild West drama in which women call the shots (literally). Michelle Dockery’s Alice Fletcher, a widow, is merciless when it’s time to protect her all-female village from outlaws seeking revenge.
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13
Alias Grace
Similar to The Handmaid’s Tale does, Alias Grace is a Margaret Atwood adaptation about servitude. This time, the story is told through the eyes of Grace Marks (Sarah Gadon), a maid who was convicted of murder for allegedly killing her boss and his pregnant housekeeper in 19th century. After a decade of imprisonment, Marks meets with a psychologist in an effort to find out if she's innocent.
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14
Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt
Tina Fey is the co-creator of this beloved comedy, one with a resounding message sprinkled throughout its theme song: “females are strong as hell!” With Jane Krakowski and Titus Burgess as strong supporting castmates, Ellie Kemper stars as Kimmy, a woman who manages to escape captivity then navigate the modern world after 15 years spent in an end-of-times bunker. The fourth and final season will air in 2019, and a movie is reportedly in the works.
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16
She's Gotta Have It
If Nola Darling wants one thing, it’s fun. Based on Spike Lee’s breakout 1986 comedy, DeWanda Wise takes on the role of Nola, a “sex-positive, polyamorous pansexual” that dates distinct men while she hones in on what makes her happy, ultimately coming to the realization that she’s not a freak nor a sex addict.
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17
Orange Is the New Black
Based on Piper Kerman’s memoir, this Emmy-winning series pulls back the curtain on life at a women’s prison, where racial tension runs high and what inmates do to seek revenge is usually low. Taylor Schilling leads a brilliantly diverse cast of peers like Taryn Manning, Uzo Aduba, Danielle Brooks, Laverne Cox, and Dascha Polanco.
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18
House of Cards
Eventually rising to President of the United States, Robin Wright portrays Claire Underwood, the wife of a ruthless, lying politician (Kevin Spacey) that weasels his way into the White House and ultimately resigns from his role. Spacey was fired from the series following allegations of sexual harassment, and the sixth and final season painted the necessary portrait of a female Commander-in-Chief.
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19
Marvel's Jessica Jones
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20
The Good Place
What comes after death? The Good Place answers the question as Kristen Bell’s Eleanor Shellstrop finds herself in a heavenly afterlife despite her not-so-virtuous time on Earth.
