Welcome back to my Fantasy Feminist lists!
Today, I will be counting down my pick of favourite geek girls in fiction. These fabulous females are smart, relatable, brilliant in their own individual ways, and are all-out fangirls in their specialised fields. She's out and proud to be a geek, no matter what anyone thinks, and she is no walking, boring cliche. There's no "She's not like other girls" and "She's one of the guys" crap here, nor do these geek girls exist as some male-gazey fetish fantasy sold as being "feminist". No - I see these women as special because they cannot easily be labelled, they are so complex. They are just fully-rounded and nerdy, their gender has nothing to do with their character.
Fake Geek Girls - there is no such thing. There never has been. And these girls from different fandoms - TV shows, comics, etc - are here to prove it, though it should have been obvious a long time ago.
As with all my lists, the rules are fictional characters only, it is my opinion, and also to keep things fresh I'll only include new characters I haven't talked about before, otherwise most of the characters from my Favourite Females list would be on here.
With that out the way, let's start programming already!
10. Bedelia ('Princeless') / Hay Lin ('W.I.T.C.H.')
I've put these two in the same slot because they are comic book characters from a similar fantasy genre aimed at young girls. And they are both bright, optimistic, proud, and adorable young fangirls.
Bedelia is a half-dwarf blacksmith and fashion designer who makes clothing similar to Wonder Woman, Xena and Red Sonja. She has many talents, which sadly are not recognised due to her boorish father taking credit for her hard work in making swords for heroes, because said heroes won't take weapons made by a woman. Bedelia accompanies the heroic princess Adrienne on her quest to rescue her imprisoned sisters, and together they fight to take down the patriarchy and its rule by heartless men with the most fragile egos. This geek girl carries a giant hammer as a weapon, and despite her sprightly outlook on life, she takes her work very seriously and is aware of the harsh obstacles thrown in her way for being female. She's also possibly queer in her relationship (including stripping her down more than once, for clothes fitting) with Adrienne.
Hay Lin from 'W.I.T.C.H.' is lovely - only twelve-years-old and a chosen air witch Guardian of the Veil between worlds, like her grandmother before her. She's a fan of science fiction, comic books, fashion and design; making her Guardian duties a dream come true for her! As well as showing positive Asian representation with her infectious, likeable traits, Hay Lin was pretty much the only character I liked in the animated TV show adaptation; with her original personality kept intact, and she goes through some real, heart wrenching developments later in the series. Light and free and obviously geeky, this Air Guardian is a sunny breeze to watch and read about.
9. Cynthia "Mac" Mackenzie ('Veronica Mars')
Mac is low on the list because unfortunately, despite clearly being one of the best characters in 'Veronica Mars', she doesn't appear much in the series, not even in season three, where her actor is credited in the opening. Plus I don't really like 'Veronica Mars' at all. Mac was the only character I consistently liked on the show. Why? Because she was so nice and, well, normal. She felt like a person I could talk to and have a chat with in school without any ulterior motives at play. Mac is intelligent and an expert on computers, but she isn't antisocial, though she is a little shy at first. She's a true friend: warm, reliable, loyal and trustworthy, as well as savvy when she needs to be. A computer and electronics geek with a weave of purple in her hair, yes, but the writing and Tina Majorino's performance make her refreshingly down to earth. In Mac's first appearance, when she finds out she was accidentally switched at birth (one of the very least contrived things to happen in the show's small setting, believe me), it is handled very well and is genuinely touching in its simplicity, no desperate audience manipulation to be garnered from it. Her sexual exploits and relationships come season three are downplayed, not made a big deal - it's just presented as normal development for her once she's in collage. Normal teenage girl character development with no slut shaming or anything that suggests she's being judged harshly by the writers? Shocking! A pity the rest of 'Veronica Mars' isn't that self-aware. Anyway, I adore Mac. She's always deserved better.
8. Edward Wong Hau Pepelu Tivrusky IV ('Cowboy Bebop')
Now here is the textbook definition of a geek, in terms of obsessiveness. Edward lives and breathes machines and computer programmes, so much so she has no social skills to speak of. One part of her brain functions above all other parts - she thinks in digits and numbers. When she talks she sounds like a sheltered child trying out words and vocabulary for the first time, which may be what she is, this mysterious young girl with an androgynous appearance from a desert planet. She never wears anything on her feet, and she even walks like a developing toddler, going fast on all fours most times - her physical body is merely a tool for her to use to get from one place to the next. Comfort for her is looking at a computer screen and challenging herself. Edward is an expert hacker and genius. She can learn anything from a computer, including games, and effortlessly beat said computer using its own rules! She is absolutely fearless, and will take any risks, common sense and probabilities be damned. She doesn't care about all that - she loves life and its progressive, mechanical wonders too much. Carefree, loud and spontaneous, Edward is a memorable relief in contrast to the rest of the sombre (and pretentious, except for Jet Black) cast in 'Cowboy Bebop'. There is no other character like her anywhere else, female or otherwise. I think the closest we get is Holtzmann from 'Ghostbusters' (2016). But Edward is one of a kind, vital for any needs of a crew.
7. Yomiko Readman ('Read or Die')
If Edward is the geek of computers, then Yomiko is the geek of books. She is the ultimate bookworm; she can even control paper, earning her the Library agent code name "The Paper". Yomiko LOVES books. She will buy them and read them anywhere, no matter her short income, and will do anything to get the book she wants, at the risk to her life. Far from being a typical nerdy anime girl with glasses, Yomiko is sweet, charming, resourceful, and an actual main lead in her show! Her adoration of books is relatable to me, and enough to make me like her, but her ability to shape paper in any way shows her creativity earned from reading, as well as her skills as a strategist. It is hinted that she may have a closer-than-friendship bond with the 'Read or Die' OVA's other female lead, Nancy Makuhari, aka "Miss Deep", who fills the anime fanservice role (or wank material, as I call it). Seriously, in Yomiko Readman the anime OVA has a normal-ish, sympathetic and modest female character who is strong and smart in her own right. But it's like the production team thought, "Oh shit, there's no boobs in our product! Adolescent boys and men won't watch it otherwise! Quick, let's add in another female character with knockers bigger than her head, and a cleavage wider than the Atlantic! Thew, the anime felt naked there for a minute!" I know Nancy is more complex and useful to the plot than that, but women like her are so common in anime it's clear what her main purpose was. But back to the star that is Yomiko. Kind, caring, and an avid reader and superhero-type that every bookworm can have fun projecting themselves onto. Her English dub voice is also adorable and suits her perfectly. A true pagemaster.
6. Washu Hakubi ('Tenchi Muyo!')
She's the greatest scientific genius and inventor in the universe. What more can I add? There's nothing really solid to say about Washu's character, since the 'Tenchi' franchise changes continuity as often as the DC Universe. But the main things to note are: She's the smart and logical one of the Harem cast, is a mad scientist for her enthusiasm and her thousands of creations and schemes, and again depending on continuity, she may be immortal, and a demon with magical powers. Yet with all this in mind, she is the most down to earth, caring and maternal of Tenchi's many female admirers. 'Tenchi' is one of those anime from my youth that I fondly remember, with its huge cast of female characters that are unique and complex; they don't exist solely for the main male lead and his development (little there is in contrast to the awesome ladies he is surrounded by). I kind of regret not including Ryoko Hakubi (Washu's daughter in most incarnations) on my Top Ten Female Jerks list, but I felt I had added in enough anime characters already. Washu, the wild pink-haired lady (who would fit perfectly in the 'Dragon Ball' universe, the more I think about it), is brilliant. Hard as nails, capable, and could rule the entire universe with her doomsday devices but chooses not to because she has the heart and common sense not to, she and Ryoko are favourites for me. Washu Hakubi is the greatest, most practical and passionate geek in the universe! But who else do I like better?
5. Kamala Khan (Ms. Marvel) (Marvel)
A geek in the Marvel universe who's an ascended fangirl. Teenager Kamala is an introvert who writes superhero fanfiction, does fan art, and is obsessed with the real heroes of her world, who help shape her values and her view of justice. She also respects her Muslim religion and heritage; she's still a geek girl, no matter what. She fulfils every comic book nerd's dream of meeting their favourite superheroes time and again on fun and dangerous missions. Kamala as the new Ms. Marvel, with powers granted to her mysteriously by Carol Danvers, now Captain Marvel, shows much needed common sense in the Marvel universe, and she never loses her way or her sight of justice, and what it means to help people. She knows what it means to be a hero - great power comes great responsibility and all - and thinks of others before herself, and what her actions could mean as a consequence for everyone else. Kamala can get understandably and appropriately happy or angry at her heroes, but she is also a hero, and she will do what must be done to fix things in the name of justice. Social justice. Clumsy, insecure, but brave and remaining true to what she's been taught about right and wrong - from her heroes and her religion - Kamala Khan is both a stand-in for superhero fans and a hero growing into her own identity; a geek at heart, just like early-days Peter Parker.
4. Barbara "Bobbi" Morse (Mockingbird) (Marvel)
A Marvel superhero nerd who is more mature and experienced than Kamala, Bobbi is an excellent biochemist, martial artist, and a geek of Marvel heroes and BDSM, among so many other things. I've talked about her at length in my review of her solo comic series from 2016, 'I Can Explain', which for horribly stupid reasons got cancelled way before its time. Check it out here for more details. Yeah I'm keeping this short, but I'll leave off by saying that when it comes to the varieties of how geeks are, what they're capable of, and how they can be portrayed, there is nothing Mockingbird hasn't covered. A genius at nearly everything, she is pure badass.
3. Doctor K ('Power Rangers: RPM')
One of the most complex characters to appear in any 'Power Rangers' season. Doctor K is the young mentor of the Rangers. Her backstory is she was a child prodigy taken by seedy government agents to mould her into their own scientist and inventor puppet. The underground project, Alphabet Soup, as well as taking her childhood away from her under the guise of a happy family keeping her safe from the sun, conditioned her to the point where she cannot remember her name anymore. I won't reveal anything else due to spoilers, but her origin episode is one of the most well-written and heartbreaking things that 'Power Rangers' has ever done. Indeed 'RPM' is widely regarded as a "dark" series, set in a post-apocalyptic earth run by machines (hello, 'Terminator'). My boyfriend introduced me to it - long after I'd stopped watching anything Ranger-related as a kid - and the writing and acting is superior to some of what I remember the shows to be like. Doctor K herself exemplifies this. She is genuinely a brilliant scientist and inventor - learning to do things on her own terms and gradually undoing the brainwashing from the secret, sheltered, lonely upbringing in Alphabet Soup. At first she's blunt, deliberately antisocial and standoffish, for understandable reasons, but very slowly but surely she warms up to the Power Rangers whose well being she is responsible for. And with her sweet tooth and fluffy rabbit slippers for bedtime, she is a kid deep down in her repressed heart. A clever social commentary for child abuse and for expecting far too much from genius prodigies, Doctor K is highly interesting and even a bit cute as her own person, with her individual brand of snark. (Another thing she's good at? The violin). She is vastly competent and will do anything to save lives and the whole world - an admirable heroic nerd not to be overlooked, regardless of the show she came from.
2. Connie Maheswaran ('Steven Universe')
The most modern geek girl of the bunch, and a must for any of these kinds of lists. Connie is the human best friend of the titular character, who grounds him to normal human life in contrast to the fantasy and bizarre elements of Steven's upbringing. At least, that's what her function is at first. Connie, an Indian girl who starts out as an incredibly shy, sensitive and friendless preteen, reveals where her passions lie in future episodes. She loves movies and books, and like a real blogger on the internet, she expresses how she feels about them to anyone who'll listen. She also talks about the film adaptations of what she holds dear. She may be shy in the outside world, but when it comes to fandom and social media, she makes sure her voice is heard. She plays computer games, and becomes a swordswoman later on in the series - she lives out every feminist fangirl's dream. She doesn't have magical powers of her own, but she learns her way around that, by fighting, and getting involved in Steven's life as much as possible, because she cares deeply for her first real friend. Connie Maheswaran is a testament to the human spirit, and because of how relatable she is in this nostalgia-fuelled day and age, she may be my favourite character on the show. Hmm, I think maybe I should start watching more of 'Steven Universe' again.
And my number 1 favourite geek girl is...
1. Lisa Simpson ('The Simpsons')
To me, Lisa Simpson is the quintessential geek girl. She is the first one I grew up watching, and her impact still holds up to this day. She has always been a geek, a feminist, a social justice warrior, and a passionate fangirl, way back before those things had names. This permanent eight-year-old has had many skills and ambitions in 'The Simpsons''s twenty-five-plus years run: A jazz musician, a vegetarian, a Buddhist, an activist, a dancer, a singer, a writer, a linguist, a TV guest, an anchor and host, a collage student, a clown, an archaeologist, an astronomer, I could go on and on. Barbie and Bobbi Morse are in awe of this genius little girl who lives in a world where intelligence is ignored and shoved aside. Lisa has also had depression, social anxiety, and anorexia. My favourite 'The Simpsons' episode of all time is 'Lisa's Substitute', where the lonely, special outcast girl is given a gift which shows her all she will ever need to know in her life: That gift is a note reminding her that, "You are Lisa Simpson". She can do anything she puts her mind to. Sure, in recent years she especially became what many of the show's detractors - reasonably thinking that it has gone on too long - call an insufferable, liberal know-it-all. True, she is a creator's pet and shows a smug superiority complex at times and isn't always likeable. But 'The Simpsons' is self-aware enough to acknowledge this and put spins on it. Lisa Simpson continues to represent that it is important, as well as cool, to be smart. In one future she's even the President of the United States. Yeah, today that holds no serious meaning and is no guarantee of qualification and expertise, but at the time of that episode's airing - seeing Lisa as the first female President - it was a big frikking deal. Now more than ever we need nerdy Lisa's words of wisdom; for her bravery in fighting for peace, justice and equality, to make the world a better place for everyone. In all her versatility and knowing right from wrong, she still loves violent cartoons, dolls, ponies, unicorns and other fantasy creatures. Lisa is a member of many fandoms, and for any girl desperate to see herself on television in a positive and complex light, it is a worthwhile miracle. I wonder if her sister Maggie will end up being even more brilliant than she is.
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