10. Princess/General Leia Organa & Rey (Star Wars)
I know I'm technically cheating here, but these two amazing and capable women from the same franchise deserve to share the same spot together. Leia isn't just a princess and damsel in distress; she's a rebel leader - and later, rightfully titled a General of the Rebel Alliance. For her time, in her first appearance in the seventies, Leia was assertive, bossy, and she talked back fearlessly to her captors - and was proud to do it. Naturally, as a teenage girl back then, she wasn't immune to the roguish, ruggish and slightly chauvinistic charms of Han Solo. But it didn't detract from her leadership skills. Leia is also a survivor of an obliterated home planet, Alderaan, as well. And she kissed her brother, before she knew he was her brother - she's practically a precursor to the female characters in Game of Thrones! In the Star Wars sequels, her skills are more vital, and are just as strong, as they ever were before, amidst further tragedy in her life. Her family is seriously messed up (the men really need to get their shit together). Carrie Fisher has always been absolutely wonderful in her most famous role, and her untimely death in 2016 will never cease to shock and devastate me.
Then there's Rey, the protag of the sequels, whom I fell in love with the moment I first saw her in The Force Awakens. A loner and scavenger-turned-mechanic-turned-pilot-turned-badass heroine of the galaxy, she's the epitome of the traditional Hero's Journey. Mary Sue, my arse. Her arc is no different than Luke's - in fact it might be more complex and tragic. Rey is young and cynical (her denial-and-delusions-as-defence-mechanism concerning her parents notwithstanding), but possesses a good heart and will strive to do the right thing, no matter what. She struggles as she learns the ways of the Jedi - as she is the last living Jedi. She's kind of sweet, too, and friendlier than she'd initially thought. She doesn't always get along with people - just like a real, growing person. I had also liked Rey for being a hero who came from nowhere and was once considered lower than dirt in society, but will prove everyone wrong, and that she is powerful by her own merits and abilities; never mind where she came from. Yes, this is undone in The Rise of Skywalker, and I am a little miffed by that, even though I understand why they did it. But Rey still manages to be a badass heroine (Reylo, what's that?), and her own brave and kindhearted person. A Jedi. The last Jedi, who is a woman. Daisy Ridley is a gem as well, a lucky young actress just getting started.
Rey learns from Leia, and there is respect between the two galactic rebel women. A legacy to carry on - a bit like how Ridley will carry on Fisher's legacy (and Hamill's). How meta. And a pinnacle of female bonding, and of passing the torch of female leadership and heroism. Don't women seem to be smarter, in better control, and one with the Force more intrinsically as well?
How far - and how bright and shining like the stars - Star Wars has come. It's not just for boys anymore.
Read Heroines of Legend: Fictional Universes - 15: Rey (Star Wars) (even though it is a little dated now).
9. Ryoko Hakubi (Tenchi Muyo!)
A rollicking, hilarious, hyperactive, bad tempered, rude, selfish, impulsive, violent, and prideful alien space demon, fighter, and pilot - Ryoko is the self-proclaimed best space pirate in the universe. There are different versions of her in each of the Tenchi series', and her backstory changes a lot, like the DC universe resetting itself every decade. But what doesn't change about Ryoko is her energy, her fearlessness, her boundless charisma, her total disregard for others' feelings and for consequences, the fact that you wouldn't want to meet her in real life, and her hopeless love for Tenchi. We wouldn't want her any other way. There aren't many female characters, not only in anime, who are allowed to be anything like Ryoko - who in theory should be unlikable (not a bad trait in a female character either!), but is such fun to watch. Who is allowed to have fun with her obvious flaws, while still being awesome and heroic. Who is funny and entertaining. That is Ryoko Hakubi (last name given in the original OVA, after Washu Hakubi, who is her creator/mother in the OVA. Washu is the thousands-of-years-old greatest scientist in the universe. Good old anime). Ryoko - one of the first woman anime characters I saw and was fascinated by as a kid. The other women in the Tenchi series' are great in their own individual way, as well. But I feel that Ryoko deserves a special mention on this list (I've yet to talk about her in this much detail, there's that, too). She is also an alcoholic, and technically a goddess (she has the powers to prove it in some Tenchi shows, where she possesses an energy sword to boot). She doesn't exactly cross the line into sociopathy in any of the anime I've seen her in, or in any of the manga I've read her in. She's just Ryoko, female Super Saiyan supreme, who can be vulnerable to top it all off.
From a Favourite Anime list I did a few years back: Technically [Tenchi Muyo! is] an OVA and not a series, but 'Tenchi Muyo!' did start off the fairly-beloved nostalgic franchise, and on viewing it again since childhood, I find more merit, heart and charm to it than in the subsequent anime series's (though some of those are also enjoyable). 'Tenchi' was the first anime I had seen, first aired on the legendary Toonami channel, that made me realize that anime is not just kids' stuff. I was captivated by the variety of female characters, the mythology, and the complex relationships everybody has with each other [...] 'Tenchi', as one of the first harem anime of the nineties, could arguably be considered the best of the genre (not that there is much in the way of competition). But the whole ever-changing franchise is not just a harem, or a silly slapstick romp. It's a space opera, a fantasy, an action show, a power-up shonen action show, a drama, a smart comedy, a buddy comedy, an over-the-top and ambitious sci-fi anime (a known winning combination), a shoujo romance parody, and a number of other genres, I'm sure. There's no containing 'Tenchi'; there are no limits to which it sets itself, with no idea too big, too outrageous, or too ridiculous, and that is awesome. That is anime [...] I was genuinely surprised by how funny 'Tenchi Muyo!' is, being both cleverly mature and immature simultaneously. It is next to impossible for me to pick a favourite character - the ruthless, arrogant and sublimely confident space pirate Ryoko; the snobby yet sweet and kind and equally-ruthless princess Ayeka; the cute, warmhearted child cook and housekeeper, princess Sasami; the teen-sized 20,000-year-old mad scientist who knows even less about the concept of boundaries than Ryoko (and is even more ego-maniacal, as the greatest genius in the universe), Washu; the blonde ditzy galaxy police detective (who is best when bouncing off of her long-suffering straight man partner, Kiyone, who is perhaps the closest to being my number one favourite character, from 'Tenchi Universe'), Mihoshi; and hell, Ryo-oh-ki the cat-rabbit spaceship could be included in Tenchi's harem as well, and no matter what form she's in, she's irresistibly adorable. So, 'Tenchi Muyo!' - an inclusion on this list for almost purely nostalgic reasons, but will always hold a special place in my heart.
Next is my review of a Tenchi Muyo! manga, for a little more info.
8. Night and Day (Sulwe)
The beautiful black lady embodiments of Night and Day themselves. Sulwe is a gorgeous children's picture book, written by Lupita Nyong'o and illustrated to celestial and delightful perfection by Vashti Harrison, about the issue of colorism. It stars (pun unintended) a little black girl, Sulwe, who, because of bullying by cruel peers at school, wishes she were lighter skinned. One night, a shooting star visits her and takes her on a journey through space and time, to tell her a story about Night and Day. Night and Day are sisters and goddesses, from the beginning of time. When Night, despondent, goes away because no one likes and appreciates her for her darkness and essential nighttime, the more beloved and perceived-beautiful Day, missing her sister, looks for her. The two sisters come to love and understand each other further than they did before (hello, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic!). They miss each other, and people miss Night; they will come to love and understand her - and see her beauty, though there will be those who choose not to, and that's their loss.
'Day told her sister, "When you are darkest is when you are most beautiful. It's when you are most you."
Could it be that Night did not need to change, not even a little, not even at all?"
Day and Night are both bright, and strong, and they both shine. They need each other, they love each other very much, and are inseparable.
Black sisterhood and bonding on a universal scale - yes please!
Be your own beautiful self!
Read my review of Sulwe here, for more.
Speaking of diverse and progressive picture books in the sci-fi genre, a couple of honourable mentions are Deborah Underwood's Interstellar Cinderella and Reading Beauty.
7. Madoka Kaname (Puella Magi Madoka Magica)
She's a Magical Girl-turned-literal-goddess. She is hope itself. She is possibly the most selfless character ever created in fiction. She is a great, brave, creative, deeply caring, gentle, vulnerable, ordinary, and boldly and passionately determined young girl. I may have revealed spoilery detail here about Madoka Magica, in case there are people left who haven't seen this nearly-ten-year-old anime yet (and if not, why not!? and wow I feel old). But I feel I need to clarify why I included Madoka on this list of space girls. Yeah, this girl, a Magical Girl yet not, is Godoka. Yet not. This franchise has gotten weird. Weirder, I mean. Well, whatever, Madoka has been to space, at any rate. No spoilers (eh? WHAT?).
But for further info on Madoka that is spoilery, read Heroines of Legend: Fictional Universes - 10: Madoka Kaname (Puella Magi Madoka Magica). Madoka Kaname - the symbol of hope and tragedy in the cosmos, in the body of a fourteen-year-old girl. She is transcendent.
6. Meg Murray (A Wrinkle in Time)
Specifically, this concerns Margaret "Meg" Murray from the 2018 film adaptation of the classic children's science fiction and fantasy book. In the book she is a fairly ordinary and unremarkable girl who is good at maths, but doesn't come close to reaching the genius levels of the rest of her family; including her brother Charles Wallace, the creepy forty-five-year-old college professor in a four-year-old's body. The story is about her gaining confidence as she saves the male members of her family from an evil entity in the universe, but she rarely displays agency of her own, and she is still pushed around and through the narrative by the male characters, whom her life revolves around. The men and boys don't respect Meg, and they think they know better than she does - and they do. She has every right to be angry, upset, and whiny (she is a child, after all). Any unfortunate implications and sexism problems in the book are fixed in the film: Meg is a black/biracial girl who is closed off, friendless, and who gets into trouble at school for any thing; no sympathy is given to her for her missing father. In fact she is mocked and chided for it. Long story short: Meg slowly but surely gains confidence, self-esteem, and power within herself she never knew she possessed. It is simply the power of love, for herself and her family and friends. It is amazingly not cheesy and anticlimactic, unlike in the book, as she travels the universe to find her scientist father. With the help of the three goddess-like beings, Mrs. Whatsit, Mrs. Who, and Mrs. Which. It is Meg's coming of age journey - it is her story, and no one is taking that away from her. This black girl will save the universe through her intelligence, love, positivity, and self confidence; as herself. No violence to defeat the bad guy. Not that is empowerment. That is progress. Meg Murray - how ironic that the latest Disney version of her would be the heroine we all need right now. Highly underrated and underappreciated. Note: Both versions of her character are bespectacled.
5. Rosalina (Super Mario, Nintendo)
I love her. I don't exactly know why - she looks like a retooled Princess Peach in turquoise blue, for a start. But I guess it's her aura, her mysteriousness, her calmness, her reserve, her caring heart, and her tragic backstory as is explained in her reading her Lumas a bedtime story in Super Mario Galaxy. According to Wikipedia: In a backstory which is unlocked gradually as the game progresses, it is explained that Rosalina tells the story of how she was a young girl who went off in a spaceship in order to help a lost Luma find its parents, hiding the fact that she herself had lost her own mother. As Rosalina starts to feel lonely, numerous other Lumas soon come to join her, and she comes to know about their purpose in life to eventually transform into other things. Rosalina decides to build a house for her new family, which soon became the Comet Observatory. Rosalina is basically a space fairy, with a personality like Elsa from Frozen, only more regal, refined and confident. And she's possibly hundreds of years old. This lady, this celestial beauty, is the adoptive mother of Lumas, a captain of her own spaceship, and the watcher of the cosmos in the Super Mario universe. She became popular quickly for a reason - she has appeared in over twenty games so far, including Super Smash Bros. Ultimate (where she's my favourite playable character!) Rosalina is truly a breakout star! Not a damsel in distress like Peach and Daisy - she's a mentor! A princess of the cosmos who made Super Mario Galaxy as different, engaging, and even tearful and bittersweet as it is. If that wasn't enough, she reminds me a little of Sailor Moon characters. I own a plushie, an amiibo, and a T-shirt of Rosalina. Good, starlight and moonlight stuff!
4. She-Ra (Adora) (She-Ra: Princess of Power, & She-Ra and the Princesses of Power)
Why not both versions of She-Ra receive her due. The original Adora from the eighties cartoon is strong in a great many ways; she's brave, massively capable, mature, kind, caring, thoughtful, and a heroine - nay, the most powerful woman in the universe - for a reason.
But if she's too perfect and Mary Sue-ish for you, then there's her reboot counterpart in She-Ra and the Princesses of Power from 2018. Adora is a flawed and uncertain teenager who tries her best and doesn't always succeed. She struggles to live up to people's expectations of her (she doesn't have a secret identity; a big improvement over the original), and her difficulty in using her healing power reflects her inner turmoil and needing to heal herself before she heals others. Her mistakes are her greatest teacher (as well as Madame Raz). Adora rightfully questions her destiny at every turn. Whichever path and discovery she encounters, she is not alone: there is her adorable Best Friends Squad with Glimmer and Bow, and her fellow Princesses of Power on Etheria. Adora/She-Ra shares in her power, and honours friendship and family above everything else. Also awesome is the queerness that leaps from the cartoon - there's colourful, bright and bold representation to rival Steven Universe. I mean, there is same-sex flirting (no one is straight, let's be real), girls are said to be dating, a couple of same-sex couples are clearly married, and there is nonbinary rep! Adora and Catra's complex relationship further exemplifies the LBGTQ dreamscape. Will it become a friends-sisters-to-enemies-to-lovers story? Or is Catra too far gone? We'll find out soon, hopefully!
Well, both versions of She-Ra are high-flying magical young space women who are altruistic to the core and the heart. They could be as popular as Wonder Woman!
Read Heroines of Legend: Fictional Universes - 35: Adora (She-Ra: Princess of Power),
and this and this for my previous Princesses of Power gushing.
3. Captain Marvel (Carol Danvers) (Marvel)
I've said everything there needs to be said about Captain Marvel, my favourite Marvel superheroine, already; in this month alone, in fact. Just read my Captain Marvel entry (number 4) here on my Favourite Female Superheroes list. She's earned her place to be on more than one favourites list, believe me.
2. Sailor Soldiers/Guardians (Sailor Moon)
Same here. One of my favourite animes, that contains my favourite anime superheroines. Who happen to be planetary space girls/reincarnated galactic princesses of the Solar System, fighting the evil forces of the universe in sailor suits. Sailor Moon is my favourite out of all of them, as everyone knows, but they are all great, complex characters with unique personalities.
Sailor Moon (Usagi Tsukino), Sailor Mercury (Ami Mizuno), Sailor Mars (Rei Hino), Sailor Jupiter (Makoto Kino), Sailor Venus (Minako Aino), Sailor Chibi Moon (Small Lady Princess Usagi/Chibi-Usa)), Sailor Pluto (Setsuna Meioh), Sailor Uranus (Haruko Tenou), Sailor Neptune (Michiru Kaiou) (the latter two are overt lesbian lovers!), Sailor Saturn (Hotaru Tomoe) - and all the Sailor Senshi from the fifth and final arc of the Sailor Moon manga and anime. You girls have the power - you save the universe! You are my anime idols from childhood.
Again, read Favourite Female Superheroes list, at number 3, as well as my Sailor Moon manga reviews.
I am aware, also, that for a list where I try to be as diverse as I can, the last four entries near the end have featured white, blonde and blue-eyed women. Oh dear, I shall fix that, for:
My number one favourite Space Girl(s) is... bet you will never guess...
1. The Sunbeam Crew (On a Sunbeam)
Human words - heck, any language consisting of the written and spoken word - cannot begin to describe or do justice how absolutely fabulous this all female and LBGTQA spaceship crew is. The comic itself by Tillie Walden is revolutionary. It is how science fiction should be written, in my eyes. It is progressive and unconventional in practically every way. Where do I begin? There are no male characters in sight, only a few people look to be Caucasian, and a crewmember is nonbinary. Mia Sagong (the protagonist on a coming of age journey across time and space), Grace Hill, Elliot Reed (the nonbinary character), Charlotte, Jules Martinez, and Alma Martinez (the latter two women are married to each other) - these make up the space crew of the Sunbeam. They consist of young adults and plain adults. Their job? They're space architects and archaeologists. They clean up and rebuild other people's messes. And homes, even for those who aren't around anymore. There is so much to explore with this concept, and On a Sunbeam delivers on an astronomical level - with POC and LBGTQA content, totally and masterfully effortless. THIS is the future, my friends. And the future of science fiction. Nonviolent means to solve problems, talking, getting to know one another, becoming friends, and then a family - all modern feminist values and ethics are represented by the beautiful, complex, complicated, messy, but loving Sunbeam crew. The graphic novel is so human and thrilling it hurts, in a good way.
Read my original review of On a Sunbeam here. I describe further how transcendent, enthralling, majestic, warm, stunning, sublime, soulful, life affirming and life changing it is. It needs more attention. It deserves praise in mainstream science fiction.
Phew! That's it, then. I hope that people will learn something from the list. Good day and night to you, my lovely blog readers!
Special note: Funny thing, I watched the recent episode of Doctor Who whilst making this list, and I think it's worth mentioning that there is the potential for even greater diversity rep for the Doctor. It's on the starry and timeless horizon. Major steps forward, rather than backwards, are happening - further than I gave the show credit for before. I'll see if I don't end up eating my own words here, soon.
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