Obligatory mention of Ellen Ripley from the Alien series.

Eowyn is a really admirable character as well.

Ohhh yeahh! I forgot about Ellen Ripley! She is pretty legit too!

RCF

Obligatory second mention of Ellen Ripley, because I was going to say it, too.

I mean, Ridley Scott's coming out with Prometheus in a few weeks. How can I not think about her?

Anyway, here's a quote from a topic I made a while ago.

This is a fairly open question that I'm sure everyone here has their views on, and everyone has different things that they look for.

 

If I may first start out with main characters, I like it when a character can be distinctively female without it defining them, much like how a male lead character can be a lead without you having to think "Oh, he's male". There are many works of fiction with male lead characters that many people relate to and admire, even female viewers, and I like it when I as a male find myself relating to a female character in spite of the gender barrier. When a female character can be everything a male character can be without being conspicuous (and without losing her femininity, obviously), that to me is a great achievement.

 

So some examples of certain favorites of mine:

 

Dorothy Gale: I'm referring to generally all her incarnations. I've both read the book and seen the movie, and seen a few hosh-posh sequels and a few ooh-aah sequels. Then I've read an awesome web-comic that's put a sci-fi twist on all of it. In all cases, she's a pretty spiffy person who, in spite of being rather cheesy, came before the modern push to make every character completely new. Therefore, I can admire her for the simple, likable, nice person she is, with simple and easily accessible dreams shared by almost everyone.

 

Alice: From Alice and Wonderland. Of course, it's hard to get past the bias that it's a literary classic that thousands of authors have put their own creative twist on (it was kind of set up that way), but if you get past all the Wonderland stuff, if she's written well she's the quintessential example of a character who proactively works against extraordinary circumstances that would render most characters passive.

 

Wendy Darling: While on the subject of girls who travel to far off fantasy lands, I might as well complete the triad. Whether or not she's the main character is questionable, as often times she's overshadowed by the titular character Peter Pan. However, if one does choose to consider her as the main character and interpret the story from her point of view, she is an awesome older sister and a perfect contrast for Peter Pan. The relationship between them can at times be intensely interesting and curious. Though not the most robust, she is the most complex and developed character in what is the ultimate coming-of-age story.

 

Matilda: From the movie of the same name. That is one of the most awesome children's movies ever. And it was awesome seeing a child who was that smart, because I was very similar at that age.

 

Lucy and Susan:The two girls in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.

 

Ellen Ripley: I thought that the directors were doing a pretty good job of portraying her until the third movie onward (although I didn't mind when they shaved her head). Entertainment Weekly said that not only was she not just some model, but neither was she "defined by the men around her".

 

Josephine March: Louisa May Alcott's true, sincere portrait of herself is filled with such genuine heart that she's as real as the person she represents. I must applaud her. Jo is a beautiful person.

 

Your Honor,

Emperor Kraggh

Based off of what you said, I'll agree with Eowyn, though I really sort of digress with the other characters. Black Widow was cool, though. I just had trouble thinking of her as something other than the action girl.

Your Honor,

Emperor Kraggh

As a Neil Gaiman fan, it would be wrong of me not to mention Helena from Mirrormask and, of course, the eponymous Coraline. In terms of more recent stuff, Katniss was portrayed well in The Hunger Games.