Best Fantasy Heroines

Welcome, Fantasy Nerds! In honor of Women’s History Month, we have decided to make all our posts and stories this month about strong women! Check out the first story in this series, The Spell Merchant. This week we are covering a topic that is very dear to us…Best Fantasy Heroines! We have both grown up with books and been inspired by the strong, smart, and brave women that we’ve read about. We decided to share some of our favorites here, along with the qualities that make them legendary heroines.

Hermione Granger – Harry Potter

Books! And cleverness! There are more important things — friendship and bravery.” 

The thing I love most about Hermoine is that she is smart, and she knows it. She doesn’t try to dumb herself down for men. She is a proud know-it-all, and tells it like it is. She is also fiercely protective of her friends, and it’s in these moments that Hermoine truly shines. Throughout the series, we watch her grow into a brave woman who faces evil to do what’s right. Reading these books during my childhood, I identified as a book nerd. Hermoine’s journey taught me that there is more to life, and smart women can also be brave and strong. 

Éowyn – The Lord of the Rings

But no living man am I! You are looking upon a woman. Éowyn am I,Éomund’s daughter. You stand between me and my lord and kin. Begone, if you be not deathless! For living or dark undead, I will smite you, if you touch him.”

A shieldmaiden of Rohan, quick to take up arms against evil, and ultimately defeated the Witch King of Angmar. Tolkien’s stories often portray intertwined fate, and Éowyn’s was no different. If not for Merry wielding the Westernese dagger he used to stab the Witch King in the leg, undoing the power that made him invincible and anchored to Middle Earth, Éowyn would not have been able to deal the final blow. On the other hand without Éowyn, the dagger would not have been enough. She seized that moment, despite her fear, and saved countless lives in doing so. She is a beacon of bravery, independence, and a desire to carve out your own path.

Feyre Archeron – A Court of Thorns and Roses

I was not a pet, not a doll, not an animal. I was a survivor, and I was strong. I would not be weak, or helpless again. I would not, could not be broken. Tamed.”

From the moment we meet Feyre, we know she is a strong woman who takes care of her family. She steps up when no one else will to literally feed her sisters. And she never stops fighting for those she loves throughout the entire ACOTAR series. Feyre loves deeply, but will not tolerate abuse from anyone. I think it’s important to see a female character who stands up to mistreatment, of herself or others. 

Nina Zenik – Six of Crows

That’s it, isn’t it? You don’t want to like a Grisha. You’re scared that if you laugh at my jokes or answer my questions, you might start thinking I’m human. Would that be so terrible?”

Nina is a talented Heartrender who is feared by many, but the quality that stood out to me was her ability to have empathy and teach it to others. She turned someone around who was raised to hate her kind, and taught him to move past his prejudice and stand up for what is right. This is a quality that I would love to see more of in today’s heroines. 

Sansa Stark – Game of Thrones

My skin has turned to porcelain, to ivory, to steel.”

I don’t think anyone was a fan of Sansa Stark in the beginning, but this made her transformation even more remarkable. Sansa experienced so much trauma, but she only grew stronger because of it. Sansa was cunning and flew under the radar when she needed to survive, but was determined to get her revenge on those who wronged her and her family. In the end, she saved Jon and Winterfell, and eventually became the Queen of the North.

Kaye FIerch – Tithe: A Modern Faerie Tale

You can break a thing, but you cannot always guide it afterward into the shape you want.”

Kaye may dip her toes in the darkness, but she risks her life countless times to save those she loves. She is clever, caring, fiercely independent, and seemingly fearless. Kaye sees the good in others, and tries to draw it out of them so they believe it themselves. She fights for love, and for the freedom of an entire realm. I think it’s important to see a heroine who may be flawed, but never gives up on herself or others.

What Do You Think?

There are so many great fantasy heroines, that we had a hard time narrowing it down! Who do you think should be on this list? What are the qualities that make this heroine legendary? Let us know in the comments! If you feel like it, you can also buy us a coffee. We promise to share!

Be sure to check out the next post in this series, WTF’s empowering poem Phoenix! You can also follow this blog or our Instagram to get updates on our posts.

Thanks so much for reading!

-Clever & WTF