7 Strongest Female Characters In Popular Culture

Who ever said that men rule the Hollywood definitely got his facts wrong. There might be some amount of gender inequality regarding money and fame in the industry but that in no way means a shortage of good and strong role for women.

The belief that women are incapable of handling and taking a plot forward is an absolute myth, and all of us know exactly why. From Hermoine to Wonder Woman we have seen some strong and powerful female characters that are in no way less valuable than their male counterparts.

A recent survey by a reputed Hollywood magazine was held in the entire film fraternity and a place in the top 7 strongest female characters of all time was up for stakes. After acquiring the opinions of prominent filmmakers, actors and avid movie-watchers, we finally have our list. Take a look at the seven strongest female characters in popular culture.

#1. Hermoine Granger

Played By: Emma Watson

In: Harry Potter Series

We all know that without this Muggle-born little with, Harry and Ron would have been pulling their wands out of their noses. "Her empathy, her sense of integrity, her decency and resolute belief in fighting for justice and fairness — even when her earnestness made her an easy target for ridicule — they're all unwavering," said Watson who played Hermoine in the Harry Potter series. Hermoine made it OK for girls to be the smartest in the room. Let’s just face it, Hermoine is not just a little whip-smart witch; she is a symbol of many other things.

(Image Courtesy: Flavorwire)

#2. Princess Leia

Played By: Carrie Fisher

In: Star Wars Series

According to the survey, she was the only character that was common between both male and female survey takers. "I was something women and men could agree on," Fisher writes in her just-published memoir, The Princess Diarist. "They didn't like me in the same way, but they liked me with the same intensity, and we were all okay with the other sex liking me, too. Isn't that weird?" A leader in the Rebel Alliance, Carrie Fisher’s Leia was loyal, cheeky, and handy with a gun and even later choked Jabba the Hut with the same chain he enslaved her with.

(Image Courtesy: HelloGiggles)

#3. Miranda Priestly

Played By: Meryl Streep

In: The Devil Wears Prada

If you are the Editor-In-Chief of fashion world’s Bible, you have to be like Miranda Priestly. Streep enjoyed playing the powerful fashion magazine editor so much that she stayed in character throughout the 2005 shoot. "She felt it was necessary," says the film's producer Wendy Finerman. "She couldn’t jovially hang around because that would have lost the magic, all the tiptoeing around her." Assumed to be largely based on Anna Wintour, Streep’s character very masterfully depicts the nuances that a super editor possesses. Just like her aura, her words have the power to shake and stir up the entire fashion industry. She is incredibly strong and has excellent leadership skills. It won’t be wrong to say that Miranda Priestly is one of the most compelling female characters in modern fiction.

(Image Courtesy: Photofest)

#4. Daenerys Targaryen

Played By: Emilia Clarke

In: Game Of Thrones Series

The survey had as many as five female characters in this particular list, but none of them quite had the dragons as Daenerys. Clarke’s character is that of an incredibly strong woman who is not only sharp in her brain but extremely polite and loving in her heart. She can be as fierce as a dragon; emitting fire at whoever comes in her way and as loving as a mother; the mother of all. Clarke says that her inspiration for this role is her strong mom and the characteristics that she portrays justify exactly how any mother is on this planet. If not for Daenerys, the legacy of the entire Targaryen dynasty would have been swept away in the ashes of time.

(Image Courtesy: Inverse)

#5. Katniss Everdeen

Played By: Jennifer Lawrence

In: The Hunger Games Series

“Katniss’ decision to volunteer for her sister is one of the most memorable moments of any book I’ve ever read,” says producer Nina Jacobson, who acquired the film rights to Suzanne Collins’ YA trilogy in 2009. Chloe Grace Moretz, Abigail Breslin, Hailee Steinfeld and more than 30 other actresses all were aiming to star as the arrow-slinging rebel, but Lawrence's "frankness and honesty" is what won her the lead of the $3 billion franchise, according to Jacobson. She feels like a real girl while breaking virtually every rule of what a girl onscreen is supposed to be.

(Image Courtesy: Archery Trade Association)

#6. Claire Underwood

Played By: Robin Wright

In: House Of Cards series

Kevin Spacey's Frank Underwood gets to put his feet up on the Resolute desk, but the real power in this White House is his first lady; a point not entirely lost on the actress who plays her. If statistics are to be believed, Claire Underwood is a more popular character than her husband Frank Underwood among men and women watchers of the hit show.

(Image Courtesy: vulture.com)

#7. Wonder Woman

Played By: Gal Gadot

In: Wonder Woman

You got to have some mettle if you belong to a league of superheroes that boasts the likes of Superman and Batman. However, despite being a female character, Wonder Woman has proved it time and again that she can be as fierce as anyone and her gender will never be a hindrance in her capabilities as a superhero. This well-accessorized superhero from DC teaches us to love, equality and to fight for our rights. With her high-soaring leaps, superhuman strength and star spangled satin pants; she is capable enough of giving any other superhero a run for their money.

(Image Courtesy: IGN.com)