The Best Female Comic Book Characters

Comic books are sadly quite dominated by male heroes, but amongst these stories, there are some really strong female characters. In fact, some of those characters are actually far better than the males, but who is the best? In this article, we are going to be listing five of the best female comic book characters of all time, some are heroes, some are villains and some are sidekicks.

Though there are hundreds of female characters in these universes, we wanted to list only the most impactful ones in celebration of International Women’s day.

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5. The Female (Kimiko Miyashiro)

Image by Dynamite Entertainment

Starting the list strong with one of the most badass women in comic books, The Female from The Boys – if you have seen the TV show version of The Boys you might recognise The Female as Kimiko Miyashiro. The Boys universe is much darker than the usual mainstream comic books, which means there tends to be a lot of gore and violence – The Female brings a lot of that herself. Sometimes it might be a little too graphic but when it comes to The Female it’s always well executed and has undoubtedly become a big part of her characteristics.

The Female is not exactly an inspirational character, but she is very complex and so loveable. Her relationship with The Frenchman is also one of the most beautiful things represented in all of The Boys.

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4. Barbara Gordon

Image by DC Comics

When it comes to Barbara Gordon, sadly most people think of The Killing Joke, but it’s what Barbara becomes after those events that makes her so incredible. After she was left paralyzed by Joker, Barbara refused to be held back by her disability, so started using her intellect and computer knowledge to continue to fight from afar under the alias of Oracle. It’s her sheer willingness to push on despite trauma and pain that makes Barbara Gordon such an inspiration not just to other women but to everyone.

Of course, Barbara Gordon has been, and still is Batgirl in many comics, and what an awesome Batgirl she was, just as fierce and heroic as she is as Oracle. However, though she mostly feels like a sidekick in that role, Oracle is where she was allowed to shine.

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3. Jean Gray

Image by Marvel Comics

Not always a hero, not always a villain, Jean Gray is certainly a force to be reckoned with. As host of the Phoenix Force, there is no other character more at war with themselves. Jean does not choose to be the Dark Phoenix and has spent time with Professor X to put limitations on her powers to suppress the Phoenix Force – unfortunately there is no amount of conditioning that can stop this unlimited power. It is however the Phoenix Force that makes Jean Gray the most powerful mutant out of all the X-Men.

Quite often a sad one, Jean’s story is always such a powerful thing to read, especially when it involves the Dark Phoenix, which often ends in Jean sacrificing herself to destroy the Phoenix Force. This is what makes Jean Gray so inspirational and without a doubt one of the best female comic book characters of all time.

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2. Atom Eve

Image by Image Comics

A slightly newer entry to the list, Atom Eve. Like Jean Gray, Atom Eve has a mental block to suppress her ultimate power, but when it kicks in Eve has unlimited control over everything. It’s this power, giving her the ability to manipulate living things, that makes Atom Eve one of the most overpowered superheroes and best female comic book characters ever created.

Thanks to Amazon’s adapted series of the Invincible comics, Atom Eve has quickly become a beloved character for me and so many others. Atom Eve would absolutely take the spot for number 1 if this next entry was not so brilliant. So instead, she sits at a noble number 2.

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1. Wonder Woman

Image by DC Comics

I am sure many of you will not be surprised by number 1 on the list being Wonder Woman, but that is simply because there is no one else that compares. Wonder Woman is potentially the only female superhero on this list to have a fan base as large as the most popular male characters, and for good reason. With her unbelievable power and skill set, Wonder Woman is the perfect role model and makes for a top tier comic book. 

I admittedly brushed over Wonder Woman growing up, only really giving her the attention she deserves during moments with the Justice League. However, since the release of Absolute Wonder that has drastically changed and she has quickly become one of my favourite DC superheroes.

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Conclusion

There are many strong female characters in comic books, but some just triumph slightly more above the rest. Whether you are looking for depth and inspiration or just some badass action, women are represented well – just perhaps not as often as we would like.

See also: Most anticipated comics of 2025

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