Fantasy has always been a genre of escapism and empowerment, filled with dragons, magic, and battles for kingdoms. But it’s also a space where, for a long time, the female protagonist was either absent, sidelined, or written through a male lens—either a passive princess or a sword-wielding caricature of a "strong female character."
Thankfully, the genre has evolved, and writers today have the opportunity (and responsibility) to craft female leads who are fully realized people—complex, powerful, flawed, and relatable. Strength, after all, doesn't always come from swinging a sword. It can come from perseverance, empathy, leadership, wit, or even the courage to make the wrong decision and face the consequences.
In this post, we’re going to look at how to write female protagonists in fantasy who are more than just tropes, how to avoid the common pitfalls, and why a broader view of strength enriches your story and your world.
Sword-Swinging Stereotypes and the “Strong Female Character”
Let’s get this out of the way: there’s nothing wrong with a sword-wielding woman. There’s a deep satisfaction in watching (or writing) a female warrior cut down her enemies with a battle cry. The problem is when that becomes the only definition of strength.
The “strong female character” trope has too often meant a woman who behaves exactly like a man in battle, while shedding any softness, vulnerability, or femininity. She’s emotionally closed off, inexplicably good at everything, and often exists only to prove she can “keep up with the boys.” She may have no real backstory or emotional depth—and crucially, she rarely changes over the course of the story.
Real strength, in fiction and in life, looks different. It’s not about erasing femininity or replicating male heroism. It’s about honoring the complexity of the character.
Ask the Big Questions First
When you sit down to write your female protagonist, start by asking the same deep questions you’d ask of any protagonist:
- What does she want?
- What’s standing in her way?
- What does she fear?
- What is she willing to sacrifice?
- How does she grow?
Character is not gendered. Good writing means understanding what drives your character and how she responds to her world—not just what she looks like swinging a sword.
That said, gender does affect how characters interact with the world, especially in societies with rigid expectations. So you also want to ask:
- How does her culture view women?
- What expectations does she resist, embrace, or challenge?
- How do others treat her because of her gender?
- How has her experience shaped the way she sees power, safety, loyalty, or ambition?
These questions can help you root your female protagonist in the fabric of her world—not in spite of her identity, but because of it.
Different Kinds of Strength
Strength in a female protagonist might look like:
- Emotional resilience: surviving loss, hardship, or trauma and choosing to keep going.
- Intellectual strength: solving problems others can’t, seeing patterns, or outwitting a villain.
- Compassion: choosing mercy over revenge, understanding over violence.
- Leadership: inspiring loyalty, building coalitions, holding power responsibly.
- Defiance: refusing to conform, even when it’s dangerous or costly.
- Sacrifice: giving up something she loves for the greater good.
Your protagonist doesn’t need to be able to fight with a sword to be brave. Maybe her bravery is standing up to her father, or escaping an abusive relationship, or telling the truth when everyone wants her to lie. Maybe it’s daring to fall in love. Maybe it’s choosing to become a swordfighter, when no one believes she can.
These types of strength are deeply human—and they create characters readers care about.
Avoiding the Pitfalls
Here are a few common traps when writing female protagonists in fantasy—and how to avoid them:
1. The One Girl in the World Syndrome
This is when your fantasy world is somehow 90% male, and your heroine is “not like other girls.” She’s the only woman who fights, the only one who’s brave, or the only one who matters to the story.
Fix it: Populate your world with many kinds of women—warriors, mothers, merchants, spies, queens, witches, scholars. Let your protagonist exist in a world where other women have influence, opinions, and stories of their own.
2. The No-Fault Flaw
You give your female protagonist a “flaw” that isn’t really a flaw. She’s too caring. Or she works too hard. These flaws are designed not to risk reader affection.
Fix it: Give her real flaws—pride, fear, jealousy, selfishness—and let her grow. Readers connect with characters who fail, learn, and evolve.
3. The Romance Token
She exists mainly to be someone’s love interest, or her entire arc is defined by who she does or doesn’t love.
Fix it: If there’s a romance, make sure it’s part of her journey—not the point of her existence. And please, let her have an arc that doesn’t revolve around the male lead.
Feminine Power and Magic
In fantasy, magic often reflects inner truth. So how does a female protagonist wield power?
Maybe her power is rooted in healing, creation, or intuition. Maybe it’s elemental. Maybe it’s dark and terrifying. Maybe she’s powerful because she chooses not to use it unless necessary. Magic systems in fantasy can help explore what power looks like when it isn’t about domination.
Let her magic be mysterious. Let it be messy. Let it have consequences.
And let it be hers.
Examples of Powerful Female Protagonists (Done Well)
If you’re looking for inspiration, here are a few memorable female protagonists from fantasy who go beyond the sword:
- Egwene al’Vere (The Wheel of Time) – Politically shrewd, emotionally complex, and deeply committed to her values, Egwene grows into one of the most powerful leaders in the series.
- Ged’s Aunt (A Wizard of Earthsea) – Though not the main character, she quietly influences the protagonist’s path through knowledge, restraint, and the passing of old magic.
- Tiffany Aching (Discworld) – A young witch whose strength lies in empathy, stubbornness, and knowing what needs to be done—even if it’s unpleasant.
- Sabriel (Old Kingdom trilogy) – A necromancer who must walk into death to save the living. Strong, yes—but also fearful, uncertain, and deeply human.
These women are not all warriors. But they’re all unforgettable.
Final Thoughts: Let Her Be Real
The most compelling female protagonists in fantasy aren’t perfect. They aren’t superheroes in corsets. They’re people—people with fears, doubts, passions, and dreams. They cry. They laugh. They screw up.
And they keep going.
Let her be soft. Let her be angry. Let her be clever and wrong and brave and unsure.
Let her story matter.
Because when you do that, you're not just writing a “strong female character.” You're writing a great character—and that’s what readers will remember.
