In fantasy fiction, we often celebrate epic battles, bold quests, and magical powers. But too often, when it comes to female protagonists, “strong” becomes a narrowly defined box—usually with a sword inside it. The armored warrior woman who shows no weakness and fights like a man is now a trope all its own. And while there’s nothing wrong with a woman wielding a blade, reducing female strength to physical combat alone sells short the complexity of real, powerful women.
So let’s break that mold. Let’s talk about what it truly means to write a strong female protagonist—and how you, as a fantasy writer, can craft women who are not just strong, but unforgettable.
The Problem with “Strong Female Characters”
For years, “strong female character” was code for a woman who could fight, sass, and generally perform toughness. Think stoic assassins, grizzled generals, or brooding rogues—only female. These characters often act detached, emotionally repressed, and, ironically, not very well-developed.
Why? Because strength is not personality. A character who kicks down doors but has no internal life isn’t strong—she’s flat. True strength comes from agency, complexity, and depth. If a character only exists to “prove” she’s not weak, you’re not writing a strong woman—you’re writing a reaction to male-dominated tropes.
What Strength Really Looks Like
Let’s reframe strength. Yes, strength can be physical—but it can also be emotional, intellectual, spiritual, or relational. A strong woman might lead a rebellion—or she might raise a child in a hostile world. She might swing a sword—or negotiate peace between warring nations. Strength is endurance. Compassion. Strategy. Faith. Sacrifice. The ability to choose and act despite fear.
Ask yourself:
- What does this character value?
- What are her goals—and what is she willing to risk for them?
- What breaks her? What heals her?
- Where does her strength live?
When you build a character around those questions, you create someone memorable—not because she’s strong like a man, but because she’s strong like herself.
Diversity Within Strength
Not all women are the same. (Obvious, but worth repeating.) Your female protagonist doesn’t have to be fiery, outspoken, or aggressive to be powerful. Quiet strength is still strength. A woman who builds, listens, teaches, or heals can be just as heroic as one who slays dragons.
Here are just a few archetypes to explore—beyond the warrior:
- The Strategist – Cunning, patient, always thinking ahead.
- The Nurturer – Protects others, holds communities together.
- The Seeker – Driven by discovery, change, or truth.
- The Survivor – Lives through trauma or loss and finds meaning.
- The Outsider – Challenges tradition and forges a new path.
And of course, these archetypes can blend. A woman might be a warrior and a nurturer. A queen and a rebel. Don’t be afraid to let your female characters contain contradictions. Real people do.
Let Her Be Flawed
A perfect character is a boring character—no matter their gender. Yet sometimes writers hesitate to give female leads real flaws, especially in male-dominated genres. We worry they’ll be seen as “unlikable.”
Let that go.
Give her flaws. Let her be wrong. Let her fail. Let her doubt herself. Let her grow.
What readers love isn’t perfection—it’s transformation. A woman who changes, who stumbles and rises, who learns from her pain and her victories—that’s the kind of protagonist who sticks with us long after the last page.
Relationships Matter
Fantasy can be isolating—lone heroes on long roads, separated from everything they love. But strong characters are shaped by their relationships, and this is especially important for women, whose narratives have often been defined by their relationships rather than through them.
Let your female lead love deeply. Let her have friends, enemies, mentors, siblings, lovers, rivals, and students. Show how these bonds push her, challenge her, and give her new perspective.
Romance can be part of her story—but it doesn’t have to define it. The key is balance: she has her own arc, and her relationships enrich it rather than replace it.
Avoid the Backlash Protagonist
Sometimes, in trying to subvert tropes, we overcorrect. We strip away femininity. We make the character “not like other girls.” We pit her against other women to prove her worth. That’s not progressive—that’s just a different form of stereotype.
Let your female protagonist coexist with other complex women. Let them be allies, adversaries, or both. Build a world where multiple women exist on different paths, with different strengths, goals, and ideals.
Because “strong” doesn’t mean “alone.”
Examples That Get It Right
Want inspiration? Look to:
- Brienne of Tarth (A Song of Ice and Fire) – A warrior, yes, but also loyal, vulnerable, and deeply principled.
- Sabriel (The Old Kingdom Trilogy) – Faces necromantic horrors with resolve, grief, and growth.
- Egwene al’Vere (The Wheel of Time) – Not physically combative, but sharp, ambitious, and politically astute.
- Moana (Disney’s Moana) – A young girl driven by love for her people, navigating fear, tradition, and destiny.
Each of these characters is “strong,” but in radically different ways—and none of them are reduced to a trope.
In the End… Make Her Real
A well-written female protagonist isn’t just a “strong female character.” She’s a person. Complicated. Flawed. Brave. Afraid. Tender. Fierce. Capable of terrible mistakes and incredible resilience.
So write her like a human, not a message. Let her live on the page as fully as you’d let any male hero live. And when she does fight—whether with a sword, a spell, or her own bare hands—make sure it’s because she chose to, not because she had to prove she could.
Let’s redefine strength—one unforgettable woman at a time.
