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Just like all other genres, female characters that headline their own shows, or play essential roles in the story, are the minority in science fiction. Fortunately, the situation is slowly growing more inclusive. Now, women watching science fiction shows gets to see more heroines who are like them, or can inspire them to do great things.
Some of the following shows only slightly touch the science fiction genre, while others are fully submerged in it. Whatever the case, over the course of the existence of TV, there have been several remarkable female protagonists in sci-fi shows who deserve more attention.
7 Peggy Carter — Agent Carter
Many fans of the MCU loved Hayley Atwell as Agent Carter in the first Captain America movie. When Steve Rogers vanished and was presumed dead, Peggy had to move on. This two-season show focuses on her life shortly after the war. Peggy deals with a multitude of problems while trying to persuade her colleagues that just because she's a woman, it doesn't mean she's only good for making coffee. Quite the contrary — she stops multiple villains by either outsmarting them or simply by overtaking them in fights.
Peggy also creates an unforgettable duo with Howard Stark's butler Jarvis (James D'Arcy). The quips and conversations between them belong among some of the most hilarious moments in this light-hearted show. Those who want to see more of Peggy outside the movies should definitely give the show a chance.
6 The Thirteenth Doctor — Doctor Who
For the vast majority of its historic run, the Doctor in Doctor Who has always been a man. Until the Thirteenth Doctor portrayed by Jodie Whittaker came along. The newest regeneration of the Doctor is smart, brave, cares about her companions, and does her best to defeat the many enemies she takes on, including some familiar faces such as the Master and the Cybermen.
Funnily enough, it's not the first time the Doctor regenerated into a woman. The same thing happened in the Doctor Who parody Comic Relief: Doctor Who and the Curse of Fatal Death (1998) in which Rowan Atkinson and then Joanna Lumley play the Doctor. However, the renewed Doctor Who show takes it seriously, and proves that regardless of the gender, the Doctor is always there to save the day.
5 Sara Lance — Legends Of Tomorrow
Sara originally started her path on Arrow as the presumed-dead sister of Laurel, but she showed up alive later on. The audience discovered she joined the League of Assassins and learned to fight. Sara eventually went on to become a leader of the Legends, and helped the team complete many difficult missions. That's not a bad result for a girl who once had no idea what to do with her life.
Sara is also one of the few openly bisexual characters on TV, and the ease with which she approaches her relationships can serve as a great inspiration to many people. Her loving relationship with fellow co-captain Ava Sharpe is one of the highlights of the more recent series of the show.
4 Claire Randall-Fraser — Outlander
When sci-fi shows come up, most people don't think about Outlander right away. And that's despite the fact that the series starts with a typical sci-fi theme: time-travel. When Claire ends up in the 18th century, she has to make the best of her new life and figure out how to get back to her husband Frank. However, when Claire gets married to the young warrior Jamie and falls for him, she's at an impasse and has to decide what to do.
Claire is forced to live in times when women don't have it easy and there's a war raging, yet she manages to survive and build a position for herself, proving how strong she is as a person. As a result, it's easy to cheer on her and wish her success. Caitriona Balfe's performance in the leading role makes Claire even more likable.
3 Sarah Jane Smith — The Sarah Jane Adventures
Not every female protagonist can say that a show is named after her! Sarah Jane was the Doctor's companion for a few seasons of classic Doctor Who, and appeared in one episode of the revived series. In her solo show, Sarah is raising her son Luke and is investigating various, mostly alien-related cases.
Unlike Doctor Who and Torchwood, this series is primarily focused on younger audience. Still, it will entertain adults as well thanks to its fast pace, sympathetic characters and imaginative plots. Sarah Jane is clever, brave, and it's easy to grow to like her, if fans didn't already love her in Doctor Who. The series ran for five seasons, but was unfortunately cut short by lead actress Elisabeth Sladen's untimely death in 2011.
2 Supergirl
Kara Danvers, aka Supergirl, is a character many fans can sympathize with. Forced to build a new life on a different planet, Kara grows into a kind person. She wants to help people, so she becomes Supergirl. From there on, her journey evolves and Supergirl faces many dangers and villains, but for the most part, she doesn't lose the optimism and hope that made her put on the costume in the first place.
The show ran for six seasons, and even though it's now over, the fans can always come back to it or hope for Supergirl to show up in different Arrowverse shows. A special nod out goes to Kara's sister Alex Danvers (Chyler Leigh) who's a hero in her own right, and that's despite the fact that unlike her younger adoptive sister, Alex has no special powers.
1 Kathryn Janeway — Star Trek: Voyager
While there have been many amazing Star Trek captains, Kathryn Janeway was the first female captain that headlined her own show. And it was no easy task for Janeway to take care of her ship and the crew when the ship ended up stranded in the Delta quadrant, during the years it took them to get back home. Despite all the challenges they faced, the ship made it back to Earth, and Janeway was the primary reason why.
Her intelligence and resilience ensured that she protected her crew members and even managed to discover a large part of the Delta quadrant. Fans who grew to like Janeway will get the chance to reunite with her in this year's new Star Trek animated series Star Trek: The Prodigy, since actress Kate Mulgrew will reprise her role.