5 Favorite Female Characters Tag // A Sneak Peek of What's to Come

Hello, friends of the internet!

Yeah, Carmelita is NOT one of my favorites...I just wanted to use this gif. Not that ANY of you are "cake sniffer"s.

In June of 2021, I wrote a post about some of my favorite fictional male characters, and ever since then I've wanted to do one for women. I have written pages of the names of wonderful female characters, but never have found the time to write down why I love them so much. There's just so much to say! When I saw McKayla fill out this tag, I wanted to do the same. I'm not cutting the list down, I'm giving myself 5 more options! You'll see another list full of 10 sometime in the future, but this is just a taste of what's to come. The appetizer to the entrée, if you will.

For awhile I debated if I wanted to talk about more famous characters here, or more obscure. Finally, I've gone with the top five that I really wanted to write about, who actually lean more on the obscure side. They're all my favorite though, all my number one. I couldn't possibly rank these wonderful ladies!

That's how I feel about all of these characters. If they left, their respective worlds would fall!

Ella (from Cinderella (2015))

She is the heart and compassion and bravery, which makes sense because her motto is "have courage and be kind". She is so full of grace. I've talked about before how I want to be her. She gives smiles freely. She makes the best of her situations. Some may say she just takes what is given to her and doesn't try to improve her life. I argue with that, because she does exactly what us writers do: she dreams. We can go through life bitter about what we don't have, but Ella doesn't. She remembers better times, and if she could go back to when her mother and father were alive she would, but she does not let that get in the way of living. 

Hope is essential for me, and Ella lives in hope. It's not as valued in this society, but it's what gets me through my days. She revels in the moment whether it's admiring a paper butterfly, reading a story, or going to a ball, she lives it to it's fullest. Her beaming smile is what changes the whole room, not what she's wearing. It's her energy that brings the people around her to life. Can you blame Kit for falling in love with her? (Yes, I had Kit in my list of favorite men. They are also in my favorite couples. They are just amazing, okay?)

Ugh, now I want to watch this movie again.

Ella (from Cinderella (2021))

Uh, MC, you JUST talked about Cinderella. I did. But I also want to talk about Ella from the newest movie version of Cinderella, the 2021 Amazon jukebox musical. I'm planning to do a review on this, so I won't say too much, but I'll just keep it to the main character.

Ella here is SO DIFFERENT from the 2015 version, and I also want to be like her. I want to have the heart of 2015 Ella, and I want the energy of 2021 Ella. They are basically opposites, but that does not make either of them bad or wrong. They are both so wonderful, especially because they are both so kind to all around them. 2021 Ella has goals in life and is willing to work hard for them. She chooses herself and her capabilities instead of falling into the role the world has assigned to her. She is not someone to be rescued, but someone who has purpose. 

She is the dictionary definition of spunky and just so fun to listen to (which is what makes Robert attracted to her initially, and can I just say I LOVE THIS. Because why wouldn't he be??). She is clever, has great banter, but is never cruel or demeaning in her humor. She is on a mission to bring her art to the world, and as a writer I admire her determination. She does not give up on her dreams. She is looking to change the view of women in the world (which, as a business person, this movie speaks to me deeply). Also, she gets so excited about everything. There are some people who think one shouldn't get thrilled at small things, like clothes, but are you living a boring life? Are you not seeing wonder in the smallest things like caterpillars and mice?

Prudy (from Support Your Local Sheriff (1969))

All the western talk last month got me thinking about how much I love Prudy. She is no nonsense. She has a clear head even when no one else does, especially about what is mature. Something I love about her--and something I think a lot of people love about Anne Shirley, myself included--is how many messes she gets into. She sits in a tree dripping wet. She sets her skirt on fire. I get into those kinds of scrapes all the time and she is so relatable. She's also admirable because she tries to explain herself in those situations, where I would just run and hide for the rest of my life. 

Prudy says what she's thinking. She's plucky. She will get a job done when no one else will. She takes action, and by that is the richest girl in the territory. A lot of people discount her as the mayor's silly daughter who says and does silly things, but I think she is absolutely charming. Charming in a rustic way, and I love the combination.

Penelope (from Penelope (2006))

I like to watch this movie yearly every fall, so I'm purposely hyping myself up. I love Penelope so much. All her life she's been told something is wrong with her: her nose. Her family was cursed and she bears the brunt of it. But, she doesn't see what the big fuss is about. And frankly, I don't either. Penelope is so stinking cute! Do you guys see these pictures? The real curse is the way she is treated, locked up away from the world, always on the search for the person to break the curse. But that doesn't stop her from trying to interact with the world. She learns French. She loves horticulture. She is naturally curious and wants to see what the world has to offer. 

This movie is so much about self discovery as Penelope breaks out of the box the world has put her in. She learns to cast off the descriptions people have written for her, and write her own story, forming herself to be what she wants. And what she wants to be is who she has always been: a girl with a beautiful heart and face. Whereas most of the world only looks skin deep, she finds the deeper part of people and finds their worth, even when they don't see hers. She's funny, talented (beats people at chess, you know), and gives people chances. She is a sweetheart in every way. 

Madam Simza (from Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows (2011)).

I admit it: I don't know why I love Madam Simza so much. She's gorgeous, caring, and prepared for anything. Her life as a gypsy has made her resourceful. Some would think she's a small side character in this movie, but she, Sherlock, and Watson are a golden trio. They are in the action together and she is vital to the plot. 

She'll allow people a certain degree of unbelievably (someone's going to read her fortune instead of the other way around? Good luck with that), but she also trusts these strange detectives when no one else does. She cares deeply about her brother and will do anything to find him. The heart of a revolutionary, she has mellowed to find what she can change, and life has taught her the difference between recklessness and honor for a cause. I'm out of words, guys, but just understand I love her a lot.

There you have it! I quick peek at some of my favorite female characters. Any guesses for who's on my other list?

My sister made me a new header, and I'm putting it up this month because August just screams Studio Ghibli to me. Do any franchisees do that to you guys?

Do you know and love any of these as much as I do? Do you ever love characters without having any reasons? Do you like more than one version of the same character? Who plays your favorite version of Cinderella? That story has been a lot on my mind recently.

Thanks for reading!

Chloe the MovieCritic