TV's Most Inspirational Kick-Ass Women
They make us laugh, they make us cry, and sometimes they inspire us to jump up off of our couches and do something with our lives. Sometimes. Most of the time, they just make us go, "yasssss" as we search the internet for gifs of them embodying everything we aspire to be so we can send those gifs to our friends. Hey, we never said we were the role models.
Click through to find out which TV ladies inspire us the most!
1. Leslie Knope, Parks and Recreation
Why: The hardest-working, most loving and most beloved comedy character is somebody we all should aspire to be like. Well, maybe not in every way, but Leslie is pretty darn near amazing…and a little scary in her dedication. "She never gave up," says creator Mike Schur. And we love her for it.
Words to Live By: "We need to remember what's important in life: friends, waffles, work. Or waffles, friends, work. Doesn't matter, but work is third."
2. Cookie Lyon, Empire
Why: BECAUSE SHE'S COOKIE F—KING LYON, YOU GOAT-ASSES.
Words to Live By: "The streets ain't made for everyone. That's why they made sidewalks."
3. Peggy Carter, Agent Carter
Why: In a world filled with men who are determined to marginalize women, Peggy Carter will fight her way to equality, using her brains, her wit, her emotions, and her kickass fighting skills every step of the way. When Peggy talks, YOU LISTEN.
Words to Live By: "I know my value. Anyone else's opinion doesn't really matter."
4. Mindy Lahiri, The Mindy Project
Why: Forget Beyonce Pad Thai, Dr. Mindy Lahiri is our warrior name.
Words to Live By: "It is so weird being my own role model." It's so weird you are ours, too.
5. Game of Thrones's women
Why: Daenerys, Cersei, Arya, Sansa, Margaery,Brienne...every single one of Westeros' kingdoms is stocked with powerful women, both physically, mentally and politically. Also: THEY HAVE DRAGONS.
Words to Live By: "All men must die...but we are not men." Where's that hands up in prayer emoji when you need it?
6. Annalise Keating, How to Get Away With Murder
Why: Wonderfully flawed and fiercely smart, Annalise does what needs to get the job done…even if it means helping cover up her husband's murder. But let's be honest, we wouldn't be so in her corner if it weren't for Viola Davis' fearless performance.
Words to Live By: "You call it crazy. I call it winning." We call it HELL YASSS.
7. Alicia Florrick, The Good Wife
Why: Saint Alicia to some, Julianna Margulies' character is one of the most human on TV. She is flawed, and knows it, but that doesn't stop her from doing what she thinks is best. She does more with a look than most TV characters do in a season.
Words to Live By: "I've decided life's too short not to be honest."
8. Caroline Forbes, The Vampire Diaries
Why: Formerly the CW hit's secret weapon, Candice Accola's ability to make you laugh, cry and smile in a single scene has unintentionally turned her into The Vampire Diaries' leading lady. In Forbes we trust.
Words to Live By: "Whenever anyone tells me I can't do something, I prove them wrong."
9. Abbi and Ilana, Broad City
Why: Let us introduce you to TV's most fearless ladies: Ilana Glazer and Abbi Jacobson. Never ones to shy away from a topic or punchline, these two brought pegging into the pop culture conversation. No, your favorites couldn't never, but they wouldn't. That's what makes Ilana and Abbi so great.
Words to Live By: "I'm not putting weed up inside of me because I'm an adult and I'm responsible."
10. All of Tatiana Maslany's Characters, Orphan Black
Why: No lie, Sarah, Allison and Cosima is the hardest round of Kiss, Marry, Kill we've ever heard of. Because all three of them, plus Helena, Beth, Rachel, and the rest of the clones are all that freakin' awesome all on their own.
Words to Live By: "They're not me. They're not. They're completely different people."
11. Abbie Mills, Sleepy Hollow
Why: Two seasons in, Abbie has yet to have a serious romantic relationship with a man. And she's yet to even make a comment or complain about it. Name the last time you've seen that happen on a show. Oh wait, you can't.
Words to Live By: "It took 180 years and two constitutional amendments for me to win this freedom."
12. The kickass women of The 100
Why: Look around, the only male leader is the evil villain! Every other leader on this groundbreaking show is a female, and rightly so, since all the males keep making the worst choices, leaving all the strong, brave and fierce women to pick up the pieces and try to forge peace. And when peace talks fall through, they'll be leading their armies into battle. We'd follow them anywhere...even to the City of Light.
Words to Live By: "Either you get up and fight this or you crawl away and die alone like a coward," Octavia giving some tough love to Lincoln.
13. April Kepner, Grey's Anatomy
Why: This extremely religious woman was just forced to terminate her pregnancy for health reasons, and yet she's only emerging stronger because of it instead of wallowing in her tragedy. If we had half of April's strength, we'd be satisfied.
Words to Live By: "I'm not an ugly duckling anymore. I'm a swan."
14. Claire Beauchamp-Randall/Fraser, Outlander
Why: She may be a 1940s Englishwoman living in 1740s Scotland, but she's a sexy, progressive, inspirational lady in any time period.
Words to Live By: "The question was: Who did I want to be?" Do we get to choose to be you, too? Just kidding. We love ourselves. But hot damn, Claire is awesome.
15. Olivia Benson, Law & Order: SVU
Why: Mariska Hargitay's character has seen it all and then some. Benson is a fierce mama bear who will do anything—and has done everything—to protect those she swore to help.
Words to Live By: "Nothing changes…except what has to."
PHOTOS: Check out our gallery of TV's gorgeous make-up free ladies!