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Regina Mills – Once Upon a Time
We first see Regina Mills (Lana Parilla) as the Evil Queen and primary antagonist of Once Upon a Time, but it doesn’t take long for her to become so much more than that in the series. In an effort to stop Snow White’s (Gennifer Goodwin) happily ever after once and for all, the Evil Queen transports Snow White, herself, and the other denizens of their fairytale realm to our world, specifically Maine. For a while, only Regina remembers her past life in the fairytale world and uses that to her advantage to create the life she felt was stolen from her.
Even as Regina learns that revenge isn’t always the best use of her abilities, she is still a formidable magic-wielder. She realizes that she doesn’t have to hurt others to get what she wants, but also isn’t afraid to take action against true adversaries that want to harm the people she cares about. Just because Regina learns how to love and trust again doesn’t mean she’s gone soft though. If anything, her transformation from the Evil Queen to the hero we see in later seasons proves how powerful love can be.
Hermione Granger – Harry Potter
Hermione Granger as played by Emma Watson (I make this distinction to give J.K. Rowling as little credit as possible for the on-screen version of this character) is one of the few smart and powerful female characters I had to look up to growing up. Even though a certain author has made it almost impossible to continue to be a Harry Potter fan as an adult, the way that Emma Watson brought the character to life on screen is important to acknowledge.
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Hermione made it cool to be smart, saving her friends Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) and Ron (Rupert Grint) on many occasions with her wisdom. Harry is touted as the hero of this franchise, but without Hermione, he and Ron likely wouldn’t have survived past their first couple of years at Hogwarts. She’s the one who knows how to escape the Devil’s Snare, it’s her research that prepares Harry to fight the Basilisk, and she’s the one who knows all of the protection spells that keep them hidden while they’re out hunting Horcruxes.
But it isn’t just her knowledge that makes her a powerful witch. She is a skilled dueler and isn’t afraid to punch Malfoy (Tom Felton) in the face when he says something cruel. As much as she loves to spend her time in the library, she also isn’t afraid of being in the middle of the action either.
Bonnie Bennett – The Vampire Diaries
Even though Elena Gilbert (Nina Dobrev) is often thought of as the main character of The Vampire Diaries, her best friend Bonnie Bennett (Kat Graham) is the true hero of the series. Her magic has saved Mystic Falls, and the world, many times from a variety of supernatural foes including vampire-werewolf hybrids, Katherine Pierce (also Nina Dobrev) and her various evil schemes, sadistic witches, sirens, and, of course, vampires.
