By: Aurora Willis

Fictional characters aren’t real. They don’t live and breathe like we do. Instead of being made of blood and bone, they are made up by imagination and ideas. However, throughout my life, fictional characters have been mentors, friends, and role models. That’s why in honor of Women’s History Month, I want to take time to celebrate these fictional women. Who through the power of story telling, were able to comfort me and shape me into the woman I am today.

Honorable Mention: Ariel

I couldn’t make a list like this and leave out the character who started it all. Ariel was the first character I really connected with as a kid. I remember watching The Little Mermaid everyday as a child, I would act out Ariel’s movements in the pool while singing, “Part of Your World” underwater. When I went to Disneyland for the first time, I remember hugging the Ariel cast member so hard and refusing to let go. I don’t know what drew me to Ariel back than, maybe it was the tail, or maybe it was because she was a free-spirited woman who went after what she wanted and choses to see the world with curiosity and empathy rather than prejudice and resentment. Say what you want about Disney live action films, but seeing Halle Bailey beautifully portray Ariel was healing for me: to see a character I looked up to as a child actually look like me.

Belle

When I was in high school, I was the kid the teachers had to tell to stop reading and pay attention to the lesson plan. My favorite class was English and History and the librarians knew me by name. I was also pretty sensitive and cared about things that not a lot of kids my age cared about. Rather than a large group of friends, I had a small but close inner circle. All these didn’t make me the most popular kid in school, in fact I remember spending some lunch periods alone with my current book. Whenever I would feel too out of place, I would remember Belle and how she was also out of place. How she choses to expand her mind with stories and think more deeply about things than the people in her town. Belle helped me to see that being myself was something to take pride in, no matter what people may say. This mindset also helped me to spot out the Gaston in my school and stay away. Some people wish they could do high school over and change some things, but I wouldn’t change how I acted back then, just as Belle never changed herself for the townspeople.

Supergirl

When I first got into superheroes, I felt an immediate connection with Kara Zor-El A.K.A. Supergirl. I admired her bravery and willingness to do what was right despite her tragic past. As a child, I would watch or read any kind of media with Supergirl in it. Growing up, there were few and far between so I had to do a lot of rewatching and rereading. This included her 1984 solo film starring Helen Slater (don’t judge me) a few episodes of Superman and Justice League, and the animated movie Superman/Batman: Apocalypse. A film that I probably shouldn’t have been watching at such a young age. Luckily, most of the stuff went over my head.

Unfortunately, I was also picked on in school because of my love of superheroes. In 5th grade I shared a classroom with my school bully. Everyday without fail she would send me home in tears. A part of me was ready to give up my interest, until it was announced that Supergirl would be getting her own tv show starring Melissa Benoist. From 5th grade all the way up to high school graduation I watched Supergirl every week. Where she taught me to do what is right, always be on the side of justice, and to never give up hope. Say what you want about the Arrowverse but that show taught me how to be a hero. I can’t wait to see her again when Milly Alcock plays her in the new Supergirl movie this June.

Black Widow

I watched the first Avengers movie when I was 7. The minute Black Widow graced my screen, taking on five men while tied to a chair, I was in awe. I remember thinking “She will be my favorite Avenger.” As I began to lean more about this character, I realized that the Black Widow was different from my favorite heroes at the time. Unlike many superheroes, Black Widow’s past is not only steeped in tragedy, but villainy as well. Black Widow was formally the Marvel Universes most deadly assassin. She has done things so abhorrent, that most of her past actions are classified. The character of Black Widow introduced a new concept to me, the idea that if a person really wants to, they can change for the better. This is what makes Black Widow such an inspirational character.

Iron Man does good, but there is always a little bit of ego behind it. Captain America does good because that is just who he is. Black Widow does good because she knows what it is like to be on the other side. To me, that makes her the Avenger that cares the most about doing the job and doing it well. I remember going to see Avengers: Endgame and crying my eyes out at the Black Widow sacrifice, more so than Iron Man’s death (no offense Tony). Since then, without my favorite character, the movies haven’t been that exciting for me. A part of me holds out hope that I might see her again in Avengers: Doomsday, but at this point that’s just wishful thinking.

Storm

I remember first discovering Storm in a small superhero encyclopedia for kids. Since then, she has remained one of my most constant favorite characters. It is not just the fact that she taught me that brown girls can be powerful heroes, it’s because I truly believe she is the ideal Superhero. Not only is she off the scale powerful and has some of the most iconic looks in comic book history. Her heroics are an inspiration to not just her fans but everyone in the Marvel Universe. As a mutant and a black woman, Storm faces a kind of adversity that most superheroes don’t face, even from the people she is trying to save. To me, the X-Men are the ultimate superheroes because they do good, even knowing they won’t be appreciated, doing the right thing because it needs to be done. I believe Storm is the X-Men who represents this idea the most. In 2024 I see myself reflected in Storm once again in X-Men ‘97 when she faced the demon: The Adversary, and the lies it was telling her about herself. This battle reminded me of my own battle with my own Adversary: anxiety. No matter what phase of my life I’m in, Storm has always remained a source of inspiration and strength.

Ms Marvel

Before heading into middle school, I was put into summer school. I was scared out of my mind. The idea of multiple teachers and multiple classes I had to be at certain times was a completely new concept to me. During the first day of summer school one of my classes was taken to visit a library. We were given a tour and told to check out at least one book each. To my delight, the library had a comics and graphic novel section. This is where I first discovered Kamala Khan A.K.A. Ms. Marvel. Upon reading her first volume I found a brown girl who like me, loved superheroes and upon getting powers immediately set her sights on becoming a hero. This is the first time I actually found a superhero who was a kindred spirit like me. Everything she did, including geeking out over team ups, I felt I would do if I was in her place. Thanks to Ms. Marvel my fear of middle school was forgotten, I was actually excited to come back because then I could check out the second volume. Ms. Marvel also helped me to better understand the Muslim religion, rather than the stereotypes I was taught by the media.

Katara

Hot take coming in, I think Katara is one of the most well-written female characters not just in the Avatar: The Last Airbender universe, but in media as a whole. To me, Katara represents a truly rare multifaceted female character. She at her core is kind and selfless, unable to abandon someone in need, while also being incredible powerful and skilled. She has motherly traits and will not hesitate to try to heal and comfort, but cross her and she will also not hesitate to decapitate you with an ice disc. Rather than seeing her more caregiving traits as a weakness, the show actually shows them as a strength. There are multiple points of the story were Katara’s role of caretaker to the group has saved them. But Katara isn’t perfect, far from it. She is bossy, stubborn, and will sometime do and say the wrong thing. Just like a real life woman, just like a real life person for that matter. Because of these more messy moments, out of all the members of the gang she probably gets the most hate. But I am proud to call Katara my favorite member of team Avatar, and I hope that one day I might be just as powerful and strong as her.

Zoey

Originally I wasn’t going to watch K-Pop Demon Hunters, but after some coaxing from one of my best friends and the internet, I was introduced to the character of Zoey. Zoey became a fan favorite because of bubbly personality but she became mine for much deeper reasons. First off both me and Zoey are writers and we have had to play both sides of different parts of our identity. Both of us have people pleasing tendencies to the point of breaking down when it gets to be to much, although I will admit her little outbursts are a lot more adorable than mine. However, the moment when I truly connected with her character came in a scene before the climax of the movie. When Zoey opened up about how, before she joined Huntrix, she thought her thoughts and feelings were weird. This brought me back to when I thought similar things about myself. But watching Zoey use those skills towards a cause made me realize that maybe my skills aren’t so useless, maybe I just need to find the right cause to use them. Like a website devoted to all things pop culture.

Elphaba

In these dark times, when people’s rights are being threated and you feel powerless to do anything to make it right, I just think to myself, what would Elphaba do? When I was a kid the Wicked Witch of the West used to scare me, but nowadays she’s an inspiration. Despite being a target for prejudice her whole life, when given a chance at guaranteed popularity and love she turned it down, because she couldn’t be apart of a system that was oppressing others for power. To me, Elphaba is an inspiration not just because she takes action, but because she remains true to herself. No matter what she faces she doesn’t change for anyone, and its that conviction that inspires others around her to change for the better. Elphaba is a reminder that sometimes the most heroic thing you can do is be yourself, in a world often trying to mold you into what it wants you to be.