Bam! Wack! Pow! These DC Female Characters Are Totally Tough (And Cool)
While everyone is incredibly familiar with Marvel’s female characters, it might be a little harder for some of us to name DC female characters. Real talk: It’s probably because DC hasn’t created quite as many wildly fun and universally popular movie franchises as we’ve witnessed from the MCU. That doesn’t mean they haven’t had a few megahits, though. From Wonder Woman to Aquaman (the husband of Mera, who isn’t nearly as popular as she should be), DC’s beginning to come up the ladder in popularity.
Of course, one easy way to come up with female DC characters is to simply think about the Batman universe. Thanks to Bruce Wayne, we’ve been gifted with a whole slew of female superheroes and villains. Just consider the gals in Suicide Squad, for instance. Below, you’ll find a look at our favorite of DC’s female characters, as well as a fairly complete list of all of them.
Popular DC Female Characters
1. Wonder Woman
DC Films/Warner Bros. Pictures
We obviously have to include Wonder Woman — the lasso-wielding superheroine has long been a favorite of comic readers. Who doesn’t want bullet-deflecting bracelets? For a better look at Diana Prince and her Wonder Woman alter-ego, check out the new Wonder Woman 1984 movie and/or the nostalgic circa ’70s Wonder Woman show.
2. Super Girl (and Power Girl)
DC Entertainment/Warner Bros. Television Distribution
There’s basically a ton of different versions of Super Girl. In this instance, Super Girl and Power Girl are from different storylines and have the same alter-ego, Kara Zor-El. Power Girl is from Earth 2, however, alongside Huntress. (We’ll get to her later.) Interestingly enough, when Power Girl eventually finds herself back on OG Earth, she’s older than Super Girl. And while she’s often specialized in art, she still finds a way to be one of DC’s more feminist characters.
3. Hawkgirl
DC Entertainment/Warner Bros. Television Distribution
Hawkgirl has a pretty cool backstory. She’s a reincarnated Ancient Egyptian princess who pops in and out of various time periods in various places, seemingly chasing her lover and male counterpart, Hawkman. Unlike many superheroes, she has healing capabilities, which we think is pretty baller.
4. Catwoman
Warner Bros. Pictures
Thanks to the Batman movies from the ’90s, there’s not a guy on the planet who hasn’t had a crush on one of the many versions of Selena Kyle’s Catwoman. While she was originally a supervillain and one of Batman’s enemies, newer versions show Catwoman stuck in a spot where she often does “the wrong thing for the right reasons.”
5. Zatanna
DC Comics/Warner Bros. Television Distribution
Zatanna is a magician, but there’s no sleight of hand here: She legitimately knows magic. Zatanna was raised by her magician father, so she has a knack for pizazz and showmanship. Our favorite thing about Zatanna? It’s often hard to tell if she’s a “good guy” or a “bad guy,” as she often struggles with abusing her power. We’re not magical, but we can still relate.
6. Harley Quinn
DC Films/Warner Bros. Pictures
Here’s the scoop with Harley Quinn. While she’s certainly wildly popular, she’s also insanely problematic. Her relationship with The Joker is nothing short of abusive and dysfunctional. But, but… she’s so damn interesting! (Exhibit B: She’s also been known to have a relationship with fellow Gotham City Siren, Poison Ivy.) It’s nearly impossible not to gravitate toward this dynamic character.
7. Batgirl
20th Century Fox Television
Why do we love Batgirl? In her newest iteration, she’s young and spunky. Her character is almost always seen with a cellphone, clunky yellow boots, and a much more practical outfit. In another version of Batgirl’s story from The Killing Joke, she’s wounded and left wheelchair-bound. From there, she becomes Oracle. And, you guys, representation matters. Having a superhero in a wheelchair is one of the coolest things DC has done if you ask us.
8. Isis
DC Entertainment/Warner Bros. Television
Isis is part superhero and part Egyptian goddess. She often pops up in the Wonder Woman stories but is a character in her own series of comics, too. She even once had her own show and has appeared on the live-action series Smallville and Legends of Tomorrow. She has literally every imaginable superpower you could think of — as if writers simply gave her whatever she needed to save the day each time it was necessary.
9. Raven
DC Entertainment/Warner Bros. Television Distribution
While Raven has appeared in comics for quite some time, it’s the Teen Titans Go! version on the superhero that most comic fans know and like best. Raven is the daughter of a demon and, when she lets her powers get out of control, she often turns into a demon, too. One of her greatest powers, though? Being able to sense and possibly manipulate other people’s emotions.
10. Huntress
DC Entertainment/Warner Bros. Television Distribution
In case it’s not obvious yet, the world of Batman and Gotham City are DC’s true money makers. Enter Huntress. She’s a superhero on Earth II, an alternate universe for Earth, and (perhaps more importantly) the daughter of Batman and Catwoman. At least in one version. There’s another version of Huntress that DC brought back after killing the original. She lacks the famous parents but makes up for it character-development-wise with a truly tragic backstory.
Other DC Female Characters
Curious what other badass ladies live in the DC universe? Peruse the following comprehensive list (sorted alphabetically) at your leisure.
- Acrata (Andrea Rojas)
- Amethyst (Princess of Gemworld)
- Antiope
- Aquagirl
- Argent
- Arisia Rrab
- Arrowette
- Artemis Crock
- Artemis of Bana-Mighdall
- Ayla Ranzz
- Barbara Gordon
- Batgirl
- Batwoman
- Bekka
- Beth Chapel
- Bette Kane
- Betty Clawman
- Big Barda
- Black Alice
- Black Canary (Dinah Drake)
- Black Orchid
- Black Thorn
- Bleez
- Bombshell
- Boodikka
- Bulleteer
- Bulletgirl
- Bumblebee
- Carol Ferris
- Carrie Kelley
- Cassandra Cain
- Catwoman
- Celsius
- Comet Queen
- Courtney Whitmore
- Crazy Jane
- Crimson Fox
- Cyclone
- Dawnstar
- Doctor Fate
- Doctor Light (Kimiyo Hoshi)
- Doctor Mid-Nite
- Doll Girl
- Dolphin
- Donna Troy
- Dorothy Spinner
- Drusilla
- Duela Dent
- Elasti-Girl
- Element Girl
- Emiko Queen
- Empress
- Enchantress
- Fire
- Firebrand
- Francine Langstrom
- Fury
- Gloss
- Godiva
- Grace Choi
- Gypsy
- Halo
- Harbinger
- Harlequin
- Hawk and Dove
- Hawkwoman
- Hippolyta
- Holly Robinson
- Ice
- Icemaiden
- Inferno
- Insect Queen
- Jade
- Jenny Sparks
- Jesse Chambers
- Jessica Cruz
- Jet
- Jezebelle
- Judomaster
- Katana
- Katma Tui
- Kid Flash (Iris West)
- Kid Quantum
- Killer Frost
- Kinetix
- Knight
- Kole
- Kono
- Lady Blackhawk
- Lady Luck (comics)
- Lady Quark
- Lady Shiva
- Lana Lang
- Lara
- Laurel Gand
- Laurel Kent
- Laurel Lance
- Liberty Belle
- Lightning
- Lilith Clay
- Looker
- Lori Morning
- Luornu Durgo
- Madame Xanadu
- Madame Zodiac
- Mala
- Manhunter (Kate Spencer)
- Manitou Dawn
- Mary Marvel
- Maxima
- Maya
- Mera
- Merry Pemberton
- Mirage
- Misfit
- Miss America
- Miss Fear
- Miss Martian
- Miss X
- Mother Panic
- Natasha Irons
- Night Girl
- Nightshade
- Nightstar
- Nubia
- Nura Nal
- Nyssa Raatko
- Orana
- Pandora
- Pantha
- Paula Brooks
- Phantom Girl
- Phantom Lady
- Philippus
- Plastique
- Poison Ivy
- Princess Projectra
- Rampage
- Red Bee
- Red Tornado (Ma Hunkel)
- Renee Montoya
- Rima
- Rocket
- Rose and Thorn
- Rose Wilson
- Salu Digby
- Sapphire
- Sasha Bordeaux
- Saturn Girl
- Sayd
- Scandal Savage
- Secret (Greta Hayes)
- Sensor
- Shadow Lass
- Shayera Hol
- Shiera Sanders Hall
- Silk Spectre
- Silver Banshee
- Silver Sorceress
- Skyrocket
- Solstice
- Soranik Natu
- Sparx
- Speedy (Mia Dearden)
- Spider Girl
- Squire
- Starfire
- Star Sapphire
- Stephanie Brown
- Superwoman
- Swift
- Terra
- Thara Ak-Var
- Thunder
- Tigress
- Tomorrow Woman
- Traci Thirteen
- Valentina Vostok
- Vigilante
- Vixen
- Voodoo (Wildstorm)
- Warlock’s Daughter
- White Witch
- Wildcat (Yolanda Montez)
- Wildfire (Carol Vance Martin)
- Wildstar
- Wonder Girl (Cassie Sandsmark)
- Wonder Twins
- XS
- Yellow Peri
- Yera Allon
- Zari Tomaz
Fun Facts About DC Female Characters
- Would Wonder Woman by any other name be the same? Well, fans almost found out. In a first draft about the character, she was called “Suprema.”
- These days, Harley Quinn is one of the most popular DC characters. But she was actually created as a throwaway character for an episode in Batman: The Animated Series.
- Lois Lane was the first character to be given the L.L. initials — kicking off what has become a running joke in the DC universe. Many others have since gone on to share the alliterated letters: Lex Luthor, Lucy Lane, Linda Lee, Lionel and Lena Luthor, Lewis Lang, etc.
- At one point, DC Comics planned to make Wonder Woman and The Green Lantern a romantic item. You might say the plan had gotten the, ahem, green light. However, a fan wrote a letter suggesting the same pairing and, due to legal reasons, this prohibiting DC from creating the couple.
- Director Ava DuVernay says Big Barda, a character created in 1971, is her favorite superhero.
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