6 shows with female characters who kick ass and take names—literally (Slideshow)

With the still uneven ratio of men to women on screen, it's not always easy to find TV shows with a good representation of smart and tough women. What follows is a list of some of the shows I've come across that have women in leadership roles who are just as strong—if not stronger—as their male counterparts. These women are a mix of ages, races, sexualities and, in some cases, species, showing that embracing diversity of women doesn't have to be a hardship.

This list is by no means all encompassing of every strong woman on screen, but rather is a selection of some of my favorites. Click through each of the six slideshows to meet some truly amazing women who we all should wish we could be more like. If after reading this list, you feel the urge to binge watch one or all of these shows, don't fight it. Join me over here, I have strong women and good plots.

1. The 100 (The CW) 2014–

The 100

Clarke Griffin

Octavia Blake

Lexa

Indra

Raven Reyes

IMDb Description: “Set ninety-seven years after a nuclear war has destroyed civilization, when a spaceship housing humanity's lone survivors sends one hundred juvenile delinquents back to Earth, in hopes of possibly re-populating the planet.”

Reasoning: This show is full of badass female characters of varying races, ages and sexualities who go through way more challenges and losses than should be humanly possible to survive, but they endure.

2. Game of Thrones (HBO) 2011–

Game of Thrones

Daenerys Targaryen

Arya Stark

Ygritte

Yara Greyjoy

Ellaria Sand

Olenna Tyrell

IMDb Description: "Nine noble families fight for control over the mythical lands of Westeros, while a forgotten race returns after being dormant for thousands of years."

Reasoning: Game of Thrones has never been a friend to its female characters—often depicting their abuse, sexual assault and murder—but that doesn't mean it doesn't have some completely badass women on screen.

3. The Walking Dead (AMC) 2010–

The Walking Dead

Michonne

Carol Peletier

Maggie Greene

IMDb Description: "Sheriff Deputy Rick Grimes wakes up from a coma, to learn the world is in ruins, and must lead a group of survivors to stay alive."

Reasoning: This show doesn't have a lot of women, but those it does boast are still alive for a reason—well at least most of them. They are often the toughest characters on screen and, not to mention, they can kill zombies like nobody's business.

4. Teen Wolf (MTV) 2011–2017

Teen Wolf

Allison Argent

Malia Tate

Lydia Martin

Kira Yukimura

Melissa McCall

IMDb Description: "A somewhat awkward teen is attacked by a werewolf and inherits the curse himself, as well as the enemies that come with it."

Reasoning: Whether human, banshee, werecoyote or kitsune, the women on Teen Wolf are the true brains and brawn on the show. They are the glue that keeps the pack together and the loss of some of them—through death or just leaving the town of Beacon Hills—nearly crippled the group entirely.

5. The Defenders (Netflix) 2017–

The Defenders

Jessica Jones

Misty Knight

Colleen Wing

Claire Temple

IMDb Description: "Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, and Iron Fist team up to fight crime in New York City."

Reasoning: One of the most, if not the most, diverse installments in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Defenders brings together all the strong women from the previous four shows so they can save New York City—with some help from some supermen.

6. Quantico (ABC) 2015–

Quantico

Alex Parrish

Raina Amin

IMDb Description: "A look at the lives of young FBI recruits training at the Quantico base in Virginia when one of them is suspected of being a sleeper terrorist."

Reasoning: Going through FBI training is difficult even without being framed for a terrorist attack, and infiltrating a rogue terror faction of the CIA is a whole other beast, but that doesn't stop some women from getting the job done.