Posted on Nov 15, 2015

25 Badass '90s Female TV Characters Who Were Total Role Models

“I’m a damsel, but not the distressed kind.” — Topanga, Boy Meets World

by Anna Kopsky

BuzzFeed Staff

She wasn’t afraid to stand up for herself, and even when she didn’t know what to do, she was still strong.

—kathrynh4

Topanga was intelligent, caring, generous, witty, and all-around fabulous. She never dumbed herself down for anyone.

—ameliarf

She never backed down from her beliefs and stood strong in the face of every tragedy imaginable. Oh, and she saved Mulder’s ass just as many times as he saved hers, if not more.

—Anna Hill

She was editor and publisher of her self-started magazine, Flava. She was an independent female entrepreneur who encouraged other women to do the same.

—Shannon Camille Moman, Facebook

When she had moments when she was less than perfect, she noticed her flaws and ultimately strived to be a better person and a better friend.

—cailininchains

She was a smart girl with a good heart, and even when she sometimes made the wrong decisions, she always figured it out!

—dcpuppygirl2

Lisa isn't embarrassed about her love of books, playing the sax, or being herself.

—zeiglerclarissa92

She was a normal girl who made mistakes and learned from them, but also had a great imagination and was super intelligent.

—Kylie Casino, Facebook

These girls were basically the teenage Charlie’s Angels — going to school, having a social life, and still saving the world.

—pandarosita

So much confidence and girl power in one character. She didn’t take shit from anyone!

—malex97

I wanted to grow up to be her because she was so real, and the things she experienced were completely relatable. She handled everything with grace, from her boyfriend cheating on her to her BFF being disloyal.

—courtneytaleih

I appreciated the way she could read people without being angry, and instead just told it like it was.

—gigipants

She’s good at math and interested in politics, and stood up for her beliefs — sometimes even against her own family. She’s open-minded, and tried to do what was right, even if it wouldn’t benefit her.

—ahopefulpessimist

She was a little ~out there~, but she was very wise. Not to mention a total badass!

—Kbredenbeck

She wasn't the nicest to the other kids, but she knew what she wanted and got shit done.

—breem48

She never apologized for being different, and was generally just in good spirits. She was definitely someone I aspired to be like when I got older.

—kirstenr4

She was politically active and a staunch feminist. She had struggles just like any other hard-working girl, but she always managed to work through them.

—Shira Kipnees, Facebook

She didn't care what the boys thought of her and threw a middle finger to traditional gender rules.

—Carson29

She was never one to apologize for her lifestyle. Whenever Frasier, Niles, or Bulldog made her the butt of their jokes, she knew how to hit back with twice as much force.

—Ann Catherine Hughes, Facebook