An Incomplete List of Anti-heroines

Late last night, I had a conversation with a friend about how we're often bored by male characters, especially ones who exhibit anti-heroic traits, such as selfishness, manipulation, and gray morality. However, we find female characters who toe the line of heroism way more fascinating. With that conversation in mind, I'm starting a list of these characters in both television/film and books as both a recommendation page for anyone looking for anti-heroines and as a reference page for myself.

The way I'm defining an anti-heroine is a central female character who doesn't care to play by the rules, whether those rules are society's or her workplace's or her own. Characters marked with an * are suggestions from friends whose shows/films/books I haven't seen or read.


TV/Film
Annalise Keating, How to Get Away with Murder

Captain Janeway, Ro Laren, Seven of Nine, and Tasha Yar, Star Trek*
Cat Sullivan, Taxi Brooklyn
Clarke Griffin, The 100
Dana Scully, The X-Files*
Eleanor Guthrie, Black Sails
Elektra, Daredevil*
Faith and Anya, Buffy the Vampire Slayer*
Furiosa, Mad Max: Fury Road
Hayes Morrison, Conviction
Jessica Jones, Jessica Jones
Nancy Botwin, Weeds*
Piper Chapman, Orange Is the New Black*

Samantha Caine, Long Kiss Goodnight*
Stella Gibson, The Fall

Books
Amy Dunne, Gone Girl
Lily Bart, The House of Mirth
Scarlet O'Hara, Gone with the Wind


I'll keep building for a while yet as I continue to read books and watch shows. Obviously, I need to think some more about the book section. Let me know if you have any to add!