POV: Understanding empowerment through the lens of flawed fictional female characters I admired growing up

At a time when power is often coveted, defining what it truly means can be elusive. Follow along as I tell my story of growing up watching fictional female characters and finding my definition of it.

Our understanding of power as children was often shaped by the superheroes and villains we watched on TV. We saw power as something tangible, often represented by physical strength or special abilities. As a kid, my concept of what it meant to be cool was heavily influenced by the portrayal of women on screen, particularly in cartoons. I have always been a dedicated fan of fictional female characters, and nearly every show I loved featured a strong, independent woman. I made up my mind that I was watching the show for the cool characters despite not fully understanding why I was so drawn to them, even if they weren't the main focus of the story. 

One show that resonated deeply with me was "Kim Possible", which follows Kim as she battles evil alongside her sidekick Ron Stoppable and his pet mole rat, Rufus. While I enjoyed many shows growing up that featured powerful women, there was something particularly compelling about Kim Possible. Despite her superhero status, she grappled with challenges like every regular teenager. And that doesn't diminish the spark of her character, instead, it only makes her extremely interesting. This explains why I am repeatedly drawn back to it as my comfort show. My idea of being strong was to be like Kim Possible, fighting evil while managing to keep my personal life in balance. However, it made me question whether being strong meant being a superhero and if one should balance two things simultaneously to be considered strong. 

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Something that further added to this doubt was Disney's Mulan. Watching Disney princess movies was part of my growing up like many, but Mulan was my absolute favorite. The story of her chivalry was reason enough to inspire me. It tells the story of a brave young girl who takes her father's place in the war. Knowing the fact that women are forbidden from fighting, she decides to conceal her identity to battle for her country. What makes the story interesting is how it highlights her lack of traditional qualities expected of women in ancient China while also taking the time to elaborate on how Mulan cannot be physically as powerful as the men she trained with. It mindfully shows us Mulan's struggle to fulfill the expectations for both women and men, which are both extreme.

While the animated film saw her compensating for this by using her wits on the battlefield, the live-action somehow added to my own personal insecurities. In the live-action, Mulan is portrayed as a child prodigy, exceptionally talented in combat, which detracted from her relatability as an ordinary person facing extraordinary circumstances. She also has a sister in live-action who ends up being an ideal bride to someone and it feels as if the film is telling us that the people who are not special should settle with the ordinary. The movie somehow portrayed the narrative that being special takes a great deal of something and not everybody has it. 

As someone watching the film, I almost made up my mind and accepted that one has to be special to be inspiring, and worth the attention until I was introduced to women of Ghibli films. Studio Ghibli movies often present strong themes layered under wild imagination or tough realism. We have seen them presenting themes like imperialism, industrialization, and childhood often featuring female protagonists who are brave, independent, and flawed but above all they feel real. One character that was capable of showing me this new perspective was the character of Chihiro from Spirited Away. Chihiro was an ordinary girl going through her extraordinary situation in the most realistic way possible. This theme appears frequently in several other Studio Ghibli films, showcasing characters who confront challenges using their unique strengths. We have seen countless stories where the female lead is either saved by the hero before the happy ending or they are powerful enough who doesn't need saving, often labeling it as empowerment. However, I have noticed that Ghibli movies take their time to emphasize the value of companionship without the obligation to make connections. It is rather shown as a privilege to have reliable and loving people around you. These movies show that having them makes you feel powerful. 

Another thing that is usually glorified as powerful is to have someone fight only for what is right. I feel that's a shallow way to put it because who gets to decide what's important enough to fight for? In Princess Mononoke, Lady Eboshi, the film's antagonist, oversees an iron factory where she employs women, rescuing them from oppressive circumstances. What's intriguing about her character is that she isn't portrayed as inherently good deep down. In their attempt to make a villain likable, they give reasons to the audience for their bitterness, but the character of Lady Eboshi is the perfect example of a well-written grey character. Despite her toughness, arrogance, and greed, she remains compelling, perhaps even more so because of these flaws. 

Is being courageous the opposite of fear? Does being happy mean being away from all the problems? Do strong people get sad? I found the answers to all these questions in my favorite anime show, One Piece. As a show that writes its female characters well, it taught me that being powerful can mean so many things. One character I like to bring up in all my One Piece discussions is Queen Otohime. Her island, The Fishman Island, is at the bottom of the sea, away from all the humans who discriminate against her race. Princess Otohime envisioned a future of Fishman Island, where the people coexisted with humans. Although she was able to convince them as a good idea, a fishman who opposed this idea conspired to kill her blaming it on a human, spreading fear among the people. Imagine dedicating years to a dream, only to see it collapse because of someone else's hatred. But Queen Otohime urged her children not to hate on her behalf. She didn't want the kids to have prejudices but the privilege to grow up and have experiences of their own. Even as she took her last breath, the only thing she wanted was to shield the new generation from generational hate. She remained powerful despite her fear and lack of physical strength.

Just like she was able to show me what real power means, there were other characters that gave me goosebumps with their arcs. Like 8-year-old Nami sacrificing her childhood to save her village, or Vivi risking her life to stop a civil war in her country. Robin who never stopped being kind even after facing betrayals all her life, or Rebecca who believed that nobody deserves to get hurt despite being a warrior of the Colosseum, and so many other women. It also doesn't mean that these women have no imperfections. They are strong in an empowering way that doesn't feel tokenistic.

Watching strong male characters growing up was interesting, but there's something undeniably appealing about flawed female characters in stories. There's an inexplicable depth to some narratives that can only be truly captured through a well-written female character. These characters taught me that true power isn't about overpowering others, and genuine courage isn't the absence of fear. Perhaps the most powerful people are those unafraid to embrace vulnerability and also inspire others to believe in themselves along the way.

How do you define being powerful? And when was the last time you felt strong? 

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