Fantasy show fans have some new seasons of hit shows to look forward to in 2023, including the upcoming release of season three of The Witcher on Netflix. These shows have some exceptional female role models, such as young Ciri in The Witcher and Brienne of Tarth in Game of Thrones. However, there are many female characters that are poorly written in fantasy TV shows.
Characters such as Sansa Stark in Game of Thrones and Abbie Mills in Sleepy Hollow are some of the most mistreated women in this genre. Though these characters had the potential to be great female representations, their stories were disappointing. There are particularly beloved female characters in fantasy shows that deserved better.
10 Charlotte Richards
Lucifer
Lucifer is a great fantasy show that has a nice police procedural twist to the storyline. Though the finale of the show was positive and heartwarming, not all the characters in the series received a great conclusion to their arc. Charlotte Richards had a sad arc, her body being taken over by the Goddess only to find her whole life had been changed when she gets control of her life once again.
Charlotte has a brutal conclusion, being shot shortly after she's tried to make a positive change in her life. Though it's mentioned she's happy in Heaven, her conclusion in Lucifer was a shocking and devastating end to a character that had a lot more to offer.
9 Suki
Avatar: The Last Airbender
Suki was a skilled Kyoshi Warrior and the love interest of Sokka in Avatar: The Last Airbender. Though she wasn't in the series for many episodes, she was an important part of Team Avatar in the final battle. It was sad to see her jailed by the Fire Nation before she was rescued, though she retained her awesome demeanor.
Despite Suki being an important part of the gang in the final season, she isn't mentioned in The Legend of Korra, unlike several other characters from ATLA. She's a fan-favorite that viewers wanted to see more of. Not highlighting her conclusion in ATLA and touching upon her adulthood in the spin-off was an injustice to her contributions throughout the war against the Fire Lord.
8 Mary Winchester
Supernatural
Supernatural is a great fantasy show that became controversial in the final few seasons. Mary Winchester had a sad story, as she was killed by a demon when her sons were young. Her death was a catalyst to the Winchesters becoming monster hunters, though it's revealed later she was a descendant of a line of hunters.
After she was raised from the dead, Mary became one of the most interesting characters and exceptional hunters. In the end, she met a sudden and unintentional death at the hands of Jack. Despite being at peace in Heaven, Mary's journey after her resurrection was heartwarming. She had much more to contribute other than a plot device to create a rift between her sons and Jack.
7 Prue Halliwell
Charmed
The reboot of Charmed was not received positively, criticized for not bringing anything new to the original plot. One of the beloved aspects of the '90s hit was Prue Halliwell. She was the oldest and most powerful of the sisters, dedicating her time to learning about her abilities.
While trying to protect a doctor from a deadly demon, Prue is mortally injured and succumbs to her wounds before she can be healed by Leo the Whitelighter. Though she had an honorable death, it was devastating for fans to see her die in the third season, especially since she was the most powerful of the Charmed Ones.
6 Charlie Bradbury
Supernatural
Charlie was a beloved character in Supernatural, known for her quirky and fun personality. Her inclusion offered a freshness to the male-dominated series and added LGBTQ+ representation that was lacking in the overall show. Despite her popularity, the character received a brutal demise.
After translating the Book of the Damned for the Winchesters, she is stabbed to death in a motel by an enemy seeking the translation. Fans were devastated by this death, feeling as if this tragedy wasn't necessary for the forward-moving plot. Though her character returned in the alternate world storyline, it was not the same lovable character.
5 Tara Maclay
Buffy The Vampire Slayer
Tara was introduced into the Buffyverse later in the series, becoming Willow's love interest. Willow and Tara are arguably the best couple in this teen fantasy, adding diversity to the series and a wholesome relationship that was far less toxic than others throughout the storyline.
Tara died being shot by a stray bullet meant for Buffy. This event inevitably led to Willow going dark, unable to cope with the loss. Tara was a kind, gentle person that puts others before herself. Unfortunately, she was another victim of being a plot device to forward the characterization of another character.
4 Abbie Mills
Sleepy Hollow
Sleepy Hollow was a great reimagining of the classic tale, following Ichabod Crane (Tom Mison) who ends up 250 years into the future. He and Abbie Mills (Nicole Beharie), a detective, team up to stop the Headless Horseman in modern-day Sleepy Hollow. Mills was a main reason for the popularity of this show, beloved for her courage and empathy.
However, Beharie had experienced mistreatment compared to her co-star, making the actress unhappy with her role. Sleepy Hollow's third season ended with Mills' death, sacrificing herself to bring an end to Pandora. This was another sacrificial death that was made to seem honorable to the character, but, in reality, was another injustice to female characters in fantasy shows.
3 Sansa Stark
Game Of Thrones
Many fans of Sansa Stark in Game of Thrones were satisfied with how her story concluded. Though she had gone through some terrible ordeals, she ended up the Queen of the North. This seemed like an honorable conclusion to her storyline. However, Sansa's story only needed such a grand conclusion because of how her character was written throughout the series.
Following the death of her father, Sansa was relentlessly abused and made to feel as though her treatment was justifiable and simply the way of the world. The treatment of women in this series is a deeply concerning controversy, with many fans despising the way Sansa's strong characterization at the end was made to seem only possible because of the abuse she suffered.
2 Francesca Findabair
The Witcher
Francesca has one of the most chilling stories in Netflix's The Witcher. When introduced, she is the fierce ruler of the elven people struggling to survive the harsh treatment of their kind. After partnering with Fringilla and Nilfgaard, Francesca gives birth to a rare elf baby, only for her child to be assassinated.
Toward the end of the second season of The Witcher, Francesca walked with her people through the streets of Redania, using her magic to kill the human infants of the city. Though her story will certainly continue with the upcoming next season, it's clear the constant injustice of elven people in their society has turned Francesca into a vengeful and unforgiving ruler.
1 Rhaenyra Targaryen
House Of The Dragon
In the next season of House of the Dragon, fans will see the beginning of the war between the Greens and the Blacks. While the fandom has split between which side to support, it's clear the show made the Blacks, Rhaenyra's side, the more favorable winners. Rhaenyra's story highlights her struggle to have a voice in court until her father names her heir to the Targaryen throne.
Rhaenyra is degraded by friends and family and is thought to be an unfit ruler, mainly due to her gender. In the finale, Rhaenyra is hesitant to begin a war until the murder of her son Lucerys. Many of Rhaenyra's decisions are based on a desire to be in control of her own life, leading to a heartbreaking story about a young woman that begins a war because of her constant mistreatment.