Over the last decade, there has been a noticeable shift in female TV characters' behavior and actions across networks and streaming — as seen in the recently ended Killing Eve. There's been an influx of darker and more morally ambiguous women on screen, and fans are loving it.
These fierce anti-heroes have broken the mold of women who always have to be good and right and given audiences someone more thrilling to watch and love. Being bad is what these women do best, and some of these television queens have captured the minds of viewers globally with their conniving techniques and go-getter nature.
Blair Waldorf - Gossip Girl
Telling lies was what the characters of Gossip Girl did best, but Blair Waldorf carried the teen drama with her elaborate schemes which she carried out shamelessly, no matter the consequences or collateral damage.
Fans loved that she openly dismissed doing the correct or moral thing, and instead opted for delicious retribution and revenge plots, which kept them entertained. The Waldorf scion knew what she wanted and got it done, no matter what.
Cersei Lannister - Game Of Thrones
There's a reason why fans love watching Cersei-centric episodes: because she's easy to root for, yet also hateful at the same time. Cersei eschewed the very basic norms of society and did so without hesitation.
She ruled from her throne with an iron fist, and even though she was a bad leader, fans respected the fearsome lady because of her persona. She did as she pleased, protected her own, and played ruthless politics with ease -- a true queen.
Katherine Pierce - The Vampire Diaries
The Vampire Diaries, but Dobrev's craft was such that Katherine became an entity who was not only distinctive but also satisfyingly evil to watch.
With the vampire, it was hard to tell when she would help the Salvatores or turn against them, which kept fans guessing. Combined with a tragic backstory that made her the way she was, Katherine was a delight to watch, and TVD diehards were more than happy to see her return as the ultimate Big Bad on the show.
Fiona Gallagher - Shameless
The default matriarch of the aptly titled Shameless, Fiona Gallagher was an anti-hero who started off as deceptively good with all of her sacrifices for her siblings and the way she went out of the way to survive, but her dark side came out at the most unexpected times.
She was a flawed human being who did her best, but also made wrong decisions knowingly. Sending an old lady to a home, cheating on her fiancé with their brother, and exposing her baby brother to cocaine were only a few of the worst things Fiona did.
Fleabag - Fleabag
Fleabag's innate charm and humor disguised her dark side, but she definitely had one, and it was dominant. She decided to sleep with her best friend's boyfriend, and it didn't faze her when Boo was in pain while she was alive.
Few things were beneath Fleabag, be it robbery, attempting to make a priest break his vows, selectively charging her customers, or lying to everybody around her. But fans loved how comfortable she was in her wild abandon, making her a key female anti-hero.
Villanelle - Killing Eve
Although Villanelle got the most unfair treatment in the finale of Killing Eve, the stylish assassin won't be forgotten in a hurry. Few other characters have had the charisma and raw magnetism that Villanelle exuded — so much so that fans rooted for her even as she brutally took lives.
Totally at ease in her skin, Villanelle was a rare creature whose unpredictability made her extremely likable. She was everything a feminist character should be, despite her penchant for torture, and fans hated to see her become a gay trope at the end of a glorious run.
Annalise Keating - How To Get Away With Murder
The lawyer was the definition of a power character, as she literally made people get away with murder and indulged in some pretty shady dealings herself to keep on top of the game.
Annalise's sense of justice was corrosive, and she had no problems in making a group of young, impressionable students do her dirty work for her, or throwing them headfirst into the most dangerous situations as she masterminded whole plots.
Love Quinn-Goldberg - You
After a spate of victims at the hands of Joe Goldberg, Love leveling with him was a breath of fresh air that You fans desperately craved but didn't even know. She knew who she was, and her unabashed acceptance of her murderous tendencies was the thing that made her so likable.
Her impulsive decisions to attack people, along with her absolute love for Joe and her baby was a delightful juxtaposition to watch on the show, and many fans wanted her to survive.
Claire Underwood - House Of Cards
The unflappable Claire Underwood loved winning, and it was a welcome change to see a woman on TV who wasn't afraid of her own ambition, or who openly itted through words and actions that she would do anything to be the best, even if it meant murder.
Fans loved watching her best her detractors over and over with schemes that got increasingly nefarious and ruthless over time. House of Cards would be nothing without her.
Cheryl Blossom - Riverdale
Absurd, emotional, and impulsive — Cheryl Blossom was a class apart -- her weird ways were always morally grey and she liked it that way. There have been few characters on TV who have kept their dead sibling's body in their chapel, covered up murder, set homes on fire, and so much more for no real reason.
Cheryl's vaguely Shakespearean way of talking, her condescension, and deathly exploits were worth the few moments of vulnerability she presented to her audience, but they weren't as loved as her mean girl ways.