Are You Creating a Female Character? Avoid These Tropes!
Creating memorable female characters in comics and illustration is an art that constantly evolves. In recent years, we have witnessed a significant increase in female characters in movies, series, literature, and comic books. However, despite these advances, many representations continue to fall into the same “tropes” or clichés that have dominated narratives for decades.
A trope, according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, is “a common or overused theme or device: CLICHÉ”. While women are gaining greater prominence in storytelling, breaking established stereotypes remains a significant challenge for many creators.
As artists and visual storytellers, we have the responsibility to be aware of these commonplaces that, in most cases, lead to the stigmatization and devaluation of female characters. This article will explore the most common tropes, analyze concrete examples, and offer alternatives to create more complex and authentic female characters.
Your Character’s Role: Beyond Being a Complement
When creating a female character, the first step is to define what place she will occupy in our story. Will she be a protagonist or have a secondary role? Depending on our choice, we must reflect on what makes her a protagonist or secondary character and what are the necessary conditions for her to fulfill that role convincingly and originally.
Let’s imagine we’re developing a story starring a young woman with a seemingly ordinary life, a character with whom the audience could easily identify. The key question is: what conflicts or problems will she have to face?
A very common tendency is to turn her entire existence into a search for romantic validation. This is the case with Yukari in “Paradise Kiss” by Ai Yazawa. Much of the plot revolves around her relationship with George, a boy who embodies hegemonic beauty standards and who constantly confuses her with his ambiguous intentions.
In these panels, we can observe Yukari completely overwhelmed by her feelings for George. Despite having to make important decisions about her future, she finds it impossible to think about anything other than this boy. Simultaneously, she debates between staying with the “bad boy” (George) or pursuing her interest in her classmate, Hiroyuki, the “good boy”. The problem is amplified when another of her friends, Miwako, faces a similar dilemma between her boyfriend Arashi and the same Hiroyuki, thus forming multiple love triangles that limit the freedom of development of the female characters. In the last panel, we see how Yukari literally falls on George, yielding to the force of her desire and positioning herself in a place of emotional dependence.
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The Bechdel-Wallace Test: A Revealing Tool
To avoid falling into stereotyped representations, Alison Bechdel proposed, along with her colleague Liz Wallace, the famous Bechdel-Wallace test in her comic strip “Dykes to Watch Out For,” published between 1983 and 2008. This tool has become a reference for measuring the function and representation of women in works of fiction.
The test poses three basic but surprisingly difficult conditions for many works to meet:
- That at least two female characters appear
- That these women talk to each other
- That their conversation is about something other than a man
In this influential comic strip, Bechdel not only criticized the dependence of female characters on male ones in different fiction narratives, but also managed to represent body types far from traditional beauty canons. Her female characters present gestures that do not correspond with what is conventionally understood as “feminine” or “sexy,” two mandates that tend to dominate the representation of women in visual media.
The bodies in Bechdel’s work are more robust, her characters walk in a carefree manner and seem comfortable with their way of expressing themselves. Additionally, they possess psychological depth, have their own opinions, and converse about the cultural, social, and political reality that surrounds them, instead of limiting themselves to talking about their romantic relationships.
What this test suggests, quite explicitly, is that the prominence of our female characters should not depend exclusively on the existence (or absence) of a romantic interest. Instead, they should possess a psychological complexity that transcends this aspect. In this way, we could challenge the preconceived idea that women are inherently associated with the emotional and sentimental, while men are the ones who live great epic adventures outside the domestic sphere.
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The Mako Mori Test: Building Independent Narrative Arcs
Another valuable tool for evaluating female representation is the Mako Mori test, inspired by the namesake character from the movie “Pacific Rim” (2013) directed by Guillermo del Toro. This test proposes the following criteria:
- At least one female character
- who has her own narrative arc
- that is not subordinate to a man’s story
An excellent example of a character who meets these requirements is Maki Zen’in from the manga “Jujutsu Kaisen,” created by Gege Akutami. Although Maki maintains significant relationships with male characters like Yuji Itadori and Yuta Okkotsu, this does not prevent her from developing her own narrative arc, focused on the difficulties she faces for belonging to a family and clan that have constantly belittled her.
Maki is a character with multiple dimensions: she is strong, intelligent, has clearly defined goals, and can defend herself. She enjoys independence and, while she demonstrates support and solidarity towards other characters, she does not depend on them for her personal development or to advance in the plot. She has her own battles to fight, just like Nobara, another outstanding female character from the same series.
In the panel on the left, we observe a high-angle shot that enhances her strength, vitality, and superiority over her male opponents, while holding a weapon with a determined attitude. Additionally, we can see her face with scars, challenging the canons of physical perfection usually imposed on female characters. Although Maki is technically a secondary character, her arc develops with such depth that it allows us to follow her journey with admiration.
For female readers in particular, recognizing themselves in a female character with these characteristics offers a valuable opportunity to escape from patriarchal mandates that, at times, disguise themselves with small concessions that may go unnoticed but perpetuate limiting stereotypes.
In direct contrast to Maki, we find Seras Victoria from “Hellsing” by Kōta Hirano. Despite Seras possessing superhuman strength after being turned into a vampiress by Alucard, and experiencing some evolution as a character (even dedicating some pages to her previous history), she lacks a genuinely independent narrative arc. Her main function in the plot is to follow the orders of her “Master,” establishing a relationship of dependence and total submission to him. Her entire story revolves around following and worshiping Count Dracula.
Additionally, Seras is constantly hypersexualized throughout the manga. The bite mark on her neck left by Alucard is repeatedly emphasized, functioning as a symbol of possession; she is shown smiling coquettishly while pointing to it, in a gesture that is often interpreted as a sexual invitation; and her design stands out for an exuberant bust that receives special visual attention in numerous scenes. These elements make her not only a secondary character with little autonomy, but also a sexual object presented for the visual delight of the viewer, perfectly exemplifying the concept of “fanservice.”
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One-dimensional Characters: The Most Common Tropes
Falling into representations of women who are one-dimensional, without psychological depth, emotional complexity, or development of their own narrative arcs is one of the most frequent errors in content creation. These characters are often distinguished by having a single quality that characterizes them and distinguishes them from the rest. Let’s look at some examples of these limiting archetypes:
The Innocent: Vulnerability Disguised as Naivety
This trope represents a female character incapable of perceiving when she is being subjected to situations of manipulation or abuse, generally because she is infatuated with her romantic interest or with friends who take advantage of her. Her extreme naivety makes her a perpetual victim of circumstances she does not understand, constantly requiring to be “saved” by other characters.
A clear example of this trope is Zaida from “Space Drop.” Although the context of her character as an alien unfamiliar with Earth customs partially justifies her naivety, on repeated occasions she ends up in vulnerable situations with Kade, the boy she is attracted to and who, perhaps involuntarily, manipulates her. The plot requires other characters to intervene to make her see that she has developed a dependent relationship with him and that both need space to reconsider the nature of their bond.
Zaida’s visual design reinforces this stereotype: she presents infantilized facial features, constantly blushing cheeks, large and expressive eyes that suggest perpetual surprise and innocence, and a body posture frequently leaning backward, indicating emotional imbalance. The predominant colors in her design are light, often pastels, striking and cheerful, following the traditional color palette for this type of character.
The Bossy One: Female Power Seen as Negative
This archetype represents women with authority, but from a negative perspective, suggesting that they abuse the power they possess. Due to the traditional association of the feminine with the emotional as opposed to the rational, these characters are often portrayed as incapable of making sensible decisions, acting on impulse and potentially harming those under their command.
Even when these characters make correct decisions, they are frequently perceived as “exaggerated” or unnecessarily aggressive, judgments that are rarely applied to male characters in similar hierarchical positions. It is common for this type of character to be attributed characteristics traditionally associated with masculinity, implicitly reinforcing the idea that femininity and leadership are incompatible concepts.
Sir Integra Fairbrook Wingates Hellsing exemplifies this trope. In her first appearances in “Hellsing” she presents a design with more feminized features, but as the story progresses, she acquires more androgynous characteristics and adopts gestures typically associated with masculinity. In the panel on the left, her body language (the way she throws her coat, extends her arm, and opens her legs to affirm her posture) reflects this progressive masculinization. The design of her pelvis, more elongated than in the usual representation of female characters, reinforces this characterization when wearing traditionally “masculine” clothing.
Although the Hellsing Organization does not question her authority or oppose her orders, other entities such as the Round Table frequently do, even accusing her of incompetence to manage the crisis facing Great Britain, only for her to later prove to be the most qualified person to occupy that leadership position.
The Strong and Independent Woman: Autonomy as an Emotional Barrier
This trope presents a woman who does not depend on anyone or need to relate to others to achieve economic or emotional well-being. Her autonomy is presented as unbreakable, almost extreme, and she appears to be not emotionally available to establish significant affective bonds.
Although independence is a positive quality, this trope often turns it into a caricature that suggests that strong women must give up their vulnerability and deep emotional connections to maintain their autonomy. This creates a false dilemma between being strong or being capable of loving and connecting with others, when in reality both qualities can and should coexist in well-developed characters.
Characters like Mikasa Ackerman from “Attack on Titan” illustrate this problem when her initial independence and strength are progressively diluted in favor of an almost obsessive devotion to Eren, suggesting that not even the strongest women can escape romantic subordination.
The Barbie: Beauty as the Only Value
This archetype centers the entire identity of the character on her physical appearance. For “the Barbie,” aesthetics is not just important, but constitutes a goal in itself, surpassing any other aspiration or facet of her personality. Invariably beautiful according to conventional standards, this character reproduces a type of body practically unattainable for the audience, while establishing it as an ideal worthy of emulation.
The beauty of these characters is presented as irresistible, automatically attracting multiple romantic and sexual proposals. Paradoxically, this physical perfection is often accompanied by limited intelligence, reinforcing the stereotype that beauty and intellect are mutually exclusive in women.
Princess Aura in “Flash Gordon” or Bulma in her first appearances in “Dragon Ball” exemplify this trope, where their physical attractiveness constitutes their main contribution to the plot and defines their interaction with other characters.
Avoiding these simplistic tropes doesn’t mean creating perfect or unrealistic characters. Explore innovative methods to design female characters with nuance and complexity that captivate your audience without falling into stereotyped representations.
Enriching Psychological Depth
Beyond avoiding these evident tropes, there are concrete strategies to provide your female characters with greater psychological complexity:
Past and Motivations
Develop a detailed past for your character. What formative experiences have led her to be who she is? What traumas or triumphs have shaped her perspective? What are her deep motivations, not just the superficial ones? For example, if your character seeks power, ask yourself why she needs it: is it for revenge, to protect someone, to prove her worth?
Contradictions and Internal Conflicts
Real human beings are full of contradictions, and convincing characters should be too. A perfectly brave heroine at all times is less interesting than one who struggles against her own fears. These contradictions generate narrative tension and opportunities for character growth.
For example, a character who fervently defends honesty but keeps an important secret, or a fearsome warrior in battle who suffers social anxiety in everyday situations, are more memorable than those who follow predictable patterns.
Diverse Meaningful Relationships
Female characters should have meaningful relationships with other characters that go beyond romance. Deep friendships, professional rivalries, complex family dynamics, or mentorships are as important as romantic relationships, and in many cases, more interesting narratively.
Evolution Throughout the Story
A character who ends up exactly the same as how she started wastes narrative potential. Allow your female characters to learn, change, make mistakes, and grow. Experiences should transform them in significant and credible ways, not necessarily positive in all cases.
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Avoiding Unnecessary Hypersexualization
A recurring theme in the representation of female characters, especially in comics and video games, is hypersexualization. While the expression of sexuality can be a valid and important part of a character, it becomes problematic when:
- It is incongruent with the established personality of the character
- It is applied almost exclusively to female characters
- It interferes with the credibility of the character in their context (such as impractical armor for female warriors)
- It is used as a substitute for deeper character development
Some questions you can ask yourself when designing your female characters:
- Are the physical appearance and clothing of the character consistent with her personality, history, and the world in which she lives?
- Am I applying the same design criteria to male and female characters in similar roles?
- Does the sexuality of this character arise organically from her personality or am I imposing it to satisfy external expectations?
The art of designing believable characters goes beyond anatomical proportions. Perfect your mastery of designing characters consistent with their context and personality to create works that stand out for their authenticity.
Diversity as Narrative Richness
One of the most effective ways to avoid falling into limiting tropes is to embrace diversity in representation. This includes:
Physical Diversity
The real world is full of women with different body types, facial features, skin tones, ages, and physical abilities. Representing this diversity not only creates a more credible world but offers greater possibilities for identification for the diverse audience that will consume your work.
Characters like Amanda Waller from DC Comics or Gwen Stacy in her “Spider-Gwen” version challenge traditional physical archetypes and are memorable precisely because of it.
Diversity of Personalities
Women, like any human group, present an infinite spectrum of personalities. Some are extroverted, others introverted; some analytical, others intuitive; some optimistic, others pessimistic. Within the same comic or story, different female characters can and should represent different ways of being and facing the world.
Diversity of Roles
Female characters can occupy any position in your narrative: protagonists, antagonists, mentors, protégés, allies, rivals, etc. Each role offers different opportunities to develop complex characters and avoid falling into repetitive patterns.
Let’s Tell Stories with Authentic Characters!
There are many common tropes used to represent women, and they exist for a reason. First, because they have crystallized over time in our visual culture; and second, because they have been established as models to follow, especially those that reinforce subordination dynamics. It is understandable to fall into some of them, because although they are questionable, they often have some correlation with reality, precisely because, in some sense, they have historically been proposed as acceptable or desirable roles.
However, what we propose is not to create perfect or unrealistic female characters, but to avoid building one-dimensional women defined by a single trait or function. The challenge is to give them their own story, allow them to talk about topics beyond their romantic ties, give them strength without stripping them of emotionality.
Look around you, observe the complexity of the real women you know. You will discover that there is no better character than one who can generate identification with as many readers as possible. Complex female characters not only enrich our narratives but reflect more faithfully the richness of the world we live in.
Now that you know these principles, it’s your time to create memorable female characters that transcend clichés and connect deeply with your audience. Your creative vision can contribute to transforming the way women are represented in sequential art and illustration.
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