Transformer Female Characters
In honor of @emperor-kumquat post which I do agree with to an extent, I wanted to point out all the underloved female characters who are written right, feel real and are likable.
Quickshadow from Rescue Bots who might I add is also one of the few bots stationed in Europe. She's cool, classy and capable. Plus, it would be awesome to see a TF series that takes place in London. And I want HER to be the leader of it.
Whirl from Rescue Bots Academy. She's quirky, cheerful and eager to work. I also found her depiction very much like a lot of little girls I have met. Also, she's was treated like a kid which I appreciate. Can we also talk about how canonically, it is hinted that she is the daughter of Whirl from IDW and may come from a single parent home? Also, it seems to be shown in a good light which I like.
Twitch from Earthspark who is my opinion, the most natural and positive depiction of a tomboy character. She also genuinely reminds you of a kid. Also, she is made of so much love. She likes people and is protective of her family. Also, she takes being a big sister to heart rather than being a big bully about it.
Airrazor from Beast Wars. I loved her a lot and I liked that she contrasted to Blackarachnia. I also got the impression from her at times that she was an adult tomboy, but she wasn't bitter or manhating. She was one of the guys and had her teammates backs. However, I will die on the hill that they did her dirty.
Red Alert from Animated. I'm usually not into gender swapping, but in this case, I really like it. In this version, Red Alert is calm, capable and turned her disability (her missing arm) into a superpower. Plus, her design is beautiful without objectifying her and it is still functional.
Spitfire from Earthspark. While I am not big on her looking just like Twitch with different colours, I do like her personality as a villainess. Unlike most stereotypical remade villains, she is NOT a femme fatale nor is she sexualized. She too is a tomboy, a total firecracker and gets what she wants by any means necessary. She is also quite crafty when she wants to be. I really wish they developed her more.
Sari Sumdac from Animated. She was one of the few things I liked about Animated. I also appreciated that she was not Mary Sue-ish despite what many believe. She made mistakes all the time, had moments of selfishness and was called out for it, and even when she got upgrade after discovering that she was half-Transformer, it wasn't perfect. She got ahead herself and needed help regaining control. However, she grew as a person and as a character from needing protection to being a protector. I even liked the twist that she turned out to be half-Transformer. It made sense.
Strika from Animated and Beast Machines. She's an underrated female characters in Transformers period because she's as ground breaking as they come and she can actually break the ground. She's not a princess. She's a powerhouse and is damn proud of it. Plus, in Animated, she is canonically married to Lugnut and their marriage is quite happy. And good for her!
Charlie Watson from Bumblebee. I didn't say all of them were Transformers. Charlie is a hotshot and a very capable mechanic with nuances in every colour. Initially, she comes across as a cold loner, but she is actually quite misunderstood for real and turns to fixing an old car as a healthy outlet. It's clear she really loved her late dad and misses him. She needed someone to talk to and got that in Bumblebee as the big brother she wished she had. Also, when she rejected her friend's romantic advances, she did so gently and sensitively. And he seemed to appreciate that. She's not a hardass for the sake of it. She's complex like the inner workings of the old car she succeeds in fixing.
Alexis from Armada. Hear me out with this one. Alexis IS a strong female character because of how she is not your typical strong female character. Yes, she is girly and kind of has a romantic side, but it doesn't get on your nerves. She is caring, patient and very mature. She also sees good in people and has a way of bringing it out in people, and I don't see how that is a bad thing. After all, it is a skill that Doctor Who has and it was thanks to her that Starscream's soul was saved. She is genuinely compassionate and doesn't discriminate. And I have to say that her being able to make people better by just being genuinely kind and by being able to have a civil conversation with them IS amazing. She has the makings to be a good congresswoman or psychologist who saves lives. She is proof that femininity IS a superpower and not just for seduction.
And last but not least, Mikaela Banes from Transformers the 2007 movie. Unlike a lot of the other ladies, she is sexy and it is played up a lot, but it is also a deception. Mikaela is not a damsel in distress. If anything, she is a warrior. She came from a hard life and a broken home to begin with yet had a moral side. There was also the fact that she tore apart Ravage with a chainsaw and helped Bumblebee fight in the city by towing him around. I always found this character misjudged, misunderstood and mistreated by everyone including the people on the movie. I am well aware of the drama behind the scenes, but I can separate the character from the actor. Also, did you know that there was a spinoff comic featured Mikaela where Sam died and she went on to partner up with Bumblebee and joined the army? I will die on the hill that Mikaela should have been the MC not Sam.
If there are any ladies I missed here, feel free to add them.
PS: I don't hate Strongarm and I think she has potential. I just don't like how RID wrote her and to be fair, I don't like how it wrote a lot of characters.
