Favorite Strong Female Leads

Shang Gu/Hou Chi: Shang Gu has to face one of the biggest trials to her existence: The Tribulation of Chaos. Although it means sacrificing herself, as long as it’s for the peace of three realms. Through her reincarnation, we learn her resilience as she’s still willing to live and die for the one she loves although many of her friends try to keep her away from the dangerous path in her second life. 

However, in both of Shang Gu’s lives, I found her always willing to do what's right for the greater good even when it was the tougher choice.

Li Chang Ge: Li Chang Ge  is identifiably strong as she strategizes to avenge her slaughtered family. As we follow her journey, I found Chang Ge to be strong against her adversity even as she finds a powerful confidant, the general, Ashile Sun. Chang Ge becomes Ashile’s strategist, is acknowledged as a teacher and takes on a disciple, maintains loyalty and swears to protect her friends even as she believes they have betrayed her all while overcoming the biggest hardship that she’s ever had to face.

Cui Lin: Cui Lin is brave, sassy, intelligent and she is one of those characters that doesn’t take problems from anyone. I view her as strong because she, much like Li Chang Ge (TLB), is able to stand on her own two feet and fight side by side with her lover and family when they need her. 

Zhao Pan'er: Zhao Pan'er has had to learn that as a woman, we will have it much tougher than the men. She isn’t of desirable status in the Song Dynasty but with her confidence, intelligence and bravery, she always finds a way to protect her friends, stand up for herself and does whatever she can to keep at her dream of becoming a businesswoman.

Bai Feng Xi: Bai Feng Xi is equal to any man and she is confident in her abilities. What I loved about her character in WRTW is that she doesn't change for anyone and sticks with her wits. Like many others of this list, she seeks to protect those who cannot protect themselves and that makes her worthy of a strong female lead. 

Yun Wei Shan: I couldn't ignore the will and power behind Yun Wei Shan's role as an assasin. She is put through many tribulations to the goal of finally being free. She knows her mission but abandons it when she falls in love. She begins to transfer her needs to complete her mission to protecting the one she loves side by side.

Mu Deok: Mu Deok was one of the strongest sorceresses that ended up jumping into another body losing her powers. Although it's a tough journey turning from powerful to powerless, she adapts and ends up helping Jang Uk on his own path to becoming stronger as his teacher. AOS shows us how the power is truly within and Mu Deok is one that I viewed as one of my favorite strong female lead characters. 

Li Su Su: Li Su Su takes on a challenge that many people may have been too scared to do, defeat the devil king before he gains his power to protect her family from destruction. Throughout her journey, although she knows what she's been tasked to do she can't help but want to proect Luo Yunxi who was born unlucky and has faced many struggles on his path to survive. Li Su Su faces many challenges along her journey but she always faces it with such determination that makes her one to be reckoned with. 

Ye Tan: Ye Tan has never had a favorable background comparably to her sister. When she accidentally ends up in the immortal realm, it's tougher for her to survive but she manages to find resilience as she's never had much a home to begin with. One of the traits that speaks to me about Ye Tan is that although the story has set up the perfect condition that could make Ye Tan hate her sister, she's always trying to protect her to the very end at the cost of her own happiness. 

Feng Yin: Feng Yin starts out as a fragile water congealing beast that is looked down on as they are seen as insignificant comparably to immortals with their shorter lifespan. Although she is reborn into this consciousness, she doesn't let it dictate who she is and whether she'll take other's bullying. She stands up for people indiscriminately which speaks volumes on her character.

When she does transform back into her true form, we see how much this character shines as she seeks to protect everyone she loves with her strength. 

Qin Shi: Qin Shi is capable and intelligent. For the purpose of succeeding, she finds a man to play a role with her but later realizes that her work ethic is enough. Many obstacles come into her path but, she never stops pursuing her goals in being a successful attorney and opening doors for promotion for women. 

Cheng Shao Shang: Shao Shang is intelligent and brave, she knows she may not be as physically strong as Ling Bu Yi but she charges in to do what she believes is right. When she swoops in to protect Bu Yi from himself, we get to see how far she's willing to go to protect the one she loves despite the cost. 

Princess An Ning: Princess An Ning albeit cowardly in her true feelings to her friend, has true strength in that she rather defend an entire city on her own even if it means reaching her demise than to succumb to a villain's treachery and the plot they have for her. She decides on her own what is important and stands to defend it in her final scene earning her one of my favorite strong female leads. 

Hua Zhi: Hua Zhi doesn't take turmoil from anyone, and that includes the king. She's fearless and brave, almost nothing scares her. She's willing to take on the role of protecting her family and succeeds in opening many doors (that initially were shut or covered by men) for the women of her family. When she isn't protecting them, she's providing guidance and light to those who truly need a helping hand in hindsight of the conflicts that it may bring herself. 

Liu Mian Tang: Miantang is capable, meticulous, resolute and intelligent. She's able to decipher situations and pave the way for herself + her loved one. In this drama, we've seen her shield her husband several times (whom at the time she thought was weak + focused on the arts) and work harder to establish a life for them both. 

Additionally, Miantang teaching other women how to help without physical prowess during a time of war/when men are fighting and maintain her composure in a sea of uncertainty is inspiring.

Cui Xingzhou (ML) explains it best in Episode 30: "If Miantang wants to secure her life, she doesn't need to marry a good family. She is her own secure place. She can control her own fate. In less than a year, she turned a small shop into a royal tribute porcelain store joining a century old guild. She single handly resisted a group of rules. She didn't lose to any man. That great battle in Xizhou, was won with the help of your granddaughter. She showed me for the first time that while men can defend the country, women can defend the rear and even achieve victory in extraordinary ways. I also know that such a seemingly weak woman once led tens of thousands of bandits, set up her own banner and defended the poor from the rich. A woman like her can live elegantly, even if she never marries." 

Shen Zheng Yi: Zheng Yi is passionate, unrelenting and  goal oriented. She has a passion for skating and she isn’t willing to let that go despite opposition from parents, lack of professional training and knowledge, stronger opponents and isolation from her team. 

With this many barriers, she uses that as a drive to strive for a better performance. Zheng Yi grows and learns from her experiences which then earns the respect from her teammates, coach and family. Her persistence made the drama worth watching and she’s worthy of an addition to this list. 

Duan Wu/ Su Mu Zhe: Duan Wu is without a doubt one of the strongest and most loyal characters that I've watched. She went through her beginning as a slave and worked to find freedom for her and her friend at the time. As we watch Duan Wu's journey throughout the show, she somehow always meets people that become her family and puts herself in a position to protect those around her from harm.

She's had some of the hardest cards thrown at her but she does not give up. When her people are wronged, she finds her own way to stand against the opposing team thus making her one of my favorite strong female leads. 

Hua Qin: Initially afraid of death after mistakes in her past life, she gets a second chance to make her wrongs right. Hua Qin grows over the course of the series through intelligence (seeing plots through even though they’ve slightly deviated from the original path) and temperament (once immature, begins to mature from her life experiences). 

One of my favorite scenes from her hails from the second half of the series where she finds strength within to investigate a murder of someone close. How she handles the situation may lean towards morally gray, but I for one, was intrigued and in awe of her badassness.