You’d be hard-pressed to find a period in television history that has more badass women than today. From Dragon mothers and mothers-turned-lawyers, to zombie killers and D.C. fixers—today’s TV ladies are emboldened, intelligent, hilarious, and inspiring. They are so well-written and, well, so damn eloquent sometimes! Here are 20 unforgettable quotes from some of the big female personas on the small screen.
1. Daenerys, Game of Thrones:
“All men must die, but we are not men.”
2. Michonne, The Walking Dead:
“Anger makes you stupid, stupid gets you killed.”
3. Leslie Knope, Parks and Recreation:
“You know my code: Hos before bros, uteruses before duderuses, ovaries before brovaries.”
4. Alicia Florrick The Good Wife:
“I’m gonna try something I may regret, but at least I’m gonna try it.”
5. Joan Holloway Mad Men:
“You want to be taken seriously? Stop dressing like a little girl.”
6. Olivia Pope, Scandal:
“I don’t perform miracles or do the impossible. I make cold calculations about difficult situations, and I do not take on anything I know I won’t win. And I will win this.”
7. Claire Underwood, House of Cards:
“Behind every great man is a woman with blood on her hands.”
8. Violet Crawley, Downton Abbey:
“You’re a woman with a brain and reasonable ability. Stop whining and find something to do.”
9. Selina Meyer, Veep:
“That’s like trying to use a croissant as a fucking dildo. It doesn’t do the job and it makes a fucking mess.”
10. Pamela Swynford, True Blood:
“My mad face and my happy face are the same.”
11. Jess, New Girl:
“I hope you like feminist rants ‘cause that’s kinda my thing.”
12. Jessica Pearson, Suits:
“I know they said I couldn’t control you. You’re going to learn that I can.”
13. Lagertha, Vikings:
“You couldn’t kill me if you tried for a hundred years.”
14. Hannah Horvath, Girls:
“The worst stuff that you say sounds better than the best stuff that some other people say.”
15. Peggy Olson, Mad Men:
“I’m the person you need to impress right now.”
16. Diane Lockhart, The Good Wife:
“When the door you have been knocking at finally swings open, you don’t ask why. You run through.”
17. Mindy Lahiri, The Mindy Project:
“It is so weird being my own role model.”
18. Lisa Simpson, The Simpsons:
“Why is it that whenever a woman is strong and powerful, they call her a witch?”
19. Red, Orange is the New Black:
“I can’t do shit with I’m sorry.”
20. Arya Stark, Game of Thrones:
“Swift as a deer. Quiet as a shadow. Fear cuts deeper than swords.
Quick as a snake. Calm as still water. Fear cuts deeper than swords.
Strong as a bear. Fierce as a wolverine. Fear cuts deeper than swords.
The man who fears losing has already lost. Fear cuts deeper than swords.
Fear cuts deeper than swords. Fear cuts deeper than swords.”
Madina Papadopoulos is a New York-based freelance writer, author and regular contributor to Paste. You can follow her on Twitter.