Up and Coming BAMF Girls

Here’s a list of just some of the very best up-and-comers in the world of BAMF-ladiness:

1. Arya Stark (Game of Thrones)

A wannabe spinster-by-choice and all-around gender-bender, Arya Stark will stop at nothing to avenge her family. Exchanging sewing for internal-organ-ripping, Stark’s Needle should really be called Middle Finger [to Traditional Gender Roles].

2. Sally Draper (Mad Men)

Think it’s a reach? Think again. Sure, her parents’ divorce and mother’s crazy-pants coping mechanisms left Sally in a whirlwind of angst and resentment, but given her ability to find that delicate balance between Sass and Compassion, something tells me we’re about to meet Mad Men‘s REAL hero[ine]: Sassy Draper.

3. Lisa Simpson (The Simpsons)

I mean. She plays the alto sax. And, sure, that’s not necessarily a weapon, but Simpson’s smarts and passion are enough to make even one Hermione Granger a wee jealous. Getting a clueless dad to see reason is no mean feat.

4. Hit Girl (Kick-Ass)

“Age-inappropriate” is Hit Girl’s middle name; aside from the bloodlust and severe emotional issues, truth is sister-friend has mad fighting and strategizing skills well beyond her years. Can you imagine how lethal she’ll be once her hormones start raging?

5. Annie Edison (Community)

Though she’s not quite as young as the rest of the ladies on this list, Community‘s sweetheart has an edge and unfailing optimism. Sure, she’s already given Pierce thousands of chances — all of which he bombed — but I’m pretty sure there’s some kind of Dalai Lama line out there about the BAMFness of unconditional love. [Here. Have some nachos with that cheese.] She is, after all, the Ace of Hearts.

6. Susie Carmichael (Rugrats)

One of the few who could put up with Angelica’s antics, Susie Carmichael brought the heat in Rugrats. Racing to the rescue whenever the babies were in danger, and even setting differences aside to help her pigtailed foe, lil’ Susie is anything but a Bella.

7. Maeby Fünke (Arrested Development)

She has Mommy Issues to spare, and still plenty to learn about The Biz, but what she’s accomplished thus far without even having graduated high school is nothing short of WTF-worthy. She’s like a mini Oprah, only way scarier.

8. River Tam (Firefly)

She makes her over-achieving elder brother look like “an idiot child,” but her BAMFness doesn’t stop there: as a prototype for the Alliance’s super soldier, Tam takes on and beats down 20-30 opponents at a time, and her marks[wom]anship makes Katniss blush.

9. Jenna Hamilton (Awkward.)

Again, BAMFness takes many, many forms. So even though this almost-typical “invisible school girl” doesn’t know martial arts, she does know a thing or two about owning her awkwardness and surviving high school.