When our TV Team makes a list, we want guidelines, we want parameters, we want rubrics and precedents and clear explanations and examples. Do you mean X or do you mean Y? Are you talking about this or are you talking about that? What’s disqualifying, what’s a shoe-in, if you’re gonna add so-and-so, you gotta add such-and-such. Like Monica Gellar, we all firmly believe that RULES HELP CONTROL THE FUN. But last week, in her review of The Retreat, Drew wrote, “Tommie-Amber Pirie is a fully committed horror heroine and she carries the story with a dykey swagger.” And so Heather casually asked the TV Team if we wanted to make a list of lesbian and bisexual TV and film characters with the dyke-iest swagger. Within an hour, we had a list of 50 characters and not one single person asked for a definition. Dykey swagger is something you either have or you don’t, it’s something you either know or you don’t. It’s not really definable; it just is. Which is one of the things that makes it so alluring. And so:
The 50 Lesbian and Bisexual TV and Film Characters With the Dyke-iest Swagger
Cay Rivers, Desert Hearts
Coop, All American
Quiet Ann, Claws
Cleo, Set It Off
Emma and Nico, Vida
Hattie, Twenties
Callie Torres, Grey’s Anatomy
Kalinda Sharma, The Good Wife
Corky, Bound
Root and Shaw, Person of Interest
Tasha Williams, The L Word
Angelina Jolie’s Legs Sadovsky, Foxfire
Betty McRae, Bomb Girls
Poussey Washington, Orange Is the New Black
Bette Porter, The L Word
Anne Lister, Gentleman Jack
Rosa Diaz, Brooklyn Nine-Nine
Kat Sandoval, Madam Secretary
Nicky Nichols, Orange Is the New Black
Shane McCutcheon, The L Word
Paige McCullers, Pretty Little Liars
Abby and Riley, Happiest Season
Valkyrie, MCU
Garnet, Steven Universe
Sophie Moore, Batwoman
Peppermint Patty, Peanuts
Santana Lopez, Glee
Dex, Stumptown
Jackie Quiñones, Hightown
Stef, The Fosters
Xena, Xena: Warrior Princess
Pauline Hawthorne, Little Fires Everywhere
Snoop, The Wire
Amanita, Sense8
Lucy Diamond, DEBS
Diggy, Dope
M-Chuck, Survivor’s Remorse
Denise, Master of None
Adena, The Bold Type
Anissa and Grace, Black Lightning
Alex Danvers, Supergirl
Clea DuVall, But I’m a Cheerleader
Those Record Store Lesbians, Carol
Leila, The Bisexual
Jasmine Rawlings, Suicide Kale
Catra, She-Ra and the Princesses of Power
Honorable mention: Calamity Jane and Joanie Stubbs from Deadwood!
Now I want a Carol spinoff about the record store lesbians!
Kalinda and Corky one after the other are going to KILL me
Cay Rivers. sigh
Honorable mention Officer Haught? She had so much swagger that first time she stepped into Shorty’s 😍
Yes, she has a very relatable (and gay) tendency to vacillate between swagger and awkward fumbling <3
i do not think the judges will allow it, but awkward dykey swagger is probably my brand, really.
Samesies
Hi. Yes. Much agreed!
Came to this article hoping to find Betty McRae. Was not disappointed.
Love Betty.
I like how they’re all the name of the character and then Clea Duvall, lol. This list was extremely exciting 🥵🤤
I think of Jeri Hogarth from Jessica Jones!
How did Dr. Theodora Crain not make this list??
Oooh, yes! She’s basically Shane with long hair lol
Oh. My. Have I crossed over ? Surely this is Heaven
Haruka from Sailormoon would like a recount. :p
Kurt and honeybear from betties!
Katy O’Brian as George on Z Nation?
I just started season 3 but I’m soooo excited to get to season 5 bc of this character!
The Expanse is one of the more painfully straight shows I’ve ever seen, BUT Camina Drummer belongs on this list for sure.
Yeeessss!!
Oh hell yes, enthusiastically seconding this
erm, is there a recurring female character who didn’t have swagger that could be dykey? Bobbie, Chrisjen, Naomi… maybe that dr. lady in s4?
Agreed, but none of those are canon gay! Chrisjen Avasarala in particular could level an entire room with her mommi swagger though, no question
have not gotten to s5 yet, so guessing i missed something…
Chrisjen *swoon*
this is incredible but Lena Luthor should have made the list (esp when she bites her lip)
What is this Jeri Hogarth and Nicole Haught slander? Some swoon worthy, swaggery folks on the list, for sure, though. Always appreciate the OG’s like Xena being recognized.
JERI HOGARTH yes absolutely
How about Anne Bonny?
YEEESSS
Absolutely
The record store lesbians! 😂 and my girl/cat catgirl Catra! Of course! But what about Ava Sharpe from Legends of Tomorrow. She’s all swagger all the time! 🙆♀️
I have to say that I personally feel like all of Cobie Smulder’s characters have a little bit of dyke-y swagger.
Also when I got to the record store lesbians from Carol I literally laughed out loud.
It would have been a genuine crime to not include Catra on this list.
Also though where are Alice and Claire Redfield? From the movies… Because look I know Milla Jovovich was only cast because hot lady but also like, are we just going to ignore that movie with her and Claire in the hot, hot desert flirting or something?
I think this comment got away from me, but I stand by what I said.
Wow this list has me feeling so many *feelings*
And not one but two entries for Sara Ramirez!
This is the content that reminds me why I check AS before bed…sweet dreams for me indeed
I adore this list, what a gift. I’ll add my humble offerings to the pile:
Joyce Ramsay, Mad Men: http://zosiamamet.com/pics/madmen_s04e09_peggy_lick.gif
Jadzia Dax, Star Trek Deep Space 9: https://thumbs.gfycat.com/ClutteredJoyfulCormorant-max-1mb.gif
The mention of Peppermint Patty gives me hope for my own swaggery potential!
They could swag me away any time:
Jamie (Bly Manor)
Luce (Imagine me and you)
Felice (Aimee and Jaguar)
Jackie Quinones 😍😍 sexy little fish cop
The record store lesbians!🤣🤣🤣
Clarke and Lexa will kick somebody off a tower for this omission… ;-)
And how does one leave all of Eliza Dushku’s characters out? Jaime Murray’s? (Don’t get me wrong – I absolutely love this list, just having fun with y’all.)
No Sara Lance, Ava Sharp and Lena luthor?
Carol Aird, Lisabeth Salander
Sherriff Nicole Haught – Wynonna Earp
Yara Greyjoy
Great list!
Villanelle
This is an absolutely correct list and I’m glad you said it.
I just really think that Luce from IMAY belongs on this list
Carol Aird, Lisabeth Salander
From looking at this list, I feel like swagger has a lot to do with gazing in a certain way
Honorable Mention: Avatar Korra
My brain is automatically adding:
+ Althea (Fear the Walking Dead)
+ Lexa (The 100)
+ Frankie Doyle (Wentworth)
Nova Bordelon from Queen Sugar has been done dirty by her show time and again, but the swagger remains pristinely preserved in my memory.
Lovely.
Also:
Yara Greyjoy (GoT)
Mary Agnes (Godless)
Jillian Holtzmann (Ghostbusters)