The Baddest Females: From Kpop to YA

"This is for all my bad girls around the world.
Not bad meaning bad, but bad meaning good, you know?"

Define Bad: Something undesirable and unwelcome.

"Bad" is quite a subjective word. It can be related to many things and people. However, not everyone will categorize the same things as bad. I define bad as defying the cultural norms. It doesn't make what the things these characters do wrong, it just makes them potentially unacceptable.

In YA, a lot of attention is often brought to the "bad boys". The tough, hard to get boys that make the readers' hearts melt. What makes these guys bad? Sometimes it's the general things: gangs, fights, drugs. Other times it's the moods, the attitude and the actions. These attributes come together to make an irresistible bad boy.

I'm no exception to this female fascination of saving the bad boy from the dark side. However, what I've always found interesting is the bad girls. The girls who resist society's norms to put them in dresses and prance them around like princesses. I envy the athletic girls, who can fight and defend themselves and their loved ones.

YA fiction is the best place for these girls and whilst reading I've come across some fantastic ladies that are worthy of our love and attention. I believe they are referred to as KICKASS HEROINES!

Rose Hathaway

Vampire Academy - Richelle Mead
Behold, the Queen of the bad YA girls. Rose is spunky, she is strong, courageous and outgoing. She will fight for what she thinks is right and won't let anyone stop her.

Katsa

Graceling - Kristin Cashore
She is a weapon that can be exploited but Katsa realizes that she can only be exploited if she allows it. Katsa isn't one to be ordered around. Instead she realizes that all actions done by her even under order are her actions. Katsa also has some unpopular opinions on marriage and family, however they are her opinions and she fights to keep them; this makes her respectable to me. Also, she can kick butt all day, not to mention trek up a snowy mountain and kill feral beasts.

June Iparis

Legend - Marie Lu
June is more the good girl gone bad. She is intelligent and talented but she also feels a lot of empathy. She is a good doer and will follow her beliefs no matter where they take her in order to do what is right.

Celaena Sardothien

Throne of Glass - Sarah J. Maas
Celaena is a hardcore fighter with a knack for survival. She doesn't fit herself into society's norms by wearing a dress and prancing around, instead she makes the society prance around her.

Meg

Going Too Far - Jennifer Echols
Meg  is more of the traditional rebellious bad girl. She has blue hair, gets arrested, hangs with the wrong crowd but Meg is a survivor. She fights for herself even when it seems like she isn't.

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Bad girls are just as amazing bad boys. They are people who defy the norms, some of those norms are not killing people but when put that little murderous streak aside, these are strong women. They are defined as "bad girls" but if bad girls means: strong, courageous, spirited, righteous young women then where is the sign up sheet?

CL isn't the baddest female around but she sure does do a great job personifying a free spoken, forthright young woman who is not afraid of reaching for her dreams.

-Mari