Black Female Characters Who Made TV Better and Left Us Wanting More

We're taking a look back at some of our favorite black female characters from television's past that we miss desperately.

The post Black Female Characters Who Made TV Better and Left Us Wanting More appeared first on TV Fanatic.

We’ve been reminiscing about some incredible Black female characters who once lit up our screens, and we can’t help but miss them.

From heroines like Michonne and Bonnie Bennett to complicated but strong-willed leads like Olivia Pope and Annalise Keating.

Those are just a few of the captivating women we miss seeing on our screens week in and week out, so we’ve crafted a list of the lovely ladies we’ll never stop thinking about.

Make sure you check out our list and then drop your comments down below!

Olivia Pope – Scandal

Scandal was one of the most popular series of the last fifteen years, and Olivia Pope’s name is synonymous with power, precision, and strength.

There was nothing like watching Olivia, in all her white-hat glory, walking into the White House to put out a fire or walking into OPA to tell someone how she was about to fix their life in the most soul-crushing but necessary way possible.

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Olivia was many things, and she may have lost her way at times, but she was sure of who she was and where she was going.

She will go down in history as one of television’s most intriguing and chaotic characters.

Watch Scandal Online

Annalise Keating – How to Get Away with Murder

Let her students tell it, and Annalise was the worst person they ever met.

Annalise Keating wasn’t the menace she was often made out to be; she was a deeply complex woman who rarely received the credit she deserved.

Annalise was brilliant — a woman who carried deep trauma yet remained relatable because she didn’t always get things right the first time, but she never stopped trying.

Annalise was a queer, Black, powerful woman — flawed yet unlike any character before her. And if we’re being honest, no one like her has come since.

Watch HTGAWM Online

Michonne – The Walking Dead

It’s hard to imagine that Michonne wasn’t on The Walking Dead from the beginning because her character feels like one of the OGs.

Michonne was strong; of course, she was.

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Known for her Kitana skills and high zombie body count, Michonne was more than just a slayer of the undead, but a fierce protector of those she loved.

She was loyal to her people and an incredible woman who found a second chance amid the end of the world. That’s something to admire.

Watch TWD Online

Bonnie Bennett – The Vampire Diaries

When we say Bonnie Bennett deserved better, we mean that.

Bonnie did so much for those around her, yet she never received flowers from her friends or the show’s powers that be.

But alas, fans remember Bonnie for constantly saving the day and being a person to look up to.

She was easily the bravest person on that show and one of its brightest.

Watch The Vampire Diaries Online

The Cast of Living Single

Khadijah James. Syclaire James. Regina Hunter. Maxine Shaw.

Those four women were all opposite from each other, but all refreshingly original portrayals of black, middle-class working women trying to live, date, and learn in the 1990s.

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All the women were relatable, whether you saw yourself as hardworking as Khadijah, optimistic as Syclaire, lovingly materialistic as Regina, or hard-nosed as Max.

In a 90s kind of world, those were all our girls.

Watch Living Single Online

The Cast of Girlfriends

Like the cast of Living Single, the four Girlfriends’ leads felt like women you had in your own life.

Joan Clayton was the mom-like fixture of the group. Lynn Searcy was the creative one. Maya Wilkes was the devoted one. Toni Childs was the slightly chaotic one with a good heart.

Girlfriends was a comedy, though. It dealt with some heavy topics, but above all else, it always returned to the girl’s friendship.

And boy, do we miss that.

Watch Girlfriends Online

Beth Pearson – This is Us

When you think of Beth Pearson, the first thing that comes to mind is patriarch and queen.

Like so many other women on this list, Beth was wise, kindhearted, and protective of her family.

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She was a wonderful mother to her girls and someone who stood by Randall through all the ups and downs, creating one of the best love stories of the last decade.

Beth was a character to love because she was so sure of who she was.

Watch This Is Us Online

Whitley Gilbert – A Different World

Relax, relate, release!

A Different World was one of the biggest comedies of the 1990s, making a name for itself outside of being a spinoff of The Cosby Show. One of its shining stars was Jasmine Guy’s Whitley Gilbert.

The self-proclaimed princess went from a spoiled brat to a woman who learned to depend on herself with a character journey that was one for the ages.

The best thing about Whitley was that even though she grew and changed, she was still that princess at the end of the day. The one you couldn’t help but adore.

Watch A Different World Online

Cookie Lyon – Empire

Cookie, Cookie, Cookie.

Another complicated woman misunderstood by those around her, Cookie, was a woman who always had a mission in front of her.

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She was strong-minded, incredibly resourceful, and, more than anything, determined. She wasn’t letting anyone get in the way of what she wanted.

Unapologetically herself, Cookie Lyon was a force, and we miss her one-liners like crazy.

Watch Empire Online

Abbie Mills – Sleepy Hollow

Abbie Mills was everything right about Sleepy Hollow.

Abbie stepped up whenever she needed to for the people she cared about and for the town she’d always called home.

She put her life on the line repeatedly to protect and save others, and she was always the most competent person in any room you would find her in.

When she left Sleepy Hollow, so did the heart and soul of that whole thing.

Watch Sleepy HOllow Online

Angela Moore – Boy Meets World

There wasn’t anything to dislike about Angela.

She may have come onto the Boy Meets World scene as Shawn’s girlfriend, but she was so much more than that.

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Angela was good-natured and intelligent, but perhaps more than anything, she was patient and understanding, and she was much more than just someone’s girlfriend.

There’s a reason why, even in 2025, she’s still regarded in such high esteem amongst the Boy Meets World faithful.

Watch Boy Meets World Online

Jessica Pearson – Suits and Pearson

No one rocked a suit and a power walk quite like Jessica Pearson.

Jessica was the managing partner of a top New York City law firm, and she never let you forget it.

She was shrewd, cunning, and wildly astute, and she could stand toe to toe with anyone who dared stand across from her.

There wasn’t anything Jessica couldn’t do, and her determination and prowess empowered a whole generation of young people to pursue law in real life.

Watch Suits Online

Ginny Baker – Pitch

Ginny Baker was the first woman to play in the Major Leagues and was a force.

Ginny had to deal with a lot on her way to the majors, and once she got there, she did everything with class, showing everyone that she belonged there.

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Ginny was a role model that kids could look up to, and we miss everything about her, from her resilience to her love of the game.

Ginny and Pitch deserved much better than what they got.

Watch Pitch Online

Lisa Turtle – Saved by the Bell

Every high school crew needs a Lisa Turtle.

Bayside High had one major clique on top, led by Zack Morris and his best friends, one of which was Lisa Turtle, a daddy’s girl who loved fashion and her friends.

Lisa may have been known for her great fits and rebuffing Schreech’s advances, but she was also driven to succeed, reliable, calm under pressure, and always there for her friends whenever they needed her.

Numerous times, Lisa went above and beyond for the people in her life, always with a bright smile and a killer outfit.

Watch Saved By the Bell Online

Mercedes Jones – Glee

Mercedes Jones was the very definition of a powerhouse.

It applied to her incredible vocal abilities when belting out some of the greatest songs and the energy she carried throughout her life.

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Bold, fearless, confident, and unapologetic, Mercedes was one of Glee‘s most inspiring and aspirational characters. 

Her fearlessness and ability to push against conformity and convention by creating her own path and being her authentic self at all times was something sorely missed on television and severely underrated.

Watch Glee Online

Raven Baxter – That’s So Raven

Raven was the coolest teenager on television for countless kids in the early 2000s.

Gifted with psychic abilities, Raven used her skills to protect her family or friends or intervene to save someone.

She wasn’t always right about what would happen, but her heart was always in the right place.

We were so excited to have her back in adulthood when she headed up the equally fun Raven’s Home just a few years ago because we missed her shenanigans like crazy.

Watch That's So Raven Online

Susie Carmichael – Rugrats

Every group needs someone to be the voice of reason, and The Rugrats had Susie Carmichael. 

Wise beyond her years, unflappable, brilliant, and compassionate, few characters in her age range effortlessly stood for something proudly.

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Susie served as a reminder that kindness is cool, and standing on business is even cooler. 

As an incredibly principled young girl who could even challenge her best friends if necessary,  her rare quality of owning her feelings and thoughts at all times and staying true to herself is why she’s one of the greatest of all time.

Watch The Rugrats Online

Grace Ryder – 9-1-1: Lone Star

9-1-1: Lone Star was full of heroic first responders, and Grace Ryder was as good as it gets.

Grace was an incredibly hardworking and empathetic dispatcher, but perhaps more than that, she was a devoted wife, mother, daughter, sister, and friend.

Everyone who met Grace adored her because of how much warmth radiated off her and her ability to always be there when you needed her.

Without her, 9-1-1: Lone Star Season 5 lost its moral center.

Watch 9-1-1: Lone Star Online

Helen Sharpe – New Amsterdam

Helen Sharpe seemed the most intelligent person at New Amsterdam Medical Center.

She was the kind of doctor you dream about having on your team because she was excellent at what she did, listened to you, and validated your worries and concerns.

Her colleagues revered Helen as someone who was committed to medicine and committed to trying to help people in any way she possibly could.

It was that passionate drive that viewers connected with deeply, and why she was so missed during New Amsterdam’s final season and beyond.

Watch New Amsterdam Online

There are so many powerful, influential Black females from TV’s past.

This diverse list doesn’t even encompass all those we miss and who left an indelible mark!

Please let us know about all those you miss and still leave you wanting more so we can discuss them below!

The post Black Female Characters Who Made TV Better and Left Us Wanting More appeared first on TV Fanatic.