10 Best Survival TV Shows With Strong Female Characters

Television shows about survival and acclimating to new and unexpected environments have never been more popular, and female heroes are coming to dominate the genre. As the tropes and characterizations of the past begin to modernize, so do the way that female roles are written and represented onscreen. Not only do these new shows feature powerful female characters, but they’re the reason that people are watching.

In TV settings that are defined by their harsh environments, characters need to be smart, think on their feet, and have good survival instincts and leadership skills. Often, these kinds of shows come down to the interpersonal relationships and alliances that form between characters. Whoever has the resources and power will rule the day. Historically, women have been marginalized by small and ineffectual roles in media that use the survival narrative. Now that writers and creators are becoming more diverse, it’s reflected in the characters and stories seen on television.

10 The Wilds (2020 – 2022)

A group of teens who crash land on an island

The Wilds may have taken a turn for the worse in season 2, but the honest portrait of young female characters it paints in season 1 is worth the complex narrative. In the show, a group of teen girls crash on a deserted island and fight to survive in a twist on the typical genre tropes. Though it turns out their crash was not as accidental as it seems, it does give all the young women the opportunity to blossom and learn more about themselves. A particularly positive relationship is between Toni (Erana James) and Shelby (Mia Healey), who help each other be more vulnerable and embrace their sexualities.

9 The Society (2019)

All the adults disappear and the young people run the town

Even though The Society was canceled after one season, it still holds a lot of value and is underrated within the genre. After all the adults in the small town mysteriously vanished, and there was no way to contact or escape to the outside world, the young people must come together and rebuild their own civilization. In a surprising turn of events, it’s Allie (Kathryn Newton) who rises to prominence within the newly formed leadership. Though she only accepts the role because of her sister’s death, and it’s not without its challenges, she finds that she’s more than capable of taking on the responsibility.

8 The 100 (2014 – 2020)

In the future, it’s up to a group of young outcasts to determine Earth’s viability

Many years after Earth was decimated by nuclear war, Clarke (Eliza Taylor) and the other young prisoners aboard the ship that humanity lives on are sent back down to see if the planet is habitable. It soon becomes clear that nuclear fallout is the least of their worries, as there are groups of people still living on Earth with their own agendas. Though uncertain of her path at first, Clarke became one of the strongest female leads on television as she navigated alliances and war, and ensured the safety of the people she protected. Not only Clarke, but The 100 as a series proved capable of reinventing itself.

7 Sweet Tooth (2021 – )

Human-animal hybrids are hunted in the wake of a worldwide sickness

Despite focusing on the dynamic between Gus (Christian Convery) and Tommy (Nonso Anozie) as they travel together, as the world opens up, many dynamic female characters are introduced. The larger society of the narrative is not kind to the human-animal hybrids that appeared after the virus, but it’s clear that they deserve just as much empathy as anyone else. Bear (Stefania LaVie) is a protector of these hybrid children and is a fierce example of how easy it is for young women to adapt to their surroundings. Additionally, in a world so full of discovery, many of the scientists in the show are women like Birdie (Amy Seimetz).

6 The Walking Dead (2010 – 2022)

The survivors of the zombie apocalypse fight their way through the world

It’s no secret that in post-apocalyptic shows, the real enemy may not be monsters, zombies, or sickness, but people desperate to survive. In The Walking Dead, this is frequently the message, as the zombies may be scary, but the actions taken by humanity are cruel. The women in the show, just like the men, have been known to go to extreme lengths to protect themselves and the people they care about, but this is necessary in such an intense situation. A standout character in the series is Michonne (Danai Gurira), who embodies that becoming a mother figure to characters on the show does not diminish her power in any way.

5 Avenue 5 (2020 – 2022)

A group of people are trapped aboard a luxury cruiseliner in space

Hugh Laurie may star as Ryan Clark, the captain of the ship, but he is frequently in conflict with the many women aboard who have opinions about how things should be run. This is for good reason, as the events on the ship are full of misadventures. Though the tone of Avenue 5 is not as dark as other survival shows, this allows for the characters to have more fun with the wild nature of the premise, and for actors to show their comedic chops. Both capable and funny is Billie (Lenora Crichlow), an engineer who works alongside Clark and proves herself as both capable and foolish in equal measure.

4 Orphan Black (2013 – 2017)

A woman is one of many clones being targeted by a conspiracy

Tatiana Maslany is fantastic in Orphan Black and, as the anchor of the show, who has to play multiple characters every episode, it’s hard not to be impressed by her performance. Throughout the show, Maslany embodies the personalities of many unique and compelling women who are navigating the reality that they are clones and that someone is hunting them. The series explores deep themes of the ethics of scientific exploration and the meaning of human life, but Maslany’s performance is never lost in the complexity of the narrative. Though each of her characters is strong in their own way, it’s Maslany who creates them and makes the show so watchable.

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3 Station Eleven (2021)

In the past and present, a group of survivors are connected across the globe

Station Eleven has dark themes and moments, but is memorable among post-apocalyptic survival shows because it takes time to showcase the bright spots and the best of humanity, along with the worst. In a future where humanity has been decimated by sickness, the remaining people are fearful of each other and have a hard time trusting newcomers. None more so than Kirsten (Mackenzie Davis), who was a child when the virus hit and still holds on to those wounds. However, watching her grow and open herself to new possibilities while remaining independent and strong is one of the best parts of the series.

2 The Last Of Us (2023 – )

A man and his surrogate daughter race across a country to find the cure for a dangerous virus

Based on the hit video game of the same name, The Last Of Us has many characters, but only two are with the audience for the entirety of the series. Those characters are Joel (Pedro Pascal) and Ellie (Bella Ramsey), who grow and change as they travel across the country facing the zombie-like infected and the humans who pose just as much of a threat. Ellie might be young, but she’s more than capable of taking care of herself and has a thirst to learn more about the world. Though she hasn’t been alive long, she’s already experienced many hardships, and they inform her choices in the story.

1 Yellowjackets (2021 – )

A high school soccer team is stranded in the wilderness

Flashing between the events of the plane crash that lands the young women in the woods in the ’90s and the lives of those women in the present day, Yellowjackets proves that the fight for survival takes place everywhere. Of the confirmed survivors in Yellowjackets who make it out of the woods, those experiences make them sharp, dangerous, and not to be trifled with. Each woman has their own reasons for what they did in the wild and who they are as an adult, but with each season it becomes more clear they would do anything to stay alive, and have rich histories to be explored.