6 Best DC Female Anti-Heroes, Ranked

Highlights

Female anti-heroes in DC Comics, like Killer Frost, showcase complex characters who blur the lines between good and evil.
Characters like Rose Wilson and Artemis struggle with morality, balancing their violent pasts with heroic actions.
Amanda Waller and Catwoman add depth to the DC universe, with motivations that go beyond traditional heroism.

DC Comics has an impressive library of characters, diverse and interesting in both design and personality. Yet, there’s one group of characters in DC Comics that seems to always capture the hearts of readers, and that’s the anti-hero. The thesis on cool, anti-heroes often do heroic deeds but without the guise of morality or a no-kill rule to hold them back, and these female anti-heroes certainly prove just that.

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Whether it’s as the former sidekick of the most notorious Batman villain, or forcing the worst villains in the DC Universe to do the government’s dirty work or fear the bombs implanted in their heads, there are female anti-heroes in DC Comics that help to elevate the material and bring some interesting characters to life.

6 Killer Frost

A Scientist Who Turns Her Tragic Accident Into A Force For Good

Killer Frost has had an odd time in the DC Universe. She’s been good, she’s been bad, and a little bit of both. For years, Killer Frost has been more of an anti-hero than a villain, to the point where she joined up as a member of the Justice League of America. Admittedly, it wasn’t a pretty time for her, as she had just fought the Justice League as part of the Suicide Squad, but redemption can come for all.

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Killer Frost even admits that all she wanted to do in her life was to help people, and the tragedy that created her would not deter her from her scientific ways. It was thanks to a conversation with Superman himself, that Killer Frost saw that she wasn’t meant for darkness and grief in her new life, but an ideal to strive towards.

5 Rose Wilson

The Daughter Of Deathstroke Who Struggles With Morality

It’s not easy being the daughter of Deathstroke, the most famed super mercenary to ever live, yet Rose Wilson attempts to surpass her father with the identity of Ravager. Trained by her father in all the ways a woman can be deadly, Rose Wilson is a fierce fighter, and often a good friend and member of the Teen Titans, using her strained relationship with her dad as fuel to become better than he ever was, both as a fighter and as a hero.

Yet, her training has given her a tense morality, one where she often sees no issue with getting too violent. This often leads to difficult relationships with her fellow heroes, and as her arsenal of deadly weapons grows, so do her skills, but, so does her membership with the Titans fracture.

4 Artemis

An Amazon Warrior With Questionable Motives

It doesn’t get more intimidating than an Amazon who isn’t afraid to use her warrior skills to kill. Artemis is a fierce fighter, one of the best, who often comes to blows with Wonder Woman over her methods. Artemis has crafted some strange bonds over the years, joining with the likes of Bizarro and Red Hood on her own personal quest, creating an interesting dynamic of an anti-hero trio that rivals that of Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman.

Artemis isn’t afraid to get violent, and she views her opinion as absolute, especially when it comes to protecting others. Her abilities and training as an Amazon make her a fierce combatant, and with her spirit, it’s expected that she’s the last woman an attacker would ever see.

3 Amanda Waller

A Political Figure Who Will Do Anything For Her Country

Amanda Waller may be extremely questionable with her motives and how far she will go, but it’s actually rather justified in some sense, for her actions are always for the betterment and secrecy of her country. Amanda Waller works with the government as the director of A.R.G.U.S., and as such, she’s not afraid to get her hands dirty and pull some strings to make sure everyone is under her control.

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Amanda Waller has killed, made others kill for her, and even done far worse, but at the end of the day, she’s not strictly a villain, just a woman with too much power and too little care for those who are forced into Task Force X, her Suicide Squad.

2 Catwoman

A Burgular Who Scratches At Loyalty

The tale of the Bat and the Cat has gone on for decades, and Catwoman plays her part to a charming degree. Catwoman can never walk the line of pure hero or pure villain, and she’s easily one of the earliest examples of an anti-hero in DC Comics. She steals, she fights, but most importantly, she cares. Catwoman isn’t afraid to wear her heart on her sleeve for those already less fortunate than her, and she will always have a soft spot for Batman.

Catwoman and Batman have an interesting relationship that makes for a tragic yet longing romance, but with Catwoman showing off her independence and cat-like freedom, she’s great, even if she does mix with the wrong crowd that most certainly gets her into trouble, but that’s all part of the fun for her as she tries to steal her way through the world.

1 Harley Quinn

Joker’s Ex-Girlfriend Who’s On A Road Of Self Servitude

It’s hard to get as iconic as the harlequin of crime herself, Harley Quinn. Whilst Harley may have started as Joker’s favor, she has since grown and evolved to be much more than a sidekick, and the girlfriend of Batman’s arch nemesis. Harley has gone on to have a loving relationship with Poison Ivy and has kicked plenty of villainous butt that threatens her territory and those that she deems worth saving. After all, she can still be a tad quirky.

Harley has a questionable morality, and she’s not afraid to kill those she sees as deserving. Nevertheless, she is trying to be a better person, although that doesn’t mean she won’t stop anything and everything for an opportunity to kill Joker.