And though she be but little, she is fierce.
– William Shakespeare, A Midsummer Night’s Dream
In Bunny Girl Evolution, a young woman named Elise finds herself turned into a rabbit who must fight to survive in a world full of monsters. Despite the deadly obstacles set before her and limited physical prowess, Elise grows to outmaneuver and outwit her enemies at every turn, while acquiring some handy fey skills along the way. To honor this inspiring heroine and her story, which is now available as an SBT audiobook, we thought long and hard about other characters who defy the odds by using brains rather than muscle. While this is by no means a definitive list, it’s certainly a fun one!
Black Canary
The DC Universe
You may know this super heroine as a prominent force in the DC universe, but unlike many of her fellow crime-fighters, she didn’t get to where she is through incredible strength, speed, or durability. Instead, she found ways to use a supersonic scream to her advantage, while also training to become one of the best martial artists around. While the Black Canary mantle has been assumed by multiple women, each one has been a certified badass, capable of taking down adversaries far more powerful than she is with strategy and a few well-honed skills.
The Doctor
Doctor Who
Yes, the eponymous hero of Doctor Who; the person who saves the universe time and again with nothing but a fancy screwdriver, a semi-functional time-traveling police call box, and their own cleverness gets a mention on this list. Whovians could get into debates over which incarnation of this alien hero is the best, but they can all agree on one thing: you do not want to get on The Doctor’s bad side. There are plenty of beings, sometimes entire empires, that have fallen because they made the mistake of thinking they could outwit the renegade Time Lord.
Gale Dekarios
Baldur’s Gate III
Baldur’s Gate III has its fair share of powerful characters, but the party’s “squishy wizard,” Gale, deserves a special mention. His lack of heavy-duty armor, human heritage, and general predisposition toward mundane maladies apparently led to him dying hundreds of thousands of times in BG3’s early access period. Luckily, as many a fan will be quick to point out, Gale is incredibly intelligent and a prodigy when it comes to magic use. So, while others in the party smash and stab their way to victory, Gale defeats his enemies with any number of powerful spells, and is bound to use an advanced vocabulary while doing so.
Hiccup
How to Train Your Dragon
Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III had a rough start in the How to Drain Your Dragon saga. He was not particularly strong, assertive, or capable in combat like his fellow Vikings; but he was also quick to develop his skills as an inventor. This, and his natural curiosity and compassion, allowed him to develop a bond with Toothless, a formidable dragon, and to grow into a skilled warrior and leader. He even designed his own prosthetic leg! We could all learn something from Hiccup’s heroics… although we’re still trying to figure out how to find dragon friends of our own.
The Baudelaire Children
A Series of Unfortunate Events
Violet, Klaus, and Sunny Baudelaire are the ingenious orphans at the center of A Series of Unfortunate Events. Left without their parents or a home, and unable to claim their fortune, these children seemed to have the odds stacked against them. However, between Violet’s talent as an inventor, Klaus’ research expertise, and Sunny’s perceptiveness (and a penchant for biting), they come to best a rotating roster of opponents and evade the pursuit of the dastardly Count Olaf. The moral of the Baudelaire’s story should be, “Don’t underestimate children. They might be more intuitive and capable than you are.”
At SBT, we draw inspiration from heroes of all shapes and sizes, which is why we were so excited to help bring Elise’s story to life. Bunny Girl Evolution by Sir Bedivere the Mad is now available on Audible. Grab this big adventure of a small-yet-mighty heroine for $24.95.