Ray. Galadriel. Captain Marvel. Bo Peep. Why do modern female heroes look so bad? And what does that mean for us professional writers?
It all starts with a Mary Sue.
This retelling of Rapunzel's story deftly depicts something important about modern femininity: the struggle between traditional female power and modern feminist ideology.
A “Mary Sue” is a female protagonist who can easily defeat her enemies, but has no backstory that explains her personality, values, agenda, or those abilities.
Mary suing the character fails the protagonist's journey.
start from the end
In a typical hero's journey, the hero is weaker than the villain in every way. This is important when considering the probability of who will win.
In all timeless stories, the protagonist becomes great by overcoming obvious weaknesses. But Mary Sue? She begins at the end of the hero's journey!
Consider the infamous example of Rey (Daisy Ridley) from 2015's Star Wars: The Force Awakens. There are characters who have completed their arcs, but that's just the beginning of the story.
Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) has been trained in combat his entire life. Ray is a mechanic. The first time they fought, she kicked his butt! The first battle between the protagonist and the antagonist should not be like that.
These Mary Sues are portrayed as unlikeable but strong characters. That's the exact opposite of how the story begins. A new protagonist should be introduced in the story arc of a hero's journey who is likable but weak in action, or too committed to his own values to act.
But Mary Sue's problems run deeper. I only realized this after returning to the faith and attending Catholic Mass for the past four months. The hero's journey was never meant for women.
Space for men only
The hero's journey is limited to men. This is a “men's only space”. It is not coeducational. The hero's journey is to slay dragons, steal gold, and obtain virginity.
And what about women?
Women have no such equivalent. Women take a completely different typical path, and modern Hollywood completely misunderstands them.
The typical story of a woman is one of defending her virtue for her one true love. Be careful not to get too religious. But the typical story of a woman is…Blessed Virgin Mary.
Growing up evangelical, then going astray, and now finding my way to Catholic Mass has opened my eyes to these deeper truths. The answers have always existed in our oldest stories and sacred traditions. The solution to boss-bathing in our society and our stories is not complicated. But it takes courage, especially in the current situation.
let your hair down
Let's talk about the 2010 movie Rapunzel. This is Disney's last masterpiece before his awakening. This retelling of Rapunzel's story deftly depicts something important about modern femininity: the struggle between traditional female power and modern feminist ideology.
Consider Mother Gothel. Not just a bitter “wine lady” feminist, but a corruption of the divine feminine. She represents everything that separates women from their true typical journey.
She doesn't just kidnap Rapunzel; Mother Gothel severing her connection to the divine feminine, her sacred role as a mother, and her mission to protect and nurture. She cares only about vanity and becomes an old woman.
So who will save Rapunzel from this anti-feminine archetype?
Not her parents. Not her community. But Flynn Rider is a right-wing freak who represents everything the establishment fears: rebellious, anti-government, troublemaker.
Flynn is more than just a love interest. He is the masculine force that helps Rapunzel return to the right feminine journey to love and submission to her family's destiny.
“Snow” blinds
Fast forward to 2024.
We are witnessing the peak of this transformation into Mary Sood's decadence. Take a look at Disney's upcoming remake of Snow White. They miss the point (and the plot).
Snow White's strength never came from “being a leader.” It came from embodying the innocent and feminine virtues that have inspired humanity for thousands of years.
Zegler herself said that this version of Snow White is not “dreaming of true love” but instead focuses on becoming “the leader she knows she can be.”
The modern Mary Sue phenomenon seems to be more than just bad writing, it's a spiritual crisis.
Sarcasm? These new heroines are:
- Reject their feminine nature.
- Explores male power dynamics.
- Abandon the divine feminine.
If you should instead pursue success using the following methods:
- Feminine strength.
- Inspiration born from kindness.
- A caring natural influence.
The original Snow White deeply understood that a woman's power lies in preservation, not conquest. In nurturing rather than controlling. To inspire by virtue rather than force.
Action movies like “Ballerina” miss this truth. These give us women who play out the male hero's journey rather than embracing the unique power of the female archetype. They are the new Gen Z and Gen X Mary Sues. She is “different” from her millennium predecessors like Rey and Galadriel, but she is the same nothingness.
Using preferentially left-handed languages is quite problematic.
These female characters don't earn their powers, they start with them. Mary Sues never grow up. They rule. They are not inspiring. they threaten.
to exist and to exist
This is neither ironic nor a joke; there is a grain of truth in this. Women are like that, but men must be like that too.
In traditional storytelling, women start at level 100 and men at 0. A man must prove himself worthy of a woman. Women must protect what they already have. But modern stories abandon this wisdom.
Instead, starting around 2010, we've been getting the following results:
- A 100 pound woman throws a 300 pound man.
- Learn combat instantly without training.
- A perfect skill that needs no explanation.
- Power without purpose.
This is not about women's empowerment. It's a feminine method of elimination.
True female power is not equal to male power. It's about embracing feminine intuition and noble courage. That's what made Tangled so special.
Rapunzel's power was not in fighting. It was in her feminine nature. Her innocence, her nurturing ability, and the fierce yet tender muse within her that makes a difference in others. In the end, she sacrificed her greatest gift for love.
The anti-woman Mary Sue, on the other hand, sacrifices everything else for her independence, including literal children.
What viewers want
Now, the Mary Sue trend reveals another disconnect between what audiences want and what Hollywood delivers. Audiences are craving authentic female characters like:
- Embrace their feminine nature.
- Please show me your true growth.
- Face real challenges.
- Inspire through truth, not force.
Instead, we get a carbon copy of the male hero in a female body.
What is the solution? Women don't need a hero's journey. They don't need to slay dragons. They don't need to conquer kingdoms. They need to embrace their divine feminine, like Mary, who changed the world not through conquest, but through Jesus and submission to a higher purpose.
The “Toto'' understood this. That's what modern Hollywood has forgotten. That's what we have to get back to.
We need to return to the traditional power of women in storytelling. Show us women as they are, naturally powerful and naturally influential. Not the fake vegan meat version for men. Because this is the truth. After 2024, we don’t need any more female heroes to emulate the journeys of men. We need courageous storytellers who honor the divine feminine journey, a path of being rather than becoming. It's not about conquest, it's about preservation. Not by force, but by grace.
This is not just a story about a good story. It's about remembering who we are. And who should we be?
