10 Ambitious women across shows who chose to pursue power

Over the years, ambitious women have been portrayed in many TV shows whose drive to achieve greatness have inspired us. They have shown us the challenges they faced to achieve their dreams in a world dominated by men. Whether in a political environment, in business, or in a dystopian world, these women did not give up but rose to power with their strong will.

Some might have used the same dirty politics to get back at the people who wanted to bring them down, and some might have stood their ground against all odds to fulfill their goals, but in the end, they succeeded in achieving what they had set their head or heart on.

In this article, we have listed 10 such ambitious women across TV shows who never gave up and chose to achieve greatness.

Please note the entire article is based on the writer's opinion. Reader's discretion advised.

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10) Selina Meyer

Julia Louis-Dreyfus’s character, Selina Meyer from Veep, ticks all the boxes of being one of the ambitious women of TV shows.

As she gets to experience the power of being the Vice President, she goes through many obstacles to own the power. She even ran for the President of the country. Her character tries relentlessly to win and prove her worth amid many conspiracies and political coups but doesn’t give up on her ambitions.

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9) Leslie Knope

Amy Poehler’s Leslie Knope from Parks and Recreations is another one of those ambitious women from TV shows who have big dreams and an optimistic drive to achieve them. Initially, she is just a small bureaucrat who loves her town and tries her best to make it better in every aspect.

Just like Selena, she doesn’t bow down to political setbacks and strives to achieve more.

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8) Alicia Florrick

After her husband gets jailed for a scandal, Alicia Florrick, played by Julianna Margulies, returns to her profession to provide for her family in The Good Wife.

After being a stay-at-home mother for more than a decade, she steps up for the sake of her family. She faces many challenges, from starting from scratch at a later age to finding herself in scandals, but she doesn’t give up. Starting a career again after a large period of gap but still managing to achieve so much makes Florrick one of the greatest inspirations of ambitious women portrayed in TV shows.

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7) Siobhan Roy

Sarah Snook’s character, Siobhan Roy from Succession, is one of the complicated characters in the show. Initially, Shiv works as a political fixer but later gives up to join the fight with her siblings to take control of their father’s company.

Snook’s Shiv is an adventurous, exuberant, and a manipulative woman and one of the prominent female characters in the show. She doesn’t hesitate to show her filthy side, just like her siblings and her father. Her ambition and desire to control her father’s business make her one of the ambitious women who would do anything to succeed.

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6) Beth Dutton

Beth Dutton, the rebellious and wild daughter of John Dutton from Yellowstone, is on the list of ambitious women because of her intelligence and understanding of her job as a banker.

Regarded as one of the best bankers, she was the head of Acquisitions at Schwartz & Meyer. Her skills in manipulation and her rebellious behavior make her one of the most unpredictable and formidable characters.

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5) Olivia Pope

Kerry Washington’s character goes from leading a Crisis management firm to becoming one of the most powerful women in the world in Scandal. She doesn’t back away from getting her hands dirty when completing her job, which makes her one of the most formidable and ambitious women.

With her position constantly in the limelight, she struggles to maintain relationships and a private life but still manages to rise above her obstacles.

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4) Michonne

Danai Gurira’s character, Michonne from The Walking Dead, is one of the fan-favorite characters. From the first time she appears on the show to the end, she shows her skills and intelligence to survive the zombie apocalypse.

She saves people, she leads a community, and she can even knock some sense into the protagonist Rick Grimes’s head when needed.

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3) Annalise Keating

Viola Davis’s character in How to Get Away With Murder is one of the most ambitious women in television shows who had to go through so many challenges in her life.

Keating is a renowned criminal defense lawyer, but her life is filled with a series of unfortunate events. However, most of the time, she overcomes her difficulties and achieves whatever she sets her eye on.

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2) Cersei Lannister

Lena Headey’s character, Cersei Lannister from Game of Thrones, might not be everyone’s favorite character, but no one can deny the achievements of this woman. She is one of the most ambitious women not just in Westeros, but across the realm of television as she proved that she can go to any lengths to achieve what she wants.

We have seen her defeat many shrewd and sly characters and even exact acts of revenge for her children.

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1) Dr. Cristina Yang

Grey's Anatomy has always been one of those shows where the women are the more ambitious. From Ellis Grey to Meredith Grey, there are many examples of ambitious women in the show.

However, one character that stands out is Sandra Oh’s Cristina Yang. She is competitive, wants to be the best in her field, and doesn’t want to be stopped by anyone. She represents the many modern ambitious women who want to compromise on their goals for anything.

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