The Grey Ladies
The ever-evolving nature of the art industry has reached a milestone in storytelling, where female characters are no longer confined to the passive and stereotypical roles of the past. Instead, they are complex, layered, and far from one-dimensional. This development, however, has not been universally embraced. While some celebrate the rise of these multifaceted "grey" characters, others dismiss them as villains, unable to reconcile their depth with traditional notions of femininity. Unfair, I say, so allow me to reintroduce a few of my favorite grey ladies while exploring the concept that does us good in real life.
The Most Iconic Grey Lady, The Devil Wears Prada (2006) via Medium
In the past, female characters were often caged into roles emphasizing passivity, virtue, or victimhood. They were the damsels in distress, the dutiful wives, or the self-sacrificing mothers, mostly found on the protagonists' side. In the space of Lokis and Captain Jack Sparrows, the rise of grey female characters is refreshing and welcome. The Grey Lady archetype refers to female characters in the moral gray area, defying the simplistic categorizations of hero or villain, allowing far more nuance. They are neither entirely virtuous nor wholly corrupt but rather a blend of both, driven by motives that may not always be pure yet are undeniably human. They are ambitious, flawed, and sometimes ruthless but also vulnerable, empathetic, and capable of profound love. These characters challenge us to rethink our perceptions of right and wrong, and in doing so, they bring a refreshing realism to the narratives they inhabit. Usually, these characters are male, but in the past decade, we have seen a significant rise in grey characters, especially females.
Scarlet Witch- Super Hero Turned Super Grey Lady, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Marvel Cinematic Universe Wiki
The emergence of grey ladies has sparked a polarized response from audiences. On one side are those who embrace these characters, celebrating their complexity and the break from traditional gender norms. For example, Scarlet Witch, or Wanda from the MCU, is one of the few superheroes who didn't follow a linear heroic storyline. Her trauma, sacrifices, and actions add a magnificent depth to her character, allowing us to explore how a hero's vision can become blurred despite it all. These fans appreciate the realism and relatability of characters who reflect the multifaceted nature of real women, who are neither saints nor sinners but a bit of both.
On the other hand, however, some critics struggle with these characters' ambiguity. Uncomfortable with female characters who defy the binary of good and evil, they often label these women as villains. This reaction partly reflects deep-seated biases about how women "should" behave. When female characters exhibit traits traditionally associated with male protagonists—such as ambition, cunning, or moral flexibility—they are frequently judged more severely than their male counterparts, which we saw after the release of Captain Marvel (2019). She is one of the good guys but still receives backlash for being objectively the strongest cinematic hero. This calls for more controvertible and open female characters. Women with questionable intent, women with dubious pasts, women with issues like self-hate, and not the "pick me" variety that is cured with an ounce of male validation. Basically, characters that create real people from women and act as a reflection of the real world because real people make mistakes. The real world has inhabitants like you and me who sometimes make the wrong decisions and do bad things that have negative consequences despite us not having malicious intent. That does not necessarily make us bad people; the same applies to our dubious characters.
Alicent Hightower Of The House of Hightower, House Of Dragons (2022), Villains Wiki
The need for more grey characters is undoubted. However, the need for male grey characters seems redundant and hardly groundbreaking. BEFORE YOU SCREAM "SEXIST," it is an obvious conclusion when plot progression for male versus female grey characters is examined. Male grey characters' motivations include avenging people who have wronged them or someone they were close to, essentially revenge wearing justice as a disguise. The first character to come to mind when I think of male grey characters is Kaz Brekker, Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo, a supremely well-written morally grey character. Despite being surrounded by criminals throughout the series, he stands out in his lack of mercy and empathy as the protagonist. His primary motivation, even above friendships and romantic interests, was always getting back at the person who screwed him and his brother over, planning team endeavors in a way that brought him closer to his attempt at personal justice. A revolutionary trend could be the increase in male characters that are nurturers, the determined moral compass of a group, worry-filled rather than quick to anger, and generously selfless, devoid of personal agendas.
Meanwhile, morally grey female characters' motivation is freedom, if not always, most of the time. When written as a morally grey character, females get emancipated from caring about everyone around them and focus on themselves. These characters are freed from social expectations created by men of empathy and an apologetic existence always rooted in men around her. Their backstories and goals are mainly fueled by some form of gendered violence or systemic inequalities that force them to overcome prejudice and prove themselves. Because these characters' rage is justified, people could have difficulty buying into the story. Such characters force us to confront the damaging consequences of patriarchy and systemic oppression. Cersei Lannister from the Game of Thrones (2011) series epitomizes a grey lady. Ambitious, fiercely protective of her children, and willing to do whatever it takes to maintain power, she is both a tragic figure and a formidable force. Her love for her children humanizes her, even as her ruthlessness makes her a figure of fear and loathing. The same goes for Alicent Hightower in the House of the Dragon (2022) series, a character who defies easy classification as either hero or villain. Her actions are driven by complex motivations, blending duty, ambition, loyalty, and personal pain into a narrative that challenges our perceptions of morality. An easier and more popular choice than understanding these characters is to ridicule them by calling them hysterical (Harley Quinn), dramatic (Kaikeyi), selfish (Miranda Priestly), and illogical (Circe), which is funny because when the rude and antisocial Sherlock Holmes solves a case, we applaud him and jump in thrill when the Rizz King, Danny Ocean pulls off yet another heist.
Fleabag, An Interesting Non-Violent (Usually) Grey Lady, Fleabag (2016), IMDB
One of my favorite grey characters is in Phoebe Waller-Bridge's Fleabag (2016), also called Fleabag. She is a carefully put-together mess of a person, which made us seamlessly believe we were her friend when she broke the fourth dimension to talk to us. Fleabag follows the protagonist who struggles with self-hate, guilt, and grief, which is accurately portrayed navigating through her not-so-easy relationship with love. Fleabag is a relatable person because she isn't perfect. She has done horrible things, is constantly rejected, and loves like most of us do—deeply, desperately, disgustingly, and wholeheartedly. Her journey is one of self-discovery, where the lines between right and wrong are constantly blurred, but not once in the show is she defined as good, bad, or any binary adjective. Instead, she is communicated as an average human being. She is a woman with flaws and buried intentions who is often self-destructive but has faith in everyone, which evokes faith in her. She is also witty, vulnerable, and relatable. To summarise, I love her, and you should too.
Tashi Duncan, 2024’s Grey Lady, Challengers (2024), Alesso Bolzoni, Threads
Some honorable mentions I want to expand on are Tashi Duncan (Challengers, 2024), Evelyn Hugo (The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, 2017), and Susanna (7 Khoon Maaf, 2011). Beginning with the trending lady of the hour, Tashi Duncan, was a prodigy tennis player who later became a tennis coach. Driven by fierce competition and ambition, she blurs ethical lines to achieve her goals. Her relationships are fraught with manipulation and betrayal. Yet, Tashi's complexity lies in her vulnerability—her persistent pursuit of success is as much about her self-worth as it is about winning. She's not a plain hero or villain but a woman navigating a world where success often comes at a personal cost.
Literary Grey Ladies include Evelyn Hugo, Taylor Jenkins Reid
Which Evelyn Hugo, protagonist of the novel The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, also lived by. She was a Hollywood starlet who rose to fame in the 1950s. Evelyn navigated that environment through master reinvention, using her beauty and cunning to navigate the treacherous world of fame. Her life is marked by a series of strategic marriages and calculated decisions, often at the expense of those around her. However, Evelyn is also a profoundly complex character driven by a desire for love, recognition, and control over her narrative. She is unapologetic about her choices, embodying the duality of ambition and vulnerability that defines the grey lady archetype.
Susanna also follows a similar plot of multiple husbands, but their situations and motivations couldn't be more different. Throughout the film, she marries seven times, each marriage ending in the death of her husband. While her actions could quickly be condemned as villainous, Susanna's character is more complicated than the simple label of a femme fatale. Her motives are driven by a complex mix of love, loneliness, and a desire for justice, warped by the trauma and betrayal she endures. Susanna's journey is a tragic one, highlighting the destructive potential of love and the fine line between victim and perpetrator in a world that often pushes women to extremes.
The rise of the grey lady in storytelling reflects a broader cultural shift towards embracing complexity in all forms. As society continues to evolve, so does our understanding of what it means to be a woman, and these characters mirror that evolution. Their presence in media is essential as they humanize women outside media. Art and media have spread binaries and limitations of women till now. Now, the same tools need to be used to break them (Also, people are more likely to believe online things, so shrug). The introductions of these characters also hope to increase our ability to empathize with all people, both fictional and nonfictional, and accept the multifaceted nature of all our personalities. Just like how Barbie (2023) helped us understand Barbie's motivations to leave Barbieland, we also saw why Ken wanted to overthrow it.
In celebrating these grey ladies, we are acknowledging the multifaceted nature of humanity itself. We are saying that women, like men, can be driven by ambition, haunted by past traumas, and capable of both great love and great cruelty. It's time we embrace these characters for what they are—a testament to the richness and diversity of the human experience. As a collective, we require characters across the gender spectrum that reflect humanity and society as we are. So, don't rush to judgment the next time you encounter a grey lady in your favorite show, book, or film. Instead, take a moment to appreciate the layers of her character, the depth of her story, and the way she challenges our preconceived notions. In the grey areas, we find the truest reflections of ourselves. After all, aren’t we all grey characters?
