Amazons

A female warrior from the Amazons, an all-female nation in Classical and Greek mythology.

Opposite to Damsels, Amazons or Valkyries are women/girls who are strong, brave, stand up for themselves, and can also be seductive. The legend behind their name is that they were tall and strong female warriors from an ancient time. True to this, most are warriors, but not all. Basically, Heroines who can save themselves are Amazons. The term is also used to refer to tall females.

Opposed to the damsel in distress, an amazon is a much more feministic heroine. She is strong, stands up for herself, is seductive (though some can be masculine) and even confronted to danger, shows incredible courage. The term comes from the Greek legend of a race of female warriors who are believed to have lived in a region bordering Scythia in Sarmatia. The legend is that they were often very tall and strong. True to the legend, most amazons are warriors, but not all. Basically, any heroine who can save herself without a man is an amazon. In some cases, the term Amazon is also used to refer to taller than average female characters, such as Sierra and Jasmine from Total Drama.

Note: For extremely obvious reasons, any One-Woman Army automatically counts as an Amazon, with VERY few exceptions.