Antiope
Simply put, General Antiope of the Amazon Army is Wonder Woman’s hero. As Princess of Themyscira, Diana looks up to her mother – the formidable warrior, Queen Hippolyta – but it is her Aunt, Antiope, that truly leads her to embrace herself and her true identity.
In the childhood of Diana, we see that Queen Hippolyta causes obstructions to her progress, as she seeks to protect her from the threat of the world beyond their hidden island. Antiope, on the other hand, enables Diana, and supports her requests for Amazon combat training. Antiope then undertakes that training, and helps Diana become a better fighter than even she ever was.
But, it’s Antiope’s leadership of the Amazon Army that warrants her acknowledgement as one of the best comic book movie characters of 2017. She’s entirely fearless in her training of her warriors, and she’s instrumental in their development of a truly unique fighting style – that sees them take to the air and work together as a team to bring down their enemies.
When she trains with Diana, she continually builds her confidence and reminds her of her power. When she thunders across the beach on horseback – leading the Amazon Army from the front – she wears a wry smile on her face, knowing that this is where she’s meant to be. When she bellows “Shield!” to her fellow warriors, spins into the air and takes out three armed Nazis with three arrows at once, she’s both an effective soldier, and a symbol of victory to her Army. When she literally takes a bullet for Diana, she uses her dying breath to set the Amazon Princess on the path to fulfilling her destiny.
General Antiope is every inch the hero of one of the greatest comic book icons of all-time – and her depiction by Robin Wright in Wonder Woman is absolutely flawless.