Buffy The Vampire Slayer

Actress: Sarah Michelle Gellar

Show: Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Character: Buffy

Think your teenage years were a nightmare? Well, pity poor Buffy. Most kick-ass TV chicks at least get to graduate from high school before they assume adult responsibilities like keeping hell’s army from advancing.

But then again, Buffy is "the chosen one."

Assigned to slay all the vampires and other malevolent beings that spew from the Hell Mouth—conveniently located beneath her high school—Sarah Michelle Gellar’s heroine was at first a little overwhelmed by her task.

But just like her ratings, her courage and her quirky valley-ghoul slang ("Can you vague that up for me?") have quickly grown up in a big way. As she turns back evil’s seemingly undepletable forces week after week, she really started to like her job—and her bloody-good pals Xander and Willow.

And just like Ally McBeal—a legal-world warrior who narrowly lost on appeal during the making of this list—Buffy shows the unique ability to turn off the job. She’s evolved enough to socialize with her adversaries after the battle, evidenced by her torrid affair with Angel the vampire.

Best of all, in this high school, it’s not the teenage girls who worry most about getting nailed.