The term “soap opera” dates back to the 1930s and was coined due to the fact that soap makers were the main sponsors of programs then broadcast on radio. The reason for this notable sponsorship was the usual soap opera audience of mostly housewives who cleaned the house.
But both soaps and their audiences have come a long way, and while they’re still mostly made up of female viewers, these fangirls are influenced by all those badass leading ladies of the daytime. From Luke Spencer to Beau Brady and Victor Newman, while soap operas have been home to some unforgettable leading men for decades, these men would be nothing without their female counterparts.
10/10 Karli Korinthos (“General Hospital”)
Carly Corinthos, originally known as Caroline Benson and most recently known as Carly Spencer, was part of a whole new generation of iconic characters. ABC Main hospital after those epic days of Luke, Laura, Anna and Duke.
Soap alum plays most prominently laura Wright, Carly has always been a force to be reckoned with and one whose bad side you don’t want to be on. Whether it’s the female rivalries in her life, those who have wronged her children, or those unfaithful husbands, Carly always comes out on top in Port Charles.
9/10 Maya Avant (Bold and beautiful)
When Carla Mosley joined CBS Bold and handsome As Maya Avant in 2013, no one could have expected the amount of success the character would achieve on daytime TV when she hit the town looking for her abandoned daughter.
Despite starting out as a character you loved to hate, Maya made history in 2015 when she was revealed to be a transgender woman and became the first series regular to be a transgender character and later married Rick Forrester in the first ever show. LGBTQ+ wedding.
8/10 Phyllis Summers (“The Young and the Restless”)
There is no cooler girl in Genoa than Phyllis Summers. Debut on Young and restless in 1994, created and currently portrayed Michelle Stafford and knew from the start how to get what she wanted, starting with stealing Danny right from under his then-wife Christina, revealing that she bore him a child.
A Genoa schemer, Phyllis is apparently unaware of what she is doing and is never afraid to put someone in their place, be it with harsh words or a drink or two.
7/10 Sami Brady (“Days of Our Lives”)
Born to Marlena and Roman in the 80s, SORAS’ Sami Brady arrived in Salem in 1993, played by a then-young actress. Alison Sweeney. Sami immediately proved that you can’t mess with her, and how cunning and mischievous she really can be.
Sami can be outright wrong sometimes - like when she cheated on Wraith with EJ and EJ with Lucas - but if you mess with her or the people she loves in the first place, you have to pay the price. Days of our lives icon.
6/10 Nikki Newman (“The Young and the Restless”)
You might just earn some reputation when you come to town and reveal you were a stripper, but Nikki Newman is known for being as sweet as she is salty. Most notably played by Melody Thomas Scott, this Young and restless legend knows how to throw it down.
While she has always been a great mother and grandmother to her children, grandchildren, and even those who weren’t blood relatives who joined the Newman family, she also never let her infamous husband Victor get away with his wrongdoings. .
5/10 Blair Kramer (“One Life to Live”, “General Hospital”)
From Vicki Lord to Natalie Buchanan, not a single woman on One life to live was as memorable as Blair Kramer. Bye Cassie DePaiva didn’t create this cool character, the actress played her for over 20 years in both films. OLTL and Main hospital.
Blair, often referred to as Carly Corinthos of Llanview, was as mean and conniving as they were. And when Blair finally came face-to-face with Carly when she arrived in Port Charles in 2012, no one was sure if the two badasses would bond over shared experiences or instantly become enemies.
4/10 Hope Brady (“Days of Our Lives”)
Days of our lives There may be a long list of badass female characters, but none of them compare to Hope Brady. With Christian Alfonso Starting portraying this legendary character in 1983, she instantly became a soap icon best remembered for being part of the super couple Bo and Hope.
Aside from her relationship with Beau, Hope has never turned down a fight, whether it be with the likes of Sami Brady or the villain Stefano, whom Hope finally managed to defeat in 2016.
3/10 Katherine Chancellor (“The Young and the Restless”)
On and off screen legend, actress Jean Cooper portrayed the sometimes beloved, sometimes infamous Katherine Chancellor on Young and restless for 40 years until her death in 2013, just two months after the show celebrated its 40th anniversary.
Katherine never missed the mark, whether she was Devon’s loving grandmother or arguing with her sworn hostile Jill. This character was the first to get an actual on-screen facelift, and was memorably always impressed every time she walked into a room.
2/10 Laura Spencer (“General Hospital”)
Jean Francis it Main hospital a veterinarian who portrayed the legendary Laura Spencer for almost half of the soap’s 60 years on the air. Although this character is an unforgettable part of Luke and Laura’s super-couple, she was known much more during her time in Port Charles.
In recent years, Laura has had a happy marriage to Kevin Collins, when she’s not cleaning up the city as mayor, she’s spending her time loving her grandchildren. But of everything Laura has done in 30 years, she is best known for helping defeat Mikkos Kassadin when he tried to freeze the world with the help of the legendary Ice Princess.
1/10 Erica Kane (“All My Children”)
Of all the characters in all soap operas, there is no woman as unforgettable as Erica Kane from All My Children. Created and portrayed by Susan Lucci for over 40 years, until the show’s final episode in 2011, the character has gone down in history as one of daytime’s baddest divas.
This character always got what she wanted when it came to her career, relationships, and everything else in Pine Valley. This legendary character was so impressive in both daytime and prime time, she even appeared on television. Saturday night life during Lucci’s tenure in 1990.
Source: Collider
