Elizabeth Swann is an icon. She’s one of the best written female characters in fantasy films mostly because she isn’t a Mary Sue. One of the things that I won’t ever stop saying is that the point isn’t to make women strong or badass, the point is to make their character deep and interesting. Just like…male characters. And while many movies have badass girls, they are boring and were created by the male gaze (like Harley Quinn in Suicide Squad, though she isn’t boring). But Elizabeth is truly interesting. She has an inner conflict, character development through the films, romantic interest that wasn’t her entire motivation. She wasn’t just brave or courageous, she was bold, confident, cunning, ruthless, loud, she wasn’t the woman men usually like because she is uncontrollable. She is a pirate. Not every strong lady in films is a fugitive, a captain, a bride and a freaking king all in one movie. All in all, Elizabeth Swann is awesome and people who don’t like her usually don’t for the same reasons they like Jack Sparrow or Barbossa.