She's kick-ass because: she fearlessly takes on the resident prison maniac

You really wouldn't want to mess with Red. There are a lot of women vying for the title of kick-ass on Orange Is The New Black, but this one counts among the bravest, and the most brutal. Series One saw her as a bit of a sadistic character; the queen of the kitchen who punished those who offended her (like Piper) by denying them of food. But Series Two uncovered a more vulnerable and heroic side to the red-headed Russian doyenne of Litchfield Penitentiary.

Not only is she devoted to her close-knit group of friends - and devastated when they refuse to speak to her - she's also the only person with the balls to stand up to baddie-above-all-baddie inmates, the ruthless and dangerous Vee. But she's humane enough to have second thoughts when she tries to strangle Vee with a piece of plastic wrap, plus she does a mean sideline in holding down her racket on random smuggled goods.

Red's best quotes:

"You want to assassinate someone? Vision is a basic requirement. It’s like, Step one: Pick a person to kill. Step two: Kill that person"

"Two strikes, that's all she gets. Russians don't play baseball"

Meet TV's greatest fictional feminists and inspire yourself with their best quotes