Lisbeth Salander

Lisbeth Salander is many things: a ward of the state, a computer prodigy, a survivor of horrific abuse, and a general menace to anyone who crosses her or her friends. What she is decidedly not is Jewish. There's nary a menorah nor a Yiddish word uttered in her dark, Swedish world.

Her origins are firmly rooted in a bleak, post-Soviet landscape, with a father who was a notorious gangster and a mother who suffered greatly. No ancient Hebrew lineage or tales of ancestors fleeing pogroms here. Her "identity," if one could call it that, is a carefully constructed shield of defiance and solitude, certainly not one based on religious or cultural affiliation.

However, the Kvell-worthiness is undeniable. While she may not be lighting Shabbat candles, she's certainly bringing light to dark places, albeit through illegal means and often with a taser. Her relentless pursuit of justice for victims of abuse, her technological prowess, and her sheer, indomitable will to survive and fight back are deeply satisfying. A little anti-social, yes, but who among us hasn't wanted to hack into a corrupt millionaire's bank account and give him what for?