Welcome to this week’s installment of Geek Girl Authority Crush of the Week, wherein we shine a spotlight on strong women who inspire us. Now, this not only includes fictional female characters in geeky media but creators as well. These ladies are a prime example of female empowerment and how crucial it is for youth to have said example to follow.

DISCLAIMER: The following contains spoilers for Hulu’s Prey. 

Naru

Fast Facts: 

Naru (played by Amber Midthunder) is the Comanche BAMF in Prey. There are many words to describe Naru. Determined, resourceful, strategic, athletic… the list goes on. She’s a fierce and proud Comanche woman … no … warrior. Despite having to prove herself time and time again, Naru was the first to successfully defend her lands from an alien attack. 

RELATED: The Hunt Continues in Prey Trailer

The Real Deal: 

As a woman, Naru was expected to become a healer like her mother. Her brother, Taabe (Dakota Beavers) became a hunter like her father, but Naru always wanted to go with them. She learned her mother’s ways. And while searching for healing plants, Naru practiced her tomahawk throwing skills. Her intuition helped her spot danger around her. And when the Predator showed up, she was the first to see it.

Naru observes strange findings in the forest in Prey

Amber Midthunder as Naru in Prey. Photo: David Bukach/20th Century Studios

Naru was allowed to join a hunting party one night and saw signs of the Predator nearby. She knew it was something different than they’ve encountered before, but the hunting party doubted her. Although she is fierce, the Predator did not see her as a threat. The Predator only hunts the beings that are a threat to him. He watched Naru get pushed around by the hunting party. And this is why she survived the first Predator attack.

When Naru faced human captors, she was able to escape every time. During an encounter with French trappers, she realized her medicine could make her invisible. She used a plant that lowers body temperature and is a pain reliever. She did not know the Predator could only see the body heat of his prey. Naru used a combination of her healing knowledge and her fighting skills to face the Predator.  

Why She Matters: 

Naru faces off with the Predator in Prey

Naru (Amber Midthunder) and the Predator (Dane DiLiegro) in Prey. Photo: David Bukach/20th Century Studios

The Predator’s first mistake was attacking Naru’s homeland. The second was not seeing her as a threat. She saw him and observed his every move. She used her knowledge of the land and his own weapons against him, defeating the Predator at his own game.

Naru faced prejudice and misogyny from her own people and the Predator. She proved to them all that she is a force to be reckoned with. She made them see her worth. Naru watched and learned how to defeat her enemy. She was patient and stealth in her execution, proving that a woman is just as deadly as a man.

So be like Naru. Refuse to be the hunted and become the hunter instead.

RELATED: Looking for another crush? Check out our Geek Girl Authority Crushes of the Week here!

 

 

Noetta Harjo
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