History FieryRedhead / Literature

* Maedhros, Amrod, and Amras from Creator/JRRTolkien's ''Literature/TheSilmarillion'' are the only elves to be described as redheads who fit the personality type. They're fierce, rash, more violent than is really healthy, and not particularly wise or patient... but then so are all their darker-haired siblings. A lot of fans assume their mother Nerdanel's also redheaded, thought the author only ever said her ''father'' is, and both of their personalities are the complete opposite: calm, soft-spoke, patient, and wise. They also had the sense not to join the rebellion of the Noldor, which is why they're still alive.

%% * Annie, aka Naughty Nan, in TheFilmOfTheBook, at least, of ''[[LittleWomen Little Men]]''.

* Scarlet from Literature/TheLunarChronicles is an ever-angry gunslinger who gets quite annoyed whenever anyone makes the [[SarcasmMode genius]] connection to her name and her hair. She ''was'' raised in France by her BadassGrandma, who taught her to shoot, after all.

%% ** Harry's mother, Lily, was also like this, mostly around James before they ended up hooking up. Hmm, maybe the Potter men have a thing for fiery redheads.

%% * [[TheChick April O'Brien]] of ''Literature/{{Everworld}}'', who also has GreenEyes and an Irish ancestry, perhaps to sharpen the contrast between her and [[SiblingYinYang her half-sister]], who is a blond, [[LonersAreFreaks antisocial]] EmotionlessGirl.

%% * Rachel Elizabeth Dare in ''Literature/PercyJacksonAndTheOlympians''. Although [[StealthPun it's never]] [[LampshadeHanging lampshaded]], even her initials spell [[MeaningfulName R.E.D.]]

* ''Literature/AnneOfGreenGables''. Justified with Anne Shirley, whose temper was at its fieriest when she was teased about her red hair (being one of the few characters whose fire is connected to their coloring). She chewed out the neighborhood busybody and also responded to being called "Carrots" by breaking her slate over a schoolmate's head. Nobody ever teased her about her red hair again, after the social snubbing Gilbert got for five or so years. Ironically, they end up marrying. [[note]] It's ironic for Anne. That was Gilbert's goal [[LoveAtFirstPunch since the beginning]]. [[/note]] Anne never quite gets over her dislike of her red hair. She didn't even like it when her ''children'' inherited it. When Jem is born and the nurse tells her his hair will be red, Gilbert reports to Marilla that "Anne is furious with her, and I'm tickled to death!"
* ''Literature/TheChroniclesOfPrydain''

* ''Literature/WarriorCats''. Squirrelflight is the most notable example. She's been explicitly compared to fire on multiple occasions, and has the feisty, stubborn personality to show for it. However, she eventually developed into a calmer and more mature adult. There's also Red, who defies her father's wishes to pursue a romance with her [[StarCrossedLovers Star-Crossed Lover]].

* ''Literature/{{Run}}'' has Bo Dickinson on occasion. It's a bit of a Dickinson trait.

* Aven Green in ''Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus'' by Dusti Bowling.

* Ygritte, a wildling, from ''Literature/ASongOfIceAndFire''. All redheads are believed to be "kissed by fire" in the wildling culture and have a reputation for spirit. Averted in Westeros proper, where red hair is associated with the more genteel Tullys. Rickon Stark, however, inherited the Tully red hair and is the most expressive of his siblings, although this may be due to his youth.

* ''Literature/{{Abominable}}''. Stephanie mentions the redhead [[PlayingWithFire Finn's]] hot temper right off the bat, right before we get to see his response to [[TheHunter Timothy]] trying to pick a fight with him. He [[FlashStep flash steps]] right up to Timothy, delivers a quick BadassBoast that doubles as a death threat, calls the grown man an [[OlderThanTheyLook insolent child]] and then tells the guy to get out of his sight.

%% * Randle Patrick [=McMurphy=], in ''Literature/OneFlewOverTheCuckoosNest''.

* ''Literature/WarriorCats''. Red, who defies her father's wishes to pursue a romance with her [[StarCrossedLovers Star-Crossed Lover]].

* The redheaded Sarah in ''Literature/TalesOfAnAmazingGirl''is pretty firey in the right circumstances, if she often keeps her sass to herself.

* Literature/SisterhoodSeries by Creator/FernMichaels: just ask Kathryn Lucas and Maggie Spritzer. They have red hair and the attitude to match!

* The main protagonist of the ''Literature/CronusChronicles'', the redhead Charlotte, is the grumpy variety.

* The redheaded Sarah in ''Literature/TalesOfAnMazingGirl''is pretty firey in the right circumstances, if she often keeps her sass to herself.

* The redheaded Fire-witches in the Literature/EnchantedForestChronicles deserve special mention: when they get angry enough (which is often), their hair ''explodes''.

* The main character of the Literature/DearAmerica book ''A Coal Miner's Bride: The Diary of Anetka Kaminska'' complains about everything about her looks except her red hair. At one point, she suddenly remembered that she was her mother's fiery redhead and started yelling at her ungrateful husband with a list of the things she does for him.

* Stephanie mentions the redhead [[PlayingWithFire Finn's]] hot temper right off the bat, right before we get to see his response to [[TheHunter Timothy]] trying to pick a fight with him. He [[FlashStep flash steps]] right up to Timothy, delivers a quick BadassBoast that doubles as a death threat, calls the grown man an [[OlderThanTheyLook insolent child]] and then tells the guy to get out of his sight.

* ''Literature/AnneOfGreenGables'':
** Justified with Anne Shirley, whose temper was at its fieriest when she was teased about her red hair (being one of the few characters whose fire is connected to their coloring). She chewed out the neighborhood busybody and also responded to being called "Carrots" by breaking her slate over a schoolmate's head. Nobody ever teased her about her red hair again, after the social snubbing Gilbert got for five or so years. Ironically, they end up marrying. [[note]] It's ironic for Anne. That was Gilbert's goal [[LoveAtFirstPunch since the beginning]]. [[/note]] Anne never quite gets over her dislike of her red hair. She didn't even like it when her ''children'' inherited it. When Jem is born and the nurse tells her his hair will be red, Gilbert reports to Marilla that "Anne is furious with her, and I'm tickled to death!"

* Terry Brooks' [[Literature/{{Shannara}} Voyage of the Jerle Shannara]] introduces Rue Meridian, a redhead who steals airships single-handedly and kills lizard-men, and you had better not tell her she can't.

* Stephanie mentions [[PlayingWithFire Finn's]] hot temper right off the bat, right before we get to see his response to [[TheHunter Timothy]] trying to pick a fight with him. He [[FlashStep flash steps]] right up to Timothy, delivers a quick BadassBoast that doubles as a death threat, calls the grown man an [[OlderThanTheyLook insolent child]] and then tells the guy to get out of his sight.

* Cate Hendrickson of ''Literature/ParadiseRot'' fits the bill. Sarcastic and Irish as it is possible to be.
* In ''[[Literature/{{Dragons}} The Last Dragon Chronicles]]'' Lucy fits this persona perfectly, though it becomes blaringly obvious during [[TeensAreMonsters her teenage years]].
* In the Literature/{{Branion}} series by Fiona Patton, the royal family of an alternate Britain is literally this. The sovereigns are the Jesus-style avatars of a fire god, and they commonly have red hair. They also have tempers, which is not surprising given that effectively having a fire god inside you is [[RoyallyScrewedUp not good for your mental stability]]. Justified by the presence in their family tree of [[FantasyCounterpartCulture Danes, Welsh and Irish]].
* Literature/GemmaDoyle and her mother.

* Practically every female character in the novels of Creator/RobertAHeinlein. Even a few of the male characters qualify.
* [[Franchise/StarWarsExpandedUniverse Mara Jade Skywalker]], Luke's wife and DeadpanSnarker extraordinaire. She can get [[MamaBear very nasty]] if you hit her BerserkButton.
** As is her son, Ben Skywalker. The striking similarities between the two (particularly their personalities) are brought up fairly often in profic, especially in ''[[Literature/LegacyOfTheForce Sacrifice]]'', and a LOT in fanfic. To be honest, probably the only notable physical feature he inherited from Luke are his blue eyes.

* ''Literature/HarryPotter''
** Ginny Weasley, as well as Molly and the rest of the Weasleys. A more mellow example is Percy, and he's regarded as a stick-in-the-mud.
** Harry's mother, Lily, was also like this, mostly around James before they ended up hooking up. Hmm, maybe the Potter men have a thing for fiery redheads.
* Literature/CiaphasCain '''HERO OF THE IMPERIUM''''s comrades Colonel Kasteen and Trooper (later Corporal) Magot fit this trope to a T, Magot almost to the point of being a PsychoLesbian. And, no, the two redheads are not a couple.
* C. L. Moore's Literature/JirelOfJoiry.
* Calliope in John Barnes's ''Literature/OneForTheMorningGlory''.
* Annie, aka Naughty Nan, in TheFilmOfTheBook, at least, of ''[[LittleWomen Little Men]]''.

** Justified with Anne Shirley whose temper was at its fieriest when she was teased about her red hair (being one of the few characters whose fire is connected to their coloring). She chewed out the neighborhood busybody and also responded to being called "Carrots" by breaking her slate over a schoolmate's head. Nobody ever teased her about her red hair again, after the social snubbing Gilbert got for five or so years. Ironically, they end up marrying. [[note]] It's ironic for Anne. That was Gilbert's goal [[LoveAtFirstPunch since the beginning]]. [[/note]]
** Anne never quite gets over her dislike of her red hair. She didn't even like it when her ''children'' inherited it. When Jem is born and the nurse tells her his hair will be red, Gilbert reports to Marilla that "Anne is furious with her, and I'm tickled to death!"

** Princess Eilonwy is the extremely temperamental {{Tsundere}} ActionGirl whose temper is feared even by her friends, and especially her [[WellExcuseMePrincess love interest]].
** The boisterous King Smoit, who is jolly and personable with his friends, but unleashes a warrior's temper on those who anger him.
* Dylan Marvil from ''Literature/TheClique''.
* Aviendha (and, to a lesser extent, all Aiel women) from the [[Literature/TheWheelOfTime Wheel of Time]] series behave like this. They are quite proficient with the spears and knives they threaten men who make unwanted advances with.
* Pippilotta Delicatessa Windowshade Mackrelmint Ephraim's daughter Longstocking, from the ''Literature/PippiLongstocking'' series (and subsequent adaptations). Don't mess with this [[CuteBruiser tank of a little girl]].
* In Robert Graves' ''King Jesus'', Jesus has red hair, that being one of the eight "signs of royalty".

* "Red" from ''Literature/GoodOmens''.
** Also, Pepper.

* Ditto with Tris in Tammy's ''Literature/CircleOfMagic'' series. She's very prickly from years of verbal abuse and abandonment. She does eventually warm up to her new friends, but she's still quick to sarcasm and doesn't tolerate fools gladly.
* Talea in Creator/AlanDeanFoster's ''Literature/{{Spellsinger}}''.
* Ce'Nedra from David Eddings's ''Literature/{{Belgariad}}''. Not just her husband Belgarion, not just their royal court, the ''entire kingdom'' of Riva is focused on keeping Queen Ce'Nedra happy. Because the alternative is just too grisly to contemplate.
* Renn from ''Literature/TheChroniclesOfAncientDarkness''.
* Squirrelflight of ''Literature/WarriorCats'' would qualify as a Fiery Redpelt.
** Her mother, Sandstorm, was one as well.
** Red, who defies her father's wishes to pursue a romance with her [[StarCrossedLovers Star-Crossed Lover]].

* Sarah in ''Literature/TalesOfAnMazingGirl''is pretty firey in the right circumstances, if she often keeps her sass to herself.
* Jennsen Rahl in the Literature/SwordOfTruth series. In-story, red hair is often (falsely) stereotyped as the hair color of ''witches'' among the blond-haired D'Haran purebloods, rather than indicative of personality.
* [[TheChick April O'Brien]] of ''Literature/{{Everworld}}'', who also has GreenEyes and an Irish ancestry, perhaps to sharpen the contrast between her and [[SiblingYinYang her half-sister]], who is a blond, [[LonersAreFreaks antisocial]] EmotionlessGirl.
* Ysabeau Wilce's ''Crackpot Hall'' series has both male and female examples with Hotspur and [[TheButcher Butcher Brakespeare]] respectively.
* Randle Patrick [=McMurphy=], in ''Literature/OneFlewOverTheCuckoosNest''.
* Karen from ''Literature/DragonsInOurMidst''.

* Terry Brooks' [[Literature/{{Shannara}} Voyage of the Jerle Shannara]] introduces Rue Meridian, who steals airships single-handedly and kills lizard-men, and you had better not tell her she can't.
* Wisty of ''Literature/WitchAndWizard'' is a FieryRedhead who can actually ''light herself on fire''.
* Bronwyn in ''Bronwyn's Bane''. Living with a serious curse increases her anger management issues.
* Clementine from ''The Liberation of Clementine Tipton''.
* Maggy Mulligan from ''Faraway Dream''.
* Gwen Jones from the ''Cherry Ames'' mysteries.
* Madeline from ''Madeline''.
* The Fire-witches in the Literature/EnchantedForestChronicles deserve special mention: when they get angry enough (which is often), their hair ''explodes''.
* Sioned, Sionell, and Feylin, among others of Melanie Rawn's ''Literature/DragonPrince'' and ''Literature/DragonStar'' trilogies.
* Margot Maynard in Elinor M Brent-Dyer's Literature/ChaletSchool series. Her hair is constantly described as 'reddish-gold' and she has an absolutely rotten temper, which she blames on her 'demon'. She tries to control it, but it often gets the better of her, culminating in her nearly killing a girl with a bookend in ''The Chalet School Triplets''. Her cousin Sybil Russell also qualifies, at least as a child, until an accident with a kettle and her younger sister [[BreakTheHaughty has a drastic effect on her personality]].

* Felicity of the Literature/AmericanGirlsCollection is a spunky, spritely colonial girl, full of energy and independence.
* Princess Elizabeth of Literature/TheRoyalDiaries' ''Elizabeth I: Red Rose of the House of Tudor'' can swear up a storm when she wants to.

* 'Red' Kelly and his sister Kelly Kelly in the ''Literature/YoungBond novels''. In fact, the whole Kelly clan might qualify.

* Literature/InDeath series: Feeney has ginger hair. He may seem rather calm, but he can be explosive when he's angry.
* Literature/TimeScout: Margo Smith.
* Rachel Elizabeth Dare in ''Literature/PercyJacksonAndTheOlympians''. Although [[StealthPun it's never]] [[LampshadeHanging lampshaded]], even her initials spell [[MeaningfulName R.E.D.]]

* In "Nobody Here But—", a short story by Creator/IsaacAsimov, protagonist Cliff Anderson is deeply in love with his red-haired girlfriend Mary Ann, but does not quite have the courage to ask her to marry him. Throughout the story Cliff talks about how wonderful Mary Ann is, but always amends his statement with "but she does have red hair;" she [[InvokedTrope acts feisty and aggressive because that is how girls with red hair act]].
** In Asimov's Literature/LuckyStarr series, Lucky's sidekick John Bigman Jones has pale red hair, a short temper, and a generally emotional nature. Lucky, on the other hand, is calm and brown-haired.
* In Tom Robbins' ''Still Life With Woodpecker'', in addition to the two red-haired protagonists (FallenPrincess Leigh Cherry and {{Outlaw}} Bernard Mickey Wrangle), there's a involved sideplot/conspiracy theory around the extraterrestrial origins of redheads.

* Cord [=MaKiy=] from the ''Literature/{{ColSec Trilogy}}'', although it's somewhat mitigated by his introversion.
* Jessie in ''High Society'' by Creator/BenElton. Her hair colour (dark auburn/reddish-brown) is referred to only once, but combined with her personality she is an obvious example of this trope.
* Kaylana the druid in ''Literature/{{Villains by Necessity}}''. Living up to the trope by answering any attempts to approach her with a staff knocked over the poor man's head.
* Prince Bryan in ''Literature/SummersAtCastleAuburn'' is every negative stereotype associated with red hair.
* Clary Fray from ''Literature/TheMortalInstruments'', is easily upset and often lashes out at people.
* The main protagonist of the ''Literature/CronusChronicles'', Charlotte, is the grumpy variety.
* Creator/SimonaAhrnstedt gives us Beatrice Löwenström in her debut novel ''Literature/{{Overenskommelser}}''. She's intelligent, competent and assertive. But alas, many people in this era (the 1880s) prefer quiet and subservient women. And being at the mercy of her abusive uncle, who bullies her into a marriage with a man, who treats women like dirt under his shoes, she finds that out the hard way. But she's not afraid to call her oppressors out on what creeps they are, even if that only makes them even angrier with her...

* ''[[Literature/AMagesPower A Mage's Power]]'': The Bladi Clan is PlayingWithATrope. They all have red hair as a dominant trait but their temperments vary.
** Basilard is only firece in battle. Otherwise he's mellow.

* Inverted with Fiona from ''Literature/TheGiver''. She is said to be calm and serene from Jonas.
* Kristen Börstrom from ''Literature/{{MARZENA}}'' is a Swedish redhead Ex-Cop turned into super killer assassin. Although red is not her natural color, it does seem to match her temper.
* Chloe Wentworth from ''The Lost Sisters of Pleasant Valley'' novels.
* Katelyn, the spunky GranolaGirl from ''Literature/{{Insupu}}''.
* ''Literature/MidnightsChildren'' has Saleem's sister the Brass Monkey, who got her nickname because she's one of these. She is also ''literally'' fiery, in that she lights shoes on fire to get attention. Her hair darkens to brown when she turns nine, and she subsequently mellows out a bit.
* Iris of ''Literature/TheFirstDwarfKing'' definitely counts. She's an ActionGirlfriend to the hero, Jani.
** Averted by [[TheHighQueen Aristomache]]; while she's a capable LadyOfWar, she acts calm and reserved most of the time.
* ''Literature/TheHungerGames'': The female District 10 Tribute in ''Catching Fire'', being the only redhead of all the tributes.

* ''Literature/TheSilerianTrilogy'': Mirabar, though she mellows over time.

* ''Literature/TheStormlightArchive'': Shallan is this ironically mixed with [[ShrinkingViolet non-confrontational behavior]]. She is passionate and free until she gets confronted, at which point she starts blushing and crying. [[BewareTheNiceOnes Push her too hard]], though, and she turns into a [[TranquilFury stone-cold killer]].

* ''Creator/SimonaAhrnstedt'' gives us Beatrice Löwenström in her debut novel ''Literature/{{Overenskommelser}}''. She's intelligent, competent and assertive. But alas, many people in this era (the 1880s) prefer quiet and subservient women. And being at the mercy of her abusive uncle, who bullies her into a marriage with a man, who treats women like dirt under his shoes, she finds that out the hard way. But she's not afraid to call her oppressors out on what creeps they are, even if that only makes them even angrier with her...

** In Asimov's Literature/LuckyStarr series, Lucky's sidekick John Bigman Jones has pale red hair, a short temper, and a generally emotional nature. Lucky, on the other hand, is calm and brown-haired.

* Cate Hendrickson of ''Literature/ParadiseRot'' fits the bill. Sarcastic and Irish as it is possible t be.

* ''Literature/ChroniclesOfPrydain''

* [[RedheadedHero Cord MaKiy]] from the ''Literature/{{ColSec Trilogy}}'', although it's somewhat mitigated by his introversion.