I write to reflect people, not to preach them. People might find things that may offend them in my writing, but like what Stephen King said, "If you intend to write as truthfully as you can, your days as a member of polite society are numbered anyway."
Favorite Female Characters that mostly inspire my own female protagonists:
1. Lisbeth Salander - The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo; bad-ass but also vulnerable, a victim of life but she does not let herself be victimized; my personal icon
2. Ariadne - Inception; Aptly called "the Architect" which I find a nice coincidence due to me supposedly having the INTP "The Architect" personality type
3. Porpentina Goldstein - Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them; level-headed but noble, I see the same strength of character that I love the most in my heroines
4. Juno Macguff - Juno; she's cool, 'nuff said.
5. Mulan - I like warrior girls
6. Moana - She's not a princess
7. Tiana - The Princess and the Frog; probably the most grounded and practical of all Disney princesses
8. Belle - Beauty and the Beast; I like her intellectual side and how it alienates her to other people in her community
9. April Ludgate - Parks and Recreation; She's my spirit animal
10. Luna Lovegood - Harry Potter; I like her weirdness; it's not forcibly cute or anything
11. Valkyrie/Brunnhilde - Marvel Cinematic Universe; She was honestly so badass at Thor: Ragnarok. I'm in love with her.
Favorite Male Characters:
Severus Snape - Harry Potter; He's that character who was deprived of love his entire life, but was still capable of loving wholeheartedly. He never looked for sympathy and was willing to look like a villain for the sake of other people. He never asked for any other gain, just that he could fulfill his duty.
Sam Winchester - Supernatural; he is just so adorable! I love how he has this rugged look, but he really is more of a geek, lol.
Castiel - Supernatural; Who doesn't love Castiel?
Loki - MCU; My sexy trickster god. He makes villains a whole lot more likable than the heroes.
Hulk - MCU; He's full of beautiful contrasts and he's the strongest avenger.
Favorite Ships:
Arthur/Ariadne - Inception; there's something about these two that just seems so right.
Snape/Luna - Harry Potter; I like the idea of two outcasts falling in love together.
Meg/Castiel - Supernatural; the demon fell in love with the angel.
Generally though, I like female characters whose strength don't rely on their sexual charisma, martial arts prowess, etc. I prefer characters who are put into vulnerable situations but their characterization itself resists the victim role. Those are my kind of girls.