Habiba ElGaniny For some, when they think about “men”, they picture something simple, conventional and oddly predictable. Others think quite the opposite, or simply that men are indeed from Mars, only this time, women are from Earth, not Venus.
Sometimes, when the debate gets exhausting, we run to our ultimate move in life, the one that transforms almost anything unbearable into something quite fancied: to romanticize. We started inventing terms and tropes like “bare minimum”, “princess treatment”, high standards and low ones but the most interesting one of all is:
“He’s a man written by a woman”.
Personally, I am a devoted admirer of the latter. Our beloved cinephiles started noticing that men written by women act quite differently, leaving a sublime imprint on us. Somehow, they transform from fictional characters into almost every woman’s dream, the kind no two women would disagree on.
Then, this term made its way out of the TV room and tiptoed into our living reality. Now, when it comes to men, we can’t help but wonder: was he written by a man or a woman?
So, ladies and gentlemen, let’s give you our ultimate selection of men who were indeed written by women. You might just be a few lines away from your next fixation.
1- Garrett Graham
Off Campus left us completely dazzled. Every episode, every scene and sometimes every line made us wonder if we had somehow slipped into an alternative reality.
The male leads in this show were the very definition of men written by a woman. Garrett, on the other hand, was our ultimate pick, so let’s uncover why.
If you fancy the bad-boy-falling-for-the-innocent-girl trope, Garrett and Hannah might become your fixation for a while.
The way Garrett cared for Hannah, put her first, let her in and was never afraid to show his devotion to her, both in public and in private. The second he knew that someone had hurt her, he didn’t hesitate to risk his entire career for her sake.
We all know how that hockey match scene is engraved in our minds.
Garrett had raised the bar impossibly high.
2- Klaus Mikaelson
When Klaus first introduced himself to us as the most powerful creature in The Vampire Diaries, we were immediately intimidated by his aura, only to realise there was so much more lurking beneath it. The intimidating aura remained intact, but underneath it was a man who was, unmistakably, written by a woman.
Klaus was an exquisite mixture of a werewolf and a vampire, kind but unconquerable, a lover at heart yet cold as ice until Caroline came into the frame and flipped his world upside down.
Honestly, I still feel like the writers owe us for not letting Klaus and Caroline end up together. Even if the writers left our optimism in ruins, we all know undeniable chemistry when we see it.
He captured our hearts with his vulnerability, his patience and his understanding, and how he was willing to bend over backwards just to make her smile. Most impressive of all was that he always said it out loud while expecting absolutely nothing in return.
“He’s your first love. I intend to be your last.”
Perhaps the only proof we need is one line.
3- Four
Tobias, more famously known as Four, left a memorable imprint on our hearts, minds and TikTok search bars. Four is one of those characters with a huge fan following, with his edits practically taking over TikTok.
Four surpassed our expectations with the way he allowed himself to become vulnerable in Tris’s presence, protected her and developed once she got involved.
By now you should get the theme that most men written by women are the men who allow themselves to be devoured by love, who define themselves as human first, rather than as stereotypical men bound by endless do’s and don’ts.
Four was a remarkable character, yet he didn’t care about risking everything for Tris. Once Tris came into the picture, we could feel the tension, but we never expected the gestures.
He showed us what it means to be truly cherished by a man and confronted our thoughts that, when a man loves you, there’s no room for doubt.
4- Anthony Bridgerton
between them and the person they love. The way Anthony and Kate cherished, challenged and ultimately completed each other left us with a new obsession and a renewed belief in that kind of love.
Anthony was portrayed throughout the first season as a man who would almost never settle down or ever be captured by a woman until Kate. Kate unknowingly altered him.
Sometimes your feelings are bigger than what’s right and what’s wrong, and you just have to follow your heart to discover where they lead.
“That’s not far enough” was Anthony’s words when Kate said that she’s leaving for India. A man loses track of time, distance and almost his own thoughts when he’s truly captured by love. That was Anthony’s enduring statement. Anthony’s enduring statement.
5-Gilbert Blythe
Green Gables introduced us to plenty of exquisite scenery, but perhaps the most enchanting part was its people. Our man of the day is Gilbert Blythe. Gilbert was the absolute definition of a man written by a woman, only this time, we’re in 1897.
He was kind, polite, dedicated, and considerate, and the thing is, that was simply the kind of man he was. It wasn’t something reserved for his love interest, who happened to be Anne.
When a wave of hostility was directed towards Anne for trivial reasons, he stood against the current. Gilbert wasn’t looking for different perspectives. He saw Anne for who she truly was, and that was enough for him.
What we mostly loved about Gilbert was not just how sure he was of Anne, but how, no matter what Anne did or said, he never lost faith in her.
Most of the time, despite her eccentric dictionary, the wrong words seemed to tumble out of her effortlessly. Yet Gilbert was always patient with her and never let her words change the way he saw her.
6-Mr Darcy
Last but not least, Mr Darcy.
Mr Darcy is literally written by a woman, and not just any woman. He was written by the eternally fabulous Jane Austen. Everything about Jane’s writing feels as though it has touched a tender nerve in your heart, but Pride and Prejudice brought something entirely different.
When it comes to the opulent enemies-to-lovers trope, who could do it better than Elizabeth Bennet and Mr Darcy?
He was proud, oddly honest, full of himself and, of course, a wealthy gentleman, the kind of man he knew plenty of women would dream about. Until Lizzie came into the picture. She turned Mr Darcy into a humble, expressive man, qualities that had once been entirely foreign to him.
She got to see his kindness, generosity and the depth of his feelings, even though there was a time when we strongly believed he had none.
Mr Darcy showed us that when a man falls in love, his love should be stronger than his pride or, in today’s slang, his ego.
Mr Darcy set his pride aside and walked the entire field just to confess what he truly felt. He showed us the vulnerability of his emotions alongside the bravery of his actions.
“You’ve bewitched me, body and soul.”
Darcy’s confession was not merely delicate; it was poetic.
