A hero who quit before she started
Jessica has super strength, can jump up the side of a building and is nearly impossible to hurt. She also wants nothing to do with heroics. By the time we meet her in Marvel's Jessica Jones, she runs a one-woman detective agency, Alias Investigations, out of a messy apartment in Hell's Kitchen, takes cheating-spouse cases and drinks far too much whiskey.
The reason is a man named Kilgrave, who can make anyone do anything he says. Jessica survived his control, and the show is about what that kind of abuse leaves behind. It is easily the darkest and most adult of the original Marvel Netflix shows, and it handles trauma with more honesty than most superhero stories.
Her titles in order
- Marvel's Jessica Jones (series, optional)
- Marvel's The Defenders (series, recommended)
- Daredevil: Born Again (series, recommended)
Her first two titles started on Netflix as part of the street-level corner of Marvel, alongside Daredevil, Luke Cage and Iron Fist. Their exact place in the wider MCU has been debated for years, so think of them as their own connected world.
Her biggest turning points
Kilgrave's return pushes Jessica out of hiding. Her solo story starts as a missing-person case and turns into a cat-and-mouse fight with someone who can turn strangers into weapons. She has to decide whether running is still an option, and the answer shapes everything she does later.
The Defenders then forces her into a team, which she hates. She crosses paths with Matt Murdock, Luke Cage and Danny Rand while chasing a case that turns out to be connected to the Hand, an ancient criminal organization. Her dry, irritated reactions to the others are a highlight. Keep in mind her later solo seasons continue her story after the team-up.
Who matters in her life
Trish Walker is the most important person in Jessica's world. They grew up together as adoptive sisters, and Trish, a former child star turned radio host, is the one who never gives up on her. Their relationship is the emotional core of the series, with all the loyalty and fights that come with it. Luke Cage also enters Jessica's life early in her story, which leads into his own show.
Krysten Ritter as Jessica
Krysten Ritter plays Jessica in all three shows and gives her a deadpan, worn-out toughness that makes the jokes funny and the darker moments painful. Before Marvel, she was known for playing Jane in Breaking Bad and for the sitcom Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23, as well as a supporting role in Veronica Mars. Jessica Jones is the role that made her a lead.
Which order to watch
Watch the first season of Marvel's Jessica Jones, then Marvel's The Defenders, then the rest of her solo series, and finish with Daredevil: Born Again. If you want the full street-level picture, watch Daredevil before The Defenders too, since that team-up assumes you know Matt Murdock. We rate her show optional for the main MCU but highly worth it on its own terms. More street-level heroes are in our Marvel character guide.