(1) She’s an independently powerful and competent woman who can deal with her problems – professional or emotional – on her own (note: that doesn’t mean she doesn’t appreciate help). She’s the only female LI character who plays in the same league as Shepard. That makes her a perfect companion for him.
(2) She’s morally ambiguous. Black and white types tend to be predictable – and thus, often less interesting than those with grey morality. Her mental flexibility also means that she adapts better to situations where conventional morality just doesn't apply.
(3) She’s emotionally detached... - enough to be fascinating and refreshing, but not so much as to be unlikeable. All too often women in fiction are represented as more or less defined by their emotions. Miranda breaks that pattern. She can be professional; she can be coldly detached or coolly unmovable. She can also be emotional, but she’s not restricted to that.
(4) ...but does warm up to those she respects and trusts. Trust and (professional) respect are interwoven in her relationship to you. Once you've gained them, she becomes more open with you, and you know that's something special.
(5) She’s a “spy with superpowers”. This combination of power and mystery is irresistible to many of her fans.
(6) She's a woman, not a girl. Her grown-up and balanced personality attracts many fans.
(7) She's unapologetically sexual - and not presented as a sl*t because of it (forget the ass shots and pay attention to her behavior if you don't believe it). That's refreshing because more conventional stories like to paint a woman who enjoys sex - to say nothing of sex in engine rooms - in a more negative light.
(8) She's human. For those who find interspecies romance unconvincing, that’s an important aspect if you want to romance her.
(9) She’s engineered to be perfect. That makes her special in a way you cannot acquire by learning or even character development. While for some, that’s a point of attraction in itself, if you’re a transhumanist you might also be thrilled by the fact that she might be – dare I say it – the genetic destiny of humanity.
(10) She’s beautiful. This point is not as minor as people might want to make themselves believe. It’s not a necessary condition for liking her, but Miranda would be a different character if she were ugly.
Did You Read My Mind?WTF?!