John McClane. The T-800. Captain America.
These names have earned their place in the public imagination as some of the greatest action heroes of all time. When most people think of action stars, these tough guys come to mind, with their rippling muscles and stylish stubble. But anyone who thinks just of these muscle men doesn’t know much about action movies.
A true fan understands that some of the best action movies ever made put women in the center. These heroines have the strength and no-how to star in breathtaking fight scenes, whether it’s a kung fu throw-down or a shoot-out with invaders from beyond. However, the best female action heroes also have more depth than the average muscle-head, showing that they’re much more than just an intimidating face.
1. Ellen Ripley, Aliens (1986)
Part of the appeal of Ellen Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) stems from the fact that she had no intention of becoming an action hero.
Even after her mining ship the Nostromo got invaded by a Xenomorph in Alien, Ripley relied on blue-collar smarts more than muscle. She just wanted to do her job as a space trucker, getting her haul back to Earth and reuniting with her daughter.
When James Cameron followed Ridley Scott’s haunted house movie with an action film for Aliens, he continued Ripley’s story in a natural manner. She doesn’t grab a gun and fire away alongside the space marines she accompanies to the doomed colony Hadley’s Hope. Instead, she acts out of desperation, which increases with her attachment to the orphan child Newt (Carrie Henn). By the time Ripley gets in a power loader to confront the alien queen, she’s both an intimidating presence and the same blue-collar worker.
2. Sarah Connor, Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)
Like Ripley before her, Sarah Connor didn’t start out as a robot-fighting warrior. In fact, Cameron introduces her as a harried waitress in 1984's The Terminator, a woman who gets the attention of the time-traveling T-800 (Arnold Schwarzenegger) because of her future child, John Connor, not for anything she will do.
But when Cameron returned to the character for the sequel Terminator 2: Judgement Day, he reimagined Sarah Connor as a woman who can hold her own in the fight to save the future. Sarah’s actor Linda Hamilton transformed herself into a lean, ripped warrior, someone who would never waste time serving ice cream to bratty kids. Hamilton goes beyond the muscles to make Connor into someone wracked by trauma and guilt, a woman who fights the future because of the pain of the past.
3. Coffy, Coffy (1973)
Few people have ever been as cool on screen as Pam Grier, the queen of the 70s Blaxploitation flick. While Grier puts in compelling performances in movies such as Blacula, Friday Foster, and Foxy Brown, her best pure action role comes playing the titular character in Coffy, written and directed by Jack Hill.
As emergency room nurse Flower Child Coffin aka Coffy, Grier plays a woman on a mission of revenge. The local kingpin has flooded the neighborhood with smack, leading to the near-death of Coffy’s kid sister Lubelle. With the help of an upright policeman (William Elliott), Coffy goes undercover to infiltrate boss King George (Robert DoQui) and his mob superior Vitroni (Allan Arbus). As an exploitation movie, Coffy puts Grier into more than a few compromising positions. But such is Grier’s star power that these shots never make her less of an intimidating screen presence.
4. Jessica Yang, Supercop (1992)
It’s hard to believe Jackie Chan would ever need an on-screen partner to liven up his films. But when that partner is played by Michelle Yeoh, the idea makes a lot more sense. Yeoh’s Jessica Yang gets involved with the third Police Story film Supercop, joining Chan’s oft-overwhelmed Hong Kong constable Chan Ka-kui. The Interpol representative for the Chinese police, Yang at first presents another obstacle for Chan to overcome. However, Yang soon proves herself a powerful ally to Chan.
Yang matches the comedic tone of Chan’s Police Story films, mixing punches and pratfalls, reacting to outrageous situations with surprise and confusion. However, Yeoh refuses to go full buffoon with Yang, emphasizing her character’s grace and competence when she takes down assailants twice her size.
5. Furiosa, Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)
The first three Mad Max movies became cult classics, thanks to Australian director George Millar’s bombastic approach and an unhinged lead in Mel Gibson as former cop Max Rockatansky. When Miller returned to the franchise in 2015, 30 years after the last entry, fans expected the worst. Not just because Miller was in his late 60s, nor just because he replaced Gibson with Tom Hardy. Instead, they worried because Mad Max: Fury Road put the new character Furiosa in the lead ahead of Max.
By the time credits rolled on Fury Road, no one had any complaints. Charlize Theron controls the screen with her steely gaze peering out from her grease-painted face, embodying a woman pushed to the edge and ready to rebel against the warlord Immortan Joe (Hugh Keays-Byrne). Thanks to Theron, Furiosa proved that Max wasn’t the lone mad hero of the apocalypse.
6. Trinity, The Matrix (1999)
In 2014, the excellent article “We’re Losing All Our Strong Female Characters to Trinity Syndrome” by Tasha Robinson bemoaned a growing trope in which the protagonists are doofus male characters, instead of the competent women who train them. Robinson points to Trinity (Carrie-Anne Moss) of The Matrix, written and directed by Lana and Lily Wachowski, as the prime example. The explanation makes sense, as the Wachowskis do position Trinity as Neo’s (Keanu Reeves) entry into the hyperreal world of the Matrix.
Without question, other movies may have gone too far with the trope, but Trinity remains a fantastic action hero. After all, it’s Trinity who welcomes the viewers into The Matrix and proves that it takes place in an unreal world. When she jumps across a massive gap or freezes mid-air while doing a jump kick, Trinity establishes herself in the annals of action film history.
7. Golden Swallow, Come Drink with Me (1966)
Most American viewers first met wuxia star Cheng Pei-Pei in the 2000 Ang Lee movie Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, in which she portrayed the elusive Jade Fox. But Cheng’s screen legend goes back much further, to her 1964 debut Lover’s Rock. But Cheng’s greatest role remains the sword-wielding Golden Shadow of 1966’s Come Drink with Me, produced by the Shaw Brothers Studio.
Directed by King Hu and written by Hu and Ting Shan-hsi, Come Drink with Me follows the governor’s daughter Golden Swallow on a mission to rescue her brother Zheng Bi-qiu (Wong Chung) from the sinister Jade-Faced Tiger (Chan Hung-lit). Although she first disguises herself as a man, Golden Swallow proves her worth in a fantastic sequence that finds her besting a group of thugs in a bar, overcoming them with skill and power.
8. Mothra, Mothra (1961)
Godzilla might be the king of the monsters, but Mothra is the undisputed queen.
First introduced in the Toho film bearing her name, written by Shinichi Sekizawa and directed by Ishirō Honda, Mothra proved her worth right from the beginning, becoming one of the most believed kaiju of all time.
The first Mothra film introduces the titular creature as the god of an ancient people, represented by twin fairies. When the evil Clark Nelson (Jerry Ito) kidnaps the twins, he incurs the wrath of Mothra. First emerging as a caterpillar and then transforming into her moth form, Mothra destroys her enemies with a blast of her wings. With 15 movie appearances to her name, including the recent American production Godzilla: King of the Monsters, Mothra remains one of the most intimidating and beautiful kaiju ever created.
9. Inspector Cindy Si, Righting Wrongs (1996)
In most cases, no one would single out an American actor when praising a Hong Kong action movie. But Cynthia Rothrock is no standard case.
A black belt and champion in multiple martial arts, Rothrock became one of the most exciting stars of the 1980s, winning the respect of the competitive Hong Kong action scene and starring in American movies such as China O’Brien and Martial Law 2: Undercover.
Directed by Corey Yuen and written by Szeto Chuek-hon and Barry Wong, Righting Wrongs stars Yuen Biao as prosecutor Jason Ha Ling-Ching, who goes on a mission of vengeance for his murdered family. He joins forces with Rothrock’s Inspector Cindy Si, setting off an adventure with plenty of jaw-dropping fight scenes. In one of the best, Si faces off against the thug Karen (fellow American expatriate Karen Sheperd), with the two of them turning a modern mall into a kung fu arena.
10. The Bride, Kill Bill: Volume 1 (2003)
Director Quentin Tarantino loves his exploitation films, including the 1973 Japanese film Lady Snowbird. For Kill Bill: Volume 1, and its 2004 sequel Kill Bill: Volume 2, Tarantino fuses Lady Snowbird with Bruce Lee, giving the Bride the former’s motivation and the latter’s outfit from Game of Death. Whatever that description might suggest, The Bride transcends mere knockoff; rather, she’s a rich character with deep pathos and impressive skills.
Portrayed by Uma Thurman, the Bride is a one-time assassin who made a play for a normal life, only for her former colleagues and boss Bill (David Carradine) to slaughter her wedding guests and leave her in a coma. That incident sends the Bride on a path of vengeance, giving Thurman space for some thrilling fight sequences against fellow killer Vernita Green (Vivica A. Fox) and a host of ninja thugs. Thurman also excels at moving dramatic scenes, as when she addresses Vernita’s young, bereaved daughter.
11. Major Motoko Kusanagi, Ghost in the Shell (1995)
More than almost any other genre, anime values great female characters. Sailor Moon and Kill la Kill have their formidable heroines, but the greatest remains Major Motoko Kusanagi of the 1995 movie Ghost in the Shell. As the leader of Public Security Section 9, Major keeps New Port City safe from threats external and internal. With a keen mind for combat and a host of gadgets, Major does what not even a legion of cops can accomplish.
However, the real appeal to Major comes from the philosophical questions her existence raises. Although the two sources approach the character from different perspectives, both the manga where she originated, written and illustrated by Masamune Shirow and the 1995 film directed by Mamoru Oshii and written by Kazunori Itō present Major as a type of synthetic human. Like the greatest of pop culture robots, Major forces viewers to consider what makes a person, and how one creates an identity.
12. Okoye, Black Panther (2018)
The movie may be called Black Panther, but Prince T’Challa of Wakanda is far from the MCU movie’s sole hero. Directed by Ryan Coogler, who co-wrote the script with Joe Robert Cole, Black Panther introduces viewers to a host of fantastic characters, many of whom help T’Challa (Chadwick Boseman) become a better hero. As he becomes the Black Panther, T’Challa learns from his sister Shuri (Letitia Wright), the spy Nakia (Lupita Nyong’o), and Okoye (Danai Gurira), general of the nation’s elite fighting force the Dora Milaje.
The first Black Panther movie tests the loyalty of Okoye, who fights alongside her leader T’Challa until he gets deposed by the dejected Erik Killmonger (Michael B. Jordan). Duty demands that she now serve Killmonger, something that her partner W'Kabi (Daniel Kaluuya) does without hesitation. But when the stakes rise, Okoye finds a way to do the right thing, much to the chagrin of the forces she defeats with her fighting prowess.
13. Charly Baltimore, The Long Kiss Goodnight (1996)
Written by Shane Black and directed by Renny Harlin, The Long Kiss Goodnight begins with Charly Baltimore long gone. Instead, the film begins by following nondescript teacher Samantha Caine (Geena Davis), who lives a happy life despite her bouts of amnesia. When two-bit private investigator Mitch Henessey (Samuel L. Jackson) finds a clew about her past, the two go on an odyssey that uncovers Samantha’s past life as top-level assassin Charly Baltimore.
As with most Shane Black movies, the characters in The Long Kiss Goodnight spit witty dialogue, all of which falls well within the skill sets of Davis and Jackson. Likewise, Davis and Jackson excel at the fight scenes constructed by veteran action director Harlin, especially once Davis bleaches her hair and dons black leather as Charly Baltimore. However, The Long Kiss Goodnight has more than fighting on its mind, with several moving interactions between Samantha and her young daughter Caitlin (Yvonne Zima).
14. Jennifer, Revenge (2017)
As nasty as they can get, assault revenge movies of the 1970s also give actresses opportunities to play grizzled characters not often offered in other genres. French writer and director Coralie Fargeat builds on that tradition for her gory debut Revenge, starring Matilda Lutz as Jen, a woman with an unexpected set of skills.
When Jen visits a secluded house with her boyfriend Richard (Kevin Janssens), she expects a fun weekend. Instead, she gets assaulted by his boorish friends (Vincent Colombe and Guillaume Bouchède) and left for dead by Richard. Somehow, Jen survives the incident and hunts down her attackers one by one. Fargeat spares no one in portraying Jen’s search for retribution, leading to gross and uncomfortable scenes. But even in its most unpleasant moments, Revenge never questions Jen’s action acumen.
15. Charlie’s Angels, Charlie’s Angels (2000)
The original Charlie’s Angels TV series of the 1970s had its share of espionage sequences but the real draw was always the show’s attractive stars. Directed by McG and written by Ryan Rowe, Ed Solomon, and John August, the feature film reboot of Charlie’s Angels maintains the flirty nature of the show, with several scenes of stars Cameron Diaz, Lucy Lui, and Drew Barrymore (the last of whom produced the movie) goofing around in alluring outfit.
However, the movie doesn’t stop there. As the Angels work to find missing computer specialist Eric Knox (Sam Rockwell) and evade an assassin called the Thin Man (Crispin Glover), they show off their heroic skills. Presented through McG’s flashy, music video visuals, Charlie’s Angels gives viewers three fun-loving leads and three intimidating heroes, without one aspect diminishing the other.
16. Sergeant Rita Vrataski, Edge of Tomorrow (2014)
In Edge of Tomorrow, tough military lady Sergeant Rita Vrataski (Emily Blunt) has to train incompetent coward Major William Cage (Tom Cruise). That setup might suggest the worst of the aforementioned Trinity Syndrome. But director Doug Liman and writers Christopher McQuarrie, Jez Butterworth, and John-Henry Butterworth, adapting the manga All You Need Is Kill by Hiroshi Sakurazaka, work this disparity into their script.
As part of a battle against alien invaders known as Mimics, Cage gets caught in a time loop, awakening after each death with memories of his past life intact. Cage becomes a better fighter over the course of the movie, but Vrataski stays awesome all the way through. From her introduction, whipping some recruits into shape, to her sword-wielding attacks on the Mimics, Sergeant Vrataski stands as the ideal futuristic soldier.
17. Jackie, Love Lies Bleeding (2024)
As portrayed by Katy O’Brien, the bodybuilder Jackie has an impressive physique, which gets lots of attention from Love Lies Bleeding writer and director Rose Glass. The movie devotes much screen time to Jackie flexing in the mirror and preparing for a Las Vegas muscle competition. However, Jackie also has a heart of gold, a sweetness that adds some much-needed warmth to the dire world of Lou (Kristen Stewart). She's a gym manager who wants nothing more than to leave her criminal family and her small New Mexico town, and when Jackie and Lou fall for one another, they have the best chance to make one another’s dreams come true.
Glass follows tried and true noir tropes in Love Lies Bleeding, including the lovers who hope to escape destruction together. She mixes these qualities with a surreal style, which forces viewers to question the film’s reality. That combination leads to some fantastic scenes involving Jackie, which stand alongside anything in the Marvel Universe, mixed with a tenderness not often found outside romantic dramas.
18. Vasquez, Aliens (1986)
It’s impressive that Aliens gets not one, but two characters on this list. It’s even more impressive when one considers the presentation of Private Vasquez in the James Cameron-directed classic. Viewers learn nothing about Vasquez’s backstory and motivations, they learn nothing about what she thinks about when not pumping iron. Instead, she’s just a tough lady with a giant gun. And that’s enough.
Played by Jennette Goldstein, Vasquez cuts an impressive figure from the moment she wakes up from hypersleep and starts doing pullups. She makes every single moment count, whether it's shouting “Let’s rock” before firing her weapon at hoards of Xenomorphs or her final, cutting last words at the end of the film.
19. Erin, You’re Next (2011)
For the first half of the slasher movie You’re Next, Erin (Sharni Vinson) seems like the standard horror movie character. Sure, she might live to the end, just one more example of the final girl trope. But like Laurie Strode of Halloween or Sidney Prescott of Scream before her, she gets by on her wits and luck.
That’s not what director Adam Wingard and writer Simon Barrett have in mind for You’re Next. For the first half of the movie, Erin stays in the background, as Wingard and Barrett focus on her boyfriend Crispian (A. J. Bowen) and the other members of the dysfunctional, affluent Davison family. But as soon as a group of masked invaders starts slaughtering the Davisons, Erin reveals that she comes from a group of survivalists and can take care of herself. Thanks to this training, Erin turns the table on the predators hunting the Davisons and becomes one of the best action heroes.
20. Harley Quinn, Birds of Prey, Or the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn (2020)
When Harley Quinn debuted in the wonderful cartoon show Batman: The Animated Series, she just played the role of the Joker’s girlfriend. Jumping to comics gave Harley more attention )but not more dignity) as she became a victim of the Joker. She was an otherwise intelligent woman abused into losing her identity for the sake of her boyfriend.
Written by Christina Hodson and directed by Cathy Yan, Birds of Prey, Or the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn gave Harley back her dignity while retaining her manic spirit. Set in the larger DC Comics Universe, Birds of Prey stars Margot Robbie as Harley, who becomes a target of the insecure crime boss Roman Sionis (Ewan McGregor). Harley teams up with other women targeted by Sionis, including Huntress (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) and Black Canary (Jurnee Smollett). However, as demonstrated by scenes in which she destroys a bar or fights through a police precinct, Harley does pretty well by herself.
21. Ilsa Faust, Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation (2015)
For the first four entries in the Mission: Impossible series, no one could keep up with agent Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise). That is, until Hunt crossed paths with Ilsa Faust in Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation, written and directed by Christopher McQuarrie.
In the opening, Faust haunts Hunt’s adventures, first appearing alongside evil spymaster Solomon Lane (Sean Harris) and later trying to assassinate a foreign dignitary. When Hunt confronts Faust, she has no problem besting him, handing Ethan a rare defeat.
Throughout the rest of Rogue Nation and its two sequels, Fallout and Dead Reckoning, Ilsa reveals herself as one of the richest characters in the franchise. Part double-agent, part agent with a troubled past, Faust gives the Mission: Impossible series a much-needed injection of pathos, making Hunt richer in the process. Even better, the Faust delivers some of the most exciting set-pieces in a series known for its death-defying stunts.
22. Princess Leia, Star Wars (1977)
Everyone knows Princess Leia Organa’s famous line from the first Star Wars: “Help me Obi-Wan Kenobi, you’re my only hope.” Iconic as this plea for assistance might be, it doesn’t do justice to the princess of Alderaan. Whether she’s standing up to Darth Vader or blasting a hole in a garbage chute to escape, Leia is no pushover.
Played with grit and attitude by Carrie Fischer, Leia grew far beyond the trapped princess trope that George Lucas intended for his update on classic fairytales. Those heroic qualities grow even more pronounced past Episode IV. As early as The Empire Strikes Back, Leia proves her worth as a military strategist and she’s a field operative in Return of the Jedi. More recent entries such as The Last Jedi and the TV series Obi-Wan have expanded on Leia’s legend, making her a heroine who has saved the universe on more than one occasion.
