Here is our ranking of the 21 greatest female action heroes in cinema history. Beware of some spoilers.
21. Rey (Daisy Ridley), the Star Wars series (2015-2019)
Few films have opened with as much riding on them as J.J.Abrams’franchise restarter The Force Awakens, and it was successful in revitalizing the Star Wars brand for a new generation. Seeing Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher and Mark Hamill return to the big screen is what sold $2.07 billion in tickets— but Daisy Ridley and Adam Driver were the best part. The Last Jedi was a better film than The Force Awakens: The Dark Side and the Light blur, and when the movie is at its best, Ridley and Driver’s performances tangle around each other like a pair of vines. The highlight of Last Jedi was when they faced off against Snoke’s Praetorian Guards in the blood-red throne room. It’s an emotion-heavy, messy fight scene with lots of screaming, that’s especially refreshing when compared to the prequels, where all the fights looked like ballet recitals. There’s no way around this: Rise of Skywalker was a disaster; the writing failed virtually every character in the end. Still, Ridley left an impression; it’s easy to be excited to see where she goes from here.
20. Mallory Kane (Gina Carrano), Haywire (2011)
Fitness model, TV personality and retired MMA fighter Gina Carrano stars as a betrayed government operative who uses her black-ops training to turn the tables on the baddies in Steven Soderbergh’s simply effective, nuts-and-bolts actioner. The supporting cast includes Ewan McGregor, Michael Fassbender, Bill Paxton, Channing Tatum, Antonio Banderas and Michael Douglas. Carrano also obviously deserves considerable praise for her work on The Mandalorian.
19. Natalie, Dylan and Alex (Cameron Diaz, Drew Barrymore and Lucy Liu), Charlie’s Angels series (2000-2003)
The ABC detective drama that all by itself set up the term “jiggle TV” was reinvented for the new millennium in this runaway hit action/comedy starring Cameron Diaz, Drew Barrymore and Lucy Liu. Bottom line: these three are movie stars, well-cast, and they have chemistry. The leads returned for 2003’s Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle, which sadly got bogged down in too much silliness and wasn’t as successful with critics or audiences. This admittedly featherweight franchise started out super-strong, and it’s a pity it didn’t last for at least another installment or two. Charlie’s Angels is peak “wire-fu,” the aerial combat style that was hugely, briefly popular around the turn of the century in films like The Matrix and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. The action scenes here—though largely impossible—are graceful and undeniably a ton of fun to watch.
18. Letty Ortiz (Michelle Rodriguez) The Fast & Furious Franchise (2001-present)
Street racer, mechanic, thief– and Dominic (Vin Diesel)’s bae, Letty Ortiz (Michelle Rodriguez) is a fan-favorite in the hugely successful, pleasantly silly Fast & Furious saga. She wasn’t in Hobbs and Shaw, and the movie was a meh at best.
17. The Women of Wakanda (Black Panther and other MCU entries) 2018-present
T’Challa (Chadwick Boseman) is at the center of Marvel’s cultural phenomenon, but he’s often upstaged by one of the MCU’s best-ever villains (Michael B. Jordan’s Killmonger) and the women who run Wakanda (including Lupita Nyong’o’s Nakia, Danai Gurira’s Okoye, Letitia Wright’s Shuri, and Angela Bassett’s Ramonda). Black Panther triumphed at the Oscars, nominated for seven (including Best Picture), winning three.
16. Rose DeWitt Bukater (Kate Winslet) Titanic (1997)
In the fateful (to put it mildly) hours before she changes her name to Rose Dawson (and later, Rose Dawson-Calvert), this creation of James Cameron and Kate Winslet transforms from a meek, pushed-around trophy wife to a Badass with a capital B action heroine who spits, hits, and brandishes an axe into the bowels of a sinking leviathan to rescue the man she loves. It is exhilarating, even on the gazillionth watch. Backlash be damned, Titanic remains one of the most extraordinary, extraordinarily entertaining of all films. If there is one major flaw, it’s Jack (Leonardo DiCaprio)’s ceaseless “Rose!” calls throughout the otherwise spellbinding second half. Jack, she’s fine. Winslet was Oscar-nominated, as was a vivacious Gloria Stuart for playing Rose at 100.
15. Evelyn Salt (Angelina Jolie) Salt (2010)
Somewhat underrated, Phillip Noyce‘s muscular action pic Salt deserves another look. Angelina Jolie plays CIA officer Evelyn Salt, who’s accused of being a Russian double agent and must fight to clear her name. The role was famously written as Edwin A. Salt for Tom Cruise before Jolie stepped in. The most common criticism directed at Salt upon release was that its plot is implausible. Can you imagine critics applying that to the James Bond films?! Roger Ebert gave Salt his highest rating of four stars, calling it a “damn fine thriller.” It was nominated for one Academy Award, in the category of Sound Mixing. Several cuts of the film exist on home video; Noyce’s Director’s Cut runs longer, with amped-up violence and a twist ending. The best part? That would be Jolie. The character of Evelyn Salt is underwritten, but the magnetic actress has a way of drawing us in, maintaining a level of captivating mystery that almost makes that a strength. And her physical commitment to the role is staggering.
14. Neytiri (Zoe Saldana) Avatar (2009)
Zoe Saldana’s Gamora is, without question, one of the very best parts of the MCU. To mix things up, we’re including Saldana’s indelible Na’vi heroine Neytiri on this list. From the moment they first meet through the heart-pounding conclusion of the final battle, Neytiri is always rescuing Jake (Sam Worthington)’s butt. One of her best quotes, after saving him from viperwolves:
13. Leeloo (Milla Jovovich) The Fifth Element (1997)
After working as a high-fashion model and actress for a decade prior, Ukrainian beauty Milla Jovovich experienced an international breakthrough playing this orange-haired supreme being, the key to stopping a planet-killing threat in Luc Besson’s sci-fi hit, opposite Bruce Willis. Jovovich went on to play another high-profile action heroine, the Resident Evil series’ Alice, several times.
12. Natasha Romanoff (Scarlett Johansson) Captain America: The Winter Soldier and other MCU entries (2014-present)
Introduced to us in MCU low point Iron Man 2, Johansson took full control of Black Widow in Captain America: The Winter Soldier, a sophisticated thriller that one could argue is the most fully satisfying entry of the Infinity Saga. Directed by Cate Shortland (Berlin Syndrome) and co-starring Rachel Weisz, David Harbour and Florence Pugh, Black Widow opens May 2021.
11. Trinity (Carrie-Anne Moss) The Matrix series (1999-present)
From the mind-blowing, eye-popping teaser that aired during the 1999 Super Bowl and left everyone’s jaws in their shoes, it was clear The Matrix’s leather-clad, physics-defying Trinity (Carrie-Anne Moss) was an action hero for the new millennium. It’s no secret that the Matrix trilogy fizzled out. Reloaded was uneven and overstuffed; at risk of understatement Revolutions was a total bust. This is a pity for so many reasons, not least of all because it feels like we never saw the mysterious, ferocious and independent Trinity reach her full potential as a character. A Matrix reboot is in development at Warner Bros., and we were thrilled to hear Moss and Keanu Reeves will return.
10. Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) The Hunger Games Series (2012-2015)
2011 was the year Jennifer Lawrence shot into the stratosphere. Oscar-nominated for her dynamite turn in Debra Granik’s remarkable Winter’s Bone, Lawrence showed up to the red carpet early looking like 52 million bucks, leaving everyone buzzing long after the ceremony. Following a standout turn in X-Men: First Class, the most highly publicized casting search in many moons ended when the Indian Hills, Kentucky, native claimed the role of Katniss Everdeen. Admirably scrappy if something of a cautionary tale re: the dangers of shaky-cam, 2012’s The Hunger Games broke spring box office records, and launched a franchise. Follow-up Catching Fire is by some margin the best film of the bunch, fully satisfying sci-fi. It was a mistake to split the already-downbeat and low-on-action final installment of Suzanne Collins’ trilogy into two films, and, not unlike the Matrix movies, The Hunger Games ended with a whimper. None of this reflects on Lawrence, who is tremendous throughout. In the midst of all this, she won an Oscar for Silver Linings Playbook and became the hottest, highest-paid actress on planet Earth.
9. The Bride (Uma Thurman) Kill Bill (2003-2004)
Uma Thurman’s tour de force as Beatrix Kiddo deserves even more credit than it gets; it’s still shocking she didn’t get an Academy Award nomination for either installment (especially the dramatically richer Vol. II). Best enjoyed as The Whole Bloody Affair that’s long overdue on Blu-Ray, Kill Bill blossoms into a better movie in its final chapter. When Kiddo realizes her daughter is alive, her maternal instincts unleash a deeper, scarier, more identifiable and compelling fury than the (admittedly insanely fun) hacking, slicing and dicing in Vol. I. This primal setup gives this brilliant actress a chance to remind us of what she can do, and boy does she ever.
8. Dorothy Gale (Judy Garland) The Wizard of Oz (1939)
Yes, Dorothy is an action hero. This is among the first movies we all see, and she’s the first heroine we all fall head-over-Ruby-heels for. The Wizard of Oz is an adventure film, a quest; it’s exciting and filled with suspense. The American Film Institute named The Wizard of Oz the 43rd most heart-pounding film of all time. Bottom line: Dorothy sticks up for her friends (she kills for her friends, to be perfectly on-point) and she’s steadfastly resilient in the face of adversity. What more could we want in an action hero?
7. Yu Shu Lien (Michelle Yeoh) Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000)
Roger Ebert called Ang Lee’s 19th century Qing Dynasty-set opus “the most exhilarating martial arts film I have seen.” A great actress with striking athletic abilities, Michelle Yeoh plays the lover of warrior Li Mu Bai (Chow Yun-Fat) who takes charge to retrieve his Green Sword of Destiny when it is stolen by governor’s daughter Jen Yu (Zhang Ziyi) who has fallen from grace. Like other wuxia films, Crouching Tiger poetic and spiritual, largely about honor and integrity. About two-thirds of the way through the picture, Yu She Lien and Jen Yu face off. The actresses did their own stunt work, and the only CGI was used to remove wires for the gravity-defying bits. It’s perfectly possible this is the best duel in film history.
6. Diana (Gal Gadot) The Wonder Woman series (2017-present)
Instantly iconic from the opening moments of Patty Jenkins’s quietly revolutionary smash, Gal Gadot’s wide-eyed, unapologetically idealistic Wonder Woman connected to audiences of all ages and gave young girls and boys a cinematic titan to look up to. Cultural significance aside, Wonder Woman struck a chord with everyone because it’s a soulful reminder of what a superhero can be. Wonder Woman 1984 is, if anything, a little underrated. A worthy follow-up. And whenever the movie feels wobbly, Gadot keeps captivating. This is an embodiment worthy of comparison to Christopher Reeve in Superman.
5. Pam Grier in everything.
Quentin Tarantino has stated that Winston Salem, North Carolina-born Pam Grier is cinema’s first female action hero. Grier first rose to fame as the queen of blaxploitation thrillers like Coffy (1973), Foxy Brown (1974) and Sheba, Baby (1975). She’s gorgeous, a tough-as-nails action star, and a symbol of empowerment. Jackie Brown is likely Tarantino’s best film. As a down-on-her-luck flight attendant who becomes entangled in a $500,000 heist, Grier gives a great performance. She deserved an Oscar nod, and her romantic arc with Robert Forster is effortless and tender. A survivor, role model and icon, Grier has lived an extraordinary life. In 2010, she published a memoir, Foxy: My Life in Three Acts, and last year she revealed a biopic based on her book, titled Pam, is in the works.
4. Leia Organa (Carrie Fisher) The Star Wars Saga (1977-2019)
The loss of Carrie Fisher was devastating for Star Wars, movies, pop culture and the world. We are still grieving the icon. Some felt Fisher’s performance in The Force Awakens was stiff. If that was the case, it was clearly a directing or writing issue, because she gave a flawless final turn in The Last Jedi. Much like director Rian Johnson’s risky, divisive (we love it, for the record) film itself, Fisher’s farewell brings up a lot of emotions. She couldn’t have gone out with a warmer, more complete performance.
3. Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton) The Terminator series 1984-present
Linda Hamilton is as crucial as Arnold Schwarzenegger to the success of the good Terminator movies (you know, the first two). In a Parade exclusive interview, T2 co-writer William Wisher, Jr. said: “Linda embraced [the role] 120%. She was in magnificent physical condition, and she was really committed to playing Sarah Connor as this formidable but emotionally broken person. I think she’s one of the coolest characters, female or male in the action genre ever.” Women in action films are too often hyper-sexualized fantasies or implausible bimbos. Sarah Connor isn’t a cartoonish female Rambo, nor is she a sex object in a catsuit. She’s a waitress, forced into action to protect her kid. It’s the kind of thing that gets audiences to their feet, and nobody writes and executes it quite like James Cameron. Carolco/ StudioCanal Fans mostly disapprove of the jarring, arguably disrespectful path Dark Fate took (the picture bombed disastrously). Still, this screen presence is immortal.
2. Ellen Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) The Alien Series (1979-1997)
Alien 3 and Alien: Resurrection had their moments, but Sigourney Weaver’s cinematic legacy is preserved in amber thanks to Alien and Aliens. Weaver was nominated for a Best Actress Academy Award (all but unheard of for science fiction, action and horror) for the latter, and it’s one of the most widely loved screen performances ever. Her powerful work and Cameron’s technical wizardry elevate what could have been a mindless shoot ’em up into a dazzling gut-punch about maternal instincts and true strength. In the final reel, Ripley protects her adoptive daughter Newt (Carrie Henn) from the Alien Queen, who is defending her eggs. It is an action set piece that set the bar in terms of ingenuity and pure excitement. You must experience Aliens in a theater with a full audience at least once; there’s nothing like it. This movie is nearly 35 years old, yet every time you see it with a crowd, when Ripley transforms into the biggest badass of all time late in act three, people can’t help but stand up and cheer. Aliens delivers everything we are hoping for when we go to the movies.
1. Imperator Furiosa (Charlize Theron)Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)
The best Hollywood studio release of at least the past decade, and the finest all-around action film of all time, George Miller’s long-gestating sequel starsTom Hardy as Max, wandering aimlessly through dystopia when he’s caught into the midst of a daring escape by the imprisoned “wives” of tyrant and predator Immortan Joe (Hugh Keays-Byrne), spearheaded by one of Joe’s former victims, war rig driver Imperator Furiosa (Charlize Theron). Fury Road is a rare thing, a film of non-stop violence that advocates for peace. And it actually works. Furiosa is its beating heart, and it’s hard to imagine any other actor pulling this off. A lesser action movie would have, of course, given Max and Furiosa a romantic arc and a makeout scene. Fury Road ends with nods of hard-won mutual respect as Max disappears into a crowd, and Furiosa and the wives ascend to Joe’s throne. We’re left with some hope, wondering if they’ll learn from the mistakes of the fallen patriarchy and deliver their people. Do you agree with our list of the greatest female action heroes of all time? Do you think we missed someone? Sound off in the comments.
