Top 10 Most Badass Female Characters in Movies

5. Wonder Woman (The DCU)

In what is easily one of the most amazing superhero reveal of all time, Wonder Woman leapt onto the big screen and wowed audience across the world. Not only did she fight a literal God of War in her debut film, but in Justice League she was the one that held her own against Steppenwolf each time they crossed paths. Gal Gadot made Wonder Woman a powerhouse in a world that sets the bar pretty high when it comes to that kind of thing. Best of all, first time we get to see her on the big screen, she’s saving Batman and Superman’s butts. As far as badass female characters go, Wonder Woman was and is a game changer.

4. Imperator Furiosa (Mad Max: Fury Road)

2015 gave us one of the greatest female characters of all time. Charlize Theron makes her second appearance on this list as Furiosa, a woman who defied a warlord and lived to make him regret it. In a wasteland where only the most brutal and savage survive, Furiosa had the unwavering respect of Immortan Joe’s War Boys until she turned on them. After that, she proved herself to be a damn hard woman as she tore ass across a desolate landscape with an army chasing her. Furiosa was a strong woman that was never treated like a sex object by filmmakers. She wasn’t strong and sexy, she was just tough in all sense of the word. Plus, she was a hell of a driver.

3. Ellen Ripley (The Alien Franchise)

Ripley is an absolute classic when it comes to badass female characters. She’s stood her ground against one of the most nightmarish creatures in all of cinema, and it took the xenomorph three movies to finally take her down. Ripley is so damn tough, that even Space Marines cower behind her when the stakes get a little too high. She managed to survive with her wits alone and then came back to take the fight to the bastards that terrorized her. Ripley is a role model for every little girl, because she’s not just tough in the traditional sense, she also stands her ground and wont be pushed around by men. It’s too bad the movies she’s in will probably give said little girls nightmares (I still get them sometimes).

2. Sarah Connor- The Terminator Franchise

Most movie fans remember that Sarah Conner was supposed to be the mother of the savior of humanity, John Conner. However, that all changed when she defeated Skynet and prevented the apocalypse. Decades later though she isn’t exactly enjoying her retirement. When we catch up with her in Terminator: Dark Fate she’s dedicated her life to destroying the killer androids known as Terminators that come back in order to alter the future and she’s damn good at it. So much so that even a cyborg super-soldier from the future needs her help to stop the new model of Terminator chasing them. Sarah Conner is an old warhorse by this point, but her intense training and experience make her potentially one of the most dangerous women on this list.

1. Leia Organa (Star Wars)

Princess, senator, freedom fighter, general. Leia Organa is one of the most important examples of strong female characters in cinema. Bursting onto the screen during the height of exploitation films, the first time we meet Leia she’s standing face to face with the biggest villain in the galaxy and she barely bats an eye at him. It’s not the last time she proves to be a thorn in the Empire’s side, as she eventually goes on to lead the Resistance that would destroy a fascist state. Even with her brother being one of the most powerful warriors the galaxy has seen, Leia earned the respect of warriors that would die for her. Plus, she’s pretty handy with a blaster. That’s why she’s tops the list of the most badass female characters in movies.

Honorable Mention: Rita Vrataski AKA The Angel Of Verdun AKA The Full Metal Bitch (Edge Of Tomorrow)

Alas, there are only top slots for badass female characters on this list and way too many kick-ass women from movies to put on it. However, I just had to give a shout out to Rita Vrataski from Edge of Tomorrow. The kind of warrior that never blinks in the face of impending doom and spits in the executioner’s face when he asks if she has any last words. Rita was so tough that she made Tom Cruise look like a sissy by comparison (a task not easily done by someone shorter than 6 feet). Besides, how badass do you have to be to earn the nickname The Full Metal Bitch?

Like I said, this was a list that proved to be way more difficult than I suspected when I sat down to write it. Narrowing it down to just 10 was painful as plenty of characters didn’t make it on here. While there’s no debating that these female characters are badass, I’d love to hear who your favorite of all time is. Be sure to comment below who you loved from the list and who you wish had been on it!