Who are your favorite badass women kicking ass in action movies?

So, hello again.

Here are my top movies and roles featuring badass women kicking ass.

Please note:

1. I chose film roles rather than television roles because they are two different types of storytelling.

2. Badass here means kicking ass in action movies. Julia Roberts kicked ass as the badass Ellen Brokovitch, and that’s a different kind of badass. And what makes an action movie an action movie? I know it when I see it…😉

3. I’m talking about believable action (given the aesthetics and physics of the film) that serves the plot and character development.

This is all very objective, of course. But I think any old Steve Seagal film that comes out straight to DVD reinforces my view of how to neither make a good, badass character nor a good film.

4. Only one role per actor.

5. Only one film per roll.

So, without further ado.

The list

15. Eowyn. Lord of the Rings. Not enough screen time, but boy, what a scene and what writing. That puts it on the list.

14. Ahn Ok-yun/Mitsuko. assassination. The always phenomenal Jun Ji-hyun shines in this gripping historical drama set in the 1930s with a (arguably overly) complex plot that doesn’t drift too far into typical anti-Japanese nonsense.

13. Katness. The hunger Games. A strong young adult film (remember when they were made for young adults?), but no one can really pull off a bow and arrow, no matter how skilled they are. My apologies to all the archers out there, but I love watching Smack Down!

12.I am Nikita. Nikita’s wife(the French original) “Convicted felon Nikita is given a new identity and stylishly trained to become a top-secret spy/assassin.” If you haven’t seen it, do so. A great character in a great film.

11. HitGirl, Kick in the ass. I know, not a woman, but hey. What a role and what a movie. My daughter wanted to be Hit Girl.

10. Sergeant Rita Vrataski. Edge of TomorrowBeneath her tough facade, Emily Blunt is direct, confident, smart, charismatic and human – an all-round tough woman.

9. Ming Na Wen. Mulan, (1998). It’s hard to choose just one of the many badass Disney characters, but something about her journey and the fact that she’s not mentioned in a commentary is what makes it special for me.

8th. Sarah Conner. Terminator 2. Well, of course. She would be much higher on this list if she wasn’t so broken, which makes her such a compelling character with a fantastic story arc. Ironic, that.

7. Wing Chun is a martial arts school that focuses on martial arts. Wing Chun. While most people choose Tiger and the Tiger for a Michelle Yeoh movie, I chose this film and this role. I prefer the silly atmosphere of Hong Kong in the mid-90s more than the epic feeling of Tiger and the Tigerand more importantly, Yeoh plays the protagonist, gets all the screen time, and the central feminist coming-of-age theme is deftly handled.

6. Lady Kaeda, Ran. I know it’s not really an action role, but it is an action movie in many ways, she has some action that is central to the plot and damn, she is the most terrifying human character ever. Seriously, just watch this scene:

5. The bride, Kill Bill – Volume 1Either you like Tarantino and his typical, comic-realistic violence (and in this film it is downright funny, in one of the best Anime series bits at all), or you don’t. I do.

4. Princess Leia. A new hope.. War of stars. Smart, sassy, ​​and knows how to get things done. I was nine years old when I first saw Leia face off against Vader and later take command while quipping, “Someone’s got to get us out of this mess!” Blah! Blah! I jumped up and the rest of the theater cheered wildly. A groundbreaking role for badass women.

3. Nurse Flower Child “Coffy” Coffin. Coffy. Again, you either like these old blaxploitation movies or you don’t. I like them. Either way, it’s really a neck-and-neck race between Coffy And Foxy Brownbut I had to pick one, so here it is.

2. Furious, Mad Max: Fury Road. This would be number one on my list if it wasn’t number 1 and for much the same reasons. And the role and agency of this character in this deeply feminist story.

1. Ripley, Aliens. Was there ever any doubt? The archetypal strong female character in an action movie. Hell, there’s a reason she makes it to the top of every list of badass action heroes, male, female, or otherwise. As badass as she is, and as much as she kicks other people’s butts, what makes her one of the greatest action stars is that she’s a vulnerable human being, with weaknesses and fears that she faces, overcomes, and then gets the job done. As much as I like myself, my Snake Plisskens and my Charlies Angels (2000) or the big stupid action movie hero, What counts for me is a good story and feeling for the character that I grew to love through the film, just like when I was nine years old. What a role, what a performance and what a film.

So there you have it. I followed the guidelines above when creating my list, but, hey, these are just my guidelines and you have your say:

Who are your favorite badass women kicking ass in action movies?