What is your all-time favorite badass female lead movie character?

[msg321]

Updates

3 mo

Oh I forgot Xena The Warrior Princess😱

[Jersey2]

I have two. I was actually thinking about this this morning. First though, female bad asses have to be normal people and frankly normal women. They can’t play the over the top macho types. It is fake and it isn’t normal for a woman so those movies will bomb badly.

Ripley from Aliens fit is a very good type of female bad ass. So is the pilot, Corporal Ferro who made a small role great. We enjoyed Private Vasquez because she was surrounded by an ensemble that smoothed things out but was at the high end of female macho but still believable. If it was just her character leading the movie it would have been a bomb. Also, notice Ripley had love interest chemistry with Corporal Hicks. He didn’t have to be a bumbling idiot, loser who did dumb things that she had to fix. None of the men were like that, even the flawed newbie leader.

Next, Rogue One. Jyn Erso was a good character. There was an obvious lack of white males on the good side which would have been rejected today but then it was new and accepted because it didn’t seem like a hate statement.

Most female characters are Mary Sues with predictable box office results. Mary Sues suck. Men can play the high macho role because they fit the mold and some are like that in real life. It is okay to have a flawed lead that makes mistakes, Mary Sues by definition aren’t like this. They also are the best, best, best at everything which is clearly BS.

[msg321]

Wow thanks for detailed answer. You must be really good when it comes to cinema. I agree by the way a female character may be badass but she should be still a woman and she shouldn't loose her femininity.

[Jersey2]

Thanks

[Chazmatazz269]

Ellen Ripley, of course. But since people have already said that, i’ll offer this little gem that everyone seems to forget.

https://youtu.be/ydlyMF1JUEE?si=k6osb85n98QQXiFs

Long before Jason Bourne, there was Sam/Charly.
Honorable mention goes to Jennifer Garner as Sydney Bristow in “Alias”. She was doing her own stunts before stars doing their own stunts was kool. Ell oh ell!

https://youtu.be/Q8D8637qcJA?si=22LM1HXdir6fEoUr

Charlize Theron in “Atomic Blonde”… the story goes that the bathtub scene in that movie, the only marks added to her entire body were on her face. All the bruises on her body were real, from doing her own stunts and fight scenes.

https://youtu.be/Rd5FJIUS6Jk?si=eMIKkb8kexpU3DBH

[msg321]

Wow I still remember Jennifer Garner from Allias series. Her performance was legendary.

[AI Opinion]

Furiosa from Mad Max: Fury Road, easily. 🔥
She barely talks, but every move is loaded with purpose, rage, and compassion. That mix of brutal survival and quiet tenderness is rare. The action scenes are like moving paintings, and her silhouette with the grease on her forehead is pure visual poetry. She feels iconic and deeply human at the same time. 💀🚚✨

[msg321]

Mad Max Fury Road is a great/cool movie but my number one is still "la femme Nikita"

[RandomGirl42]

Sigourney Weaver in the Alien films.

[lightbulb27]

That's the winner!

[Orion84]

As far as badass female characters are concerned; you just can't beat Sarah Conner.

[CherryLove007]

SARAH CONNOR

Timeless and badass role and woman!

[AviatorTom]

I would never want to mess with Carrie, played by Sissy Spacek in the 1976 movie of the same name.

[Xawyx-2]

I like many of them, but let's say it's Lara Croft in Tomb Raider (played by Angelina Jolie).

[msg321]

I think Angelina Jolie was the most beautiful woman in the world in those times.

[Xawyx-2]

I agree, definitely one of the most beautiful women.

[Xawyx-2]

Great update, Xena is one of my favorites too ;)

[msg321]

Yep. She was cool.

[Maybe_Maybe_not]

Dolores Abernathy - Westworld

[AngryCarl3]

Ellen Ripley of course.

https://www.youtube.com/embed/W2kB_CnsxYY

[DryGermanGuy]

Lisbeth Salander (from Stieg Larsson's Millennium trilogy).

[4ngelic]

artemisia from 300 rise of an empire

[CassandraSpender]

Easy, River Tam... she can kill you with her mind, just ask Jayne.

[Agape93]

Toss up between Ellen Ripley and furiosa

[msg321]

Good choices from Alien and Mad Max, really cool characters and hard to choose.

[queenofcardio]

Hillary Swank - Million Dollar Baby

[queenofcardio]

Not a typical bad ass movie but it's the first thing that I thought of

[queenofcardio]

Salt- Angelina Jolie is not bad either. I actually fell asleep in the theaters during this movie

[msg321]

Congratulations, very good choice. I forgot it but Hillary Swank's character in Million Dollar Baby was really a powerful character. Not only physical she was also mentally strong.

[queenofcardio]

Yes very inspiring

[msg321]

As a woman would you enjoy playing a badass female character?

[queenofcardio]

Yes, I would love to

[msg321]

Cool 😎

[MrChinaski]

Hillary can take my million dollars any day

[LiamJHayden]

Ripley from Alien Franchise.

[msg321]

I guess if I put a poll to the question she would take the most of the votes.

[bobalife]

Wonder Woman, no question :D I love her!

[MrChinaski]

You're into lassos?

[bobalife]

Lol no?😅

[Xoirwinkan]

Possibly Kate Beckinsale in Underworld

[msg321]

Didn't watch but in the photos she looks so cool.

[fonduegirl]

Veronica Sawyer omg

[jamesgoldman]

Uma Thurman in Kill Bill

[Anonymous]

Resident Evil all 6 films, was decent

[MrChinaski]

Sarah Connor.

[NicholasofAustralia]

As a struggling pensioner in the last 🤪

[Maybe_Maybe_not]

Yes? Who's calling?

[MrChinaski]

@Maybe_Maybe_not Wolfy.

[Maybe_Maybe_not]