The Best Female Action Movies Of All Time

Sigourney Weaver is arguably the biggest and best female action star of all time thanks to one role, her game-changing and revolutionary portrayal of Ellen Ripley in the Alien franchise. Metamorphasizing from a simple scientist to an otherworldly superhero, Weaver lent a grounded and realistic portrayal of a woman scared for her life who rose from the ashes to save humanity. Face-to-face with some of the most terrifying creatures ever put to screen, her character never backed down and faced terrors the likes of which would make grown men break down and cry. Ripley is the female action hero to end all female action heroes.

Few characters saw as radical a change as Linda Hamilton's Sarah Connor did between the first and second Terminator films. Hamilton's Connor transformed from a weak and timid every-woman into one of the most fearsome and incredible female action movie stars the world had ever seen, and it all felt completely natural and in tune with the story being told. The character had just gone through the wringer, and in Terminator 2: Judgement Day, she wasn't going to let anything stop her from protecting her son. Much like Sigourney Weaver's Ripley did in the 80s, Hamilton's Sarah Connor changed female action roles for all time.

Over the course of 13 years, Kate Beckinsale solidified herself as a female action hero the likes of which the world had never seen. Being dressed in skin-tight leather never managed to slow this vampire down as she hunted down Lycans and fought off those who wished to destroy the world. The Underworld franchise saw wonderful uses of both gunplay and stellar action setpieces blend within the realms of horror to create a frightfully fun experience. Beckinsale single-handedly made this franchise what it was, simply put, one of the most intriguing and remarkable action horror franchises of all time.

There are few films that portray their main protagonist with such controlled chaos, such elegant poise, and such overwhelming power as Kill Bill. Uma Thurman brought Beatrix Kiddo to life in one of the most jaw-dropping and stellar actions sagas the world has ever seen. Totaling over four hours of bloody, chaotic carnage, Kill Bill pulls no punches and often goes so far over the line it nearly becomes comical, but the grounded and heartbreaking portrayal from Thurman helps make the film feel real even in the absurd moments. The fight against the Crazy 88's still goes down in history as not only one of the best action scenes in a female action movie but one of the best actions scenes of all time.

A timeless tale of love, anger, violence, and betrayal, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon showcases some of the most original, stellar, and remarkable action ever seen in film. Michelle Yeho and Ziyi Zhang steal the show in every single scene they are in, showcasing some mind-bending stunts and remarkable action sequences all the while keeping an aura of grace and femininity about them. A textbook example of how to showcase female action stars to the absolute best of their ability, the film doesn't shine because it is a female-centric action film, the film shines because the female action stars shine.

Mad Max: Fury Road is undoubtedly the film that showcased to the world that Charlize Theron is a bonafide stellar female action movie star. Theron brought to life the character of Imperator Furiosa in such realistic and incredibly ways that, unlike some modern action movies, her character feels completely realistic and earned as a badass, as opposed to the film simply telling audiences that she is. Showcasing pulse-pounding driving, stellar gunplay, and a true tenacity and grit rarely shown in any action film, Theron steal the show in Fury Road and helped create a female legend in the action world.

A remarkable science fiction action adventure, The Fifth Element may be Bruce Willis's movie, but Milla Jovovich steals the show as Leeloo, a remarkable action hero who has inspired many female action movie stars in the last nearly three decades. Jovovich showcases yet again why she is one of the best female action movie stars of all time, as she delivers a completely dedicated and pulse-pounding performance with physicality rough enough to make the toughest people wince in pain. The Fifth Element continues to be a massive cult classic, and a blueprint on how to portray female action stars the right way.

One of Angelina Jolie's final mainstream action movies, Salt saw the global superstar showing the world once again why women in action movies are not to be trifled with. Jolie has always had a knack for portraying incredible action scenes, and in Salt, her level of physicality and violence are off the chart. A CIA agent on the run after being accused of being a Russian spy, Salt provides viewers with a global epic adventure filled with twists and turns and some of the best action of the decade. From car chases, running on top of trains, hand-to-hand combat, and remarkable gun play, Salt came to play in the action world.

Wonder Woman changed the landscape of cinema forever when it was released in 2017, bringing a powerful woman in action movies who was a beacon of light for women everywhere. Always earning, never given anything in the film, Gal Gadot helped solidify the titular Wonder Woman as a character more important now than she ever has been. Wonder Woman fights harder, stronger, and more determined than anyone else in the film, giving her a true sense of heroism and helping her stand apart as a true hero the world, both in cinema and reality, needs.

Through six movies and nearly two decades of film, Mila Jovovich shined as Alice in the Resident Evil franchise, an adaptation of the popular action horror video game series. Johovich was coming off of The Fifth Element and solidified herself as a bonafide action movie star, and with Resident Evil, she became a sensation in the genre. Widely regarded as one of the finest female action stars of all time, Jovovich showcased her remarkable hand-to-hand combat, stellar athleticism, and masterful gunplay in each of the six films in the series.

Jumping right on the John Wick bandwagon, Atomic Blonde showcased that it wasn't just the boys who could have the glorious over-the-top fun as Charlize Theron shines yet again as a once-in-a-generation female action star. Akin to the John Wick franchise, Atomic Blonde masterfully mixes gunplay with hand-to-hand combat for glorious gun-fu that will keep audiences' hearts racing from start to finish. Showcasing some of the most wonderful choreography and one of the best women fighting scenes in the history of film, Atomic Blonde is a nonstop thrill ride guaranteed to bring the hype.

One of the most surprising movies of the past few decades, Prey is a prequel series to the beloved Predator series that follows a hunter in 1719 as she faces off against the apex predator of the galaxy. Using simple bows, arrows, and knives to take down the hulking beast seemed nearly impossible, but thanks to the remarkable and outstandingly realistic performance from breakout star Amber Midthunder as Naru, every scene in the film feels real and is executed to perfection. The film manages to keep the violence and stellar action of its predecessors, only simply tweaking them for a more ancient time with more impactful and bone-crunching realism.

While on paper The Long Kiss Goodnight appears to be the stereotypical “soldier's mind is erased but they slowly fall back into their old life” story, the film manages to not only shines as a remarkable female action movie but as one of the best thrillers of the 90s because of an outstanding performance from Geena Davis as an absolute hero. Davis wonderfully sells both the suburban lifestyle and the come to power in action scenes thanks to portraying the character so realistically. While the action scenes are mainly stereotypical for the genre, what truly sells them is Davis transforming into a female action movie star.

Charlize Theron shines in The Old Guard as a warrior and leader of a tight-knit group of mercenaries with a strange ability to thwart death even if mortally wounded. An action extravaganza, Theron proves once again why she is one of the most fearsome and excellent female action stars in movies, and that she continues to get better with age. The pinnacle of her ferocious stunts is highlighted in a stellar airplane action scene and a church fight scene that shows the Academy Award-winning actress showing off her remarkable hand-to-hand skills.

A science fiction action adventure comedy-drama, Everything Everywhere All at Once has plainly put, everything in terms of the genre and tones that it is trying to achieve, and it manages to beautifully blend them all into one masterful story, but above nearly everything else in the film, the one element that stands out is the phenomenal action. Michelle Yeoh at 60 years of age makes fighting look easier than the biggest and best action stars in their 20s thanks to her complete dedication to the craft of creating a realistic and passionate persona. While many of the fight scenes are far too wacky and weird to actually describe, one thing is for sure, they will stick with fans for the rest of their lives, as Everything Everywhere All at Once is undoubtedly one of the best female action movies of all time.

The first mainstream live-action spinoff of the Star Wars franchise, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story is an incredible war film set in a galaxy far, far away. Felicity Jones leads a ragtag group of rebels on an apparent suicide mission all in the hopes of bringing down the evil empire. While the action sequences are less hand-to-hand and more grandiose, Jones's portrayal of Jyn Erso helped create one of the most beloved female action characters, not just in Star Wars, but in cinema as a whole. An epic journey with an incredibly bittersweet ending, Rogue One shines as what the Star Wars franchise could have been.

A paranoid thriller that instills a heavy-handed “eat the rich” and “burn it down” message, V for Vendetta shines as bright as lead Natalie Portman does in this remarkable female led action movie. While many adore the film for its more quiet and contemplative moments of questioning authority and the purpose of humankind, there is no doubt that when it is time to kick into high gear, the film shines as an action masterpiece. Portman portrays one of many titular V's shines by using both her brains and brawn to get out of any sticky situation she finds herself in.

A relatively underrated and forgotten gem of the early 2000s, an incredibly young Saoirse Ronan stars as a female action movie hero in the hit thriller Hanna. Trained to be an assassin, Ronan's portrayal of the titular Hanna is represented immaculately, not by force, but by cunning. A fighter who is always three steps ahead of her enemy, the use of stealth and paranoia helps solidify the film as a stellar sneaky action film. Even in its more explosive moments, however, Hanna shinies by showcasing drastic and explosive fits of violence that will leave audiences' jaws on the floor.

While Nathan Fillion's Mal may be the star of the hit 2000s sci-fi hit Serenity, it is Gina Torres and Summer Glau who steal the show and firmly stamp their ticket into the female action star hall of fame. The continuation of the hit television show Firefly, Serenity continues the series's knack for wonderous spectacle on a grand stage, this time letting the ladies get the center of the action. Glau in particular shines as a remarkable warrior who can seemingly go toe to toe with any foe, and make it look easy. Gunfights, fistfights, and swordplay all shine in a stellar science fiction action film.

Of all the films released over the past 20 years, none scratch the historical epic action itch quite like 2022's The Woman King. Following an all-female group of warriors set to protect the African kingdom of Dahomey, Viola Davis, Thuso Mbedu, Lashana Lynch, and Sheila Atim all shine as some of the most ferocious, fearsome, and incredible warriors ever put to screen. Showcased in brilliant action setpieces with some of the most remarkable hand-to-hand combat in decades, The Woman King explores the power of the woman, and why woman's action movies are changing the genre.