7 Films with fearless heroines: ‘Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga’, ‘Alien’, and more

An iconic protagonist from the Alien franchise, Ellen Ripley—portrayed by Sigourney Weaver—is a warrant officer aboard the commercial starship Nostromo. While she and the rest of the crew were in hypersleep, they were awoken by a distress signal from an unexplored moon. When three of the crew members investigate, they return injured, with one of them unconscious and a face-hugger stuck to him. All hell breaks loose when the alien grows into a Xenomorph and hunts them all down one by one. Ending up as the only survivor, Ripley managed to destroy the Nostromo, which had harboured a nest and returned home after killing the Xenomorph in her escape pod. 

A groundbreaking character in science fiction, Ellen Ripley defied the odds and survived despite being alone for most of the film.

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Victor of the 74th Hunger Games and Mockingjay of the Rebellion, Katniss Everdeen—played by Jennifer Lawrence—is quite literally a symbol of strength and resilience against tyranny. After volunteering to participate in the Hunger Games in her sister’s stead, she wins the games and exposes a weakness within the Capitol. She leverages this and starts a coup to end President Snow’s cruelty.

A profoundly complex character who starts innocent, she evolves into a competent leader as she is forced to fight for survival and a cause much more significant than her.

Starting out as a naive waitress in Los Angeles, Sarah Connor—portrayed by Linda Hamilton—is being hunted by the Terminator because her future son, John Connor, will lead the human resistance against the machines. She is protected by her companion, Kyle Reese, and learns about her future from him. This triggers her transformation into a skilled combatant who hunts Terminators. By the second movie, she becomes proficient in multiple weapons while employing smart tactics to keep her and John alive.

A hardened warrior committed to preventing Judgment Day, Sarah Connor is celebrated for her commanding presence on screen.

An immortal warrior who has fought in countless battles and wars throughout history, Andy or Andromache of Scythia—played by Charlize Theron—now finds herself in the modern age, leading a small group of mercenaries with similar powers. With centuries of combat experience, Andy uses any weapon with lethal proficiency to fight for what she believes in. When her immortality is exposed, she faces the threat of capture, where she’ll be endlessly tortured and experimented on.

Themed around sacrifice and purpose, Andy’s journey shows us that immortality is wasted on the wicked. Her losing her powers later in the film reinforces this, adding a sense of urgency to her mission to rescue her captured friends.

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A great archaeologist and action hero who has felled zombies, skeletons, and even demi-gods, Lara Croft is an icon in the video game community. In the 2001 film The Tomb Raider, she is played by Angelina Jolie, who travels to exotic lands to find an ancient artefact and stop the Illuminati from exploiting its power. As a seasoned adventurer, Lara Croft has plenty of tools in her arsenal to fend off the tomb guardians she encounters. Proficient in handguns, shotguns, rifles, submachine guns, bows, explosives, and many more, she is a fierce opponent for whatever steps in her way.

Embodying the spirit of adventure, Lara Croft seeks out the unknown by venturing into undiscovered places, making the audience wish to go on such treks.

A former member of the Deadly Viper Assassination Squad, Beatrix “The Bride” Kiddo—portrayed by Uma Thurman—from the Kill Bill films is a character motivated by revenge. After attempting to leave her life as an assassin behind, she is betrayed at her wedding and left in a coma. Upon waking up, she sets out to kill Bill and the squad that attacked her on that day. 

After enduring intense physical and emotional pain, The Bride stays resilient and focused on her mission. An icon in pop culture with her distinctive yellow tracksuit and katana, she stands out as one of the most remarkable characters in film to this day.

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