The 20 Greatest Female Heroes in Movie History

A starship warrant officer, a small-town police chief, an animated warrior and a Kansas farm girl share this list. Some led box-office hits; others are remembered for a single performance.

1. 1
   Trinity

   Carrie-Anne Moss's hacker and fighter in The Matrix (1999) and its sequels, through The Matrix Resurrections (2021).
   1000pts
2. 2
   Wonder Woman

   Gal Gadot's Amazon princess Diana, introduced in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016) and leading Wonder Woman (2017).
   989pts
3. 3
   Éowyn

   Miranda Otto's shieldmaiden of Rohan, who kills the Witch-king of Angmar in The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003).
   920pts
4. 4
   Ellen Ripley

   Sigourney Weaver's Ripley, sole survivor of the Nostromo in Alien (1979), who returns to fight the xenomorphs in Aliens (1986).
   840pts
5. 5
   Captain Marvel

   Brie Larson's Air Force pilot Carol Danvers in Captain Marvel (2019), Avengers: Endgame (2019) and The Marvels (2023).
   809pts
6. 6
   Furiosa

   The war-rig driver played by Charlize Theron in Mad Max: Fury Road (2015) and by Anya Taylor-Joy in Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga (2024).
   726pts
7. 7
   Lara Croft

   The archaeologist adventurer played by Angelina Jolie in Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (2001) and by Alicia Vikander in Tomb Raider (2018).
   629pts
8. 8
   Princess Leia

   Carrie Fisher's rebel leader in Star Wars (1977), The Empire Strikes Back (1980) and Return of the Jedi (1983).
   629pts
9. 9
   Marge Gunderson

   Frances McDormand's pregnant small-town police chief in the Coen brothers' Fargo (1996), a role that won her the Academy Award for Best Actress.
   629pts
10. 10
    The Bride

    Uma Thurman's former assassin Beatrix Kiddo, who hunts down her old squad in Kill Bill: Volume 1 (2003) and Volume 2 (2004).
    629pts
11. 11
    Clarice Starling

    Jodie Foster's FBI trainee in The Silence of the Lambs (1991), a role that won her the Academy Award for Best Actress.
    515pts
12. 12
    Alice

    Milla Jovovich's fighter against the Umbrella Corporation across six Resident Evil films (2002–2016).
    515pts
13. 13
    Sarah Connor

    Linda Hamilton's waitress-turned-warrior in The Terminator (1984) and Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991).
    515pts
14. 14
    Mulan

    The young woman who takes her father's place in the army, voiced by Ming-Na Wen in Disney's Mulan (1998) and played by Liu Yifei in the 2020 remake.
    515pts
15. 15
    Black Widow

    Scarlett Johansson's spy Natasha Romanoff, from Iron Man 2 (2010) to her solo film Black Widow (2021).
    515pts
16. 16
    Katniss Everdeen

    Jennifer Lawrence's District 12 volunteer tribute in The Hunger Games (2012) and its three sequels, through Mockingjay – Part 2 (2015).
    378pts
17. 17
    Hermione Granger

    Emma Watson's quick-witted Gryffindor student across all eight Harry Potter films (2001–2011).
    378pts
18. 18
    Dorothy Gale

    Judy Garland's Kansas farm girl who defeats the Wicked Witch of the West in The Wizard of Oz (1939).
    378pts
19. 19
    Rey

    Daisy Ridley's scavenger from Jakku who becomes a Jedi in the Star Wars sequel trilogy (2015–2019).
    0pts
20. 20
    Evelyn Wang

    Michelle Yeoh's laundromat owner in Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022), the role that won her the Academy Award for Best Actress.
    0pts

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