It is now the 21st century and men are constantly being reminded that women can do anything as well as men can. That even includes starring in kick-butt action films. There obviously aren’t nearly as many action films starring women as men but the top 15 films starring heroines is a pretty impressive list of movies.
15 Best Heroine Action Films: #15 Red Sonja
Was Red Sonja a masterpiece? Of course not, but how many action films are brilliantly crafted pieces of cinema? Red Sonja was one of the first popular action movies starring a female so it belongs on the list for historic purposes.
15 Best Heroine Action Films: #14 Underworld
Underworld is another film starring a heroine that isn’t a great piece of cinema but is a good mindless fun vampire flick.
15 Best Heroine Action Films: #13 China O’Brien
Cynthia Rothrock was an American martial artists in the 80’s and was probably the first somewhat popular female martial artist in the United States. Rothrock’s movies were not great but at least one had to be included because of her contributions to the female action film genre.
15 Best Heroine Action Films: #12 Azumi
The reviews for this adaptation of the Manga of the same name were split about half and half but the lead the character was certainly worthy of any movie heroine list.
15 Best Heroine Action Films: #11 The Fifth Element
The Fifth Element was our introduction to Milla Jovovich. Jovovich has continued to do action heroine films but has yet to match the quality of The Fifth Element.
15 Best Heroine Action Films: #10 Lady Snowblood
Due to the popularity of manga in recent years many people may believe that Japanese adaptations of manga are a new thing, but they aren’t. Lady Snowblood was an adaptation of a manga all the way back in 1973. Lady Snowblood predates all the other heroine action films on this list.
15 Best Heroine Action Films: #9 Wanted
Angelina Jolie got her start in action movies with Gone in Sixty Seconds and the Tomb Raider movies but Wanted is by far the most critically acclaimed of all her movies where she plays the part of a heroine. Jolie is one of the few actors or actresses in Hollywood that can seamlessly bounce back and forth between action and drama films.
15 Best Heroine Action Films: #8 Chocolate
Chocolate is a much more recent foreign film. Chocolate is a Thai martial arts flick that came out in 2008. In Chocolate the heroine is a girl with autism that learns perfect martial arts just by watching it on television.
15 Best Heroine Action Films: #7 Ichi
The only thing better than an autistic Thai martial artist is a blind Japanese master swordswoman with a three-string guitar.
15 Best Heroine Action Films: #6 La Femme Nikita
In the United States Luc Besson is probably best known for the Transporter movies or maybe the Fifth Element from earlier on the list but his best action film is the French movie La Femme Nikita. Some may remember the television remake of La Femme Nikita that came on the USA Network starring Peta Wilson
15 Best Heroine Action Films: #5 Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
It’s not very often that action movies or foreign movies are nominated for Best Picture at the Academy Awards so for a movie to be both and still be considered says a lot about how much critics loved Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.
15 Best Heroine Action Films: #4 Serenity
Serenity is an ensemble cast and Captain Malcolm Reynolds is probably the star if you had to pick one but the focal point of the story is the Reaver-demolishing River Tam.
15 Best Heroine Action Films: #3 Terminator
Either Terminator, or both, could be plugged in here. Personally I prefer the first Terminator film but Sarah Conner is an icon regardless of which movie is chosen.
15 Best Heroine Action Films: #2 Kill Bill Vol. 2
Quentin Tarantino is one of the most beloved directors of today and his best movie is not only one of the best revenge movies but also one of the best heroin action films.
15 Best Heroine Action Films: #1 Alien
Kill Bill might be the best story but when it comes to just pure badass action female nobody beats Sigourney Weaver in the Alien films.
