Our Favorite Female Action Heroes and a Few Villains, Too

Karen Allen in Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)

Charlize Theron in Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)

Geena Davis and Susan Sarandon in Thelma & Louise (1991)

Shailene Woodley and Theo James in Divergent (2014)

Linda Hamilton in Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)

Emma Watson in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (2011)

Elisabeth Shue in Adventures in Babysitting (1987)

Farrah Fawcett, Kate Jackson, and Jaclyn Smith in Charlie's Angels (1976)

Daisy Ridley in Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens (2015)

Michelle Yeoh and Norman Chu in Wing Chun (1994)

Michelle Yeoh, Maggie Cheung, and Anita Mui in The Heroic Trio (1993)

Miranda Otto in The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)

Ted Cassidy and Lindsay Wagner in The Bionic Woman (1976)

Rebecca Ferguson in Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation (2015)

Hilary Swank in Million Dollar Baby (2004)

Ming-Na Wen in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (2013)

Kate Mulgrew in Star Trek: Voyager (1995)

Alyssa Milano, Rose McGowan, and Holly Marie Combs in Charmed (1998)

Amanda Leighton, Kristen Li, and Natalie Palamides in The Powerpuff Girls (2016)

Natalie Portman in Léon: The Professional (1994)

Teresa Graves in Get Christie Love! (1974)

Sofia Boutella in Kingsman: The Secret Service (2014)

Carrie-Anne Moss and Matt McColm in The Matrix Reloaded (2003)

Scarlett Johansson in The Avengers (2012)

Geena Davis in The Long Kiss Goodnight (1996)