87 Fearless Women Movie Heroes Who Inspire Us

#38Dorothy brings out the best in everyone she meets with her kindness, generosity of spirit, and abiding decency. She speaks her mind, doesn’t discriminate and she isn’t shy about joining in her new friends’ catchy songs. She insists she’s “Dorothy, the small and meek” when she finally meets the Wizard, but she’s actually up for any adventure that comes her way. Best of all, she’s fiercely loyal to her scruffy little dog. A truly classic Judy Garland performance.

#39Gabrielle Union‘s Isis isn’t the central character of Bring It On, but she makes a powerful impression as the fierce, incorruptible, unflappable captain of the East Compton Clovers. She doesn’t back down when her routines are stolen, she doesn’t flinch when financial issues threaten to derail their chance at the championship, and she ultimately leads her squad to the win, earning the respect of her rival. In other words, she’s a leader worth following.

#40First off, let’s acknowledge that Elsa is immensely powerful. She’d be right at home fighting alongside the Avengers, and she’d be one of the more formidable members, too. But before she’s able to control her abilities, Elsa must contend with real issues of self-doubt, isolation, and a population of subjects who fear her. It’s a painful journey that ends when she realizes her magic is controlled by love, which transforms her into a proper queen no sniveling duke would even dare to challenge.

#41Hot shorts, the best make-up, and accessorizes with glitter guns and baseball bats. Oh, and she’s got a cadre of other fearless females at her back. Indeed, Harley Quinn‘s the luckiest — and most able — girl in Gotham, bar none.

#42For the 2020 reinvention of classic Universal monster movie The Invisible Man, Blumhouse and writer-director Leigh Whannell shifted the focus of the story away from the monster and onto his victim: a battered wife who escapes her husband’s clutches – or so she thinks. But Cecilia Kass, played by a never-better Elizabeth Moss, refuses to play victim for long. As the haunts mount and the gaslighting expands, Kass decides to wrestle back control of her story and her life, outsmarting her foe, kicking his transparent a–, and giving us one of the most satisfying f–k you finales we’ve seen in years.

#43She lives with her daddy on a remote, primal strip of eroding land at the southernmost reaches of the Louisiana bayou. Most of us would call it squalid. Six-year-old Hushpuppy calls it paradise. It’s also all she’s known, and it’s made her tough and resourceful beyond her years. Young Quvenzhane Wallis earned an Oscar nomination for her instinctive portrayal of this playful, brave girl whose imagination turns every challenge into an adventure.

#44If you’ve ever been told you need to be “more ladylike,” then you know exactly what Sanaa Lathan‘s Monica Wright has experienced throughout her life. A budding hoops star at a young age, she works tirelessly to improve her game, only for her mother to dismiss her as a tomboy, even as she proves to be stiff competition for her neighbor, the son of a former pro. Her perserverance ultimately pays off, as she lands a spot in the WNBA and the man she’s loved all her life.

#45She’s deadly with a bow and arrow, having needed them to survive for most of her young life. But Katniss Everdeen also learns to hone her other abilities and survival skills throughout the course of the Hunger Games – not just to protect herself, but also to save humanity from total dystopian collapse. Of all the Young Adult heroines we’ve seen in recent years, Jennifer Lawrence’s Katniss is the most memorable for both her ferocity and her humanity.

#46The 1997 sci-fi action film provided young Milla Jovovich with a breakout role next to established stars Bruce Willis and Gary Oldman. Jovovich’s divine being Leeloo mastered martial arts and love in equal measure.

#47Joan Crawford first played her in the 1945 Michael Curtiz classic and earned an Oscar for her efforts. Kate Winslet later played her in the 2011 Todd Haynes miniseries and earned a Golden Globe. Mildred Pierce is a juicy role with tons of range. She endures financial losses and successes, emotional highs and lows, various marriages, and the cruelty of her snobbish daughter. Through it all, Mildred perseveres and does what she must to survive and protect her family.

#48Most of the Disney princesses all deserve a shoutout or a place on this list, but we’re paying extra attention to the ones who just represent something a little more. Mulan, for example, objectively kicks ass, but being an Asian character gave a generation of young kids someone to look up to, even before gender politics became a mainstream thing.

#49Ever feel like the troubles of your teenage years had the weight of a Shakespearean tragedy? Kat Stratford can sympathize, considering her days just turned into The Taming of the Shrew. Played with jaunty intensity by Julia Stiles, Kat makes no concessions about her anti-social ways. That she’s so obdurate amidst high school mediocrity gives hope to whoever’s languishing in the same way.

#50Florence Pugh’s filmography is littered with formidable characters, from her take on Lady Macbeth to her upcoming role in Marvel’s Black Widow, but this one is based on a real person. Saraya “Paige” Knight may have been born into a wrestling family, but it’s her own strength of will that propels her into the spotlight as she works up the ranks of the WWE. Thanks to her hard work and dedication, she eventually becomes the youngest Divas Champion ever and makes sure everyone knows “This is my house!”

#51Who could forget Ryan Stone‘s long trip back to Earth? It’s an intense ride, with the movie aided immensely by Sandra Bullock‘s tightrope, athletic performance. We’re only give a few personal glimpses into Ryan (though they’re big ones, like her daughter dying in a random simple accident), so most of what we latch onto with the character is right up there on screen.

#52Vampire Selene began in the Underworld film series as a Death Dealer, hunting and killing lycans. After falling for a lycan-vampire hybrid, her motivations changed, bringing her in direct conflict with her vampire brethren. Her biggest challenge, however, might be from critics, who have repeatedly knocked the franchise. Still, Selene has ruled over five live-action feature films and one animated film.

#53Vivian Ward: A hooker with a heart of gold, given a chance to live the high life, who discovers what really matters by the end. Vivian’s story may be all fantasy but, after all, it’s the fairy tales that get us through the dreary, modern days.

#54It takes a lot of guts to roll with the punches, particularly when you wake up in the body of a scheming, unlikeable 30-year-old. But even with the mind of a teen, Jenna Rink (Jennifer Garner) quickly realizes her new life is not a good one and sets out to make amends. She fights for the future of the magazine that employs her and for the love of the man she abandoned, and when the magic dust settles, she’s a changed girl.

#55Emma Thompson shines in Kenneth Branagh‘s adaptation of this Shakespeare comedy as the charming but strong-willed Beatrice. Beatrice doesn’t take nonsense from anyone, and she’s got a sharp tongue of her own, which she uses with great precision in verbal sparring matches with Benedick. She’s a confident, slick talker who knows how to get what she wants, and Thompson brings her own potent ferocity to the role.

#56It almost feels unfair to include Cynthia Erivo’s Harriet Tubman on this list, being that the real-life abolitionist was such a legendary badass in her own right. The film focuses on Tubman as a grown woman, when she first made her daring escape from slavery, then decided to return in order to free her family… and then returned again and again to guide dozens more slaves to freedom via the Underground Railroad. It would be difficult to find a truer American hero on this list, and Harriet is an earnest appreciation of her achievements.

#57You’ve gotta fight for your right…to fight! Michelle Rodriguez stars as Diana Guzman, the product of a macho Brooklyn society that tells her she has no place in the boxing ring. Guzman sets out to prove them wrong in a hard-hitting but ultimately uplifting sports drama.

#58If you thought Elizabeth Bennet was too passive in Jane Austen’s original novel, this is the movie for you. Not only does she lead her sisters as a zombie-killing machine, she actually fights Mr. Darcy when she learns of his meddling, and during the zombie invasion of London, saves him from the hands of the evil Wickham. You do not mess with this lady.

#59Rita Hayworth is the end-all femme fatale as Gilda, a luminous character with no shortage of amazing strapless dresses and men to manipulate. Of course, this being a golden era Hollywood production, love worms its way into her heart at the end.

#60She’s a woman who stood up for herself in a predominately male industry en route to becoming a respected titan. Katharine Graham also made these strides as publisher of The Washington Post during some of its most crucial 1970s reporting, including her bold decision to print the Pentagon Papers. It’s pure joy watching Meryl Streep portray this famous figure who finds her voice as Steven Spielberg’s film progresses.

#61Based on the 2009 book of the same name, the film portrays race relations between white families and their black household help in the South in the early 1960s. As Aibileen Clark and Minny Jackson, respectively, Viola Davis and Octavia Spencer formed the true heart of the 2011 drama, with Spencer earning an Academy Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role.

#62You don’t get to be called a “Battle Angel” without being tough as nails, and Rosa Salazar’s Alita earns the title as she discovers the secrets of her forgotten past. She takes on a gang of cyborg killers, deadly bounty hunters, and an evil dictator, and survives to fight another day. If anyone can take down the sadistic overlord who rules from a wealthy city in the sky, it’s her.

#63Welder by day, dancer by night – you don’t get much more fearless than that. Alex Owens makes a living in a blue-collar world, but she dreams of artistic glory, with the ultimate goal of being accepted into a prestigious ballet school. She subjects herself to classism and snobbish scrutiny, but remains true to herself and her own radiant form of expression. It sounds cheesy now, but “Flashdance” was a legitimate pop-culture phenomenon, and it made Jennifer Beals a superstar.

#64Part of Catwoman′s allure has always been her sultry demeanor, and Michelle Pfeiffer certainly had that in spades when she played the role, but what set her apart was her sinister snarl. In this Tim Burton sequel, a meek Selina Kyle vows revenge after she’s pushed out a window by her boss, and as Catwoman, she’s both a smooth operator and a fearsome fighter who operates by her own set of rules. She makes you want to invest in some leather and parkour lessons.

#65Saoirse Ronan stars as a 16-year-old, blond-haired, blue-eyed killing machine – the heroine of the most violent fairy tale you can imagine. But beyond her formidable physical abilities, Hanna also keeps her enemies guessing as she fights for survival, fleeing the snowy wilds of Finland for the unknown dangers of civilization. Director Joe Wright’s thrilling action film provides the hugely versatile Ronan with a wide range to play within this complicated young character.

#66Forced into a botched gender reassignment surgery, Hedwig forms a band and takes on a young protégé, only for him to betray her. But she perseveres through some very low times and earns her fame, ultimately leading her to come to terms with her true identity. It’s a powerful journey of self-discovery told through rockin’ music and a magnetic central performance.

#67The central figure of Louisa May Alcott’s novel, Jo March (Winona Ryder) is the backbone of her family. Strong-minded and ambitious, aspiring writer Jo pens plays for her sisters to perform and later departs for New York City to pursue her dreams, helping to redefine what it meant to be a young woman at the time.

#68As a young girl, Jyn Erso had to hide while her parents were taken away from her. As a young woman, she takes the skills she’s developed as a soldier and a criminal and uses them for the greater good: specifically, the Rebellion. Felicity Jones brings a fiery, independent spirit to this character, a key figure in a daring mission that’s crucial to the Star Wars saga. In the tradition of Leia and Rey, she’s no damsel in distress.

#69Keisha Castle-Hughes became the youngest nominee for Best Actress Oscar for her role as a 12-year-old Maori girl with aspirations to become her tribe’s leader. Pai’s tenacity in the pursuit causes a painful rift with her grandfather, but Pai knows her truth: She is a Whale Rider.

#70She kicks all kinds of butt. That part is obvious. After all, she’s a heroine in a Quentin Tarantino action flick, with equal parts strength and style. But as intimidating and deadly as the statuesque Uma Thurman is in this iconic movie role – and as many bodies as The Bride leaves in her wake in her quest for revenge – the unexpected softer, maternal side she eventually reveals can be just as powerful in its own way.

#71Angela Bassett‘s stirring performance as Tina Turner in the story of her troubled relationship with Ike Turner hits particularly hard because it all really happened. Bassett is both moving and electric as the R&B singer who rose to superstardom even as her husband’s abusive behavior became increasingly severe, then found the courage to leave him and fought to retain her stage name.

#72They may seem like folksy Southern stereotypes – genteel flowers wilting in the sultry summer heat. But the ladies of Steel Magnolias are tough. They stick by each other no matter the situation, whether it’s a family celebration or a medical emergency. With a cast of Sally Field (M’Lynn Eatenton), Julia Roberts (Shelby Latcherie), Dolly Parton (Truvy Jones), Daryl Hannah (Annelle Desoto), Shirley MacLaine (Ouiser Boudreaux), and Olympia Dukakis (Clairee Belcher), you can’t go wrong. But Steel Magnolias also gets a lot right about the many shades of female strength.

#73Ellie Sattler is an expert in her field who’s invited to be one of the first people to witness the rebirth of dinosaurs on Isla Nublar, but she also demonstrates incredible bravery when she sets out in search of survivors after the park’s security is compromised. She risks her life to turn the park’s power back on, helping to save everyone left on the island.

#74She dares to risk everything for the man she loves – except he isn’t exactly a man, which makes Eliza’s elaborate scheme even more dangerous. The mute janitor at the center of Guillermo del Toro‘s Best Picture winner at this year’s Oscars has never felt truly seen until a mysterious creature enters the secret lab where she works. Sally Hawkins brings this character to life beautifully, wordlessly, and she makes you want to join her adventure.

#75When the ocean calls, you obey, even if it means going against what your elders tell you. That’s what plucky Moana does, braving the waves to find the demigod Maui and defeat the force that is poisoning her island. The journey is perilous, but Moana perseveres, and it’s thanks to her courage that her people are saved.

#76Emily Blunt has played a lot of gutsy characters, and her knack for portraying capable, determined heroines served her well in Rian Johnson‘s Looper. Sara is a single mother who lives alone on a farm with her son, and when she isn’t tending to the crops or chopping wood, she’s doing her best to keep her son’s explosive telekinetic powers in check. It’s not an easy job, but she’s one tough mother, and one glimpse of her with shotgun in hand is enough to know to stay off her property.

#77It took a lot of courage, heart, brains, and, most of all, persistence for Diana Ross to land the part of Dorothy in Sidney Lumet’s loose adaptation of the stage musical The Wiz, itself a loose adaptation of that Frank L. Baum joint about a certain displaced Kansan who makes a habit of killing witches. Berry Gordy, whose Motown was producing the film, said Ross – at 33 – was too old for the part, and ultimately some critics would say the same thing. But Ross outmaneuvered the powerful record exec and got herself cast in a move that Pauline Kael described as “the strongest example of sheer will in film history.” We’re glad Ross believed: Her Dorothy is a joy to watch, and eventually as strong and self-possessed as the woman who gave her such life. If you can watch Ross sing “Home” in the finale and not feel completely moved, it might be time to see the Wiz – we think you’re missing something.

#78The character of Sally Bowles changed a lot in her journey from Christopher Isherwood’s novella, Sally Bowles, to the play I Am a Camera and then the musical Cabaret and its eventual Bob Fosse-directed film adaptation. (For one thing, Sally – based on actress and Marxist Jean Ross – was originally British; for another, she could barely hold a note.) Yet, while some purists quibble with Liza Minelli’s quite radical reinterpretation of the character for the Certified Fresh film, taken on her own merits, the movie Sally is a fearless, liberated, curious, and iconic figure, a whirl of energy and relentless optimism hard to resist… and hard not to find inspiring.

#79The women at the center of Ang Lee’s Oscar-winning martial arts drama are essentially two sides of the same coin, and both are impressive in their own right. On one hand, you have Michelle Yeoh’s Yu Shu Lien, a formidable security officer who is understated and professional but deadly with any number of weapons and driven by honor and purpose. On the other, you have Zhang Ziyi’s Jen Yu, whose rebellious streak is admittedly a little harder to root for until you realize she’s a young, free spirit who feels trapped by society’s expectations of her as a woman in 18th century China. Oh, and by the way, she can also swing a sword like nobody’s business. Both represent a certain fearlessness, and when they meet in an epic duel that sees Jen destroying every weapon Shu Lien attacks her with until she’s finally beaten by a broken sword, it’s a jaw-dropping fight for the ages.

#80Fern (Frances McDormand) is a vagabond not by choice, but by necessity; her small Nevada town lost all of its residents when a mine shut down. First, she fills seasonal packing jobs at Amazon warehouses, but then she makes the choice to enter in and out of communities of other vagabonds across America rather than return to her ghost town. It’s a choice that’s forced upon her by the dissolution of labor and the gig economy that has provided only patches of support, but what makes Fern inspiring is how she takes ownership of each and every choice she makes, whether it’s hitting the road, asking for help, or simply pausing.

#81Charlize Theron’s “Andy” of Scythia makes this list on any day of the week: she’s an immortal, centuries-old warrior who carries a battle axe and leads an elite mercenary unit of other immortal, centuries-old warriors on dangerous black ops-style missions. “Badass” doesn’t even begin to describe her. But when she and her crew become aware of the existence of another like them, namely Kiki Layne’s U.S. Marine Nile Freeman, Andy finds something of a kindred spirit. Nile is clever, resourceful, and loyal, as Andy discovers late in the film, and her military background makes her a perfect addition to the team. Their mentor-mentee chemistry – and a slew of incredible action set pieces – helped make The Old Guard a surprise hit for Netflix during a quarantine summer when audiences were hungry for a blockbuster experience. Credit where it’s due: Netflix recently greenlit a sequel, so there’s more on the way.

#82It’s tough for anyone to switch careers at the age of 40, but to try and enter the rap game at that age? You’d be lucky if you weren’t laughed straight out of the recording booth. But that’s exactly what Radha does in The Forty-Year-Old Version, pivoting from her gig as a playwright to focus on spitting rhymes on mixtapes. But film isn’t just about a woman approaching middle age trying to impress her fellow kids; writer-director-star Radha Blank’s feature debut is a bold critique of the compromises artists – and particularly artists of color – are often forced to make to stay “relevant.” Radha’s journey is a bold “f— you” to anyone who ever questioned her instincts, and we’re only too happy to raise our middle fingers alongside her.

#83We meet Turquoise Jones (Nicole Beharie) as she’s scrubbing a toilet. She’s a former beauty queen who won Miss Juneteenth, an annual celebration that commemorates the official ending of slavery when Texas became the last state to recognize emancipation; with her daughter nearing the age to sign up, she attempts to instill pride about an event that’s taught by communities but not in school. The beauty of Beharie’s performance is how she is able to portray the grace and confidence of a woman who refuses to buy into the idea of faded glory; despite whatever occupation she might hold, beauty and grace is an internalized force to reckon with and share.

#84Every youngest child knows what it’s like to live in the shadow of their older siblings, but what if those siblings are Sherlock and Mycroft Holmes? If you’re Enola Holmes, it’s no big deal. As played by Millie Bobby Brown, Enola is every bit as brilliant as her famous brothers, possibly more deadly (ju-jitsu, anyone?), and just as strong-willed — although, who wouldn’t be at the prospect of being shuffled off to some boarding school? It makes sense that she’s the daughter of a suffragette, because her fierce independent streak is what helps her save the life of a clueless lord. Sherlock may get all the press, but we don’t think it’ll be long before Enola starts grabbing all the headlines.

#85Zhang Yimou’s To Live was allowed to be made because it showed the resilience of the Chinese people, millions of whom died, from the Great Leap Forward through the Cultural Revolution. Jiazhen (Gong Li) embodies this resilience, guiding her family not just through years of famine but also her husband’s gambling debts. But Gong’s performance was fearless on another level altogether: To Live was ultimately banned in its homeland because it tucked in many criticisms of the government, and as the highest-profile Chinese actress at the time, Gong was also banned from filmmaking for two years. It’s a sacrifice we’re all fortunate she made.

#86This five-and-a-half-hour biopic of Joan of Arc (Sandrine Bonnaire) concerns her rise through the ranks of the military during times of battle and her downfall during peace time. Joan the Maid is less concerned with whether or not her martyrdom was due to hearing voices, but more interested in how Joan of Arc was able to play toward the egos of so many powerful men during wartime, which endeared her to them and granted her much authority in their ranks. This is a massive portrait of a woman battling within the patriarchy and finding many allies when times were futile, and she filled that with courage and hope, but finding only enemies when order was restored. As Joan, Bonnaire has conviction and charm; she doesn’t play at Joan’s potential insanity, but instead depicts her as firm until the very end.

#87Without spoiling the ending to Emerald Fennell’s debut feature as both writer and director – a debut for which she is racking up dozens of awards and nominations – we will say some may quibble with our inclusion of its protagonist on this list. Cassie is a complex angel of vengeance, feigning falling-down drunkenness in order to lure so-called “nice guys” and teach them a #MeToo lesson, and as portrayed by a career-best Carey Mulligan, she’s a flawed antihero we alternately root for, pray for, and, ultimately, are crushed by. But her noble crusade, using the means at her disposal – no guns or katanas for this avenger – and fueled by a deep sense of love and injustice, had audiences cheering even as the movie masterfully blurred the divides between hero, villain, and innocent bystander.