The 20 toughest women on screen

There's just something about a lady who loves a good fight. For far too long women have been typecast in action films as damsels-in-distress — someone always in need of saving. Luckily more than a few women successfully broke the mold and established themselves as some of the toughest heroines film has to offer. In celebration of the ultimate in cinematic girl power, here's our list of the 20 toughest women on screen.

The youngest on our list, Moretz earned her spot early with her two-picture turn as the infamous Hit Girl in the "Kick-Ass" series. Despite her age, she brawled and blasted with the best of them. It's still too early to tell what her future in action film will be, but there are few women with a stronger start.

Former UFC brawler Gina Carano first caught our attention in Steven Soderburgh's "Haywire" back in 2011. Capitalizing on her fighting skills and unconventional good looks, it seemed then that Carano was on her way up the action ranks. While she has yet to have another starring role, she's made an impact in "Fast & Furious 6" and "Deadpool."

When you think of J Law, your first inclination might not be to cast her as an action tough girl, but with her roles in the "Hunger Games" and "X-Men" series, this Oscar darling has no problem baring her teeth. Her latest project, "Red Sparrow," featured Lawrence at her toughest yet. With another "X-Men" outing set to hit in February 2019, Lawrence doesn't look to be slowing down on the action front anytime soon.

At the age of 18, Gal Gadot donned the crown as Miss Israel. Twelve years later, she would put on a tiara of a different scrap as she took on the iconic role of Wonder Woman in "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice." Prior to her days as a superheroine, Gadot strapped in for action in the "Fast & Furious" franchise — giving audiences only a taste of what was to come. With one solo "Wonder Woman" film under her belt, she's currently working on the sequel, "Wonder Woman 1984," which is sure to lay another solid brick on her road to heroine glory.

In the '80s, there weren't many female action stars. A star with heavy actual accolades in martial arts was even rarer. Cynthia Rothrock fit the bill in both ways — boasting black belts in seven different martial arts and a huge following in Hong Kong. Rothrock, a veteran of more than 50 action films, would also add video game icon to her legacy. The character of Sonja Blade from "Mortal Kombat" was based on her and her multi-faceted fighting style.

Zoe Bell got her start in stunt work for a soap opera in her native New Zealand after seeing her father treat a stuntman's head injury. From that moment, it ignited a passion for her that would lead to her becoming a world-class stuntwoman and eventually gaining the admiration of U.S. directors like Quentin Tarantino. Tarantino used her as a stunt double for Uma Thurman in the "Kill Bill" films, eventually giving her a starring role in "Death Proof." Today, Zoe both acts and continues to do stunt work — making her one of the toughest women in action today.

After her breakout role in "Girlfight" (2000), Michelle Rodriguez became a staple in action films. Starting just one year later with "The Fast and The Furious" in 2001, she would parlay that into five more films in the series. Rodriguez also lit up screens in "Resident Evil," "S.W.A.T" and 2018's "Widows." 

Best known for her role as Trinity in the "Matrix" trilogy, Carrie-Anne Moss redefined tough women on screen for the 21st century. Moss mixed brains, beauty and brawn without ever once taking on the burden of the damsel in distress trope. From beginning to end, she exuded self-determination and proved to be nearly unstoppable. After her time as Trinity, Moss continued to appear on screens with the same level of toughness that made her famous.

While Kate Beckinsale got her start in more sweeping, dramatic fare, she is far more known for her segue into action — centered around her signature "Underworld" franchise where she stars as Selene, a vampire locked in battle with werewolves. Working alongside her then-husband Len Wiseman, Beckinsale kept active in action. She has handled most of her own stunts, most recently on the 2012 remake of "Total Recall."

Discovered by an agent on a New York Subway, Lucy Liu became a sought-after actress who, after a successful run on Fox series "Ally McBeal," moved into the action realm in "Charlie's Angels" (2000). From there, Liu landed a memorable role as Yakuza boss O-Ren Ishii in Quentin Tarantino's "Kill Bill Vol. 1." The rest is tough girl history. 

One might not look at Hermione Granger as an instant example of a tough girl, but with the help of a heartfelt series of performances by Emma Watson, we saw Hermione exude a unique sort of toughness in "Harry Potter." While her forte was more into spells than flying kicks or handiness with a shotgun, Hermione was the strong backbone for her friends in a pinch and fought every bit as hard as they did. Long after she hung up her wand, Watson continued her toughness on screen in "This Is the End" (2013) — playing a humorously fictionalized version of herself at the end of the world.

Angelina Jolie is more known for motherhood and philanthropies these days, but it's hard to forget her tough girl cinematic roots. Whether it was her two turns as video game heroine Lara Croft in the original "Tomb Raider" series or her turns as a kick-ass assassin in "Mr. and Mrs. Smith" and "Wanted," Jolie specialized in multidimensional tough-as-nails characters. 

While Uma Thurman's action resume is short, her role as The Bride/Beatrix Kiddo in Quentin Tarantino's "Kill Bill" saga catapults her up our list due to the sheer size and scope of her work. Not only was Thurman a certified badass in the role, it was also a role that nearly killed her when her car spun out and hit a tree during a scene towards the end of the second film. Thurman survived the wreck and her legend as The Bride endures.

Linda Hamilton finds herself embedded in action film history as the mother of the resistance in the form of Sarah Connor — heroine of "The Terminator" series. From her first appearance as Connor in 1984 through the 1991 sequel, Hamilton was the embodiment of strength and grace under extreme fire. Nearly 30 years removed from "Terminator 2: Judgment Day," Hamilton will return to screens as Sarah Connor in the upcoming untitled "Terminator" reboot, scheduled for release in 2019.

Say the name Ellen Ripley, and you'll understand exactly why Sigourney Weaver ranks so highly on our list. Through four films in the "Alien" franchise, Weaver was the epitome of confidence and toughness as a woman simply doing her job. Oh, and becoming the last line of defense from a horde of Xenomorphs. Outside of Ripley, Weaver carved her own niche as a tough woman on screen — and not always in action films — such as her turn as Dian Fossey in "Gorillas in the Mist."

Although her beginnings were inauspiciously in independent films, Scarlett Johansson would blossom into an action icon for her era — largely helped by her work for Marvel Studios as Black Widow across a number of films. Between Avenger outings, however, ScarJo keeps her plate full of tough roles in films like "Lucy" and "Ghost in the Shell." 

When measuring the toughest women on screen, it was hard to choose the top spot. The fact that Milla Jovovich is No. 4 on our list is certainly no knock on her bonafides, which are strong on their own. This ex-model got her start in comedies like "Dazed and Confused," but starting with 1997's "The Fifth Element," Jovovich established herself as an action force to be reckoned with. Collaborating with Paul W.S. Anderson (who would later become her husband), Jovovich would stake her claim in the action genre as Alice in the "Resident Evil" franchise — an adaptation of the hugely popular video game series.

Mix explosive beauty with a seductively sassy style, and you get Pam Grier — the queen of '70s "blaxploitation." With titles like "Foxy Brown," "Coffy" and "Bucktown," Grier made a name for herself in cinema as a force to be reckon with — as tough as they come. Her influence spread to modern day directors like Quentin Tarantino, who revived her career by casting her as the lead in 1997's "Jackie Brown."

Coming in second place is a Hong Kong film legend in her own right. Before her U.S. debut in 1997's "Tomorrow Never Dies," Yeoh was a martial arts icon whose work served as inspiration for a number of actresses trying to break into action. After her Bond movie debut, she wowed audiences again in 2000 with the instant classic "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon." 

Queen Charlize is the baddest of the bad, the toughest of the tough. From her first appearance in "2 Days in the Valley" to her stylistically brutal turn in 2017's "Atomic Blonde," (and don't forget her turn in Imperator Furiosa in "Mad Max: Fury Road") Theron has taken more than her fair share of lumps on the screen but doing it with absolute style. Sure, she's an Oscar winner, but she also has no problem at all getting down and dirty — making her the toughest woman on screen to date.