The 10 most badass female characters in Science Fiction and Fantasy

Many people still think of women as the weaker sex. Science Fiction and Fantasy however have already given us some memorable badass women. The fight with strength, intelligence and charm. But it is not only their skills that make them badass but their will never to give up. 

These are my top 10 most badass female characters in Science Fiction and Fantasy:

10. Zoe Washburn from "Firefly"

     

If a tv series, a movie or a book features a female badass character it is usually the lead and she is often passionate and a natural born leader. Joss Wedon's Zoe Washburn is very different. She is the second in command and the embodyment of a level headed, cool soldier. You wouldn't want to mess with her. At the same time she manages to be a dignified woman, who is deeply in love with her husband, although he is not a fighter. 

9. Katniss Everdeen from "The Hunger Games"

Jennifer Lawrence brought her to life in a brilliant way. What made Katniss so badass, apart from her crazy archery skills, was her stubborness. She was no supersoldier or genius, just a girl trying to survive and in the process walking through everything on her way, including an unjust government. She was very aware of her limitations and saw herself as a flawed human being. 

8. Brienne of Tarth from "Game of Thrones"

Brienne is more of a knight than most men. She is brave, honourable, intelligent and loyal. Besides all this she is a great swordsman and physically equal to most men. But she is also sensitve and kind. These traits made her seem almost delicate in some moments despite her imposing stature. Just think about her telling the reason why she cared about Renly. One could see the hurt little girl within the strong woman. 

7. Hermione Granger from "Harry Potter"

Hermione fits the bill of a modern hero, because she fights with her brains. She is the ultimative nerd and the hero all nerds dream of being. She is resourceful and brave. Hermione doesn't need any physicality to be badass, all she needs is her ingenuity. She is also incredibly brave just remember how she played the bait for Nagini.

6. Sara Lance from "Arrow" and "Legends of Tomorrow"

She is probably the most reluctant assassin ever. Sara was thrown into a nightmare or pain and torture coming from a dream of being in love with a millionaire. But instead of breaking under the pressure her survival instinct kicked in. She literally did everything she had to in order to survive and became a deadly assassin. Despite all this Sara managed to keep her kindness and to be what you would consider a good person. That speaks for her strength of character, as most people would have succumbed to the darkness.  

5. Sarah Conner from "Terminator"

During the first Terminator movie Sarah Conner is far from being your typical fighter and is all but badass. I still believe however that she belongs in this list, because of her spirit. Giving up is not in her nature, despite being up against an enemy that is way superior to her. She doesn't even give up when her lover and protector is dead and she is severely wounded. And who didn't get the chills when she said: "You're terminated, fucker!" and activated the press? Sarah wasn't badass for her fighting skills but because of her indomitable will to survive. 

4. Buffy Summers from "Buffy the Vampire Slayer"

Buffy is an icon of the nineties, who taught every girl that you don't have to give up your femininity to be tough and a fighter. She perfectly unified what it meant to being a girl and a warrior. She was proficient in many fighting techniques and never backed off, even if it meant sacrificing her love or even her own life. At the same time she could get excited over things as prom nights and dating. She is the perfect mix of girlish and badass.  

3. Arya Stark from "Game of Thrones" (TV show)

The youngest daughter of Eddard and Catelyn Stark has certainly walked quite a distance. She was transformed from a tomboy into a killer, looking to avenge her family and she is proving quite successful as she moves through her list. 

While Arya's skills would certainly be worth of the top spot of this list, she shows tendencies of going dark. Her keeping needle however is an indication that she is not as dark as it might seem at first glance. We must stay tuned in the upcoming season to see if she finally becomes a villain or a hero. 

2. Princess Leia Organa from "Star Wars"

Princess, Senator, General, Rebel are just a few of the titles Leia bears and each of them is well deserved. She is a skilled diplomat and an incredible shot. Besides she is a great tactician with a cool head. She is willing to take up any challenge and stands her ground even in front of someone as terrifying as Darth Vader. All that together with her courage makes her the perfect leader and certainly the second most badass woman on this list. 

1. Ellen Ripley from "Aliens" (franchise)

Ripley is the embodiment of a badass woman. She doesn't wine about her situation or setbacks but always pushes forward to kill her enemy and solve the problem. She starts as an officer on a merchant ship and succeeds in being the sole survivor and killing the enemy. Later instead of despairing over ending up in the same situation she again devises a plan to survive. Her natural leadership qualities are so defined that even the soldiers accept her taking command without questioning it. She uses all resources at hand and learns how to use the soldier's weapons. But what made her top of this list is the fact that defending herself wasn't enough. When Newt is kidnapped she decided on a more offensive strategy and went into the Alien's layer by herself, despite horrendous odds. And she rescues Newt and makes it out alive! It doesn't get more badass than that! 

What do you think about my list? Do you agree? Did I miss some badass woman, who should have made the list? Please use the comments section to let me know.