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List of female action heroes and villains

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{{further|Women warriors in literature and culture}}

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File:Female action hero actresses.jpg, Uma Thurman, Tia Carrere, Linda Hamilton, Angelina Jolie, Halle Berry, Sigourney Weaver, and Lucy Liu.]]

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The following is a list of female action heroes and villains who appear in action films, television shows, comic books, and video games and who are "thrust into a series of challenges requiring physical feats, extended fights, extensive stunts and frenetic chases."{{cite web

|url=https://www.allmovie.com/genre/action-d646

|title=AllMovie Genres:ACTION

|access-date=2017-07-08

|publisher=AllMovie

}}

Elizabeth Abele suggests that "the key agency of female action protagonists is their ability to draw on the full range of masculine and feminine qualities in ever-evolving combinations."Abele, Elizabeth. Home Front Heroes: The Rise of a New Hollywood Archetype, 1988-1999. McFarland, 2013:132

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Films

=Animated theatrical films=

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  • Ahsoka Tano from Star Wars: The Clone Wars{{cite web |url=https://www.starwars.com/databank/ahsoka-tano |title=Ahsoka Tano |access-date=15 September 2018 |work=StarWars.com |publisher=Lucasfilm Ltd.}}
  • Princess Fiona from the Shrek series (2001–2010),{{cite book|last1=Knight|first1=Gladys L.|title=Female action heroes : a guide to women in comics, video games, film, and television|date=2010|publisher=Greenwood|location=Santa Barbara, Calif.|isbn=978-0313376122|page=176}}{{cite web|title=Sorry Katniss, Princess Fiona is still the best feminist action hero around|url=https://theweek.com/articles/454355/sorry-katniss-princess-fiona-still-best-feminist-action-hero-around|website=theweek.com|date=16 December 2013 |access-date=16 April 2016}} Queen Lillian and the Fairy Godmother from Shrek 2, and Snow White, Cinderella, and Sleeping Beauty from Shrek the Third (2007)[https://www.tvguide.com/news/diaz-poehler-magical-37336/ Diaz, Poehler and More: A Magical Q&A with Shrek the Third's Fab Five Princesses]
  • Elastigirl and Violet (2004)Meinel, Dietmar. Pixar's America: The Re-Animation of American Myths and Symbols. Palgrave Macmillan, 2016: 173. from The Incredibles (2004){{cite web | title=Female Action Heroes | website=The Boston Globe | date=July 9, 2004 | url=https://www.boston.com/ae/movies/gallery/female_superheroes?pg=17 | access-date=December 4, 2015}}{{cite news | last=Bibbiani | first=William | url=http://www.superherohype.com/features/358895-the-top-female-action-heroes | title=The Top Female Action Heroes in Movies | work=SuperHeroHype | publisher=CraveOnline | date=November 17, 2015 | access-date=November 30, 2015 }}
  • Iria from Iria: Zeiram the Animation{{cite news|last1=Beveridge|first1=Chris|title=Discotek Media Acquires 'Iria: Zeiram The Animation' OVA License|url=http://www.fandompost.com/2014/12/22/discotek-media-acquires-iria-zeiram-the-animation-ova-license/|access-date=26 June 2017|work=The Fandom Post|date=December 22, 2014}}
  • Judy Hopps from Zootopia (2016)
  • Kay from Akira
  • Kida and Helga Sinclair from Atlantis: The Lost Empire (2001)
  • Merida from Brave (2012){{cite web|title=From Snow White to Brave: the evolution of the Action Princess|url=https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2012/jun/26/snow-white-brave-evolution-action-princess|website=The Guardian|access-date=14 April 2016|language=en-GB|date=26 June 2012}}
  • Moana from Moana
  • Motoko Kusanagi from Ghost in the Shell[https://comicbook.com/2016/11/28/a-beginners-guide-to-ghost-in-the-shell/ A Beginner's Guide to Ghost in the Shell]
  • Mulan from Mulan (1998) and Mulan II (2004){{cite book|editor-last1=Różalska|editor-first1=Aleksandra M.|editor-last2=Zygadło|editor-first2=Grażyna|title=Narrating American gender and ethnic identities|date=2013|publisher=Cambridge Scholars Publ.|location=Newcastle upon Tyne|isbn=978-1443847841|page=40|edition=1. publ.}}
  • Nausicaä from Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind
  • Raya from Raya and the Last Dragon (2020)
  • Ryôko Kadoma from Goku Midnight Eye
  • Sabine Wren from Star Wars Rebels{{cite web |url=https://www.starwars.com/databank/sabine-wren |title=Sabine Wren |access-date=15 September 2018 |work=StarWars.com |publisher=Lucasfilm Ltd.}}
  • San from Princess Mononoke
  • Susan Murphy/Ginormica from Monsters vs. Aliens (2009)
  • Saya from Blood: The Last Vampire
  • Saki Asamiya from Sukeban Deka (Original video animation)
  • April O'Neil from TMNT
  • Liz Sherman from Hellboy: Sword of Storms, Hellboy: Blood and Iron
  • Astrid Hofferson, Ruffnut Thorston and Valka from How to Train Your Dragon.
  • Tigress, Viper and Zhen from Kung Fu Panda

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=Live-action theatrical films=

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==Films based on comic books==

{{see also|Superhero comics|List of superheroines|List of female supervillains}}

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;DC

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;Marvel

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==Films based on novels==

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==Films based on video games==

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Literature

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=Literary villains=

Television

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=Animated television series=

:See also: female action heroes and villains in the section for anime.

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=Anime=

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=Commercials=

  • Nameless runner (Anya Major) in Ridley Scott's 1984 (advertisement)[http://www.dailygalaxy.com/my_weblog/2007/01/daily_video_cla_5.html Daily Video Classic: Ridley Scott's 1984 Apple Ad][http://www.drb.ie/essays/losing-our-cool Losing Our Cool: Dublin Review of Books]

Video games

See also

References

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{{Portalbar|Animation|Comics|Feminism|Film|Lists|Literature|Television|Video games}}

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Category:Lists of fictional heroes

Category:Fictional female warriors

Category:Cultural studies

Category:Feminist theory

action heroes and villains

Category:Action films

Category:Action (genre) characters