Warrior women in film

By Wonderwall.com Editors 8:15am PDT, Aug 15, 2019

Thirty-five years ago, one of our favorite warrior women debuted on the big screen. Tanya Roberts played Sheena, Queen of the Jungle — an orphan who learns to telecommunicate with animals and do battle after being raised in the fictional African country of Tigora — in 1984's "Sheena." In the film, which was released on Aug. 17, 1984, the jungle heroine fights to save her tribe from the evil Prince Otwani, who wants the precious metal under the natives' land. Sheena is not only brave but an expert in combat and weaponry, including knives, spears, bows and makeshift weapons. To celebrate the milestone anniversary, Wonderwall.com is taking a look at the fiercest warrior women in cinema. Keep reading for more…

Guinevere might be a queen, but she's no damsel in distress. In 2004's "King Arthur," the Pictish princess (played by Keira Knightley) is being held by a Roman noble family in the far north of Britain. After Arthur frees her, the two pair up with the Pictish army to defeat the Saxon invaders. In this version, Guinevere is an expert archer who holds her own in battle.

Katniss Everdeen is as selfless as they come. The coal miner's daughter famously volunteers to take her sister's place in the Hunger Games, a televised fight to the death. Throughout the "Hunger Games" film trilogy, Katniss (played by Jennifer Lawrence) uses her smarts, hunting skills and archery expertise to not only survive the games but take down the evil Panem regime.

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Yu Shu Lien is so fierce that she runs her own private security company in a time when most women were considered to be the property of their husband's family. Set during the Qing dynasty in the 18th century, "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" follows Shu Lien as she defeats bad guys, shows off her totally kick-butt sword fighting skills and opens herself up to love. Michelle Yeoh brought the character to life in the award-winning 2000 martial arts film.

Yu Shu Lien wasn't the only warrior woman in 2000's "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon." The film also focused on Jen Yu, the daughter of a rich and powerful governor who secretly becomes a martial arts master. Jen, played by Ziyi Zhang, is being forced into an arranged marriage with a man she does not love. She steals the "Green Destiny" sword and runs away from her marriage, hoping to reunite with her love, Lo. During her journey, she single-handedly defeats a large band of warriors and shows off her bravery in combat and in matters of the heart.

Honestly, Grace Jones is a super-fierce warrior women in her everyday life, but she truly brought her A-game in 1984's "Conan The Destroyer." In the film, Grace stars as Zula, a powerful bandit warrior who joins Conan's quest. She's a brave fighter who can hold her own with Conan's male comrades too. Zula ultimately defeats one of the central bad guys, the Grand Vizier, and becomes the new captain of the royal guard.

Tauriel is one of the best warriors in the "The Hobbit" trilogy. The Woodland elf is the head of the Mirkwood Elven guard and is always one of the bravest and most talented fighters on the field. Using her archery, herb and medicinal skills, Tauriel (played Evangeline Lilly) soundly defeats her enemies in the Battle of the Five Armies.

Beatrix "The Bride" Kiddo is one of the most dedicated, fearless warriors to ever grace our screens. The martial artist and assassin makes it her mission to exact revenge on her former colleagues, the Vipers, after they crash her wedding and murder everyone there. Over the course of two "Kill Bill" films, the Bride fights the entire Crazy 88 gang, escapes being buried alive, kills every member of the Vipers and eventually kills her No. 1 target, Bill, using the Five Point Palm Exploding Heart Technique.

Diana of Themyscira aka Diana Prince aka Wonder Woman is noble and loving at heart, but don't let that fool you! The superhero can kick some major butt. In 2017's "Wonder Woman," Diana — an immortal Amazon warrior goddess who's the princess of Themyscira and the daughter of Queen Hippolyta and Zeus — helps end World War I after learning about the conflict from American pilot Steve Trevor, as she believes that arch-nemesis Ares is behind the war. Diana (played by Gal Gadot) is an expert with Amazonian technology, included her signature Lasso of Truth and indestructible bracelets, and a fierce brave fighter.

Saint Joan of Arc is not only a warrior woman on screen, but one in real life. "The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc" is based on the true story of Joan, a brave French peasant who lead multiple victories in the Hundred Years' War before being captured by the English and burned at the stake. She was later declared a martyr and canonized in 1920. Milla Jovovich took on the role of Joan in the 1999 film, which follows Joan's life from childhood to her untimely death.

Imperator Furiosa is all about female empowerment. So much so that she turns against despot Immortan Joe in order to save Joe's five female concubines aka "breeders." Furiosa is able to defeat Joe and his army after a deadly high-speed chase in a massive armored truck that she drives. Charlize Theron brought the strong-willed and moral war hero to life in 2015's "Mad Max: Fury Road."

Like Joan of Arc, Hua Mulan is another historical female warrior who's been depicted in film. According to a Chinese legend, Mulan disguised herself as a man and took her aged father's place in the army, fighting valiantly for 12 years without reward before retiring to her hometown. She appears in the 1998 Disney animated film "Mulan" and will be played by Liu Yifei in the 2020 live-action remake.

Lara Croft is all about the action. The English warrior woman is a highly intelligent and skilled archaeologist who ventures into ancient tombs and hazardous ruins around the world while also fighting off bad guys. Angelina Jolie brought her to life in 2001's "Lara Croft: Tomb Raider" and 2003's "Lara Croft: Tomb Raider – The Cradle of Life." Lara most recently appeared on screen in 2018's "Tomb Raider" with Alicia Vikander in the lead role.

Black Widow is not only a warrior hero but a former cutthroat Russian spy who once wanted to defeat Iron Man. Also known as Natasha Romanova, Black Widow defects to the United States and becomes an agent of the fictional spy agency S.H.I.E.L.D. and a member of the superhero team the Avengers. Scarlett Johansson has starred as the Marvel character in eight MCU films and will take on the role once again in the 2020 standalone film "Black Widow."

Zhora Salome is a killing machine (literally). A synthetic human replicant and exotic dancer, Zhora has superhuman endurance and B-level intelligence. In 1982's "Blade Runner," she attacks lead character Deckard and nearly defeats him until she is forced to run off after a group of people walk in. Joanna Cassidy stars as warrior woman Zhora in the sci-fi film.