The 10 Most Powerful Women in Sci-Fi Movies, Ranked

When it comes to dealing with intergalactic menaces like acid-dripping alien parasites or killer cyborgs intent on dominating the future by traveling to the past, look no further than the women of planet Earth to take names in its defense.

Sci-fi films are replete with strong female characters who know a thing or two about commanding a starship, escaping a Death Star, or stopping the spread of a sentient alien infestation. From Ellen Ripley to Katniss Everdeen, here are some of the most powerful women to ever pick up a phaser, lightsaber, or pulse rifle!

10 Pris – Blade Runner (1982)

By all accounts, Blade Runner is a classic of the sci-fi genre. Complimenting the film’s dark and somber aesthetic is the philosophical underpinning of the film which seems eerily prevalent in today’s day and age: the rights of artificial intelligence.

Rutger Hauer’s character, the replicant Roy Batty, searches for a way to prolong his life while avoiding being hunted to death by Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford). He’s accompanied by Pris, a replicant whose prowess in gymnastics was weaponized. In a particularly suspenseful scene, she uses this skill to attack Deckard and nearly kills him.

9 Lieutenant Uhura – Star Trek (1979 – 1991)

As a communications officer, Lieutenant Uhura served a critical yet not overly exciting function on the bridge, at least when it came to action. Thankfully, the films showed audiences what a powerhouse Uhura could be.

One of her most legendary moments is when she effortlessly pacified an annoying young lieutenant by forcing him into a closet before he could stop Admiral Kirk and crew from stealing the Enterprise in Star Trek III: The Search for Spock.

8 Dana Scully – The X-Files (1998, 2008)

The X-Files may have only had 2 cinematic outings in its history (to date) but with them, Dana Scully brought all her cool rationalism, advanced investigative skills, and fearless determination to the big screen.

That’s evident in many instances in the films, from decisively clearing a federal building from a bomb scare in Fight the Future to agreeing to start her life on the X-Files again in I Want to Believe. Yet her biggest moments of power always involve staring down the face of danger to uncover the conspiracies of the shadow government despite the threat to her own life.

7 Jyn Erso – Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016)

One of the best Star Wars films to come along since Empire Strikes Back was Rogue One, a non-Skywalker saga entry. This film gave fans the character of Jyn Erso, a resilient, passionate, and driven young woman who wants nothing more than to bring down the empire that killed her parents.

Her resolute determination allowed her to give the Rebel Alliance the secret to defeating the Death Star, which unfortunately cost her her life. But her sacrifice inspired countless rebel soldiers across the galaxy, as well as many young filmgoers.

6 Gamora – Guardians of the Galaxy (2014, 2017)

Most people outside diehard Marvel Comics fans had never heard of The Guardians of the Galaxy before the release of 2014’s film of the same name. A ragtag bunch of intergalactic misfits and ne’er-do-wells, one of the most competent members of the group is Gamora, the adopted daughter of the Mad Titan Thanos.

Played excellently by Zoe Saldana, Gamora routinely makes it her business to rescue her teammates while confidently and decisively kicking ass and taking names. Trained to excel and survive by Thanos, Gamora is one of the most powerful heroes around.

5 Trinity – The Matrix (1999)

When The Matrix premiered in 1999, it was destined to be earmarked as a revolutionary and genre-defining film. The revelation that the film’s depiction of life at the end of the 20th century was actually a simulation by sentient machines using humans as living batteries was mind-blowing for audiences. Similarly, the special effects set a new industry standard for science-fiction and action films.

It is in the oft-parodied first sequence of the film, where Carrie-Anne Moss’ Trinity dispatches some police officers with a physics-defying kick, where the audience is introduced to her unique ability to consistently kick-ass with both style and purpose.

4 Katniss Everdeen – The Hunger Games Series (2012 – 2015)

Dystopian societies and totalitarian regimes are a dime a dozen in sci-fi films, but there’s something particularly loathsome about one that uses teenagers to fight to the death for their amusement. This is the premise of The Hunger Games, the wildly popular film based on the book of the same name and starring Jennifer Lawrence as the main protagonist, Katniss Everdeen.

Katniss volunteers to replace her sister in the annual Hunger Games in order to spare her life. Using her cunning, wilderness survival skills, and archery, she manages to buck the rules of the system by taking on a partner to jointly win the tournament. Parlaying that success into a full-blown rebellion in the sequels is the topper to Katniss’ character arc.

3 Princess (General) Leia – Star Wars Saga (1977 – 2019)

Princess (turned General) Leia was an incredible character, opinionated, decisive, and defiant.  Princess Leia had no qualms picking up a blaster and picking off some Stormtroopers, or even telling off Darth Vader and Grand Moff Tarkin with gusto.

She was also a born leader, serving as a higher-echelon decision-maker in the Rebel Alliance and later as the full-blown leader of the Resistance. Leia quickly took charge of any situation she was in and led it to an agreeable conclusion.

2 Sarah Connor – Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)

It was clear from Sarah Connor’s first appearance in Terminator 2: Judgment Day that her experiences in the previous film and the time in between had radically changed her. No longer the naive and doe-eyed waitress, Connor had become a full-fledged warrior, skilled and resourceful enough to almost successfully break out of the psychiatric hospital she was held in single-handedly.

With a badass attitude and muscles to match, Linda Hamilton channeled her character’s unwavering determination to protect her son, the savior of humanity’s future, into a dogged desire to erase that future altogether.

1 Ellen Ripley – Alien Series (1979 – 1997)

Heroes are normal people called upon by circumstance to do extraordinary things. That definition personifies Ellen Ripley, the protagonist of the Alien film series. Portrayed by Sigourney Weaver, Ripley deftly and narrowly survived the xenomorph’s attack in the first film, only to face a literal swarm of them in the sequel.

It’s in Aliens that Ripley really shows how powerful she really is. First, she conquers her fears and opts to face the xenomorphs once again, and second, she has an epic showdown with the alien queen at the climax of that film while screaming the iconic line, “Get away from her, you bitch!”

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