Image: TMDB
1999 - Warner Bros., Village Roadshow Pictures, Groucho II Film Partnership
Who is this badass sci-fi woman?
Aurora Lane, "Passengers"
President Laura Roslin, "Battlestar Galactica"
Imperator Furiosa, "Mad Max: Fury Road"
Trinity, "The Matrix"
Trinity's name is just one of the ways that numbers appear in the movie - Trinity, of course, meaning "three." Neo is a rearrangement of "one."
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1963 - BBC
Who is this badass sci-fi woman?
Sarah Jane Smith, "Doctor Who"
Elisabeth Sladen landed the role of Sarah Jane Smith as a second choice. April Walker was originally cast but wasn't exactly the right fit for the doctor. Way to step in, Sladen!
Hermione Granger, "Harry Potter"
Imperator Furiosa, "Mad Max: Fury Road"
Number Six, "Battlestar Galactica"
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2015 - Lucasfilm, Bad Robot, Truenorth Productions
Who is this badass sci-fi woman?
Melina, "Total Recall"
Princess Leia, "Star Wars: A New Hope"
Astrid Farnsworth, "Fringe"
Rey, "Star Wars: The Force Awakens"
One of my favorite lines in "The Force Awakens" is when Rey calls the Millennium Falcon "garbage." This is a recurring perspective, also shown by Luke when he called it "junk" and Leia when she said it was a "bucket of bolts."
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2007 - College Hill Pictures Inc., Fake Empire, Wonderland Sound and Vision
Who is this badass sci-fi woman?
President Laura Roslin, "Battlestar Galactica"
Kathy, "Never Let Me Go"
Agent Sarah Walker, "Chuck"
Sarah Walker - or is it Jenny? - or Rebecca? Sarah has used many names since joining the CIA at age 15. It later is finally revealed that her real name is Sam, though it is not certain what her last name originally was before she married Chuck.
Donna Noble, "Doctor Who"
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2012 - Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation, Dune Entertainment, Scott Free Productions
Who is this badass sci-fi woman?
Donna Noble, "Doctor Who"
Holly Marshall, "Land of the Lost"
Elizabeth Shaw, "Prometheus"
Elizabeth Shaw has amazing recovery skills. It only takes her a few hours to heal after surgery, a handy trait when it comes to axe-wielding.
Gamora, "Guardians of the Galaxy"
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1984 - Hemdale, Pacific Western, Euro Film Funding
Who is this badass sci-fi woman?
Padmé Amidala, "Star Wars: The Phantom Menace"
Astrid Farnsworth, "Fringe"
Donna Noble, "Doctor Who"
Sarah Connor, "The Terminator"
In 2000, the Sarah Connor character and her son John appeared in a comic book crossover. They joined Superman to destroy none other than - you guessed it - robots.
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1978 - BBC
Who is this badass sci-fi woman?
Servalan, "Blake’s 7"
Talk about making an impression! Servalan was only supposed to appear in one series, but instead you will find her as a guest character in all four.
Princess Leia, "Star Wars: A New Hope"
Astrid Farnsworth, "Fringe"
Lucy, "Lucy"
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2005 - BBC
Who is this badass sci-fi woman?
River Song, "Doctor Who"
Talk about your confusing family tree. Ever since River Song's first appearance, fans speculated about the relationship between the Doctor and her, as well as where she came from. Some thought she was a future version of the Doctor.
Lara Croft, “Tomb Raider”
Elizabeth Shaw, "Prometheus"
Trinity, "The Matrix"
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2002 - Mutant Enemy, 20th Century Fox Television
Who is this badass sci-fi woman?
Imperator Furiosa, "Mad Max: Fury Road"
River Tam, "Firefly"
River Tam was quite the scholar. Even at the age of three she was studying physics and proved herself to be future asset. Though she was often quiet and in the background, the writer for the show was working on developing her character. However he never got the chance to fully hash her out until "Serenity" came out.
Hermione Granger, "Harry Potter"
Paprika, "Paprika"
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2004 - British Sky Broadcasting (BSkyB), David Eick Productions, NBC Universal Television
Who is this badass sci-fi woman?
Lucy, "Lucy"
Trinity, "The Matrix"
Holly Marshall, "Land of the Lost"
Number Six, "Battlestar Galactica"
Number Six is the only one of the significant seven that doesn't utilize the same human form for each copy of her.
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1977 - Lucasfilm, Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation
Who is this badass sci-fi woman?
Princess Leia, "Star Wars: A New Hope"
Leia is not only a badass sci-fi woman, but she knows style too. You will see her in 10 different but distinct hairstyles, the most famous being the two side bun look, which Lucas finally decided on after having her try over 40 different other styles.
President Laura Roslin, "Battlestar Galactica"
Agent Sarah Walker, "Chuck"
Aurora Lane, "Passengers"
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Mutant Enemy, 20th Century Fox Television
Who is this badass sci-fi woman?
Franky, "Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow"
Echo, "Dollhouse"
Zoe Washburne, "Firefly"
Only one season of "Firefly" aired, but that didn't stop this woman from becoming loved and remembered by fans everywhere. Fans of "Firefly" are vocally upset at the shows cut-off after one season and memes surrounding the discontinuation circulate the internet.
Dizzy Flores, "Starship Troopers"
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2006 - Madhouse, Sony Pictures Entertainment
Who is this badass sci-fi woman?
Paprika, "Paprika"
Paprika is a Japanese novel turned movie from 2006. It's about helping people by entering their minds and dreams.
Donna Noble, "Doctor Who"
Trinity, "The Matrix"
Lucy, "Lucy"
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n/a
Who is this badass sci-fi woman?
Aurora Lane, "Passengers"
Lucy, "Lucy"
Astrid Farnsworth, "Fringe"
Astrid is a lab assistant to a seemingly crazy man, Walter. Despite the way he annoys her and others, she stays pretty calm and patient with him. Perhaps that is why she works so well in his lab.
Hermione Granger, "Harry Potter"
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1999 - Lucasfilm
Who is this badass sci-fi woman?
Padmé Amidala, "Star Wars: The Phantom Menace"
Double take. Kiera Knightly (Sabe) was so like Natalie Portman (Padme) in looks when in full costume, that not even Knightly's mother could recognize her own daughter.
Aurora Lane, "Passengers"
President Laura Roslin, "Battlestar Galactica"
Echo, "Dollhouse"
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n/a
Who is this badass sci-fi woman?
Julian, "Children of Men"
Number Six, "Battlestar Galactica"
President Laura Roslin, "Battlestar Galactica"
If the scene where Laura Roslin is sworn in as president of the Twelve Colonies seems familiar, it is probably because you recognized it from the scene of Lyndon B. Johnson being sworn in while on Air Force One. Producers decided to model the scene of that image.
Aurora Lane, "Passengers"
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1968 - Dino de Laurentiis Cinematografica, Marianne Productions
Who is this badass sci-fi woman?
Helena G. Wells, "Warehouse 13"
Barbarella, "Barbarella"
This character served as inspiration for other media. Jane Fonda's blowout was a model hairstyle for many comic book characters following the film, and her outfit served as a base for costuming in "The Fifth Element"
Rey, "Star Wars: The Force Awakens"
Neytiri, "Avatar"
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2000 - Cameron/Eglee Productions, 20th Century Fox Television
Who is this badass sci-fi woman?
Gamora, "Guardians of the Galaxy"
Lara Croft, “Tomb Raider”
Donna Noble, "Doctor Who"
Original Cindy, "Dark Angel"
Original Cindy is one of the first openly confident lesbian characters we've seen on screen. But we only see her sometimes, as she is a supporting character.
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2016 - Columbia Pictures, LStar Capital, Village Roadshow Pictures
Who is this badass sci-fi woman?
Gwen Cooper, "Torchwood"
Aurora Lane, "Passengers"
Jennifer Lawrence is badass on screen and off. For this film she was paid $20 million, compared to Chris Pratt's $12 million.
Holly Marshall, "Land of the Lost"
Dizzy Flores, "Starship Troopers"
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2004 - British Sky Broadcasting (BSkyB), David Eick Productions, NBC Universal Television
Who is this badass sci-fi woman?
Kara “Starbuck” Thrace, "Battlestar Galactica"
Kara, as a woman, faces a variety of complicated relationships, compared to the previous "Starbuck," who was a male. One of these complicated relationships was her love for one of her students, and she blames herself for his death. Even so, she is rougher than her male predecessor.
Donna Noble, "Doctor Who"
Lucy, "Lucy"
President Laura Roslin, "Battlestar Galactica"
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2009 - Universal Cable Productions, Syfy
Who is this badass sci-fi woman?
Lara Croft, "Tomb Raider"
Astrid Farnsworth, "Fringe"
Myka Bering, "Warehouse 13"
In case you didn't catch Myka's background, she hails from Colorado, where her parents owned a book store called "Bering and Sons." Myka had no brothers, but her parents thought it was a classier name with the addition.
Holly Marshall, "Land of the Lost"
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1995 - Paramount Television, United Paramount Network (UPN)
Who is this badass sci-fi woman?
Trinity, "The Matrix"
Julie Winston, "Master of the Universe"
Captain Kathryn Janeway, "Star Trek: Voyager"
Producers and directors had a nice pool of actresses to choose from for the role of Captain Kathryn Janeway. Lynda Carter, who played Wonder Woman, Lindsay Wagner, who was the Bionic Woman, and Linda Hamilton, who played Sarah Conner in "The Terminator" were just a few.
Martha Jones, "Torchwood"
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n/a
Who is this badass sci-fi woman?
Ava, "Ex Machina"
Alicia Vikander, who played Ava, is Swedish. She is a trained ballet dancer, but she ultimately chose acting over dance.
Holly Marshall, "Land of the Lost"
Lara Croft, “Tomb Raider”
Julie Winston, "Masters of the Universe"
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YouTube
Who is this badass sci-fi woman?
Dana Scully, "The X-Files"
Gillian Anderson played the skeptical FBI investigator and medical doctor opposite agent Mulder, who is a believer. Scully only believed what she saw or that science could prove.
Buffy Summers, “Buffy the Vampire Slayer”
Martha Jones, "Torchwood"
Kathy, "Never Let Me Go"
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2015 -Warner Bros. Pictures, Warner Bros. Pictures, Village Roadshow Pictures
Who is this badass sci-fi woman?
Gamora, "Guardians of the Galaxy"
Imperator Furiosa, "Mad Max: Fury Road"
A character with a future: "Mad Max: Furiosa" will be coming to a theater near you. Hopefully sooner than later.
Franky, "Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow"
Helena G. Wells, "Warehouse 13"
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1984 - Warner Bros. Television
Who is this badass sci-fi woman?
Gamora, "Guardians of the Galaxy"
Number Six, "Battlestar Galactica"
Echo, "Dollhouse"
Diana, "V"
Diana got to her position as Commander by killing those before her. Talk about doing anything to get what you want.
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2012 - Lionsgate, Color Force
Who is this badass sci-fi woman?
Katniss Everdeen, "The Hunger Games"
Jennifer Lawrence, who plays Katniss in the movies, wanted to make sure her hair was taken care of. The books describe a specific hair color and Lawrence did not want stylists destroying her hair, so they ordered five wigs at $6,000 apiece! She ended up cutting her hair after anyway, after filming.
River Tam, "Firefly"
Agent Sarah Walker, "Chuck"
Lucy, "Lucy"
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2014 -Marvel Studios, Marvel Enterprises, Moving Picture Company (MPC)
Who is this badass sci-fi woman?
Lara Croft, “Tomb Raider”
Gamora, "Guardians of the Galaxy"
You wouldn't want to cross Gamora. As the adopted daughter of a supervillain, she is considered to be one of the most dangerous beings in the universe, in addition to being the last of her kind.
Hermione Granger, "Harry Potter"
Donna Noble, "Doctor Who"
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2005 - BBC
Who is this badass sci-fi woman?
Neytiri, "Avatar"
Julie Winston, "Masters of the Universe"
Imperator Furiosa, "Mad Max: Fury Road"
Donna Noble, "Doctor Who"
Donna Noble served as the Doctor's companion for a short time. She refused him, however, when he asked her to travel with him, but later regretted her rejection. The Doctor still called on her occasionally for help.
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2010 - DNA Films, Film4, Fox Searchlight Pictures
Who is this badass sci-fi woman?
President Laura Roslin, "Battlestar Galactica"
Astrid Farnsworth, "Fringe"
Kathy, "Never Let Me Go"
Kathy is the first-person narrator in this novel by Kazuo Ishiguro. She purposefully uses ambiguous language and exhibits complex emotions.
Aurora Lane, "Passengers"
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2016 - Lucasfilm, Allison Shearmur Productions, Black Hangar Studios
Who is this badass sci-fi woman?
Jyn Erso, "Rogue One"
Jyn Erso is just like many other heroes in the "Star Wars" universe - one who does not seem likely to be a hero. There is a difference between her and Luke and Rey, though, because she knows her past and her roots.
River Song, "Doctor Who"
Neytiri, "Avatar"
Zoe Grayston, "Caprica"
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2006 - Universal Pictures, Strike Entertainment, Hit & Run Productions
Who is this badass sci-fi woman?
Astrid, "Fringe"
Rey, "Star Wars: The Force Awakens"
Melina, "Total Recall"
Julian, "Children of Men"
It was easy to remember who she played as her name was practically the same. Julianne Moore played Julian Taylor, leading the rebels in the underground.
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2014 - EuropaCorp, TF1 Films Production, Grive Productions
Who is this badass sci-fi woman?
Helena G. Wells, "Warehouse 13"
Gwen Cooper, "Torchwood"
Lucy, "Lucy"
Lucy was played by Scarlett Johannsson. The ape-like skeleton that is said to be the link between apes and humans was discovered by Donald C. Johanson and named Lucy. Just a weird coincidence.
Echo, "Dollhouse"
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2009 - 20th Century Fox Television, Boston Diva Productions
Who is this badass sci-fi woman?
Echo, "Dollhouse"
E - for Echo. The names for the characters in this series are named for the alphabet letter identification in NATO.
River Song, "Doctor Who"
Melina, "Total Recall"
Franky, "Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow"
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The Movie DB
Who is this badass sci-fi woman?
Lara Croft, “Tomb Raider”
Michonne, "The Walking Dead"
You will find Michonne in the comic series as well as the televised show. She wields a sword and wards off zombies.
Donna Noble, "Doctor Who"
Elizabeth Shaw, "Prometheus"
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2004 - Paramount Pictures, Brooklyn Films II, Riff Raff Film Productions
Who is this badass sci-fi woman?
Helena G. Wells, "Warehouse 13"
Astrid Farnsworth, "Fringe"
Franky, "Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow"
Angelina Jolie's Franky has a small but not insignificant part in this film. Even so, she spent much of her time interviewing pilots from WWII to prepare for this badass role.
Julian, "Children of Men"
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1979 - Brandywine Productions, Twentieth Century-Fox Productions
Who is this badass sci-fi woman?
Ellen Ripley, "Alien"
Not only a badass woman, but also a badass of the human race. Ellen Ripley was the only human survivor in "Aliens."
Trinity, "The Matrix"
Julie Winston, "Masters of the Universe"
Aurora Lane, "Passengers"
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2009 - Universal Pictures, Relativity Media, Sid & Marty Krofft Pictures
Who is this badass sci-fi woman?
Holly Marshall, "Land of the Lost" -2009
Kathy Coleman, who played Holly Marshall, has a musical background singing for the Mike Curb Congregation.
Zoe Graystone, "Caprica"
Lucy, "Lucy"
EVE, "WALL-E"
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2009 - Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation, Dune Entertainment, Ingenious Film Partners
Who is this badass sci-fi woman?
Number Six, "Battlestar Galactica"
Paprika, "Paprika"
Julie Winston, "Masters of the Universe"
Neytiri, "Avatar"
James Cameron insisted that to be attractive to the human eye, Neytiri should have breasts, making her appear to be more like a human woman.
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2008 - Pixar Animation Studios, Walt Disney Pictures
Who is this badass sci-fi woman?
Agent Sarah Walker, "Chuck"
EVE, "WALL-E"
The sweet sound of slinky. When EVE blasts her lasers, that is the sound of a slinky tapping.
Hermione Granger, "Harry Potter"
Lara Croft, “Tomb Raider”
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2009 - David Eick Productions, Universal Media Studios (UMS)
Who is this badass sci-fi woman?
Zoe Graystone, "Caprica"
Graystone was the original Cylon. Kevin Murphy also stated that she served as the model for the Number Sixes.
River Song, "Doctor Who"
Aurora Lane, "Passangers"
Ava, "Ex Machina"
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2012 - Total Recall, Original Film, Prime Focus
Who is this badass sci-fi woman?
Agent Sarah Walker, "Chuck"
Ava, "Ex Machina"
Melina, "Total Recall"
Director Paul Verhoeven wanted badass women and not a catfight in his movie. He had the scene with Lori and Melina choreographed as a martial arts fight with no hair-pulling.
Julie Winston, "Masters of the Universe"
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2006 - BBC
Who is this badass sci-fi woman?
Buffy Summers, "Buffy the Vampire Slayer"
Michonne, "The Walking Dead"
River Song, "Doctor Who"
Gwen Cooper, "Torchwood"
Gwen served as commander of Torchwood Three before severing her ties to live out her life with her husband and daughter.
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YouTube
Who is this badass sci-fi woman?
Elizabeth Shaw, "Prometheus"
Dizzy Flores, "Starship Troopers"
You don't want to mess with Dizzy Flores. Her kill count was 15 Warrior Bugs and 1 Tanker Bug.
Julian, "Children of Men"
Paprika, "Paprika"
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1987 - Golan-Globus Productions, Edward R. Pressman Film, Cannon Films
Who is this badass sci-fi woman?
Katniss Everdeen, "The Hunger Games"
Julie Winston, "Masters of the Universe"
Courtney Cox plays Julie Winston in "Masters of the Universe." She aids He-Man in the task of obtaining the Cosmic Key.
Jyn Erso, "Rogue One"
Lucy, "Lucy"
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2006 - BBC
Who is this badass sci-fi woman?
Gamora, "Guardians of the Galaxy"
Toshiko Sato, "Torchwood"
Toshiko appeared in one "Doctor Who" episode before landing a regular role in "Torchwood." She was then in every episode of the first two seasons.
Number Six, "Battlestar Galactica"
Astrid Farnsworth, "Fringe"
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2009 - Paramount Pictures, Spyglass Entertainment, Bad Robot
Who is this badass sci-fi woman?
Dana Scully, "The X-Files"
Nyota Uhura, "Star Trek"
The woman who played the original Nyota Uhura, Nichelle Nichols, did just as much for science off screen as she did on screen. She worked as a volunteer for NASA, helping to recruit women astronauts and advocating for women and minorities to join in science.
River Tam, "Firefly"
Princess Leia, "Star Wars: A New Hope"
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2009 - Universal Cable Productions, Syfy
Who is this badass sci-fi woman?
Helena G. Wells, "Warehouse 13"
If this name has a certain familiarity to it, you may be on to something. H. G. Wells is said to be the name taken by Helena's brother and the novels were based on Helena's ideas - at least in this series they were.
Elizabeth Shaw, "Prometheus"
Imperator Furiosa, "Mad Max: Fury Road"
Gamora, "Guardians of the Galaxy"
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TMDB