And for the sake of argument, let's just say...all female Transformers, because they're all armed and dangerous, and frigging robots.
A thread about women who kick ass.
- Thread starter FalloutJack
- Start date
Samantha Carter (as played by Amanda Tapping) anyone?
Technical genius, highly trained soldier and skilled pilot. She can invent/repair/decipher anything piece of technology and can definitely hold her own in a fight.
Technical genius, highly trained soldier and skilled pilot. She can invent/repair/decipher anything piece of technology and can definitely hold her own in a fight.
More you say?
My next choice is Homura Akemi from Puella Magi Madoka Magica.
A mysterious girl who seems to know Madoka yet never having met her before. It turns out that she had in fact met Madoka in the past, but watched her die in battle. She then made a contract with Kyubey to gain the ability to go back in time and save her.
Due to the form of magic the characters receiving being relevant to the reason for their contract, Homura is given time magic. When she goes back she tries her best to save her friends by explaining the truth behind their contracts. Nobody believes her and the same events transpire as before.
She then goes back in time again and again trying to save Madoka from dying but failing each and every time. Each time she does so the distance between them grows and she becomes more detached, up until the point where they are strangers.
She is easily one of my favourite characters ever. She is kind of character willing to do whatever it takes to save somebody they care about, no matter how much it hurts them. She doesn't give up, despite her goal becoming harder and harder to reach and all for one person.
My next choice is Homura Akemi from Puella Magi Madoka Magica.
A mysterious girl who seems to know Madoka yet never having met her before. It turns out that she had in fact met Madoka in the past, but watched her die in battle. She then made a contract with Kyubey to gain the ability to go back in time and save her.
Due to the form of magic the characters receiving being relevant to the reason for their contract, Homura is given time magic. When she goes back she tries her best to save her friends by explaining the truth behind their contracts. Nobody believes her and the same events transpire as before.
She then goes back in time again and again trying to save Madoka from dying but failing each and every time. Each time she does so the distance between them grows and she becomes more detached, up until the point where they are strangers.
She is easily one of my favourite characters ever. She is kind of character willing to do whatever it takes to save somebody they care about, no matter how much it hurts them. She doesn't give up, despite her goal becoming harder and harder to reach and all for one person.
Most of the woman in the Avatar series. Toph, Katara, Suki, Ty lee, Mai, Azula, Lin, Korra. That show likes their kickass woman. It's awesome.
Ms/Captain marvel.
Sif (JIM 646-655, I'm not that familiar with her on others stuff)
A character who isn't particularly strong physically (well at least not until this latest chapter) but kicksass is Annie from Gunnerkrig Court. She smart (most of the time), brave, doesn't take shit and doesn't assume things are monsters just from looking at them.
Lara croft, some don't like her because she over sexualised but most of the time its not done in a way that doesn't make it feel like that the point of the character or exploitative. She sexy but she owns it and minus the insane boobage in some of the games her design is not that unreasonable.
Aurian from artifacts of power. Tamora Pierce has some kickass female protagonist for young teen fiction too from what I remember. Now if only that was more popular rather than stories about useless girls getting repeatedly saved by overbearing boyfriends.
Ms/Captain marvel.
Sif (JIM 646-655, I'm not that familiar with her on others stuff)
A character who isn't particularly strong physically (well at least not until this latest chapter) but kicksass is Annie from Gunnerkrig Court. She smart (most of the time), brave, doesn't take shit and doesn't assume things are monsters just from looking at them.
Lara croft, some don't like her because she over sexualised but most of the time its not done in a way that doesn't make it feel like that the point of the character or exploitative. She sexy but she owns it and minus the insane boobage in some of the games her design is not that unreasonable.
Aurian from artifacts of power. Tamora Pierce has some kickass female protagonist for young teen fiction too from what I remember. Now if only that was more popular rather than stories about useless girls getting repeatedly saved by overbearing boyfriends.
I remember seeing a fake movie poster for it yeas ago and really liking the look of it and then being very disappointed when I found out the comic was basically cheesecake metal bra type stuff (nothing wrong with that existing, its not something I want to read). I'm glad I gave it a second look though (mostly due to one of their artist being on deviant art) because Sara is a badass and fun character and it hasn't been really cheesecake for years.Ryleh said:
If I lived in AoTs universe, I'd have proposed to Christa already myself! She's just too damn cute & innocent to not like!Caramel Frappe said:
OT: Kinda astounded that AoT has been mentioned, but Mikasa hasn't;
She just screams badass. No matter what comes her way, she just gets on with it and does what she has to protect Eren and keep herself alive (in that order if necessary). To do those things she will do just about anything! She fears nothing, she's exceptionally competent - and for bonus points she ISN'T used for fan-service. Her sole job is to kick ass.
But Annie is a badass too so I can see why she's worth mentioning.
EDIT:
Is this the same girl in your avatar? It looks like her and whoever is in your avatar comes across as badass.Legion said:
The lack of Black Lagoon in this thread makes me sad.
All of the 5 main girls in Black Lagoon kick serious ass, but Balalaika stands above them all. She's intelligent, intimidating, and the leader of the most powerful force in Roanapur. You don't fuck with Hotel Moscow. She's also a little unique in that she is a 30-something woman with a scarred face, as oppose to, y'know, the usual.
I'd put Roberta at second place. Just watch Roberta's Blood Trail, holy shet. Most awesome maid in the history of everything.
All of the 5 main girls in Black Lagoon kick serious ass, but Balalaika stands above them all. She's intelligent, intimidating, and the leader of the most powerful force in Roanapur. You don't fuck with Hotel Moscow. She's also a little unique in that she is a 30-something woman with a scarred face, as oppose to, y'know, the usual.
I'd put Roberta at second place. Just watch Roberta's Blood Trail, holy shet. Most awesome maid in the history of everything.
For me, it isn't often that a female role (in any media) inspires me, but this is likely due to how women are cast in Hollywood, usually in glamorous, witty, objectified roles that serve only to interest the male protagonist (and audience). However, this is not always the case...
Clarice Starling (Jodie Foster) in Silence of the Lambs.
WHY: She doesn't have superpowers, and she isn't some 2D Hollywood character who obviously exists only in movies. She's an aspiring FBI agent with fears, insecurities and a natural timidity, but also amazing courage, sharp intelligence, and compassion. She is self-conscious about her rural upbringing and accent, and is driven to prove herself to her peers and superiors at the FBI, but it's when she is assigned to the Hannibal Lecter case that you get to see the strength of her character. She deals with verbal and psychological abuse from Hannibal, thinly-veiled sexual discrimination and objectification from her superiors and peers, a gruesome and demanding investigation, and a sh**-your-pants situation with an armed murderer who stalks her through his house in pitch-black darkness. It's not often that men have female role models but I hope that if I ever have to face the things she faced that I could do it with even half the bravery and intelligence that she did.
Honorable Mentions: Ellen Ripley in Alien, Chihiro in Spirited Away, Trinity in The Matrix.
Clarice Starling (Jodie Foster) in Silence of the Lambs.
WHY: She doesn't have superpowers, and she isn't some 2D Hollywood character who obviously exists only in movies. She's an aspiring FBI agent with fears, insecurities and a natural timidity, but also amazing courage, sharp intelligence, and compassion. She is self-conscious about her rural upbringing and accent, and is driven to prove herself to her peers and superiors at the FBI, but it's when she is assigned to the Hannibal Lecter case that you get to see the strength of her character. She deals with verbal and psychological abuse from Hannibal, thinly-veiled sexual discrimination and objectification from her superiors and peers, a gruesome and demanding investigation, and a sh**-your-pants situation with an armed murderer who stalks her through his house in pitch-black darkness. It's not often that men have female role models but I hope that if I ever have to face the things she faced that I could do it with even half the bravery and intelligence that she did.
Honorable Mentions: Ellen Ripley in Alien, Chihiro in Spirited Away, Trinity in The Matrix.
Funny, I thought that was Motoko Kusinagi from the GitS prequel being made.Auron225 said:
OT: Okay...let's talk X-Men, specifically Rogue and Storm.
Not from the movies. That's an alternate character interpretation. I mean from the 90s, from the show. Back then, Rogue was all about southern charm and kicking ass. She had her vulnerable side, but totally justified in that she can't have physical contact with a human being. Generally a strong-willed person. And Storm? Well, even though she gets very dramatic, she's both creative and tactically gifted in the use of her powers, also able to take command if necessary.
3 pages of discussion, countless previous battles for her heart, dozens of people with her on their profile picture and none of you motherfuckers mentioned Chie Satonaka?! Escapist, I'm dissapoint. Well, I guess that means I won. MWAAAHAHA!
<Spoiler=Chie's letter to Escapist><img src=http://cs537400.vk.me/u15047576/docs/471e667de380/Chie_Satonaka_Persona_4_Arena_Story_Mode_Illu.jpg?extra=XebWpQ_mvhfswb5nj9q44sJYJExsmlADh8mUg3nQFcA_IKpmQwGJL7gvfLWyVXZurS0hrOUNDtsZCbxB4hPRS3ZLI2Rzcin_>
<Spoiler=Chie's letter to Escapist><img src=http://cs537400.vk.me/u15047576/docs/471e667de380/Chie_Satonaka_Persona_4_Arena_Story_Mode_Illu.jpg?extra=XebWpQ_mvhfswb5nj9q44sJYJExsmlADh8mUg3nQFcA_IKpmQwGJL7gvfLWyVXZurS0hrOUNDtsZCbxB4hPRS3ZLI2Rzcin_>
It's okay, me and Excalibur got this.
Disclaimer, the actual scene is more kick-ass than the one depicted above.
Hey, as the OP fishing for other people to create this list, I am not required to go through the many females on my book/show/movie/anime list...of which there are many. I ask this of you! For me to join in is a courtesy call, so it's all on everyone else! BWA HA HA HA HAAA!!!IllumInaTIma said:
But since you bring up Persona, let's hear it for Naoto Shirogane, Mitsuru Kirijo, Ulala Serizawa, Aigis, and the other fine ladies of the series who kicked ass.
What is even more impressive is that they have managed to do this while avoiding all of the clichés. She is cute, but not "moe".Auron225 said:
I did consider her as my next post. She most definitely fits the requirements. I think my main problem with her is that everything with her revolves around Mr Angst in his Pants. She is extremely talented and capable, and her Titan kill count has already surpassed her entire groups combined, but we haven't really seen much of her beyond her obsession with Eren.Auron225 said:OT: Kinda astounded that AoT has been mentioned, but Mikasa hasn't;
She just screams badass. No matter what comes her way, she just gets on with it and does what she has to protect Eren and keep herself alive (in that order if necessary). To do those things she will do just about anything! She fears nothing, she's exceptionally competent - and for bonus points she ISN'T used for fan-service. Her sole job is to kick ass.
But Annie is a badass too so I can see why she's worth mentioning.
The only part that really comes to mind was near the beginning with the merchant and the wagon. Which was probably my favourite moment of hers.
It is indeed her, yes.Auron225 said:
The new Motoko design includes bright blue hair and eyes.FalloutJack said:
The new GitS is more of a reboot than a prequel. It starts off around the time before she joins Section 9, but the story is different.
The Bride(Beatrix Kiddo) in Kill Bill.
She hunted down and eliminated all those who have wronged her and then reunited with her child.
Seriously, it's hard not to respect her.
She hunted down and eliminated all those who have wronged her and then reunited with her child.
Seriously, it's hard not to respect her.
Xena. Also Gabrielle, but she was less of a badass and more of a someone I had a crush on. (Although also cool.)
And then there's NeferNeferNefer.
Now, let me tell you about a book called Sinuhe Egyptiläinen ('The Egyptian') by Mika Waltari. I read the book first time when I was 8 and it made a huge impression on me, and I have been a fan of it since.
It tells the story of Sinuhe, who is an ancient Egyptian living at the time of the whole Aten-mess, civil war in Egypt and stuff. He has three main love interests (excluding the random prostitutes and slaves he has sex with) during his life; NeferneferNefer, Minea, and Merit.
They are all cool, and I had a crush on Minea as a kid, but Nefer is a badass femme fatale-type of a character. She is a courtesan and selling her body is a profession for her, and she is good at it.
She also gets a lot of crap in interpretations.
She's generally seen as an evil seductress, and even as a sign of Waltari's misogynism. (Which is really unfair. The Egyptian has a lot of interesting and varied female characters who have their own motives and participate in the political power-struggles just as the men do. Like the princess Baketamon who is a take on the 'hero gets the princess-trope', and the queen mother who rises from poverty to power and then does horrible things to keep it.)
But I kinda have to call misogynism on those interpretations.
Nefernefernefer (I was never actually clear on whether her name was that or just 'Nefer', and people always say her name thrice.) is a courtesan. She tells Sinuhe this. She tells him she is only offering him sex (and it's not like Sinuhe is feeling anything else than pure lust anyway). She tells him she will ruin him and that he should not get involved with her. She gives her price for the night, and then fulfills her part of the bargain. He spends all of his money on her despite her price rising every time until he has spent not only all of his money, but his parent's money as well.
But no, it's her fault.
I read the book the first time when I was 8 or so, and I never saw her as the villain. She isn't a nice person, as such, she is certainly ruthless and manipulative, but the circumstances kinda force her to. And it's not like she's the only manipulator in the book. But unlike others, she isn't interested in power, just living comfortably and getting pretty things.
She is femme fatale, though, a survivor and a schemer to some extent.
Spoilers for the book, during the civil war Sinuhe gets his revenge on her by hiring men to kidnap her. He delivers her unconscious to the House of Death to embalmers, knowing that they regularly rape pretty corpses since no prostitute will come close to them because they smell like death, and basically he plans for them to keep her there for the rest of her life and rape her. Well, Sinuhe later goes back and is told that she played all the embalmers against each other, made them pay her in the gold and other stuff they steal from funeral provisions, walked off and told them she'd come back later to get more gold, leading to the embalmers to stealing from each other and competing.
And then there's NeferNeferNefer.
Now, let me tell you about a book called Sinuhe Egyptiläinen ('The Egyptian') by Mika Waltari. I read the book first time when I was 8 and it made a huge impression on me, and I have been a fan of it since.
It tells the story of Sinuhe, who is an ancient Egyptian living at the time of the whole Aten-mess, civil war in Egypt and stuff. He has three main love interests (excluding the random prostitutes and slaves he has sex with) during his life; NeferneferNefer, Minea, and Merit.
They are all cool, and I had a crush on Minea as a kid, but Nefer is a badass femme fatale-type of a character. She is a courtesan and selling her body is a profession for her, and she is good at it.
She also gets a lot of crap in interpretations.
She's generally seen as an evil seductress, and even as a sign of Waltari's misogynism. (Which is really unfair. The Egyptian has a lot of interesting and varied female characters who have their own motives and participate in the political power-struggles just as the men do. Like the princess Baketamon who is a take on the 'hero gets the princess-trope', and the queen mother who rises from poverty to power and then does horrible things to keep it.)
But I kinda have to call misogynism on those interpretations.
Nefernefernefer (I was never actually clear on whether her name was that or just 'Nefer', and people always say her name thrice.) is a courtesan. She tells Sinuhe this. She tells him she is only offering him sex (and it's not like Sinuhe is feeling anything else than pure lust anyway). She tells him she will ruin him and that he should not get involved with her. She gives her price for the night, and then fulfills her part of the bargain. He spends all of his money on her despite her price rising every time until he has spent not only all of his money, but his parent's money as well.
But no, it's her fault.
I read the book the first time when I was 8 or so, and I never saw her as the villain. She isn't a nice person, as such, she is certainly ruthless and manipulative, but the circumstances kinda force her to. And it's not like she's the only manipulator in the book. But unlike others, she isn't interested in power, just living comfortably and getting pretty things.
She is femme fatale, though, a survivor and a schemer to some extent.
Spoilers for the book, during the civil war Sinuhe gets his revenge on her by hiring men to kidnap her. He delivers her unconscious to the House of Death to embalmers, knowing that they regularly rape pretty corpses since no prostitute will come close to them because they smell like death, and basically he plans for them to keep her there for the rest of her life and rape her. Well, Sinuhe later goes back and is told that she played all the embalmers against each other, made them pay her in the gold and other stuff they steal from funeral provisions, walked off and told them she'd come back later to get more gold, leading to the embalmers to stealing from each other and competing.