Top 25 Sci-Fi/Fantasy Heroines - Part 3

9) Dana Scully - The X Files



This FBI special agent was the voice of reason and the quintessential skeptic. She was the perfect foil to Mulder's blind faith in all things paranormal and extra-terrestrial. The two truly shared a partnership and viewers often found Scully in the role of savior as much as her counterpart. As forensic specialist, coroner, and all around scientist, Scully brought a weight and depth to the series that placed the show apart from the rank and file "creep-shows." Cool and collected, hardly anything phased this professional woman. But Scully also proved to be open in mind and heart. As Scully's appreciation grew for her partner she both showed true compassion for Mulder and true belief in his mission. In the face of undeniable facts and the later absence of Mulder, Scully took up his torch with a zeal and loyalty that proved her character could grow beyond a stereotype.

8) Elizabeth Swann - Pirates of the Caribbean



This young aristocrat was the rebellious and pirate loving daughter of Governor Weatherby Swann. From the beginning of the film, Elizabeth proves to have nerves of steel, insisting that her maid-servant hide while she defend her home from pirates. Even as a captive of the gruesome Barbossa, she still maintains her composure and thinks on her feet, invoking the rule of "parlay." Later in the film she continued to demonstrate her guile by tricking the master-trickster, Jack Sparrow while marooned on a deserted island. Despite Elizabeth's delicate appearance she also proves to be brave in battle, fighting side by side with Will Turner. This summer, Elizabeth will vault from respectable fantasy character to franchise fantasy heroine when the Caribbean sequel hits theaters. We welcome the new adventures of Ms. Swann.

7) Emma Peel - Avengers



The character of Emma Peel broke new ground for sci-fi babes everywhere. Like few others in the 1960s Emma was a feminist heroine, overturning stereotypical portrayals of women. As a martial arts master, expert fencer and specialist in chemistry and other sciences she was one of the very first super-she-spies on television. Perhaps more amazing was the fact that the character of Emma Peel was a replacement for a previously popular female side-kick, Cathy Gale. Despite her feminist ways Mrs. Peel always made the most of her feminine attributes, often sporting the leather catsuit she made famous. Peel's relationship with Partner Steed is one of true equals. It was with regret that viewers said goodbye to Mrs. Peel when Mr. Peel was returned home having been MIA for several years. It turns out not even the great Emma can escape her traditional wife routes and the reason she ranks no higher on this list.

6) Aeryn Sun - Farscape



This former Peacekeeper represents a new evolution of science fiction heroine. As part of the critically acclaimed franchise Farscape, Aeryn Sun's character goes through a dramatic transformation. At first Aeryn is introduced as an antagonist to the hero John Crichton, but later recognizes she is a criminal on the run from her own people and can never return to her former life. During her time on Moya Aeryn evolves from a detached and heartless soldier into a loyal shipmate and faithful friend. Eventually Crichton and Aeryn become equal partners and she adopts the mantel of loving wife and mother by the series end. What is so unique about this character is the reverse engineering that she undergoes. When we first meet Aeryn there is no question that she is a hardened warrior and it is the slow transformation into a softer character that we relish. However, throughout change, she never loses the true essence of her character. A strong willed and determined woman with a never-say-die attitude that typifies what we have come to expect. She will never take a back-seat to her fellow heroes and she often is cast as the most heroic of all characters in her franchise... and fans of the show love her for it.

5) Trinity - The Matrix



A child of the Matrix, Trinity was a notorious computer hacker, until Morpheus showed her the truth behind the Matrix. She was recruited onto the Nebuchadnezzar and since that time began freeing the minds of others that were ready for enlightenment. Trinity, is a powerful and cunning warrior, an expert computer hacker and master martial artists. Trinity operates largely as the savior character throughout most of the first film, helping to guide Neo through his own journey. By the end of the film, Trinity still proves to be a formidable partner in action and never disappoints, taking out the bad-guys with the same stoic determination as ever before. Trinity also represents a re-energizing of the heroic feminine character in film. Following her prominent role in The Matrix, fans of sci-fi fantasy begin to see a growing number of heroine leads.

4) Sarah Conner - Terminator 2



Arguably the damsel in distress in Terminator, Sarah Conner returns for the second installment as a hardened and paranoid figure trapped in a mental institution. Her life was irreversibly altered by the events of the first film and this has made her both determined and vigilant in her mission to escape capture and find her son. Sarah's new look exploded onto film with great popularity amongst fans and casual viewers alike. Much was written about her physical make-over and admirers marveled at the "girl-power" image she portrayed. In fact, the character of Sarah Conner did a great deal to develop a road-map for taking the qualities we admire in our heroes and placing them into our heroines. Never settling to play second fiddle to the "good" Terminator, Sarah Conner continued to assert her leadership throughout the film. Even in the film's climax, when all hope appears lost, she stands between the T2 machine and her son-- playing the role of brave heroine. She is ready to sacrifice everything for the human race. Only in the end, when she knows that her son is truly safe, do we see her let down her guard and reveal the tenderhearted mother underneath.

3) Ellen Ripley - Aliens



Warrant Officer Ellen Ripley can be credited with facing off against the most notorious and deadly alien species in all of science fiction film-- not one but four times! While some might question the validity of the final two films, Ripley's role in the first two (Alien and Aliens) is more than enough to vault her into the top 5 of this list. In both films, Ripley plays the cautious and intuitive heroine, while everyone around her acts the fool. Inevitably, as the bodies pile up against the deadly Alien(s), Ripley is forced to take charge in an effort to save her life and those around her. She displays a level of courage in the face of real terror, never allowing herself to lose her cool. She also demonstrated a warrior's spirit when she defeats the Alien Queen while piloting a "transformers-esque" forklift. This franchise (along with the character of Ripley) expanded the potential of the genre to include gritty real-world mythologies (and their heroines) we see later in other landmark franchises like The Matrix, Battlestar Galactic and many more.

2) Buffy Summers - Buffy the Vampire Slayer



The Chosen One who will protect mankind from the dark terrors of the demon underworld. Perhaps no other character on this list goes through a more personal journey than this heroine. As viewers we followed her from her early highschool years when she attempted to reject her destiny, only wanting to be a normal girl. Eventually Buffy embraced her destiny and adopted the mantel of leadership amongst her peers, making the protection of her friends and fellow classmates a top priority. We witnessed the growing pains of leaving her childhood behind her and becoming someone who not only felt responsible for saving all of Sunnydale but the World! Buffy manages to display all the qualities of a great leader and savior while still being cast as a "real" character with all the foibles that come with being human. We see Buffy make terrible mistakes and then suffer the consequences all the while emerging stronger and wiser when she comes out the other side. In the final days of Buffy's television reign, we never see her take a back-seat to her male counterparts. It is always and only ever Buffy's job to protect us from the evils that lurk in the shadows.

1) Princess Lea - Star Wars



No heroine in science fiction or fantasy entertainment is more iconic than Princess Leia. Standing as the sole heroine in the greatest science fiction franchise of all time is a tall order, but Princess Leia pulls it off with flying colors. Bursting onto the silver screen as an outspoken and hard-headed rebel leader, Leia Organa was both beautiful princess and hardened warrior. While trapped in the Death Star she never betrayed her cause, even when it cost her entire home world their lives. She later demonstrated her combat abilities, by fighting side by side with Luke and Han as they battled their way out of the Death Star. In subsequent films, Leia continued to operate in a position of significant authority in the rebel alliance, and can be credited as a key strategic architect in the evacuation of the rebel base on Hoth. We later see her balance the delicate virtues of her love of Han Solo with the hard decisions that must be made in a time of war. Perhaps nothing is more memorable than the infamous "iron-bikini" she wore as Jabba's slave in the final film. This image would forever be the standard by which all women were measured for young boys everywhere. Even in the end, when she was revealed to be Luke's twin (Vader's daughter) Leia bravely fought alongside her "brother's in arms," making it possible for the rebel alliance to become victorious over the Empire. With the huge success of the Princess Leia character, the role of major heroine was forever secured for future generations. Thank you, Princess. Thank you very much.