Sci-Fi/Fantasy films and television have had their fair share of lackluster ladies.  I recently came across an article that discussed the worst action heroines that have disgraced the small and silver screens.  Kennedy may be the most hated character in Buffyverse; Arwen was content to just sit around waiting for her man; and Queen Amidala let herself die of a broken heart despite her obligation as a new mother.  While these bad eggs exist, the superior women of Sci-Fi come along to remind us why we keep watching.  I’ve compiled a list of ten Sci-Fi heroines that top the chart of cool, in no particular order (because that would have been unfair, and way too exhausting):

1.  Buffy Summers  (Buffy the Vampire Slayer)

She’s witty, she’s hot, and she’ll kick your vampy ass all over town.  Buffy changed the face of TV high school drama by giving girls the aspiration to carry stakes and crossbows in their purse instead of just lipstick.  Along with the Scoobie gang, many of us shared the same touchstones of growing up, just perhaps without the bloodshed.  Buffy’s graduation, the death of a parent, and tumultuous love were all some of the things we could relate to, expertly written by Joss Whedon and his team.  But perhaps most of the credit should be given to SMG, who’s depth, sarcasm, and playful wit brought the legendary Slayer of Sunnydale to life.

2.  Princess Leia Organa  (Star Wars trilogy)

An iconic figure since the debut of Star Wars, Leia was the princess that empowered young girls.  She proved that royalty could be headstrong, intelligent, and didn’t wear a bra (feminist statement or lack of underwire in space?  you be the judge).  Leia’s hair started a cultural phenomena, and her gold bikini is still pretty hot over twenty years later.  You would think the daughter of Amidala might be clingy, but Leia loved Han Solo and orchestrated a mission to rescue him.  Leia is worthy of all the praise, and the action figures.

3.  Leeloo  (The Fifth Element)

What if the key to saving Earth and all of humanity was 5’8, strikingly beautiful, and running around in strategically placed bandages?  Leeloo is not only all of these things, she’s also adorable when eating chicken and figuring out make-up.  She can also kick major alien ass and learn the entire human history in a few hours.  No one can forget “Leeloo Dallas, Mulitpass”, or that strange neon orange hair that only Milla Jovovich can pull off.  Let’s just be glad Corbin Dallas is sexy enough to convince her the Earth’s worth saving.

4.  Hermoine Granger  (Harry Potter series)

She’s the youngest lady on this list, but she certainly packs an academic wallop worthy of being recognized.  Hermoine is known at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry for being a know-it-all, Muggle-born, and the brightest witch of her age.  Though she doesn’t fight with her fists (okay, there was that one awesome time – Malfoy!), Hermoine wages battle with her mind and her trusty wand, which might be even cooler.  Smarts and intellect count for a lot in my book, and Hermoine certainly makes the grade.

5.  Sydney Bristow  (Alias)

What’s cooler than getting to dress up and kick ass while doing it?  Sydney and her endless trunk of disguises played double agent for the CIA in J.J. Abram’s entertaining spy drama.  Syd had Daddy issues, a mysterious (and sexy) spy boyfriend, and Bradley Cooper as a best friend (lucky girl).  Syd dealt with a lot of hardships, but her sweetness and determination saw her through the darkest times, including a zombie sister and an evil best friend.  But after a tough day of saving the world, Agent Bristow seemed like the kind of super spy you could just share a drink and some girl talk with.  The best spy is the relatable kind.   

6.  Ellen Ripley  (Alien saga)

Sigourney Weaver made women just as valuable as men on the final frontier.  No longer were they in the background translating dialects (no offense, Uhura) or waiting around to be saved.  Ripley, throughout the Alien movies, did what she had to do to stay alive where no one would hear her scream.  She protected her team, her child, and the world from aliens and corporate corruption by sacrificing her own safety and eventually her life.  Ripley bended gender stereotypes and gave Hollywood a new kind of action hero, not afraid to shoot a gun in her skivvies.

7.  Juliet Burke  (Lost)

On a mysterious island that no one can find, Juliet manages to maintain her cool surprisingly well.  If you’ve watched an episode of Lost, you know how hard that is.  Brought on as a fertility specialist to solve a puzzling epidemic of killer pregnancies on the Island, Juliet becomes deeply tangled in the web of the Dharma Initiative and Ben Linus’ pile of bullshit.  Her seemingly stoic nature was perfect Ben lackey criteria, doing his evil bidding until she decided to switch teams and play for the good guys.  Juliet is strong, intelligent, and cool as a cucumber under enormous stress (and ticking time bombs – literally), and that’s why she’s the Lostie I’d pick in any crisis.     

8.  Trinity  (The Matrix)

Computer hackers might have been those losers in mom’s basement before 1999.  But after Trinity, they were hot, decked in leather, and owned an unlimited supply of shades and ammo.  There’s probably no one cooler than Trinity, or no one cooler than I can think of.  Out of all the ladies on this list, she can learn how to fly a helicopter in three seconds and kick your ass a thousand different ways if you give her an hour or two.  And in slow-motion.  Dodge that.

9.  Neytiri  (Avatar)

The newest woman to the list is tall, beautiful, and blue.  Neytiri is the cat-like Na’vi princess of James Cameron’s Pandora, existing organically by living off the earth and connecting with her world.  Her peaceful symbiosis with nature is what makes her such a great new addition to feminine canon, but also her gargantuan bow and arrow for keeping you the hell off her planet.

10.  Sarah Connor  (T2: Judgment Day)

Everyone remembers The Terminator, but Sarah Connor didn’t become a presence until T2: Judgment Day.  Having been locked away for talking nonsense, Sarah made sure to tone those guns in case Arnold ever showed his face again.  Sarah Connor busting out of the hospital is one of the best payback scenes in cinema history (that orderly certainly had it coming).  She has a rough exterior, but underneath it all, she’s driven by an overpowering love for her son.  Maybe just a little rage, too.

One thing that science fiction movies have plenty of are fantastic lines and over the years the list of extremely stellar quotes has become longer and more exciting. Creating this list was one of the hardest things I have ever done in my life, there were just too many and narrowing it down to 10 was a daunting process. I actually shed a few tears when I removed, “Help me, Obi-Wan Kenobi, you’re my only hope” and nearly gave up. Luckily, I persevered and can now present to you, my list.

10.  “M.I. does the dying. Fleet just does the flying.” – Johnny Rico, Starship Troopers (1997)

Why:  Johnny Rico just had his lieutenant and his best friend die in his arms and when he tells command to blow up the outpost he is given the response, “Negative on your request. The sky marshal has other plans for planet ‘P.’” That would irritate me a bit as well, not to mention that he was picked up by his ex-girlfriend and her new boyfriend that she broke up with him for. Poor Johnny, he just can’t catch a break. Also, who doesn’t enjoy a little Casper Van Dien jaw clenching? This line is great for it.

9.  “Leeloo Dallas, Multipass.” – Leeloo, The Fifth Element (1997)

Why:   Because I love Milla Jovovich. She is amazing in this movie and after it came out I was fully planning on naming my daughter Leeloo, dying my hair orange and getting some white strips of leather to wear around town. This quote also made it into my top 10 over others because I use it fairly often in my day to day life, for instance, every single time someone asks to see my ID.

8.  “Are you telling me you built a time machine… out of a Delorean?” – Marty McFly, Back to the Future (1985)

Why:  If you are going to build a time machine you might as well do it with some style, am I right? Deloreans look more like time machines than cars anyway so the Doc was already half way there, all it needed was the flux-capacitor and 1.21 gigawatts of electricity. Oh, and Michael J. Fox is the man so he makes this quote better.

7.  ”E.T. phone home.” – E.T., E.T. The Extraterrestrial (1982)

Why:  You probably assume that I am quoting E.T. when he points to the sky and says this line, I am not. I am actually saying, “E.T. phone HOOOOOME!” from when he is coming back to life again and Elliott finds him. He is such a cutie pie and I love him. His face makes me smile every time I think about it.

6.  “I’ll be back.” – The Terminator, The Terminator (1984)

Why:  I can remember being on the playground in elementary school, dropping Terminator lines like there was no tomorrow and I hadn’t even heard of the movie yet. When I finally saw The Terminator for the first time, it was like fitting the last puzzle piece of my childhood into its spot and everything was right in the world. I finally understood what I was talking about at recess and I gave 7 year old me a high five.

5.  “Live long and prosper.” – Spock, Star Trek (1960s)

Why:  I feel I must preface this by saying I am a much bigger Star Wars fan than Star Trek but I will admit to using this line more than several times throughout the course of my life. It is such a nice way of bidding adieu and when I finally figured out how to separate my ring and middle fingers, I felt like I had accomplished something truly impressive. It also helps that I have a crush on Spock after watching Zachary Quinto in the role. Sorry, Leonard Nimoy, you never did it for me.

4.  ”Get away from her, you bitch!” – Ellen Ripley, Aliens (1986)

Why:  This is one of my favorites for one simple reason, Ripley is badass. Who else would talk to an alien like that?

3.  ”There is no spoon.” – Spoon Boy, The Matrix (1999)

Why:….There is no spoon?? Whaaat? Wow, you are RIGHT, Spoon Boy! There IS no spoon. All of this is… it’s fake, it’s not real! Am I really here? Are YOU really here? Is this air I’m breathing? How will I eat my cereal?

2.  ”I’m sorry, Dave, I’m afraid I cant do that.” – HAL 9000, 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)

Why:  Talk about giving the heebie jeebies, this line left me a serious case of the goosebumps. The idea of computers becoming so smart that they can take over the world is a hot topic in the science fiction world and this movie, without a doubt, does it the best. HAL is one creepy heuristic algorithmic machine, from his monotone voice to the way his little red eye would watch the goings on of the crew… it’s no wonder he was ranked #13 in AFIs Top Villains of All Time.

1.  ”Do or do not, There is no try.” – Yoda, Empire Strikes Back (1980)

Why:  Wise, is he. If there is one quote that can be used nearly every day and still hold the same power as it did the first time, this is it. When someone uses this line against me I feel ashamed, then I feel empowered. It’s only different in my mind! I can do anything! I will do it and succeed or do it and fail, either way I am giving it my all and succeeding in life! How is it that Star Wars can make me feel so good? Thank the maker.

Honorable Mention: “No Nukes! No Nukes!” – Rockhound, Armageddon (1998)

Why:  I could be at work, class, food shopping, driving, pretty much doing anything and when I remember this line I will burst out laughing because Steve Buscemi is so awesomely ridiculous.

If you disagree with any of my selections or feel I have missed some particularly awesome gems, comment!  I’d love to discuss.