In honor of International Women’s Day, our Click Clique wanted to share with you some of our favorite bad-ass ladies who inspire us…
DINAH
Buffy Summers ("Buffy the Vampire Slayer”) – My list of favorites in this space is long and mighty, and the woman at the top is Buffy the Vampire Slayer. She slays, she leads, she prioritizes her family and takes care of her friends, and she can do it all in platform shoes (it was the 90s).
BRIGID
Carol Peletier (“The Walking Dead.”) – Carol’s confidence, strengths and skills developed throughout the seasons to create one bad-ass zombie killing and civilian saving female!
NIKKI
Sarah Conner (The Terminator: 1984) – When mother Sarah Conner learns of Judgement Day (where machines unleash a nuclear holocaust on humanity), she becomes a badass warrior on a mission: to protect her only son John and prevent Judgement day from ever happening. I think Sarah is badass, because as a mom myself, I can completely relate to the lengths a mother will go to protect her children, doing whatever it takes to keep them safe. This is where the term “Mama Bear” comes from; a mom will unleash holy hell on you if you go after or mess with her kids, and Sarah is badass for doing just that.
KERRY
CJ Cregg (“The West Wing”) – Although some may argue what an action hero is -- C.J. Cregg is just that -- A bad ass woman who voiced her opinion and stood up for what she believed in. The character of Miss Cregg can be considered one of the OG strong and independent women, one that broke the mold whether you look on TV or the big screen. Who else can perform an epic rendition of the jackel all the while keeping the world at bay and speaking for the executive branch of the United States government?? I’ll wait…
MADISON
Hermione Granger (Harry Potter) – My favorite bad-ass woman action hero is Hermione Granger. Growing up, she was one of the first characters I truly identified with. I was inspired by the way she drew strength from books and knowledge, and I continue to admire and appreciate her confidence and leadership.
PAIGE
Katniss Everdeen (The Hunger Games) – Katniss Everdeen, AKA The Girl on Fire, symbolizes the hopeful soul of social justice and equality during a time of an oppressive elite. She tops my favorite bad-ass women action heroes list due to her unending loyalty, strength in a time of great sadness, courage to stand up to the man and her high-key kick-ass skills with a bow and arrow.
CAITLIN
Nikki Bella (American professional wrestler) – She kicks a** in and out of the ring, has killer abs and runs several businesses with her twin sis!
MARIO
Imperator Furiosa (Mad Max: Fury Road) – She’s intimidating, respected and just an overall badass character that doesn’t take s#*t from anyone and knows how to deal with anything standing in her way. In my opinion, she totally stole the show from Tom Hardy in Mad Max: Fury Road.
MARIE
Hermione Jean Granger (Harry Potter) – Let’s face it, those boys wouldn’t have lasted their first week at Hogwarts. She was the brains of the group!
WINTER
Jean Grey (The X-Men) – Even though Jean is one of the most powerful mutants, she is a nurturing and almost mother-like figure for the X-Men. Jean has always struggled (with the help of Prof. X) with controlling her own mind in order to keep the people around her safe—she is always thinking of others. My favorite power of hers, that people usually don’t talk about is that she can recharge other people’s powers!
EMILY
Okoye (Black Panther) – A fierce, loyal, and dangerous warrior who makes tough choices, fights for what she believes in, and can take out a room full of threats with minimal effort. A devoted leader who protects what she loves, and isn’t afraid to put you in your place with a snide comment if you step out of line.
MAC
Ellen Ripley (Aliens) – A life on Earth can be a harrowing experience, much less one in space, even less so when facing an army of lethal Xenomorphs. The sheer willpower that Ripley exudes as she pushes through her fear - using anything and everything at her disposal to not only survive, but to protect those around her - is superhuman. And yet at no moment do you feel that bravery is unearned, frivolous, or disingenuous. Her heart is on her sleeve, and armed with an M41A Pulse Rifle.
SCOTT
Dr. Michaela Quinn, M.D. (Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman) – Imagine being a female doctor in the late 1800s. Now imagine being a female doctor in the tiny town of Colorado Springs, Colorado in the late 1800s after not being able to find work as a female physician in your native Boston. With all these circumstances plotting against her, “Dr. Mike” ends up becoming one of TV’s greatest female leads because she’s just so completely badass. When no one in town will give her the time of day, she lets the town’s current “doctor” - a man who is actually just the town’s barber and plays doctor once in a while - pull one of her teeth without sedation or anesthesia. Throughout six seasons, Dr. Quinn stands up to racism, anti-semitism, censorship, violence against Native Americans, and a whole plethora of other social issues. All this while keeping the folks of Colorado Springs healthy with some quite primitive medical supplies.