Don't underestimate the power of strong female leads at the box office. Here is a list of some of the most butt-kickingest female characters in film.
Lucy, 'Lucy' (2014)
ScarJo becomes a superhuman merciless warrior after drugs are implanted in her body by the mob. We’re guessing they were something stronger than a few Xanax.
Trinity, 'The Matrix' movies (1999-2003)
No one knows Trinity’s real back story, but we suspect she was just a regular, run-of-the-mill computer hacker before Carrie-Anne Moss made her a “leather-clad butt-kicking girl.”
Rita, 'Edge of Tomorrow' (2014)
Emily Blunt is known for almost killing Tom Cruise while filming this action/sci-fi thriller, by accidentally driving them both into a tree.
The Powerpuff Girls, 'The Powerpuff Girls Movie' (2002)
When Professor Utonium sought to create the perfect little girls, he added a mix of sugar, spice and everything nice. Sounds perfectly ordinary…until Chemical X accidentally was added to the mix, changing these three little ordinary girls into kickass heroines with superpowers.
Elsa and Anna, 'Frozen' (2013)
Okay, so they don’t have bows and arrows, guns or sexy leather catsuits. But these two princesses have succeeded in annihilating the competition at the box office – accumulating over $1.2 billion worldwide (so far). That’s some serious butt-kicking indeed.
Merida, 'Brave'
Okay, so this Girl Next Door also happens to be a princess – that’s how it works in fairy tales. But she’s a normal girl who knows how to shoot an arrow like a kick-ass warrior!
Elastigirl, 'The Incredibles'
One minute she’s a mom throwing dinner together for her kids, vacuuming the house and organizing the carpool. The next minute, she’s throwing on a supertight catsuit (despite those extra post-baby pounds) and fighting the forces of evil.
Samantha Caine, 'The Long Kiss Goodnight'
Geena Davis plays a schoolteacher and mom in a small town… who realizes she has amnesia and is really a professional assassin.
Sarah Connor, 'Terminator 2'
In 'The Terminator,' Linda Hamilton played a waitress with mall hair. But by the sequel, she’s a buff, badass mom who’s not about to let anyone mess with her or her kid.
Buffy, 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer'
Kristy Swanson originated this iconic role of teen Girl Next Door who discovers it’s her fate to hunt vampires.
Hit Girl, 'Kick-Ass'
She’s your normal 11-year-old girl. Who bonds with her father by letting him train her to be a superhero and assassin. Couldn’t just do the father-daughter school dance thing, huh?
Mathilda, 'The Professional'
At 11 years old, Natalie Portman played an orphaned girl rescued by a professional assassin who trains her in the skills of his trade.
Ripley, the 'Alien' movies
When we first meet Sigourney Weaver’s iconic character, she is a warrant officer aboard a spaceship. A far cry from the bald-headed alien-fighting machine she will become.
Katniss, 'The Hunger Games' movies
Okay, so maybe this girl next door was a hunter, but not of people. Not until the Hunger Games.
Azumi, 'Azumi'
Orphaned as a child, Azumi is a trained to become an assassin of corrupt warlords. Is there any other kind?
Invisible Woman, 'Fantastic Four'
Jessica Alba plays Sue Storm, who goes from professional astronaut to superheroine after cosmic radiation exposure.
Mikaela Banes, 'Transformers'
Megan Fox plays the Girl Next Door – if the girl next door looked like a supermodel – who knows how to use a chainsaw as a weapon.
Alice, 'Resident Evil'
Actress/model Milla Jovovich is just your average amnesiac next door who winds up fighting zombies.
Black Widow, 'Iron Man 2'
Scarlett Johansson is Tony Stark’s assistant. A regular girl. Or so we think…. (Maybe that tight catsuit gave away the whole undercover-spy-superhero thing.)
Selene, 'Underworld'
Kate Beckinsale plays Selene, a Girl Next Door born to a blacksmith father. But then she becomes a vampire and a Death Dealer. You know, the typical Everygirl story.
Buy a ticket to Black Phone 2 for a chance to win a trip to Universal Studios Hollywood or Universal Orlando Resort to experience Halloween Horror Nights in '26
NO PURCHASE OR APP NECESSARY. Open to legal residents of the 50 United States and D.C., 18 years of age and older, however, that Prize winner must be 21+ or accompanied by a guest that is 21+. Void where prohibited. Ends November 10, 2025, visit https://www.fandangomovietickets.com/hhn2026sweepstakes. Sponsor: Fandango Media, LLC, 10 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, CA 91608.
Buy a ticket to Now You See Me Now You Don't, get $5 off the Now You See Me 3-Film Collection bundle on Fandango at Home!
Limited time offer. Log into your account on Fandango.com or the Fandango app between 12:01am PT on 10/29/25 and 11:59pm PT on 12/15/25 and purchase at least one movie ticket to ‘Now You See Me Now You Don’t”. Purchaser will receive a post-purchase email containing 1 Fandango at Home Promotional Code (“Code”) that is good for the purchase (and not the rental) of the Now You See Me 3-Film Collection bundle for $5 off in My Offers in your account on http://athome.fandango.com and via participating Fandango at Home apps. You must have, and be logged into, your Fandango account to receive a Code. Fandango is free to join; you must be 18 years of age or older to create a Fandango account. Code expires on (and must be used by) 12/19/25 at 11:59pm PT. Limit one per transaction. You may have to pay taxes additionally. One-time use only. Void where prohibited. If lost or stolen, cannot be replaced. Offer is non-transferable and cannot be combined with any other offer or discount. No cash value, except as required by law. Not for resale; void if sold or exchanged. Offer valid in the U.S. only (excluding U.S. territories and where prohibited by law). You must have a Fandango at Home account to redeem your Code on Fandango at Home. Fandango at Home is free to join; you must be 18 years of age or older to open a Fandango at Home account. Credit card may be required for transactions on fandangoathome.com. Fandango reserves the right to modify or cancel this offer at any time and without notice. This offer and redemption of the Code are subject to Fandango Terms and Policies and Privacy Policy at http://www.fandango.com/terms-and-policies.
Buy 1 ticket to Dream Eater, get 1 ticket free (equal or lesser price, up to $15 total ticket price and fees) with code DREAMEATER.
Limited time offer. While supplies last. There is a limited quantity of Code redemptions allowed in this promotion. Log into your Fandango account on Fandango.com or via the Fandango app between 6:00am PT on 10/17/25 and 11:59pm PT on 11/10/25, purchase one or more tickets to see Dream Eater, and use the Fandango Promotional Code DREAMEATER (“Code”) to get up to $15 off an additional ticket for the same showtime (equal or lesser value, up to $15 total ticket price and associated fees and charges). Code must be entered at checkout. Code expires, and can no longer be used, on 11/10/25, or when Dream Eater is no longer in theaters, or when the limit of Code redemptions is reached, whichever comes first. Only valid for purchase of movie tickets made at Fandango.com or via the Fandango app and cannot be redeemed directly at any theater box office. You must have a Fandango account, and be logged into your account, to use the Code. Fandango is free to join; you must be 18 years of age or older to create a Fandango account. If lost or stolen, cannot be replaced. No cash value, except as required by law. Void where prohibited. Not valid with any other offer. Offer valid in U.S. only (excluding U.S territories and where prohibited by law). Non-transferable. One-time use only. Not for resale; void if sold or exchanged. You may have to pay taxes additionally. If cost of the ticket (and associated fees and charges) obtained through the Code is more than Code’s maximum discount, then you must pay the difference. Any price difference between total transaction price and Code’s maximum discount will not be refunded. Limit 1 Code redemption per person. Fandango reserves the right to modify or cancel this offer at any time and without notice. This offer and redemption of the Code are subject to Fandango’s Terms and Policies at www.fandango.com/terms-and-policies.
Get the "Pandango Pin Bundle" and receive a Zootopia 2 ticket and an exclusive mystery pin of Nick and Judy, Flash or Gary!
*Pandango Pin Bundle is non-refundable. While supplies last. Domestic shipping will be added at checkout. Movie ticket is non-refundable and non-exchangeable. You must be 18 years of age or older to purchase a bundle. The Official Disney Exclusive Collectible Pin will begin shipping in the month of November. Please use a physical U.S. address where the item can be delivered. Once carrier confirms delivery, Fandango is not responsible for lost or stolen deliveries. Fandango reserves the right to modify or cancel this offer at any time and without notice. See https://redeem.fandango.com/products/pandango-pin-bundle for full terms and conditions.
Upgrade to 3D and get $5 off a ticket with code OZIN3D
Limited time offer. While supplies last. There is a limited quantity of Code redemptions allowed in this promotion. Purchase one or more RealD 3D tickets to see ‘Wicked: For Good’ on Fandango.com or via the Fandango app and enter the promotional code OZIN3D (“Code”) to get up to $5 off your purchase. Code expires, and can no longer be used, if not redeemed by 11/30/25, or when the limit of Code redemptions is reached, or when 'Wicked: For Good' is no longer available in RealD 3D theaters, whichever comes first. Code must be entered at checkout. Only valid for purchase of movie tickets made at Fandango.com or via the Fandango app and cannot be redeemed directly at any theater box office. You must have, and be logged into, a Fandango account to redeem the Code on Fandango. Fandango is free to join; you must be 18 years of age or older to create a Fandango account. If cost of movie ticket and associated fees and charges is more than Code’s maximum discount, then you must pay the difference. Any price difference between total transaction price and Code’s remaining discount will not be refunded. One-time use only. Void where prohibited. Offer is non-transferable and cannot be combined with any other offer or discount. No cash value, except as required by law. Not for resale; void if sold or exchanged. Offer valid in the U.S. only (excluding U.S. territories and where prohibited by law). You may have to pay taxes additionally. Limit 1 Code per person. Fandango reserves the right to modify or cancel this offer at any time and without notice. This offer and redemption of the Code are subject to Fandango's Terms and Policies and Privacy Policy at http://www.fandango.com/terms-and-policies.
Grab The Running Man Collectible Pack and receive a movie ticket and an exclusive collectible lenticular card mini-print!
*The Running Man Collectible Pack is non-refundable. While supplies last. Domestic shipping will be added at checkout. Movie ticket is non-refundable and non-exchangeable. Fandango reserves the right to modify or cancel this offer at any time and without notice. You must be 18 years of age or older to purchase a bundle. The Lenticular Card Mini-Print will begin shipping in the month of November. Please use a physical address where the item can be delivered. Once carrier confirms delivery, Fandango is not responsible for lost or stolen deliveries. See full terms and conditions at https://redeem.fandango.com/products/the-running-man-collectible-pack.
Buy 3+ tickets to each of Roofman, Regretting You, and The Running Man, get 3x FanRewards points.
Limited time offer. Log in to your account on Fandango.com or the Fandango app between 6am PT on September 22, 2025, and 11:59pm PT on November 30, 2025, buy a minimum of 3 tickets to each of Roofman, Regretting You, and The Running Man (the purchases do not have to be in the same transaction), and for each ticket you buy, you will receive triple FanRewards Points (375 per ticket, instead of the usual 125) in your Fandango account -- 125 FanRewards Points per ticket will be posted to your Fandango account after your purchase, and 250 FanRewards Points per ticket will be posted to your Fandango account between December 1, 2025 and December 13, 2025 if you qualify for this offer, up to a maximum of 4,500 FanRewards Points for this offer. You must be logged in to your Fandango account to receive and spend FanRewards Points. You must be logged in to the same Fandango account when you purchase your tickets to each of the three movies to qualify for this offer. Fandango is free to join; you must be 18 years of age or older to create a Fandango account. When you receive 500 FanRewards Points, you will receive a $5.00 Discount Reward which you will need to convert into a Discount Promo Code for use on a qualifying purchase on http://www.fandango.com (which can be used on http://www.movietickets.com) or http://www.fandangoathome.com. Discount Promo Code expires 21 days after the $5.00 Discount Reward is posted to your Fandango account. Discount Promo Code cannot be combined with any other offer, promo code, or discount, and Discount Promo Codes cannot be combined with each other in a single transaction. You may be required to pay taxes additionally. Discount Promo Codes cannot be used to purchase a gift card. After applying your Discount Promo Code, any unused balance will automatically expire. Void where prohibited. Fandango reserves the right to modify or cancel this offer at any time and without notice. This offer is subject to the FanRewards terms at https://www.fandango.com/policies/fanrewards-terms and Fandango’s Terms and Policies and Privacy Policy at http://www.fandango.com/Terms-and-Policies.
Buy a ticket to see Predator: Badlands in IMAX to be entered for a chance to win a trip for 2 to New Zealand and enjoy a Wētā FX experience!
NO PURCHASE OR APP NECESSARY. Purchase does not increase chances of winning. Open to legal residents of the 50 United States and D.C., 18 years of age and older; provided, however, that either winner or winner’s guest must be 21 years of age or older to win the prize. Void where prohibited. Ends December 1, 2025, for Official Rules / Odds / Free Entry visit https://www.fandangomovietickets.com/behindthescenessweepstakes. Sponsor: Fandango Media, LLC, 10 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, CA 91608.