The sci-fi and fantasy genres have been marked by many iconic heroines. Some are striking for their leadership and bravery, others for their incredible sexiness, many for both. Following lengthy debate, Total Sci-Fi now reveals the 25 most important SF & fantasy heroines of all time. We've limited ourselves to TV and film - SF and fantasy literature probably warrants a further list all of its own - and in those instances where multiple actresses have portrayed a character, we’ve written who we believe gave the most definitive performance in brackets. No doubt there are many characters you feel we’ve left off, so drop us a line at dwscifi@titanemail.com and let us know!

1) ELLEN RIPLEY (Sigourney Weaver, Alien, Aliens, Alien 3, Alien Resurrection)


Ripley, the sole survivor of the Nostromo’s encounter with the acid-blooded menace, isn’t just one of the most iconic female characters of the genre, she’s one of the most iconic characters in cinema history. An appealing combination of toughness, self-reliance, vulnerability and sexiness, Ripley is far from a conventional damsel in distress. New layers were added to the character in Aliens, which saw Ripley proving to be tougher and smarter than a unit of marines, yet still finding time to form a motherly bond with Newt. The two subsequent sequels added even more dimensions, leading to one of the most critically analysed characters in the history of cinema. Interestingly, the character was originally written as a male role, but 20th Century Fox executive Alan Ladd, Jr suggested they change Ripley to become female to make the protagonist stand out in a male- dominated genre.

2) BUFFY SUMMERS (Sarah Michelle Gellar, Buffy the Vampire Slayer)


Popular high-school cheerleader, gifted student and world class vampire slayer… Is there no end to Buffy’s talents? Though it was Kristy Swanson who took the titular role in the 1992 movie, it was Sarah Michelle Gellar’s portrayal of the inspirational action heroine that really made an impression over seven series of the TV show.

3) STARBUCK (Katee Sackhoff, Battlestar Galactica)


Original BSG actor, Dirk Benedict, was reportedly none-too-happy that Starbuck had been changed into a woman for the reimagined show (click here to read the Dreamwatch interview with the actor). But in fact the new Starbuck proved to be a far more complex, intriguing character than the original. Strong-willed, funny, hot-headed yet, at times, oddly vulnerable, Sackhoff turns Starbuck into a truly mesmerising figure.

4) DANA SCULLY (Gillian Anderson, The X-Files)


FBI agent Dana Scully is less of an action heroine than some of the other figures here. But what she lacks in kickboxing prowess she makes up for in cool reason and dogged detective work, and it’s fascinating to watch her skeptical views challenged to their limits over the course of nine seasons. Last year’s film I Want to Believe may have been a tad underwhelming, but it was still a welcome opportunity to see Scully again.

5) SARAH CONNOR (Linda Hamilton, Terminator, T2)


When we first see Sarah Connor in The Terminator, she’s an everyday, slightly timid waitress. But being pursued by an unstoppable cyborg from the future is enough to alter anyone, and by T2 she’s very different: a muscle-bound, single-minded action heroine trained in survivalist skills. Linda Hamilton keeps this transformation entirely believable, though Lena Headey also offered an interesting take on the character in The Sarah Connor Chronicles.

6) PRINCESS LEIA ORGANA (Carrie Fisher, Star Wars)


The much-loved female lead of the original Star Wars trilogy went through a great many looks and styles (as the various Kenner figures play testament to): there’s the composed, prim and proper Princess that we see at the start of Episode IV; there’s the prickly, romantic gal who falls for Han; there’s the gun-wielding heroine on Hoth and, of course, there’s the slave girl Leia that fanboys will never forget. Padmé Amidala in the Star Wars prequels doesn’t even come close.

7) ROSE TYLER (Billie Piper, Doctor Who)


Out of all the new Who’s companions, it is indisputably Rose Tyler who has had the most impact on both fans and the Doctor himself. The plucky young woman is one of the rare companions to fall for the Doctor, while the Doctor is unable to get over losing her in the second series. Thankfully, it isn’t the last we see of the shopgirl-turned-deity...

SAM CARTER (Amanda Tapping, Stargate SG-1)


Colonel Carter is both scientist and soldier, meaning she boasts an unbeatable combination of brains and brawn. She’s also a character of warmth and integrity, and over the course of 10 seasons of Stargate SG-1, two TV movies and later series of Stargate Atlantis, we really get to know her.

9) NYOTA UHURA (Nichelle Nichols, Star Trek)


The Enterprise’s foremost female, communications officer Uhura, was also one of television’s first major black characters, locking lips with Captain Kirk in American TV’s first interracial kisses and emblematic of Gene Roddenberry’s overriding message of racial harmony.

10) LEELOO (Milla Jovovich, The Fifth Element)


The image of Leeloo, clad in white strips and boasting flame-red hair, hanging off of a ledge above 23rd Century LA remains one of science fiction cinema’s most arresting moments. Jovovich’s character holds the key to saving Earth no less, and combines an alluring sense of mystery with an unbeatable sexiness.

11) CLAIRE BENNET (Hayden Panettiere, Heroes)


‘Claire Bear’ might look like your typical high school cheerleader, but, as we soon find out, she possesses a very unusual skill - rapid cellular regeneration. In other words it seems she can’t die, which is just as well, as she’s broken and burned in a variety of ways across consecutive episodes.

12) STORM (Halle Berry, X-Men)


The weather-controlling member of the X-Men was always one of the most popular heroes of the Marvel comic book, and she got the movie incarnation she deserved in the form of Halle Berry.

13) PRIS (Daryl Hannah, Blade Runner)


She can do ultra-quick cartwheels across apartments! She can pull boiling eggs out of a saucepan with her bare hands! She can crush a man’s head with her thighs! Could this robot woman be any more sexy? No.

14) CATWOMAN (Michelle Pfeiffer, Batman Returns)


Fans will always debate whether the Julie Newmar or Michelle Pfeiffer incarnation of Catwoman is the sexiest (unsurprisingly, there are few champions for the Halle Berry incarnation), but we’re plumping for the Pfeiffer version. The actress imbued the villain with an irresistible mischievousness, while few people are likely to forget that PVC catsuit…

15) BARBARELLA (Jane Fonda, Barbarella)


Posters of the scantily-clad space heroine still adorn bedrooms and living rooms everywhere, while the title sequence in which Barbaralla undresses in zero gravity was iconic enough to be referenced in a Kylie Minogue video.

16) KATHRYN JANEWAY (Kate Mulgrew, Star Trek: Voyager)


Star Trek’s first female lead is a strong-willed, determined captain who’ll stop at nothing in her attempt to get her crew back to the Delta Quadrant. She later becomes promoted to Starfleet Vice Admiral.

17) MIKAELA BANES (Megan Fox, Transformers)


Admittedly, Megan Fox’s character is probably the world’s most unlikely mechanic. And it’s debatable whether Miss Banes would be remotely memorable with any other actress else in the role. But thanks to images like the much-reproduced one above, movie fans everywhere can’t wait to get another glimpse of Mikaela in Revenge of the Fallen.

18) SUSAN IVANOVA (Claudia Christian, Babylon 5)


Babylon 5’s XO (later Captain, then General) was always a fascinating, multi-layered sort: honest and loyal to her ship and crewmates, often hot-headed but always appealing. In fact, Ivanova was arguably B5’s most engaging human character during its entire run.

19) NUMBER SIX (Tricia Helfer, Battlestar Galactica)


The blonde, leggy Number Six first appears as the Cylon who manipulates Dr Baltar into stealing secrets that help the Cylons destroy Caprica. After that she appears as Baltar’s sexy, advice-spewing vision, before the introduction of other Sixes who add surprising new dimensions to the character.

20) SARAH JANE SMITH (Elisabeth Sladen, The Sarah Jane Adventures / Doctor Who)


The shrewd investigative journalist of The Sarah Jane Adventures first popped up as the Third Doctor’s assistant in The Time Warrior and went on to accompany the Fourth Doctor on his jaunts. The SJA proved the character was strong enough to warrant a series of her own, and saw Sarah Jane develop a newfound motherly instinct.

21) WILLOW ROSENBERG (Alyson Hannigan, Buffy the Vampire Slayer)


Aside from its titular heroine, Buffy the Vampire Slayer boasted plenty of other strong female roles, and one of the most popular was Buffy’s pal, Willow. The character went through some interesting developments over the course of the show, including studying witchcraft and eventually coming out as a lesbian.

22) WONDER WOMAN (Lynda Carter, Wonder Woman)


The DC Amazon heroine earned herself a hugely popular series in the late 70s, with former beauty pageant winner Carter playing the Nazi-kicking, alien-busting gal in Stars and Stripes hotpants.

23) XENA (Lucy Lawless, Xena: Warrior Princess)


We first saw Xena as a violent warlord in three episodes of Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, before the kick-ass warrior earned her own popular series in which she battled evil in ancient Greece.

24 ) SYDNEY BRISTOW (Jennifer Garner, Alias)


J.J. Abrams’s spy-fi drama sees the tough but charming Sydney recruited as a double agent by the CIA. Over five seasons, Sydney proved herself to be a high-kicking action heroine and multi-linguist who undergoes many traumas – including the death of her fiancée in the opening episode.

25) MARINA (Stingray)


Arguably the most striking female Supermarionation character (yes, even above Lady Penelope), Marina is a mute slave girl who rescues the Stingray team and later becomes part of the crew. She was modelled on Brigitte Bardot, and was the subject of the unforgettable closing credit song, Aqua Marina.

Idiotno imbecilan popis.

Prvo, koji k**** Buffy radi tu? Ta serija nije čak ni fantasy, a sa SF-om nema nikakve veze (to zovu "horror light" il kako već)

Drugo, Rose iz Doctora Whoa ispred Uhure? Kakav zemljak je ovo pisao? Pa Uhura je prva afro-američka TV ikona u povijesti. Učestvovala u prvom međurasnom poljupcu ikad viđenom na telki (ako to nije srušilo barijere, ne znam šta je).

Treće, Starbuck ispred Sare Connor? A majke ti Božje, ovo nije istina...

Kao i nedostatak jedne Aeryn Sun??? A biće da još pokoja fali na popisu...

kaj rose radi ispred carterice ???

malo im je poredak cudan.

buffy je SF? wtf?

al dobro ellen ripley je na vrhu iako je ja ne bih stavila na vrh

Istina. Vidi se da autor serije nema pojma o SF-u (je8ali ga Buffy i Willow)

Moja lista:

01. Sarah Connor
02. Nyota Uhura
03. Princeza Leia
04. Ellen Ripley
05. Aeryn Sun
06. Kathryn Janeway
07. Dana Scully
08. Seven of Nine
09. Trinity
10. Leloo

btw. ako je itko čitao uvodno piše sci-fi i fantasy, buffy je horror/fantasy, zato je na popisu (i badass je, i don't fuckin care what u think).
i kao drugo ... mislim da poslje prvog (Ripley) su svi brojevi nevažni. i napisao je lik mejl ako treba dodat koga.

Za mene to nema veze sa fantasyjem. Tinejdžerica koja trči okolo ubijajući vampire... "One Tree Hill" sa nadnaravnim elementima, baj baj (svakom svoje)


Mislim da većina nas ima pametnijeg posla u životu nego slat mejlove nekome tko ne zna šta je SF/fantasy i nije nikad čuo za Aeryn Sun...

kao npr. pljuvanje po dotičnome na lokalnim internet forumima?

Pa ono... da.

A fale i Terry Farell, Nicole De Boer, Chase Masterson, Nana Visitor, Morena Baccarin, Rachel Lutrell, Jewel Statie, itd.

rachel lutrell??? wtf, ne! i zašto nicole de boer i chase masterson? zašto bi one bila na popisu??

jewel staite kužim, u fireflyu je zakon, kao i morena baccarin u stargateu, terry farell je doista zakon lik, nana visitor ... a, onako.

Ako bi ste mogli birati jednu žensku da bude no.1. na ovoj listi, koja bi to bila?

Meni bi to bila Linda Hamilton - Sarah Connor....