The list of movie villainesses, shown below in rank order (lowest to highest).
Notes:
- Rank numbers link to review pages.
- Where multiple villainesses are featured, actresses are listed in the same order as the characters.
Note: Reviews transferred / edited from our Action Woman Fan sister site.
Introduction (#101)
| Rank | Movie | Villainess | Actress |
| 101 | Unmasking the Idol (1986) | China / Scarlet Leader | Shakti Chen |
Superior Tier (#100 – #71)
| Rank | Movie | Villainess(es) | Actress(es) |
| 100 | Clue (1985) – Ending A | Miss Scarlet, Yvette | Lesley Ann Warren, Colleen Camp |
| 99 | Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones (2002) | Zam Wesell | Leeanna Walsman |
| 98 | The Blues Brothers (1980) | Mystery Woman | Carrie Fisher |
| 97 | Cobra (1986) | Nancy Stalk | Lee Garlington |
| 96 | Fatal Reunion (2005) | Lisa Calders / Dana Declan | Juliet Landau |
| 95 | All-American Murder (1991) | Tally Fuller | Josie Bissett |
| 94 | Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol (2011) | Sabine Moreau | Léa Seydoux |
| 93 | Crime Lords (1991) | Jennifer Monahan | Susan Byun |
| 92 | Sudden Death (1995) | Carla | Faith Minton |
| 91 | S.W.A.T.: Under Siege (2017) | Simone, Ellen Dwyer | Monique Ganderton, Adrianne Palicki |
| 90 | Exposure (2001) | Anne | Susan Pari |
| 89 | Nothing Underneath (1985) | Barbara | Renee Simonsen |
| 88 | G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra (2009) | Ana / Baroness | Sienna Miller |
| 87 | Sensation (1994) | Paula Langford | Claire Stansfield |
| 86 | Demolition High (1996) | Tanya | Melissa Brasselle |
| 85 | Full Exposure: The Sex Tapes Scandal (1989) | Debralee Taft | Jennifer O’Neill |
| 84 | Momentum (2015) | Alexis Faraday, Ms Clinton | Olga Kurylenko, Shelley Nicole |
| 83 | Strategic Command (1997) | Mira | Gina Mari |
| 82 | Man of Steel (2013) | Faora-Ul | Antje Traue |
| 81 | Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle (2003) | Madison Lee | Demi Moore |
| 80 | Entrapment (1999) | Gin | Catherine Zeta-Jones |
| 79 | Killer Dream Home (2020) | Morgan Dyer | Eve Mauro |
| 78 | Species (1995) | Sil | Natasha Henstridge |
| 77 | Final Move (2006) | Iris Quarrie | Rachel Hunter |
| 76 | Blast (2004) | Luna | Nadine Velazquez |
| 75 | Blood Widow (2014) | The Blood Widow | Gabrielle Ann Henry |
| 74 | Sky High (2005) | Gwen / Royal Pain | Mary Elizabeth Winstead |
| 73 | Colombiana (2011) | Cateleya | Zoe Saldana |
| 72 | The Alternate (2000) | Mary | Brooke Theiss-Genesse |
| 71 | 88 Minutes (2007) | Lauren Douglas / Lydia Doherty | Leelee Sobieski |
Epic Tier (#70 – #41)
| Rank | Movie | Villainess(es) | Actress(es) |
| 70 | Thunderball (1965) | Fiona Volpe | Luciana Paluzzi |
| 69 | Bloodfist IV: Die Trying (1992) | Lisa | Cat Sassoon |
| 68 | Happy Death Day (2017) | Lori Spengler | Ruby Modine |
| 67 | Silent Thunder (1992) | Python | Sandahl Bergman |
| 66 | Fair Game (1995) | Rosa | Jenette Goldstein |
| 65 | Thor: Ragnarok (2017) | Hela | Cate Blanchett |
| 64 | The Red Wolf (1995) | Elaine | Elaine Lui |
| 63 | 1st to Die (2003) | Chessy Jenks | Angie Everhart |
| 62 | Die Hard 4.0 (2007) | Mai Linh | Maggie Q |
| 61 | A Bride’s Revenge (2019) | Lori Parker, Rose Parker | Hannah Barefoot, Kendra Carelli |
| 60 | Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989) | Elsa Schneider | Alison Doody |
| 59 | Stone Cold Dead (1979) | Olivia Page | Alberta Watson |
| 58 | Lady Bloodfight (2016) | Svietta | Ng Mayling |
| 57 | The Huntsman: Winter’s War (2016) | Freya, Ravenna | Emily Blunt, Charlize Theron |
| 56 | Blood Run (1994) | Paige / Felicia | Ashley Laurence |
| 55 | Decoy (1995) | Katya | Charlotte Lewis |
| 54 | Alien Fury: Countdown to Invasion (2000) | Ava Zurich | Chyna |
| 53 | Last Run (2001) | Kerlov | Viki Kiss, Edit Illés |
| 52 | Der Clown: Payday (2005) | Mona | Xenia Seeberg |
| 51 | Tick Tock (2000) | Rachel Avery, Carla | Megan Ward, Kristin Minter |
| 50 | Signal One (1994) | Toni | Virginia Hey |
| 49 | The Mummy Returns (2001) | Meela / Anck-Su-Namun | Patricia Velasquez |
| 48 | A View to a Kill (1985) | May Day | Grace Jones |
| 47 | Half Past Dead (2002) | 49er Six | Nia Peeples |
| 46 | The Rookie (1990) | Liesl | Sonia Braga |
| 45 | Masquerade (2021) | Rose, Woman | Bella Thorne, Skyler Samuels |
| 44 | Crackerjack 2 (1997) | Jasmine | Katerina Brozova |
| 43 | See No Evil, Hear No Evil (1989) | Eve | Joan Severance |
| 42 | Prey of the Chameleon (1992) | Elizabeth Burrows | Daphne Zuniga |
| 41 | The Marine 6: Close Quarters (2018) | Maddy Hayes, Kat | Becky Lynch, Anna Demetriou |
Legendary Tier (#40 – #11)
| Rank | Movie | Villainess(es) | Actress(es) |
| 40 | Black Widow (1987) | Catharine | Theresa Russell |
| 39 | Fallen Angel (2000) | Vicky Mayerson | Michelle Johnson |
| 38 | Maleficent (2014) | Maleficent | Angelina Jolie |
| 37 | The Perfect Bride (1991) | Stephanie | Sammi Davis |
| 36 | Double Impact (1991) | Kara | Cory Everson |
| 35 | One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975) | Nurse Ratched | Louise Fletcher |
| 34 | X-Men: Dark Phoenix (2019) | Jean Grey, Vuk | Sophie Turner, Jessica Chastain |
| 33 | Fatal Attraction (1987) | Alex Forrest | Glenn Close |
| 32 | Final Score (2018) | Tatiana | Alexandra Dinu |
| 31 | Eve of Destruction (1991) | Eve VIII | Renée Soutendijk |
| 30 | The Wizard of Oz (1939) | Wicked Witch of the West | Margaret Hamilton |
| 29 | Who Dares Wins (1982) | Frankie Leith, Helga | Judy Davis, Ingrid Pitt |
| 28 | Total Recall (2012) | Lori | Kate Beckinsale |
| 27 | First Target (2000) | Nina Stahl | Ona Grauer |
| 26 | Double Indemnity (1944) | Phyllis Dietrichson | Barbara Stanwyck |
| 25 | Betrayal (2003) | Jayne Ferré | Julie du Page |
| 24 | Gone Girl (2014) | Amy Dunne | Rosamund Pike |
| 23 | Misery (1990) | Annie Wilkes | Kathy Bates |
| 22 | The Hand That Rocks the Cradle (1992) | Peyton / Mrs. Mott | Rebecca De Mornay |
| 21 | The Ex (1997) | Deidre Kenyon | Yancy Butler |
| 20 | Basic Instinct (1992) | Catherine Tramell | Sharon Stone |
| 19 | Hangman (2001) | Grace Mitchell | Mädchen Amick |
| 18 | Urban Legend (1998) | Brenda | Rebecca Gayheart |
| 17 | GoldenEye (1995) | Xenia Onatopp | Famke Janssen |
| 16 | Final Contract: Death on Delivery (2006) | Lara / Lorca | Alison King |
| 15 | Kill Bill Vol. 1 (2003) | O-Ren Ishii, Vernita Green, Gogo Yubari | Lucy Liu, Vivica A. Fox, Chiaki Kuriyama |
| 14 | Batman Returns (1992) | Selina Kyle / Catwoman | Michelle Pfeiffer |
| 13 | Les Nuits Rouges du Bourreau de Jade (2010) | Carrie Chan | Carrie Ng |
| 12 | The Return of the Musketeers (1989) | Justine de Winter | Kim Cattrall |
| 11 | Bounty Tracker (1993) | Jewels | Cyndi Pass |
Goddess Tier (#10 – #1)
| Rank | Movie | Villainess(es) | Actress(es) |
| 10 | Single White Female (1992) | Hedra Carlson | Jennifer Jason Leigh |
| 9 | Centurion (2010) | Etain | Olga Kurylenko |
| 8 | Set It Off (1996) | Stony, Cleo, Frankie, Tisean | Jada Pinkett, Queen Latifah, Vivica A. Fox, Kimberly Elise |
| 7 | Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (2003) | T-X | Kristanna Loken |
| 6 | Double Edge (1992) | Carmen | Susan Lucci |
| 5 | Exception to the Rule (1997) | Carla Rainer | Kim Cattrall |
| 4 | Murphy’s Law (1986) | Joan Freeman | Carrie Snodgress |
| 3 | The World Is Not Enough (1999) | Elektra King, Cigar Girl | Sophie Marceau, Maria Grazia Cucinotta |
| 2 | The Punisher (1989) | Lady Tanaka, Tanaka’s Daughter | Kim Miyori, Zoshka Mizak |
| 1 | Tuno Negro (2001) | Alex Alonso | Silke |
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