Category: fantasy

In previous blog posts I have mentioned how I often get inspiration from my favourite films and TV shows.

Since I focused on my top 10 male stars of fantasy and science-fiction last time, I thought it was only fair that this week I featured ‘kick-butt’ women.

So here are my Top 10 women from fantasy and science-fiction.

Carrie-Anne Moss plays Trinity in the Matrix, and Neo’s (Keanu Reeves) love interest.

When Neo learns that humans are living in a simulated reality called ‘The Matrix’ created by machines, he joins a rebellion to free people from the dream world.

Trinity guides and protects him through this journey, with some seriously kick-butt acrobatic actions and extreme stunts.

Even if she wasn’t as awesome in the physicality of her scenes, you would still give her kudos for some seriously tight black leather outfits, that she totally pulls off.

Jennifer Lawrence plays Katniss Everdeen in the Hunger Games films based on the best selling book series.

In the dystopian nation of Panem the wealthy Capitol punishes poorer districts for a past rebellion by forcing them to nominate two ‘tributes’ to compete in the televised Hunger Games – a fight to the death.

The tributes are decided via a lottery and Katniss volunteers when her younger sister Primrose is initially drawn.

Katniss is fiercely loyal, courageous and shows amazing ingenuity to outsmart the Capitol and win the Hunger Games while saving male Tribute Peeta Mellark, a boy her age from the same village.

On top of that, she is deadly accurate with a bow and arrow and doesn’t flinch when wearing a dress on fire. Well deserving of the second spot on this list.

Carrie Fisher plays Princess Leia Organa of Alderaan, and a leader in the Alliance and succeeding galactic governments to defeat the evil empirical forces.

Princess Leia is as adept at using a blaster gun as she is at diplomacy. She doesn’t suffer fools lightly and doesn’t have any time for anyone unless they will help her on her quest.

She cuts down Han Solo and his sarcastic wit in an instant. She is fearless and somehow makes a side bun hairdo look sexy. And who could forget how she gets the better of Jabba the Hut while wearing one of the skimpiest, iconic outfits of all time.

I don’t have anything against vampires, but I have to give a big high five to Sarah Michelle Gellar for her lead role in Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

The series narrative follows Buffy Summers, the latest in a line of young women known as Slayers as they battle against vampires, demons, and other forces of darkness.

Buffy looks like the (pretty) girl next door but in reality is an unstoppable fighting machine. She manages to combine strength and agility with likeability.

Cate Blanchett magnificently portrays the elf Galadriel in The Lord of the Rings.

Galadriel, the Lady of Light, was a royal Elf and described as ‘the mightiest and fairest of all the Elves that remained in Middle-earth’.

She possesses mysterious magical powers and is all grace, beauty and etherealness will being a little bit scary and intimidating.

Galadriel and her powers pop up just when the Hobbits and the Fellowship of the Ring need them.

If only we could all leave everyone just as awestruck.

Miranda Otto plays Éowyn, a daughter of the House of Eorl and the niece of King Théoden.

As a child Éowyn dreams of going into battle and defending her uncle’s realm and getting justice for her father who was killed fighting orcs.

As a female, she is obliged to take on the role of nurse to her uncle. When her uncle recovers from his illness and goes to war, she is reminded that her duty is with her people and that she must shoulder the responsibility of ruling Rohan in Théoden’s stead.

Instead she disguises herself as a male warrior named Dernhelm to fight beside Théoden in the Battle of the Pelennor Fields.

During the battle, she is confronted by the Witch-king of Angmar, The Witch-king boasted that ‘(no) living man may hinder me’. Éowyn then removed her helmet and declared: ‘But no living man am I! You look upon a woman’.

Éowyn then goes on to defeat the Witch-king. Legendary!

Shailene Woodley plays Beatrice ‘Tris’ Prior in a dystopian post-apocalyptic version of Chicago, where people are divided into distinct factions based on human virtues.

Tris discovers she is Divergent, which means she will never fit into any one of the factions. As she navigates her way through figuring out who she is, she participates in a gruelling training regime under the steely gaze of Four, another Divergent.

They discover a sinister plot that threatens to upturns the seemingly perfect society and together they step-up to prevent the worst from happening.

Tris earns respect for her never give up attitude.

It may not fit in the typical sci-fi or fantasy genre, but The Avengers boasts one of the coolest heroines in my books.

Scarlett Johansson plays Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow. She makes up for the fact she is one of only two members of the group who don’t have superpowers, by being a super charged warrior.

The Black Widow is a highly trained spy who ensnares and seduces her prey before launching kick-butt fight moves and stunts while donning a curve-defying skin tight jumpsuit.

Jennifer Connelly plays teenage girl, Sarah Williams, in a quest to save her baby brother from the Goblin King, Jareth (David Bowie).

Somehow she manages to resist Jareth’s magical powers and seductive words, to win victory, declaring ‘You have no power over me’.

Cute and strong-minded. She has to admired for not falling under David Bowie’s spell.

Lewis Carroll’s Alice from Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland has to be one of the original fantasy heroines.

Alice falls down a rabbit hole into a fantasy world populated by peculiar creatures such as the Cheshire Cat and the Mad Hatter.

She takes on the formidable Queen of Hearts and every curve ball or flamingo thrown at her.

Curiouser and curiouser, she soliders on until finally returning to the real world.

Wouldn’t we all like to fall down the rabbit hole to have an adventure just like Alice? I know I would.

Who is on your Top 10 list?

Check out my related blog post featuring my Top 10 Men of Sci-Fi and Fantasy.

***UPDATE*** This list wouldn’t be complete without my gal Wonder Woman. So let’s consider it a top 11.

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When it comes to inspiration for characters in my fiction writing I often look to my favourite films and TV shows.

From loveable larrikins to bad-guys-turned-good and comical side-kicks, here are my top 10 male stars of fantasy and science-fiction. Whether they are from the 70s, 80s, 90s or even more recent, these guys kick some serious butt on the big and small screen.

David Bowie as Jareth, the Goblin King, in the 1986 movie Labyrinth delivers a triple whammy of enviable 80s hair, glam-rock make-up and a killer wardrobe dominated by patent leather and over-the-top ruffle shirts – picture Mr Darcy meets Liberace.

Added to that he sings a few tunes and delivers villainous (but dare I say downright sexy) lines like: Just fear me, love me, do as I say, and I will be your slave!

It’s not hard to fall under this antagonist’s spell.

Val Kilmer as Madmartigan in Willow is a boasting mercenary swordsman, who helps the main character Willow on his quest to protect a child from an evil queen.

He is reckless, disgraced, dishevelled and completely self-obsessed for the most part, but glimpses of good are seen as he joins Willow’s quest. He becomes smitten by a fairy spell and declares his love for a woman who he utterly detests after she attacked him.

His devastatingly romantic declaration goes like this:

He has no recollection of his love declaration and when questioned cries out in complete disgust and shock: ‘I don’t love her, she kicked me in the face!’

Cary Elwes as Westley/Dread Pirate Roberts/The Man In Black, a farmboy, a pirate in black, and (Princess) Buttercup’s love interest.

For most of the movie he wears a mask, delivering witty one-liners and overwhelming his enemies with charm, intellect and deft swordsmanship.

His only quest is to return to his beloved Buttercup and do whatever she bids. His frustratingly concise and infamous response to anything Buttercup asks of him is: ‘As you wish’.

Mandy Patinkin as Inigo Montoya, is a Spaniard who has trained in fencing for 20 years to the point of fighting left-handed so as to prolong his duels. He seeks revenge upon Count Rugen for the murder of his father.

Seriously wounded early in the battle, he is able to restore his focus by repeatedly reciting his long-rehearsed greeting of vengeance: ‘Hello, my name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die.’ He eventually slays his nemesis.

Harrison Ford plays Han Solo who is described as a reckless smuggler with a sarcastic wit.

During the course of the Star Wars story, he becomes a chief figure in the Alliance and succeeding galactic governments.

Star Wars creator George Lucas described the character as ‘a loner who realises the importance of being part of a group and helping for the common good’.

No one can do cool like Han Solo. This cheeky character came back to life after being frozen in a large block of carbonite in The Empire Strikes.

His love-hate relationship with Princess Leia is the clincher for me:

So he is a little green puppet that speaks in riddles and breaks all the rules of English grammar, but this little dude can fight and his words of wisdom are seriously deep.

Grand Jedi Master Yoda is among the oldest and most powerful known Jedi Masters in the Star Wars universe and trains Luke Skywalker to fight against the evil Galactic Empire.

His philosophical oneliners include:

Viggo Mortensen as Aragorn in The Lord of the Rings is devastatingly dark and mysterious. Aragorn was a Ranger of the North, first introduced with the name Strider.

Strider is surrounded by mystery and it is unclear initially whether he is friend or foe.

Not only does it turn out he is a friend, he is a powerful ally who protects the hobbits to the very last. It transpires he is the heir of Isildur and rightful claimant to the thrones of Arnor and Gondor and is an integral to the quest to destroy the One Ring and defeat the Dark Lord Sauron.

When he is returned to his rightful throne he instructs the four Hobbits of the Fellowship: ‘My friends… you bow to no one.’

Fiercely loyal and brave, as well as humble, what’s not to love.

Orlando Bloom (with gorgeous long blonde hair) plays Legolas Greenleaf, an Elf and son of the Elf-king Thranduil of Mirkwood. He is a Prince of the Woodland Realm (Mirkwood), a messenger, and a master bowman.

There’s something truly magical about this elf’s skills with a bow and his unlikely friendship with the dwarf Gimli gives you warm and fuzzies.

Merry and Pippin are two characters from The Lord of the Rings series, played by Billy Boyd and Dominic Monaghan.

This dynamic duo are loveable, loyal, brave, mischievous and the most unlikely heroes who set forth on a big adventure and search for second breakfasts. They promise and deliver many comic moments in this blockbuster.

I wanted to round off my Top 10 with a star from the small screen. When it comes to uber-cool one-liners and almost inexplicable sex appeal, nothing beats Patrick Stewart as Jean Luc Picard in Star Trek: The Next Generation.

Stewart himself is reported to have been uncertain as to why the producers would cast ‘a middle-aged bald English Shakespearean actor’ as captain of the Enterprise, but no one could question the impressive figure he made on the Bridge.

His character has been described as deeply moral, highly logical and intelligent.  

Picard is a master of diplomacy capable of remarkable tactical cunning in tricky situations.

His signature order is: ‘Make it so’. Anyone who doesn’t look for opportunities to drop this phrase in everyday conversation, needs to get themselves to Blockbuster immediately and watch this series as a matter of grave importance.

Who is on your Top 10?

Check out my related blog post featuring my Top 10 Women of Sci-Fi and Fantasy.

***UPDATE*** This list wouldn’t be complete without my favourite anti-hero of all time, Loki. So let’s consider it a top 11.