Over the past few decades, roles for women have gotten better and better. Now with shows like Killing Eve and American Horror Story, as well as films like Kill Bill and Lady Vengeance, it's clear that women make incredibly compelling, complex and deadly killers. As women break free of the stereotypical female roles, characters like The Bride and Villanelle are born. Whether the characters are hired assassins, Queens of the Underworld, CIA operatives or superheroes, the following is a list of the toughest, most intriguing and deadliest women on the big and small screen.
Killing Eve: Villanelle
As one of the most complex female characters on television, Villanelle (Jodie Comer) from Killing Eve is a fan favorite when it comes to hired assassins. Her relationship with her primary target, Eve Polastri (Sandra Oh), is compelling to say the least, but her intrigue doesn't end there. From her stark intelligence, to her apparent lack of human emotion, to the pleasure she takes in her murders, Villanelle is as charming as she is deadly. It's also worth noting that she castrated and murdered her girlfriend's lover, showing just how intense the character is.
Ghost In The Shell: Major Motoko Kusanagi
There are few characters as versatile and widely renowned as Major Motoko Kusanagi from Ghost In The Shell. Her appearances have captivated audiences from the pages to the screen, and her tough and cool nature is evident in every iteration. Her backstory changes slightly in each version, with one being about how after she's lived in a full-body prosthesis due to a childhood accident, Major is transformed into a high-powered, cybernetic machine. She possesses a high proficiency in martial arts, marksmanship and computer hacking. If her full cybernetic body doesn't do the trick, then her fierce intelligence surely will. It's easy to see why Major is one of the deadliest and powerful female characters.
Natural Born Killers: Mallory Knox
In terms of sheer volatility, Mallory Knox (Juliette Lewis) from Natural Born Killers is one of the most dangerous women on this list. As one half of the murderous duo of Mickey and Mallory Knox, this lady is definitely not someone a person would want to meet in a dark alley - or anywhere for that matter. Her unpredictability and volatile nature is what makes her so deadly, along with her complete devotion to the madman she's in love with. She has no formal training or access to high powered weapons, as some of the women on this list do, however, what makes Mallory so deadly is her sheer desire to kill. There's no question, Mallory Knox is one of the most dangerous women on screen.
Homeland: Carrie Mathison
Carrie Mathison (Claire Danes) demonstrates her power and capability over and over again throughout the Homeland series. As a CIA agent and station manager, Carrie has seen battle in some of the most terrifying places on Earth, and she will stop at nothing to get the job done. She manages her own mental illness throughout the series and does all she can to keep it from interfering with her work, demonstrating her own personal strength. While she's not a contract killer or mass murderer, Carrie Mathison is a powerful, highly trained and very deadly woman, who isn't afraid to leave bodies in her wake if the situation calls for it.
American Horror Story: Marie Laveau
The legendary High Priestess of Voodoo Magic in New Orleans is a title that would have to be pried from Marie Laveau's cold dead hands, and there are a number of people who have definitely tried to steal it from her. She is one of the most powerful characters in Season 3 of American Horror Story. The backstory of Marie Laveau (Angela Bassett) reveals her deal with evil entity Papa Legba, which grants her immortality. Her skills include performing rituals of fertility, creating potions that grant eternal life, mind control, transmutation, levitation and necromancy, making her a deadly priestess.
Lady Vengeance: Lee Geum-ja
Ex-convict Lee Geum-ja (Lee Young-ae) has spent her entire imprisonment planning her revenge on the man who locked her away. In Lady Vengeance, Geum-ja does her time as a model prisoner, which in reality is a cover for her future revenge plans. Upon her release, she sets her sights on the man who is responsible for the murder she didn't commit, as well as the police officer who forced her to confess, and she has no interest in showing any mercy. Geum-ja, along with a group of friends she meets while behind bars, are tasked with her revenge, as well as reconnecting with the daughter she was forced to abandon. Geum-ja is as intelligent as she is dangerous, and her plan is executed in the name of justice.
DC Universe: Katana
Appearing in a number of iterations across the DC Universe, Katana is one of the most skilled fighters. The character appears on the small screen in Arrow and Legends of Tomorrow, on the big screen in Suicide Squad and in a long list of animated television series, video games and comics. Katana has serious skills in hand-to-hand combat, martial arts and swordsmanship. She is a superhero samurai who fights for justice, and her blade, aptly named The Soultaker, has the ability to capture the souls of those she kills, making Katana one of the most deadly women in the DC Universe.
Kill Bill: The Bride
As the deadliest woman in the world with an edged weapon, The Bride (Uma Thurman) in Kill Bill has exceptional skills beyond just her sword. She has been trained in the art of kung fu by the legendary Pai Mei, who grants her the power of the Five Point Palm Exploding Heart Technique, which is an assassination method that explodes the heart of the victim after they retreat 5 steps. She's able to fight her way out of a buried coffin, take on an entire team of fighters called The Crazy 88 and even rises from an indefinite coma and escapes the hospital after killing the orderly who abused her. There seems to be no match for The Bride.