These 12 Bad*ss Woman Fight Scenes Live Rent Free In My Brain, And You Should Be Thinking More About Them Too

Watch me air punch my enemies as "Bring Me to Life" plays in the background.

I love a good action flick, and they become even more exciting when women take the lead in all the fighting.

From The Bride's bloody war with the Crazy-88 in Kill Bill: Volume 1 to Diana charging through No Man's Land like a beast in Wonder Woman, there is a never-ending catalog of iconic female characters demonstrating their bravery with a threat level of 100.

Warner Bros. Pictures

These famous scenes constantly receive acknowledgment for how they empower women, so I'd like to add a few more legendary moments from films that deserve far more recognition.

See below a list of some of my favorite women warrior scenes that inspire me daily.

**WARNING** MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD!

1. Elektra training in Daredevil

20th Century Fox

This scene doesn't even include a fight, but it is so mesmerizing and shows the audience what this shero can do. The song "Bring Me To Life" by Evanescence playing in the background as Elektra effortlessly flip kicks and slices through bean bags is EVERYTHING. You can truly feel the intensity of this scene and Elektra’s resolve to avenge her father. Not me trying to recreate this scene with a pair of plastic sais in my living room.

2. Lara Croft defending the manor in Lara Croft: Tomb Raider

Paramount Pictures

Angelina Jolie solidified herself as the queen of action when she played Lara Croft. There are so many incredible warrior moments from her in the film, but this particular scene of Lara defending the mansion always came above the others. She takes on a whole black ops team BY HERSELF. She proved in this fight that you can totally bring a knife to a gunfight.

3. Cassandra grabbing the cobra in The Scorpion King

Universal Pictures

While Cassandra may not be a fighter, this scene in The Scorpion King reminds us that this sorceress could kill if she wanted to. Her unwavering confidence as she reaches into the urn and retrieves the cobra with her bare hands to strike Memnon is the epitome of “Yaaas Queen.” This noteworthy moment is the only thing I remember from this film and it had Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson as the lead.

4. The fight between Anck-su-namun and Nefertiri (Evelyn) in The Mummy Returns

Universal Pictures

This scene is by far one of the best-choreographed fights in cinema history. Watching these two strong Egyptian warriors battling it out with golden sais, while historically not accurate, always blew my mind. From their fighting stances at the beginning of the duel to the impressive backflips, the visuals were amazing! I love this scene so much that I have the YouTube video clip saved in my list of favorites if I ever want to hype myself up.

Fun Fact: Rachel Weisz and Patricia Velásquez trained for five months to learn the choreography for this fight scene!

5. Lady Deathstrike's claw reveal in X2: X-Men United

20th Century Fox

Ok, I obviously have a massive girl crush on Kelly Hu because she makes it on the list again with another wickedly menacing character. Lady Deathstrike is undeniably a formidable villain in the X-Men universe. Not only does she take out Scott (Cyclops), but she even gives Logan (Wolverine) a run for his money. I get literal chills when she reveals her adamantium claws. In my opinion, her fight with Logan reigns supreme as one of the best fights in all of the X-Men installments.

6. Padme battling the Nexu in Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones

Lucasfilm Ltd

A lot of people seem to remember Princess Leia for being a baddie, but let's give our original Naboo queen, later senator, Padme Amidala some credit, too! While captured alongside two seasoned Jedi Knights, she is the first one who manages to escape her chains and climb to the top of her column to get to a higher ground. She knocks that Nexu out with a swift kick and makes it her pet. And she does all of that without The Force.

7. Arwen’s infamous line in The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring

New Line Cinema

Many people remember Eowyn's "I am no man" line in the Lord of the Rings: Return of the King, but I'd also like to give a shout-out to elven queen Arwen's equally legendary line. In the first film, when she yells, "If you want him, come and claim him," this elven warrior makes it loud and clear that the notorious Nazgûl are not worthy of her time. She then proceeds to wipe them all out by summoning a massive surge of water. Buh-bye Ringwraiths.

8. Alex versus The Thin Man in Charlie’s Angels

Columbia Pictures

My love for Lucy Liu started with this movie. While I admit that most of the stunt choreography in this movie is pretty wacky and filled with bad CGI, Alex's 1v1 fight with The Thin Man is pretty sick. From dodging The Thin Man's blade to landing that amazing seven-hit combo, Alex proved to be the fiercest fighter of the three angels during this fight. As soon she whipped around those chains, I knew it was game over for this hair-pulling villain.

9. Gracie teaching self-defense as a talent in Miss Congeniality

Warner Bros. Pictures

Compared to the rest of this list, this warrior moment is on the more comedic side. However, it is still a very significant scene. It was so satisfying to watch Gracie flip Eric like a pancake. This unique display of talent challenges the stereotypes associated with women in beauty pageants. It taught us that knowing how to fight is not only a valuable skill but can also be elegant in its own right. I don't know what's more empowering than a beauty pageant queen that can also kick butt.

10. Mystique taking out Stryker’s men in X2: X-Men United

20th Century Fox

I'm sorry, Jennifer Lawrence, but Rebecca Romijn is the true Mystique. This scene fully displays her combat skills and proves that she is a force to be reckoned with. She LITERALLY flips herself out of handcuffs and takes out a majority of Stryker's heavily armed soldiers without a weapon. She then proceeds to escape unscathed while flipping the bird on all of them. Seriously, what an iconic, beautiful chameleon queen.

11. Jean Grey annihilating everyone at Alcatraz in X-Men: The Last Stand

20th Century Fox

Not gonna lie, I am more of a fan of the main villainesses of the original X-Men film series than the heroes. Now, Jean Grey is technically a hero, but she gets possessed by the "Phoenix" and goes on a killing rampage. We get a taste of her goddess-like powers when she starts decimating everything and everyone around her in the final battle at Alcatraz. She was out here turning the X-Jet and other mutants into pure ash like it was no big deal.

12. And finally, Mulan’s fight with Shan Yu in Mulan

Walt Disney Pictures

Mulan is the No. 1 Disney princess, and I will fight anyone who tells me otherwise. In one swift movement, she managed to steal Shan Yu's sword with a freakin PAPER FAN y'all. How iconic is that?! After taking the sword, she continues to make a mockery of Shan Yu by knocking down this giant clown with an effortless low-spinning sweep kick. This woman saves an entire country and leaves no crumbs. Mulan is the GOAT, and it's no wonder the Emperor and all of China bows down to her at the end.

I don't know about y'all, but after rewatching these scenes, I feel ready to fight whatever comes my way. These badass women empower me every day.

Let me know in the comments if there are other women warrior moments in films that inspire you to be a warrior, too!