Men in movies have had their day. Every year, female characters are stronger, smarter, and more badass than ever.  Just look at the nerve-shredding thriller Revenge – available for digital download from Friday 7th September and on DVD 1st October – which sees a sexual assault survivor Jen (Matilda Lutz) dish out some blood-and-guts justice.

Jen is the latest in a long line of badass women on screen – a descendent of cinema’s most iconic female characters. Here are 7 of the most badass ever.

Jen (Matilda Lutz)
Seen in Revenge (2017)

A party takes a very dark turn when Jen is sexually assaulted and thrown to her death. But after surviving the fall, Jen seeks the ultimate revenge (and trust us, it’s not for the weak stomached). The film’s masterstroke is setting up her attackers to represent the very worst of masculinity – the abuser, the victim blamer, the man who’s complicit in turning a blind eye – and then has Jen take aim at them one-by-one.

Most Badass Moment: Jen fights her former lover in a shotgun battle for the ages, painting the walls quite literally red with blood.

The Bride (Uma Thurman)
Seen in Kill Bill Parts 1 & 2 (2003 & 2004)

The personification of “hell hath no fury”, wrapped in a Bruce Lee-style tracksuit and handed a samurai sword. Jilted at the altar and left for dead by assassin troupe leader Bill (the film’s title should be a clue about what his punishment will be), The Bride AKA Beatrix Kiddo regains her strength and sets out on a mission of bloody, brilliant revenge.

Most Badass Moment: Annihilating the Crazy 88 singlehandedly in a frenetic, breakneck fight. The Bride’s vengeance is so gory that director Quentin Tarantino had to make some of it black and white to get around censors.