Our favorite female action stars ranked

Who doesn't love a good female action hero?! In honor of Charlize Theron stepping into some big, violent shoes once more when "Atomic Blonde" hits theaters on July 28, 2017, we here at Wonderwall.com are rounding up our favorite actresses in the genre and ranking them for your pleasure! Keep reading to see where your favorite tough ladies land…

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13. Cara Delevingne

Cara Delevingne is new to the female action hero clique, but she proves she belongs thanks to a stunning turn in her latest endeavor, "Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets." The summer 2017 sci-fi adventure flick features the model-actress as Sergeant Laureline, a special operative in charge of defending the universe.

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12. Kate Beckinsale

Kate Beckinsale can handle any role, but after years of playing damsels in period pieces, she stepped into an action hero's shoes in 2003's "Underworld," transforming into the formidable vampire Selene. It wouldn't be her first venture into the genre either! The stunning star was there for the franchise's sequels and continued her action hero streak as an undercover agent in 2012's "Total Recall" alongside Colin Farrell.

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11. Michelle Rodriguez

Though she's often cast as more of a sidekick, Michelle Rodriguez has held her own alongside some of the biggest male action heroes in Hollywood. She's grown up on the "Fast and Furious" franchise and has also showed off her skills in "S.W.A.T.," "Battle: L.A.," "Machete" and "Machete Kills."

10. Brigitte Nielsen

A throwback addition? Brigitte Nielsen, whose debut role as the titular warrior in "Red Sonja" ensured her a spot on the list for her sword-wielding capabilities alone. From there, she also popped up and got into the action fray in "Cobra," "Rocky IV" and "Beverly Hills Cop 2" throughout the '80s. More recently, the actress returned to her genre of choice in "Mercenaries," the female answer to "The Expendables."

9. Rebecca Ferguson

Actress Rebecca Ferguson has gone toe-to-toe with male action stars like Tom Cruise in "Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation" (and will appear in "M:I 6") and took on aliens in "Life."

8. Uma Thurman

Uma Thurman is an easy choice here, thanks to her performance in "Kill Bill." Her insanely bada– character, The Bride, rocked her way through two installments, Volumes 1 and 2, with few words but plenty of deadly fighting skills. The star has also popped up in other fast-moving flicks like "The Avengers" (the 1998 film, not the Marvel superhero franchise) and "Batman & Robin."

7. Gal Gadot

Gal Gadot certainly had the pedigree to star in "Wonder Woman." The beauty is not only a former Miss Israel but a veteran of the Israeli military. Before sinking her teeth into the role of the ultimate female superhero in the 2017 DC Comics standalone film, Gal showed off her action chops in a few "Fast & Furious" franchise installments, as a spy in 2016's "Keeping Up With the Joneses" opposite Jon Hamm, and as Diana Prince and her alter ego in "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice." Fans will next see the new mom's fierce moves in November 2017's "Justice League."

6. Charlize Theron

Charlize Theron originally ventured into the action genre in 2005's box office flop "Aeon Flux," but she's steadily rebuilt her action hero street cred since then. Her most impressive feat? Starring as Imperator Furiosa in "Mad Max: Fury Road," in which she took on Tom Hardy. In her newest action flick, "Atomic Blonde," she shows off her martial arts skills — among other dangerous moves.

5. Zoe Saldana

Some stars are just naturals when it comes to wielding swords and guns, and Zoe Saldana happens to be one of those actresses. She showed off her sci-fi action skills in the "Star Trek" and "Guardians of the Galaxy" franchises, but she learned the ropes in 2011's "Colombiana." And movie magic animation or not, we also can't forget her work in "Avatar" as Neytiri the warrior!

4. Scarlett Johansson

Going from full-fledged, glamorous movie star to action hero isn't easy, but Scarlett Johansson sure makes it look that way! The actress hasn't let Hollywood pigeonhole her in just one genre despite venturing into the action hero world many times. She proved to be dangerous as Black Widow in "The Avengers" franchise and really honed her action skills in "Lucy," where she played the titular character who went from normal girl to superpower-wielding dynamo. She also slayed in the manga comic-turned-movie "Ghost in the Shell."

3. Milla Jovovich

Milla Jovovich earned her spot with her work in "The Fifth Element." In that fast-paced sci-fi flick, she played Leeloo, an alien with insane fight skills who tries to prevent the Earth's destruction. Milla later solidified her slot as a supremely super-tough chick when she played Alice in the "Resident Evil" films, a hugely successful female-lead action movie franchise.

2. Michelle Yeoh

Going toe-to-toe with action hero legend Jackie Chan and holding her own lands Michelle Yeoh high on this list. The actress is an institution in Hong Kong action cinema (which gave us Jackie and Jet Li) and made a name for herself stateside in 2000's "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" as Yu Shu Lien. Known for doing her own stunts, Michelle also played deadly Bond girl Wai Lin in "Tomorrow Never Dies" and has lent her action talents to flicks like "Babylon A.D." and "Reign of Assassins."

1. Angelina Jolie

Angelina Jolie tops the list for taking on numerous action hero roles — from her "Tomb Raider" character, Lara Croft, to her work alongside (and against) now-ex Brad Pitt in "Mr. and Mrs. Smith" to her performance as international spy Evelyn Salt in "Salt." Angelina certainly did a lot for the genre in the '00s, proving that female-led action films were worth a studio's gamble.