My Top Five Female Action Characters...

So here is my list of who I think should make it in to the top five female action heroines;

1. Mulan. For me Mulan is the epitome of the Disney Princess, she is also in my opinion the first true feminist in a Disney film. For me she epitomizes an action heroine; not only does she single handily save the whole of China and the Chinese Emperor, but she also overcomes male prejudice and her own insecurities to do so. Mulan doesn't fit into her role as a Chinese woman and the song 'Reflection' shows this as she doesn't feel that the makeup and dresses are who she is on the inside, when she puts on her Fathers uniform and leaves behind her old-self she becomes the person she was destined to be. She does not fit the stereotypical woman of the time. By becoming a warrior in the Chinese army she becomes the real her, she is strong, smart and selfless as she only joins the army to save her Father's life. Mulan has many qualities of the 'final girl' such as being clever; Mulan is the only one who doesn't believe that Shan Yu is dead and without her fight to prove this, the Emperor would have died, she does not give up even though no one else believes her or will help her. They will not help her because she is a woman. She is a fighter, even though she is told to go home by Chief Shang she doesn't, instead she fights and becomes the best warrior in the army, this also makes her strong as she has proved to herself that she can do it. This is the true her. 
2. Lara Croft, Tomb Raider. Angelina Jolie as Lara Croft can be said to have revolutionized the action genre. Lara Croft can be seen as the first true Action Heroine as she fights on her own and in fact men are a hindrance to her and get in the way. Croft rides a motorbike, uses guns, knows martial arts and is generally an action hero. She is also incredibly smart and often manages to workout riddles or problems before anyone else or get through a dangerous situation alive on her own whereas men die and she survives. She does not need anyone else or rely on anyone else, she is mentally and physically very strong. Due to her looks and physique she is an icon of both female strength and male objectification, however she uses her looks to her advantage and I feel this is what truly makes her an action heroine.
3. Sarah Connor, Terminator. Sarah Connor makes it on to the list as she goes from a waitress to an assassin. It is in Terminator 2 that she truly becomes an action heroine. Her physique alone screams action hero. She is incredibly muscly this highlights her power and strength, she also has long hair which she scrapes back into a ponytail and wears boots, these are all very masculine and help to mask her femininity. She is a final girl. She is very inventive and this helps to keep her alive, when she is trapped in the hospital she has to be inventive in order to escape which she does, her strength is also shown from this as she is trapped in this hospital away from her son for no reason however she gets through it and manages to get out. 
4. The Bride, Kill Bill. Uma Therman play's a woman scorned in Tarantino's classic about a woman out for revenge on her ex lover and the people she once called friends. The most startling thing about Uma Therman's character is that she show's no mercy, nothing will stop her from getting revenge. She is an assassin and her skill and knowledge as well as choice of weapon set her apart from other action heroes. She is very dedicated to her cause even though she faces many challenges such as being in a coma for many years, she teaches herself how to walk again and then goes on a rampage. This proves her as an action heroine, nothing will stop her.
5. Katniss Everdeen, The Hunger Games. Katniss Everdeen is a modern action heroine. She goes against a society which is incredibly corrupt and wrong as everyone know's however she is the one to make a change and is the catalyst for a rebellion. She's incredibly strong, she faces so many challenges such as being forced into the games to kill other children in order to save herself and then losing Rue who she looked on as innocence and who reminded her of Prim her sister who she volunteered for. She volunteers for Prim, which she know's almost certainly means death. However katniss does not die as she has her bow, this is very iconic and is what Katniss is associated with as well as the mockingjay. Instead of the woman being seen as the damsel in distress and being saved by a man in this Katniss is the one to save Peeta as she is smarter than him and know's how to survive, she supports him and saves him.