Take Aim at the Top 6 Deadliest Female Assassins

Make no mistake — being a deadly female assassin is not all about switching wigs and acrobatic kicks. The women below are powerhouses, licensed to kill and trained to feel no regrets about it. They wield lethal weapons, take down oppressive regimes, and disarm with little more than a glance.

When people think of super spies, James Bond is often the first character who comes to mind. But in his debut novel Casino Royale by Ian Fleming, the original femme fatale Vesper Lynd nearly took Bond down before he’d even begun. With endless cunning, Vesper matched Bond move for move. Since then, there has been an exhilarating tradition of women as spies and assassins throughout pop culture. Sideshow Originals even has its Pulp Vixens line of statues and Coffin Comics is built around badass mercenaries like La Muerta.

Here’s your current mission: Debrief on pop culture’s top 7 deadliest female assassins.

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Eve Macarro

In the newest chapter of the John Wick franchise, we meet Eve Macarro, the featured assassin of Ballerina. Like so many ruthless assassins before her, Eve is haunted by a traumatic past. Her drive to overcome the tragedy leads her to receive training from the Kikimora as well as the Ruska Roma. That’s quite the résumé for a lone dancer — but don’t be fooled by her lithe, classically trained movements. Eve is ready to defy her past and her current employers if it means she can finally get revenge. Going rogue is practically a rite of passage for any assassin worth their salt and Eve falls right into that hallowed group of fighters.

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Marvel’s Black Widow(s)

Much like the titular John Wick Ballerina, the Black Widows are trained in ballet as a supplement to their hand-to-hand combat. Graceful, discipline movement augments killing blows and deft strength. In addition to their carefully crafted manner of killing, espionage comes second nature to a Black Widow. Of course, the most famous Black Widow is Natasha Romanoff. Before joining the Avengers, her personal ledger was as red as the room which forged her into a living weapon. Let’s not even mention Budapest.

These days, Yelena Belova has taken over the title of Black Widow to honor her sister. As Yelena fights alongside her found family, the New Avengers, her titles takes on a new meaning, just as it did for Nat. But the Black Widow’s bite is certainly no less deadly.

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Beatrix Kiddo in Kill Bill

When it comes to stylized filmmaking, there’s only one Quentin Tarantino. His ode to spaghetti Westerns and retro martial arts films, the Kill Bill series, is hailed by many as cinematic masterpieces. At its center, you have Beatrix Kiddo, the Bride who seeks revenge against the titular Bill. Her journey is full of swords, bloodshed, and a packed cast of assassins.

While both films, Kill Bill Vol. 1 and Kill Bill Vol. 2, focus on the Bride’s journey, she is flanked by a whole cadre of female assassins in the Deadly Viper Assassination Squad. Plus Budd but let’s be honest — we were never worried about Budd. On other hand, each woman is the master of her own fighting style. Beatrix trains with the legendary Pai Mei in martial arts. O-Ren Ishii is the leader of the Tokyo underworld with just a sword. Vernita Green’s strength and ingenuity make her an exceptionally difficult target. And finally, Elle Driver’s cold-blooded persona is chilling to the bone. If you hear her whistling, it’s too late.

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Aeon Flux in MTV’s Aeon Flux

Audiences often expect an assassin to be perfect. She makes no mistakes and completes her missions in record time. While Aeon Flux is definitely an assassin, she is far from perfect. In fact, many episodes of the animated MTV series end with her death. However, Aeon Flux is always willing to do whatever it takes and that is a trademark characteristic of a true killer-for-hire.

Back in the early ’90s, this show was like nothing that had been seen before. Aeon’s spindly, gangly body slinked across the screen, breaking into enemy territory. Her body contorted itself in almost grotesque ways but in that there was also a certain allure. The show’s eye-catching animation style, from creator Peter Chung, integrated themes of BDSM as well as Expressionist influences from artists like Egon Schiele. The result was a series that challenged expectations and redefined how far an assassin can truly bend.

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Lorraine Broughton in Atomic Blonde

Set against the politically volatile backdrop of 1989 Berlin, Atomic Blonde is adapted from the graphic novel The Coldest City by Antony Johnston. For those who love the James Bond series, this spy thriller is the perfect option, with its moody intrigue and betrayal at every corner. And if you’re a fan of action movies, the fact that Charlize Theron is the lead sells itself.

One of the most impressive fight scenes of the movie is the 10-minute single take fight scene. Any way you look at it, this continuous scene is jaw-dropping — from a technical standpoint with the seamless cinematography, switching from stairwell to apartment and even outside into a backwards car chase, to all the actors’ ability to memorize such a large chunk of choreography. Like the best fight choreo, it’s messy and realistic. Lorraine doesn’t land every punch and her enemies definitely get in a few hits. Not to mention the soundtrack is peak ’80s pop. George Michael would have loved this fellow queen taking down her enemies.

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Asajj Ventress in Star Wars™

Out among the stars, a mysterious figure stalks the shadows. Her past is filled with heartache and betrayal. Now, with her recent resurrection in Star Wars: Tales of the Underworld™, her future is even more uncertain. This is Asajj Ventress, the Dathomirian Sith turned Jedi. Of course, it’s not as simple as that.

As a child, Asajj was taken from her homeworld and separated from the Nightsisters. Since she came of age in a very tumultuous time in galactic history, Asajj became a pawn in the brutal war between both sides of the Force. She was used over and over again for her powerful abilities, double-crossed by multiple mentors and left for dead. Still, through sheer force of will, she found her own path. Not quite dark, not quite light, but guided by her own sense of self. When she wields her signature two lightsabers, it’s game over. Witnessing Asajj Ventress cut down her foes is like taking in a deadly work of art. Move over, Maul.

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DC’s Talia al Ghul

To single-handedly take down the World’s Greatest Detective, you’ve got to know what you’re doing. And if there were ever a woman with a deadly plan, it’s Talia al Ghul. As the daughter of Ra’s al Ghul, Talia inherited many evil qualities. But her ability to knock Batman down to his knees with simply a few words is all her own. You can’t teach that kind of power.

Moreover, she has led the formidable League of Assassins and trained Batman’s dangerous son, Damian Wayne. But the tricky thing about Talia is that she can never be fully trusted. She’ll kill in the blink of an eye if it suits her purposes. Her loyalty is to herself above all others though she might appear to be an ally. And that dual nature makes her the sort of enemy you can never turn your back on.

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While these women are some of the deadliest in their worlds, they’re certainly not the only ones with long hit lists. Marvel still has Mystique and Elektra. DC has Lady Shiva and Cheshire, not to mention Cassandra Cain (before she was reformed) of the Bat-Family.

Who’s your top female assassin? Join the conversation with other pop culture fans over at Sideshow Social Network or in side.show/geekgroup, and don’t forget to Let Your Geek Sideshow!