When you think of action packed martial arts movies most of the names that comes to mind are men – as it’s a male dominated genre.
But one thing is for sure, there are women out there who prove that it doesn’t take a Y Chromosome to be a kick ass action star or an effective fighter. It takes skill, training, hard work and skill in martial arts, regardless of gender.
Some of the best martial arts films of all time are led by strong women and female martial artists. In the name of equality, these results remind us that we like to see both men and women fighting for righteousness in an acrobatic and exciting way.
So who are the top women in martial arts action films? Some of the women in this list are among the most qualified and experienced martial artists in the world.
Well, let’s take a look – as usual, there’s no particular order 🙂
Cheng Pei Pei
Cheng Pei Pei is Kung Fu film royalty.
She caught the attention of audiences with her impressive performance in the Shaw Brothers film ‘Come Drink with Me’ in 1966. She had a very illustrious career and was also a villain in the classic film ‘Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon’. She is one of the earliest Kung Fu stars in cinema and was Shaw Brothers number one for a while.
Cheng Pei Pei was one of the most notable actors in the beginning of the Kung Fu Golden Era of film and so she gets the first spot on this list. Her movies are classics of the genre.
Angela Mao
Angela Mao is another Kung film actress from the 1970’s, most recognizable for films like ‘Hapkido’ and a supporting role in ‘Enter the Dragon’ as Lee’s sister.
Enter the Dragon was a movie which really showcased diversity of race (3 main characters being Asian, Caucasian and African American) and also of gender as Mao played a strong, female fighter who takes her own life in refusal of being the victim of her attackers.
She was also a lead actor in a number of films in the 70’s and had terrific onscreen presence backed by some technical and acrobatic martial arts ability.
Angela Mao was another face that helped building and support the Golden Era of Kung Fu Movies and has a loyal fan following for her films. She continued to work right up until the early 90’s.
Michelle Yeoh
Perhaps the most well known female martial artist /on screen fighter on the planet, Michelle Yeoh is a woman who needs no introduction.
She’s starred in some of the greatest martial arts films released like ‘Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon’, she’s been a bond girl, played onside Jackie Chan in ‘Supercop’ and is the captain of a Star ship in Star Trek Beyond. This all followed a strong career in Kung Fu films throughout the 80’s and 90’s that shot her stardom in the genre.
Michelle Yeoh should come as no surprise on this list, she’s absolutely fantastic in her films.
Cynthia Rothrock
Cynthia Rothrock is one of the most authentic martial artists on this list, you only need to see her credentials here to know what i mean. She’s not just a an actor but a skilled fighter and martial artist, something that can;t be said for most actors (male or female) in the action film world.
Rothrock is also one of America’s most recognizable Martial Arts stars as she has starred in many top Hong Kong films such as ‘Yes Madam’, ‘Millionaire’s Express’ and ‘Righting Wrongs’, continued by many martial arts titles in the US. She too is considered martial arts film royalty!
Yanin Jeeja
This Thai actress turned a lot of heads for a jaw dropping performance in ‘Chocolate’ some years back. She is considered one of the best martial arts stars of modern times as is without a doubt one of the most talented.
She’s cut form the same cloth as Thai action star Tony Jaa, and carries that same level of intensity and acrobatic ability which is jaw dropping to watch in any of her films.
You’ll see her in films like ‘Chocolate’, ‘Raging Phoenix’ and ‘Never Back Down 3’.
Ronda Rousey
The former UFC champion had her fair share of publicity and made her way into movies, proving she can also deliver kick ass fights on the silver screen! She is now on WWE proving she has the skill to entertain aswell as fight.
She was most notably involved in ‘Expendables 3’ and ‘Fast and Furious 7’ and still ha other titles currently in production. She definitely has potential to be an even bigger martial arts movie star in the future if she decides to focus her energy in that area.
Let’s hop ethat Roudy Ronda Rousey, a 6th Degree in Judo, shows some more of her incredible abilities in future action films.
Zhang Ziyi
Zhang Ziyi is a dancer who found fame after her role in ‘Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon’, before moving on to her own career as a leading lady in films like ‘House of the Flying Daggers’.
Zhang Ziyi tends to star mostly in artsy / WuXia Kung Fu films but has proven to be a bankable actress in Hong Kong. Her ability to move gracefully has translated into some entertaining kung fu and fights in her films, but her acting ability also gives her some extra on screen presence.
Karen Sheperd
This American Actress and Martial Artist has also gained popularity for her kick ass stunt performances in Tv shows like Walker Texas Ranger and films like Ninja Academy, as well as many other roles in her career.
She is also very much an authentic martial artist, not just a peformer, as she has a 7th Degree Black Belt in Wun Hop Kuen Do!
Yukari Oshima
Japanese Actress and Martial Artist Yukari Oshima has been involved in many martial arts films ranging from ‘Riki-Oh: The Story of Ricky’ to ‘Millionaire’s Express’, and other films from Hong Kong. She worked with some of the best in the industry and also carries that acrobatic intensity we love to see in martial arts films.
She was prominent on the Kung Fu scene from the late 80’s through the 90’s and early 2000’s.
Zara Phytian
Another high level Martial Artist, Zara Phytian has found her way into film for her extensive expertise. She has been involved in films like ‘Doctor Strange’, ‘Kung Fu Darling’ and others and is gaining popularity for her performances.
She is also a savvy business woman and has talents in so many areas, proving to also be a terrific role model aswell as fighter and martial artist.
Gina Carano
Former Muay Thai Fighter and MMA Champion GIna Carano has made a bigger name for herself starring in Action films and showcasing her martial arts there.
She has starred in top films like ‘Haywire’, ‘Extraction’ and ‘In the Blood’ but has broke into the bigger, mainstream arena with supporting roles in action packed films like ‘Fast & Furious 6’ and ‘Deadpool’.
She is fast becoming the top American Female Martial Arts star of current times and continues to work her way into bigger films to showcase her flavor of action. Gina Carano is an actress who has a lot of future potential in action films.
Moon Lee
Moon Lee is another popular Hong Kong actress who starred in a line up of action packed from the 80’s and 90’s including ‘Fighting Madam’, ‘Mr Vampire’. Like a lot of Hong Kong’s top action stars, Moon Lee’s performs are fast, acrobatic and intense – making her films extremely entertaining to watch.
She is also quite popular among Kung Fu fans and brings some incredible intensity to her fight scenes. If you’ve never seen her in action, check out some of her films 🙂
Diana Lee Inosanto
Daughter of Martial arts Guru and Bruce Lee’s best friend Dan Insosanto, Diana Lee Inosanto is quite the accomplished martial artist herself and has acted in a number of martial arts themed films.
She performed stunts for films like ‘Blade’ and ‘Fast & Furious Tokyo Drift’ while securing leading roles in films like ‘The Sensei’. She has some really impressive abilities as an actress as well as a martial artist, as she has grown up up surrounded by some of the USA’s top martial artists.
Maggie Q
Maggie Q has been working in American Action Films and Hong Kong for most of her career. She is best known, however, for the lead in the TV action series ‘Nikita’ and performs a lot of terrific martial arts on screen.
She also backs up her martial arts action with excellent acting and presence in her films and TV shows, having worked in both Hong Kong and the US.
Kelly Hu
Kelly Hu is no stranger to mainstream action films.
She has fought Hugh Jackman in ‘X-Men 2’, Scott Adkins in ‘The Tournament’ and played notable supporting roles across from The Rock in ‘The Scorpion King’ as well as Jet Li and Mark Dacascos in ‘Cradle 2 the Grave’.
Kelly Hu has been in some excellent films and brings terrific performance to her roles.
Lucy Liu
She’s one of ‘Charlies Angels’ and she was the main villain in Vol 1 of ‘Kill Bill’ and she has become known for her martial arts in these films as well as her excellent acting chops. She has a solid background in the art of Kali Escrima and is a very well know actress outside of martial arts film also.
As far as Asian American martial arts actresses go, Lucy Liu is perhaps the most recognizable as she has a successful career in mainstream film outside of action and martial arts also.
Kara Hui
Kara Hui is one of Shaw Brothers’ top actresses and was very prominent in 80’s films such as ‘My Young Auntie’, ‘Martial Club’ and ‘8 Diagram Pole Fighter’. She has appeared in many films in modern tiems too, includign a terrific fight scene between herself and Donnie Yen in ‘Dragon’.
She is considered another of Hong Kong’s greatest Kung Fu Actresses. With a powerful studio like Shaw Brothers behind an actress with both beauty and physical ability, it’s hard not to understand how she was able to become one of the most recognizable Kung Fu stars ever.
Cynthia Khan
Cynthia Khan is another highly energetic Kung Fu actress fromt he 80’s and 90’s starrign prominently in the ‘Line of Duty’ film series and also Tiger Cage across from Donnie Yen. She’s in good company and she brings the skills and intensity to match.
You gotta love those Hong Kong cop/crime action films!
Cynthia Khan has had quite an illustrious career in Hong Kong Crime / Kung Fu films.
Meiko kaji
The famous ‘Lady Snowblood’ character from Japan’s gory blood soaked film area of the 70’s was portrayed by the intense actress Meiko Kaji, who also starred in the cult classic ‘Blind Woman’s Curse’.
She is highly recognizable as one of Japan’s most popular actresses from this era of film. Lady Snowblood is a bit of a cult classic which helps carry her fame even further as her performance is mesmerizing and has a frightening level of hatred and viciousness behind. She’s not just a killer but a damned good actress.
Shih Szu
Finally, Shih Szu is an actress from Hong Kong in the 70’s who starred across from Cheng Pei Pei ‘The Lady Hermit’. She is another of Hong Kong’s Golden Era actresses and had a healthy career lasting until the late 80’s.
Her career isn’t the most impressive in this list but she has been in some of the most recognizable Kung Fu films ever released and hholds her own along with this association to be known as one of the best female martial arts stars ever.
Rina Takeda
Rina is one of the youngest names on this list, she is a Japanese actress who has starred in a number of films such as Karate Girl, The Kunoichi: Ninja Girl and even the live action adaption of Attack on Titan.
She took up Karate when she was 10 after witnessing her father losing a match and presently holds a black belt in Ryukyu Shōrin-ryū Karate. She’s a talent to keep an eye on!
Did I leave someone out?
There’s so much talent out there in martial arts films, and although I believe I covered the best of the best, I am not perfect!
There are many many more female martial arts actors working today and in the past, so there’s plenty of room for expansion in the future for female driven martial arts action.
Thank you for reading this post, I want to know if you think I came up short and missed someone – leave a comment below and let’s get this conversation started!
Nah Shu QI can’t fight she can’t even throw a punch its just some good directions that she even gets away as a martial artist.
Thought she is 10 times more believable than Maggi Q who cant even pretend to throw a punch with power.
Atleast Shu can throw a punch fast and with good editing it can be made to look like a fast and powerful punch. With Maggi Q they use Body doubles to shoot scenes where she is punching continuously. Like the recruitment scene where she fights with that big dude who say to become an agent they have to go through him.
Seriously! I think you should write an article to list the fake female and male actors who are so bad at fighting yet are casted in martial art movies. Like a Fake martial art actors thread
What about Chia Ling also known as Judy Lee She has starred in countless movies
I’ll check her out Daniel, thank you!
One name that must be added is Michiko Nishiwaki. She is a legitimate martial artists, was Japan’s first world class female bodybuilder, and worked extensively in Hong Kong films.
Awesome! I’ll check her out Bob!
I know I’m years late on this but how is Josephine Siao Fong-Fong not on here? Although I’m not sure if she’s out of the running because she was just in martial arts movies? Surely she knew something about it from her performances in the Fong Sai-Yuk movies.
I’ll give it a look when I update next 🙂
I’d have added Kim Maree Penn, she’s truly a superfighter, a certified bodyguard She’s gorgeous I’d also mention Saskja Van Rijkswik from China White People say that was a source of inspiration for creating the character of KOF King
Thank mate, I’ll check ’em out!
Maybe someone can help me identify a martial arts film I saw that was probably made in the 1970 0r 80’s. this is all I remember. It started out with a very young man played by either a young Jet Li or young Bruce Lee. He (and maybe a friend end up in the palace of an older woman who is a master Martial Artist. She flies over roofs (like in Crouching Tiger..) and I feel like she wore yellow and maybe hasd soemthing (or nothing ) to do with Butterfly. She was amazing and the whole movie was fun and I wish I could find it again!! Any way he becomes one of her warriors, I believe and they fight a common enemy.I will be forever grateful if you can help me find this!!
I can’t quite think of anything right now, you’ve got me thinking though, I’ll dwell on it a bit!
Who was the female martial artists that fought with a long braid. She was a an older short woman and wore the typical grey gee. And she flew around had a deadly center punch with a foot stomp. Her film’s were very popular even before Angela Mao tengo. She was so good,
The only person I can think of Cheng Pei Pei
SUN BAK FROM SENSE8
What about Gong Li? She was in Memoirs and a couple of others. There is also another actress who,played an assassin but disguises herself as a dancer in order to kill the king or emperor. I can’t recall now but will look it up.
I think you should add Aya Ueto who starred in the Japanese film of Azumi she is really amazing if you ask me.
I really liked that movie too, good suggestion 🙂
JuJu Chan.
You name a bunch of actresses who get stunt doubles to actually do their fights, yet you don’t have her.
Posting this cause Rob Chan’s earlier post wasn’t accepted by your system.
Sounds good, I haven;t had to time to update this post but will soon 🙂
JuJu Chan. You see her in Invincible Dragon?! Damn that girl can fight. She was probably the only good thing in that film.
And she did some cool fights in Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon – Sword of Destiny. Plus she is in the new Netflix fight action series Wu Assassins with Iko Uwais, and now filming Jiu Jitsu with Tony Jaa. She’s blowing up!
She seems to be in popular demand haha, she’ll be mentioned here soon 🙂
Great!
Any such list that does not include Chia Ling is invalid
I have been invalidated. lol, I’ll check it out when I update next 🙂
Maybe someone knows the names of two asian martial arts/fantasy films from the 90s featuring 3 lead female heros. Something about babies being stolen and the the villian uses a flying guillotine? Maybe hero was part of the name? The actresses were fantastic!
Wish I knew, but it sounds cool 🙂
Found it! The Heroic trio
For beautiful Wing Chun wooden man workout, “Stranger from Shaolin”– name of the star slips my mind, but she was wonderful….
Will do!
Where are the Black women martial artists (actress or not)?
I liked the one within The Mummy -MICHELLE YEOH
Michelle Yeoh is outstanding, love her work 🙂
shu qi is trained in which martial art form?
I don’t know unfortunately.
Add Sebelle Hu. She works with Moon Lee and Yukari Oshima
What about Polly Shan Kwang?
I’ll check it out 🙂 Thanks Mike
Beautiful Wing Chun form work was done by Cecilia Wang Hao– https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XxIM4OCfLgk
Awesome Don! Thank you for sharing 🙂
Where is SHU QI???
Hi Jeerah,
I’m a Shu Qi fan that’s for sure 🙂 But I don’t think she really qualifies for the ‘top martial arts actor’ list in this case personally. However, I may ask my audience to see what they think for sure!
Nah Shu QI can’t fight she can’t even throw a punch its just some good directions that she even gets away as a martial artist.
Thought she is 10 times more believable than Maggi Q who cant even pretend to throw a punch with power.
Atleast Shu can throw a punch fast and with good editing it can be made to look like a fast and powerful punch. With Maggi Q they use Body doubles to shoot scenes where she is punching continuously. Like the recruitment scene where she fights with that big dude who say to become an agent they have to go through him.
Seriously! I think you should write an article to list the fake female and male actors who are so bad at fighting yet are casted in martial art movies. Like a Fake martial art actors thread
You absolutely did, my good sir. The lovely and indomitable Sonny Chiba protege Etsuko ” Sue ” Shiomi who starred in a series of classic films like Sister Street Fighter and Dragon Princess is one of the most prolific of all female martial arts legends. Enjoyed your list all the same 🙂 Thanks.
Aye, Hall San, You are Direct On Target- Now Mrs. Nagabuchi Shihomi Etsuko is Not Playing “Best Action-Wahine”- Her “Love & Fight” theme with Offered-Service/Grace Beauty and Power is Shared and Cared with Goodwill Charity Flowers; is Making The Difference. Etsuko San Sama reaches 67 years this October. Daughter Ayane Chan is 34, and Her Dramatic “Harmonix” Action is quite good.
Oh! We are at lost in Our Hearts Our Sensei JJ Sonny “Shinichi” Chiba (Maeda Sadaoh) has passed August last year… Wish and Comfort with Ever-so-Strong Prayers & Best Wishes Go!
aloha nui kakou Mahalo & Arigato
A good list Wade, one big star you missed was Amy Johnston, I know she is newer to the acting scene but since you put Rhonda Rousey and Gina Carano, then Amy deserves a spot since I feel she has had a bigger impact on American martial Arts movies than Gina and Rhonda just watch Accident Man or Lady Bloodfist if you don’t think she is deserving, she has appeared in 25 movies or tv shows since 2012 which is more movies and tv shows than both of them combined during that time period
I think she is too Aaron, I love it when I hear of more people to add to these lists! I want them to be as complete as possible. I will be doing an update in the near future so I’ll add her in 🙂
Amy should be number one on this list! She’s the complete package, top martial artist, top stunt performer and a brilliant actress.