Top 10 Badass Women in the Marvel-Netflixverse

Karen may not be the traditional “ass-kicking” badass, but her sense of justice, loyalty, and perseverance in the face of adversity more than justify her spot on this list. No matter how many times she’s threatened or attacked, she never stops fighting for what she believes in, using information and knowledge as her weapons of choice. She was crucial in the case against Frank Castle, also known as The Punisher, finding empathy for him where most others only saw a cold murderer. We’ve seen her grow from a damsel in distress to a warrior just as courageous as any Defender.

Marvel adaptations love throwing curveballs at their fans, and that’s just what they did when they gender-bent the character of Jeryn Hogarth in “Jessica Jones.” As a powerful gay lawyer, Netflix’s Jeri is much more complex, but still just as cold and ruthless. Unlike a certain other lawyers in the Netflixverse, her main priority is winning cases, rather than fighting crime, and she trusts everyone about as far as she can throw them. Unscrupulous as can be, she even turns on those she claims to love, despite generally being an asset to our heroes. At least she has a thriving career, right?

The adoptive sister of Jessica Jones, Trish was a child actor who came out on top of the troubles she faced in her adolescence. Now a radio host and one of Jessica’s few true friends, she keeps her sister on the straight-and-narrow. Or, she tries, at least. When push comes to shove, she chose not to be a damsel in distress and wanted to hold her own against the forces that threatened her super sibling. Her most badass moment is easily the epic and destructive fight with her ex-boyfriend, Will, a battle that nearly killed her, proving just how much she cares about Jessica.

It was going to have to take something big to bring our street-level heroes together, and what could be bigger than an ancient villain played by Sigourney Weaver? She’s the leader and a founding member of The Hand, discovering the key to immortality after defecting from Kun Lun thousands of years ago. She and her allies have been crucial in some of the most destructive events in history, including Pompeii and Chernobyl, just to name a few. As leader of the Hand, she rules with an iron fist (no, not that Iron Fist), time and again proving her cunning and leadership abilities, and providing the Defenders with a serious force to be reckoned with.

It takes a tough woman to go toe-to-toe with the bulletproof Luke Cage, and tough is an understatement when it comes to Misty. A fiercely committed Harlem detective, she doesn’t back down from anyone, superpowers be damned. Though she’s first and foremost a career woman, that doesn’t mean she won’t bend the rules when she knows she’s doing it for the right reasons. Though her temper and commitment can get in her way sometimes, her mistakes only make her hungrier for justice. A genius when it comes to forensics, she reminds us that Luke Cage isn’t the only one keeping the residents of Harlem safe.

Though at first Colleen may seem to be just another rough-and-tough New Yorker, once the layers are peeled back it’s clear that there’s much more to her. She trained with and later defected from The Hand, and becomes embroiled in that same conflict again after a chance encounter with Danny Rand. She’s a fantastic foil to Danny, as smart as he is naïve and arguably an even more skilled fighter than the immortal Iron Fist. She may not technically be a Defender, but she still doesn’t miss a beat, and Jessica Henwick’s stunt work is some of the most impressive we’ve seen in any Marvel adaptation yet.

Like Alexandra, Madame Gao is an immortal founding member of The Hand. Despite her geriatric appearance, she is entirely unshakeable and rarely loses her calm and confident demeanor. Her years of experience have made her a criminal mastermind, but don’t count her out when it comes to physical ability, as she has a powerful force push power that can knock even the strongest warrior off his feet. It’s a wonder anyone would even think to cross her.

This mysterious Greek beauty was introduced as a previous love interest of Matt Murdock, AKA Daredevil. However, we slowly learn that there’s much more to her than meets the eye: she’s an assassin who was trained by Stick. She and Matt fight for the same side against the Hand, although Elektra has no reservations about murder or violence. She’s one of the best fighters in this universe, adept at nearly any weapon she can get her hands on. Not even death could stop her. Though her allegiances waver, she poses a major threat to anyone who crosses her, and her kill list is not somewhere you want to be.

Without Claire, most if not all of our heroes would have met their demises. Anight-shift nurse, she’s always there to patch up the squad’s battle scars. She’s been with the Marvel-Netflixverse since day one, and has appeared in every series to date, bringing together key characters and exhibiting fantastic chemistry with any character she shares the screen with. Though she’s more of a lover than a fighter, that doesn’t mean she can’t get down and dirty when the situation calls for it. She’s easily the glue that holds this universe together, and even if she thinks she’s not as important as the more central heroes, we have to agree with Colleen that she’s just as vital.

Could anyone else have been our number one? Jessica is the only female to head her own series in the Netflixverse, and her series has fleshed out one of the most interesting antiheroes currently on television. She’s an alcoholic private investigator with PTSD who hates being called a hero, even when it’s appropriate. Beneath her rough exterior and super strength is a woman who truly cares about the well being of others, despite her savage zingers. It’s fun to watch her icy demeanour, but it’s even more rewarding to watch her show her vulnerability as one of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s most well-rounded characters. Aside from that, there’s no doubt that she’s the most badass woman in New York.