TV’S MOST BADASS B**TCHES
You won’t find a damsel in distress among this lot
THE SASSY TEEN
It wasn’t just Sabrina’s magic finger that stirred up mayhem – it was also her biting wit that made her (and actress Melissa Joan Hart) the poster girl for ’90s teenagers across the globe. When she wasn’t fixing incantations that went awry or fighting foes, she was excelling at school and fighting back against the classroom bullies.
THE SISTER SLAYERS
What’s better than one witch? Three witches. So proved by the Charmed ladies (Alyssa Milano, Shannen Doherty and Holly Marie Combs), who ass-whooped across our screens in the late ’90s. Poor Sabrina was isolated in her teenage magic, while this trio’s power was strengthened by their sisterhood. RIP to all those demons.
THE DOUBLECROSSER
Before she was 13
Going On 30, Jennifer Garner was winning plaudits for her role as Sydney Bristow, an agent for the CIA taking down a terrorist organisation. Sydney was known for two impressive feats: leaving her enemies quaking with her slick taekwondo moves – and rocking more wigs than a Cher tribute drag act.
THE ANCIENT FIGHTER
Launched in 1995 as a Hercules: The Legendary Journeys spin-off, Xena soon overshadowed her predecessor with her fighting skills and galvanising girl power – giving the menfolk of Ancient Greece something to truly fear in the process. She also provided us with serious Halloween costume goals.
THE SUPERHUMAN
Jessica Alba served up some serious BCE (big cyborg energy) in the early ’00s as Max Guevara, a genetically enhanced supersoldier. Not only did she take no prisoners, she also made it clear that she loved nothing or no one more than she loved her motorcycle. Biker badass to the bone.
THE FBI AGENT
Forget Mulder, Gillian Anderson’s Dana Scully stole the show with her sassy scepticism and whip-smart personality. Heck, she even sparked The Scully Effect, which saw more women going into male-dominated fields like science and technology. How’s that for kick-ass?