10. Rachel Weisz
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Rachel does battle in "The Mummy Returns" without ever knowing where she got her training. It's a fun plot device, and gives the writers an excuse to pit her against another babe -- Patricia Velasquez. Rachel loses that fight in a split decision but by then has proven her skill beyond a shadow of a doubt.
Rachel has gotten some props for her acting, most notably by winning an Oscar for "The Constant Gardener". I don't know if she's entered any beauty contests, but she's a total fox so, if she did, I bet she'd win.
9. Lucy Liu
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In some Bizarro universe, O-Ren Ishii takes down Beatrix Kiddo in "Kill Bill, Volume I" and then things start to really get interesting.
In that world, we get to see Lucy Liu hack her way through four hours of sword-fighting mayhem instead of Uma Thurman. Whaddya think, should we lobby Quentin Tarantino for a "Kill Beatrix, Volume I"? I say Lucy could pull it off.
Lucy's acting has come a long way from her "Ally McBeal" days. She hangs tough in the other categories as well, which is why she's near the top of this list.
8. Michelle Rodriguez
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As "Blood Rayne" opens, we see Michelle Rodriguez in a captivating sword fight with a candle. The candle puts up a good fight, but is no match for Michelle. Unfortunately, neither is the movie.
"Rayne" is a gruesome tale of vampires, half-vampires, and non-vampires. Meat Loaf makes an appearance here, so you know it's quality cinema. I don't know what possessed Michelle and Sir Ben Kingsley to sign up for it, but at least we get to see Michelle wreak some havoc.
Michelle, of course, has kicked some tail in other action movies as well. And she made a nice career choice by sitting out the "Blood Rayne" sequel.
7. Keira Knightley
| Looks: | |
| Acting: |  |
| Swordplay: |  |
Keira Knightley gets most of her sword fighting points for quantity, if not quality. I count at least three movies where she's done some slashing, including "King Arthur" and two of the "Pirates of the Caribbean" movies.
She's also a great actress and quite easy on the eyes. Here's hoping she gets to swing her sword again in the upcoming "King Lear". If she can manage to draw in Gwyneth Paltrow and Naomi Watts, I'll have to rewrite this list.
6. Aishwarya Rai
| Looks: | |
| Acting: | |
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Can a swordswoman get a perfect score for looks just based on her eyes? I don't know, since Aishwarya Rai's looks are about more than just her eyes. But it's the eyes that reach out and grab you. And it's her sword that finishes you off.
She's made a smooth transition from Bollywood to Hollywood, more than holding her own in the otherwise-forgettable "The Last Legion". As she continues to hone her acting skills, she'll likely move up even further on this list. Her swordplay's pretty convincing too. One more swashbuckling performance and she might just ascend to the top spot.
5. Michelle Yeoh
| Looks: | |
| Acting: | |
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Michelle was Miss Malaysia in 1983, so she's got the looks aspect covered. She's aged quite gracefully too.
As far as acting goes, she delivered a stellar performance as the leading lady in "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon". And she was the best part of "Tomorrow Never Dies", becoming one of the greatest Bond girls in the process.
And her skills with a sword? No question about that. She was amazing in "Tiger" and has been in so many great action movies -- with and without a sword -- it's impossible to name them all here.
No surprise Michelle is right near the top of this list.
4. Uma Thurman
| Looks: | |
| Acting: | |
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Uma certainly deserves her place near the top of this list. She slashed her way through two full-length sword fighting flicks, she's been nominated for an Oscar, and she's a total babe.
"Kill Bill, Volumes 1 & 2" were, of course, two of the best sword fighting movies of all time, thanks to Uma, Lucy Liu and some guy named Quentin Tarantino.
So, while we're waiting for Volume 3, we'll just have to get by on watching "Gattaca" and "Les Miserables" a few more times. C'mon Uma, don't make us beg!
3. Maggie Cheung
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| Acting: | |
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Maggie brings one thing to this list that many other martial arts specialists can't: subtlety. No only is she gorgeous, but she makes you want to watch the slow parts between action sequences. On this list, that's quite an accomplishment.
My only fear is that she might get addicted to the whole "acting" thing and then stop making sword fighting movies. She's done a ton of incredible sword fighting to date, most notably in the recent hit "Hero". But if you insist on checking out her acting skills, watch her in "In the Mood for Love". There's no sword fighting in that one but you won't mind since there's plenty of Maggie.
2. Catherine Zeta-Jones
| Looks: | |
| Acting: | |
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Catherine pretty much has it all -- amazing looks, top-notch acting talent and convincing sword-handling skills. No wonder she's an A-list Hollywood actress. And she gets bonus points for appearing in two of the best Zorro movies.
In "The Mask of Zorro", she goes toe-to-toe with Antonio Banderas. The emphasis is as much on the cheesy romance as it is on the swordplay, but this is lightyears better than "Zorro, the Gay Blade".
Her return to action seven years later in "The Legend of Zorro" cemented her place as one of the best sword-fighting babes in big-screen history.
July 30th, 2008 at 5:02 pm
Uma Thurman was way too high on the list. She has giant man-hands.
July 30th, 2008 at 5:51 pm
[...] 50 hottest celebrity females that know how to handle a sword. (Only [...]
July 30th, 2008 at 6:53 pm
Where’s Lucy Lawless, one of the sexiest sword fighters on TV, ever.
July 30th, 2008 at 6:57 pm
Movies only for now. TV swordswomen coming soon. The intro mentions that, but it’s not in bold or anything
Update: now it is in bold. Sorry it wasn’t clearer earlier!
July 30th, 2008 at 9:08 pm
Meiko Kaji, star of Lady Snowblood. Noteworthy for doing her own swordwork plus starring in two sequels, but also famous as the character the world’s highest paid plagerist, Quentin Whatanassho, stole when he “made” Kill Bill.
July 31st, 2008 at 12:51 am
I prefer Uma Thurman to the rest! Beautiful but great in action (using swords).
July 31st, 2008 at 1:11 am
[...] Die 50 Hottest Women Sword Fighters auf Only Knives. Viele bekannte Gesichter, aber auch Filme von denen ich noch nie gehört habe (was vielleicht auch [...]
July 31st, 2008 at 2:20 am
Well done list, mate. Now go over it and give us the best swordfighting scene of each girl as a Youtube vid…
(Thanks for the great work)
July 31st, 2008 at 4:52 am
Where’s Maureen O’Hara? (At Sword’s Point - 1951)
July 31st, 2008 at 5:12 am
Where’s Summer Glau?
She was crazy-hot in Serenity.
July 31st, 2008 at 6:22 am
You Kate Beckinsale ranked lower than some absolute mongrels. Should be at least top 20. Some of them have faces like a bag of hammers.
July 31st, 2008 at 6:36 am
Kate Beckinsale should be way higher. She’s hotter than Uma by far.
July 31st, 2008 at 6:57 am
Maybe because it was a show it wasnt considered, but Xena Maybe?
July 31st, 2008 at 8:03 am
lucy lawless…as xena?
July 31st, 2008 at 8:26 am
Having Kate Beckinsale #38 is a crime. Way too low.
July 31st, 2008 at 9:25 am
LUCY LAWLESS?! PSSH! You suck for not including her in the list.
July 31st, 2008 at 9:42 am
[...] we are filthy minded, we though this list of the 50 hottest women sword fighters was referring to … uh, something else; turns out that it’s just a list of fifty hot [...]
July 31st, 2008 at 11:13 am
regarding Shu qi: The picture in the middle is actually Vicky Zhao Wei holding the sword, not Shu Qi
Shu Qi didnt do any swordfighting in So Close, for reasons i wont spoil here.
Zhao Wei did all of it, and shes way hotter. So maybe she should be number 22 instead :<
Author’s Note: Great catch, Danny, thanks! And nice call on Vicky. I’ve updated number 22.
July 31st, 2008 at 1:24 pm
Elizabeth Gracen, from Highlander the series (for your TV list, of course).
July 31st, 2008 at 6:05 pm
When you compiled this list and proclaimed that these were the top 50 hottest women sword fighters, I assumed you would have sword fighters. A sai is not a sword, so say goodbye to Rachael Weiss and Jennifer Garner, both of whom are using sais. And where the hell is Cynthia Rothrock, Cat Sasoon, and Karen Sheperd ??
July 31st, 2008 at 6:22 pm
This list is a rip-off. This is the 50 hottest actresses who happen to have held a sword in a movie once…this has nothing to do with being a hot sword-fighting female character. Blech.
1) It should have been by character, not by actress.
2) If you held a sword for less then ten seconds of film time, IT DOESN’T COUNT!
August 1st, 2008 at 2:28 am
I have nothing but scorn for this obvious “I-love-somewhat-ugly-brunettes-only” list. I mean really. Every good-looking blond or brunette is rated lower than those actresses who are generally acknowledged to be “okay-looking”.
Since the author is obviously playing extreme favorites within his/her narrow experience, the list is a waste of time for all those people who really wanted to see a good, definitive list.
August 1st, 2008 at 6:20 pm
Thanks for the tip
But according to Google I’m more of a Slayer not a sword woman!!!
http://totally-pissed-off.blogspot.com/2008/08/dawn-needs-miracle.html
August 1st, 2008 at 6:44 pm
Aya Ueto as the title character in Azumi. Amazing sword fighting by a super-hottie. How did you miss this one?
August 1st, 2008 at 7:41 pm
[...] 1, 2008 · No Comments Courtesy “Only Knives,” here’s a list (with copious pics) of the 50 hottest female sword-swingers from movie history. Let’s make [...]
August 1st, 2008 at 8:43 pm
Where’s Kelly Hu??? She’s hotter than at least 45 gals on this list and is quite skilled with a sword…
August 1st, 2008 at 10:49 pm
Great list. You’re not going to EVER please everyone, though.
Gotta throw another vote for Summer Glau in Serenity, though. Now THAT was an awesome scene…
August 2nd, 2008 at 12:42 am
You have done a good job in making a list of something that was very hard to do.
No doubt you will have others complaining about who they want on the list but if they were to really think about their choice and place them against the ones on your list. They should realize their choice was a bad one.
With Uma and Catherine, I would move them further down the list and move Ziyi,Yeoh, Cheung and the others further up the list. Mind you Ziyi is beautiful but her swordplay would put her below Yeoh.
Otherwise you did a kick ass job with a very hard subject.
P.S. Rai is hot as hell, no wonder she won the Miss World contest at the age of 19 back in 1994.
August 2nd, 2008 at 7:31 am
Hatge to diappoint the creator of this list, but Kate Garner did NOT weild a bladed weapon in Daredevil or Elektra. They were sai. Sai are daggers, not swords, plus they don’t have an edge for cutting, they’re for stabbing. She did look hot in Daredevil, though, I will agree.
August 2nd, 2008 at 7:37 am
Oops, I should have read the whole list first. Those weapons in Rachel Weisz’s hands in The Mummy Returns? They look an awflu lot like sai daggers like the ones Kate Garner weilded. And, as I satated before, sai daggers are thrusting weapons,not blades.
August 3rd, 2008 at 1:21 pm
[...] about women of the world. With swords. Keira Knightly finishes [...]
August 3rd, 2008 at 3:30 pm
[...] Read it. [...]
August 3rd, 2008 at 4:01 pm
[...] The 50 Hottest Women Sword Fighters - [...]
August 3rd, 2008 at 5:35 pm
Asummpta Serna (”Wild Orchid”; Theresa in BBC “Sharpe” series; a ton of Spanish stuff) stared in the 1992 Spanish film “The Fencing Master” (”El Maestro De Esgrima”); her sword work was incredible and she is stunning;
August 3rd, 2008 at 9:43 pm
michelle yeoh is the best swords performer, if we observe in crouching tiger and hidden dragon she plays with every kind of sword and instrument. that proves her skill in swords play
August 4th, 2008 at 8:08 am
Where’s Lucy Lawless?
August 6th, 2008 at 7:53 pm
Sarah Carter is very underrated in this list. Probably not so much with the acting, but her cuteness deserves her 5 stars in looks, and her moves in DOA is 5 stars in swords or all around fighting
August 7th, 2008 at 3:07 am
Where is Tessie Santiago? She is the best!
August 7th, 2008 at 6:28 am
[...] list of hot sword fighting movie actresses. The women are ranked by three factors: looks, acting ability and, most [...]
August 8th, 2008 at 6:43 am
[...] 50 Hottest Women Sword Fighters The 50 Hottest Women Sword Fighters The women are ranked by three factors: looks, acting ability and, most importantly, their skill [...]
August 8th, 2008 at 8:12 am
Great list but need an update. There are some girls on this list who just touch a sword for a moment. I missed some really sword role women. What about Elizabeth Gracen? Amanda from Highlander.
August 9th, 2008 at 2:58 pm
soooo, where’s Aya Ueto .. After two great Azumi pictures she should be in!
August 10th, 2008 at 5:06 am
Aya Ueto really should be on this list.
August 11th, 2008 at 3:15 am
[...] The 50 hottest women sword fighters. [...]
August 12th, 2008 at 8:33 am
why are they all white and blonde?
this list sucks.
August 13th, 2008 at 3:31 pm
Sarah Carter was hotter than most of the girls on that list… why such a low rank?
August 16th, 2008 at 6:10 am
Geena Davis above Kate Beckinsale!!!!? Are you NUTS??
August 16th, 2008 at 8:18 pm
@ jill
Aishwarya Rai is not white
9/50 Asians are not white
18/50 blondes is not “all” (and most of them are dyed)
sorry to be picky
this is a good list
August 18th, 2008 at 7:24 am
[...] dan maak ik er een post van, zodat jullie er ook van mee kunnen genieten. Wat dacht je van The 50 hottest women sword Fighters? Speciaal voor mensen die graag naar mooie vrouwen kijken. Op ons plaatje zie je trouwens Brigitte [...]
August 23rd, 2008 at 2:06 pm
No Lucy Lawless/Xena? I don’t care if she wasn’t in a film, she still has to be on the list!
And Jennifer Garner/Elektra uses sais, not a sword.
September 3rd, 2008 at 6:14 am
Hi…
im new at this
anybody from mexico??
Uma Thurman is the best with her yellow outfitt
September 27th, 2008 at 11:37 am
No way did you leave out Xena! Lucy Lawless is the sexiest sword-wielding, scantily-dressed woman out there. I expected her to be in the Top 10.
October 3rd, 2008 at 12:15 pm
Cool collection of top 50 women sword fighters…
October 9th, 2008 at 11:14 am
[...] off a LOT of women fighters, so please comment and add your own! I also found this amazing list of 50 swordfighting women in movies. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, [...]
November 22nd, 2008 at 5:15 am
Kate Beckinsale should be much higher, and the actress from Azumi should definately be on the list.
Likewise I think you missed Kristanna Loken in “Curse of the Ring: Ring of the Nibelungs” where she plays the Warrior Queen Brunnhilde (although she doesn’t fight that much). In that movie she’s good enough to earn one more star for her acting, and move into the top 10.
But it was still a great list, and I’ve found many movies that I want to see =)