The second and final female action star to make the list, Linda Hamilton's inclusion in this list is surely down to her two very diverse roles in the first 'Terminator' films.

Playing the iconic Sarah Connor, the first film saw her as the archetypical damsel in distress, ruthlessly hunted down by a killing machine and protected by a soldier sent from the future. By the end of the film, she'd developed some survival instincts, but for the sequel 'Terminator 2: Judgment Day' she had evolved into a full blown fighting icon, willing to protect her son John at all costs. Then again, being married to power hungry director James Cameron is bound to toughen you up.