History Main / DarkActionGirl

* ''Series/{{NCIS}}'': Ziva's connection to the Mossad ''hints'' that she used to be a dark action girl - the few images we get of her past show her shooting a guy from the back of a motorbike. She used to be a professional killer. It's okay, though. Now, she never kills anyone! ...Well, hardly ever.
** That doesn't make her this trope though. She is shown repeatedly to have had friends and people she cared about. She was killing people to protect her country, not for profit. Especially since Gibbs is shown to have been involved in assassinations as well.

* The White Witch, Jadis, from ''Literature/TheChroniclesOfNarnia'': ''TheLionTheWitchAndTheWardrobe''. Extra points in that she's supposed to represent {{Satan}}.

* O-Ren Ishii, Elle Driver, Gogo Yubari, and Vernita Green from ''Film/KillBill''.

* ''Anime/PuellaMagiMadokaMagica'' has [[{{Jerkass}} Kyouko]] [[FieryRedhead Sakura]]. She [[CharacterDevelopment gets]] [[TookALevelInKindness better]], to the point of even [[spoiler:pulling a MercyKill[=/=]HeroicSacrifice so that Sayaka (who she has become very sympathetic toward) doesn't have to [[DyingAlone die alone]], even admitting that part of the reason she became a MagicalGirl in the first place was because she wanted to protect someone.]]

* Lynette Fromme and Sara Jane More in ''Theatre/Assassins''. The title of the play makes it rather obvious as to why these two ladies fit the trope.

[[folder:Film]]
* TheBaroness from ''Film/GIJoeTheRiseOfCobra''. Slick leather outfit, tall boots, and two guns, she is a crossover with the FemmeFatale, as she seduces quite a few characters, but her usual MO is kicking butt. Counterpart to GI Joe operative Scarlett.
** Disappointingly, she turns out to be Brainwashed and AxCrazy and not doing it purely ForTheEvulz.
* Lori (Sharon Stone) in the original ''Film/TotalRecall1990''.
* Many, many bad [[Film/JamesBond Bond]] girls, but particularly Xenia Onatopp (FamkeJanssen) in ''Film/GoldenEye'' and Fiona Volpe (Luciana Paluzzi) in ''Film/{{Thunderball}}''.

* Lola from the ''Film/TheTransporter 2'', could also double as PsychoForHire.

* The ''Franchise/DieHard'' series has Katja in ''Die Hard 3'' and Mai Linh in ''Live Free or Die Hard''. Both of them are martial artists and the girlfriend of a more cerebral BigBad, serving as his [[TheDragon Dragon]].
** Irina in the 5th one.
* It can be argued that Selene from ''Film/{{Underworld}}'' fits this trope quite nicely until she realizes that she's been fighting the wrong war.

* Maleficent from ''Disney/SleepingBeauty'', one of the deadliest villains in {{Disney|AnimatedCanon}} history.
* Shenzi, Zira, and Vitani are nonhuman examples from ''Disney/TheLionKing'' films.
* Bellatrix Lestrange from the ''Film/HarryPotter'' series.

* Dr. Ilsa Hayden in ''Film/JudgeDredd''. She has a CatFight with ActionGirl Judge Hershey.

* The Picts in ''{{Film/Centurion}}'' have two. The first is also TheArcher though she can more than hold her own in hand-to-hand combat. The second is [[spoiler: Etain]] who is described as more like an animal than a human.

* ''Manga/{{Naruto}}'' has a load of bait-and-switch {{Dark Action Girl}}s who [[FauxActionGirl sometimes don't live up to their initial posturing]] or pull a whiplash-inducing HighHeelFaceTurn, but the standout is Tayuya, the flute-playing, ClusterFBomb-dropping genjutsu expert of the Sound Four, who easily cows her AxCrazy coworkers, punches out the eponymous hero, and demonstrates, perhaps better than anyone in the series so far, save Uchiha Itachi, why genjutsu is NOT the "soft" one of the three main ninja skill sets. She then goes toe to toe with Shikamaru, the smartest guy in the whole series, and proceeds to back him into a corner and break his nigh-unbreakable binding jutsu with sheer brute force and bloody-mindedness. The only thing that stops her is having a forest dropped on her courtesy of Temari, a {{Badass}} ActionGirl whose idea of a "cat fight" is breaking her opponent's spine and then tossing them across the room.

* The ''Franchise/TalesSeries'' has a few of these, along with several heroic {{Action Girl}}s. Notable {{Dark Action Girl}}s, however, include;

For some reason, while heroic Action Girls can [[FauxActionGirl fail to live up to their reputation]], you will almost never find a {{Faux|ActionGirl}} DarkActionGirl. This is probably because no matter what standards the decade or culture sets for women, villains can break those standards anyway.

ActionGirl + DarkActionGirl = DesignatedGirlFight.

** Konan of the Akatsuki fully earns her DarkActionGirl creds when she [[spoiler: becomes the third person in the whole cast (apart from the First and Fourth Hokages) capable of giving [[BigBad Madara Uchiha]] a run for his money. ''Madara'' himself says she was ''this'' close to obliterating him.]] Though, by the time this happens, [[spoiler:she's wholeheartedly on the side of the heroes, due to Nagato's HeelFaceTurn]].

** Considering that Nena has only actually been able to kill stationary (like the wedding) or otherwise helpless (like [[spoiler: Wang's shuttle]]) targets, she could actually qualify as a FauxActionGirl rather than a DarkActionGirl. The fact that [[spoiler: Louise eventually kills her in [[CurbStompBattle a brutally one-sided fight]] certainly doesn't help matters.]] Even moreso, Throne Drei is built specifically for [[MissionControl stealth and support purposes]], therefore, asking it to actually kick ass is like sending in a [[SquishyWizard squishy]] [[WhiteMage cleric]] to deal with tough enemies that can deal a lot of damage.

** Kycillia Zabi of the original ''Anime/MobileSuitGundam'' is a DarkActionGirl[=/=]LadyOfWar cross. And [[AxCrazy Four]] [[SuperSoldier Murasame]] of ''Anime/MobileSuitZetaGundam'' and Stella [[PsychopathicManchild Loussier]] of ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamSEEDDestiny'' are DarkActionGirl[=/=]{{Tykebomb}} blends.

* ''Manga/InuYasha'': Kagura started off as this and eventually [[HeelFaceTurn softened]] via CharacterDevelopment into an [[TearJerker ally]] of the good guys that fitted the cynical and aloof version of a {{Heel Face Turn}}ed DarkActionGirl; strictly speaking, she was a DarkActionGirl due to being enslaved to the BigBad, which made her a BrokenBird as well.

** Also the even worse Roxanne, who manages to combine DarkActionGirl, AlphaBitch, ManipulativeBastard and PsychoLesbian.

*** Actually, Eva and Poyo fit more as {{Dark Magical Girl}}s than DAG's. Tsukuyomi, however, is a DarkActionGirl through and through.

* CorruptCorporateExecutive [[TheBaroness Tess Mercer]] of ''{{Smallville}}'' has repeatedly demonstrated that, in addition to being an expert ManipulativeBastard and [[TheChessmaster Chessmaster]], she is not a slouch in the physical department either, having fought [[WaifFu Lana]], [[ActionGirl Lois]], [[BadassNormal Green Arrow]], [[FourStarBadass Zod]], and fellow DarkActionGirl [[AxCrazy Mad]] Harriet on relatively equal footing (she had to cheat against Zod by using Kryptonite brass knuckles; still, the fact that she devised and built ''Kryptonite brass knuckles'' is pretty badass in and of itself!). Harriet and the [[AmazonBrigade Female Furies]] also fulfill this trope, as did Lana when possessed by [[WickedWitch Isobel Thoreaux]].

** Selena from ''VideoGame/FireEmblemTheSacredStones'' is what you get when you mix DarkActionGirl with MyCountryRightOrWrong and AntiVillain.

** Aversa in ''VideoGame/FireEmblemAwakening''. Beautiful, {{Badass}}, elegant, exotic, [[FemmeFatale seductive]], and downright merciless, this lady is truly a FE Dark Action Girl if there ever was one. It also helps her case that she's REALLY hard to kill. [[spoiler:She survives the game, and joins your party near the end of the game.]]

* [[BigBad Tsarmina]] [[CatsAreMean the Wildcat Queen]] from ''[[{{Redwall}} Mossflower]]'' doesn't seem like one of these at first. A scheming {{evil prince}}ss who poisons her father and frames her brother so she can become [[GodSaveUsFromTheQueen queen]], Tsarmina leaves the fighting to others, preferring not to dirty her hands. During the final battle she tries to run away and is cornered by [[TheAce Martin]] [[BadAss the Warrior]], the most famed fighter in the series' history, and you figure, game over. Instead she goes absolutely [[TheBerserker berserk]] and proceeds to give Martin [[NoHoldsBarredBeatdown the beating of his life]], before his ImplacableMan status [[FreakOut spooks]] her into a [[VillainousBreakdown mental breakdown]] and she [[SelfDisposingVillain runs into a lake]]. [[DavidVsGoliath Huge]], [[AxeCrazy utterly mad]], and capable of shredding chainmail with her [[FemmeFatalons claws alone]] she definitely belongs on this list.

** The [[spoiler: Vandereich]] have Bambietta Basterbine, a CuteBruiser with a CommissarCap and ZettaiRyouiki, who is seen [[BloodKnight gleefully joining]] the [[spoiler: Seiteirei invasion]] and cheerfully [[HalfTheManHeUsedToBe bisecting]] almost everyone in her way.
*** Subverted with [[DudeLooksLikeALady As Nodt]], whom everyone ''thought'' s/he was a girl. [[AmbiguousGender We still don't have much info to go one way or another.]]

* In the JackieChanAdventures fic ''Fanfic/QueenOfAllOni'', Jade is trying to fit this trope, with magic mixed in with physical ability, [[spoiler: but has been weakened in a recent chapter, and [[DangerouslyGenreSavvy is planning on recovering]] and taking a LevelInBadass or two before entering the fight directly again]].

* The ''FireEmblem'' series has always granted us with ''lots'' of heroic {{Action Girl}}s. Likewise, there's usually at least one badass female villain in each game. And just as the female heroes in this franchise are typically exceptionally heroic, the villainesses tend to be absolutely '''''vicious'''''.
** Aversa in ''FireEmblemAwakening''. Beautiful, {{Badass}}, elegant, exotic, [[FemmeFatale seductive]], and downright merciless, this lady is truly a FE Dark Action Girl if there ever was one. It also helps her case that she's REALLY hard to kill and [[spoiler: one of he last of the main villains to finally die, right before the FinalBoss]].
** Sonia, Ursula, and Limstella in ''VideoGame/FireEmblem 7'', with Sonia being the particularly cruel one.
** Petrine from ''FireEmblem 9''. Only major female antagonist in the game ''and'' extremely cruel.
*** Ashera from ''VideoGame/FireEmblem 10'' is arguably even more of one then Petrine, considering she's an evil goddess who's ''really fucking hard'' to beat.
** Hilda, Deet'var, Pamela, Eng, Maybell, and Bleg from ''VideoGame/FireEmblemJugdral''. ''Especially'' Hilda, who's quite possibly one of the most evil villains in ''Fire Emblem'' history.
** Selena from ''VideoGame/FireEmblem 8'' is what you get when you mix DarkActionGirl with MyCountryRightOrWrong and AntiVillain.
** Idoun and Brunya from ''[[VideoGame/FireEmblem Fire Emblem 6]]''.

* [[BloodKnight Amber Sheen]] in the HungerGames fanfiction ''SomeSemblanceOfMeaning''.

* Sonia, Ursula, and Limstella in ''VideoGame/FireEmblem 7''. And ''definitely'' Petrine from ''FireEmblem 9''.
** Ashera from ''VideoGame/FireEmblem 10'' is arguably even more of one then Petrine, considering she's an evil goddess who's ''really fucking hard'' to beat.

* Lady Shiva is generally regarded as the deadliest martial artist in Franchise/TheDCU. When Matt Thorne, the Crime Doctor, is on the run from the criminals he has betrayed, he asks for sanctuary from [[ComicBook/BirdsOfPrey Oracle and her team]]. Injured and hurt, Thorne sees Shiva and remarks "Holy Mother of God. I'm almost honored they sent her to kill me."

* She may be of neutral [[CharacterAlignment alignment]], but [[Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog Rouge the Bat]] qualifies for this. Blaze the Cat also was one for most of SonicRush.
** Shade The Echidna. And how.

* Angelina, supposedly reformed [[SerialKiller murderess]] turned Special Corp agent/wife of [[TheStainlessSteelRat 'Slippery Jim' DiGritz]]. Always carries an arsenal of lethal weaponry on her person, and has the ability to produce a [[{{BFG}} .75 calibre recoilless]] from HammerSpace whenever she thinks her husband is getting too slippery for her taste. Supposedly, her more psychopathic impulses have been removed by the psych-techs, but Jim frequently has to restrain her natural enthusiasm for killing and torture.

For many guys, this is a major source of FetishFuel. [[EvilIsSexy You know why]].

** Cheshire [[spoiler: and Artemis's]] mother, Huntress was one in the past, before a CareerEndingInjury.

* Cheshire from ''WesternAnimation/YoungJustice''. Cheshire [[spoiler: and Artemis's]] mother, Huntress was one in the past, before a CareerEndingInjury.

* Azula from ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'', as a charismatic and powerful leader, combines this trope with {{Magnificent B|astard}}itch.