For longer than many of us would care to remember the fight scene was heralded as the domain of the male actor thanks to myopic film studios who decided to perpetrate the absurdist notion of women as the weaker sex.

For the past several decades, film has thankfully acknowledged the latent kickass capabilities of the female members of our society and exploited them for entertainment. Admittedly many of these scenes serve no other purpose than to appease our strange fascination in seeing two women duke it out like the best of them.

In explaining men’s curiosity in seeing an altercation of the all female variety, Jerry Seinfeld astutely observed “Men think if women are grabbing and clawing at each other there's a chance they might somehow, you know... kiss".

Whether it is a sign of society moving towards sexual equality or the continued sexual objectification of women, catfights are definitely a staple of modern film making.

We have compiled our top ten best movie catfights. We looked beyond the archaic ideas of pillow fighting and foxy boxing to those moments in movies where the ferocity and intensity at which two women fight has put all other filmic jousts to shame.

10. The Bride vs. Elle Driver in Kill Bill Volume II
The final showdown in Quentin Tarantino’s magnum opus set a new standard for catfights. Perhaps the coolest resolution to a joust ever put on film.



9. Evy vs. Anck-Su-Namun in The Mummy Returns
While the Mummy Returns is a CGI fuelled whirlwind of mediocrity the Egyptian themed Sai confrontation makes the other 90 minutes bearable. Nothing like seeing Rachel Weiz in kick-ass mode.



8. Jamie Lee Curtis vs. Tia Carrere in True Lies
Jamie Lee Curtis finally gets to prove that her abilities are more varied than simply having the hottest body ever.



7. Madeline Vs Helen in Death Becomes Her
The undead have never looked more glamorous.



6. Foxy Brown Vs a bar in Foxy Brown
Catfight, '70s blaxploitation style.



5. Halle Berry vs. Rosamund Pike in Die Another Day
Berry as Jinx made Brosnan’s Bond seem wussy in comparison.



4. Buffy vs. Faith in Buffy the Vampire Slayer
I know it’s not really a movie but who cares...



3. Ziyi Zhang vs. Michelle Yeoh in Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon
Beautiful and epic in every sense of the word.



2. The Bride Vs Gogo in Kill Bill Volume 1
How could this fight get any cooler?



1. Ripley vs. The Alien Queen in Aliens
The interspecies showdown with its mythic battle cry is not only the greatest catfight on film but I would argue it stands as the best fight scene of all time.