How Many Of These Women Warriors Do You Know?

History books are full of epic battlefield tales featuring mostly men, with women mostly on the sidelines or written out entirely. However, countless women in history were equally as feared and revered in combat as their male counterparts. From queens who led armies to women disguised as men to join to ranks and fight for what they believe, here are the 20 most fearless female fighters in history who deserve more recognition.

William Haskell Coffin on Wikimedia

1. Artemisia I

Artemisia I was a 5th-century queen and naval commander who ruled the city-state of Halicarnassus in modern-day Turkey. In the Greco-Persian Wars, she commanded her own fleet and impressed Persian king Xerxes I with her tactical brilliance. 

Kaulbach on Wikimedia

2. Joan of Arc

Joan of Arc was a French peasant who, after claiming she was guided by divine visions, rose to lead French forces during the Hundred Years’ War at the age of 17. Her leadership was crucial for lifting the siege of Orléans, a turning point in the war. Decades after being wrongfully tried for heresy and burned at the stake, she was canonized as a saint. 

Dante Gabriel Rossetti on Wikimedia

3. Boudica

Boudica was the queen of the Iceni tribe in ancient Britain who led an uprising against the Romans in the first century AD. Seeking revenge after the Romans assaulted her and her daughters and seized her late husband's property, she united several tribes and burned down major Roman settlements.

John Opie on Wikimedia

4. Zenobia

Zenobia was queen of the Palmyrene Empire (modern-day Syria) during the third century AD. After her husband's assassination, she took the throne and used her tactical skill to expand her territory across much of the Eastern Roman provinces, challenging Rome's power. 

Herbert Gustave Schmalz on Wikimedia

5. Umm ’Umara

Umm ’Umara was a Muslim warrior from Medina in the 7th century AD who fought for the Prophet Muhammad during the Battle of Uhud. In a show of unwavering faith and bravery, she stayed to protect Muhammad even after the battle turned against them and many fled, suffering multiple wounds in the process. 

Possibly Sultan Muhammad on Wikimedia

6. Tomoe Gozen

Tomoe Gozen was a samurai warrior in 12th-century Japan who was known for her breathtaking beauty as well as her incredible skill with a bow and sword on horseback. She led many charges but is most famously associated with the Battle of Awazu, during which, legend has it, she beheaded the famous samurai warrior Honda no Moroshige of Musashi.

Kangetsu Shitomi on Wikimedia

7. Matilda of Canossa

Known for her military prowess as well as her political acumen, Matilda of Canossa ruled vast territories in northern Italy during the 12th century. She led troops in battles to defend the papacy against the Holy Roman Emperor Henry IV. 

MaiDireLollo on Wikimedia

8. Rani Lakshmibai

Rani Lakshmibai was a pivotal figure in India’s First War of Independence in 1857. After being widowed at a young age, she was forced to fight to keep her territory from being annexed by the British. She was known for her incredible skill with a sword on horseback and her leadership. 

Unknown author on Wikimedia

9. Khutulun

Khutulun was a Mongol princess, warrior, and great-great-granddaughter of Genghis Khan. A skilled wrestler and horseback rider, she fought alongside her father in several battles, often leading charges and capturing enemies. 

Maître de la Mazarine on Wikimedia

10. Eleanor of Aquitaine

Eleanor of Aquitaine was the Duchess of Aquitaine in what is now southwestern France. She joined the Second Crusade alongside Louis VII and later led troops as Queen of England, most notably supporting her sons in the Revolt of 1173–1174 against King Henry II.

French school on Wikimedia

11. Deborah Samson

Deborah Samson was an American woman who famously disguised herself as a man to fight in the Revolutionary War using the alias Robert Shurtliff. She served for over a year in the Continental Army, participating in battles, enduring harsh conditions, and sustaining injuries. She was honorably discharged after her true identity was discovered, but her story became widely known, and she became a symbol of courage. 

George Graham on Wikimedia

12. Amanirenas

Amanirenas was a queen of the Kingdom of Kush in modern-day Sudan. She personally led armies against the Roman Empire when they tried to invade her territory, inflicting substantial losses on them and even wounding a Roman general in combat. Her resistance forced the Romans to negotiate a peace treaty securing Kushite independence. 

Chris Walker on Wikimedia

13. Ching Shih

Beginning as a prostitute, Ching Shih rose to become one of history's strongest and most feared pirates. She oversaw a fleet of 300 ships, which dominated the South China Seas. A skilled negotiator, she eventually arranged a surrender with the Qing government, securing herself amnesty and retiring wealthy, which is practically unheard of for a pirate.

Unknown author on Wikimedia

14. Nguyen Thi Dinh

Nguyen Thi Dinh was a Vietnamese revolutionary and the first female general in the Vietnamese People's Army. She commanded an all-women guerrilla unit known as the Long-Haired Army. She was also a prominent political figure who advocated for women's rights and later served as the country's Vice President.

Unknown photographer on Wikimedia

15. Queen Nzinga

Queen Nzinga ruled over the Kingdom of Ndongo and Matamba in present-day Angola, known for her role in the resistance against Portuguese colonial forces and the transatlantic slave trade. She led her army into battle several times, forming alliances with neighboring kingdoms and negotiating treaties to protect her people.

Achille Devéria on Wikimedia

16. Jeanne de Clisson

Jeanne de Clisson was a French noblewoman who became a pirate during the Hundred Years’ War to avenge her husband's death at the hands of the French monarchy. Earning herself the nickname "The Lioness of Brittany," she fearlessly targeted French ships using her maritime skills to defeat them.

Louis Jean Désiré Delaistre on Wikimedia

17. Nadezhda Durova

Nadezhda Durova was a Russian woman who disguised herself as a man to become a cavalry officer during the Napoleonic Wars. Under the alias “Alexander Alexandrov,” she fought against the French in several battles, earning herself distinction. 

Alex Bakharev on Wikimedia

18. Flora Sandes

Flora Sandes was the only British woman officially listed in the Serbian Army during WWI, fighting against Austro-Hungarian forces. She joined the Serbs after volunteering as a nurse, eventually rising to the rank of Sergeant Major, earning herself several medals for her courageous acts. 

Unknown author on Wikimedia

19. Maria Bochkareva

Maria Bochkareva was a Russian soldier during WWI who commanded the all-female Women’s Battalion of Death. She led her soldiers in combat and continued to serve in the Russian Civil War, but was eventually captured and executed by the Bolsheviks.

United States Library of Congress on Wikimedia

20. Celia Sánchez

Celia Sánchez was one of Fidel Castro's closest confidants. She played a key role in the rebellion against Cuba’s Batista regime in the 1950s as a strategist and recruiter. After the revolution, she also helped shape Cuba's social programs. 

Unknown author on Wikimedia