Okay, one thing I’ve learned in an exhaustive search of sexy ladies is that while many people fetishize the women of sci-fi (Aeon Flux, Trinity, Barbarella, etc), fantasy women are not considered equal in the allure department.
Sure, there are the metal-bikini-clad ladies of Boris Vallejo’s paintings, but when you look at fullly realized fantasy stories, truly sexy women are not really that common. But that’s not to say they don’t exist…
This is a list of seven sexy fantasy characters who have appeared in film and television and realized by a real-life actress – no cartoons or literary heroines. It’s a truly academic study, so be sure to take notes. There’ll be a quiz.
7. Akasha
The late Aaliyah was a surprising choice for many people when she was cast as the immortal, ancient Vampire Queen, Akasha, for the film version of Anne Rice’s Queen of the Damned. But doubts were put to rest when she made her grand entrance and almost sizzled through the screen. Though the film itself is widely considered lacking (and that’s being kind), her erotic performance is considerably more significant seeing as it was also her last film before her untimely death.
6. Faith Lehane
When Faith burst into Sunnydale on Buffy the Vampire Slayer, she took a lot of the wind out of Buffy’s sails by being funnier, sexier, and more violent than the other Slayer in town, even going so far as deflowering Buffy’s good buddy Xander. Faith was known for her flamboyant wardrobe, and with her descent into evil came more tight leather pants. Anyone complaining?
5. Catwoman
I won’t make a nine lives joke (you’re welcome), but this is a character who has gone through many incarnations, most of which are not fantastical at all. But in Tim Burton’s Batman Returns, the script envisioned Catwoman (Michelle Pfeiffer) as a mousy secretary who is magically brought back to life by cats and turned into a stunningly sexy, sensual psychobabe with her sights set on the similarly S&M-garbed Batman. (The less said about the Halle Berry film, the better.)
4. Elizabeth Swan
Being overtly sexual doesn’t necessarily make one sexy. Often what we don’t see is what sets our imaginations (and hormones) ablaze, and who better to exemplify this than the unbelievably gorgeous Keira Knightly in her role as the spunky, heroic Elizabeth Swan in Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean franchise. What other woman would enrapture the likes of Johnny Depp and Orlando Bloom with such ease?
3. Selene
When ads for Underworld first appeared, many wrote it off as just another Matrix rip-off that happened to focus on vampires and werewolves, with Kate Beckinsale’s Selene stepping in as a poor man’s Trinity. In a way, they were right. But if they didn’t stick around for the sequel, they missed a scorching love scene where we learn what comes between Selene and her leathers – nothing – and discover that she truly is one of the hottest supernatural women around.
2. Princess Leia
Hey, remember those body-hiding white robes from A New Hope? Neither do I.
1. Legolas
It takes a lot to keep up with two men and never mess up your hair, but when Legolas went off on a journey with Aragorn and Gimli to save two kidnapped hobbits, she truck a blow for feminism everywhere. Throughout the Lord of the Rings trilogy, she jumped, slashed, and shot her arrows through a vast array of baddies without ever breaking a nail, earning her the number one spot on our sexiest women of fantasy.
Just kidding. Presenting our real number one, as if it’s any surprise…
1. Tie - Xena and Gabrielle
For six seasons, we watched these women go through a myriad of adventures and scandalously racy outfits on Xena: Warrior Princess, and the question of which one is hotter has never been settled. And so, the number one spot is a tie between the two ladies who made history in this ground-breaking show.
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Cool list.
Although, I respectfully disagree with a couple of the choices (notably Elizabeth Swan - she’s just way too skinny to be “sexy” to me).
Glad to see Xena AND Gabrielle take the #1 position.
Some of the picks were “eh!” yet I do like the pick for number one. Although Xena was always sexy to me from season 1, it was a true treat to see how Gabrielle would start to torn heads. Also, two thumbs up for the Underworld recognition. How about Wonder Woman? :). Thanks for the poll!
Love the #1 choice (Tie!).
But how is Princess Leia considered a woman of Fantasy, not Sci Fi? [I would think the opening shot from ANH (the Imperial Battlecruiser) *definitively* rendered Star Wars as Sci Fi?]
Oh, my friend, is that ever a can of worms: http://thetorchonline.com/2009/04/20/what-the-hell-is-star-wars-anyway-science-fiction-or-fantasy/
Oh, if it were only that simple, my friend. I point you to this:
http://thetorchonline.com/2009/04/20/what-the-hell-is-star-wars-anyway-science-fiction-or-fantasy/
GRRRREAAAAT LIST!!!
So nice to see Xena and Gab getting the recognition they deserve (i.e.”ground-breaking series”, not so much the recognition about their sexiness, cuz come on, who didn’t think they were sexy?) Also really cool to see Akasha on the list; loved Aaliyah in that role. Really left more to be desired of her, such a sad loss.
To say the least. Sometimes fate takes artists away from us too early. A year later and many of us still feel the sting of Heath Ledger’s loss. When I see Queen of the Damned I just think about all the great roles Aaliyah will never get to play.
I might be wrong, but isn’t that a picture of Echo from Dollhouse and not Faith from Buffy? Small thing.
I would agree. Totally from that episode of Dollhouse where they break into the safe with the art.
Definitely Echo, imprinted with Taffy. Episode 4, I believe.
I mean, I haven’t watched almost every episode 4 times…
LEGOLAS?¿¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡… he´s not a woman. what the hell he does here?
Whatever! Buffy is way hotter than Faith. Faith is annoying and childish, a total unleader. Her outfits are also annoying, and so is her dancing. Plus, Eliza Dushku can’t play any other character now. Even in Dollhouse when new characters are practically tailored to her, everything ends up sounding and looking like Faith.
As a gay man I would *totally* jump the fence for Eliza Dushku’s Faith. She’s hot, shes sassy, she’s tormented, she’s got the leather pants and the slutty lips and hair. Any episode in which Faith appeared was infinitely better than any other episode, because there was something electric about her energy with Sarah Michelle. The tension between the two of them was almost sexual, and there was always the feeling that they were either going to end up fighting or f….well you know what I mean.
Sorry where was I?
I’m surprised more people don’t talk about the slashy subtext between Faith and Buffy. I mean, did you SEE the episode “Bad Girls?”
And keep checking in, the guys’ list is on its way.
Actually the last 3 months I’ve been working my way through Buffy from beginning to end yet again (just finished watching “Conversations with Dead People” one of the best episodes of seven 7), so yup I saw Bad Girls about a month back. The two of them dancing had more sexual chemistry than the first three seasons of Moonlighting.
Wait….I mean what I’ve *heard* Moonlighting was like, cause I’m not that old. (Nobody’s buying it right?)
Madness…. Willow was clearly the uber-hottie on Buffy.
Witness: Evil Willow licking Good Willow.
I rest my case!
Am definitely prettiest member of the Fellowship. Go me!
Bwah! Sudden urge to dig out the VSD’s and read them YET AGAIN rising…
Lovely list. I would personally scratch out Elizabeth Swan and bump Faith up quite a few pegs, but I’m willing to overlook it because making fun of Legolas is always, always awesome.
I wouldn’t have had Xena tied with anyone, but good that she’s on the list
My favorite and sexiest fantasy female is Sorsha in the movie “Willow”.
Jenny, I hear ya! Sorsha was always in the running, and had this been a top 10 you would have definitely seen her up there. Oh, that scene in the tent with her and Val Kilmer’s Madmartigan…
I recently came across your blog and have been reading along. I thought I would leave my first comment. I don’t know what to say except that I have enjoyed reading. Nice blog. I will keep visiting this blog very often.
Deborah
http://maternitymotherhood.net
hi im actually agreeing with most if not all but the one of legolas…..HELLO LEGOLAS IS A GUY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! not a girl long hair doesn’t make you a girl least of all for elves….so im a bit offened you called him a girl…Orlando Bloom played legolas but the character its self ist still a GUY! be mad but frankly i think you need to work on your research before posting something like that
lol
RogueButterfly: I think you missed the part in the article where the writer said he was just kidding
good list
take care all =)
Buffy Summers and Kahlan Amnell being left of the list???? MAJOR FAIL! Honestly, without those two, this list is invalid. (Plus, Elizabeth Swan? Seriously?)