Why Ellen Ripley Should be Every Woman’s Role Model

Voted 9 on the 100 greatest movie characters of all time by Empire, (the highest ranking by a female character) Ellen Ripley is possibly one of the most heroic, badass and generally awesome female characters in sci-fi and movie history. 

Firstly, I just want to point out that I am quite conscious of sounding and preachy about the lack of genuinely fantastic female role models, because I am aware that there are hundreds out there. But Ripley is another story as she is a leading character in a hit sci-fi film series, one that previously was dominated by men.

There are many women in film and in life in general that we can look up to, they show characteristics of strength, intelligence and heroism; yet none that I can think of match up to the sheer awesomeness that is Ripley. For those who are not that familiar with the Alien films, Ellen Ripley’s journey to heroism stared on the cargo ship the Nostromo on it’s journey home to earth. After being  sent on a mission to expire a nearby planet, the ship is infiltrated by an Alien species, killing the entire crew apart from Ripley. 

Firstly, from the start Ripley shows her resolve and resists the downright stupid notion of bridging a foreign body on board. Basically, she knows whats up. The continuous resistance she shows towards the powerful ‘Company’ shows just how fantastically, morally sound she is, which she keeps up throughout four encounters with the Aliens. 

‘Aliens’ is the film in which her total badassery is unleashed. While protecting Newt, Ripley’s maternal instincts kick in and she is transformed into an awe inspiring warrior and this provides one of the most iconic scenes in sci-fi history, the confrontation with the Queen Alien.

She isn’t made into a manly female character, she has all of the elements that make women great and doesn’t every try to play on this. When watching the Alien series, it isn’t glaringly obvious that the writers and directors are playing on the fact that she is a woman, it’s only when you really think about the film that you realise, ‘Hey, this is a woman, a woman who is totally inspirational and wonderfully human at the same time’. Yes there are points in which Ripley is sexualised at times, but yet again, this is countered by her need to survive and fantastic strong willed personality. 

Ripley shows women that no matter what is going on, stick to the most important things, self preservation, the preservation of others while thinking morally and intelligently . Yes her situation may be ridiculously out of proportion to anything in everyday life, but down to the basics, Ripley really is a woman to look up to. And you should always remember, if you want to nail an essay, a presentation just try to be as badass as Ripley…but without the Aliens.