In my previous discussion regarding this enduring archetype of film and television, I focused most of my attention on the mythological warrior woman—she who transcended from history and myth onto the screen—and the varied attempts made to bring her to life. Today, however, I’m going to talk about pop culture and the gift of the modern Amazon that Hollywood has bestowed upon us.

It is clear that there is an ever-growing trend of powerful women onscreen. This would perhaps hint at a change in society’s attitude toward women, to begin with, if only to the untrained eye. We’ve gone from screaming victims and hapless dancers to ruthless avengers and superheroines in scanty outfits, always ‘packaged’ for maximum commercial consumption. Yet, at the same time, we’ve managed to (accidentally?) create more complex female characters for generations to come. I could hardly call it a feminist victory—in certain aspects, Western society still has a way to go, but it is best to enjoy the full half of the glass.

‘THE AVENGERS’ (1961-1969), ©ASSOCIATED BRITISH CORPORATION

The Land Before Time

During the ‘60s, there was a massive influx of testosterone-powered tales of great adventures whose heroes exhilarated their audiences by killing ferocious animals with their slick revolvers before they found themselves speechless in front of a full-breasted lady that sort of… ‘didn’t belong’. From thereon, almost accidentally, the ‘wild heroine’ evolved.

Filmmakers opted for exotic or prehistoric landscapes in which to challenge their female protagonists, usually in eras when clothing was scarce, which was fine for exposing their gorgeously chiselled curves. Almost always, the leading lady was a blonde, a ‘white goddess of the jungle’—just one example of the many racial tones that consistently plagued productions of that era, as ‘white’ was perceived as code for ‘good’ and ‘black’ was considered ‘evil’.

The most memorable prehistoric warrior queen of that time is Raquel Welch as Loana in ‘One Million Years B.C.’ (1966). While it elevated her to international sex-symbol status, the film itself was a remake of a 1940 original that starred Carole Landis and Victor Mature, and most of its box-office power stemmed from the nearly gratuitous exploitation of Welch’s stunning figure—her character sports fur bikinis, heroically rescues the male protagonist Tumak, and has heated fight scenes with equally enticing cavewomen, dancing dangerously on the edge of volcanic eroticism.

Loana inadvertently falls for Tumak and leaves her beloved tribe and known world to trek across a dangerous desert beside him not as a companion but as an equal. She faces dangers and fights dinosaurs and members of the rock tribe, yet she doesn’t alienate the male audience with her warrior nature. Fundamentally, Loana is still the nurturing and composed influence of the story, smoothly sliding into the traditional and universally accepted slot usually reserved for women in film and literature.

‘ONE MILLION YEARS B.C.’ (1966), ©HAMMER FILMS

Before Welch, former model Irish McCalla had made her share of waves as a ‘wild presence’, donning leopard skins and blowing her signature buffalo horn in ‘Sheena: Queen of the Jungle’ (1955-1957). A cause for numerous wet dreams among mid-century teens, this particular depiction bears a striking resemblance to the Venus of Laussel, a Palaeolithic deity dating back 20,000 years, as identified by David Broad in his article for ‘Studies in Popular Culture’ of 1997. Like many of her warrior counterparts in television, Sheena was a product of the comic book realm, created as a female rival to Tarzan by Will Eisner and S.M. Iger.

She, too, was abandoned and raised in the jungle. She, too, displayed the perfect, powerful physical form. She, too, had a flawless sense of right and wrong. Alas, Sheena’s popularity was doomed to eventually fade, given that period’s repressive Eisenhower-McCarthy climate when social emphasis became laser-pointed on the nuclear family. The woman needed to be pushed out of the workforce that had previously welcomed her during WWII and sent back into the ‘loyal housewife’ or ‘brainless bombshell’ moulds, instead.

But while it lasted, ‘Sheena: Queen of the Jungle’ presented an indisputable appeal through Ms McCalla, a pinup dame that reminded Hollywood brass and network viewers of the Marilyn Monroe and Jayne Mansfield type that had already blown up on the silver screen. As a character, she was notedly different: innocent yet strong-willed, a fighter, and a nurturer.

‘SHEENA: QUEEN OF THE JUNGLE’ (1955-1957), ©NASSOUR STUDIOS INC.

Other notable examples of the savage woman warrior from lost ages include ‘Jungle Girl’ (1941), a fifteen-part serial based on Edgar Rice Burroughs’ novel that follows France Gifford’s Nyoka becoming a reckoning force of wilderness; ‘Saga of the Viking Women and their Voyage to the Waters of the Great Sea Serpent’ (1957) by Roger Corman, which sees traditional roles reversed with men kept in bondage as the women pursue their rescue; and a ton of otherwise mediocre titles that include the word ‘Amazon’ solely as an excuse to use as little costume material as possible.

The Warrior Ladies of ‘Conan the Barbarian’

The ‘70s had been brewing a comeback of the warrior queen for quite a while before Robert E. Howard’s Conan hit the big screens. The three movies that ultimately secured Arnold Schwarzenegger’s career also brought forth some phenomenally badass women, heavily influenced by ‘Wonder Woman’ (1975-1979) and ‘The Bionic Woman’ (1976-1978). At the time, there was also a steady fandom growing around the French comics of ‘Metal Hurlant’ and their English sister ‘Heavy Metal’, along with the smashing success of the ‘Dungeons & Dragons’ roleplaying game. It’s what we, today, might call a perfect storm.

‘CONAN THE BARBARIAN’ (1982), ©UNIVERSAL PICTURES

Valeria of ‘Conan the Barbarian’ (1982) was the first to combine all of the above elements, epitomizing the Viking ideal of power and beauty. Portrayed by Sandahl Bergman, she was tall, blonde, gorgeous, and a worthy match for Conan on every level. She equalled him in thievery and in lovemaking, ultimately winning his eternal devotion when she sacrificed herself to save him from James Earl Jones’s villain Thulsa Doom.

‘CONAN THE DESTROYER’ (1984), ©UNIVERSAL PICTURES

In ‘Conan the Destroyer’ (1984), the female protagonists are decidedly strong-willed. Queen Tamaris, played by Sarah Douglas, is ruthless in her desire to awake the god Dagoth and rule beside him, while teen princess Jehnna, embodied by Olivia D’Abo, is spoiled but wise to follow her instincts since Conan’s judgment is still clouded by the loss of Valeria. My absolute favourite is Grace Jones’s Zula, an incarnation of the model’s performance art—gorgeous, gender-bending, primal, and fierce as a panther.

The third film of the Conan series, ‘Red Sonja’ (1985), was a painful stretch and a box-office flop. It ended further adaptations that had been originally planned for Schwarzenegger’s iconic character even though it didn’t feature him onscreen. While still based on Howard’s stories, the film brought forth Brigitte Nielsen as the dominating female protagonist and alluring fantasy warrior. Unfortunately, the lack of acting chops and irritating attempts at annoying relief tanked the whole franchise. Fortunately, there’s a reboot on the way, penned by Joey Soloway and Tasha Huo, and featuring Hannah John-Kamen of ‘Ant Man and the Wasp’ (2018) and ‘Brave New World’ (2020) fame as Red Sonja.

‘RED SONJA’ (1985), ©DINO DE LAURENTIIS COMPANY

The Honourable Shieldmaiden

Most of the high fantasy genre is still male dominated. No surprise there, considering oeuvres such as the ‘Lord of the Rings’ trilogy by J.R.R. Tolkien, whose Middle-Earth realm is fought over and controlled by the men of the species—human, elf, hobbit, and orc alike. We’ve got Aragorn, son of Arathorn and key protagonist. We’ve got Frodo, Sam, Pippin and Merry. We’ve got Legolas and Gimli. Gandalf and Saruman. We’ve got Elrond and Eomer and, well, you get the picture. Sure, let’s give Arwen a nod here, why not? After all, Peter Jackson did do a grand job of recalibrating Tolkien’s handful of female characters for a generation of viewers that are better accustomed to women in combat roles.

But the true warrior woman exception of ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers’ (2002) and ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King’ (2003) is the incomparable Eowyn, niece of King Theoden, superbly portrayed by Miranda Otto. Demonstrating her expertise with bladed weapons early on, she comes across as an aggressive fighter unfortunately still repressed by the king and by the traditional role that she’s expected to fit into—despite death itself knocking on Rohan’s battered gates. By the climax of the trilogy’s third part, however, Eowyn has slipped into a suit of armour and joined the armies of men against the evil of Sauron. She has fought valiantly and nearly died to defend humanity’s ideals. She has resisted darkness and despair, and she has held her king in his dying moments.

‘THE LORD OF THE RINGS: RETURN OF THE KING’ (2003), ©NEW LINE CINEMA

Xena and Her Conscience, Gabrielle

Originally designed as a companion to ‘Hercules: The Legendary Journeys’ (1995-1999), ‘Xena: Warrior Princess’ (1995-2001) went on to outgrow its brother and became a turning point in the history of television due to its exquisite development of the warrior woman archetype within that epoch and its sensible approach to depicting female protagonists, in general—as opposed to the usually objectified babes I mentioned earlier. What I found most extraordinary was the depth with which fans (most of them women) connected with the show. It was an intimate relationship that led to numerous discussion boards dissecting each episode, proving that Xena’s supporters weren’t just passive consumers but interactive viewers who later shaped and steered the show.

Once one begins to peel away at the many layers that made Sam Raimi’s work such a success, one can’t help but notice the beautiful dynamic between Lucy Lawless’ spicy Xena and Renee O’Connor’s more down-to-earth Gabrielle. The warrior and the maid. The sword and the shield. The fighter and the peacemaker. Through the entire series, Gabrielle becomes Xena’s focal point and recipient of all her affection and loyalty, leading to the protagonists splendidly complementing each other. The former is more ‘traditionally feminine’ and the latter’s conscience, a counterweight to Xena’s cruel instincts that once defined her violent past. In this show’s universe, the warrior queen carries herself with two equally beautiful faces: Xena and Gabrielle.

‘XENA: WARRIOR PRINCESS’ (1995-2001), ©MCA TELEVISION

The Monster Killer

For a long time in horror films, there was a recurring pattern of the woman conceptualized more as victim than as hunter, which is why the ‘90s and the ‘00s rose in rebellion with tales of modern female protagonists who turned the trope inside out and started fighting back against the terrible monsters. See Milla Jovovich in ‘Resident Evil’ (2002), for example, who reacts with instinctive power and magnificent combat techniques when zombies and mutant beasts come to kill her.

The Gothic heroines of the past are gone. In their place come enticing femme fatales who wield stakes and blades and machine guns with remarkable ease. See Kate Beckinsale in ‘Underworld’ (2003), in which she takes on the lead not only as a woman but as a vampire—a monster hunting monsters. Clearly, the warrior queen at the turn of the new century is infinitely more complex and dons a darker side.

‘UNDERWORLD’ (2003), ©LAKESHORE ENTERTAINMENT

This new action figure was skilfully defined early on through ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ (1997-2003), winner of two Primetime Emmys and the favourite show of several generations. Joss Whedon’s cult classic wasn’t expected to do as well as it did, ultimately spawning a spinoff for David Boreanaz in the process. Truth be told, the series is one of the most ambitious feats of television that virtually reshaped parts of the creative process behind future similar monster-slashing projects. It did a spectacular job with character development, too.

The monsters were never the dominant aspect of ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’. They served as bloody and exciting décor for a story whose heroine tried to wade through life as a young adult, as a misfit, as a daughter and as a friend, struggling with the common issues that made Sarah Michelle Gellar’s character so relatable and beloved by most—love, life, death, sexual experimentation, and profound self-identity crises. At times campy and worn out, the show did bring forth a protagonist that became a celebrated milestone in TV history.

‘BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER’ (1997-2003), ©MUTANT ENEMY

Not forgetting Lori Petty’s prolific ‘Tank Girl’ (1995), Diana Rigg’s statuesque, raspy-voiced Emma Peel in ‘The Avengers’ (1961-1969), Sigourney Weaver’s Ripley in ‘Alien’ (1979), Jennifer Garner’s Sidney in ‘Alias’ (2001-2006), nor Uma Thurman’s Bride in ‘Kill Bill: Vol. 1’ (2003), among many others, when addressing the warrior queens of pop culture, it’s delightfully plain to see that the film and television industry have come a long way. Sure, there’s still just as much ahead as we struggle to forge unique and original female characters, but the warrior woman has not only become more popular in recent decades… She has become downright indispensable.

Since I’m not a fan of lists but can’t seem to stop myself from enumerating the best that cinema and television often have to offer, I’ll try a more scholarly approach today mostly because I’m eager to make a distinction between ‘fantasy’ and ‘epic fantasy’ on the small screen. In a previous article, I discussed some of the greatest film franchises to come out of works penned by J.R. Tolkien and Frank L. Baum, to name but two luminaries of the literary genre we know as ‘epic fantasy’.

For the silver screen, the challenge of adapting such works was gleefully accepted and—on several occasions—stupendously met by talented and insanely brave directors. But as audiences worldwide evolve, so does our appetite for the consumption of ‘epic fantasy’ in larger formats. We want more, even if we get it in an episode-per-week ratio. Give us ten seasons of this marvellously detailed worldbuilding sprinkled with gasp-inducing intrigue, and we’re yours forever. Naturally, the demand for televised ‘epic fantasy’ has grown, forcing screenwriters and showrunners to adapt.

‘THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE TWO TOWERS’ (2002), ©NEW LINE CINEMA

Personally, I don’t think it’s a bad thing, but I do believe we’re coming up short on the ‘epic fantasy’ genre on TV. There are plenty of ‘fantasy’ series to binge on—‘Charmed’ (1998-2006) and ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ (1997-2003) certainly qualify as decent chunks of a starter kit. If you’re deeper into the scary side of things, the ‘American Horror Story’ (2011) anthology will deliver plenty of genuine goose-bumps and squeals. For anime fans, ‘Avatar: The Last Airbender’ (2005-2008) is one of the best that the genre has to offer, and let’s not forget Bryan Fuller’s earlier masterpieces, ‘Dead Like Me’ (2003-2004) and ‘Pushing Daisies’ (2007-2009), both brilliant and equally ahead of their time. Yet we haven’t gotten to the aforementioned ‘epics’!

What does make a story epic, after all? Is it the worldbuilding? For that, I’m inclined to consider ‘Xena: Warrior Princess’ (1995-2001), the infinitely more successful spinoff of ‘Hercules: The Legendary Journeys’ (1995-1999), as a worthy candidate. Lucy Lawless and Greek mythology combined was a good early recipe. Is it the willingness to cross boundaries and try something bold and modern? ‘True Blood’ (2008-2014) comes to mind—and no, I don’t think we’re ready for a remake yet. Then what is it? The fandom, perhaps, that raises a tale to such high-sounding standards? I would be willing to consider ‘Once Upon A Time’ (2011-2018) for task, then, or better yet, the cult darling ‘Supernatural’ (2005-2020), which boasts a spectacular fifteen-year run.

But no. We’re going elsewhere with this. We’re going farther than we have ever gone before, because the market of ‘televised epic fantasy’ has only just begun to blossom, and it’s mostly due to the sheer size of the oeuvres that are being adapted and repackaged for a broader and more patient audience. Developing such projects demands gargantuan sacrifices of time, money, and human resources—settling anywhere below will inadvertently lead to underwhelming, vapid fluff.

‘XENA: WARRIOR PRINCESS’ (1995-2001), ©MCA TELEVISION

‘The Magicians’ (2015-2020): Surprisingly Epic

Learning plenty from her work with Eric Kripke on ‘Supernatural’, Sera Gamble teamed up with John McNamara to bring Lev Grossman’s novels to the small screen. When SyFy decided to invest in this show, they were probably aware of the risks—the raunchy magic tale works differently on the page than it does onscreen, yet even so, ‘The Magicians’ stands apart from the rest of the crowd. Sure, there are things I might have done differently with some of the narrative threads, but still…

Story-wise, it is daring enough to be awarded a tiny ‘epic fantasy’ badge. It’s basically ‘Harry Potter’ but with drugs, booze, ancient gods, and potty mouths. Its worldbuilding is complex and imaginative enough, borrowing elements of Greek mythology and quantum physics along the way. It also has a considerable fanbase to work with. Unlike ‘The Shannara Chronicles’ (2016-2017), which was bland and deservedly short-lived, ‘The Magicians’ survived for five seasons as it pushed its young protagonists into difficult situations that required tremendous sacrifices. In some cases, their choices came at a horrific price.

‘THE MAGICIANS’ (2015-2020), ©NBC UNIVERSAL TELEVISION

‘American Gods’ (2017): Neil Gaiman Done Right

I’m equal parts doubtful and eager whenever a Gaiman project is announced for television. It’s probably because of the emotional investment that I have in his work. Nevertheless, most of his adaptations have not disappointed, least of all ‘American Gods’, which is based on my favourite book. When it comes to ‘epic fantasy’, this story has every box ticked, albeit with one particularly worrying asterisk.

My only issue with the Starz-produced series is the studio’s inability to retain showrunners—thus losing important actors along the way. The first season, helmed by the brilliant Bryan Fuller and Michael Green, did a wicked job of transforming ‘American Gods’ into high-quality television art. But after budget-related conflicts, Fuller and Green were pushed out of the project, which led to Gillian Anderson and Kristin Chenoweth’s subsequent departure. Jesse Alexander of ‘Heroes’ (2006-2010) fame sort-of took over, though it’s still unclear as to the depth of his involvement—which didn’t last longer than the second season, anyway.

After another hiatus, ‘American Gods’ has finally returned under Charles ‘Chic’ Eglee, better known for ‘Moonlighting’ (1986-1989) and ‘The Shield’ (2004-2008), but even that isn’t without a harrowing loss. According to an expletive-laced video posted on Twitter, Orlando Jones (Mr Nancy) stated that he was fired from the series because the showrunner doesn’t understand his character. According to the actor, Eglee ‘thinks that Mr Nancy’s angry, get s—t done [attitude] is the wrong message for Black America’. Yet when I’m nervous about a Neil Gaiman adaptation, they tell me I’m overthinking…

‘AMERICAN GODS’ (2017), ©FREMANTLE/STARZ!

‘His Dark Materials’ (2019): Now That’s What I Call Epic!

Philip Pullman’s trilogy is one of the best works of fantasy I read whilst coming of age. It’s an ambitious story that follows two gifted children as they wander through a series of parallel universes and fight for freedom and survival against exceptionally dark forces. An especially appealing element is the daemon, a manifestation of the inner-self as an animal being.

Pullman once named John Milton’s ‘Paradise Lost’ among the influences for ‘His Dark Materials’, abruptly rejecting any comparison to C.S. Lewis’s ‘The Chronicles of Narnia’, which he characterised as ‘blatantly racist’ and ‘monumentally disparaging of women’. Needless to say, ‘His Dark Materials’ ascends among the better works of ‘epic fantasy’, and given the author’s direct involvement, HBO’s adaptation does a better job than its feature-length and stale-cotton-candy predecessor, ‘The Golden Compass’ (2007).

‘HIS DARK MATERIALS’ (2019), ©HOME BOX OFFICE (HBO)

‘Carnival Row’ (2019): An Absolute Original

As mentioned earlier, the majority of ‘epic fantasies’ come from literature: the story was first told in print, and there were plenty of pages in which to build an imaginary world with extraordinary creatures inspired by myth and folklore. Yet Travis Beacham and René Echevarria pulled off quite the number with ‘Carnival Row’, which blends the tenebrous murder mystery with a Victorian fantasy realm in a way that just… works without a source material.

Of course, the show wouldn’t have the same appeal without Orlando Bloom and Cara Delevingne—the latter having grown visibly as a thespian since ‘Anna Karenina’ (2012). Nominated for three Primetime Emmys, the first season has garnered a hefty round of applause, and I dare hope to see the second season exceed those accolades swiftly.

‘CARNIVAL ROW’ (2019), ©AMAZON STUDIOS

‘Game of Thrones’ (2011-2019): The Undisputed Champion

Regardless of what anyone thought about the final season, David Benioff and D.B. Weiss’ adaptation of George R.R. Martin’s extraordinary ‘A Song of Ice and Fire’ novel series is a masterpiece of both television and ‘epic fantasy’. It set a stellar standard to which few, if any others, might ever rise to meet. With such an ambitious source material and HBO’s deep pockets, part of what made the show work was the fearless casting—with the exception of several titular roles, most of the actors were young and fresh-faced when production started, with barely a credit or two to their names. The Stark kids had zero, for that matter.

The first five seasons brought the incredible story of Westeros and the seven kingdoms to life with exceptional detail and an overwhelming love of the cinematic craft—from filming locations to costume and set design, ‘Game of Thrones’ excelled and then some. Given the complex story and multiple main character arcs, the mere fact that D&D pulled it off with barely a hitch was an incredible accomplishment. The first five seasons, however, had the published books to rely on.

‘GAME OF THRONES’ (2011-2019), ©HOME BOX OFFICE/HBO

With extensive assistance from the author himself, the showrunners pushed through seasons six and seven mostly on their own, with an idea of how Martin saw the story evolving across the upcoming novels, ‘Winds of Winter’ and ‘A Dream of Spring’. The series didn’t fumble, managing its extensive load of characters with sufficient grace. Alas, with a fandom accustomed to nothing beneath exceptional writing, Benioff and Weiss self-sabotaged their grand conclusion by rushing toward the finish line. I wasn’t shocked by Daenerys’s psychotic twist—I paid attention since the first season when she didn’t even flinch while her brother had molten gold poured onto his head. I wasn’t disappointed by Bran becoming king, either, nor by Jon’s retreat into ‘the real North’. It sort-of made sense.

But the final season was… rushed. A few more episodes would’ve smoothed things over and tied up several important loose ends. I cried aplenty when Ramin Djawadi’s score, aptly titled ‘The Last of the Starks’, came on, and I bid the young wolves farewell, knowing their adventures wouldn’t end there. To this day, I have yet to watch anything remotely close to the production brilliance of ‘Game of Thrones’ despite its twilight flaws.

‘GAME OF THRONES’ (2011-2019), ©HOME BOX OFFICE/HBO

Of Epics to Come

Given the titanic success of ‘Game of Thrones’ and George R.R. Martin’s forays into ASOIAF-related prequels, it’s no wonder that HBO has been flirting with a couple more titles. Jane Goldman of ‘X-Men First Class’ (2011) repute was initially set to lead a successor show focused on Westeros’ descent from the bright Age of Heroes into the dreaded Long Night—there was even a pilot shot, starring Naomi Watts.

Alas, the higher powers scrapped the whole project and made way for ‘House of the Dragon’, which is due to air in 2022 and chronicles the Targaryen struggles throughout their 300-year reign since Aegon’s Conquest. So far, Matt Smith, Paddy Considine, Olivia Cooke, and Emma D’Arcy have joined the developing project—the characters they’re set to portray belong to a particular conflict in the history of Westeros, better known as ‘The Dance of Dragons’, which nearly tore the kingdoms apart and decimated the Targaryen’s dragon population. Ryan J. Condal and Miguel Sapochnik will act as writers and showrunners, working closely with George R.R. Martin.

‘House of the Dragon’ isn’t the only project in the pipeline, either, as HBO has recently greenlit a TV series adaption of ‘Tales of Dunk and Egg’, a spinoff following Dunk and Egg on their adventures throughout Westeros before they became known as Ser Duncan the Tall, Commander of the King’s Guard, and King Aegon the Fifth. Little is known about the project at this point, but I’m certainly looking forward to it. I need an ASOIAF fix, stat.

‘HOUSE OF THE DRAGON’ (2022), ©HOME BOX OFFICE/HBO

Following the cinematic success of J.R.R. Tolkien’s ‘The Lord of the Rings’ trilogy, Amazon Studios decided to try their hand at a prequel by enlisting the talents of J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay to bring the Second Age of Middle-Earth to life for the streaming giant. It’s been in the works for a couple of years now, with casting that took place around the world and extensive negotiations with the government of New Zealand. Filming began last February in Auckland, listing Robert Aramayo, Cynthia Addai-Robinson, Ian Blackburn, and Maxim Baldry among the actors involved.

Ultimately, these are exciting times… There is plenty of room for ‘epic fantasy’ in the land of TV. The stakes were set high—very high, actually, and that’s a wonderful starting point. May the upcoming series soar beyond what has already been aired and may no other showrunner ever rush and pull a D&D ever again.