List of fictional swordswomen

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This is a list of fictional swordswomen, female characters who are professional or expert or trained in use of the sword, and whose sword skills comprise a significant part of their identities. These are most often characters in works of fantasy or alternate history, but occasionally science fiction will pop up.

List of characters

• Aerin in The Hero and the Crown by Robin McKinley
• Alanna from The Song of the Lioness quartet by Tamora Pierce (Alanna: The First Adventure, In the Hand of the Goddess, The Woman Who Rides Like a Man, Lioness Rampant)
• Aliera in Vlad Taltos series by Steven Brust
• Alyx in The Adventures of Alyx by Joanna Russ
• Annja Creed in Rogue Angel series by Alex Archer

• Ash in the Ash book(s) by Mary Gentle (ASH: A Secret History, published in the US in four separate volumes: The Book of Ash, Carthage Ascendant, The Wild Machines, and Lost Burgundy)
• Cimorene from the Enchanted Forest Chronicles (Dealing With Dragons etc) by Patricia C. Wrede
• Eowyn, Shield-Maiden of Rohan in Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien
• Harry (aka Harimad) - the protagonist; also minor character Senay in The Blue Sword by Robin McKinley
• Jirel of Joiry by C. L. Moore
• Keladry from Protector of the Small series by Tamora Pierce
• Kerowyn in By the Sword by Mercedes Lackey; Kerowyn was minor character in many other Lackey novels
• Paksenarrion in the books by Elizabeth Moon
• Rifkind in the Lynn Abbey series Daughter of the Bright Moon and sequels
• Tarma in the Vows & Honor series (Oathbreakers, Oathblood, The Oathbound) by Mercedes Lackey
• Valeria of the Red Brotherhood, from Red Nails by Robert E. Howard
• Xena
• Hazel D'Ark and others in the Deathstalker series by Simon R. Green
• Katherine Talbert, in The Privilege of the Sword by Ellen Kushner
• Maureen Birnbaum, Barbarian Swordsperson by George Alec Effinger
• Red Sonja - Blood Debt (Red Sonja #2) by Tom DeFalco
• Sethra Lavode in series by Steven Brust

• Taija in The Paladin by C. J. Cherryh
• Utena Tenjou and others (Juri, Nanami, etc.) in Revolutionary Girl Utena

Works

• character(s) in Hawk Queen and sequels by David Gemmell
• character(s) in Jalva by Sharon Green
• multiple characters in L. E. Modessit's Recluse series, in the Westwind society
• Viscount of Adrilankha series and Vlad Taltos series (Aliera) by Steven Brust
• protagonist in Point of Honour by Madeleine Robins is a non-fantasy, semi-alternate history Regency swordswoman/PI
• female knight in King's Name and King's Peace by Jo Walton
• protagonist in Jaran and sequelae by Kate Elliott
• protagonist in The Aware by Glenda Larke, and other characters in the "Isles of Glory" trilogy (The Aware, Gilfeather, The Tainted)
• Dark Agnes and Sonya of Rogatino in Sword Woman and Shadow of the Vulture by Robert E. Howard
• The Bone Doll's Twin and sequelae by Lynn Flewelling
• Lorimal's Chalice and sequels by Jane Fletcher

Swordswoman series

• See Sword and Sorceress series edited by Marion Zimmer Bradley
• Numerous works in the Amazons! and Amazons 2 edited by Jessica Amanda Salmonson
• Numerous characters in the Chicks in Chainmail series edited by Esther M. Friesner

Other suggestions

• Sasha by Joel Shepherd
• Paladin by C. J. Cherryh
• Gate of Ivrel by C. J. Cherryh
• The Morgaine Saga by C. J. Cherryh
• Wonder Woman in Kingdom Come by Elliot S. Maggin
• Makri from the Thraxas series
• Buffy the Vampire Slayer can wield a sword
• A Taste For Death by Peter O'Donnell - Modesty Blaise is involved in a fencing match for their lives - one of the major parts of this book compared to the others, the sword thing.
• Elektra by Yvonne Navarro

Further reading

• LibraryThing "Swordswomen?" thread