Warrior Queens

Gladiatrices were fierce athletes who drew crowds of thousands.

From Italy’s fortress-seizing countess to Angola’s battle-hardened Queen Njinga, these women didn’t back down from a fight.

In 2022, we traveled the globe to share the stories of powerful warriors, fearless activists, and more.

The “she generalissimo” nearly won the English Civil War for her husband, King Charles I.

From wielding lethal bows to commanding troops, the female soldiers of the Central Asian steppe were formidable foes.

From California’s mythic warrior queen to the swole women of Sparta to female hunters in ancient Peru.

Nancy Marie Brown’s new book, "The Real Valkyrie," explores what we have learned about a woman buried in a spectacular grave in Sweden.

The warrior queen fought colonizers for decades.

She trained a regiment of women and led armies—with a baby in tow.