When we think of Pirates and gun-slingers, majority of the time some male will come to mind, such as Jack Sparrow. When we think of the notorious people of the past, we have a tendency to think that it was all men. How misinformed we are!

Today we would like to enlighten you about the women that could make grown men cry. They were the women that history remembers as the toughest, meanest and craziest lot of women known, some are still around :). You piss any one of these women off, chances are you weren’t going to live to tell about it. Best bet was to stay on their good side as long as you could.

Here are some of those tuff cookies you didn’t want to mess with.

1. Anne Bonny

The woman that wreaked havoc in the Caribbean sea during the early 1700s. Jack Sparrow would have met his match with this female swashbuckler.

2. Boudica

Is an inspiration to women, she was the queen of a Celtic tribe that was overrun by the Romans. In retaliation, she led her village on a rampage against the Romans, destroying three cities and several Roman villages. It is estimated that she is responsible for the death of nearly 80,000 people. Might want to steer clear of her.

3. Bandit Queen

A woman that fought for a cause. Phoolan Devi aka The Bandit Queen was married at the tender age of 11 to a man who was in his late 40s. After a decade of being married to the so-called gentleman, Phoolan leaves and returns to her own village, where she was assaulted by the upper class of her village. She turned to a life a crime to survive and seek revenge on those that hurt her. At the age of 22 Devi murdered over 20 men who had assaulted and abused other women. She became known as the Bandit Queen for her continued fight against women’s suffering.

4. Lizzie Borden

Was linked to one of the most famous unsolved murders in American history. Accused of axing her step mother and father to death in 1892. Even though she was a prime suspect and numerous pieces of evidence gave reason to believe she was the culprit she was never charged. But a snazzy rhyme did start and remains today – “Lizzie Borden took an axe/gave her mother forty whacks/when she saw what she had done/she gave her father forty-one”. Might not want to give this lady an axe.

5. Joan of Arc

A girl that was on a mission during the Hundred Years War. Joan believed that she was the chosen one, the one to free her homeland (France) from the tyranny of the English. Before she was captured and burnt at the stake at the age of 19, this little girl lead France to many victories against the English. You didn’t want to mess with this girl, she had an entire army to lead.

6. Tomoe Gozen

Remember Tom Cruise’s movie, ‘The Last Samurai’? Well, Tomoe lives up to that legend. She was one of the very few Samurai warriors that was female. She was known for her skill as a swordswoman, archer, and rider. A woman that rode off with the head of her enemy, before retiring and leading a life of simplicity. Might not want to be on this woman’s bad side.

7. Bonnie Parker

Bonnie went from being a simply waitress to becoming one of the leading members of the Barrow Gang and left 13 dead in her wake. She could shot’em up as good as any man when it came to knocking people off who got in the way. Bonnie with Clyde Chestnut, her partner in crime went on a spree of robberies, kidnappings, and murders throughout the United States from 1932-1934.

8. Rosetta Cutolo

When her brother was arrested she took the reins of one of the most powerful Mafia organizations in Italy. The woman was so good she even beat 9 murder charges. Wow!

9. Gertude Lythgoe “The Bahama Queen”

The only woman to run a bootlegging ring for alcohol during Prohibition in the United States.

Impressive women aren’t they? Can you think of any other women that were this badass?