Why are we so drawn to women who kill? We’ve seen various kinds of dangerous women over the decades, but perhaps none have proved so alluring as the Female Assassin. She’s a character who terrifies us as much as she attracts us, going on bloody rampages in skin-tight outfits, and cloaking her dark intentions with a sexy smirk. As a killer, the female assassin rejects nearly everything that society expects of women. This makes her an unnerving, yet liberating character—one who challenges the assumptions that women are predominantly caring or inherently good. Here’s our Take on the female assassin and this complex role she plays for women, as well as the moral quandaries she presents by being a murderer we feel compelled to root for.