The term “Geek Goddess” — used to describe a female actor who has been involved in many popular or cult genre movie and TV shows — is one practically synonymous with Katee Sackhoff, who has certainly come a long way from her major motion picture debut in the most critically reviled of the Halloween movies, 2002’s Halloween: Resurrection. At this point in her career, the simple announcement of her casting in a project is enough to get a rise out of legions of fans, which is why it is hard to believe that she has not played a Marvel character (at least in a live-action title) yet.
The most recent example of her mastery in genre acting can be seen in how she plays Bo-Katan Kryze on the hit Disney+ original TV show, The Mandalorian, which is actually not the only series spun-off from the Star Wars franchise on which she has portrayed the resident, intergalactic bounty hunter. The role is also merely the latest example of the many great performances Sackhoff has given in the more two decades she has been acting, but Bo-Katan is where we shall start.
Bo-Katan Kryze (Star Wars: The Clone Wars, The Mandalorian)
The character of Bo-Katan Kryze — a character very important to the history of Mandalorian culture — was first introduced during the fourth season of the hit animated series, Star Wars: The Clone Wars, and was voiced by Katee Sackhoff. In the same year the George Lucas-created show had its final season, the actor became one of the first (and few) actors to reprise their animated Star Wars character in a live-action setting in the second season of The Mandalorian, for which she would don a red wig and add another layer of complexity and grit to the role, especially when she became a series regular in Season 3.
Kara "Starbuck" Thrace (Battlestar Galactica)
One of Sackhoff’s earliest and most esteemed trips into space is also the site of one of her most complex, grittiest, and most iconic roles yet — and one she fought hard for. On Ronald D. Moore’s reimagining of Glen A. Larson’s short-lived, cult favorite sci-fi series from the 1970s, the actor gives one of her most acclaimed performances as Lt. Kara “Starbuck” Thrace — a gender-swapped reinterpretation of Dirk Benedict’s character from the original. While mirroring the rebellious and cocky nature of Benedict’s portrayal, Sackhoff’s Starbuck would grow to be an even more popular figure of the franchise who is defined more for her resilience in the face of chaos and for her own flaws.
Dahl (Riddick)
A few years after the end of Battlestar Galactica, Sackhoff returned to outer space, but in a much different corner of the galaxy and for a role that is easily a standout in 2013’s Riddick — and not just because she is the only female character with a major speaking part. You can actually see a lot of Starbuck in the actor’s performance as Dahl — yet another outer space bounty hunter role on her resume — with her short-temper and impressive skills in hand-to-hand combat. She is one of the main reasons why the third installment of the Vin Diesel-led sci-fi franchise is my personal favorite… so far, until Riddick 4, anyway.
Niko Breckenridge (Another Life)
Just a year before reprising Bo-Katan on The Mandalorian, Katee Sackhoff made yet another return to space, but in a whole new kind of role unlike her previous characters away from earth. She leads the cast of the Netflix original sci-fi TV show, Another Life, as Niko Breckenridge — an astronaut forced to leave her husband and daughter behind when she is enlisted to lead a mission to investigate the origin of an alien artifact that recently made contact with the planet. While this would mark a slight turning point for Sackhoff in terms of her character’s overall demeanor, Niko is nonetheless the Number One reason to watch the series.
Victoria "Vic" Moretti (Longmire)
Sackhoff’s first Netflix exclusive series saw her invoke many of the same gritty, heroic sensibilities of her sci-fi characters, but while keeping her feet planted firmly on the ground. In Longmire, one of the best Neo-Western TV shows in recent memory, she plays Victoria “Vic” Moretti — a Philadelphia detective who, after following her husband to Wyoming, becomes deputy to Robert Taylor’s titular sheriff. Vic’s street smarts come in handy when dealing with some of the harsher crimes that she and Longmire face, but she also proves to be vulnerable when her personal life gets in the way.
Marie Russell (Oculus)
I mentioned at the top how Sackhoff’s first break in the horror genre with a role in Halloween: Resurrection did not result in the best movie on her resume, but her luck would change when she collaborated with Mike Flanagan. The writer and director’s first mainstream hit one, and of his best movies, 2013’s Oculus, is the story of a brother and sister (Brenton Thwaites and Karen Gillan) and their investigation into a mysterious mirror that they believe is responsible for their traumatic childhood. In flashbacks, we learn that their mother, played Sackhoff, fell prey to the insidious supernatural artifact, evolving her from the loving woman she once was into a violent murderer.
Amunet Black (The Flash)
Marie Russell is far from Sackhoff’s most iconic villainous character. That easily goes to her recurring role on The CW’s hit DC Comics-based TV show, The Flash, as Amunet Black — a meta human otherwise known as Leslie Jocoy who uses her power of magnetokinesis (which allows her to manipulate metallic substances) to develop a reputation as one of Crystal City’s most ruthless crime bosses. However, what makes this recurring role such a standout on the Arrow-verse set series and in the actor’s career in general is her deliciously scenery-chewing portrayal, complete with a hilariously over-the-top British accent.
BONUS: Kimberly (Power Rangers)
I could not complete this list without at least a mention of Sackhoff’s striking and even heartbreaking performance in a role originated by Amy Jo Johnson on Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. This 15-minute short film by acclaimed music video director Joseph Kahn reimagines the ‘90s childhood favorite as gritty, graphically violent dystopian drama that I wish we could one day see adapted as a feature-length film, especially with Sackhoff as the grown-up pink ranger, Kimblerly — a character she now owns, as far as I am concerned, for the way she redefines it with such a refreshing believability.
Needless to say, I am very much looking forward to see what Katee Sackhoff brings us next, whether that means seeing more of Bo-Katan Kryze or something entirely new.
