Top 10 Most Badass Clarke Moments on The 100
#10: Sacrificing Abby “Perverse Instantiation: Part 1”
Clarke has gone to incredible lengths to save her people, but this moment has to be one of the most challenging. When A.L.I.E. is invading people’s minds and building up her forces in the City of Light, she tries to use a chipped Abby to manipulate Clarke into giving up the passcode that will help her take over the world. In an attempt to break her will, A.L.I.E. forces Abby to hang herself while Clarke watches helplessly. But Clarke holds her grounds - willing to watch her own mother die to save the world.
#9: Injecting Herself “God Complex”
With yet another apocalypse approaching, Clarke has found a way to turn everyone into nightbloods so they can survive the oncoming radiation. But she’s faced with the moral dilemma of who to test the serum on, knowing that failure means a gruesome death for the test subject. In spite of Raven being against her, and Murphy begging her not to go through with it, she’s about to forcefully put Emori through the process when she changes her mind at the last second and injects herself with the serum instead. Clarke redefines herself as a true leader in this moment, remembering her responsibility to bear the cost of deliverance.
#8: Saving Space Kru “Praimfaya”
Poor Clarke is always the one who has to make the hard choices. When Raven is trapped with no way to get back to the safety of the bunker, Clarke and friends travel across the radiation-soaked forest to reach her. But when they run out of time to make it back before the death wave hits, Clarke is faced with yet another life or death decision. This time, she chooses life. The crew goes back for Raven, planning to escape together into space. While the others launch, Clarke stays behind, sacrificing herself to make sure that the Ark has power when they get there. This one had us rethinking that whole “there are no good guys” philosophy.
#7: Fighting Anya “Many Happy Returns”
Top 10 Crime Fighting Duos on TV
Clarke might be known as the Commander of Death now, but she was kicking ass and taking names long before she earned that title. After escaping Mount Weather together, Anya is through with the niceties and plans on bringing Clarke back to the Grounders as a prize, but Clarke doesn't go down easy. She fights back, making up for her lack of training with her resourcefulness, using anything and everything she can to defeat her. As they battle in front of the dropship Clarke uses the charred bones of Anya’s warriors to take her out. She wasn’t even Wanheda yet, just a bonafide badass.
#6: Fighting Josephine “Nevermind”
Top 10 Cartoon Characters with the Best Fighting Ability
The 100 try to grant Monty’s wish for them to be the good guys when they make it to Sanctum, but Clarke finds it challenging when Josephine tries to steal her body. Clarke has been in a lot of fights over the years, but this time the battle is over her mind. While Josephine tries to gain control in Clarke’s body, Clarke's consciousness refuses to go down without a fight. With a little help from her old friend Monty, Clarke manages to get the message to Bellamy that she’s still alive in there. Even with her body shutting down, Clarke’s mind fights the invader. Not even an immortal that’s been alive for centuries is tough enough to take Clarke down for good.
#5: Standing Up to Lexa “Bodyguard of Lies”
Even before Lexa is introduced, the Commander of the 12 Clans is an intimidating, semi-mythical figure. And when we finally meet her, she lives up to the hype. Even so, she’s no match for Clarke when she’s defending a friend. When Lexa questions Octavia's loyalty and tries to have her killed, Clarke calls her out on her lies. She rebukes Lexa’s “love is weakness” mantra, and tells her that she’s the weak one. Clarke stares her right in the face, and Lexa looks away first. Though their relationship would eventually change, this moment, in which Lexa is still something of an antagonist, is freaking awesome.
#4: Breaking Out of Mount Weather “Reapercussions”
Another Top 10 Breaking Character Moments on Saturday Night Live
Pretty much everything Clarke does in Mount Weather is a master class in badassery, but this moment is a particular standout. From the second Clarke wakes up in that shiny white room she never stops believing that something isn’t quite right, in spite of her own friends thinking she’s paranoid. After she puts the pieces together with some help from Anya, Clarke fights her way out of the mountain - past the Mountain Men, and out of the Reaper tunnels. In doing so, she shows the Mountain Men that she’s not to be trifled with, and her determination to keep her friend’s face.
#3: Storming Mount Weather “Blood Must Have Blood: Part 2”
After her daring escape from Mount Weather, there was no question that Clarke would go back for her friends. When Lexa betrays the alliance between the Grounders and the Sky People, it seems like all hope is lost to save the 100 from the Mountain Men. The rest of Sky People turn their backs on Clarke when they lose the help of the Grounder army. But Clarke storms Mount Weather anyway. Although most people associate this episode with Clarke and Bellamy pulling the lever that earned her the title Wanheda, this moment that’s Clarke’s most badass. With only the 100 inside, and no back up, Clarke walks into the Mountain alone - and wins.
#2: Letting Emerson Live “Bitter Harvest”
When it’s revealed that Emerson helped the Ice Nation destroy Mount Weather, killing many of the Sky People, Lexa gives Clarke the opportunity to take her vengeance. But Clarke instead lets him live, inspiring Lexa to buck tradition and adopt a new blood-must-NOT-have-blood policy. The Grounders may have seen this as weakness, but Clarke knows that, for Emerson, living with what he's done and what he's lost is a punishment worse than death. Naturally though, when Emerson returns to force Clarke to watch her friends die the way he watched his family die, Clarke is not so nice the second time around - using the Flame to end him once and for all. Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions: The Grounder Alliance “Remember Me” Saving Lexa “Survival of the Fittest” Killing the Sniper “Resurrection” War with the Grounders “We Are Grounders: Part 2” Double Cross “Damocles” Part 1”
#1: Taking Charge “Coup de Grace”
Top 10 Shark Tank Products the Sharks Regret Taking
Before the rest of the Ark-dwellers follow the 100 down to Earth, Clarke and Bellamy have become successful leaders. But when all the adults come down they try to regain control. With their new enemy, Mount Weather, on the rise, there’s a power struggle until Clarke takes control, stands up to her mother, and, with the Grounders at her back, lets everyone know just who’s in charge. Previously Clarke had pretty much been thrust into a leadership position, but here, she takes it with purpose. Doubling down on this statement of authority, Clarke sends the captured Emerson back to Mount Weather with the message that the 100 and the Grounders are coming for them.
