O-Ren Ishii is one of the most notable characters in Quentin Tarantino’s Kill Bill franchise and the main villain of the first movie. I’ve always had a fondness for Lucy Liu, and this is definitely one of the roles I remember her most for.

She was one of the assassins who worked directly under Bill, and she had no problem being part of the group that ambushed Beatrix Kiddo in that Texas chapel.

It seems that after that event, she just wanted to be her own crime boss—she even had her own little Yakuza gang in Japan. I’m pretty sure Quentin Tarantino wrote her to be half Chinese and half Japanese. Considering how xenophobic and anti-Chinese some Japanese people can be, it’s kind of ironic (and impressive) that she could rise to power and rule a Yakuza faction.

But hey—she did kill the guy who opposed her because of her mixed heritage. Her abilities with a sword are unquestionably amazing, especially considering the formal and beautiful kimono she wears while fighting.

After Beatrix Kiddo cuts through so many of her underlings, she finally has her long-awaited battle with O-Ren in the snow.

I’ve always heard that her type of katana is considered one of the weaker kinds made, but it sure looks beautiful—and their sword fight was pretty darn fun to watch.

Despite landing some solid cuts on the Bride, Beatrix Kiddo gains the upper hand and slices off the top of O-Ren’s skull. Definitely one of my favorite deaths in the franchise.