5 Best Zoe Saldaña Sci-Fi Movies, Ranked

Zoe Saldaña has cemented herself as a leading lady in science fiction. While her resume includes plenty of other genres, like romantic comedies and dramas, sci-fi is what many know her for. Not only did she play one of the most important female characters of the "Star Trek" franchise in a movie trilogy, but she's part of James Cameron's "Avatar," which is the sci-fi epic of the 21st century. She's spent time on other planets, in space ships, and trying to prevent the destruction of entire civilizations.

It can be difficult to decide where to start when it comes to her sci-fi offerings. Do you begin with the human in a sci fi universe, or just dive right in to her playing a Na'vi on Pandora? Never fear, we've determined her top five movies in the genre for you. In addition to considering the Rotten Tomatoes scores, Saldaña's character and her performance helped determine which sci-fi flicks are the best of the best in her filmography. These include major franchises, several different skin tones, and two variations of a warrior. 

The audience's time with the Guardians came to a close with "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3" in 2023. Set after the events of "Avengers: Endgame," the Gamora (Zoe Saldaña) that Peter Quill (Chris Pratt), and their friends know and love is gone after Thanos sacrificed her so he could obtain the Soul Stone. However, a Gamora from another timeline appears in this film, showing who she might've been had she not joined them in 2014.

The focus of the movie is arguably about Rocket's backstory, and it's an emotional narrative that makes for a great end to the trilogy, boasting an 82% from critics and a 94% from audiences on Rotten Tomatoes. The other heartbeat of the film is the back and forth between alternate Gamora and Peter. This Gamora isn't the caring one fans have come to know — she's more cynical, snarkier, and there's a bit more edge to everything she says.

Very few actors can play the same character in two polarizing ways, but that's exactly what Saldaña does. While you miss the Gamora from before, this different version of her finds her own place within the team, and Saldaña plays her in such a way you never question which Gamora is on screen. Parts of the personality you know are there, but her mannerisms and attitude are completely different, thanks to Saldaña's stellar performance.

"Avatar: Fire and Ash" picks up directly after the battle of "Avatar: The Way of Water" as the Resources Development Administration (RDA) continues to hunt Jake Sully (Sam Worthington). In addition to the threat of the RDA, another Na'vi clan surfaces, attacking others and siding with the humans. Jake and his family are trying to get Spider (Jack Champion) to the science camp for his own protection, as his oxygen masks keep dying, but the new clan and the RDA continue to impede their progress.

Initially, it seems like the weakest of the "Avatar" movies, according to the 66% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes, but audiences love it, awarding it a 90%. One of its strong points is that "Fire and Ash" arguably has the most character development for Neytiri. She's forced to grapple with the loss of her son after the events of "Way of Water" and how she feels about Spider due to his humanity. 

The combination of the antagonistic Na'vi clan and RDA causes her to reevaluate her faith and what she stands for, and Saldaña does a spectacular job of showing all the emotions Neytiri experiences. Her character also gets several amazing action sequences while trying to break Jake out of the RDA facility, showing the strength, both physically and emotionally, that made her character stand out in the original film.

"Guardians of the Galaxy" was an unexpected hit within the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Led by Chris Pratt's Peter Quill/Star-Lord, it follows him stealing an orb containing an infinity stone and bringing a rag-tag group of "heroes" together. Gamora, played by Zoe Saldaña, is a daughter of Thanos and trained assassin who turns her back on what she knows to join Quill by the end of the film.

"Guardians of the Galaxy" was when Marvel and Disney still took risks with the MCU. There wasn't much hype going into the movie's release, but it proved itself quickly, earning a 91% from critics and a 92% from audiences on Rotten Tomatoes. Part of that is because of the work of director James Gunn, who created wonderful versions of these characters and built a soundtrack with iconic songs from the 1960s and '70s. An important part of the film's success was the cast chemistry and delivery.

Non-human characters like Groot (Vin Diesel) and Rocket (Bradley Cooper) have strong personalities, and Peter's humor is expertly delivered by Pratt. However, it's Gamora who presents one of the most interesting narratives. Though her story isn't fully explored until later installments, her arc from a one-minded trained killer to someone who cares about the world around her and those who have access to the power it holds is wonderful to watch. Combined with awesome fight sequences, it's easily one of Saldaña's best roles and movies.

James Cameron's "Avatar" was the start of the next great science fiction epic. Released in 2009, the film follows Jake Sully (Sam Worthington, who beat out two Marvel stars for the role) as he takes his brother's place on an exploration mission to a faraway planet. While the science team Jake is part of genuinely wants to learn about the people who live there, the Na'vi, and the planet by taking on Na'vi forms, the operation is rooted in mining unobtanium, a mineral that is a strong superconductor.

While Jake meets many people in his "avatar" form, one who stands out the most is Neytiri, a Na'vi woman portrayed by Zoe Saldaña. Neytiri helps him understand her people as part of the team's research, and the two fall in love, with Jake permanently taking his Na'vi form by the end of the film. At its core, "Avatar" is about acceptance and open-mindedness, and though Jake's story certainly encompasses that, it comes across more in Neytiri's acceptance of Jake and his humanity.

As the primary Na'vi character, Saldaña not only does a great job introducing audiences to the Na'vi, but she shows science fiction is an excellent fit for her. She plays Neytiri as a dynamic character who is both willing to accept Jake but will fearlessly defend her people, and you can't help but root for her. 

Zoe Saldaña joined two major science fiction franchises in 2009: "Avatar" and "Star Trek." In the latter, she is Nyota Uhura, a Starfleet cadet-turned-communications officer. The first movie of what would become a trilogy features the USS Enterprise fighting against Nero (Eric Bana) as James T. Kirk (Chris Pine) and Spock (Zachary Quinto) learn more about themselves and advance their careers.

While Uhura isn't a core character of this film, that arguably comes with the next installments, Saldaña presents her with incredible depth. The cadet holds her own as a strong, independent person among the group she's with, but also never hesitates to show her softer side, especially when it comes to Spock. It builds a character who feels like a part of the unofficial main trio with the second and third films.

"Star Trek" is one of Saldaña's highest rated films on Rotten Tomatoes, boasting a 94% from critics and a 91% from audiences. It successfully kickstarted a bit of a next generation for the franchise, though it is an alternate timeline of the universe fans know from the original TV series, and showed audiences what Saldaña could do in the genre.