It's been 25 years since the Mission Impossible films series began and with each new installment, fans have been introduced to a variety of intriguing characters. Most of the memorable individuals have been IMF, CIA, and MI6 agents, while some have been criminals. A good number of them have been badass women too.
The female characters stand out for varied reasons. Some are good agents while others are quite skilled in combat. Others distinguish themself by wielding way more power than their counterparts. The kind of influence they have can either be broken down to financial, social, or organizational power.
Lauren
The CIA analyst Lauren spends her time behind computer screens, monitoring missions. She works closely with director Alan Hunley, providing him with the necessary information so he can apprehend Ethan.
Lauren draws comparisons with Q from the James Bond franchise. Both are extremely good at analyzing information and passing it over to either their superiors or agents. Since Lauren has access to all the most secrets of passcodes and drones, she is considered a very valuable employee. With her knowledge, she could do much damage if she wished.
Jane Carter
The IMF agent goes on the hunt for assassin Sabine Moreau for killing her boyfriend, Trevor Hanaway. She also leads an operation to retrieve nuclear launch codes in Budapest.
Though Jane's rank in the IMF is never revealed, it should be presumed that she has a high position since she commands her own team. She definitely ranks lower than Ethan since she takes orders from him but her status as a commander gives her plenty of power as she has several skilled operatives under her control.
Zhen Lei
Zhen is chosen to be a member of Ethan Hunt's team by John Musgrave. She accompanies him on most of his missions throughout the movie.
Being on the same level that Benji and Luther are currently in means Zhen is part of Ethan's inner circle. Her high rank is further confirmed by her being granted access to the most sensitive of information and accompanying Ethan to the most dangerous missions. The end of the movie also reminds viewers just how important an agent she is as she is welcomed back by Director Theodore Brassel and a group of armed agents.
Julia Meade
Dr. Julia Anne "Jules" Meade gets married to Ethan after falling in love with him in the first installment. The two divorce but she goes on to do numerous favors for him.
As the love of Ethan's life, Jules is the only person that can tell him what to do. The control she has over him is admirable as he risks his life several times to ensure that she is safe. Furthermore, she is a respected figure in her profession as she is tasked with handling special projects such as the Croatia Smallpox drive.
Sabine Moreau
The French assassin only takes diamonds as payment. She works for several high-profile clients, including the nuclear scientist Kurt Hendricks, aka, Cobalt.
Sabine's connections make her get access to so much valuable information. Given how much she knows, she is considered very valuable by her associates. On her part, she is more than glad to sell information to the highest bidder. And having collected tons of diamonds for her numerous jobs, she cushions herself against bankruptcy. A combination of these factors makes Sabine one of the best henchmen/henchwomen in the Mission Impossible franchise.
Ilsa Faust
The MI6 agent is revealed to be working for The Syndicate, causing her to clash with Ethan and his team. It later turns out that she is on an undercover mission to acquire information.
Ilsa's status as a double agent enables her to get the best out of both the world of crime and the world of espionage. Though she claims to be good, she enjoys working for The Syndicate too. Ilsa's level of influence can be seen from the high-profile operations she is assigned. She is the only one that Solomon Lane trusts with interrogating Ethan. Additionally, she is given the complex tasks of assassinating Austria's Chancellor at the Vienna Opera House.
Alanna Mitsopolis
This philanthropist is one of the smartest Mission Impossible characters because she carries herself as an upstanding citizen on paper yet she funds her activities through arms dealing. She also happens to be the daughter of Max, the overarching villain of the first movie.
Alanna is extremely influential as many power players are seen attending her fundraiser at the Grand Palais in Paris. Her financial power is unrivaled too since she is literally an heir, with most of her wealth having been passed down from her mother. She is well connected in the corridors of espionage too and that's why she is easily able to provide the IMF team with information about Solomon Lane.
Nyah Nordoff-Hall
The former professional thief is hired by the IMF to spy on Sean Ambrose, a terrorist who also happens to be her ex-boyfriend. Her mission is to help recover the Chimera virus from him.
It's evident in the film that Nyah's association with Ambrose has earned her respect from those in the underworld. All the terrorist employees and associates appear to fear her. And having spent many years as a thief, she has acquired all the wealth she needs. During one of the best chase scenes in the Mission Impossible franchise, she is seen driving a Porche 911.
Erica Sloan
Erica becomes the new CIA Director after Allan Hunley moves over to the IMF. She initially isn't a big fan of Ethan and his team but she comes to appreciate the work they do.
Erica's position is considered the most coveted one in the intelligence community and for that reason, she ranks high up the list. She not only has hundreds of capable agents under her command but can pause or green-light missions at will. Her position comes with plenty of perks too as she has her own private jet and a fleet of luxury cars.
Max Mitsopolis: Mission Impossible
The former British army colonel ventures into crime and morphs into a major arms smuggler. She then corrupts several IMF agents, using them to get the names of undercover agents so as to sell them to the highest bidder.
Max manages to spread her wings far and wide without detection because she is mysterious. Her male-sounding name has made intelligence organizations focus their hunt on what they believe is a male figure, yet it's her pulling the strings. Max has so much money that characters like Jim Phelps aren't able to refuse her bribes. Her contribution to the formation of Ethan's team cannot be understated either since it's her that gives him the $150,000 he uses to hire Luther and Franz.