The Woman King takes place in 1823 in the Kingdom of Dahomey, a powerful West African state. The story centers on General Nanisca, the leader of the Agojie, an elite all‑female military unit devoted to defending Dahomey from external threats. The film opens with a dramatic raid led by Nanisca in which she and her warriors free Dahomean women who had been abducted by slavers from the neighboring Oyo Empire. This action spurs King Ghezo to prepare the kingdom for war with Oyo.To bolster Dahomey’s defenses, Nanisca trains a new generation of Agojie recruits. Among them is Nawi, a headstrong young woman whose father offers her to the king after she refuses to marry abusive suitors. During her training, Nawi forms close friendships with veteran warriors such as Izogie, and despite struggles to adapt to the rigid discipline, shows both courage and a strong moral compass.

A Portuguese slave trader named Santo Ferreira and his partner Malik (who is half‑Dahomean) arrive and form an uneasy alliance with the Oyo Empire. Tensions escalate when Nawi secretly learns the Oyo are planning a large‑scale attack. She reports this to Nanisca, but her recklessness and desire to act clash with Nanisca’s more cautious strategy. Meanwhile, Nanisca wrestles with her own painful past, which begins to become relevant to Nawi’s identity.

A major turning point occurs when Nanisca reveals to Nawi that she is her daughter: years earlier, Nanisca was raped by Oyo soldiers and gave birth, then placed the infant for adoption, marking her shoulder with a shark tooth. This revelation reshapes their relationship and strengthens Nawi’s resolve. As war looms, the Oyo Empire attacks and many Agojie are captured, including Nawi and Izogie. Nanisca, defying King Ghezo’s orders, leads a daring rescue mission. Although there are severe losses, including Izogie’s death during an escape attempt, the mission succeeds in rescuing the captives. She also personally confronts and kills the Oyo general, Oba Ade, in single combat.

At the end of the film, with Dahomey victorious, King Ghezo crowns Nanisca Woman King, recognizing her as his equal and acknowledging her leadership. The final scenes emphasize both the triumph and the losses, the pain of war, and the deep bonds among the women warriors. Nawi and Nanisca acknowledge their mother‑daughter relationship in private, sealing their personal reconciliation. The film closes with a sense of change in Dahomey: a kingdom that has defended its honor, but one also facing ongoing moral and political challenges around the slave trade and the cost of its battles