Top 10 Badass Movie Characters
- Published December 27, 2007 - 272 Comments
Throughout the history of modern cinema, there have been many iconic heroes and villains. Here is a Top 10 list of the baddest movie characters that you wouldn’t have a chance against in a fight. One condition though, they have to be human.
10. Marv Sin City
Starting off the list, we have Marv, a famous protagonist from Frank Miller’s graphic novel and film ‘Sin City’. He’s such a badass that he just shrugs off multiple gunshot wounds; being hit by a car; a blow to the head by a sledgehammer; and even electrocution. To add insult to injury, he often takes trench coats of the people he kills. He’s also an incessant drinker with an extremely high alcohol tolerance. Meaning he can probably kick your ass after a few six-packs and a bottle of vodka.
Dons: trench coat, leather pants and army boots.
Badass Quote: “That there is one damn fine coat you’re wearing.”
9. Drill Sergeant Hartman Full Metal Jacket
In movies, we see a lot of tough drill instructors. None, however, come close to the badass-ness of Drill Sergeant Hartman from Stanley Kubrick’s masterpiece, ‘Full Metal Jacket’. His hair-raising tirades could very well send someone into insanity, which is exactly what he did to Private Gomer Pyle. He loses some cool points for getting shot by Private Pyle in the bathroom, though.
Dons: a number of medals pinned on his khaki shirt.
Rank: Senior Drill Instructor and Gunnery Sergeant
Badass Quote: “What is your major malfunction, numbnuts? Didn’t Mommy and Daddy show you enough attention when you were a child?”
8. John Shaft Shaft
Shaft is one bad motherfucker. How do I know that? The movie’s theme song says so. Delivering memorable one-liners and clearing the scum off of Harlem’s streets is all part of the job for this aggressive detective. Shaft is so cool that he can be a badass and a ladies’ man at the same time. Damn, Samuel L. Jackson was born to play this role. At least it’s better than playing the Jedi with the purple lightsaber.
Dons: a leather outfit, fitted with a high-powered shotgun.
Badass Quote: “You wouldn’t know Egyptian cotton if Pharaoh himself gave it to you, you knock-off-wearing motherfucker.”
7. Vic Vega, A.K.A. Mr. Blonde Reservoir Dogs
Vic Vega is an iconic character in Quentin Tarantino’s first and very underrated movie, ‘Reservoir Dogs’. He’s so damn badass that just after being released from jail, he decides to team up and go on a jewelry heist. He’s robbing a jewelry store, when the alarm trips. Not even batting an eyelash, Vic stays cool and then threatens the whole store. Most robbers would have been running out of there when they heard the alarm, but he just stays calm and collected.
Alias: Mr. Blonde
Badass Quote: “Are you gonna bark all day, doggie, or are you gonna bite?”
6. Lara Croft Tomb Raider
Forget peanut butter and chocolate. Forget Sonny and Cher. It doesn’t get much better than guns and boobs. Lara Croft is one tough chick. She’s strong as hell, she knows how to wield a gun, and can climb a pole like no other. It’s not easy to look hot and deadly at the same time, but she easily pulls that off.
Dons: a tight dark shirt and shorts.
Weapon of Choice: two handguns holstered at each hip.
Badass Quote: “Why would I try and cheat you out of anything, now? I need you to get the piece so I can steal it from you later.”
5. John McClane Die Hard series

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Terrorists’ worst fear, John McClane, is one tough dude. Even though most of the ‘Die Hard’ movies sucked, he’s still remembered as that bald guy who somehow foiled four terrorist plots. He’s a 47 year old chain smoking vigilante who’s “two steps away from being a full-fledged alcoholic”, and he can still kick some serious ass. He gives hope to middle-aged men everywhere who someday wish to save the world from terrorism.
Number of Films: four.
Badass Quote: “Yippee-ki-yay, motherfucker”.
4. James Bond James Bond series
There have been many Bonds in history. There’s ugly Bond, blonde Bond, narcoleptic Bond, the Bond that no one cares about, and then there’s Sean Connery. He was the first and he was the best. If you make fun of his Scottish accent, he will come to your house, seduce all of the women within a ten-mile radius, have sex with them, and punch you in the face. Bond is the coolest spy ever.
Dons: a sharp suit and tie.
Weapon of Choice: Walther PPK
Badass Quote: “The name’s Bond…James Bond.”
3. John Rambo Rambo series
How can one man single-handedly kill hundreds of people armed only with a knife? Yeah, it doesn’t really make much sense, but it makes for some kickass movies. Rambo. The muscle-shirt clad beast has inspired more phrases than any other action hero and has become a synonym for ‘badass’. According to the Guinness Book of World Records, Rambo III broke the record for the most violent film, with 221 acts of violence and 108 deaths.
Dons: a muscle-shirt, bandana and jeans.
Number of Films: four (Rambo 4 coming out soon).
Badass Quote: “I could have killed ‘em all, I could kill you. In town you’re the law, out here it’s me. Don’t push it. Don’t push it or I’ll give you a war you won’t believe. Let it go. Let it go.”
2. Tony Montana Scarface
Nobody has inspired people to buy more framed posters and “replica bullets” than Tony Montana. You can’t watch an MTV Cribs episode without seeing at least one over-caffeinated rapper showing off his Scarface poster and DVD. Al Pacino acted the part of a drug dealer beautifully, encompassing the trials and tribulations one must go through to make it big as a mobster.
Background: escaped from Cuba and worked odd jobs until he got involved with a powerful mobster.
Badass Quote: “Say hello to my little friend!”
1. Darth Vader Star Wars series
The most badass character ever has to be Darth Vader. The man in black (sorry Johnny Cash) has been featured in four films and is the most powerful character in the Star Wars universe. He took control of half the galaxy and could kill you by snapping his fingers. He does lose some cool points for the ending of Return of the Jedi, when Luke takes off Vader’s helmet and you see his ugly face. Anyway, I bet you he’s using his powers on me right now…
Dons: a big black suit and helmet.
Weapon of Choice: he doesn’t even need a weapon, he’ll kill you with his fucking mind!
Contributor: dazednconfused























December 27th, 2007 at 2:36 pm
You are missing some badasses who could kick the crap out of some of the names listed (just to name a few):
Jules Winnfield (Sam Jackson) in Pulp Fiction
Michael Corleone
The Terminator
Maximus (Crowe in Gladiator)
Joe Pesci in Goodfellas
Your top 5 are fine, but 6-10 should not be anywhere near this list (except maybe Marv & Shaft)
December 27th, 2007 at 2:41 pm
Nice list, but the sheer fact that you don’t have Javier Bardem as Chigurgh from ‘No Country For Old Men’ is a crying, CRYING shame. He is the scariest badass I have ever seen and literally made me cringe a few times with his nonchalance and ‘whatever’ attitude. Best Bad Ass EVER!
December 27th, 2007 at 2:43 pm
The Terminator was not human so that doesn’t qualify for this list.
But I think Pesci is a super bad ass in just about all of his movies!
December 27th, 2007 at 2:43 pm
Your Bond description made me laugh really hard. Really good writing and overall nice list.
December 27th, 2007 at 2:45 pm
How about Hannibal Lecter? Now that’s a F’d up character.
December 27th, 2007 at 2:58 pm
No Bourne?
December 27th, 2007 at 2:58 pm
Marv should have been higher on the list:)
What about Batman?!! He’s the king of badasses!
December 27th, 2007 at 3:05 pm
SWEET! Darth Vader is #1! He could easily kill anybody on this list, and as the list said, he doesn’t need a weapon, HE CAN KILL YOU WITH HIS FUCKING MIND!
December 27th, 2007 at 3:08 pm
King Leonidas from 300?..he could kick some ass!
Messenger: This is blasphemy! This is madness!
King Leonidas: Madness…? THIS… IS… SPARTA!
December 27th, 2007 at 3:18 pm
Fun list and entertaining descriptions.
I was waiting for Dirty Harry to show up somewhere here.
“Well, to tell you the truth, in all this excitement I kind of lost track myself. … got to ask yourself a question: Do I feel lucky? Well, do ya, punk?”
December 27th, 2007 at 3:36 pm
I agree with ravstar. King Leonidas can whoop some serious Persian ass!
December 27th, 2007 at 3:37 pm
Rachel: Batman is not badass he’s just a superhero.
December 27th, 2007 at 3:40 pm
Blondie from The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly
December 27th, 2007 at 3:40 pm
dave: Jason Bourne?! Are you serious!? Matt Damon sucks in playing as a badass movie character.
December 27th, 2007 at 3:45 pm
If the next bad ass list for television characters, Chuck Norris MUST be number one! (Or else he’ll roundhouse kick you in the face!)
December 27th, 2007 at 4:02 pm
how could prepare a list of badasses without mentioning terrorist worst nightmares;jack(kiefer sutherland) in 24,and the unkillable bride in killbill series?
December 27th, 2007 at 4:08 pm
Sexy Beast – Ben Kingsley as Don Logan in what was, to that point, the baddest mofo in movie history. Javier Bardem as Chigurgh in “No Country…” has since achieved similar badass status.
December 27th, 2007 at 4:11 pm
kunle: Jack is from a television show not a movie. Hopefully the next badass list would be about televesion show characters.
December 27th, 2007 at 4:15 pm
You will need to extend this list,that’s all there is to it. What about Conan the barbarian or Ripley from aliens or Snake Plisken.Yeah…you will need to extend it.
December 27th, 2007 at 4:27 pm
subliminalDeath666: Alright, i thought we are talking about all round badasses, anyway the bride(urma thurman)with henzo hattori sword in that restaurant definitely kick both balls and asses!
December 27th, 2007 at 4:36 pm
Popular does not equal badass, is all im going to say.
December 27th, 2007 at 4:38 pm
Well, here’s another 5 movie badasses for consideration:
1) James Cagney as Cody Jarrett in ‘White Heat’
2) Eric Bana as Mark ‘Chopper’ Read.
3) Joe Pesci as Tommy in ‘Goodfellas’.
4) John Jarratt as Mick Taylor in ‘Wolf Creek’
5) Benecio Del Toro as Dario in ‘Licence To Kill’
December 27th, 2007 at 4:42 pm
kunle: It is true though, Uma Thurman played a REALLY badass character.
December 27th, 2007 at 4:47 pm
what about Alex in a clock work orange?
Ripley en Snake are great to
December 27th, 2007 at 5:01 pm
You forgot Vader’s line: “You do not know the power of the dark side.”
December 27th, 2007 at 5:11 pm
Speaking of the man in black (Johnny Cash), you should do a list of real life badasses…
(Johnny Cash better be #1)
((not “walk the line” Johnny, the real stories about him))
December 27th, 2007 at 5:17 pm
justme – good one on Alex, I forgot about him
this list may be of badasses who would kick your ass… Alex, if real, I’d truely be scared of
December 27th, 2007 at 5:45 pm
I’ve gotta throw my vote in for King Leonidas too…
Aside from that, its a good list. I’m all for the constructive criticism and all but it seems a lot of people are just being stupid in their comments. Come on, half of the movies you people are suggesting, NO ONE has even heard of!
Give the guy a break, and make your own g*dd**n list if you think you can do better.
December 27th, 2007 at 5:57 pm
Great list. May the force be with you!
December 27th, 2007 at 6:09 pm
i agree any chuck norris character
you know they say he’s so tough that under is beard there is no chin only another fist
December 27th, 2007 at 6:12 pm
Good list! I don’t know about Lara Croft but all the other selections are solid. Here’s my top five of bad asses not on the list:
1. Anton Chigurh from No Country For Old Men
2. The Bride from Kill Bill
3. Hannibal Lecter from The Silence of the Lambs
4. Tyler Durden from Fight Club
5. Colonel Kilgore from Apocalypse Now
December 27th, 2007 at 6:38 pm
Great list- I just have a couple notes:
Vader should lose additional points for being such a beyotch in the prequels, and also, by your own definition, maybe even disqualified. Obi Wan said it himself: “He’s more machine now than man… Twisted and evil.”
The Bride should definitely be in the top 5, as I don’t think I’ve ever seen a character, male or female, that was more the absolute definition of badassness than her. I would take my chances against anyone on this list before I’d roll the dice with that crazy chick.
Seriously though, awesome list!
December 27th, 2007 at 6:48 pm
Samuel L. Jackson is not the original Shaft.
December 27th, 2007 at 6:52 pm
Jacoooob- i think everyone knows he is not the original shaft but its samuel l jackson he is the definition of cool
December 27th, 2007 at 7:17 pm
nice list…
I agree with the Bride from the Kill Bill shoulda been on here though…
December 27th, 2007 at 7:34 pm
if we are gonna talk about the kill bill movies, how can you leave out pai mei, the bride’s master?
he kicked her ass all over the place and taught her everything he knows, including the five point palm exploding heart technique.
http://echeng.com/journal/images/misc/paimei.jpg
December 27th, 2007 at 7:50 pm
This list kicks ass. Kudos for an awesome list, Dazednconfused. =D Although I think the bride from Kill Bill should have been on here somewhere, since DiscHuker mentioned it…she was more badass than Pai Mei, in my opinion. This totally could have been a top 15 too I think with all the choices out there, but regardless, good choices.
December 27th, 2007 at 7:52 pm
some other options…
tony jaa in either ong bak or the protector
dae-su oh in old boy
jules winfield in pulp fiction
travis bickle in taxi driver
neo in the matrix trilogy
derek vineyard in american history X
and i can’t believe nobody has said
william wallace from braveheart
December 27th, 2007 at 8:17 pm
I would’ve put the Terminator at least at #10. And the alien from the Predator series is pretty bad-ass too. But i do agree with #1. good list
December 27th, 2007 at 8:33 pm
WHERE THE HELL IS CHUCK NORRIS?
December 27th, 2007 at 8:50 pm
Ugh. If I hear one more thing about Chuck Norris … I’m sorry, but I do NOT see the appeal of bad acting! Kudos to this list, simply because it did NOT have him on it!
December 27th, 2007 at 8:52 pm
Same goes for Neo from the Matrix. Keanu Reeves, while good-looking, couldn’t act his way out of a wet paper bag, and frankly I thought him a bit of a pansy in the Matrix triolgy (admittedly I only saw the first two, since I didn’t think I could sit through the third one).
December 27th, 2007 at 9:33 pm
how is Steve McQueen not mentioned, or Arnold in Predator..and Clint Eastwood didnt get one role mentioned?..Also, Marv should have been top 5 no doubt! other than thatm good list, minus Lara Croft
December 27th, 2007 at 9:34 pm
+1 for including him, but there’s a ton of better Sgt. Hartman quotes. For Hartman, that one is practically a compliment.
December 27th, 2007 at 9:40 pm
how about Tyler Derden from Fight Club. He could convine an entire army to kill you and not even know he was doing it.
December 27th, 2007 at 9:43 pm
When I think of the term Bad Ass, I imagine a guy so tough or crazy that you can tell you had better not screw with him, just by looking at him. People like:
Zero Wolf, the main Mayan bad ass in Apocalypto
Eddie Dane from Miller’s Crossing
Winston Wolf from Pulp Fiction
Billy Hayes at the end in Midnight Express
stealing from/agreeing with DiscHuker:
travis bickle in taxi driver
derek vineyard in american history X
December 27th, 2007 at 9:44 pm
HOW could you forget Bruce Lee in Enter The Dragon?! When he’s got the numchucks and takes out 10 guys, then fights the guy with knives for his hand and says “You have offended my family, and you have offended the Shaolin Temple”? Only a total badass could say that while kicking you in the face.
December 27th, 2007 at 9:47 pm
Where in God’s name is Ash Williams from The Evil Dead series? He would kick the ass of everyone on this list. You seriously need to add him.
December 27th, 2007 at 10:05 pm
The Five Others Who Should Be On This List.
1. King Leonidas – 300
2. Jules Winnfield – Pulp Fiction
3. Snake Plisken – Escape From New York
4. Frank Castle – The Punisher
5. Ash Williams – Evil Dead series
December 27th, 2007 at 10:05 pm
what about Brad Pitt’s “Tyler Durden” in Fight Club? he should have been on hear at least
December 27th, 2007 at 10:14 pm
what about the guy from The Crow.he was fuckin badass!
December 27th, 2007 at 10:28 pm
“Here is a Top 10 list of the baddest movie characters that you wouldn’t have a chance against in a fight.”
That being said Al Pacino in scarface is NOTHING. Without guns and thugs he can’t fight that well are you serious.
Number 1 should be Bruce Lee in enter the dragon and followed by the lead character in Bloodsport based on what was said.
December 27th, 2007 at 10:32 pm
#9 is not a Drill Sergeant, he’s a Drill Instructor. One is for the army, the other is for the Marines. Also, his title is “Senior Drill Instructor Gunnery Sergeant Hartman”.
And Doc Holiday from Tombstone should be #1.
December 27th, 2007 at 10:59 pm
You people havent heard of Pulp fiction ?!
Its got more badass guys than any other movie.
Even guys from fight club!
December 27th, 2007 at 11:14 pm
star wars is such a lame ass movie. or as i like to refer to it “20 hours of my life i’ll never get back.” fuck darth vader. tony montana should be number one on this list for damn sure.
December 27th, 2007 at 11:17 pm
Sorry to say this, But I’ve never seen a list so wrong. I would consider some serious re-writing.
December 27th, 2007 at 11:20 pm
No Tyler Durden? He definitely should have been in there instead of John McClane’s gay ass
December 27th, 2007 at 11:25 pm
ummmmm JASON BOURNE? he could kick your ass with a magazine
December 27th, 2007 at 11:49 pm
First, I hereby confiscate the right to speak of all people who voted for Jason Bourne. We know you have a crush. Get over it.
Second, InconsistentAngelThings, this, as someone intelligently put earlier, is not a POPULARITY LIST, but a BADASS list. Thus, we need not have heard of the movies to make the characters badass.
Third, I applaud all votes for Ash Williams from Evil Dead… I hadn’t thought of that. I’m also startled that no one voted for Jack Burton from Big Trouble in Little China! Again, I don’t care if you’ve never heard of the movie, but IF YOU HAVE SEEN IT – YOU know what I’m talkin’ about!!
Badass line: “Everyone relax, I’m here.”
December 28th, 2007 at 1:56 am
Two words- Bruce fuckin Lee!
Hands down number one ass kicker of all time.
December 28th, 2007 at 2:14 am
Great list, but here’s one I haven’t heard mentioned yet…I don’t remember his name, but the main character from “Equilibrium”. Good flick, came out about the same time as The Matrix, so it got overshadowed, but that dude ( he was a Gammatron Cleric, if I recall) was a serious kicker of ass, to include slicing another cleric’s face off with a katana. Worth checking out if you haven’t seen it.
December 28th, 2007 at 2:30 am
Are you Serious this is the top ten? Really!?
So Mad Max, Predator, Ripley, Pinhead, I mean common. Croft? really cause what she can jump really high and when she falls on her face she can just bounce right up?
Vader…. you can’t be badass if ur waving a lightstick! u just can’t. how many people has he taken out. Yet dirty Harry is not here.
This list is crap and i demand a recount!
December 28th, 2007 at 2:58 am
Anybody seen Leon the Professional? That opening sequence..Jean Reno is as badass as it gets…
December 28th, 2007 at 2:59 am
And Scarface really was more human than badass..
December 28th, 2007 at 3:09 am
WHERE IS THE TERMINATOR?!?!!?
((((
December 28th, 2007 at 3:14 am
Bruce Lee.
How about various cons from con-air.
hon mention – billy jack
December 28th, 2007 at 4:58 am
Scarface and fuckin darth vader. darth vader is sickass nigga. I roll with that nigga. hes a fuckin beast.
December 28th, 2007 at 5:33 am
No Rikishi? Talking about badass character. Anyway, good list!
December 28th, 2007 at 5:58 am
Great list overall, but Lara Croft? For real?
And for those who want Neo from the Matrix on this list, I think Morpheus is way more badass.
Some other suggestions:
Alex DeLarge was such a badass (extra points ’cause it’s Malcolm McDowell).
Big Chris was Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels.
Inigo Montoya from The Princess Bride (with one of the most badass quotes ever: “Hello, my name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die.”)
And if animated characters count (asking since Marv is on the list), Spike from Cowboy Bebop.
December 28th, 2007 at 6:21 am
Great to see Darth Vader as number 1. I disagree with him losing points when we saw his face, however, his level of bad-ass-ness dropped dramatically when we found out in the “prequels” that he was just a whinny, tantrum throwing brat.
December 28th, 2007 at 6:23 am
pfffffffffffttt
everyone, with possible exception of chuck norris, completely falls short of “badass” compared to Tequila (yeah, thats his fucking name, beat that) from Hard Boiled played by chow yun fat. badass…end of story.
December 28th, 2007 at 6:28 am
Xavier: Inigo!!! YES!!! Love that quote!
And I definitely agree with Derek Vinyard as a badass… Just the look on his face could kick you ass when he’s after the guys who broke into his truck!
December 28th, 2007 at 7:00 am
Just one problem…the Marine Corps has Drill Instructors, not Drill Sergeants, that the Army.
So it should read Drill Instructor Hartman.
December 28th, 2007 at 7:22 am
two words “BRICK TOP”
December 28th, 2007 at 8:05 am
Bourne sucks and 300 sucks.
Javier Bardem from No Country, Uma from Kill Bill, and what about the general from Pan’s Labyrinth? I sewed up his own face for Christsake. John McClane should be higher up, he shot himself on purpose in the last one. And Lara Croft is not a badass. I would do some bad things to her ass, but that’s about it.
December 28th, 2007 at 8:10 am
I like the list. And I love Darth Vader as #1, but the REAL badass is Obi Wan. Obi Wan beat him and could have easily killed him when he was still Anakin. The only reason Vader beat him in Ep. IV is that Obi Wan let him.
December 28th, 2007 at 8:11 am
Okay,
Lara Croft is on the list, seriously?
And not one Clint Eastwood character!?
Dirty Harry, BADASS. The Man With No Name, BADASS. And probably the most BADASS character of all time, The Outlaw Josey Wales. Seriously, if you have not seen that one, go watch it.
And as much as I like Marv, Clive Owen’s character Dwight, that was a better badass in that movie. “It’s time to prove to your friends that you’re worth a damn. Sometimes that means dying, sometimes it means killing a whole lot of people.”
I realize that trying to pull the Top Ten Badasses is hard, but seriously the use of Lara Croft makes this a piss poor effort.
December 28th, 2007 at 8:17 am
Jack Burton hands down #1. As far as Derek Vineyard goes if you get ass-fucked by your “boys” and they’re still alive at the end of the movie, well that pretty disqualifies you i would think.
December 28th, 2007 at 8:39 am
No Tommy from Goodfellas?
December 28th, 2007 at 9:41 am
I thought this list was good…a bit off the mark on a couple of choices, but good nonetheless.
However, my only real point of contention with the author of this list is nitpicky but important for those who loved “Resevoir Dogs” as much as I do: When the alarm went off during the heist (even though we never see it) Mr. Blonde does NOT stay cool and calm. He starts blowing the customers and employees away before bolting. He and Mr. White were fighting about just that when he says the line that was quoted on this list.
December 28th, 2007 at 9:53 am
Yeah we all forgot about Bruce Cambell in Army of Darkness..
i mean… he’s one of THE originals to attach a weapon to a missing appendage…. not to mention it was a fucking chainsaw… against an army… of darkness
come on! who could forget:
“Well hello Mister Fancypants. Well, I’ve got news for you pal, you ain’t leadin’ but two things: Jack and shit… and Jack just left town.”
or the whole “this is my boomstick” schpeill?
December 28th, 2007 at 10:06 am
What makes “Senior Drill Instructor Gunnery Sergeant Hartman” even more badass is how badass R. Lee Ermey is. He was an actual Marine Drill Instructor that was hired on to Full Metal Jacket only as a technical advisor to the actor who was cast as Sgt. Hartman, but his tirades were so impressive to Stanley Kubrick that he fired the actor and replaced him with R. Lee Ermey. The insults spewed forth are mostly ad-libbed by Ermey. Yep, he’s a badass.
December 28th, 2007 at 10:43 am
I’m just gonna throw this out there: Shatner.
December 28th, 2007 at 11:14 am
Ash from the Evil Dead Movies.
Han Solo.
Anything Clint Eastwood.
Anything John Wayne.
Arnold in Predator.
I havta say, I’m not happy with this list, except for McClane, Marv, James Bond, Rambo, And Vader
December 28th, 2007 at 11:50 am
R. Lee Ermey is a bad ass! He was a real Gunnery Sgt. for The Marines and his outfit in Full Metal Jacket is most likely his genuine outfit from his days as a gunny! I read that he got that part in Full Metal Jacket because he was hired to train the actor for the part, but he was so damn good at what he was doing that he was given the part instead.
He was a guest of honor at a quarterly gun and military show around my town recently and yes, boys and girls, he autographed my Sheriff Hoyt action figure of himself from the newer version of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre! Ooo-rah indeed!
On another note,I think it is clear that we need a Top 10 Badass Movie Characters Part 2.
December 28th, 2007 at 11:52 am
Woops…I meant he autographed the unopened package to my action figure rather than the figure itself.
December 28th, 2007 at 12:19 pm
Sheesh…Jake the Muss (Once Were Warriors) would be near the top of my list
December 28th, 2007 at 12:20 pm
Can’t believe there’s no mention of Toshiro Mifune’s “Yojimbo” character. Additionally, Kyuzo from “Seven Samurai.” Definitely a guy you want on your team of all-stars.
December 28th, 2007 at 12:45 pm
To the individual that said Star Wars sucked….you need a lobotomy,and saying scarface is a badass is bullshit, he was just another violent gangster with a gun.Another badass is Michael Meyers from Halloween. What all happened to himStabbed with knitting needles,shot in both eyes,shot and then fell off a second story building…etc…etc.
December 28th, 2007 at 1:48 pm
“If you make fun of his Scottish accent, he will come to your house, seduce all of the women within a ten-mile radius, have sex with them, and punch you in the face”
That made me laugh out loud, and I’m pretty hard to please, humor-wise.
December 28th, 2007 at 2:03 pm
Winston ‘The Wolf’ Wolfe… The badasses of pulp fiction think this man is badass!!
December 28th, 2007 at 2:30 pm
Sgt.Barnes from Platoon
December 28th, 2007 at 2:40 pm
#gcat: I have to agree. This has to take the cake. I mean, it don’t get better than that. Harvey Keitel at his best..
December 28th, 2007 at 3:17 pm
The hitcher, from The Hitcher and the remake. Both actors who portrayed character had a nonchalance about them that made me feel cold.
December 28th, 2007 at 3:23 pm
Another one that was over looked is SNAKE PLISSKEN from Escape From New York… forget Escape From L.A. if you need to.
December 28th, 2007 at 3:31 pm
I think the original bad asses like Ash, Snake, and Mad Max should be at the top. seriously.
December 28th, 2007 at 3:40 pm
great list.
i always thought a “badass” was someone who could kick your ass without a gun (hand-to-hand weapons are more “badass”), could take multiple beatings and was infinitely cool (or at least calm in the face of danger).
Also, remember we’re talking CHARACTERS, not actors/actresses.
having said that, i’m surprised the following were not included:
the bride from Kill Bill
Arnold in Predator
Bruce Lee in Enter the Dragon
Mad Max
Indy Jones
any number of Eastwood characters (Dirty Harry, Outlaw Jose Wales)
i would eliminate:
Lara Croft (pretty tough, but not badass)
Mr. Blonde (a bully)
Tony Montoya
any Bond other than Sean Connery (new Bond’s are too techno-dependent)
I would choose Obi-wan over Vader as a badass.
December 28th, 2007 at 3:55 pm
How about King Leonidas from the 300!? Shit, he was a real person too. He would kill babies at birth if they even looked like they wouldn’t be warriors. In the realm of “Badassness” that has to be ranked pretty high.
December 28th, 2007 at 4:07 pm
I’m going to have to be the one to say it? Denzel Washington in either Man on Fire or American gangster. Anyone?
December 28th, 2007 at 4:37 pm
Denzel in American Gangster for sure. He shot a guy in the open, in a market! Add to that the man he set on fire in the very beginning, and all the drugs he dealt. He should def. have a place on this list.
December 28th, 2007 at 4:44 pm
Thank you QDV for bringing up Kyuzo and Sanjuro from the Japanese films “Seven Samurai” and “Yojimbo,” respectively. I would also like to add in to the debate Zatoichi. He’s blind but still kills with unerring (and sometimes unnerving) precision.
Ash Williams from the “Evil Dead” series defniately deserves some thought, but what about the role the Sam Raimi tried to get him? I’m speaking of Darkman.
If we want to add in a John Wayne character, I’d suggest either Wil Anderson from “The Cowboys” or Sean Thorton from “The Quiet Man.”
And I know that he’s just an animated character, but shouldn’t we be discussing Spike Spiegel from “Cowboy Bebop” if we’re discussing movie character badasses?
December 28th, 2007 at 7:43 pm
in reply to RaistliniltsiaR, I did indeed read the “intelligent” comment about this not being a popularity contest, so you clearly missed my point.
Since there is really only a select few in the entire world who has actually SEEN EVERY SINGLE movie with a badass in it, obviously it would be ridiculously hard to make a list that would require such a thing. Plus, if one were to actually do that, everyone else would have to go out, hunt down these movies, and watch them, THEN reply which takes quite…a bit…of time. This, if you cant tell, would be an extremely long and stupidly drawn out process. Thus, not for the sake of popularity, but for the sake of allowing for the majority to actually AGREE with the list, it would need to include the *gasp* characters from more well known flicks. Damn. I f-ing hate having to explain sh*t to stupid people.
And again I’ll repeat since you clearly didn’t get it…
If you really don’t like the flippin list then MAKE YOUR OWN. I’d like to see how well people take to your false intelligence.
December 28th, 2007 at 10:48 pm
WHAT ABOUT KILL BILL?!?!?
December 28th, 2007 at 11:03 pm
Very good list overall, good concept, however I have a couple of qualms: Lara Croft is not in the top 10 and Marv might not be high enough
A couple of suggestions though:
John Creasy from ‘Man on Fire’: Denzel Washington’s most badass role EVER
V from ‘V for Vendetta’: There’s one guy I would never want to meet in a dark alley, Hugo Weaving definitely defines badass in that movie
Also, Xander Cage from ‘XXX’ deserves a mention: that’s the Vin Diesel XXX, not the Ice Cube XXX
Finally, if anyone saw ‘Shooter,’ Mark Wahlberg is rediculously badass, and though this is not his first movie in which he displays badassness, it is certainly his most badass.
Clive Owen is major badass in ‘Inside Man’ as well.
Oh, and maybe Johnny Truelove from ‘Alpha Dogs’ also.
December 28th, 2007 at 11:21 pm
How can the guy who wrote the list say most of the ‘Die Hard’ movies sucked? The ‘Die Hard’ franchise rocks.
December 29th, 2007 at 12:22 am
Man, u really really need a second list. This is my top 5:
T1000 – The liquid robot from Terminator 2, come on, I had nightmares with that guy..
Jules Winnfield – From Pulp Fiction, I really dont know why Lara croft is on this list, instead of him…
Leonidas – We all know from which movie…
Jason Bourne – OMG, the name its just a another meaning of badass..
Michael Corleone – “Did you kill him??? – No ” Damn, a man needs some big balls to lie to his wife in that way…
December 29th, 2007 at 1:05 am
Adding to the list- The Kurgan from Highlander, I wouldn’t want to face that sword arm it’s the one fight where I appreciate the bastard sword more than the katana.
We should do a TV one and Chris Keller from Oz has to be on the list…or any “bad guy” from Oz, lol. So does Dexter Morgan and Sponge Bob Squarepants (the only cartoon character that gives me nightmares.)
December 29th, 2007 at 1:17 am
No Doc Holiday from Tombstone or Jules Winfield make this list very incomplete.
December 29th, 2007 at 1:36 am
umm…..vegeta, anyone? Seriously, he might be the least real person suggested so far, but come on. He can destroy a fuckin’ planet with his fingertips. The only people stronger than him are Goku and Goku’s cousin God.
December 29th, 2007 at 1:52 am
I totally disagree with Lara Croft, which I think most of you support, but I also disagree with Bond which I know will bother some. Here’s why…Bond’s aggregate badassness, while getting big boosts from Connery and Daniel Craig, is diminished by Lazenby, Moore, Brosnan, and (slightly less) Timothy Dalton. I also think DI Hartman should come off. To replace him, I suggest Command Sergeant Major Plumley (played by Sam Elliot) from We Were Soldiers. Anyone who’s ever been in the Army or Marines can tell you how terrifying a Sergeant Major can be, especially in the Infantry…plus, he was a real dude. Also, I’d recommend any Clint Eastwood character, especially the one from High Plains Drifter. I’m surprised no one said Mr. Miagi from Karate Kid or Dalton (Patrick Swayze) from Roadhouse (JUST KIDDING!)
December 29th, 2007 at 3:44 am
okay i have to disagree with a few on this list..
Marv sould have been much higher, and others are highly debatable considering others that didnt make the list, but should have (in my mere opinion). Considering characters such as Maximus, William Wallace, Michael Corleone, Hannibal Lechter, or even the classically ubiquitous Superman (including sci-fi since Vader did take the number one spot), characters like Lara Croft, Vic Vega, or Tony Montana really dont have any business being there.
December 29th, 2007 at 5:19 am
Keyser Soze from the usual suspects
December 29th, 2007 at 5:57 am
badass quote for darth:
“Apology accepted Captain Neda.”
December 29th, 2007 at 9:35 am
scott: great suggestion. i had totally forgotten about sam elliot’s character in we were soldiers. a stereotype of a sergeant in the marine corps; gruff, scowl on his face, yelling at people and not scared of anyone or any situation and eyes that could cut steel.
Sergeant Ernie Savage: Beautiful morning, Sergeant!
Sergeant Major Basil Plumley: What are you a f**king weatherman now?
major badass or i guess more appropriatly, command sergeant major badass.
December 29th, 2007 at 12:14 pm
Yes! I second Ben Kingsley in “Sexy Beast”.
Not for #1, most likely, but in the top 10 for sure. Of course, many people have never even heard of the movie. He’s a “real” person, and a criminal, like Scarface – but he is one bad, violent, scary, cursing MFer.
December 29th, 2007 at 12:15 pm
all the die hard movies sucked you say? well i must disagree with you sir
December 29th, 2007 at 12:18 pm
Oh, and a comment about The Hitcher. I haven’t seen the sequel, but Rutger Hauer in the original was indeed quite the badass. In fact, I was just thinking of that movie today. But the movie, to me, had a mystical feel. It made one wonder if The Hitcher was indeed human, or rather had some kind of supernatural origin, human as he looked.
December 29th, 2007 at 2:29 pm
Thank you, Nightstalker, for mentioning my favorite, Snake Plisken!!!
December 29th, 2007 at 2:32 pm
Half of the characters in this list are ‘good guys’, I thought badass meant something else.
How about:
Don Logan (Ben Kingsley in Sexy Beast)
Begbie (Robert Carlisle in Trainspotting)
Brick Top (Alan Ford in Snatch)
…
December 29th, 2007 at 2:39 pm
ohw and how about Gogo Yubari (Chiaki Kuriyama in Kil Bill 1)
December 29th, 2007 at 3:13 pm
DiscHuker – CSM Plumley was US Army, 1st Cav, not Marine Corps.
December 29th, 2007 at 3:15 pm
No one is talking about that crazy killer rescued from the lunatic asylum to kill for the axe gang in KUNGFU SHUFFLE, that guy was bad, and has anyone forgotten NEO in matrix?
December 29th, 2007 at 10:20 pm
Oh god thats true, somebody mentioned Vegeta from DBZ. He is the ultimate cartoons badass. Its Goku’s eternal nemesis. Maybe there should be something like Top 10 cartoons/videogames badasses. You could include Vegeta, Sephiroth, Kratos, Dante Sparda, Solid Snake, the guy from the first Doom…
December 30th, 2007 at 8:25 am
Okay, I feel this is a pretty good list, but I must admit the Bride from Kill Bill is a glaring omission… she willed herself out of near-paralysis in a matter of hours, and then, of course, if for no other other reason, she should be on this list for this line alone:
“Those of you lucky enough to still have your lives, take them with you! But leave the limbs you have lost; they belong to me now.”
Now THAT, my friends, is badass personified!
December 30th, 2007 at 9:47 am
where the hells hannibal lecter?
December 30th, 2007 at 11:34 am
yippee-ki-yay motherfucker…hahahhaha…
DIE HARD!!! great list i like the reservoir dogs the best.
December 30th, 2007 at 4:14 pm
Yeah reservoir dogs is one of my fay-fayes ever. You were way to nice to Mr. Blonde. I hated that guy!
December 30th, 2007 at 6:41 pm
How about Jason Statham in anything he’s ever been in? (i.e. Transporter 1 & 2, Snatch, Crank)
December 30th, 2007 at 8:46 pm
What, no recommends for any real life folks from our armed forces? I’ve met a lot of these guys, the vast majority of which have pulled duty in war zones. I’m no slouch myself, I work around some of the most dangerous people you could lay eyes on, and I do it without fear. However, I know a lot of these guys could fight like the main protagonist in ‘Con-Air’. So if you do create a list of real life badasses, could you include our armed forces? They deserve the recognition as the world’s best fighters, IMHO.
December 30th, 2007 at 9:52 pm
You missed the most badass quote EVER …
“What now? Let me tell you what now. I’ma call a coupla hard, pipe-hittin’ niggers, who’ll go to work on the homes here with a pair of pliers and a blow torch. You hear me talkin’, hillbilly boy? I ain’t through with you by a damn sight. I’ma get medieval on your ass.”
Marsellus Wallace (Pulp Fiction)
December 30th, 2007 at 10:19 pm
This list really speaks to me because I’m so sick of having to use badass one-liners on these wack hustlers trying to step all up in and on my territory. I’m just sick of it.
December 31st, 2007 at 2:34 am
One bad bad ass was the Indian who could extend his arms in a bad ass movie – Master of the flying guillotine. No matter if he got beat by the hero.
December 31st, 2007 at 4:09 am
Well in my book, “Bullet Tooth” Tony takes the biscuit hands down… he was badass in both Snatch and Lock Stock and 2 Smoking Barrels… and he is also bad madafaka in real life…
December 31st, 2007 at 7:04 am
Ripley from the Alien series.
Now that is Bad-Ass.
January 1st, 2008 at 4:03 pm
it was broached for just a bit earlier, but worth a more full discussion here…
who is more badass, the bride or pei mai (her master) from kill bill?
January 1st, 2008 at 5:01 pm
Ok,ya’ll are forgetting mark wahlberg in *Shooter* and *four brothers*
ALso,good choice andrijzip,Tyler/Brad is fucking amazing in fight club!
January 1st, 2008 at 5:13 pm
where is leonidus on this list? and personally i don’t think james bond has any right to be anywhere near this list
January 1st, 2008 at 11:28 pm
please add manny pacquiao to the list.
you guys better check out his movie, anak ng kumander (son of the commander).
fyi, manny is the filipino boxing icon. his movie is out now! NOW THATS BADASS!!!
January 1st, 2008 at 11:37 pm
How about The Boondock Saints??? They are baddass.
January 3rd, 2008 at 7:02 am
Are you allowed to eat Jelly Doughnuts?
Sir no sir!
And why are you not allowed to eat Jelly Doughnuts?
Sir because I’m too heavy sir.
Because you are a disgusting fatbody Private Pyle!
January 3rd, 2008 at 8:33 am
No way Lara Croft was a bigger badass than Lt. Ripley. Sigourney could whip Angelina’s ass ANY day.
January 3rd, 2008 at 5:38 pm
I haven’t seen JFrater comment any of us, so i don’t think someone cares.
January 3rd, 2008 at 6:12 pm
Mike – maybe when he’s back from holiday. or could be he thinks ya’ll are doing just fine in the commenting on your own.
January 3rd, 2008 at 9:38 pm
Francis Begbie.
January 3rd, 2008 at 9:45 pm
“R. Lee Ermey is a bad ass! He was a real Gunnery Sgt. for The Marines and his outfit in Full Metal Jacket is most likely his genuine outfit from his days as a gunny!”
No the outfit is based on Gustav Hasford’s outfit. And yes, Jake the Muss is up there with the Begger boy. Oh- anyone ever see a film called Dead Man’s Shoes? Paddy Considine is what I would call a hard man in that.
January 4th, 2008 at 4:48 am
Hey, Lara Croft can hypnotyze anyone with those knockers, lips, and legs. Then shoot your brains out. Sex and death have got to be bad ass! I use to think that chick from T2 was kind of badass. Those arms were pretty beefy looking.
Where is Chuck, Edward/Brad, Arnold, and Antonio?
January 4th, 2008 at 9:21 am
OMG WOW ive never seen a least tht cause so much controversy
and i will add to it
u r all wrong the greatest badass inthe movies has to be John Pret from Equilibrium
he would kick all there asses at the same time
January 4th, 2008 at 9:21 am
sry im uh a spaz “least” i ofcoure ment list
January 4th, 2008 at 9:27 am
O yeah if ur talking zbout badass as someone who is crazy an u wouldnt go near what about Mark Brandon “Chopper” Read fro the film chopper
come on look how many times he got stabbed and stood there then he cutt of his own ear to get out of rison now thts badass
January 4th, 2008 at 1:22 pm
Definately need to add Creasy from Man on Fire, Denzel Washington.
“Forgiveness is between them and God. It’s my job to arrange the meeting.”
January 4th, 2008 at 7:21 pm
It’s a pity the new Star Wars movies destroyed Darth Vader’s history by making him a pathetic, whining sissy with bad pick up lines, i.e., “I hate sand, it’s so rough and course, but not like you, you’re soft, and smooth…”
January 5th, 2008 at 3:28 am
Haha. I don’t find Mr. Blonde to be that badass. Just repulsive and psychoish.
Zuckster, I disagree with you on Begbie. He was too careless in a childish way. Like Mr. Blonde he was more bully than badass.
Toshiro Mifune should be on the list somewhere. And of course Dirty Harry.
January 5th, 2008 at 10:35 am
Joe Pesci in Goodfellas and in Casino.
He is great in Casino especially when he put a guy’s head in a vise and say ” Listen to me Anthony. I got your head in a fuckin’ vise. I’ll squash your head like a fuckin’ grapefruit if you don’t give me a name.”
Another great comment and moment is ”
I think in all fairness, I should explain to you exactly what it is that I do. For instance tomorrow morning ill get up nice and early, take a walk down over to the bank and… walk in and see and uh… if you don’t have my money for me, I’ll… crack your fuckin’ head wide-open in front of everybody in the bank. And just about the time that I’m comin’ out of jail, hopefully, you’ll be coming out of your coma. And guess what? I’ll split your fuckin’ head open again. ‘Cause I’m fuckin’ stupid. I don’t give a fuck about jail. That’s my business. That’s what I do.”
January 5th, 2008 at 8:33 pm
Eric Draven/ The Crow
he cant die, meaning he could kill most of these guys
and the terminator
i agree with
but really, i will say badass and james bond goes hand in hand, great job there
January 8th, 2008 at 5:26 am
most of those are from comicbookx..
January 8th, 2008 at 8:59 am
this site is great, not just because of the awesome list, but the comments are bad ass!
January 8th, 2008 at 9:10 am
indeed.
universe of lists and bad ass comments.
January 8th, 2008 at 10:24 am
If you’re putting Vader on the list then you have to add Sauron. He was once just as human as Vadar was. Now he may have only been on screen for one scene, but you can’t tell me he wasn’t one of the most badass characters to ever grace the screen for those 30 secs. Hell his mace alone was more badass then Lara Croft.
January 8th, 2008 at 5:02 pm
chuck norris all the way…..or he will give you a roundhouse kick….
January 9th, 2008 at 12:22 pm
Petey Dunham from green street hooligans is def in the top 5….
January 10th, 2008 at 6:02 pm
how you leave out steven siegal? yeah we know, the movie plots suck, the man cannot act worth a damn, he fights bad guys with no martial arts training as he, the movies are corny, every year he comes out with one with the same plot, but still, he kicks ass. what about jet li’s character in the one? i know the movie sucked but still, he kicks ass.
January 12th, 2008 at 5:39 am
Any Badass list without Ash @ Army of Darkness is NOT a Badass list
HAIL TO THE KING, BABY !
January 12th, 2008 at 5:56 am
And if you going to create a “Top 10 Woman Badass List”, it would better has Milla Jovovich :
==Resident Evil 1 – 3
==Ultraviolet
And oh, Uma Thurman / The Bride as well, of course.
Jennifer Gartner (Elektra)
January 12th, 2008 at 8:37 am
Where is SpongeBob?
January 13th, 2008 at 10:15 am
Any Charles Bronson characters? I think he’s the granddaddy of all badasses here.
January 13th, 2008 at 1:42 pm
Needs some Arnold in this list…maybe him in Commando or Predator?
January 14th, 2008 at 12:38 am
BART SIMPSON!
January 17th, 2008 at 6:35 am
Brendan Frye (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) in ‘Brick’. Definately the most bad ass teenager, he infiltrated an underworld crime ring and stood down a car speeding towards him, not even flinching.
And he wears glasses.
January 24th, 2008 at 6:34 pm
this is a tough list here folks, what about jet li in the one? animal mother from full metal jacket was much more of a bad ass. morpheus from matrix, how about spawn? the devils rejects, they were bad ass! this list, as stated in post #62, needs a recount
January 26th, 2008 at 5:33 pm
And not a single Toshiro Mifune character. What the hell? His character in Yojimbo is enough to massacre everyone on this list.
January 30th, 2008 at 3:43 pm
badlist- cmon mate be a little constructive, try to work out the way the writer listed out these characters; think why he called them “bad ass” ffs! clue: rambo would kill all of your bad asses in a blink.
anyway.. i waited for the #1 excited while reading the others, and seeing Darth Vader made me proud actually, dunno why, but consider his bad ass quote:
“I am your father!”.. now, that guy is serious man
February 6th, 2008 at 12:03 pm
Little Bill: Well, sir, you are a cowardly son of a bitch! You just shot an unarmed man!
Will Munny: Well, he shoulda armed himself…
Little Bill: You’d be William Munny out of Missouri. Killer of women and children.
Will Munny: That’s right. I’ve killed women and children. I’ve killed just about everything that walks or crawled at one time or another. And I’m here to kill you, Little Bill, for what you did to Ned.
February 6th, 2008 at 5:53 pm
Riddick? From Pitch Black?
February 7th, 2008 at 9:29 am
subliminal death666: batman isnt a super hero, he’s a normal who learned every martial art ever, conditioned himslef to physical perfection, and is so much more of a badass than everyone else, he can wrangle em up without even killing them!
February 8th, 2008 at 8:22 pm
So Rambo is more badass than James Bond? Don`t make me laugh. And Lara Croft? That`s just the Angelina Jolie effect. Ripley and The Bride don`t have have Angelina`s tits, you know.
February 14th, 2008 at 6:00 pm
the guy who got the job as drill sgt hartman was actually going to be looked over until he did two things that secured him the job. The 1st, he went and talked with Kubrick, who was sitting down at the time, and at that point he started yelling at Kubrick to stand up and talk to him like a man and basically treated him the way he acts in the movie.
The other was a video of him was shown where he does nothing but yell insults for 15 minutes straight, never repeating himself, while having objects thrown at him….the guy is just that badass..
February 16th, 2008 at 8:31 am
wheres clint eastwood in here? The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly.
Now he is the ultimate Mother Fucker
February 21st, 2008 at 6:07 pm
Mad Max and Max Cady.
February 27th, 2008 at 10:00 pm
brick top
March 4th, 2008 at 2:48 pm
Charles Bronson as Chaney in “Hard Times”
Lone Wolf in “Shogun Assasin”
Clint Eastwood as Josey Wales and Philo Bedow
Brad Pitt as Mickey in “Snatch”
March 4th, 2008 at 6:08 pm
There is a lot of people mentioning badass cartoon characters on this so I think there should be a list of for them.
Examples of who should be on it – Spike Speigel(Cowboy Bebop), Vash the Stampede(Trigun), Nicholas D. Wolfwood(Trigun), Vegeta, Piccolo, etc. Lots of badass characters can be found in Anime.
p.s. – to add to the movie characters list, Smith from Shoot Em Up.
March 18th, 2008 at 6:23 pm
no joke tybalt-john leguizamo(or on undefeated) in romeo and juliet, antonio banderas in desperado, nicholas cage in face off and jake heke, once were warriors
March 23rd, 2008 at 11:09 am
Surely Riddick belongs on this list…
April 14th, 2008 at 8:26 am
Riddick? nah he hasn’t got anything on John McClain and Lord Vader.
“Weapon of Choice: he doesn’t even need a weapon, he’ll kill you with his fucking mind!”
This quote made my day.
May 2nd, 2008 at 6:20 am
James Coburn in “The Magnificent Seven” …. a natural with the knife!
May 2nd, 2008 at 6:23 am
Maaan hes getting old
May 19th, 2008 at 12:26 pm
Sad to see Philo Beddoe wait until post 180 to get a mention. He and Mickey from Snatch are bare-knuckle prize fighters. One can’t get any higher on the bad-ass totem pole than that.
Also, someone who bears mentioning on a list of bad-asses would have to be Rocky Balboa. He leads with his face for Christ’s sake. Thirty rounds against Apollo Creed? Whupped Clubber Lang’s and Ivan Drago’s asses too!
Another bad-ass that failed to be mentioned was Bud White from L.A. Confidential. Anybody want to be interrogated by that unstable motherfucker?
Big Chris in Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels would definitely have to be on any list of bad-asses. He doesn’t need a sword or a gun… just a fucking car door.
May 26th, 2008 at 9:45 pm
I think at least as an Honorable mention, there should have been Malcom Reynolds from Firefly/Serenity. He can be sweet and charming, but you never EVER want to fuck with him. Just watch the Ariel episode.
May 27th, 2008 at 10:35 am
I love Marv, but darth vader xD??
June 4th, 2008 at 12:19 am
You guys have Lara Croft instead of INDIANA JONES? This list has no credibility whatsoever.
June 4th, 2008 at 4:44 am
“Throughout the history of modern cinema”? You mean American cinema, right? How lame is that.
June 23rd, 2008 at 7:30 pm
Um … hello people! Han Solo!?! John McClane!?! Tyler Durden!?! Maximus!?!
And i’m sorry, but Lord Voldemort could kill everyone with a flick of his death wand. Except maybe Darth Vader….
July 13th, 2008 at 2:35 pm
Second Dr. Lecter.
July 15th, 2008 at 3:46 pm
Mr. Blonde did not retain his cool in the jewelry shop. He snapped and blew some heads off. Do your research.
July 21st, 2008 at 6:10 am
Well, King Leonidas is definitely a badass, because unlike some other badasses being mentioned, he was actually a real person.
July 25th, 2008 at 5:20 pm
heres the true top 11 (i cant eliminate any one of these guys and i will give you the reasons why so there are no questions to be asked…darth vador??? hes a pussy
1. The Joker (the dark night)- he’s number one because he is the ultimate villain that the world has seen thus far. He is number one with great reason.
2. Leonitus (300) – an army of 300 men led by one man that is ruthless and will fight to the death. He would put his own life before any of the other 299 men in his army which is badass.
3. Tony Montana (scarface) – The dude loses his mind every like 5 minutes and goes into pure rage mode. He is funny and he is ruthless.
4. Maximus (gladiator) – A quiet guy that never complained and never quit. Defeats the evil prince at the end after being chepshoted before and ends up dying and freeing the slaves. I wish i was him in that movie.
5. Jason Bourne (bourne series) – An extremely brilliant man with wild martial arts. Bourne is a dude that will go to the extremes to find out who he really is and he is badass. “shes right next to you”
6. John Rambo (rambo) – I went wild when I saw him kill those fuckin bastards that held the slaves captive. It fulfulled my need to see the right thing be done.
7. King Kong (most recent king kong movie) – Its a fuckin like 40 foot tall gorilla that has to weigh about 8 tons. That is badass even if he didnt do anything. He destroys full grown jurassic park like T-rex’s and falls in love with a girl and protects her at all costs. His death is badass too goin off the empire state building.
8. Achilles (troy) – The dude is an athletic phene that just ripps apart pathetic old time war cats. Its like no competition for achilles. Hes pretty badass
9. Paul Crewe (the longest yard) – You might be saying why? But heres why…alls he has to do is throw a football game and he doesent have to do jail time like 20 years but instead he knows his jailmates are good guys deep down and they want to win so bad against the guards and crewe decides to win the game rather than throw it and go home. That is a man right there.
10. Creasy (man on fire) – He is scary in this movie. He fucks with people and he gets what he wants, plus he gave his life up for a little girl who he only knew for like a month.
11. Bruce Willis (armageddon) – His future son in law was drawn to destroy the asteroid and give up his life for the world. He went down the elavator with willis to say goodbye but willis threw him back in the elevator so that he can do it instead so that his daughter could marry him. Im about to cry again. Its so badass. He should be higher than 11 i should change it but i wont.
July 27th, 2008 at 10:00 pm
Riddick he killed with a tee cup
July 28th, 2008 at 3:11 am
okay…. where is:
300 (leonidas)
gladiator (crowe)
The last samuri (the crazy asian)
Azumi (the crazy killer wearing all white)
the transporter (whatever his name is)
Predator (arnold in general)
Alien (ripley)
braveheart (wallace)
Lord of the Rings (pretty much anyone)
I wish Deathlands made it to the movies but I guess not so since that is a novel series it doesn’t count. If it did though I would have to say Ryan Cawdor as the number one badass.
August 5th, 2008 at 3:57 pm
corey.. you think bruce willis is more of a badass in armageddon than in die hard? really?
August 11th, 2008 at 8:54 pm
where the heck is jackie chan????
August 22nd, 2008 at 1:55 am
DENIRO INCAPE FEAR
August 22nd, 2008 at 1:57 am
in taxi driver, goodfellas, raging bull, this boys life, casino,
heat, also.
August 27th, 2008 at 6:52 pm
All I can say is, The Man with No Name, portrayed by Clint Eastwood in three fantastic movies, could make all these characters you all have mentioned crap their pants just with his stare. His absence on this list makes me question this entire site. And everyone who said Leonides, you should be older than 12 to post on this site and have actually seen movies that will stand the test of time.
September 7th, 2008 at 1:48 pm
The McManus Brothers from The Boondock Saints
Michael Corleone
Fight Club characters
September 11th, 2008 at 1:40 pm
The list needs some fine tuning. Instead of explaining how I’ll just put up my own. Keep in mind they ain’t ordered cuz they all bring different things to the table.
1. Joker (dark knight)
2. Terminator
3. Creasy (man on fire)
4. Marv
5. Batman (from the new ones)
6. Snake Plissken
7. Wolverine
8. King Leonidas
9. The Predator
10. Punisher
September 20th, 2008 at 3:31 pm
I reallllly don’t agree with Lara Croft. Boobs and guns is about all she is, far as I know. I would’ve loved to see The Joker (Heath Ledger specifically.), Anton Chigure, like someone mentioned, Elle from Kill Bill, and also Tyler Durden from Fight Club as someone mentioned. Those people are some of the top badasses, in my opinion.
September 23rd, 2008 at 4:45 pm
Here’s my people:
Ellen Ripley: she could whap any other female action character (Lara Croft included) up and down the street. She has true grit.
Rooster Cogburn: Speaking of “True Grit”, where’s John Wayne’s one-eyed character on this list? Or Ethan from “The Searchers”? Or Sean Thornton from “The Quiet Man”? Come on, it’s JOHN WAYNE for crying out loud!
The Badass Trio of “Once Upon a Time in the West”:
How the guys from this movie not get noted? Here we go:
1) Charles Bronson as “Harmonica”-actually, that’s not really his name. He never introduces himself, and he plays a harmonica, so they call him “Harmonica.” The guy is unmoveable. When confronted with three baddies (who have three horses behind them), they exchange the following dialogue:
Harmonica: “Did you bring me a horse?”
Baddie: “Looks like we’re shy one horse.”
Harmonica (shakes his head): “You brought two too many.”
And he proceeds to blast them all to eternity with three shots. Not to mention he loves to sass the other badasses by playing the harmonica at inopportune times.
2) Henry Fonda as “Frank”- I know, Henry Fonda a badass? Trust me; he is in this movie. A merciless villain, he stops at nothing to attain his ends, including killing women and children in cold blood.
Badass line: “People scare better when they’re dyin’.”
3) Jason Robards as “Cheyenne”- an outlaw who is falsely accused of killing a family, this man is so notoriously badass all he has to do is enter a store and everybody stops what they’re doing and stares at him, hoping he doesn’t notice them. He walks up to the bar and simply says, “Jug.” and the attendant scrambles over himself to get Cheyenne a drink before the man gets impatient.
What’s great about “Once Upon a Time in the West” is you get to see three incomparably badass men butt heads and in the end, there can be only one. (Wait, that’s Highlander)
October 7th, 2008 at 2:11 am
Freaking John McClane, is truly indeed a bad ass dude.‘Die Hard’ movies surely didn’t suck they rule, you can see that from the ratings. The 4th didn’t even come close to the other 3.
King Leonidas took on thousands of freaky ass Persians. Stabbed them like monkeys. He should have been in the top 5 easily.
“COME AND GET THEM” and then throws that spear from another planet and the dude cops it in the head. MADNESS>>>
October 8th, 2008 at 6:15 am
What about Mel Gibson’s Riggs in Lethal Weapon. That is one crazy mo fo I wouldn’t wanna mess with!
October 15th, 2008 at 12:23 am
Obi-Wan Kenobi
He beat Vader
October 31st, 2008 at 8:46 am
Please Obi-Wan was sacked by Vader if you recall… Vader is definitely bad ass #1!
November 26th, 2008 at 8:09 am
vader deserves that number 1 spot for sure
what about jules from pulp fiction?
November 26th, 2008 at 8:11 am
OH shit, forgot clint eastwood? dirt harry? c’mon man.
December 6th, 2008 at 10:05 am
Excuse Me, But Batman is very much The Quintessential BADASS!
Read The Dark Knight Returns, and All Star Batman and Robin #1… Now that, BADASS!!!!!!!!!!
December 6th, 2008 at 7:37 pm
haha
darth vader…
haha
December 14th, 2008 at 3:07 am
-Billy (the indian) from predator
-jules from pulp
-robert muldoon from jurassic park – he went hunting raptors for fucks sake
-kaiser soze from the usual suspects
-Stansfield from the proffesional (gary oldman)
-Smith from Shoot em up – outside of killing like 400 people in the movie he kills a bunch while fucking a hooker
January 1st, 2009 at 12:40 pm
Bruce Willis should be on the list, but not for the Die Hard series. He was a Bad MF in Last Man Standing.
January 6th, 2009 at 3:06 pm
ok heres a list for you….
Hannibal Lector-
John Doe-
The Old People in mullholland drv
Chick from audition
jack from shinning
Penny wise the dancing clown
January 7th, 2009 at 9:31 am
Some of my ultimate bad guys include….
Chozen – from Karate Kid 2
Silver + Barnes – from Karate Kid 3
U.S. Marshall Roberts – from Eraser
Jimmy Shaker + Marvis Connor – from Ransom (1996)
The Red Dragon – from Red Dragon
Buffalo Bill – from Silence of the Lams
Hannibal Lector – from Hannibal Rising
Motor cycle gang – from Stone Cold (1991)
The Evil Warden Lady – from Reform School Girls (1986)
January 15th, 2009 at 9:00 am
Allright hang a second…I have been compulsively going through these lists during work and yesterday I was reading about overrated movies and how Resevoir Dogs took a spot on that list (which was disappointing!)…but now we have Vic Vega from Tarintino’s “very underrated film” buzzzzzzkill
January 15th, 2009 at 9:23 pm
Darth Vader we love you!!!!!
January 18th, 2009 at 1:39 am
ahem…..Bruce Lee.
January 27th, 2009 at 6:45 am
mate u guys r full off shit do ur own list if u dont like this one
i agree with this list part from it needs
the bride from kill bill
and
maximus from gladiator
and insted of vader it should be the sith come on he has lightning come out off his hands
January 27th, 2009 at 6:45 am
oh and it needs blade
January 28th, 2009 at 9:36 am
oh and scorpian king dude the one the rock plays
February 6th, 2009 at 6:30 pm
Vader,C`mon man he should be #10 how about T2 pulp fiction fight club i thought ok this is the best until i saw vader it sinked
February 15th, 2009 at 8:13 pm
Didn’t you have another list claiming Resevoir Dogs to be Overrated but in this article is says underrated? Please do explain.
February 20th, 2009 at 7:08 am
What kind of list is this without Lee Marvin? Walker from Point Blank is the ultimate badass! Plus where is Popeye Doyle, Cody Jarret, and the Man With No Name?
February 20th, 2009 at 10:07 pm
John Mclane below John Rambo,somebody had better knock some sense into u boy.He is the definition of badass and whats this shit abt Diehard series sucks,twas definitely better than Sylvester “No i cant act,i can only look tough” stallone’s Rambo.
Apart from that decent list,brilliant descriptions
March 7th, 2009 at 9:23 pm
your missing val kilmer as doc holiday
March 19th, 2009 at 7:16 pm
vader/shaft=douchebag
March 21st, 2009 at 7:43 am
If your going to add woman, then you have to have
Beatrix Kiddo———Uma Thurman
ORen Ishii——Lucy Liu
from Kill Bill
March 21st, 2009 at 7:49 am
Also Kurt Russell as Jack Burton in Big Trouble in Little China
March 22nd, 2009 at 6:37 am
ummmmm ALONZO from training day?????
March 23rd, 2009 at 10:20 am
I just recently watched full metal jacket again and no way should Hartman lose points for getting shot cuz he looks Pyle dead in the eye and just asks for it without blinking. He’s got a psycho with the craziest look on his face and a loaded gun pointed at him and he doesn’t even backdown he trys to get crazier then Pyle. Next time you watch it look at Joker’s face then look at Hartman’s then rethink that point losing.
March 23rd, 2009 at 10:48 am
nolod1207 – wanna see something really really creepy? Jack Nicholson makes the same exact face after he shithammers the cook with an axe in the Shining. The two faces are almost indistinguishable.
March 31st, 2009 at 1:44 am
Excellent choice with Marv in there…however, like many ppl already said, he should have been higher in the rankings…
With that being said, let me show you my top 5…
5.
Rorschach (Jackie Earle Haley) Watchmen -
A masked vigilante who continues his vigilante activities after they are outlawed. Let me just say this, Rorchach really doesn’t give a fuck…He kills a murderer with a machette after the murderer is beaten senseless by him and begging to be arrested. In Rorchch’s own words, “Never compromise – not even in the face of Armageddon”
4.
Thomas Murphy (Kevin Costner) 3000 Miles to Graceland -
This guy had the most badass attitude ever, was never afraid to get in a gun fight, occasionally laughed in the face of danger, and killed his crew and took off with the money…and at the end, he went down in glory and took as many cops with him as he could…swiggin’ a bottle of Jack Daniels while a hot babe is giving you a blowjob while you’re driving doesn’t make you any less badass either!
3.
Marv (Mickey Roarke) Sin City -
Fully agree with your description up there! The man is the closest you can get to being superhuman without breaking the reality rules…
2.
Anton Chigurh (Javier Bardem) No Country for Old Men -
Completely original in just about every way. Chigurh possesses the kind of pain tolerance that Marv had in Sin City…Here’s a guy who performs surgery on himself after being shot in the leg by a high-powered shotgun! Chigurh strangles a sheriff’s deputy with his own handcuffs, steals his patrol car, pulls over another vehicle and murders the driver with a cattle gun…and that’s just the begining…
1.
The Joker (Heath Ledger) The Dark Knight -
Now I know you would’ve had The Joker in your list, had The Dark Knight been out at the time. Pure evil, like Darth Vader. Only I wouldn’t have put Vader in the list because he doesn’t seem all that human. The Joker is human. A criminal anarchist mastermind who almost almost single-handedly took out an entire city. He could have killed Batman at any time, but didn’t want to “ruin all the fun”. He may seem insane, but really he is more sane than anybody else. The son of a bitch successfully robbed a mob-owned bank and burned all of the money to prove that the city isn’t trying hard enough. The ultimate badass in my opinion.
Notable mentions (Other than what your list mentioned) -
- Stuntman Mike (Kurt Russell) Death Proof
- Jules Winnfield (Samuel L. Jackson) Pulp Fiction
- Hannibal Lecter (Anthony Hopkins) Silence of the Lambs
- El Marachi (Antonio Banderas) Desperado
- The Stranger [Clint Eastwood] High Plains Drifter
- Snake Plissken (Kurt Russell) Escape From New York/LA
- Quint (Robert Shaw) Jaws
- Paul Andrews (Bill Paxton) Mortuary
- And just for shits and giggles, why not that hitman/biker (voiced by Alec Baldwin) from the Spongebob Squrepants Movie?
Not realistic, but he is without a doubt a badass…
Thanks for taking the time to read this!
Much Love, Badasses!!!
April 15th, 2009 at 12:08 pm
Chuck Norris And Leonidas
April 18th, 2009 at 10:14 am
You are all guilty of crimes against humanity. Not one of you mentioned–the first and the best–John Wayne.
April 19th, 2009 at 4:28 am
good list but cmon lara croft she is crap from a crap video game series
April 21st, 2009 at 8:56 pm
What about Achilles played by Brad Pitt?
He was the man!!!!
May 6th, 2009 at 11:03 am
on you should have had t he og shaft instead of samuel L the OG was so much more BADASS
May 6th, 2009 at 4:46 pm
What about
SNAKE PLISKEN – KURT RUSSEL
ESCAPE FROM LA, ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK
May 16th, 2009 at 6:10 pm
just to set it straight John McClain is one step away from being an alcaholic…
May 24th, 2009 at 9:24 am
How about Doc fuckin Holliday…super badass.
May 24th, 2009 at 6:47 pm
IMO, a true badass is one that even OTHER badasses fear, and should NOT be killed in any way, shape, or form. That being said, my choices (in no particular order) would be Keyser Soze, Hannibal Lecter, William Munny, Anton Chiguhr, John Rambo, Winston Wolfe, & Jason Vorhees. And FWIW, I almost pissed on myself when I read “Penny wise the dancing clown” — just the way the guy typed it, and described him (“dancing clown”) was funny as hell.
May 30th, 2009 at 7:48 am
Anton Chigurh.
June 2nd, 2009 at 3:43 am
i thought it was a good list until i saw lara croft. she’s only an eye-candy , used for selling a crappy action flick.
clint eastwood from leone’s western would be a better choice.
June 17th, 2009 at 8:42 pm
MAX CADY – Robert Deniro, Cape Fear. yet then there wouldn’t be any room for Laura Croft. c’mon!
June 17th, 2009 at 8:46 pm
REMINGTON – Micheal Douglas, Ghost in the Darkness.
June 22nd, 2009 at 9:17 pm
Dude, cool list, just to mention some I think are badass,
Wolverine, the fucking unbeatable, razor sharp claws, and Im Mr badass face, he HAD to be mentioned instead of lara croft
Jason Bourne, the man on the move
The Transporter, crappy movies, but a lot of ass-kicking
All the characters Jet Li plays
And obviously the dark knight’s joker
July 13th, 2009 at 6:00 pm
Tyler Durden and The Joker
July 13th, 2009 at 6:04 pm
oh yeah and stuntman mike and the terminator
July 21st, 2009 at 10:17 am
pretty good list, but you missed a few people like the terminator and boba fett
July 29th, 2009 at 9:46 am
dude what the hell where’s master chief? he is the supreme badass and he can kick darth vaders star wars ass out the window!
August 14th, 2009 at 4:52 pm
Wow! Great list and excellent comments as well. This was one of the most entertaining “list and comments” I have ever enjoyed since I started tuning into this site. I agree with everyone, but I especially have to agree with those who mentioned the bride from Kill Bill. The scene where she was rolling around on the floor cutting off the feet of the crazy 88, and then later telling them all (something like) “all of you get lost, but leave your body parts cuz they belong to me now.” Pretty frickin badass. Oh yea, I almost forgot… BRUCE LEE
August 19th, 2009 at 6:45 pm
Anton Chigurh…enough said
September 2nd, 2009 at 9:44 pm
Where’s Tyler Durden?
September 2nd, 2009 at 9:51 pm
The most badass quote ever is… “Man, I see in fight club the strongest and smartest men who’ve ever lived. I see all this potential, and I see squandering. God damn it, an entire generation pumping gas, waiting tables; slaves with white collars. Advertising has us chasing cars and clothes, working jobs we hate so we can buy shit we don’t need. We’re the middle children of history, man. No purpose or place. We have no Great War. No Great Depression. Our Great War’s a spiritual war… our Great Depression is our lives. We’ve all been raised on television to believe that one day we’d all be millionaires, and movie gods, and rock stars. But we won’t. And we’re slowly learning that fact. And we’re very, very pissed off.”- Tyler Durden
September 15th, 2009 at 1:53 pm
Definitely Missing 2:
1. Bob the Butcher from Gangs of New York ( I only need the clang when he touched his fake eye with a knife)
2. Doc Holliday from Tombstone (There’s so many lines I’m drawing a blank except for “I’ll be your huckleberry)
Personally I like Bonafide (the brother with the afro pick) from Blood In Blood Out but that may involve some personal bias.
October 2nd, 2009 at 12:42 pm
samuel l jackson: “get my wallet from the bag… ”
tim roth “wich one is it?”
samuel l jackson: “the one that say’s bad motherfucker!”
October 4th, 2009 at 10:18 pm
How can these people say chuck norris when Bruce Lee killed him.
BRUCE LEE for my vote.
October 18th, 2009 at 5:24 pm
I tried watching star wars once but just found it so boring
October 28th, 2009 at 6:13 pm
I think there is a shortage of badass babes on here. Barb Wire?? Buffy? Ellen Ripley????!!!!
That said, number one badass – Shrek has to be number one.
November 22nd, 2009 at 6:58 pm
The real badasses
http://hubpages.com/hub/5-Biggest-Celebrity-Badass-Characters
January 4th, 2010 at 1:43 pm
Bricktop and bullet tooth tony from snatch
jules and butch from pulp fiction
the bride from kill bill
the guy played by robert downey jr in tropic thunder
and ofcourse theres buce lee,bruce willis and various others…
February 1st, 2010 at 5:51 pm
Darth Vader, hehehehe!!!
I did’t like this list.