# Greatest Cinema Badass of All Time? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 18, 2010, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-cinema-badass-of-all-time/550596 "2010-08-18T02:04:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Stoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stoid/32/272_2.png) [@Stoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stoid)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2010, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-cinema-badass-of-all-time/550596/1 "2010-08-18T02:04:30Z")
There are boatloads of badass mofos all over the movies, most off us are familiar with most of them. But I was recently reintroduced to the character I think is the baddest of the bad. Because he’s got it all, multiplied. He has the conviction, clarity, certainty needed to embody real ruthlessness, and to do so with the kind of quiet, unmistakably absolute authority that would make anyone with two brain cells shit their pants. Plus, he’s got the best hair and best outfit that any badass motherfucker could dream of. I give you [Cedric](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t8jmRFZQyUI), the Saxon leader of 2004’s King Arthur (making Clive Owen’s Arthur look like the biggest pussy of all time.) ---
**Author:** ![markdash](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@markdash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markdash)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2010, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-cinema-badass-of-all-time/550596/2 "2010-08-18T03:50:30Z")
I give you [Blake](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TROhlThs9qY) from Glengarry Glen Ross. Can you be a badass without resorting to actual physical violence? ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2010, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-cinema-badass-of-all-time/550596/3 "2010-08-18T03:57:06Z")
Y’all both misspelled [Rooster Cogburn](http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.wearysloth.com/Gallery/ActorsW/18060-20088.gif&imgrefurl=http://www.aveleyman.com/FilmCredit.aspx%3FFilmID%3D20088&usg=__x3dG9rvcU1nxVxJkTvXRmGxPXAM=&h=240&w=320&sz=55&hl=en&start=0&tbnid=WEzKN5q_imeDoM:&tbnh=127&tbnw=178&prev=/images%3Fq%3Drooster%2Bcogburn%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26safe%3Doff%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26sa%3DN%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-US:official%26biw%3D1366%26bih%3D575%26tbs%3Disch:10%2C231&um=1&itbs=1&iact=hc&vpx=988&vpy=162&dur=6981&hovh=192&hovw=256&tx=149&ty=91&ei=f1lrTKa2N5GsvgPM7MzrDw&oei=f1lrTKa2N5GsvgPM7MzrDw&esq=1&page=1&ndsp=25&ved=1t:429,r:23,s:0&biw=1366&bih=575). And [Josey Wales](http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.joebrower.com/PHILE_PILE/PIX/TRT/Josey_Wales.jpg&imgrefurl=http://frankiet28.wordpress.com/&usg=__YkI1kvhfqB8e-hpwi5RTDxLBq64=&h=271&w=341&sz=19&hl=en&start=0&tbnid=Ema_buKqLudgRM:&tbnh=121&tbnw=146&prev=/images%3Fq%3Djosey%2Bwales%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26safe%3Doff%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26sa%3DG%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-US:official%26biw%3D1366%26bih%3D575%26tbs%3Disch:1&um=1&itbs=1&iact=rc&dur=459&ei=w1lrTO7JCI2qugP8_tXXDw&oei=w1lrTO7JCI2qugP8_tXXDw&esq=1&page=1&ndsp=25&ved=1t:429,r:1,s:0&tx=96&ty=50) is in second place. ---
**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2010, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-cinema-badass-of-all-time/550596/4 "2010-08-18T04:14:48Z")
> [@Oakminster](#): > > Y’all both misspelled [Rooster Cogburn](http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.wearysloth.com/Gallery/ActorsW/18060-20088.gif&imgrefurl=http://www.aveleyman.com/FilmCredit.aspx%3FFilmID%3D20088&usg=__x3dG9rvcU1nxVxJkTvXRmGxPXAM=&h=240&w=320&sz=55&hl=en&start=0&tbnid=WEzKN5q_imeDoM:&tbnh=127&tbnw=178&prev=/images%3Fq%3Drooster%2Bcogburn%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26safe%3Doff%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26sa%3DN%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-US:official%26biw%3D1366%26bih%3D575%26tbs%3Disch:10%2C231&um=1&itbs=1&iact=hc&vpx=988&vpy=162&dur=6981&hovh=192&hovw=256&tx=149&ty=91&ei=f1lrTKa2N5GsvgPM7MzrDw&oei=f1lrTKa2N5GsvgPM7MzrDw&esq=1&page=1&ndsp=25&ved=1t:429,r:23,s:0&biw=1366&bih=575). > [@](#): > > Mattie Ross: Who’s the best marshal they have? > Sheriff: Bill Waters is the best tracker. The meanest one is Rooster Cogburn, a pitiless man, double tough, fear don’t enter into his thinking. I’d have to say L.T. Quinn is the straightest, he brings his prisoners in alive. > Mattie Ross: Where would I find this Rooster? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Tethered\_Kite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a5b964/32.png) [@Tethered\_Kite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tethered_Kite)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2010, 5:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-cinema-badass-of-all-time/550596/5 "2010-08-18T05:01:36Z")
Lately for me it’s been Javier Bardem as Anton Chigurh in “No Country for Old Men.” He’s so mindlessly, mill-of-the-gods bad that he’s beyond bad. Or maybe it’s the haircut? ---
**Author:** ![Stoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stoid/32/272_2.png) [@Stoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stoid)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2010, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-cinema-badass-of-all-time/550596/6 "2010-08-18T05:02:54Z")
Rooster??? Rooster??? TOTAL pussy! Cedric would have killed that whiny little bitch. ---
**Author:** ![Stoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stoid/32/272_2.png) [@Stoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stoid)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2010, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-cinema-badass-of-all-time/550596/7 "2010-08-18T05:03:56Z")
> [@Tethered\_Kite](#): > > Lately for me it’s been Javier Bardem as Anton Chigurh in “No Country for Old Men.” He’s so mindlessly, mill-of-the-gods bad that he’s beyond bad. > > Or maybe it’s the haircut? He’s too sick to be bad, I think. I think real badassness has to be sane. ---
**Author:** ![valleyofthedolls](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/a4c791/32.png) [@valleyofthedolls](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/valleyofthedolls)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2010, 6:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-cinema-badass-of-all-time/550596/8 "2010-08-18T06:19:34Z")
Clint Eastwood’s William Munny in Unforgiven. Followed closely by Little Bill (Gene Hackman) from the same film. ---
**Author:** ![Mister\_Owl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/919ad9/32.png) [@Mister\_Owl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Owl)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2010, 6:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-cinema-badass-of-all-time/550596/9 "2010-08-18T06:53:03Z")
Tsk, tsk, tsk… Jeremiah Johnson. You can close the thread now. ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2010, 7:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-cinema-badass-of-all-time/550596/10 "2010-08-18T07:05:20Z")
_[Name’s Smalls. Leonard Smalls. My friends call me Lenny… only I ain’t got no friends.](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0093822/)_ ---
**Author:** ![joebuck20](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/74df32/32.png) [@joebuck20](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joebuck20)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2010, 12:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-cinema-badass-of-all-time/550596/11 "2010-08-18T12:37:09Z")
John Matrix from Commando. Followed by Dutch from Predator. So what do I win? ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2010, 12:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-cinema-badass-of-all-time/550596/12 "2010-08-18T12:48:24Z")
> [@joebuck20](#): > > John Matrix from Commando. I definitely think that Matrix could kill a one-armed fat man like Rooster Cogburn without breaking a sweat. Maybe by throwing a circular saw blade into his head. ---
**Author:** ![unwashed\_brain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/a9adbd/32.png) [@unwashed\_brain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/unwashed_brain)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2010, 1:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-cinema-badass-of-all-time/550596/13 "2010-08-18T13:04:50Z")
**Jules Winfield** , Pulp Fiction. He even has the wallet to prove it. End Of Thread. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2010, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-cinema-badass-of-all-time/550596/14 "2010-08-18T13:19:21Z")
Hannibal Lechter. ---
**Author:** ![capeo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b19c9b/32.png) [@capeo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/capeo)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2010, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-cinema-badass-of-all-time/550596/15 "2010-08-18T13:32:09Z")
My new favorite is Mads Mikkelsen’s One Eye from the new movie Valhalla Rising. A mute viking warrior who shows no emotion while literally tearing the intestines out of a living opponent. IOW: one scary mofo. ---
**Author:** ![JoelUpchurch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f05b48/32.png) [@JoelUpchurch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JoelUpchurch)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2010, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-cinema-badass-of-all-time/550596/16 "2010-08-18T15:19:13Z")
How about Clancy Brown at The Kurgan in Highlander? We should also consider Arnold Schwarzenegger as the Terminator in the first Terminator movie, before he got all soft and squishy in T2 and T3. > [@](#): > > Listen, and understand. That terminator is out there. It can’t be bargained with. It can’t be reasoned with. It doesn’t feel pity, or remorse, or fear. And it absolutely will not stop, ever, until you are dead. ---
**Author:** ![lost4life](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c4cdca/32.png) [@lost4life](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lost4life)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2010, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-cinema-badass-of-all-time/550596/17 "2010-08-18T16:13:23Z")
> [@Tethered\_Kite](#): > > Lately for me it’s been Javier Bardem as Anton Chigurh in “No Country for Old Men.” He’s so mindlessly, mill-of-the-gods bad that he’s beyond bad. > > Or maybe it’s the haircut? This is who I thought of when I saw the title. \*\>What’s this guy supposed to be, the ultimate badass? -No, I wouldn’t describe him as that. \>How would you describe him? -I guess I would say he doesn’t have a sense of humor. His name is Chigurh. \* Second would be George Nada (Rowdy Roddy Piper) from **They Live**. _I’ve come here to chew bubblegum and kick ass… and I’m all out of bubblegum._ ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2010, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-cinema-badass-of-all-time/550596/18 "2010-08-18T16:30:32Z")
Pinhead. Or are we restricting the search to _this_ dimension? ---
**Author:** ![kopek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kopek/32/337_2.png) [@kopek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kopek)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2010, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-cinema-badass-of-all-time/550596/19 "2010-08-18T16:52:01Z")
> [@Mister\_Owl](#): > > Tsk, tsk, tsk… Jeremiah Johnson. > > You can close the thread now. That liver-eating beaver-whipped wuss _dreams_ he could be Inspector Daniel Clay in “Plan 9 From Outer Space”. Second place to the Butcher Charles Benton (Chaney Jr) in the Indestructible Man. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2010, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-cinema-badass-of-all-time/550596/20 "2010-08-18T17:15:51Z")
**Don Logan** as played by Ben Kingsley in [_Sexy Beast_](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0203119/). While watching the movie I got to the point where I wanted him to do something violent just to relieve the relentless tension that his character created. Absolutely awesome performance. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-cinema-badass-of-all-time/550596.md?page=2)