# Most Bad Ass Movie Character Ever... **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 3, 2003, 6:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-bad-ass-movie-character-ever/179323 "2003-06-03T06:39:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![RikWriter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/49beb7/32.png) [@RikWriter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RikWriter)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2003, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-bad-ass-movie-character-ever/179323/61 "2003-06-04T03:12:37Z")
After watching it tonight, I would say Christian Bale’s character in Equilibrium. ---
**Author:** ![voguevixen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5ac83/32.png) [@voguevixen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voguevixen)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2003, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-bad-ass-movie-character-ever/179323/62 "2003-06-04T04:07:20Z")
Now that I consider it, I have to go with Sam Jackson in **Pulp Fiction** based on the evidence presented. Either that or his work as Cowboy Curtiss; I can’t decide. 😛 My first reaction to the OP though was Patrick Swayze’s character in **Roadhouse**. He a) Bangs his “lady” up against a rock wall, and on a tin roof in front of GaWd and everybody (although, now that I think about it, that makes HER more badass); b) is riddled with scars from wounds he SEWED CLOSED HIMSELF, c) ripped out a man’s throat with his hand; d) whatever damn-fool crap he did while actually IN the Roadhouse. It’s been a while but, man, lol…that is one messed up movie! Hilariously so! ---
**Author:** ![voguevixen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5ac83/32.png) [@voguevixen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voguevixen)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2003, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-bad-ass-movie-character-ever/179323/63 "2003-06-04T04:13:02Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by voguevixen \* > \*\*Either that or his work as Cowboy Curtiss; I can’t decide. 😛 > > \*\* NOOOO! I swear to GaWd that all black people don’t look the same to me! I KNOW in my heart that Cowboy Curtiss is Laurence (Larry) Fishburne. (Holy carp.) I am just really, really, really drunk and NOT a racist. I SWEAR TO GOD! Jebus, that’s what I get for trying to be witty. :smack: BTW. Laurence Fishburne as Furious Styles in **Boyz in the Hood**? TOTAL BADASS! For reals. Damn, his name is FURIOUS, for cripes sakes! AND he called all the cops in his neighborhood Uncle Toms. Day-mn. ---
**Author:** ![rjk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ed655f/32.png) [@rjk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjk)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2003, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-bad-ass-movie-character-ever/179323/64 "2003-06-04T04:21:19Z")
**Baldwin** beat me to Max Cady, but nobody so far has mentioned Avery Brooks as Hawk, Spenser’s friend from the TV series and the spinoff TV movies. For an example of his badassery, when Spenser walks into a restaurant to talk to a gangster, he’s confronted by two thugs. Hawk, who has somehow managed to remain inconspicuous to this point, suddenly shows up, chops one thug in the throat, takes his gun, and convinces them both to leave, all in about ten seconds and without speaking a word. Then he goes and sits down peacefully to watch. ---
**Author:** ![wolf\_meister](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolf_meister/32/15202_2.png) [@wolf\_meister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolf_meister)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2003, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-bad-ass-movie-character-ever/179323/65 "2003-06-04T05:04:18Z")
Wow I’m surprised no one has mentioned one of the all-time creepy cinema villains - Dennis Hopper as Frank Booth in “Blue Velvet”. ---
**Author:** ![And\_that\_s\_the\_bottom\_line](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/df788c/32.png) [@And\_that\_s\_the\_bottom\_line](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/And_that_s_the_bottom_line)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2003, 7:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-bad-ass-movie-character-ever/179323/66 "2003-06-04T07:49:08Z")
While **Payback** wasn’t necessarily the greatest movie, I did enjoy Mel Gibson’s character. This guy was pretty badass. I wouldn’t want to tangle with this guy ever. And that’s the bottom line ---
**Author:** ![Badtz\_Maru](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e36b37/32.png) [@Badtz\_Maru](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Badtz_Maru)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2003, 8:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-bad-ass-movie-character-ever/179323/67 "2003-06-04T08:15:10Z")
If you will allow made-for-TV movies, Joe Mantegna in ‘Spenser: Small Vices’. It’s amazing he can play a character who seems so nice and yet has such a strong sense of menace and toughness. The weird thing is that Urich had the look of the character better, but didn’t seem at all scary. That same one had another badass, the Grey Man. ---
**Author:** ![elf6c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c57346/32.png) [@elf6c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elf6c)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2003, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-bad-ass-movie-character-ever/179323/68 "2003-06-04T12:53:02Z")
Half of the characters in Predator. My favorite was the character played by Jesse Ventura, not only did he utter the immortal line “I ain’t got time to bleed” when wounded in a fire fight, he also carried a fricken Vulcan mini-gun. Heh heh heh, when he opened up with that thing in the jungle-- now **that** was bad ass!! 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![SkipMagic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skipmagic/32/20706_2.png) [@SkipMagic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SkipMagic)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2003, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-bad-ass-movie-character-ever/179323/69 "2003-06-04T13:31:45Z")
What, no mention of RoboCop? “I’m not arresting you anymore.” ---
**Author:** ![SkipMagic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skipmagic/32/20706_2.png) [@SkipMagic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SkipMagic)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2003, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-bad-ass-movie-character-ever/179323/70 "2003-06-04T13:47:59Z")
Oh, and nearly all the characters John Cleese played in _Monty Python and the Holy Grail_: The Black Knight Sir Lancelot, the Brave The Ferocious French Taunter Tim the Enchanter Especially Sir Lancelot: **King of Swamp Castle** : You only killed the bride’s father, you know! **Sir Lancelot** : Well, I didn’t mean to. **King of Swamp Castle** : Didn’t mean to? You put your sword right through his head! ---
**Author:** ![WIGGUM](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ce7236/32.png) [@WIGGUM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WIGGUM)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2003, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-bad-ass-movie-character-ever/179323/71 "2003-06-04T14:05:35Z")
Colonel John Matrix “I’m holding you vis my veak ahm” ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2003, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-bad-ass-movie-character-ever/179323/72 "2003-06-04T16:48:57Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by ArrrMatey \* > Also from ‘Snatch’, the Pikey. Watch the man fight. Nuff said. > \*\* Who would win in a fight? Mickey O’Neil or Tyler Derden? Remeber it’s ok to say you like Fight Club and Snatch. It’s not ok to say you are a Brad Pitt fan. You is all IG’NANT!! Here’s the baddest of the good guys - Arnold Schwartzennigger - The Terminator Bruce Willis - John Mclaine (he had no shoes for Gods sake!) Sylvester Stalone - John Rambo Richard Roundtree - Shaft Clint Eastwood - The man with no name Kurt Russel - Snake Pliskin Mel Gibson - Sergeant Martin Riggs Clint Eastwood - “Dirty” Harry Calahan Steven Segal - Casey Ribek (and he also cooks!) Chuck Norris - Walker Texas Ranger…just kidding Col. James Braddock Honorable Mention Charles Bronson - Paul Kersey Mel Gibson - Mad Max Rockatansky And now, the baddest of the bad guys James Earl Jones - Darth Vader Arnold Schwartzennigger - The Terminator Al Pacino - Antonio ‘Tony’ Montana (Scarface) Kevin Spacey - Kayser Houze Anthony Hopkins - Dr. Hannibal Lecter Joe Pesci - Tommy DeVito (you think I’m funny?!) Samuel L. Jackson - Jules Winnfield Michael Madsen - Mr. Blonde/Vic Vega Alan Rickman - Hans Gruber Gary Busey - Mr. Joshua ---
**Author:** ![belladonna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9fc29f/32.png) [@belladonna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/belladonna)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2003, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-bad-ass-movie-character-ever/179323/73 "2003-06-04T16:53:27Z")
Have we really gotten to almost two full pages without a single female character being named? That makes me ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Ol\_Gaffer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Ol\_Gaffer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ol_Gaffer)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2003, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-bad-ass-movie-character-ever/179323/74 "2003-06-04T17:21:07Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by belladonna \* > \*\*Have we really gotten to almost two full pages without a single female character being named? That makes me ☹ \*\* I believe **Eve** mentioned Barbara Stanwyck in _Double Indemnity_ on the first page. However, in the interest of bad ass gender equality I will propose the following: **Sgt. Vasquez** in _Aliens_, **Nikita** in the original (French) version of _La Femme Nikita_ ( **NOT** Bridget Fonda), and… Sharon Stone in that cowboy movie. Actually, I’m just kidding about that last one. ---
**Author:** ![belladonna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9fc29f/32.png) [@belladonna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/belladonna)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2003, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-bad-ass-movie-character-ever/179323/75 "2003-06-04T17:30:54Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Ol’Gaffer \* > \*\*I believe **Eve** mentioned Barbara Stanwyck in _Double Indemnity_ on the first page. > \*\* Ooops, I missed that one. Makes me feel slightly better, and I’m quite glad to see you’re doing your part too. Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![greck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/7ab992/32.png) [@greck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/greck)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2003, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-bad-ass-movie-character-ever/179323/76 "2003-06-04T17:40:28Z")
Shout out to Sam Jackson in “pulp fiction” and even more so in “coming to america” -bad mutha fucka “say what again, I dare you, I double dare you” Old school props to Dolemite -O.G. bad mutha fucka And I cannot believe no one is nominating Tony Montana “say hello to my little friend” I did like Clint eastwood in “Unforgiven” But if we’re whipping out Spaghetti Westerns, then no one comes close to TRINITY. movies: “they call me trinity” and “trinity is still my name” ---
**Author:** ![skin2skin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee59a6/32.png) [@skin2skin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/skin2skin)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2003, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-bad-ass-movie-character-ever/179323/77 "2003-06-04T18:24:41Z")
> [@](#): > > Sharon Stone in that cowboy movie That was called, **“The Quick & the Dead”** , which would have been a really good movie if she wasn’t in it. ---
**Author:** ![sturmhauke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e47c2d/32.png) [@sturmhauke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sturmhauke)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2003, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-bad-ass-movie-character-ever/179323/78 "2003-06-04T20:59:29Z")
Female Badasses: Red Sonja Aeon Flux the woman from Heavy Metal Ellen Ripley (Alien etc.) Trinity (The Matrix) Buffy Summers Willow Rosenberg And if you want to count books: Elspeth and Kerowyn (Mercedes Lackey’s Valdemar books) Arya Stark (and she’s only 10!), Brienne of Tarth, Asha Greyjoy, Daenerys Targaryen (George Martin’s Song of Ice and Fire series) Y.T. (Neal Stephenson’s _Snow Crash_) ---
**Author:** ![Gozu\_Tashoya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/7993a0/32.png) [@Gozu\_Tashoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gozu_Tashoya)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2003, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-bad-ass-movie-character-ever/179323/79 "2003-06-04T21:32:27Z")
While Ash has it all sewed up on the domestic front, IMHO, here are my contenders from overseas. Most badass hero (sorta): Prisoner KSC2-303 from [Versus](http://us.imdb.com/Title?0275773). Most badass villain: Sadako from [Ringu](http://us.imdb.com/Title?0178868). :eek: ---
**Author:** ![sturmhauke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e47c2d/32.png) [@sturmhauke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sturmhauke)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2003, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-bad-ass-movie-character-ever/179323/80 "2003-06-04T22:00:18Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by greck \* > **Shout out to Sam Jackson in “pulp fiction” and even more so in “coming to america” -bad mutha fucka** Samuel Jackson was not a badass in Coming to America. He was the robber with a shotgun who got beat up by Eddie Murphy with a mop handle. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-bad-ass-movie-character-ever/179323.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-bad-ass-movie-character-ever/179323.md?page=5)