Part 2
Numbers 60 – 41 can be found here
#40. Han Solo (The Star Wars Trilogy)
Why is he on the list?
Solo is smart, funny and knows how to get himself out of a jam, which is quite often given his history as a smuggler. And when the time calls for lifting some heavy artillery he’s right there on the front line ready to take out some storm troopers. His sly and cocky demeanor makes him the kind of guy we all wish we were. No matter the situation, he always has a way out and usually acts while other are still strategizing. Even if he makes a poor decision or bad move, nine times out of ten he walks away unscathed. On top of all that, the guy has a Wookie for a best friend and co-pilot, gets the princess in the end and, oh yeah, he flies the Millennium Falcon!
Why isn’t he higher?
He partied with the Ewoks. The sure fire way to lose some of your cool factor is to sit around a camp fire and celebrate with a bunch of teddy bears. Where is the “Han Shot First” we all know and love? By the time Jedi came around he was too busy with his on again off again romance with Leia to really stick it to the man.
-Cavanagh
#39. Ethan Edwards (The Searchers)
Why is he on the list?
A badass list without John Wayne? That’ll be the day. The Searchers is not only one of the 5 greatest westerns of all time, it also features the Duke’s best acting performance, and the most interesting and badass character he’s ever played. This isn’t white-hatted good guy Wayne; Ethan Edwards is pure anti-hero. He’s tough, jaded, racist and cruel. He seems to hate everyone and everything, only exerting a little extra to hate the Comanche most of all. He even goes so far as to shoot the eyes out of dead Comanche in order to keep his Comanche soul from entering the spirit-land. This bastard is meaner than a Drano milkshake.
Why isn’t he higher?
Two things. 1) Young whipper-snappers don’t know what’s good for them. 2) It sure does take him a while to find that little girl.
-Kennedy
#38. Vincent Vega (Pulp Fiction)
Why is he on the list?
Vega epitomizes the word “cool.” He can do the coolest dances ever known to man and does them damn well. The speech about bacon tasting good and dogs being filthy animals just shows that his mind is going off in enough directions that you never know what is going to come out of his mouth. And the most bad ass thing of all is simply to take one thing he did and ask yourself, “Could I do that?” Do you have the balls to take a needle the size of your damn hand and stab it into the heart of the wife of a man who could kill you with a snap of his fingers and then drop her off at home as if nothing happened? Then you my friend are as bad ass as Vincent Vega.
Why isn’t he higher?
It’s not necessarily his fault that he’s not higher but Jules did get the kick ass speech at the end quoting Bible verses all while buying Ringo’s life so he wouldn’t have to kill him. And you just can’t compete with your partner who has a wallet that actually says “Bad Mother Fucker.” But when I think about it, it may actually be Vega’s fault he’s not higher. The first rule of being a killer is that you always take your gun with you when you go number two.
– Danny
#37. Casey Ryback (Under Siege)
Why is he on the list?
There are plenty of movies that can be described as “Die Hard on a (blank)”, but a U.S. Navy battle cruiser is definitely one of the better variations. Plus, the sheer variety of the ways he took out the bad guys was seriously impressive.
Why isn’t he higher?
Well, it is Steven Seagal, after all: this and Above the Law were really the only two truly badass movies he ever made. And the number two terrorist was Colm Meaney, for crying out loud: when the other’s side “tough guy” is played by a minor Star Trek character, you’re in trouble.
-Steve Murray
#36. The Terminator (The Terminator series)
Why is he on the list?
Arriving on earth butt naked and walking straight into a biker bar. That right there says that you have Vince McMahon sized grapefruits. Combine that with the blank stare, signature catch phrases that everyone has used at least twice, throw in the fact that he’s a cyborg and that’s extreme bad-assness. Coming straight from Cyberdyne in the future, the Terminator came with a purpose and was going to accomplish his mission even if it meant his own destruction. But what made him so that much more respectable, in even a sentimental type of way, was that he would risk his existence to not only get his target, but he’d also do it if it was the right thing. A thinking and compassionate machine who knows why people cry. A pansyish bad-ass, but a bad-ass none the less.
Why isn’t he higher?
The original terminator was from the future and was of the highest technology upon his first arrival on earth. His second and third times proved that he wasn’t as high-tech as he once was. But why didn’t he improve himself? Sure the resistance were the peasants of the futuristic war, but he could have done something to fix himself up some. He had nothing on the T-1000 or the T-X and if it wasn’t for Sarah and John Connor, then his final two missions would have failed miserably.
– Danny
#35. Pike Bishop (The Wild Bunch)
Why is he on the list?
While there are many reasons Pike Bishop is one of the most badass character ever, one worth mentioning is the killing of hundreds of his enemies at the end of the film. One the greatest, most violentest (I don’t care if that’s not a word), most badassest scenes ever!
Why isn’t he higher?
Frankly, I don’t know why he’s not higher. (Kennedy’s Note: Because, as Buffy says, “Pike is a fish.)
– Noyes
#34. The Predator (The Predator series)
Why is he on the list?
Just an absolutely phenomenal specimen. Take the agility of an acrobat and add it with the shooting ability of a sniper and then mix in a touch of genius ingenuity and put it all in the sometimes transparent body of an alien and that just screams bad-ass. The coolest part of his arsenal was his invisibility but that you could still see where he was just enough to scare the hell out of you. Because as soon as you realized that the leaves above you just didn’t look right well, he already had you in his sights and had those three red dots fixated on your forehead. And as if you weren’t already scared enough when he made himself visible; he then took off his mask and showed the height of fear before blowing the back of your head out. How cool is that?
Why isn’t he higher?
There is only one thing that could take away from the coolness that is the Predator. That stupid ass laugh he does at the end of the film. Not only did he sound completely and totally retarded, but he gave Arnold enough time to figure out what was going on with the bomb countdown and get over to safety. When you’re dying your blaze of glory is supposed to be taking out your enemies with you. It’s not helping them out by sounding a like a dying giraffe.
– Danny
#33 Hannibal Lecter (Various films [né Dr. Hannibal Lecktor in Manhunter])
Why is he on the list?
Dr. Lecter is smart. That much we know. As a brilliant ex-psychiatrist, he is well-read and cultured. But he’s also a psychopath who likes to bite people and eat brains. You can put him in a cage, cuff him, and deprive him of the outside world, but he’ll still be able to single-handedly take on any number of cops and prison guards with those razor sharp teeth of his. You just don’t want to mess with Hannibal; he’ll bite you.
Why isn’t he higher?
Honestly, the whole biting human flesh thing doesn’t sit too well. Despite his somewhat endearing relationship with Agent Starling, the man’s got some serious dietary issues.
-Li Ping Lin
#32: He Who Shall Not Be Named A.K.A. Voldemort (Harry Potter series)
Why is he on this list?
Voldie here is responsible for most of the havoc in the HP series. He’s killed many a wizard, tortured many an innocent Muggle. He’s figured out the darkest, deadliest secrets in the world of magic and he uses them in insanely evil ways.
Why isn’t he higher?
Well, having your master plans continually thwarted by a teenage boy don’t exactly make you look too hot.
-Li Ping Lin
#31. William Wallace (Braveheart)
Why is he on the list?
Mad Max in a kilt, Mel Gibson’s William Wallace is a classic epic hero on par with Kirk Douglas’ Spartacus or Charlton Heston’s Ben-Hur, only a lot angrier. Looking as if he could take on the English single-handedly, Gibson’s take on Scotland’s legendary hero makes you want to follow him into battle, as he rides in with cries of “Freedom!” and then bashes someone’s head in with a mace. What Russell Crowe did for togas, Mel Gibson did for kilts, using his sword to not only win Scotland its freedom, but cut down a few of the other Oscar contenders in the process. Braveheart is a gritty, red blooded battle epic, with Gibson’s Wallace doing most of the bloodying.
Why isn’t he higher?
Well, it could do with Mel Gibson’s less than stellar reputation at the moment, which has perhaps lead to Braveheart not even having the stature it once did. Then again, others have attacked the Wallace character as being less than a historically correct portrayal, and others have a hard time seeing Wallace as big a bad ass as he is because he’s surrounded by other bad asses on all sides that are also killing the English by the hundreds.
– Robtrain
#30. Jason Vorhees (Friday the 13th/Jason series)
Why is he on the list?
The complete and utter disregard for human life is what makes Jason so bad ass. He’d stab you, rip you apart, strangle you, bend you in half, and even trap you in your sleeping bag and slam your body repeatedly against a tree. There is just no method of murder that he wouldn’t attempt on someone. And the thing is that he would do them for no other reason then the fact that he made eye contact with them. There was no rhyme or reason to his killings. Jason just killed because it was what he did and the only thing he knew. But the thing that started it all was revenge. Kids treated him like crap when he was little because he was different. He didn’t attack them when he was younger. No, he bided his time and waited to get back at all those in the world who he knows would still treat him badly just like those kids he knew when he was young. It was everyone else’s problem that some kids were mean to Jason when he was little, and he set out to make them pay through the deaths of others.
Why isn’t he higher?
Jason had one weakness. His mother. I’m sorry but for a guy who kills anyone and everything he sees and feels no remorse whatsoever, then he should have been able to deal with anything. But if you happened to know anything about his past then all you had to do was mention his mother and he froze. You are a huge freak with a machete, a hockey mask, and an unreasonable resistance to pain and you get all teary-eyed when someone talks about mama? Puss.
– Danny
#29. Det. Jimmy Popeye’ Doyle (The French connection)
Why is he on the list?
Another 70’s renegade cop, this time in Chicago. As well as taking no shit, Popeye also has one of the most kick ass chase scenes ever, and possibly the only chase scene between a car and the L train.
Why isn’t he higher?
Same reason as #18.
(Kennedy’s note: TEASE!)
-Noyes
#28. Nada (They Live!)
Why is he on the list?
“I have come here to chew bubblegum and kick ass. And I’m all out of bubblegum.” Says the man known as Nada, a wanderer who ends up taking on an alien race trying to conquer Earth with only a shotgun and a pair of sunglasses that let him see the aliens for what they really are. He also takes on his partner in one of the longest badass fight scenes in film history.
Why isn’t he higher?
Despite his best efforts he does not defeat the alien threat.
-Noyes
#27. Jack Burton (Big Trouble In Little China)
Why is he on the list?
Kurt Russell finds his way onto the list a second time with Jack Burton, a truck driver who turns down the wrong alley in Chinatown and ends up defeating an ancient evil. In Jack’s words: “I was born ready!”
(Kennedy’s note: Tease, again dammit! The readers haven’t seen the other Kurt Russell nominee yet!)
Why isn’t he higher?
He knocks himself out and misses most the final battle.
-Noyes
#26. Maj. John Reisman (The Dirty Dozen)
Why is he on the list?
Because any man who could take that group of reprobates and mold them into an effective fighting force is Bad Ass by any definition. And it’s Lee Marvin, one of the legit tough men of Hollywood.
Why isn’t he higher?
Because he made Jim Brown quit football, preventing him from setting records which would still be unbroken today.
— Michaelangelo
#25. John Matrix (Commando)
Why is he on the list?
Because this role, not The Terminator, is the Governator’s defining role. Practically every part he would play afterwards was a variation of John Matrix, from Raw Deal to Collateral Damage. It’s his true signature road.
Why isn’t he higher
Because a lot of people view the film as pure cheese.
— Michaelangelo
#24. Ah Jong A.K.A. Jefferey A.K.A. John (The Killer A.K.A. Dip hyut shueng hung)
Why isn’t he on the list
Because this was the role that introduced Chow Yun-Fat to American audiences. We’d seen hitmen with hearts of gold before, but with John Woo’s ability to make gunfighting seem like ballet, Jeff became THE assassin for the 1990s.
Why isn’t he higher?
Don’t ask me that. He should be top 10.
— Michaelangelo
#23. Martin Riggs (Lethal Weapon series)
Why is he on the list?
Because Riggs, along with Murtaugh, is the template for buddy cop flicks. After Lethal Weapon, all future buddy cop flicks had the one semi-crazy cop paired with the more responsible partner. If Martin Riggs hadn’t been so charismatic, then there’d never have been 73 more Lethal Weapon knock offs.
Why isn’t he higher?
Because Riggs on his own doesn’t make sense. While Riggs and Murtaugh would be a lock for #1 in a Bad Ass Duos list, separately they don’t crack the top 10.
— Michaelangelo
#22. Max Cady (Cape Fear both versions)
(Kennedy’s note: This is a double-sized entry with Kubryk handling the DeNiro version, and myself handling the Mitchum version.)
Why is he on the list?
Most good villains are born into action-oriented films to face off against the hero. And many times a good hero takes vengeance for slights against him. In many films, Max would be a hero. Imprisoned for a crime, he blames his lawyer and swears vengeance upon him. Max is on this list because he’s the sort of tough guy villain that is so good at what he does that no one can sympathize with his plight, despite its implications for anti-hero status that a modern film would take with the role. Cady is a true villain in the best sense of the word; to sympathize for him would to be sympathize with the devil himself.
And, most importantly, it led to one of Robert De Niro’s best movie moments in the Scorsese remake of the film that originally starred Gregory Peck. After some thugs tried to hurt him on orders from the lawyer who defended Cady, Cady turns the tables and beats them up severely, then turns his sights on to the man who hired them (Nick Nolte). Bleeding profusely from the head, he demands one thing: “Come out come out wherever you are” in one of the great movie villain moments of the 1980s. It’s an iconic moment from an actor known for them.
Why isn’t he higher?
Cady is a more serious role than many on this list, and serious roles like these aren’t generally as entertaining as others. It is also one of the lesser known roles from the legend that is Robert De Niro during his peak years in the 1980s and 1990s. It may not be one of his signature roles such as Jake LaMotta in Raging Bull, Jimmy Conway in Goodfellas or Neil McCauley in HEAT, but it’s one of the roles he earned an Academy Award nomination for as well as easily his best performance as a bad guy. De Niro plays a lot of bad guys with redeeming characteristics; it’s easy to like Jimmy Conway because he’s not set as the sort of pure, unrepentant evil that Max Cady is.
-Scott
Why is he on the list?
Other actors spend their youths hanging out at Hollywood High, maybe taping a couple of episodes of Blossom, and squandering daddy’s money. Robert Mitchum, on the other hand, spent his formative years escaping from a Georgia chain gang. Mitchum couldn’t not be badass. When he played a southern patriarch, he was the king of the town able to bed down any man’s wife at will. When he played a preacher, it was sadistic ex-con with “LOVE” and “HATE” tattooed on his fingers. When he plays a psychotic rapist bent on revenge, you’re damn well sure that it’s going to be one scary motherf*cker.
Why isn’t he higher?
You can’t support a guy who wants to hurt Gregory Peck.
-Kennedy
#21. Mr Blonde A.K.A. Vic Vega (Reservoir Dogs)
Why is he on the list?
Because he’s one psycho motherf*cker. He’s the spark that gets Reservoir Dogs rolling, with his deadpan sadism. Who can forget him cutting off an ear to “Stuck in the Middle With You”?
Why isn’t he higher?
Because he dies way too quickly in the film to rank any higher.
— Michaelangelo
(Kennedy’s note: And his character is brothers with #38!)
Stay Tuned for the TOP 20 Badasses of all time, and a special CPO celebrating the Honorable Mentions.
