Top 10 Movie Badasses

When you make the mistake of selling a CIA operative’s daughter into the sex trade, you’d better hope it’s not Bryan Mills from the action thriller “Taken” that you’re dealing with. If it is though, then it doesn’t matter where in the world you hide or how tough you think you are, ‘cause you’re not going to be breathing air for much longer – and you’re likely to meet your end in a spectacularly violent fashion. They don’t make fathers much more badass than this.

If you found out that the majority of the world’s population was going to die soon and that your unborn baby will be hunted its entire life, your reaction would most likely be to just curl up in a ball and cry. Not so for Sarah Connor of the “Terminator” franchise. The young student destroys the cyborg sent to kill her and then attempts to warn the world. When that doesn’t work, she transforms herself into a tough, take-no-prisoners fighter. We’re just glad she’s on our side.

After an ill-advised kill, English hitman Chev Chelios finds himself forced to find a way to have a constant flow of adrenaline in his system to keep from dying. Realizing he has little time to find the antidote, Chev spends what could be his last moments alive seemingly kicking every criminal in L.A.’s ass. Public sex and daredevil acts are the icing on the cake in what is one of the craziest days for any character ever seen on screen.

It takes balls of brass to lead a paltry 300 men and a smattering of other allies into battle against the biggest army the world has ever seen. Leonidas, however, just so happens to have lived his entire life in anticipation of the glorious end he will no doubt meet. And on the way out, the King of Sparta and his men are going to take as many of the combatants they see with them. He’s brave, he’s reckless and he’s glorious – and as a result, “300” is a visually stunning fantasy war film that’s still on our minds today.

We’re in Australia and Max is the one man who might just be able to restore justice in a world wrought with anarchy. The baddest man in a dystopic future where only the strong survive, Max is a Main Force Patrol officer who thrives on facing impossible odds. Playing the title character to perfection, Mel Gibson later applied the attributes that made Mad Max so badass to his portrayal of Detective Sgt. Martin Riggs in the “Lethal Weapon” series.

After the woman he has just made love to meets a violent end, this brute of a man stops at nothing to find vengeance against those responsible. So he goes on a murder spree, destroying everyone behind her death in gruesome fashion, and manages to survive multiple gunshot wounds in the process. And yet, “Sin City”s Marv only succumbs after being put to death – twice.

If Jules winds up on your doorstep, you’d better pray for heavenly protection if you want to survive. This hitman and his partner, Vincent Vega, serve as the chief enforcers of their gangster boss Marsellus Wallace. Deadly men with the Lord on their side, it’s Jules’ ability to quote the Bible in the most terrifying manner ever seen on film that truly makes him stand apart. That and he is one bad mother… well, you know the rest.

John McClane doesn’t want to save the world. He didn’t set out to be anyone’s hero. He’s just an average cop who wants to rebuild his family – that is, until a pack of supposed terrorists forces him to kill them all. Never one at a loss for words, McClane has the unique ability to infuriate everyone around him, especially Hans and Simon Gruber in the first and third “Die Hard” films respectively, with witty one-liners. John will kill you dead and then mock you afterwards.

Perhaps because he had to overcome the stigma of being a man named Ashley, perhaps because he’s incredibly resourceful, or perhaps he’s just too stupid to know what he’s up against. Whatever the reason, when the world is overrun with deadites and humanity might not survive much longer, “The Evil Dead”’s Ash is the only man who can save the day and make us laugh while doing it. That is, if his inability to remember a single incantation isn’t dooming us all.

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.
- Snake Plissken
“Escape from New York” (1981) / “Escape from L.A.” (1996)
- James Dalton
“Road House” (1989)
- Django Freeman
“Django Unchained” (2012)
- John Nada
“They Live” (1988)
- Col. John Matrix
“Commando” (1985)

A Homicide Division Inspector, “Dirty Harry” Callahan is a cop unlike any other ever shown on the big screen. More lethal than the criminals he sets out to capture, the San Fran police officer is a true force to be reckoned with. He’s got his own idea of right and wrong and he’s willing to break the law to keeps the good people safe. If you make the mistake of going up against him, there’s just one question you need to ask yourself: “Do you feel lucky?” If you do, we’ve got some bad news for you, punk.


Do you agree with our list? Who’s your favorite movie badass? For more film Top 10s published daily, be sure to subscribe to WatchMojo.com.