[Amazing] 25 Toughest Action Heroes in Movie History
According to a respectable number of people, action/adventure movies happen to be the best way to spend a couple of hours, simply because their greatness is in their ability to entertain, not present a skewed view of reality or make you think harder than you should. Maybe that’s why when an action movie hits all the right notes it is usually far more entertaining than a good drama, romance, or “food for thought” film. In reality, all a good action movie needs is great special effects, a catchy scenario, and, of course, an “action hero” that the plot will revolve around. The action hero is the kind of protagonist that mainly uses his fists and feet to achieve his goals in life. If there’s something in his way, his first and main response is to beat the hell out of it. Any problem can be resolved through the application of a fist really, as long as it is to the right (bad) guy’s face. And the funniest part is that we all pretty much have a favorite hero, whether his name is Arnie, Bruce, Sly, or Chuck. The following 25 guys and gals might not have a PhD in physics or mathematics, but they can definitely give you a lesson on how to kick or punch without regret or second thoughts. These are the 25 toughest action heroes in movie history.
Nada
Source and Image: imdb.com
George Nada is the main protagonist in John Carpenter’s classic They Live. He is a quiet man, but with a lot on his mind, more than likely his feelings on how life is dealing him a bad hand. So it becomes more of an insult to him when he discovers that the wealthy elite and anyone in authority is actually an alien out to decimate and enslave the human race. So what does he do next? He rocks a pair of shades that tracks down the aliens and delivers some serious butt-whoopings.
John Matrix
Source and Image: imdb.com
John Matrix (played by Arnold Schwarzenegger) is a retired Delta Force op who gets really pissed when the bad guys make the huge mistake of kidnapping his daughter in a desperate attempt to force him to assassinate a South American dictator. Why didn’t they just ask him politely? Now Matrix is after them and the worst part is that Chuck Norris is on vacation and can’t help them.
Chance Boudreaux
Source and Image: imdb.com
Chance Boudreaux is an ex-serviceman, a former Special Forces operative, back home from the Merchant Marines, in trouble for back dues and striking a superior, and is just plain down on his luck. Jean Claude did some serious butt whooping in this role, plus he had one of the most ridiculous and hilarious mullets in movie history.
The Bride
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Beatrix Kiddo, known as “The Bride” to you and me, was an elite assassin and member of the Deadly Vipers Assassination Squad (DVAS). Her code name: Black Mamba. That was then, though. The Bride wakens from a four-year coma and the child she carried in her womb is gone. Now she must wreak vengeance on the team of assassins who betrayed her—her own team. So she wears a super-cool yellow jumpsuit a la Bruce Lee from Game of Death and she handles business.
Bryan Mills
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An ex-CIA spook played by Liam Neeson in the Taken trilogy is the kind of father every male child wishes he could have had. However, we must all agree that having your daughter kidnapped not once, not twice, but three times could be considered bad parenting.
Martin Riggs
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Mel Gibson as Martin Riggs introduces himself to us as a Vietnam vet and a suicidal cop who wants to go meet his dead wife. After he tries to commit suicide a couple of times he realizes that his mission in this world is not yet done and decides to wipe the floor with all of the bad guys out there.
The Terminator
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The Terminator a freaking hero? Well, all right guys, not in the first movie. But one swift reprogramming session ensured that this T-800 cyborg returned in Terminator 2: Judgment Day not to go after John Connor but to protect him from a technologically advanced robot that makes even Arnie in the original look like a boy scout.
Ip Man
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The best part about Ip Man is that this grandmaster was a real person who mentored Bruce Lee to become the legend he is today. Apparently, the role gave Donnie Yen his own chance to shine in this biopic of the teacher’s youth and Yen didn’t let the chance go to waste.
Snake Plissken
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A former Special Forces unit “Black Light” lieutenant, Snake was the youngest man decorated by the president. Once a war hero in the campaigns in Leningrad and Siberia, he is now a convicted bank robber. He has long hair and wears an eye patch, a sleeveless black T-shirt, urban camouflage pants, and black motocross boots. Oh yeah, he plays with guns too sometimes!
Ethan Hunt
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Tom Cruise as Ethan Hunt is a senior field ops agent for the IMF, an elite, top-secret espionage and covert operations agency that handles dangerous and highly sensitive international missions that have been deemed “impossible.”
Chan Ka-Kui
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Inspector Chan Ka-Kui is the main protagonist in the Police Story film series and the role that made Jackie Chan famous in the West. Never again has an actor ever done so many stunts by himself only so he can catch the bad guys.
Blade
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Wesley Snipes as Daywalker is half-human, half-vampire and all action as he puts his fellow creatures of the night in their place. Additionally, he does not burn in direct sunlight (that’s why they call him the Daywalker after all), which means that he can continue kicking and punching during daytime too.
Casey Ryback
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Casey Ryback is a decorated former Navy SEAL who, after striking a superior officer, was bumped down to cook on the battleship Missouri. When the Missouri is about to celebrate its last trip at sea, it is taken over by terrorists who quickly discover that you should never underestimate the chef!
Neo
Source and Image: imdb.com
This is the type of story that would fascinate every nerd around the world. Before he became Neo and escaped the Matrix, Thomas Anderson was a geeky computer programmer. Once he takes the magical pill and discovers the truth he becomes our savior.
Jason Bourne
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Arguably the most sophisticated and intelligent action hero of our generation, Matt Damon as Jason Bourne was part of a project called Treadstone, in which agents were turned into the ultimate assassin. He was shot while on a mission and lost his memory, which sets up the background to the first movie. His memory loss is a form of amnesia where he forgets his name and much of his past, but retains his kinetic reflexes, which allows him to do what he does best!
King Leonidas
Source and Image: imdb.com
I know what some of you are probably thinking: King Leonidas isn’t an action hero but a historical figure, right? How many of you knew him before Zack Snyder made him one of the baddest warriors we have ever seen on the big screen, huh?
Dirty Harry
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One could really argue that Dirty Harry is one of the very first true action heroes in movie history but we won’t put our two cents into this debate especially when someone like Chuck Norris is on the list.
El Mariachi
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El Mariachi got mixed up with another man carrying a guitar case in the same town and was hunted down. After the bad guys shot him in the hand, nearly causing him to never play guitar again, they made the fatal mistake of killing the girl he loved, Domino. Once El Mariachi heals he goes out and seeks revenge on all those who destroyed his life, and trust us when we say it isn’t a pleasant experience for any of them. Antonio Banderas at his best!
Frank Martin, aka The Transporter
Source and Image: imdb.com
He drives like a prime Michael Schumacher; he dresses like an Armani model; and most importantly, he kicks rear ends like he’s the white Bruce Lee. Keep in mind that this role also made Jason Statham the greatest action hero of his generation and you quickly realize that Frank Martin isn’t your ordinary limousine driver.
John McClane
Source and Image: imdb.com
John McClane is an Irish-American NYPD officer who tries to save his wife, Holly Gennaro, and several others taken hostage by German terrorist Hans Gruber during a Christmas party at the Nakatomi Plaza in Los Angeles. The German eventually finds out that John is way too hard to kill, and that it won’t be a pleasant experience for him whatsoever.
Ellen Ripley
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If anyone ever tries to tell you that only men can make good action heroes just remind them of Sigourney Weaver as Ellen Ripley in Ridley Scott’s Alien. Not only was she the toughest and baddest on the crew, she was also the tallest.
J.J. McQuade
Source and Image: imdb.com
We don’t exactly know how to describe this action hero whom the one and only Chuck Norris portrayed in Lone Wolf McQuade. All we know is that after seeing the film some scientists decided there is no such thing as global warming, it’s just Chuck Norris turning the temperature of the sun up a little more when he’s cold.
James Bond
Source and Image: imdb.com
Fifty-four years later, the prototype and originator of the whole “action hero” thing is still going strong – Dr. No was the first Bond film back in 1962. As you can see from his recent film Spectre, he is still the epitome of GQ action hero. He’s a master at the game who just won’t quit because he knows the world needs him for its survival.
Bruce Lee
Source and Image: imdb.com
You have to be really open-minded and show understanding in this case since it’s the one and only Bruce Lee we’re talking about here. The only man in history Chuck Norris allowed to defeat him, even if it was just on camera. On a serious note, though, we couldn’t pick just one role played by the man who gave the term action hero a whole new meaning.
John Rambo
Source and Image: imdb.com
The mere thought of not giving to John “Sly” Rambo the top spot of this list could be considered a blasphemy. The deadliest action hero in film history can do what thousands of troops can’t and for that alone he deserves our respect. Why spend so much money on nuclear weapons and atomic energy when you have John Rambo on your team?
