Where would movies be without action? It’s practically written into the DNA of the medium. And wherever you find action, you’ll almost always find heroes fighting to save the day. But while there have been several versions of the Hollywood action hero over the decades, a select few have left inedible marks on the pop culture. Val Kilmer’s Doc Holiday made such an impression that he’s been cited as the reason people became real life cowboys. Bruce Lee, Chuck Norris, and Jean Claude Van Damme inspired multiple generations of men and women to dedicate their lives to the study of martial arts. The military and police department’s ranks have swelled because of want-be heroes hoping to follow the likes of Axel Foley and John Matrix into service.
But that’s enough talk. Let’s get to the action.
These are the 50 Greatest Action Movie Heroes of All Time*.
*not including superheroes
10. Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) | Mission: Impossible (Franchise)
Ethan Hunt might be the only action hero to star in WAY too many movies, and still stay consistently interesting as a hero and separately as a character. After losing his mentor in the first film, Ethan begins a journey that involves friendship, adventure, romance and very cool gadgets. Unlike other series on this list, I would say the Mission: Impossible movies don’t decline in quality and ultimately stay entertaining and interesting throughout. This is due mostly to the strength of the writing, and Ethan’s likability and charisma as the protagonist. He’s funny without being glib, and maintains a loyalty to his friends that’s unlike many others on this list. It’s his connections that make his story utterly watchable, as he makes the harder choices again and again to try and save the people he cares about. He’s my favorite Tom Cruise character and I’m looking forward to the next installment this year.
–Valerie Morreale
9. Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton) | Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)
One of the few ladies on this list, Sarah Connor more-than makes up the gap. While she starts her journey into action-hero glory as an average girl just trying to live life and have a little fun, she turns out to be the badass mom of the one man who is able to unite humanity against the overwhelming might of Skynet and the machines.
Caught off-guard, (like anyone would be), by the arrival of both the Terminator and Kyle Reese, she gets a crash-course in survival and grit. Lucky for her, she takes to it naturally. In the first film, we get to watch her adapt to the disruption of everything she’s ever known, learn how to fight and make improvised explosives. By the end she’s no less doggedly-determined than the titular menace, able to do whatever it takes to outlast and destroy the thing.
By the second film, she’s honed herself both physically and mentally into a one-woman army. Sure, she might not have been great with all that touchy-feely mom stuff, but she’s given John the start of what he’ll need to be a great warrior – mostly by example!
Linda Hamilton makes us believe every iota of mettle her character possesses. She’s jacked, knows her way around weapons, gives her voice a hard edge, and has a gaze of raw steel. I remember everyone was shocked when T2 dropped and another benchmark of female badassery, (Hell, ANY badassery), was notched into the collective consciousness. A mark that’s indelible to this day.
–Jeff Cram
8. Dr. Henry Walton “Indiana” Jones (Harrison Ford) | Indiana Jones (Franchise)
“If adventure has a name, it must be Indiana Jones!” Just because it’s a cheesy 80’s marketing tagline doesn’t mean it isn’t true. There was a time when the mere thought of adventure movies couldn’t be discussed without talking about Indiana Jones. While the movies didn’t invent the action-adventure genre, its main protagonist certainly elevated our perception of the field. Sure, a lot of the charm comes from the inestimable Harrison Ford, but there’s a lot of pulp action DNA in Dr. Jones, and that makes for quality entertainment.
Between chase scenes, crazy dungeon traps, or viscerally satisfying fist fights, we’ve all got our eyes glued to the screen when Indy is doing his thing. He’s got that everyman thing going for him, as he often takes as much as he gives out. He’s got wit and a good blend of humility and swagger. Jones is brave and tenacious, but is also sometimes just lucky enough to use the environment to win out over a superior foe. We all root for him, and feel like we want to be him.
In addition, the fact that he’s constantly beating the piss outta Nazis gets us right in our freedom-lovin’ hearts!
–Jeff Cram
7. The Terminator / T-800 (Arnold Schwarzenegger) | Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)
On first blush, this entry should be under villains. Since we’re concentrating on Terminator 2, however, this paternal protectobot (apologies to Transformers fans) belongs here.
Again, it’s Arnold, so there’s a certain amount of cachet with the audience that comes along with that. Toss in that it’s James Cameron bringing us the sequel to a seminal genre hit, and we’re all on-board from the first flashes of time-travel lightning.
No-less able to dish out catastrophic violence than its villainous counterpart, this T-800 is programmed to listen to John Connor, and even learn from him. It’s this almost child-like quality that helps us buy the fact that this murderbot (again, apologies, fans) is more than a tool; it’s a hero in its own right. Its willingness to sacrifice itself to avoid giving Skynet any more advantages changes that last “thumbs-up” from just cheese, to heartwarming.
–Jeff Cram
6. Ellen Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) | Aliens (1986)
Even before she became an action hero, Ripley was already one of the greatest heroes and movie protagonists of all time. She’s smart, quick-thinking and takes no shit. I think part of what makes her so memorable is the down-to-earth nature of her and the entire crew, like truckers in space. She’s not a special agent, or even the best at what she does. She’s just a person in an impossible situation. Even in the face of a villain as unkillable as the Xenomorph, it’s Ripley’s resilience and clever planning that ensures she’s the last woman standing. Sigourney Weaver’s iconic role went on to inspire other female heroes in both action and sci-fi, but she will always be the OG.
–Valerie Morreale
5. John Wick (Keanu Reeves) | John Wick (Franchise)
For me, John Wick is in a category of his own when it comes to action heroes, and so much of that has to do with his introduction. We’re shown who he is first – a grieving and loyal husband, who shows equal dedication to his wife’s last gift: a puppy named Daisy. We’re rooting for him long before another wave of devastation hits, and he’s busting open the concrete in his basement floor to retrieve his guns. The first movie is a nearly perfect action film, and each subsequent entry only does more to cement the character’s legendary status. Whenever we believe we’ve learned all there is to know about John, another chapter further illustrates his past and his ever-haunting future. Unlike other films where we’re simply told this character is the most deadly guy, you really believe it here. The combination of tight shots, insane stunts, and incredible fight choreography makes for a character that truly feels like the world’s most deadly assassin. With four entries down and more on the way, it’s unclear what, if anything, can take down John Wick.
–Valerie Morreale
4. James Bond / 007 (Various) | James Bond (Franchise)
All the James Bonds are glorious. Even that one. Yes, the one you hate. Yes, even the one I hate. The ultimate smooth super-spy, James Bond has been shaking AND stirring us on screen since Barry Nelson in 1954. It took the charisma of Sean Connery to really cement the secret agent into the public consciousness as a sexy, rough and magnetic version of the character. Since then, with some some interesting detours like Larry Niven and George Lazenby, the character seems to have alternated between the more debonair and humorous interpretations of actors like Roger Moore and Pierce Brosnan and the darker, more physical versions of Timothy Dalton and Daniel Craig. While I grew up on Connery and Moore, I have to say my favorite individual films have been their mirror images in Brosnan and Craig. I’ve found something to enjoy in all the Bond films, though, and I look forward to the new Bond with the same trepidation and interest that I’ve had for every iteration. Well, maybe a little more trepidation than usual.
–Bob Cram
3. Inspector Harold “Dirty Harry” Callahan (Clint Eastwood) | Dirty Harry (Franchise)
Do you feel lucky, punk? ‘Cause you put Harry Callahan in third place. You think that’s gonna sit right with him? The original “loose cannon” archetype, Harry is so iconic that his name is a slang term for ruthless police officers. Dirty Harry launched a thousand films where a “rogue cop” works “outside the lines” to bring bad guys to justice – or the morgue – despite incompetent or corrupt superiors. While Harry’s methods got a little less over-the-top during the course of the next four films, he never got any less cynical or ruthless. Harry was always willing to do whatever was necessary to find justice, even if the law couldn’t – or wouldn’t. It’s not that Harry doesn’t have a moral code, it’s just that his and the law don’t always overlap. One of the most stone-cold characters in all of cinema. I know there are characters that are higher on this list than Harry, but I didn’t have anything to do with that. You can always try to explain it to him. “Go ahead. Make my day.”
–Bob Cram
2. John McClane (Bruce Willis) | Die Hard (Franchise)
We’ve written comments on this list so far about the everyman quality of some of the greatest action movie heroes of all time. This badboy, for my money, takes the cake in that specific department, while he arguably could have taken the whole damn thing! When Die Hard came out, its hero was stacked against vast swathes of oiled-up muscle men, alien monsters, super spies…all cool things, but not a lot in the way of relatable protagonists. Up until this point, most of us knew Bruce Willis through the show Moonlighting. He wasn’t a slouch, but he was more known for his comedy than action chops.
That all changed with Die Hard. Considered by many, (including those of us here at SAW), as the greatest action movie of all time, it was bolstered by one of the greatest action movie heroes in John McClane. It may seem like I’m repeating myself on this list when I gush about John being a mere mortal; a man who gets hurt, frustrated, worn down, but keeps going. That’s only because others on this list share qualities that Willis took to heights which embed this as an archetype into our internal action lexicon.
–Jeff Cram
1. John J. Rambo (Sylvester Stallone) | Rambo (Franchise)
Sometimes a thing is so iconic, the name of that specific thing gets used to describe all things of a similar type. Think Xerox, for example. Even to this day, some people say they’re going to Xerox something, regardless of the brand they’re using. Well, Rambo was so huge in the realm of action movie heroes, he became another such example. A term used to describe a certain type of hero or movie, regardless of studio, star, or director. People would talk about “one of those Rambo flicks.”
What’s interesting to me is that Rambo actually features in several different types of movies, himself! First Blood is a legitimate action drama. Character-driven, despite the impressive and raw action, it’s not a throwaway popcorn spectacle. Who can keep from getting a lump in their throat at the climax, when Stallone rips out “Nothing is over!” and the following monologue?
Move on to Rambo II and especially III, and they’re exactly the popcorn spectacle I just mentioned. Over-the-top (see what I did there?) and bombastic, Rambo mows through scads of mooks in glistening, shirtless splendor. No confusing these for examinations of America’s collective dysfunction over the Vietnam War or its veterans. Here we move into marketing gold (who didn’t want that knife?!), and complex problems solved at the barrel of a gun – or the tip of an exploding arrow.
Regardless of the later movies’ attempts to straddle the genres, or where you come down on that divide, there’s no arguing that Stallone delivered an icon of the genre, and film in general. Even if you disagree with this rating, there’s no doubt the greatest action movie hero of all time cannot be determined without at least considering Rambo for the title slot.
–Jeff Cram
20-11 | Action Villains
Any action movie heroes you think deserved a spot on this list? Share them with us in the comments below!