Retro Badass #3: The Top 25 Badasses of All Time

I just read through Entertainment Weekly's lackluster "greatest characters of the last twenty years" and was less than impressed.  I mean, not only were the choices ridiculous (i.e. Amanda from Melrose Place), but the concept itself is just horrible. They actually have Gollum from The Lord of the Rings alongside Cher from Clueless.

Far be it from me to knock lists - I love lists. Even though they're just a worthless collection of opinions, they are often fun to read.... and even more fun to compile. So, as lame and witless as EW's list was, it did inspire me to come up with one of my own: The Top 25 Badasses of All Time.

I realize some of these are pretty obscure, but they stand out in my head as big time badasses nonetheless. I am sure I missed some obvious ones. So, not only will I not be offended if you dog cuss me for leaving a good one out, I would be extremely appreciative of any contributions you could add. (No, pretty boy James Bond did not make the cut - this was not an oversight). So, here they are....(drum roll please)

1. Blondie (Clint Eastwood - The Good, the Bad and the Ugly)
2. Lt. Aldo Raine (Brad Pitt - Inglorious Basterds) 
3. Philo Beddoe (Clint Eastwood - Every Which Way but Loose)
4. Harry Callahan (Clint Eastwood - Dirty Harry)
5. Jack Carter (Michael Caine - Get Carter)
6. Captain Kirk (William Shatner - Star Trek)
7. The Bride (Uma Thurman - Kill Bill Vol. 1)
8. Paul Kersey (Charles Bronson - Death Wish)
9. John Shaft (Richard Roundtree - Shaft)
10. Lee (Bruce Lee - Enter the Dragon)
11. Jules Winnfield (Samuel L. Jackson - Pulp Fiction)
12. Black Dynamite (Michael Jai White - Black Dynamite)
13. Marv (Mickey Rourke - Sin City)
14. Coffy (Pam Grier - Coffy) 
15. Bud White (Russell Crowe - L.A. Confidential)
16. Gator McClusky (Burt Reynolds - White Lightning)
17. Youngblood Priest (Ron O'Neal - Superfly)
18. Dae-su Oh (Choi Min-Sik - Oldboy)
19. Heinz Klett (Raymond Harmsdorf - Bloody Friday)
20. King Leonidas (Gerard Butler - 300)
21. Tony Montana (Al Pacino - Scarface)
22. Ash (Bruce Campbell - Evil Dead II)
23. Black Belt Jones (Jim Kelly - Black Belt Jones)
24. Billy Jack (Tom Laughlin - Billy Jack)
25. Cesare Cardinali (Alex Cord - Stiletto)