Action movie stars become fan favorites due to a number of amazing traits shared by a few that include grit, determination and bravery, though another quality shared between most action heroes is some kind of fighting skill. However, that almost always comes with the ability to take a punch as well as give one.
There have been a number of action movies and franchises over the years that have introduced heroes whose only ability seems to be able to get knocked down hard and get back up, though that often also gets them the win with more than a few bruises. An overpowered superhero god is interesting in its own way, but there is something to be said for an action protagonist who is far from invincible and loses just as much as they win (if not more so).
10 A Fistful Of Dollars Was The First Of Many Beatings For The Man With No Name
Clint Eastwood starred as the Man With No Name in Sergio Leone’s iconic spaghetti western trilogy that began with 1964’s A Fistful of Dollars, which was followed by 1965’s For A Few Dollars More and 1966’s The Good, The Bad and The Ugly.
While Eastwood’s rogue is known by fans for his rough demeanor and capable gunfighting, he has taken quite a few beatings from the various enemies he encountered across the series, beginning with his abuse and torture at the hands of the Rojo brothers and their gang in the first installment of the classic trilogy.
9 Snake Plissken Was Fighting For His Life In Escape From New York
1981’s Escape from New York from director John Carpenter starred Kurt Russel as Snake Plissken, an ex-special forces soldier who was forcibly sent to the “futuristic” prison island of Manhattan in order to save the President after a crash landing.
Snake is forced into a wrestling match with the brutal Slag, who was played by wrestler Ox Baker. While Plissken suffered during the fight, it was really Kurt Russell that paid the price during filming as Baker wasn’t pulling any of his punches.
8 Harrison Ford Took More Than A Few Beatings In The Indiana Jones Franchise
Steven Spielberg directed every entry of the long-running Indiana Jones franchise starring Harrison Ford that first hit theaters in 1981 with Raiders of the Lost Ark, and the heroic archeologist and adventurer has become a fan-favorite due to his everyman nature which sometimes includes taking the occasional beating.
While each film featured its own moment of abuse for Dr. Jones, it was his battle with the airplane mechanic (played by Pat Roach) in Raiders that saw him nearly beat down by the much larger man— though a well-timed spinning airplane propeller ended that fight before Indiana Jones was knocked out.
7 Martin Riggs Was Beaten & Tortured Throughout The Lethal Weapon Franchise
1987’s Lethal Weapon introduced detectives Martin Riggs and Roger Murtaugh, played by Mel Gibson and Danny Glover, respectively. The new partners were investigating a death that uncovered an international drug smuggling operation and put both them and Murtaugh’s family in danger.
Riggs was the titular “lethal weapon” due to his years of military and special forces training, though he still found himself getting first brutally tortured and then beaten bloody in a final battle with vicious enforcer Joshua that he ultimately won. The franchise would continue this trend and feature quite a few other beatings for Riggs.
6 Alex Murphy Had His Limbs Blown Off In The Ultra-Violent Robocop
Paul Verhoeven directed 1987’s action-heavy RoboCop which took place in the near-future city of Detroit as it fell under the control of a corrupt corporation that was looking for a better way to police the streets using robotics technology. Detective Alex Murphy was horrifically mutilated by a gang of criminals who shot most of his limbs off before he was rebuilt as the titular RoboCop.
Even after he was transformed into the robotic police officer of the future, RoboCop continued to take punishment at the hands of the gang and other robotic creations like the ED-209 who left his new body in need of some significant repairs.
5 John McClane Suffered Quite A Few Injuries Across The Die Hard Franchise
One action hero that seems to take every bruise and lump made available to him is Bruce Willis’ John McClane from the Die Hard franchise, who first took on thieving terrorists invading Nakatomi Plaza during a Christmas party in 1988’s iconic original.
Not only is McClane put into a battle for his life as he single-handedly takes down the thieves one-by-one, but he puts his body through the wringer as he is forced to walk through broken glass in bare feet while fighting a number of well-equipped operatives. And all of that that was only in the first movie, as McClane continued to take an inhuman amount of punishment over the course of the series.
4 The Bride Was Beaten & Left For Dead At Her Wedding In Kill Bill
Quentin Tarantino’s Kill Bill Vol 1 & 2 followed the path of revenge for a highly-trained assassin initially known only as The Bride, who sought out the former members of her hit squad in order to take them out one-by-one after recovering from a near-death experience.
The Bride derived her name from her origin, as she was brutally beaten while pregnant by the other members of the Deadly Viper Assassination Squad before she was shot and left for dead by former boss and lover Bill. Fans are still hoping to see this story continued with Kill Bill 3 to further the revenge-fueled story.
3 Julian’s Quest For Revenge Ended Poorly For Him In Only God Forgives
Ryan Gosling starred as a low-level American crime lord in Bangkok who is sent on a mission of revenge by his mother after the murder of his brother in Nicolas Winding Refn’s 2011 stylish action movie Only God Forgives.
While Julian’s Muay Thai fighting skills made him a threat to most of the other criminals he encountered on his mission, they paled in comparison to his rival Lt. Chang (played by Vithaya Pansringarm). Julian wasn’t able to land a single punch on Chang, who proceeded to slowly and methodically beat Julian into a bruised and bloodied pulp.
2 Dave Lizewski’s First Day As A Superhero Didn’t Go Well In Kick-Ass
2010’s Kick-Ass from director Matthew Vaughn adapted Mark Millar and John Romita Jr.’s comic series of the same name which introduced young Dave Lizewski (played by Aaron Taylor-Johnson) as he embarked on his secret career as a real-world costumed vigilante.
Unfortunately, he didn’t have powers, training, or expensive gadgets like most comic book heroes— and he was stabbed, beaten, and hit with a car in his very first outing as Kick-Ass. Luckily that accident gave him new abilities of a sort as he no longer felt as much pain as anyone else, making it even easier for him to take the numerous beatings in this movie and its 2013 sequel.
1 John Wick’s Greatest Fight Ended In A Draw In Chapter Three: Parabellum
Keanu Reeves wowed audiences as the retired hitman John Wick in the titular movie that launched the franchise in 2014, which saw him return to work after the tragic loss of his wife and the murder of his new puppy. Wick suffered a number of devastating injuries as he had to fight his way through armies of bodyguards and security on a mission of revenge.
While John Wick: Chapter Two featured a few more heavy-hitting battles, it was when the assassins turned on Wick in Chapter 3: Parabellum that he really suffered the most damage. He also had one of his best fights with two well-trained assassins who repeatedly gave Wick chances to recover. The fight ended in a respectful draw despite Wick’s battle-weary body.
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