Which actor plays the best "badass" character?

Oh I like Gal...that was not a serious post.

Also...it's a bit unfair to judge future badassery while being dismissive of a woman who helped break buffed up action ground for women.

I'm looking forward to WW!!!!

I've gone for Clint Eastwood. Which is pretty good isn't it, amongst those examples.

Clint characters is great!
But badass? John Wick for me!

Badass???????????????????

MEIKO KAJI !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Al Pacino does deserve a mention. Samuel L. Jackson must've slipped my mind, since he definitely ought to be on the list. I only have 12 spots, sorry.

I know...just wanted to justify a little bit.

Edward Furlong in Terminator 2.

Are you kidding me dude?

Best reaction I've read today.

Only a tier 1 Tuffy Rhodes has the gravitas to deliver, "She's not my mother. Todd." and have it shake you to your core.

Think Gene Hackman is one of my favourite badasses, just always felt like a real tough guy you wouldn't wanna mess with and when I say "real" I mean unlike some roided up perfectly cut male model wannabe tough guy.

Despite the above Tom Hardy comes across as a real psychopath.

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Would anybody vote for this guy. Heath Ledger. Not because Batman was such a hit, but the way he was able to convince you that he was insane.

I don't know if this is in line with your question here, but Liam Neeson plays a darn good tough guy too. A refined/polished tough guy.

But maybe most of Liam's roles are too polished for this list ? I guess I'm struggling with the exact definition of a "badass", but ...

Out of your above list, Clint E is my man, mostly for his on-screen presence, although there are quite a few good roles you mentioned: T2, John Rambo, John Patrick Mason.

I agree that Tony Montana should be in this list.

It was a tough choice! I was undecided between Clint E and Uma Thurman but I chose a woman!

Obviously Bunta Sugawara

Come on no ones cooler than a Arnie, no ones more suave than Connery and no ones more bitter than Eastwood....in a good way.

Voted for Eastwood, though I'm wondering why John Wayne isn't on here.

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Thanks again, Mr Portridge.

That doesn't really make him "badass", though.

Now, I've only seen two of Denzel Washington's films all the way through, Man on Fire and The Equalizer, but there's a pretty good case based on them alone. I can't remember the former as clearly but I remember him being good. The Equalizer stands out partly for what he's doing in character on top of the action, the psychology of McCall.