Scenes in which a character proves to be badass

[TemporalWisdom]

I'm talking about a scene where a character, previously underestimated, turns out to be so awesome and kickass that you get chills.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Willow's gone evil, saying no one has the power to stop her, and she gets knocked off her feet by a blast of magic energy fired by...Giles!

Stargate SG-1: Replicarter is digging around in Daniel's head, and she tries to leave, only to find that Daniel's trapped her in his mind and she can't get out. Not long after that, he actually seizes control of the Replicators for a minute.

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban: Harry successfully uses the Patronus Charm in its full form.

[Tinderbox]

I recently saw this phenomenon in Eragon when the young title character uses dragon magic speech for the first time, firing his arrow in the marsh village and taking out several baddies. Magic was so strong it also knocked him unconscious.

How about Mr. Miyage coming to Daniel's rescue and beating up a gang of hoods single-handedly in The Karate Kid?

Or Nikita's final test in the film La Femme Nikita, where she must gunfight her way out of a restaurant she was taken to on pretext of it being her birthday. It's still unclear to me if that actually involved guys getting killed or if blanks were used (by the characters). I mean, was it just a realistic training scenario or did they actually drop her into an asassination? Perhaps this doesn't fit the topic. I was thinking of this film lately so maybe it's time to watch it again.

[Adam Arseneau]

Kung Fu Hustle - Sing's awakening.

This thread can be closed now.

[Belmondo]

Edward Norton in THE SCORE.

[reefa]

Peter Stormare in Fargo.

[Future Man]

Not my favorite movie, but the main character in A History of Violence comes to mind.

[Kenneth Morgan]

Qui-Gon Jinn in TPM: When Darth Maul knocks Kenobi off a catwalk during the final duel, Qui-Gon responds by b*tch-slapping the Sith and knocking him off the catwalk, as well.

[Kenneth Morgan]

Han Solo in ANH: HAN SHOOTS FIRST!

James Bond in "Doctor No": "That's a Smith & Wesson, and you've had your six." (BANG! BANG!)

[Dunnyman]

I'm talking about a scene where a character, previously underestimated, turns out to be so awesome and kickass that you get chills.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Willow's gone evil, saying no one has the power to stop her, and she gets knocked off her feet by a blast of magic energy fired by...Giles!

"I'd like to test that theory..." True badasses don't give big speeches.
Actually the coolest moment for Giles is much earlier in the Haloween episode where he beats the living crap out of his old pal Ethan. That's when we realize that Giles may not be quite so mild-mannered.

[Kenneth Morgan]

Sorry, I misunderstood the concept of the thread, hence my Han Solo & Bond comments. I stand by my Qui-Gon Jinn post, though.

I guess a good case could be made for the Tenth Doctor in "The Christmas Invasion", when this champion of non-violence and inter-species understanding sends an alien invader plummeting to his death. ("No second chances.")

And I suppose the moment in ROTJ when Palpatine drops his mask of civility and decorum and takes out the Jedi sent to arrest him. ("So, it's treason, then.")

[Andrew Forbes]

And I suppose the moment in ROTJ when Palpatine drops his mask of civility and decorum and takes out the Jedi sent to arrest him. ("So, it's treason, then.")

A) ROTS

B) No

[BrettCullum]

Nikita's final test in the film La Femme Nikita, where she must gunfight her way out of a restaurant she was taken to on pretext of it being her birthday. It's still unclear to me if that actually involved guys getting killed or if blanks were used (by the characters). I mean, was it just a realistic training scenario or did they actually drop her into an asassination? Perhaps this doesn't fit the topic. I was thinking of this film lately so maybe it's time to watch it again.

Oh, it's undoubtedly a very real scenario. They drop her in to take the guy out, and the guy's bodyguards are going after her. Although it seems a touch much that they have missle launchers in the kitchen sequence.. perhaps they were tipped off? No blanks at all. It's not training anymore, and that is part of the message Bob is sending her.

I like to play this scene side by side with the American remake Point of No Return. Shot for shot they are exactly the same, save for one small crucial detail. In the Luc Beson original Anna keeps her heels ON the entire time. In the US version Bridget Fonda takes hers off. As sexy as Bridget is, that lessens her toughness. If you can kill people AND keep on your impossibly high heels you're one tough bitch. So Nikita in the original wins hands down for being more of a badass (and please no Petra Wilson fans in here - we're talking the movies).

[molly1216]

i thought the thread was about scenes where the mouse turns and show some cojones

[J.M. Vargas]

i thought the thread was about scenes where the mouse turns and show some cojones

OK then, how about the minute-long shot of clean-cut, Ivy League-bound and decorated WWII veteran Michael Corleone planning the cold-blooded executions of McClusky and Sollozzo to avenge his father's assasination attempt in The Godfather (followed soon after by the actual shooting of these two at Michael's hand)? NOW you may close the thread!

[Black_Shadow]

Come on, guys, you’re better than this.

Badass and Buffy in the same sentence?

Badass and Karate Kid??

Badass and Harry Potter???

I thought we were talking about badasses like Poncho Ramirez challenging the Predator mano a mano or Doc Holiday replacing a hesitant Wyatt Earp in his duel with Johnny Ringo (“I’m your huckleberry”) or William Munny entering the bar looking for Little Bill in Unforgiven.

Just kidding guys...