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Action hero

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This article is about male action heroes. For action heroines, see list of female action heroes.
Action hero montage

The old-school action film heroes

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File:Chuck Norris 200611292256.jpg

Chuck Norris

File:Jet Li 2006.jpg

Jet Li

File:Jason Statham TIFF 2011.jpg

Jason Statham

Dwayne Johnson at the 2009 Tribeca Film Festival

Dwayne Johnson

File:VinDieselMarch09.jpg

Vin Diesel

File:Donnieyen SHFF.jpg

Donnie Yen

This is a dynamic list and may never be able to satisfy particular standards for completeness. You can help by expanding it with reliably sourced entries.

The archetypal action hero is the protagonist of an action movie or other entertainment which portrays action and adventure.[1] Other media in which such heroes appear include swashbuckler films, Westerns on television, old-time radio, adventure novels, dime novels, pulp magazines, and folklore.

Male action heroes[]

Actors[]

Classic action heroes[]

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New action heroes[]

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Film[]

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Television[]

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Video games[]

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Animation[]

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Literature[]

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Further reading[]

  • Osgerby, Bill, Anna Gough-Yates, and Marianne Wells. Action TV : Tough-Guys, Smooth Operators and Foxy Chicks. London: Routledge, 2001.
  • Tasker, Yvonne. Action and Adventure Cinema. New York: Routledge, 2004.

Notes[]

  1. ↑ Barna William Donovan (2010), Blood, guns, and testosterone: action films, audiences, and a thirst for violence, Scarecrow Press, ISBN 9780810872622 

External links[]

Trope conventions, stock characters and character archetypes
Stereotypes By creed, ethic, and morality Heroes (Legacy hero • Christ figure • Superhero • Romantic hero • Epic hero • Reluctant hero • Contender • Antihero • Byronic hero • Tragic hero) • Everyman • Folk hero • Ivan the Fool • Mythological king • Youngest son • Rogues (Lovable rogue • Jack) • Trickster (Tricky slave • Harlequin • Zanni) • Outlaw (Bad boy • Gentleman thief • Pirate • Bounty hunter • Gentleman detective • Vigilante • Homo sacer • Outcast • Rake • Villains (Anti-villain • False hero • Well-intentioned extremist) • The mole • Double agent • Evil twin • Social Darwinist • Dark Lord • Supervillain (Complete monster) • Evil clown • Killer toys • Zombies • Alazon • Archenemy • Big Bad • Bug-eyed monster • Igor • Masked Mystery Villain
By sex, gender, and orientation Feminine/(females) (Beautiful Columbina • Bishojo • Catgirl • Girl next door • Hooker with a heart of gold • Ingenue • Manic Pixie Dream Girl • Nubile (Yamato nadeshiko) • English Rose • Gibson Girl • Good Wife, Wise Mother • Mary Sue • María Clara • Yummy mummy • Hag • Clan Mother • Crone • Fairy godmother • La Ruffiana • Loathly lady • Jewish mother • Hawksian woman • Dark Lady • Femme fatale • Flapper • Pachuca • Tomboy • Tsundere • Woman warrior (Amazons • Jungle Girl • Valkyrie) • Queen bee (Jewish-American princess • Princesse lointaine • Southern belle • Valley girl) • LGBT (Butch and femme • Bimbo • Class S • Drag king • Futanari • Laotong • Lipstick lesbian) • Mistress • Lady-in-waiting • Courtesan • Handmaiden • Magical girlfriend • Mammy archetype • Nurse stereotypes • Geek girl (Cat lady • Meganekko • Nerd) • Damsel in distress (Final girl • Princess and dragon)) • Masculine/(males) (Handsome Harlequin • Pierrot • Puer aeternus • Wise old man (Elderly martial arts master) • Magical Negro • Playboy (Beefcake • Boy next door • Jock) • Superfluous man (Nice guy • Nice Jewish boy • Nerd) • Prince Charming • Knight-errant • Noble savage (Caveman • Mountain man) • LGBT (Bishonen • Drag queen • Effeminate • Molly • Sissy) • Metrosexual (Macaroni • Dandy) • Bad boy (Pachuco • Greaser)
By career, occupation, and profession Donor / mentor (Elderly martial arts master • Fairy godmother • Wise old man) • Scientists (Absent-minded professor • Artist-scientist • Boffin • Mad scientist • Nerd • Professor) • Clowns (Auguste clown • Clown blanc • Evil clown • Harlequin • Petrushka • Pierrot • Trickster) • Knights (Black knight • Knight-errant • Youxia • Paladin) • Cannon fodder (Mook • Redshirt • Stormtrooper) • [Action hero]] (Gunfighter • Space marine • Superspy • Supersoldier • Swashbuckler) • Magic-users (Sorcerer • Warlock • Witch • Wizard) • Hotshot • Jewish lawyer • Yokel
By popular culture, ethnicity, and nationality American Black brute • Blonde stereotype • Cheerleader • Jock • Nerd • Hollywood Cowboy • Hollywood Indian • Pachuco • Magical Negro • Redneck • Ugly American
European Knight • Stage Irish • Swashbuckler
Asian Ninja • Samurai • Wuxia • Kankō Ainu
Unseen character and others Grotesque • Deadpan snarker • Killbot • Little green men • Lovers • Miser • Shoulder angel • Space Nazis • Space pirate • Swamp monster • Town bully • Town drunk • Vampire detective
By lists, portrayals and formats Stock characters •female (games • comics) • in LGBT fiction • in military fiction • in science fiction
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