Badass: Difference between revisions

Everything About Fiction You Never Wanted to Know.
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him, due to [[Pure Awesomeness]].]]
him, due to [[Pure Awesomeness]].]]


{{quote| ''"Until a man is twenty-five, he still thinks, every so often, that under the right circumstances he could be the baddest motherfucker in the world. ...Hiro used to feel this way, too, but then he ran into Raven. In a way, this was liberating. He no longer has to worry about being the baddest motherfucker in the world. The position is taken."''|--'''''[[Literature/Snow Crash|Snow Crash]]'''''}}
{{quote| ''"Until a man is twenty-five, he still thinks, every so often, that under the right circumstances he could be the baddest motherfucker in the world. ...Hiro used to feel this way, too, but then he ran into Raven. In a way, this was liberating. He no longer has to worry about being the baddest motherfucker in the world. The position is taken."''|--'''''[[Snow Crash]]'''''}}


[[Rule of Cool]] personified.
[[Rule of Cool]] personified.


[[Badass]] is an adjective used to describe a character who gets away with outright insane stunts (defusing a bomb with their teeth, [[Did You Just Scam Cthulhu|conning a mob boss]], [[[[One-Man Army]] getting into a firefight with the entire army]], etc.) that would be very hard to pull off in [[Real Life]], or would get the person trying it killed several times over. A badass is a fantasy figure whom the audience roots for precisely because of how prone they are to [[[[Moment of Awesome]] awesome moments]], to the point where they stretch or break the [[Willing Suspension of Disbelief]]. Of course, [[Willing Suspension of Disbelief]] may still be maintained depending on the mechanics of the universe.
[[Badass]] is an adjective used to describe a character who gets away with outright insane stunts (defusing a bomb with their teeth, [[Did You Just Scam Cthulhu|conning a mob boss]], [[One-Man Army|getting into a firefight with the entire army]], etc.) that would be very hard to pull off in [[Real Life]], or would get the person trying it killed several times over. A badass is a fantasy figure whom the audience roots for precisely because of how prone they are to [[Moment of Awesome|awesome moments]], to the point where they stretch or break the [[Willing Suspension of Disbelief]]. Of course, [[Willing Suspension of Disbelief]] may still be maintained depending on the mechanics of the universe.


It's notable that fans are more likely to tolerate a violent monster of a "hero" than a befuddled, cowardly [[Classical Antihero]].
It's notable that fans are more likely to tolerate a violent monster of a "hero" than a befuddled, cowardly [[Classical Antihero]].
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* [[Born Winner]]: That automatically makes you a loser.
* [[Born Winner]]: That automatically makes you a loser.
* [[Brave Scot]]: Heroic Scottish Badass.
* [[Brave Scot]]: Heroic Scottish Badass.
* [[Break the Badass]]: This person [[[[Hero Killer]] scares the crap out of everybody]], ''including'' the Badass.
* [[Break the Badass]]: This person [[Hero Killer|scares the crap out of everybody]], ''including'' the Badass.
* [[Brought Down to Badass]]: Had superpowers, lost them, but even afterwards, they can still kick ass.
* [[Brought Down to Badass]]: Had superpowers, lost them, but even afterwards, they can still kick ass.
* [[The Captain]]: Who has the balls to run the coolest [[Cool Ship]]? (or [[The Squad]])? This guy, of course.
* [[The Captain]]: Who has the balls to run the coolest [[Cool Ship]]? (or [[The Squad]])? This guy, of course.
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** [[Papa Wolf]]: Mess with [[Distaff Counterpart|his]] kids and [[Mama Bear]] is the ''least'' of your problems.
** [[Papa Wolf]]: Mess with [[Distaff Counterpart|his]] kids and [[Mama Bear]] is the ''least'' of your problems.
* [[Memetic Badass]]: While their actual badass credentials may or may not be justified, their reputation as a badass is considered [[Off the Scale]].
* [[Memetic Badass]]: While their actual badass credentials may or may not be justified, their reputation as a badass is considered [[Off the Scale]].
* [[Mighty Lumberjack]]: [[[[Monty Python's Flying Circus (TV)|Monty Python's Flying Circus]] He's a lumberjack and he's badass, he sleeps all night and chops trees/kicks asses all day!]]
* [[Mighty Lumberjack]]: [[Monty Python's Flying Circus (TV)|Monty Python's Flying Circus]] He's a lumberjack and he's badass, he sleeps all night and chops trees/kicks asses all day!]]
* [[More Deadly Than the Male]]: She makes up for her lack of (obvious) strength by being more ruthless than you and her boyfriend combined.
* [[More Deadly Than the Male]]: She makes up for her lack of (obvious) strength by being more ruthless than you and her boyfriend combined.
* [[Mother Russia Makes You Strong]]: and it isn't a healthy environment for wussies.
* [[Mother Russia Makes You Strong]]: and it isn't a healthy environment for wussies.
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* [[Badass Crew]]: An entire team of badass.
* [[Badass Crew]]: An entire team of badass.
* [[Badass Minds Think Alike]]: Two badasses go into battle together without any plans at all. They somehow survive.
* [[Badass Minds Think Alike]]: Two badasses go into battle together without any plans at all. They somehow survive.
* [[Badass Family]]: An entire family of badasses. [[[[Lamarck Was Right]] Because badass is hereditary.]]
* [[Badass Family]]: An entire family of badasses. [[Lamarck Was Right|Because badass is hereditary.]]
* [[Bash Brothers]]: A pair of action heroes team up and kick ass.
* [[Bash Brothers]]: A pair of action heroes team up and kick ass.
** [[Lovely Angels]]: [[Distaff Counterpart|A pair of]] [[Action Girl|Action Girls]] team up and kick ass.
** [[Lovely Angels]]: [[Distaff Counterpart|A pair of]] [[Action Girl|Action Girls]] team up and kick ass.

Revision as of 14:56, 16 January 2014


The splinters and shrapnel would not touch him, due to Pure Awesomeness.
 "Until a man is twenty-five, he still thinks, every so often, that under the right circumstances he could be the baddest motherfucker in the world. ...Hiro used to feel this way, too, but then he ran into Raven. In a way, this was liberating. He no longer has to worry about being the baddest motherfucker in the world. The position is taken."
—--Snow Crash

Rule of Cool personified.

Badass is an adjective used to describe a character who gets away with outright insane stunts (defusing a bomb with their teeth, conning a mob boss, getting into a firefight with the entire army, etc.) that would be very hard to pull off in Real Life, or would get the person trying it killed several times over. A badass is a fantasy figure whom the audience roots for precisely because of how prone they are to awesome moments, to the point where they stretch or break the Willing Suspension of Disbelief. Of course, Willing Suspension of Disbelief may still be maintained depending on the mechanics of the universe.

It's notable that fans are more likely to tolerate a violent monster of a "hero" than a befuddled, cowardly Classical Antihero.

Most attempts to parody or deconstruct the badass have turned into Misaimed Fandom -- no matter how nutty the character gets (like Rorschach from Watchmen), the fans just cheer on how badass the character is. This has led to a new Trope: the Sociopathic Hero. Writers beware: Take it too far and either God Mode Sue or Jerk Sue will stride Out of the Inferno of your work.

For a child-friendly version of the badass whose badassery is somewhat diminished by the limitations of the work, see Badbutt.

For a not so complete list of badasses, see Badass of the Week.

This Trope is not what you say to a Stubborn Mule. Characters that are Badass are often said to have Brass Balls.

Below are the tropes that are definite signs of a true badass. For Sub Tropes when the character who you do not expect to be like this becomes a badass anyway, see this index.


Capable of screwing with your life in many ways.

but funny (at least to the audience).

their skills before combat.

Plural forms:


If an example can be placed in these previous tropes, please put them there.

For many outstanding examples of badassness, see Moment of Awesome.

Considering almost every hero of ancient myth was Badass Incarnate?, this trope is Older Than Dirt.

Now divided into Badass sub-pages:

Retrieved from "https://allthetropes.org/wiki/Badass?oldid=566111"