Kovacs is the central character and narrator of a three-book series by Richard K. Morgan, ALTERED CARBON, BROKEN ANGELS, and WOKEN FURIES.
You might not get from "the systematic removal of every violence-limiting instinct a human is born with" description that he's an okay guy morally, not some sort of soulless dealer of violence. (He does deal out fair share though.)
I recommend the books highly. And the scene relatively early in the first book where the Jimi Hendrix, an AI-operated hotel, shows how seriously it takes its "innkeeper's duty" to keep its guests safe from harm is pretty impressive.
That was a cool short. it's just 4-5 minutes, but it's golden. Bobbie has got the edge in pure muscle. Amos has the edge in tenacity, he's a sneaky bastard.
The Expanse: One Ship, episode 3, Win Or Lose.
In a web browser, If you go to S6 E6, Click ALL next to X-Ray, then click on the bonus content tab. You'll see all 5 'One Ship' Episodes there.
Posted on 2025-12-26... To everyone in the far future, I'm sorry if Amazon changed up the website, I can't help.
Amos wins hands-down with attitude. That look in his eyes after Murtry hit him -- pure, simple, bad assery. There is no other character in SciFi with a consistent, honest bad ass attitude.
Amos is badass, no one can deny that. He has a line somewhere, something along the lines of "I'm a talented amateur. She's a pro. We're not even in the same league." He is referring to Bobbie Draper.
The show is a great adaptation, but there are some characters whose badassitude could not be contained. Naomi and Bobbie foremost among them.
I love Amos, but my vote goes to Gunny too. I do have a probably unhealthy attraction to women that can kick my ass though, so there may be some bias there.
It's about attitude. That look in his eye after Murtry hit him -- pure, simple, bad assery. There is no other character in SciFi with a consistent, honest bad ass attitude.
"Only one Earthforce captain has survived battle with the Minbari fleet. He, is behind me. You, are in front of me. If you value your lives, be somewhere else!"
Quark. He out-logicked a Vulcan toward bringing forth peace between a major power and a rogue terrorist rebellion. He went toe to toe and won against a vengeful Klingon warrior hellbent on usurping power. Helped lead diplomatic relationsand facilitate within an entirely new quadrant of the galaxy and navigated commerce, trade, and peace, even during war time. Assisted in liberating Deep Space 9 from the Dominion. Delivered hoo-manitarian aid at cost and fair wages to Bajoran slaves during the occupation. Helped to challenge the very foundations of Ferengi society in advocating for equal rights and business opportunites for Ferengi females. Stood up to the FCA and facilitated a workers union. Conducted successful negotiations for a prisoner trade with the Dominion, including capturing a Vorta commander as a prisoner of war. Successfully disarmed a live torpedo lodged in the Defiant's hull.
I don't know if I would say Quark is a badass, but he is a well written in character with a lot of depth. Those later episodes deep in the final few seasons were really good
Colonel Fedmahn Kassad aka the Butcher of Bressia. Major Hyperion series spoilers: He saved the universe by defeating a time-controlling genocidal AI killer-monster from the far future that was based on himself
Yeah dude there are a lot lot of good heroes in here. Some are crafty, some are powerful.
But Kassad calmly reloading his weapon and seeking out the shrike way before he has any reason to believe he has a chance is just definition of bad ass
He's the only character that's in both books. If you've read Fire but not Deepness, oh man, get that squared away ASAP. You're in for a real treat, IMHO Deepness is the better of the two, and Pham's story in Deepness is the reason he's top-3 SF heroes of all time for me.
Seconded, Deepness does not get nearly the respect it deserves. I don't think it beats AFOTD because that's fricking impossible, but there is enough spellbinding storylines in Deepness to fill any five lesser books.
in "Fire upon the Deep" at the end Pham is more than somewhat "immobile". I've read pretty much everything by V. Vinge over the decades, including "Deepness...." (The Blabber seemed an early prequil)
Molly is badass, but she has nothing on Takeshi Kovac. Not sure if her enhanced reactions would give her an edge over Takeshi, but I think Takeshi would already be in an enhanced sleeve anyway.
And honor mention to Crichton. While doesn't generally have the badass persona. Crichton's actions in the final climatic scene Peacekeeper Wars was so severely insane, and required such nerves of steel, it would make many of these other badasses people are listing tremble in their boots!
Not really. He's elite at the beginning, but 3000 years later during God Emperor he's a nothing who is easily beaten by any of the Fish Speakers. Leto keeps him around because he likes him and for occasional breeding stock.
"Your father was captain of Starship for 12 minutes. He saved 800 lives, including your mother's. And yours. I dare you to do better." :..-D Gets me every time.
I'm having trouble deciding who's the absolute unit of a badass in the Dune universe. Miles is a machine but there are other contenders. Duncan Idaho comes to mind.
Good point. I can't remember but I don't think the young Duncan from the end of chapter house had the same treatment from the honored Matre machine that unlocked Mile's super sayan form. It would make sense that Duncan would eventually be the most bad ass. It's been a while since I read the books lol
This is a man who willingly sent himself to literal Hell for all eternity, after being shown EXACTLY what was in store for him, just to save three members of his crew who would never fully grasp his sacrifice.
And yes, I know some people like to claim that he died in the explosion, but I don't think that's the case, because (a) we already have seen that the entity inhabiting the ship has the ability to overcome death (Weir) so it probably wouldn't matter even if he did, and (b) the explosives lined the corridor and they likely didn't destroy the gateway room (possibly the explosions opens it to space, but see (a) if so), and (c) I don't think Anderson would have shown the ship going through the wormhole if that was the intent anyway. No, I think that man is enduring horrors we can only imagine until the end of time.
As such, I submit that there has never been a more heroic, or indeed badass, hero in sci-fi, or probably any other work of fiction because it's not simply about how many lives you saved, surely others have saved way more, it's about the cost and the willingness to pay it. No one paid a higher cost than Captain Miller.
Also one of the smartest characters to ever inhabit a horror movie.
Presented with evidence that something unbearably awful happened to the ship and crew, and BEFORE there's more than the vaguest hints that something is now fundamentally wrong with the ship itself, what's his reaction to the situation?
Not only was he born into a nuclear wasteland, he had to survive that wasteland while being hunted by genocidal robots. Then, he joined the resistance, fighting against the machines.
Then he gets sent back, naked with no equipment or resources, eludes the cops, finds Sarah Conner and keeps her alive and ultimately defeats the terminator.
Erin Suun from Farcape. When she was told to stop shooting the bad guys because she's in labor and about to have a baby, she screamed"It makes me feel better!!!"
Raven -
"Hiro used to feel that way, too, but then he ran into Raven. In a way, this is liberating. He no longer has to worry about trying to be the baddest m*f* in the world. The position is taken."
Who else has a nuclear warhead go off if someone gets them?
-- edit, missing word --
Cirroco Jones from John Varley's TITAN WIZARD DEMON trilogy.
She goes on a dark/wild journey from exploratory space ship captain to emissary of a god, to birth mother to an entire race of nobel creatures, to raging alcoholic, to enemy and finally casting out that mad god. Cirroco was the wizard, then she was the demon.
She's the most fascinating female protagonist I've ever read. She always reminded me of Ripley.
From a 40k standpoint, I nominate Harlon Nayl. Part of Eisenhorn, then Ravenor's team, he's like a cross between Solid Snake and vintage Schwarzenegger. In a galaxy of psykers, chaos, daemons, aliens, and gene enhanced super soldiers, Nayl is just a man. An operative. Working at the bleeding edge of conspiracy and danger. He knows his limitations, but always finds a way through.
Yeah, I know there's so many other bad ass characters in this setting (e.g. Valdor, Sigismund, Yarrick, Ventris, etc) but Nayl isn't the main man. He's the quiet, very mortal team member who does what he does because someone has to do it.
Takeshi Kovac, an envoy, who have had the systematic removal of every violence-limiting instinct a human is born with.
From?
Kovacs is the central character and narrator of a three-book series by Richard K. Morgan, ALTERED CARBON, BROKEN ANGELS, and WOKEN FURIES.
You might not get from "the systematic removal of every violence-limiting instinct a human is born with" description that he's an okay guy morally, not some sort of soulless dealer of violence. (He does deal out fair share though.)
I recommend the books highly. And the scene relatively early in the first book where the Jimi Hendrix, an AI-operated hotel, shows how seriously it takes its "innkeeper's duty" to keep its guests safe from harm is pretty impressive.
The books were great!
The feel I got from the show was that it is really interesting world limited by a pretty shitty show.
Btw was there any lore reason why the main character was so wooden, or was that just the actor phoning it in?
Altered carbon
Altered Carbon, I think.
Amos
I mean, Bobbie Draper is Bobbie Draper though.
It’s Bobbie. She’e pretty badass in the series but she’s an absolute demon in the books.
Fuckin Valkyrie
Hoping that we get the knock down, drag out fight they have in the books on screen some time.
You get to see a less intense fight between them in the One Ship shorts, did you watch those?
I haven't, I just ordered the complete series on Blu-ray for a rewatch. I'll look out for that.
That was a cool short. it's just 4-5 minutes, but it's golden. Bobbie has got the edge in pure muscle. Amos has the edge in tenacity, he's a sneaky bastard.
The Expanse: One Ship, episode 3, Win Or Lose.
In a web browser, If you go to S6 E6, Click ALL next to X-Ray, then click on the bonus content tab. You'll see all 5 'One Ship' Episodes there.
Posted on 2025-12-26... To everyone in the far future, I'm sorry if Amazon changed up the website, I can't help.
Amos wins hands-down with attitude. That look in his eyes after Murtry hit him -- pure, simple, bad assery. There is no other character in SciFi with a consistent, honest bad ass attitude.
Did you read the books? I'm gonna assume no. Based on your responses. I don't want to say more without doing that spoiler thing.
Not to say that Amos isn't a badass, he certainly is.
Not finished yet.
Amos is badass, no one can deny that. He has a line somewhere, something along the lines of "I'm a talented amateur. She's a pro. We're not even in the same league." He is referring to Bobbie Draper.
The show is a great adaptation, but there are some characters whose badassitude could not be contained. Naomi and Bobbie foremost among them.
Amos is That Guy. Bobbie's a fuckin valkyrie.
Yeah its bobbie, hands down
I love Amos, but my vote goes to Gunny too. I do have a probably unhealthy attraction to women that can kick my ass though, so there may be some bias there.
I’m surprised no one’s mentioned Camina. Or even Chrisjen! I love the actress who played her.
He is that guy!
Thanks Tiny.
I'm so glad the first thread is a debate about Amos v Bobbie.
“This is Amos, he’s my best friend”
I damn near cried when Amos looked back in shock and awe.
“Everywhere’s Baltimore” <empty smile>
Last man standing
Not even the biggest badass in series
It's about attitude. That look in his eye after Murtry hit him -- pure, simple, bad assery. There is no other character in SciFi with a consistent, honest bad ass attitude.
Nada/Roddy Piper in They Live
“I have come here to chew bubblegum and kick ass. And I'm all out of bubblegum."
"Only one Earthforce captain has survived battle with the Minbari fleet. He, is behind me. You, are in front of me. If you value your lives, be somewhere else!"
Delenn of the Minbari
https://youtu.be/DtNtw2HTFtA?si=YDH0F5LMmXxdXAVB
Quark. He out-logicked a Vulcan toward bringing forth peace between a major power and a rogue terrorist rebellion. He went toe to toe and won against a vengeful Klingon warrior hellbent on usurping power. Helped lead diplomatic relationsand facilitate within an entirely new quadrant of the galaxy and navigated commerce, trade, and peace, even during war time. Assisted in liberating Deep Space 9 from the Dominion. Delivered hoo-manitarian aid at cost and fair wages to Bajoran slaves during the occupation. Helped to challenge the very foundations of Ferengi society in advocating for equal rights and business opportunites for Ferengi females. Stood up to the FCA and facilitated a workers union. Conducted successful negotiations for a prisoner trade with the Dominion, including capturing a Vorta commander as a prisoner of war. Successfully disarmed a live torpedo lodged in the Defiant's hull.
I don't know if I would say Quark is a badass, but he is a well written in character with a lot of depth. Those later episodes deep in the final few seasons were really good
Well done, I also enjoy when people explore less obvious answers.
What of the Syrup of Squill?
Whoa, whoa, what now? At cost?
Snake Plisskin Escape From New York
I thought he was dead...
Ace Rimmer.
Smoke me a kipper. I'll be back for breakfast
What a guy!
He's handsome, trim and no-one slimmer!!
Without him, life would be much grimmer!
That was Ace Rimmer! We're lucky to be alive!
<gets crushed by a large alligator>
Mr. Spock duh.
This is the logical choice
John Carter. Taking on the endless alien hordes naked and with a sword
That movie would have been 1000x with narratively accurate nudity.
Underappreciated response! So many people here seem to know science fiction only from movies.
Absolutely love Edgar Rice Borroughs Mars series, John Carter is a beast. Wish the movie got more reception but the promotions for it were horrid.
They should have named the movie Prince of Mars
Gully Foyle is his name, Terra is his nation...
Quant suf!
I mean, there's the whole rape, torture, sexual and mental manipulation, and eventual messiah-complex to consider...
I'm not saying he was a virtuous sci-fi character, especially when he started out...
For his adventures just be sure
And stay tuned to this station 🎶
Colonel Fedmahn Kassad aka the Butcher of Bressia. Major Hyperion series spoilers: He saved the universe by defeating a time-controlling genocidal AI killer-monster from the far future that was based on himself
Yeah dude there are a lot lot of good heroes in here. Some are crafty, some are powerful. But Kassad calmly reloading his weapon and seeking out the shrike way before he has any reason to believe he has a chance is just definition of bad ass
He definitely went through some shit to get to the ending of his story!
Rick solid choice
Most bad ass "hero"? Pham Nuwen from A Deepness in the Sky and Sky Hausman from Chasm City come to mind...
Wait, I thought Pham Nuwen was from “a fire upon the deep”
He's the only character that's in both books. If you've read Fire but not Deepness, oh man, get that squared away ASAP. You're in for a real treat, IMHO Deepness is the better of the two, and Pham's story in Deepness is the reason he's top-3 SF heroes of all time for me.
Seconded, Deepness does not get nearly the respect it deserves. I don't think it beats AFOTD because that's fricking impossible, but there is enough spellbinding storylines in Deepness to fill any five lesser books.
Well, supposedly PARTS of him are in Fire - if Old One is to be believed. And you probably shouldn't. ;-)
in "Fire upon the Deep" at the end Pham is more than somewhat "immobile". I've read pretty much everything by V. Vinge over the decades, including "Deepness...." (The Blabber seemed an early prequil)
Schuyler Hausmann was a perfect exemplar of the difference between protagonist and hero.
Yeah, using "hero" loosely here no doubt haha
Chasm City is one I didn't see mentioned often and is an excellent book.
Maybe Molly from Neuromancer.
Steppin razor
I am waiting for the tv series, but i am guessing they will fuck it up like Foundation
A friend of mine pointed out that she basically took murder lessons from the guys who fridged her boyfriend. Love that perspective
Molly is badass, but she has nothing on Takeshi Kovac. Not sure if her enhanced reactions would give her an edge over Takeshi, but I think Takeshi would already be in an enhanced sleeve anyway.
Aeryn Sun is very badass!
Honorary mention: the Sheyang mercenary that breathes fire to help the crew
Yep.
And honor mention to Crichton. While doesn't generally have the badass persona. Crichton's actions in the final climatic scene Peacekeeper Wars was so severely insane, and required such nerves of steel, it would make many of these other badasses people are listing tremble in their boots!
Beg me. With sugar on top.
5 minutes later: What have you done?
She’s amazing!
Love Aeryn! And she does deserve to be on the top of the Badass list.
I want to be Aeryn Sun when I grow up haha
Duncan Idaho & his gola
Miles Teg 🥣
Not really. He's elite at the beginning, but 3000 years later during God Emperor he's a nothing who is easily beaten by any of the Fish Speakers. Leto keeps him around because he likes him and for occasional breeding stock.
Exactly - elite warrior to the known universe’s greatest stud. That’s a true hero!
Which one?
All of them!
Doomguy.
Doomguy and Master Chief hold a similar spot. Question is who's enemy was more formidable.
The Bloody Damn Reaper of Mars! Darrow
George S Kirk, Sr. Only on screen for about 5 minutes but wow.
"Your father was captain of Starship for 12 minutes. He saved 800 lives, including your mother's. And yours. I dare you to do better." :..-D Gets me every time.
As much as I love Anson Mount in the part, Bruce Greenwood brought a politely-amused-by-everything gravitas to Pike that was awesome.
How have Lazarus Long and Captain Jean-Luc Picard not been mentioned?
I don't know about Lazarus but I am surprised that the Picard is this far down in the comments
You already answered. Ripley is the obvious and best answer.
I'll take Aeryn Sun over Ripley.
Farscape and a dragonlance username… I respect you. I don’t agree but well put
I came into the thread specifically to answer Ellen Ripley, and found that she was straight-up mentioned in OP's post.
QUESTION ANSWERED. The rest of the thread feels like "So who's number two?"
The resurrected Ripley in Alien 4 is a bit more primal than the original Ripleys.
That movie remains my favorite as long as I remember to stop it when the birth scenes start. And a lot better than any of the newer Alien movies.
Ripley paved the road so all the rest could walk it.
"Get away from her, you BITCH!"
No love for Sarah Connor?
Sarah Connor , Terminator 2
I had to scroll way too long to find this. Sarah is epic!
John Perry (Old Man's War).
I love that series. I have read it so many times
Miles Teg
We're a long way from his genetic makeup though.
How bout that soup though? That's the most bad ass part for me, kill a room full of people in 3 seconds then go get some dank soup lol
I'm having trouble deciding who's the absolute unit of a badass in the Dune universe. Miles is a machine but there are other contenders. Duncan Idaho comes to mind.
Good point. I can't remember but I don't think the young Duncan from the end of chapter house had the same treatment from the honored Matre machine that unlocked Mile's super sayan form. It would make sense that Duncan would eventually be the most bad ass. It's been a while since I read the books lol
Cordelia Vorkosigan, followed by her son Miles.
Yeah, throwing that head on the table was pretty bad-ass.
It's the absolute disgusted impatience with which she does it that sends me. "Here. I fixed your fucking coup. Quit fucking bothering me."
You get my vote 👍😉
Captain Miller, Event Horizon.
This is a man who willingly sent himself to literal Hell for all eternity, after being shown EXACTLY what was in store for him, just to save three members of his crew who would never fully grasp his sacrifice.
And yes, I know some people like to claim that he died in the explosion, but I don't think that's the case, because (a) we already have seen that the entity inhabiting the ship has the ability to overcome death (Weir) so it probably wouldn't matter even if he did, and (b) the explosives lined the corridor and they likely didn't destroy the gateway room (possibly the explosions opens it to space, but see (a) if so), and (c) I don't think Anderson would have shown the ship going through the wormhole if that was the intent anyway. No, I think that man is enduring horrors we can only imagine until the end of time.
As such, I submit that there has never been a more heroic, or indeed badass, hero in sci-fi, or probably any other work of fiction because it's not simply about how many lives you saved, surely others have saved way more, it's about the cost and the willingness to pay it. No one paid a higher cost than Captain Miller.
Also one of the smartest characters to ever inhabit a horror movie.
Presented with evidence that something unbearably awful happened to the ship and crew, and BEFORE there's more than the vaguest hints that something is now fundamentally wrong with the ship itself, what's his reaction to the situation?
"We're leaving."
Full stop. Miller was the man. I salute him.
Riddick
Get off Reddit Mr Diesel.
This and it's not even close.
Zapp Brannigan
Mmmm, I do love the sensation of velour on my skin, don't you Kip?
A badass despite his sexy learning disability
Hammond of Texas.
"Would you like a Jelly Baby?" - Fourth Doctor
"The're quite good you know." (eys narrow)
Many have tried, only one perfected the role of Dr. Who. Tom Baker
Miles Vorkosigan
Forward momentum!
Mark! What are you doing
Admiral Naismith is more badass.
Takeshi Kovacs would eat Amos for breakfast
Of course he would. Amos is only a baseline human…for most of the story.
Worf.
By DS9 he is bad ass beyond belief.
Miles O'Brien as a close second.
Cheradenine Zakalwe, in Iain M. Banks' USE OF WEAPONS.
I'm so sad that I had to scroll this far :-(
Absolutely.
Skaffen Amtiskaw
If we're going culture, why limit ourselves to human-scale drones? Mistake Not... should be on the list for the name alone.
That’s what I was looking for. But I was thinking Falling Outside The Normal Moral Constraints and Demeisen.
If we’re doing Culture, Sleeper Service is the GOAT.
“Nice fleet you have there. Now, about that….”
Darrow is pretty badass
Cooper for making that ship dock in Interstellar
Kira Nerys
Commander Shepard
I was going to say James T. Kirk. However Shepard is the right answer.
Tugg Speedman
Blast Hardcheese.
Big McLargeHuge
Dirk Rockjaw
Butch Deadlift!
Benchpress Calhoun
Stud Beefpile
Motoko Kusanagi
Captain Miffune in Matrix 3 for defending Zion with his double rotating barrel Apu robot from the swarming robot squids.
Hard to go past Kyle Reese.
Not only was he born into a nuclear wasteland, he had to survive that wasteland while being hunted by genocidal robots. Then, he joined the resistance, fighting against the machines.
Then he gets sent back, naked with no equipment or resources, eludes the cops, finds Sarah Conner and keeps her alive and ultimately defeats the terminator.
Ultimate badass
Ripley!
Ripley
Erin Suun from Farcape. When she was told to stop shooting the bad guys because she's in labor and about to have a baby, she screamed"It makes me feel better!!!"
Corben Dallas.
Or Leeloo.
Pick one.
Raven -
"Hiro used to feel that way, too, but then he ran into Raven. In a way, this is liberating. He no longer has to worry about trying to be the baddest m*f* in the world. The position is taken."
Who else has a nuclear warhead go off if someone gets them?
-- edit, missing word --
That unremarkable wannabe-badass pirate guy from Consider Phlebus. what a waste.
Kraiklyn.
The Solipsist leader, can’t remember his name off the top of my head.
Shit, different book, sorry! “Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain…”
Luthen Rael
The Doctor for the win.
Amos Burton also.
Amos Burton, mechanic on the Rocinante. (the expanse)
River Tam
With an honorable mention to Zoë Washburne.
Darrow or Virginia
Vader for that corridor scene in Rogue One
James Retief.
Riddick
Sevro au Barca, Piter de Vries, The Shrike, Gola Duncan, Samus Aran, Ender Wiggin
Some fantastic choices! Sevro is honestly the best! I'd add both Moneta and Kazad to that list, and finish it off with Amos Burton
I second Ender Wiggin
River Tam in Serenity.
"My turn"....
Great scene towards the end of the film 😎
Miles Vorkosigan.
The Shrike
The Brass Man
Or Steakley’s ‘Felix’
Cirroco Jones from John Varley's TITAN WIZARD DEMON trilogy.
She goes on a dark/wild journey from exploratory space ship captain to emissary of a god, to birth mother to an entire race of nobel creatures, to raging alcoholic, to enemy and finally casting out that mad god. Cirroco was the wizard, then she was the demon.
She's the most fascinating female protagonist I've ever read. She always reminded me of Ripley.
Can we get a little 40k love in here, please?
Snake Plissken
Total Recall, Doug comes to mind
V from Cyberpunk 2077
Darth Vader from SW. His bad assery comes as a villain, but he redeems himself at the end so I guess he technically counts
Boss from Republic Commando is pretty cool
Lobo (ya bastiches)
Jane Sagen: Old Man's War series.
From a 40k standpoint, I nominate Harlon Nayl. Part of Eisenhorn, then Ravenor's team, he's like a cross between Solid Snake and vintage Schwarzenegger. In a galaxy of psykers, chaos, daemons, aliens, and gene enhanced super soldiers, Nayl is just a man. An operative. Working at the bleeding edge of conspiracy and danger. He knows his limitations, but always finds a way through.
Yeah, I know there's so many other bad ass characters in this setting (e.g. Valdor, Sigismund, Yarrick, Ventris, etc) but Nayl isn't the main man. He's the quiet, very mortal team member who does what he does because someone has to do it.
Captain Malcolm Reynolds
Cirocco Jones from John Varley’s Gaea trilogy. The precursor to Ellen Ripley.
Cirocco was a kickass female hero before they became popular to have in books/shows/movies
Corbin Dallas...multipass
Sooooo….Leloo?
Ripley, Sarah Connor (people will disagree, but she’s so awesome in Dark Fate)
Hadrian Marlowe or better known as “The Sun Eater”
Master Chief