History Characters / AFewGoodMen

* TheDitz: Downey is very slow-witted, almost impossibly so, resulting in him generally following Dawson's lead.

** For all of his talk about how Marines never disobey orders, Jessep thinks nothing of ignoring the orders of his own superiors because he thinks he knows better. When Jessep preaches about the importance of following orders without question, he just means ''his'' orders.
** He lectures about loyalty yet is more than willing to throw two of his men under the bus to save his own hide.

* {{Narcissist}}: Jessep goes beyond even having a massive god complex. He disobeys his superior officers because he thinks he knows better than them, loves to hear himself talk, rather flippantly exploits others for his own gain, has a colossally overblown sense of self-importance, seems to think he and he alone is somehow 'special' ("I have a greater responsibility than you could possibly fathom."), demands excessive admiration and unquestioned obedience he clearly doesn't deserve, and is seemingly incapable of even considering the mere possibility that he is ever wrong about anything. [[spoiler:Kaffee gets him to confess because he realizes Jessep is so convinced of his inherent superiority that he's ''proud'' of Santiago's death and ''wants'' to boast about it.]]

* PoliticallyIncorrectVillain: He makes very sexist comments about female officers and uses homophobic slurs. Though his respect for the civil rights work done by Kaffee's father implies he's not a racist. Then again, it's debatable whether or not [[JerkWithAHeartOfJerk he only said it to rub Kaffee Sr.'s abolitionism in the face of Kendrick]] who's certainly implied to be racist.

* BatmanGambit: He's very prone to this, often ObfuscatingStupidity so he can gauge people's reactions and use it in court. [[spoiler:He ultimately brings down Jessup by analyzing that the man's FatalFlaw is his massive ego, and subtly bruising it until he erupts and confesses.]]

** Also his drunken rant at Jo's suggestion for putting Jessup on the stand might be harsh and unintentionally hilarious but his very valid concerns about the serious consequences of accusing one of the most heralded high ranking officers in the USMC for partaking in a murder are not unreasonable.

* UnconventionalCourtroomTactics: Kaffee is a pitch-perfect practitioner, anything from convincing a prosecutor in a drug case to let Kaffee's charge get minor jail time for a misdemeanor (because [[StupidCrooks the idiot bought oregano thinking it was marijuana]]) by threatening to drag the case on for months with [[BotheringByTheBook by-the-book counter-lawsuits and defenses]] if the guy tries to go for anything stronger than said misdemeanor charge ([[EstablishingCharacterMoment in his first scene, even]]) to bluff Jessup into [[AccidentalPublicConfession screaming he ordered the Code Red on the stand]] by [[spoiler:bringing two mechanics into the courtroom that don't know Jack and lie that they know Jessup erased a flight from the Gitmo records]]. Ross even tells the jury in his opening statement that Kaffee will try to razzle-dazzle them with the "Code Red" and they must see beyond that and right to the truth: that Dawson and Downey are guilty.

* OffscreenKarma: Heavily implied. He's never brought to justice on screen but, since the film ends with Jessup in custody and Jack Ross about to arrest Kendrick, it's a safe bet that Stone will face similar charges very soon and will lose his medical license at the very least.

!!Colonel Nathan R. Jessup

* CantTakeCriticism: Jessup does not tolerate ''any'' questioning of his orders or authority and responds to such with barely restrained rage.
* ColonelKilgore: Jessup is convinced that all of his methods are NecessarilyEvil, and will indulge in them without tolerating them being questioned.
* DirtyCoward: In spite of his rants about his own courage, Jessup spends the entire film ducking the consequences of his actions. He also seems noticeably uneasy when Judge Randolph makes clear that he will ''not'' tolerate backtalk or disrespect and Jessup is not the one in charge in his courtroom.

* FatalFlaw: His pride, which Kaffee exploits [[spoiler:to get him to confess]], knowing that Jessup is so arrogant that he's ''proud'' of ordering the Code Red and wants to admit as much.

** For all of his talk about how Marines never disobey orders, Jessup thinks nothing of ignoring the orders of his own superiors because he thinks he knows better. When Jessup preaches about the importance of following orders without question, he just means ''his'' orders.

** He also expects absolute respect but shows no respect for anyone else, not even other experienced Marines like his friend Markinson. Best exemplified when he demands to be referred by his rank or "sir" during the trial, claiming he's earned it, and then openly mouths off and disrespects Judge Randolph who [[TranquilFury politely but firmly puts Jessup in his place]].

* KnightTemplar: Jessup truly believes that he's doing the right thing.
-->'''Jessup:''' We're in the business of saving lives.

* {{Narcissist}}: Jessup goes beyond even having a massive god complex. He disobeys his superior officers because he thinks he knows better than them, loves to hear himself talk, rather flippantly exploits others for his own gain, has a colossally overblown sense of self-importance, seems to think he and he alone is somehow 'special' ("I have a greater responsibility than you could possibly fathom."), demands excessive admiration and unquestioned obedience he clearly doesn't deserve, and is seemingly incapable of even considering the mere possibility that he is ever wrong about anything. [[spoiler:Kaffee gets him to confess because he realizes Jessup is so convinced of his inherent superiority that he's ''proud'' of Santiago's death and ''wants'' to boast about it.]]
* NotSoWellIntentionedExtremist: Jessep sees the Code Red as an invaluable tool in keeping discipline at Guantanamo Bay, which in turn will keep his troops alive and America safe. He even claims that Santiago's death potentially saved many lives (though given the US isn't at war with Cuba, whose lives are being saved isn't exactly clear). At the end of the day, however, Jessup's supposed righteousness is more a product of his own narcissistic mind than anything else.

* PsychopathicManchild: Despite being a Marine colonel with decades of experience, Jessup is ultimately an egotistical bully who treats everyone around him horribly, believes he has the right to act however he wants, and flies into a rage whenever his colossal ego is threatened in any way.
* SarcasticWellWishing: [[spoiler:After he is restrained following his trying to attack Kaffee as part of his VillainousBreakdown, Jessup insincerely commends Kaffee for endangering the country by arresting him: "Sweet dreams, son."]]
* SmallNameBigEgo: Jessup is the base commander at Guantanamo Bay, a fairly important posting (note that the movie predates The War on Terror) which at least de facto borders enemy territory, and has a large contingent of Marines under his command. However, this isn't nearly enough for a man of Jessup's inflated sense of importance: he constantly plays up how he's supposedly "on the wall" defending civilization from such terrifying enemies as [[SarcasmMode the Cubans]] and how he, a mere colonel, understands how to defend the nation (in peacetime!) better than anyone alive. To hear Jessep tell it, society will collapse if he isn't allowed to act however he sees fit, even if that means taking illegal actions.

* VillainousBreakdown: [[spoiler:Jessup completely loses it in court as Kaffee repeatedly bruises his ego, ultimately resulting in him confessing. At this point, he loses it completely and lunges after Kaffee, being dragged out of the courtroom snarling and raving as he's arrested for his crimes.]]
* WindmillCrusader: Jessup honestly believes that by standing post at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, he is keeping the world safe for democracy.

* CoDragons: With Kendrick to Jessup, serving as the ignored voice of reason.
* DirtyCoward: A unique variant in that he's ''morally'' cowardly. He's clearly disgusted by Jessup's actions, but too afraid to admit culpability and break the chain of command.

* GuiltRiddenAccomplice: He is Jessup's XO and second in command, and signed a phony transfer order to cover up Jessup's role in the Code Red. He is clearly wracked with guilt about Santiago's death and tries to help Kaffee get Dawson and Downey acquitted of the murder.
* ItsAllMyFault: [[spoiler:In his suicide note addressed to Santiago's family, Markinson tells them this. Notably, even in death he refuses to point any fingers at Jessup.]]

* UndyingLoyalty: Zig-zagged. He is "disloyal" enough to give a few faint hints to Kaffee that lead him in the right direction to get Jessup arrested in the end, but he remains "loyal" enough [[spoiler:that he prefers to blow his brains out and blame the whole tragedy on his lack of willpower in his suicide note rather than sit on the witness stand and expose Jessup himself.]]

* BadBoss: He's implied to enforce Code Reds on his own men even without Jessup's prompting.

* CoDragons: With Markinson, serving as Jessup's loyal attack dog.

-->'''Kendrick:''' I have two books at my bedside, Lieutenant: the Marine Corps Code of Conduct and the King James Bible. The only proper authorities I am aware of are my commanding officer, Colonel Nathan R. Jessup, and the Lord our God.
* HateSink: He's unpleasant, abrasive and self-righteous without even Jessup's fake charm. Even Jessup outright calls him a weasel and doesn't seem to like him.

* PoliticallyIncorrectVillain: It's never openly confirmed but he's implied to be racist with Jessup noting he comes from an area that was adamantly opposed to racial integration and hated Lionel Kaffee for his work in that area and he's noticeably hostile to Danny although that could be simply because Kendrick is just a jerk.

* BlueAndOrangeMorality: Downey has a unique interpretation of right and wrong. He doesn't understand why he's still punished for Santiago's death despite Jessup ordering it, ignorant of the fact that ''he still killed a man.''

* PosthumousCharacter: He is murdered during the film's prologue and only appears in person in a flashback. Everything the audience knows about him is through other characters talking about him and Jessup reading his letter requesting to be transferred out of Gitmo (during which the aforementioned flashback appears alongside his voice narrating the VoiceoverLetter).

* AmoralAttorney: He is an antagonist, but he is an actually correct example of this trope (in the "amoral, not ''im''moral" sense): in his own words, he thinks Dawson and Downey are a pair of idiot kids who got delivered a lousy hand and their superiors are the true assholes of this story (he even tells Kaffee to not put him together with Jessup), but "[[PunchClockVillain he represents the United States Government without passion or prejudice]]" and he will make sure that Dawson and Downey pay for their crime to the utmost of his abilities. [[spoiler:When Jessup confesses his role as the one who ordered the Code Red, he does his duty by requesting the judge to pause the hearing and arrests Jessup.]]
* BerserkButton: He's insulted at Kaffee putting him in the same category as Jessup and Kendrick due to them all being Marines.

* GoodCounterpart: To Jessup and Kendrick. Ross is also a Marine but a good and intelligent person who doesn't buy into the same fanatic rhetoric as other Marines.
* HeroAntagonist: Jessup may be the BigBad, but Ross is Kaffee's more direct opposition in the case. It doesn't help Kaffee's position due to the fact that Ross has a strong case and that Dawson and Downey ''did'' kill Santiago.
* NiceGuy: He's good friends with Danny outside the court and is never less than friendly and reasonable, trying to talk Danny out of his ploy with Jessup because he doesn't want to see it backfire on him.
* PunchClockVillain: Ross isn't a bad guy by any means, he's just doing his job, and is disgusted by Jessup and Kendrick.

* TokenGoodTeammate: He's a Marine but doesn't have Jessup and Kendrick's attitude or repellent personality traits.
* WorthyOpponent: He respects Danny a lot as a lawyer, even complimenting him on a skillful redirect after and his ploy with the airmen brought in as witnesses that caused Jessup to panic and reveal his part.

* BerserkButton: He does ''not'' tolerate any disrespect from those in his court, firmly putting Jessup in his place when he does so.
* DeadpanSnarker: When Jessup disrespects him, he asserts his authority while throwing his words right back at him:
-->'''Jessup:''' I would appreciate it if he would address me as "colonel" or "sir". I believe I've earned it.\\

'''Jessup:''' I don't know what the hell kind of unit you're running here...\\

* TranquilFury: He keeps it under control but he's clearly furious at Jessup's open disrespect and makes it clear he won't be tolerating it again before commanding him to take his seat. The brash Jessup immediately does as he's told.

* ArchEnemy: Immediately becomes one with Lt Kendrick after Kendrick openly shows his contempt for Danny and the Navy while down in Cuba. Kaffee makes it a point later on that Kendrick’s time on the witness stand will be a very uncomfortable one.
* BatmanGambit: He's very prone to this, often ObfuscatingStupidity so he can gauge people's reactions and use it in court. [[spoiler:He ultimately brings down Jessep by analyzing that the man's FatalFlaw is his massive ego, and subtly bruising it until he erupts and confesses.]]

** Also his drunken rant at Jo's suggestion for putting Jessep on the stand might be harsh and unintentionally hilarious but his very valid concerns about the serious consequences of accusing one of the most heralded high ranking officers in the USMC for partaking in a murder are not unreasonable.

* WhatTheHellHero: He delivers a well deserved one to Jo after her EpicFail of a "strenuous objection" during Dr. Commander Stone’s testimony.

* OffscreenKarma: Heavily implied. He's never brought to justice on screen but, since the film ends with Jessep in custody and Jack Ross about to arrest Kendrick, it's a safe bet that Stone will face similar charges very soon and will lose his medical license at the very least.

!!Colonel Nathan R. Jessep

* CantTakeCriticism: Jessep does not tolerate ''any'' questioning of his orders or authority and responds to such with barely restrained rage.
* ColonelKilgore: Jessep is convinced that all of his methods are NecessarilyEvil, and will indulge in them without tolerating them being questioned.
* DirtyCoward: In spite of his rants about his own courage, Jessep spends the entire film ducking the consequences of his actions. He also seems noticeably uneasy when Judge Randolph makes clear that he will ''not'' tolerate backtalk or disrespect and Jessep is not the one in charge in his courtroom.

* FatalFlaw: His pride, which Kaffee exploits [[spoiler:to get him to confess]], knowing that Jessep is so arrogant that he's ''proud'' of ordering the Code Red and wants to admit as much.

** For all of his talk about how Marines never disobey orders, Jessep thinks nothing of ignoring the orders of his own superiors because he thinks he knows better. When Jessep preaches about the importance of following orders without question, he just means ''his'' orders.

** He also expects absolute respect but shows no respect for anyone else, not even other experienced Marines like his friend Markinson. Best exemplified when he demands to be referred by his rank or "sir" during the trial, claiming he's earned it, and then openly mouths off and disrespects Judge Randolph who [[TranquilFury politely but firmly puts Jessep in his place]].

* KnightTemplar: Jessep truly believes that he's doing the right thing.
-->'''Jessep:''' We're in the business of saving lives.

* {{Narcissist}}: Jessep goes beyond even having a massive god complex. He disobeys his superior officers because he thinks he knows better than them, loves to hear himself talk, rather flippantly exploits others for his own gain, has a colossally overblown sense of self-importance, seems to think he and he alone is somehow 'special' ("I have a greater responsibility than you could possibly fathom."), demands excessive admiration and unquestioned obedience he clearly doesn't deserve, and is seemingly incapable of even considering the mere possibility that he is ever wrong about anything. [[spoiler:Kaffee gets him to confess because he realizes Jessep is so convinced of his inherent superiority that he's ''proud'' of Santiago's death and ''wants'' to boast about it.]]
* NotSoWellIntentionedExtremist: Jessep sees the Code Red as an invaluable tool in keeping discipline at Guantanamo Bay, which in turn will keep his troops alive and America safe. He even claims that Santiago's death potentially saved many lives (though given the US isn't at war with Cuba, whose lives are being saved isn't exactly clear). At the end of the day, however, Jessep's supposed righteousness is more a product of his own narcissistic mind than anything else.

* PsychopathicManchild: Despite being a Marine colonel with decades of experience, Jessep is ultimately an egotistical bully who treats everyone around him horribly, believes he has the right to act however he wants, and flies into a rage whenever his colossal ego is threatened in any way.
* SarcasticWellWishing: [[spoiler:After he is restrained following his trying to attack Kaffee as part of his VillainousBreakdown, Jessep insincerely commends Kaffee for endangering the country by arresting him: "Sweet dreams, son."]]
* SmallNameBigEgo: Jessep is the base commander at Guantanamo Bay, a fairly important posting (note that the movie predates The War on Terror) which at least de facto borders enemy territory, and has a large contingent of Marines under his command. However, this isn't nearly enough for a man of Jessep's inflated sense of importance: he constantly plays up how he's supposedly "on the wall" defending civilization from such terrifying enemies as [[SarcasmMode the Cubans]] and how he, a mere colonel, understands how to defend the nation (in peacetime!) better than anyone alive. To hear Jessep tell it, society will collapse if he isn't allowed to act however he sees fit, even if that means taking illegal actions.

* VillainousBreakdown: [[spoiler:Jessep completely loses it in court as Kaffee repeatedly bruises his ego, ultimately resulting in him confessing. At this point, he loses it completely and lunges after Kaffee, being dragged out of the courtroom snarling and raving as he's arrested for his crimes.]]
* WindmillCrusader: Jessep honestly believes that by standing post at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, he is keeping the world safe for democracy.

* CoDragons: With Kendrick to Jessep, serving as the ignored voice of reason.
* DirtyCoward: A unique variant in that he's ''morally'' cowardly. He's clearly disgusted by Jessep's actions, but too afraid to admit culpability and break the chain of command.

* GuiltRiddenAccomplice: He is Jessep's XO and second in command, and signed a phony transfer order to cover up Jessep's role in the Code Red. He is clearly wracked with guilt about Santiago's death and tries to help Kaffee get Dawson and Downey acquitted of the murder.
* ItsAllMyFault: [[spoiler:In his suicide note addressed to Santiago's family, Markinson tells them this. Notably, even in death he refuses to point any fingers at Jessep.]]

* UndyingLoyalty: Zig-zagged. He is "disloyal" enough to give a few faint hints to Kaffee that lead him in the right direction to get Jessep arrested in the end, but he remains "loyal" enough [[spoiler:that he prefers to blow his brains out and blame the whole tragedy on his lack of willpower in his suicide note rather than sit on the witness stand and expose Jessep himself.]]

* BadBoss: He's implied to enforce Code Reds on his own men even without Jessep's prompting.

* CoDragons: With Markinson, serving as Jessep's loyal attack dog.

** That’s not even getting into giving Dawson a below average rating on his last evaluation report and denying him a promotion from Lance Corporal to Corporal just for disobeying his order to give the starving Bell food.

-->'''Kendrick:''' I have two books at my bedside, Lieutenant: the Marine Corps Code of Conduct and the King James Bible. The only proper authorities I am aware of are my commanding officer, Colonel Nathan R. Jessep, and the Lord our God.
* HateSink: He's unpleasant, abrasive and self-righteous without even Jessep's fake charm. Even Jessep outright calls him a weasel and doesn't seem to like him.

* PoliticallyIncorrectVillain: It's never openly confirmed but he's implied to be racist with Jessep noting he comes from an area that was adamantly opposed to racial integration and hated Lionel Kaffee for his work in that area and he's noticeably hostile to Danny although that could be simply because Kendrick is just a jerk.

* BlueAndOrangeMorality: Downey has a unique interpretation of right and wrong. He doesn't understand why he's still punished for Santiago's death despite Jessep ordering it, ignorant of the fact that ''he still killed a man.''

* AmoralAttorney: He is an antagonist, but he is an actually correct example of this trope (in the "amoral, not ''im''moral" sense): in his own words, he thinks Dawson and Downey are a pair of idiot kids who got delivered a lousy hand and their superiors are the true assholes of this story (he even tells Kaffee to not put him together with Jessep), but "[[PunchClockVillain he represents the United States Government without passion or prejudice]]" and he will make sure that Dawson and Downey pay for their crime to the utmost of his abilities. [[spoiler:When Jessup confesses his role as the one who ordered the Code Red, he does his duty by requesting the judge to pause the hearing and arrests Jessup.]]
* BerserkButton: He's insulted at Kaffee putting him in the same category as Jessep and Kendrick due to them all being Marines.

* GoodCounterpart: To Jessep and Kendrick. Ross is also a Marine but a good and intelligent person who doesn't buy into the same fanatic rhetoric as other Marines.
* HeroAntagonist: Jessep may be the BigBad, but Ross is Kaffee's more direct opposition in the case. It doesn't help Kaffee's position due to the fact that Ross has a strong case and that Dawson and Downey ''did'' kill Santiago.
* NiceGuy: He's good friends with Danny outside the court and is never less than friendly and reasonable, trying to talk Danny out of his ploy with Jessep because he doesn't want to see it backfire on him.
* PunchClockVillain: Ross isn't a bad guy by any means, he's just doing his job, and is disgusted by Jessep and Kendrick.

* TokenGoodTeammate: He's a Marine but doesn't have Jessep and Kendrick's attitude or repellent personality traits.
* WorthyOpponent: He respects Danny a lot as a lawyer, even complimenting him on a skillful redirect after and his ploy with the airmen brought in as witnesses that caused Jessep to panic and reveal his part.

* BerserkButton: He does ''not'' tolerate any disrespect from those in his court, firmly putting Jessep in his place when he does so.
* DeadpanSnarker: When Jessep disrespects him, he asserts his authority while throwing his words right back at him:
-->'''Jessep:''' I would appreciate it if he would address me as "colonel" or "sir". I believe I've earned it.\\

'''Jessep:''' I don't know what the hell kind of unit you're running here...\\

* TranquilFury: He keeps it under control but he's clearly furious at Jessep's open disrespect and makes it clear he won't be tolerating it again before commanding him to take his seat. The brash Jessep immediately does as he's told.

* DeadpanSnarker: Mixes his quirkiness with very sarcastic barbs and especially whenever he’s annoyed.

* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: Danny can be abrasive, lazy and incredibly snarky at times but beneath all that he’s got a very good heart.
* LargeHam: Whenever he’s frustrated or angry? He is this and of course he goes above and beyond in HamToHamCombat with Jessep when he gets him to admit he ordered the Code Red.

-->'''Galloway:''' Why do you hate them so much?
-->'''Weinberg:''' Because they beat up on a weakling! That's ''all'' they did! All right? The rest is just smoke-filled coffee-house crap! They tortured and tormented a ''weaker kid!'' They didn't like him. So they killed him. And ''why?'' Because he couldn't run very fast!

-->'''Kaffee''': You don't believe their story, do you? You think they ought to go to jail for the rest of their lives.
-->'''Weinberg''': I believe every word of their story, and I think they ought to go to jail for the rest of their lives.

--> '''Jessep:''' We're in the business of saving lives.
* LargeHam: The whole "YOU CAN’T HANDLE THE TRUTH!" rant.

* VillainousBreakdown: [[spoiler: Jessep completely loses it in court as Kaffee repeatedly bruises his ego, ultimately resulting in him confessing. At this point, he loses it completely and lunges after Kaffee, being dragged out of the courtroom snarling and raving as he's arrested for his crimes.]]

-->'''Markinson''': [''Voice over of his note, as we see Markinson putting on his full class A dress uniform''] Dear Mr. and Mrs. Santiago, I was William's executive officer. I knew your son vaguely, which is to say I knew his name. In a matter of time, the trial of the two men charged with your son's death will be concluded, and seven men and two women whom you've never met will try to offer you an explanation as to why William is dead. For my part, I've done as much as I can to bring the truth to light. And the truth is this: Your son is dead for only one reason. I wasn't strong enough to stop it. Always, Lieutenant Colonel Matthew Andrew Markinson, United States Marine Corps.\\

--> '''Kendrick:''' I have two books at my bedside, Lieutenant: the Marine Corps Code of Conduct and the King James Bible. The only proper authorities I am aware of are my commanding officer, Colonel Nathan R. Jessep, and the Lord our God.

--> '''Ross:''' Don't you dare lump me in with Jessep and Kendrick just because we wear the same uniform! ... I represent the United States Government without passion or prejudice. And my client has a case.

!! Judge (Colonel) Julius Randolph

[[/folder]]

* UngratefulBastard: Dawson was his only friend and protected him from his fellow soldiers. Santiago rewarded him by trying to sell him out for a transfer order. Worse, it's strongly implied that he lied about Dawson's shooting being illegal.

* WhatTheHellHero: He delivers a well deserved one to Jo after her "strenuous objection" during Dr. Commander Stone’s testimony.

* AmoralAttorney: He is an antagonist, but he is an actually correct example of this trope (in the "amoral, not ''im''moral" sense): in his own words, he thinks Dawson and Downey are a pair of idiot kids who got delivered a lousy hand and their superiors are the true assholes of this story (he even tells Kaffee to not put him together with Jessep), but "he represents the United States Government without passion or prejudice" and he will make sure that Dawson and Downey pay for their crime to the utmost of his abilities.