History Characters / FullMetalJacket

* AdaptationalHeroism: In the original book ''The Short-Timers'', Sergeant Gerheim is a heartless monster who merely tortures recruits out of sadism. By contrast, Hartman (due to input on the character by Creator/RLeeErmey) is a slightly more reasonable figure whose torment of the recruits serves the purpose of making them more suited to the battlefield. He's just doing his job, albeit doing it badly. His main failure is his inability to recognize that Pyle is unfit for service and should be sent home.
** R. Lee Ermey himself stated that Hartman is a poor DI who often does things that are unethical and counterproductive. The book version is nonetheless vastly worse. Ermey, on the other hand, was recognized for his outstanding service as a DI and received the Marine Corps Drill Instructor Ribbon.

A drill instructor at Parris Island who trains his recruits to transform them into Marines.

* BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor: He set out to turn Pyle into a cold-hearted killer, whatever it took. He succeeded and ended up being Leonard's first victim.

-->"Private Pyle, whatever you do, don't fall down! That would break my fucking heart!"

* HatesEveryoneEqually: Part of the job for a DrillSergeantNasty. Claims that "I am hard, but I am fair! There will be no racial bigotry here! [[ImmediateSelfContradiction I do not look down on niggers, kikes, wops or greasers]]! Here, you are all equally worthless". Proves it too, as he appoints the African-American Private Brown to squad leader, at least at first, and never shows any outright bigotry or racial favouritism, demonstrating it's really just a testing tactic to "weed out any non-hackers who do not pack the gear" to be a Marine.
* HotBlooded: Yells, hates being defied, never seems happy, and is training people to be killers.
* ImmediateSelfContradiction: In his opening speech, he goes straight from saying that he doesn't discriminate based on race and HatesEveryoneEqually, to screaming racial epithets at Pvt. Brown.

** He does congratulate Pyle when he starts making progress.
--->'''Hartman:''' Outstanding, Private Pyle. I think we finally found something that you do well.\\\

* RealMenLoveJesus: Maybe. He makes some religious references in the film. Once Joker denies believing in the Virgin Mary, Hartman gets angry and slaps him. When Joker doesn't back down from his beliefs, Hartman makes him a squad leader. Given that this was a SecretTestOfCharacter to test Joker's resoluteness it's an open question as to whether Hartman cares either way.

* GoneHorriblyRight: He aimed to turn Private Pyle into an efficient, cold-hearted killer. He succeeded.

* HatesEveryoneEqually: Part of the job for a DrillSergeantNasty. Claims that "I am hard, but I am fair! There will be no racial bigotry here! [[ImmediateSelfContradiction I do not look down on niggers, kikes, wops or greasers]]! Here, you are all equally worthless". Proves it too, as he appoints the African-American Private Brown to squad leader, at least at first, and never shows any outright bigotry or racial favouritism, demonstrating it's really just a testing tactic to "weed out any non hackers."
* HotBlooded: Yells, hates being defied, never happy and training people to be killers.

* {{Jerkass}}: He takes DrillSergeantNasty up to eleven, as he abuses his trainees not only verbally, but also physically for even the smallest mistakes. [[spoiler: Just ask Private Pyle.]]
* JerkassHasAPoint: To say the least, though he's just doing his job to motivate the recruits properly to turn them into Marines.

* FatIdiot: He's overweight (Vincent D'Onofrio famously put on seventy pounds for the role) and very slow-witted and possibly struggling with an undiagnosed condition or learning disability, perhaps even mental retardation.

* BadPeopleAbuseAnimals: Not only does he slaughter civilians ''en masse'', he's also killed a number of water buffalo for no good reason.

* UngratefulBastard: After Sgt. Hartman gets tough with Pyle, in spite of all the basic training the Sarge gave his recruits, Pyle turns psychotic and repays Sgt. Hartman by murdering him and shooting him in his head in the men's latrine room, and then Pyle blows his own brains out and commits suicide.

* EmbarassingNickname: He got his nickname from masturbating at least ten times a day. He was waiting for a medical exam and started masturbating, leading to him being granted a Section 8 discharge.

* ADateWithRosiePalms: He got his nickname from masturbating at least ten times a day. He was waiting for a medical exam and started masturbating, leading to him being granted a Section 8 discharge.

* VillainRespect: Joker refuses to back down from his proclamation that he doesn't believe in the Virgin Mary, even after Hartman slaps him and threatens to subject him to further violence. Joker also correctly guesses that "any answer he gives will be wrong, and that the drill instructor will beat him harder if he reverses himself". Hartman is [[YouGotSpunk quite impressed with Joker's bravery]] and promotes him to squad leader, saying that that it's courage, rather than brains, that makes for a good squad leader.

* AmbiguousDisorder: He seems to have some kind of developmental disability, possibly even mental retardation, as he struggles to grasp even simple tasks and directions.

* PetTheDog: He does congratulate Pyle when he starts making progress.
-->'''Hartman:''' Outstanding, Private Pyle. I think we finally found something that you do well.\\\

* HateSink: After he's caught with a jelly donut, all the other recruits despise his ineptness, which punishes all the other recruits, leading them to strap him down under his blanket, pummeling him with soap bars tightly wrapped up in washcloths, including Joker.

* MercyKill: Joker eventually has to reluctantly perform a mercy shot on her after she is fatally wounded; Animal Mother wanted to leave her to die painfully.

* NoScope: Her weapon of choice is a vz.58 rifle with no scope whatsoever, as the squad find out after they've flushed her out.

* MercyKill:
** Joker ends up giving one to the Vietnamese sniper at the end of the movie. She's already bleeding out and dying; shooting her just ends her pain.
** And also to Cowboy in the book.

* DiesWideOpen: After getting sniped.

* MySisterIsOffLimits: Subverted. While cleaning the head (bathroom) Joker says to Cowboy "I wanna slip my tube steak into your sister. What'll you take in trade?" to which Cowboy simply replies "What've you got?" Cowboy later brings it up again in Vietnam, when he asks if Joker has been getting any and Joker says "Only your sister," to which Cowboy replies "Better my sister than my mom, but my mom's not bad!"

* BadassBandolier: He has two bandoliers of ammo for his M-60 crossed over his torso.

* LeeroyJenkins: When Doc Jay and Eightball get shot, he defies Cowboy's orders and charges in to attempt a rescue. He doesn't get himself shot, though, because he [[MoreDakka riddles the building]] with so much suppressing fire that the sniper can't fire back.

* RoaringRampageOfRevenge: His hail of gunfire, punctuated by bellicose swearing as he chases after the sniper.

* MamaBear: His mother, according to Joker.

* WorthyAdversary: Believes the Vietnamese to be this.

* ArmchairMilitary: Lockhart only appears in two scenes, and mentions that he's already been in the field. His opinion on it?
-->"Can't say I liked it much. Lots of bugs and too dangerous. As it happens, my present duties keep me where I belong; in the rear with the gear."
* CassandraTruth: When Joker mentions that the Tet Ceasefire may not take place based on rumors he's heard, Lockhart plays it down, saying the Tet is too important of a holiday to the Vietnamese to do anything rash on it. Sure enough, their base is one of the targets in the Tet Offensive, but all of the journalists survive.

* BerserkButton: Don't laugh at his comments, interrupt him, mess up his orders, tell him you don't love the Virgin Mary or sneak food into the barracks. Oh and he ''really'' hates unlocked foot lockers as well.
* BullyingADragon: Still goes DrillSergeantNasty up to the end on Pyle, despite being already pushed too far that leads to the latter killing Hartman.

* DeathByIrony: Trains his recruits to be killers. It [[GoneHorriblyRight certainly shows]] with Private Pyle after Hartman gets gunned down with a rifle shot to the chest.

* TheReasonYouSuckSpeech: Loves dishing these out. Private Pyle is a frequent target of Hartman's fury.

* SignatureHeadgear: Is never once seen without his hat. Even in the bathroom confrontation. (TruthInTelevision: Try and find a USMC Drill Instructor without his campaign cover. While Marines don't wear covers indoors except under arms, DI's are a notable exception.)

* AteHisGun: [[spoiler:Blows his brains out with his rifle after killing Hartman]].

* BeingTorturedMakesYouEvil: His constant abuse by the DrillSergeantNasty and a blanket party leads him to go off the deep end.

* DirtyCoward: He not only shoots Sgt. Hartman in the head, he also turns the gun on himself and commits suicide; if he had survived, he would inevitably either be court-martialed for murdering his drill instructor, received a dishonorable discharge, sent to a prison for the psychotically insane, or possibly have been executed.

* KubrickStare: Starts exhibiting these as signs of his descent into insanity, pulling off a [[https://web.archive.org/web/20150802125633/http://www.craveonline.com/images/stories/2011/2012/October/Film/Myth%20of%20Macho/Full%20Metal%20Jacket/Full_Metal_Jacket_Vincent_Donofrio.jpg chilling one]] when receiving his Military Occupational Specialty assignment, and greeting Joker with [[https://i.ytimg.com/vi/6hkNuykz2RE/maxresdefault.jpg an extremely disturbing one]] when Joker finds him in the bathroom.

* SanitySlippage: Goes off the deep end due to Hartman's abuse, in combination with being the victim of a blanket party which gradually turns him into a deranged and alienated sociopath afterwards.
* SlasherSmile: Sports a truly nightmarish one that could rival [[Film/TheShining Jack Torrance]] when he's found in the toilet by Joker.
* TitleDrop: Done in the quote seen above.

* AmbiguousDisorder: He seems to have some kind of developmental disability, struggling to grasp even simple tasks and directions.

* FatIdiot: He's overweight (Vincent D'Onofrio famously put on seventy pounds for the role) and very slow-witted and possibly struggling with an undiagnosed condition or learning disability.

* WeaponOfChoice: A grenade launcher.

* ColdSniper: Deliberately wounds soldiers to use them as bait for their comrades, and when that fails begins to shoot the wounded to enrage their comrades into action.

* SamusIsAGirl: Only at the end the Viet Cong sniper is revealed to be a young woman.

* VillainDecay: A rapid and somewhat justified example. She's a good shot with her rifle and terrorises the squad from her vantage point, killing three hardened marines who cross her sights, but resorts to recklessly unloading her ammo on the covered Joker when confronted directly and is taken out by a simple flanking maneuver.

* SchmuckBait: He falls for a booby-trapped stuffed rabbit in the middle of a wrecked building, and dies when he trips the bomb.

* IconicItem: In the book, he wears a small piece of quartz on a cord around his neck, supposedly so that he can be identified if he gets killed.

* ADateWithRosiePalms: He got his nickname from masturbating at least ten times a day. He was waiting for a medical exam and started masturbating, leading to him being set to be discharged.
* {{Retirony}}: He gets killed even though he's being discharged under Section 8.

** R. Lee Ermey himself stated that Hartman is a poor DI who often does things that are unethical and counterproductive. The book version is nonetheless vastly worse. Ermey, on the other hand, has been recognized as a very good DI in real life.

* BadBoss: He's an unforgiving sergeant who goes around insulting, punching, punishing, and yelling at his recruits, would-be marines he intends to weed out.

* CruelAndUnusualDeath: In the novel, Cowboy has his crotch blown off (at which point he shits himself) and his hand when he goes to kill himself. All after being wounded multiple times. Joker has to finish him off.
* DeepSouth: How he got his nickname. He's from Texas, and Hartman says that "only steers and queers come from Texas!" And according to Hartman, he doesn't look much like a steer, so that narrows it down. In terms of personality, Cowboy is very genial and professional and barely exhibits any of the stereotypes of this trope, but there ''is'' the matter of [[StillFightingTheCivilWar that flag]] on his helmet.

* EnsignNewbie: He's shown to be badly suited for command, as he leads the squad to [[WrongTurnAtAlbuquerque a wrong place]], has to rely on Eightball to correct his mistake and is ultimately killed for not taking cover.
* MySisterIsOffLimits: Subverted. While cleaning the head (bathroom) Joker says to Cowboy "I wanna slip my tube steak into your sister. What'll you take in trade?" to which Cowboy simply replies "What've you got?" Cowboy later brings it up again in Vietnam, when he asks if Joker has been getting any and Joker says "Only your sister," to which Cowboy replies "Better my sister than my mother, and my mom's not bad!"

* PoliticallyIncorrectHero: Asides from freely using the (period accurate) slur "gook" to refer to the Vietnamese, Cowboy's helmet has a Confederate flag painted on it.

* MilesGloriosus: Joker often brags about his "killer instincts" (though most, if not all of that is probably meant to be deliberately ironic). And once in Vietnam, of his previous combat experience, he keeps claiming to be a hardened veteran to the other correspondents. He maintains it in combat as long as all is going well, but turns into a stuttering wreck when he gets really scared. The actual veterans of Cowboy's platoon get progressively less impressed with Joker as a result. When they encounter the sniper, Cowboy has to very pointedly tell Joker to shut the ''fuck'' up, and Animal Mother looks like he’s considering shooting Joker himself.

* WouldHitAGirl: In the end he's forced to do this with a MercyKill to a Vietcong sniper, though he finds it extremely difficult to do.

* {{Irony}}
** Joker puts a peace sign in his collar, while on his helmet is written "Born to Kill", which doesn't endear him to a field colonel. ("I think I was trying to suggest something about the duality of man, sir.")

* MilesGloriosus: Joker often brags about his "killer instincts" (though most, if not all of that is probably meant to be deliberately ironic). And once in Vietnam, of his previous combat experience, he keeps claiming to be a hardened veteran to the other correspondents. He maintains it in combat as long as all is going well, but turns into a stuttering wreck when he gets really scared. The actual veterans of Cowboy’s platoon get progressively less impressed with Joker as a result. When they encounter the sniper, Cowboy has to very pointedly tell Joker to shut the ''fuck'' up, and Animal Mother looks like he’s considering shooting Joker himself.
* OnlyKnownByTheirNickname: Private Joker, "a fucking comedian". He's one of the few troops to keep his nickname outside of basic training, since he grows into it.

* TallDarkAndSnarky: He's tall (Matthew Modine is 6'4) and always has a witty remark about something, hence his nickname.

[[folder: Private/Private First Class/Sergeant Robert "Cowboy" Evans]]
[[quoteright:320:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/s_l400_95.jpg]]

* MySisterIsOffLimits: Subverted. While cleaning the head (bathroom) Joker says to Cowboy "I wanna slip my tube steak into your sister. What'll you take in trade?" to which Cowboy simply replies "What've you got?". Cowboy later brings it up again in Vietnam, when he asks if Joker has been getting any and Joker says "Only your sister," to which Cowboy replies "Better my sister than my mother, and my mom's not bad!"

[[folder: Sergeant "Animal Mother"]]

->'''Portrayed by:''' Creator/AdamBaldwin
->'''Dubbed by:''' Creator/DanielRusso (European French)

-> ''"Better you than me."''

** Has the famous Oppenheimer 'I am become Death' quote enscribed on his helmet, suggesting he is somewhat more educated or well-read then his behaviour would indictate.

* MilitaryMaverick: Responds to Cowboy's order to stay put with "Fuck you".

[[folder: Corporal "Eightball"]]
[[quoteright:320:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/dorian_harewood.png]]
[[caption-width-right:320:''"Go easy, bros."'']]

-> ''"Put a nigger behind the trigger."''

* BlackIsBiggerInBed: "No boom-boom with soul brother". Eightball has to graphically debunk it.

[[folder: Private First Class "Rafterman"]]
[[quoteright:320:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/15_6.png]]

[[folder: Sergeant "Crazy Earl"]]
[[quoteright:320:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/unnamed_972.jpg]]

[[folder: Doc Jay]]
[[quoteright:320:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/mv5bzdi2ymixmdytyjzkns00mdblltg1mjutmmqyzwuwyzi0ntu1xkeyxkfqcgdeqxvynjuxmjc1otm_v1.jpg]]

[[folder: Donlon]]
[[quoteright:320:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/59655.jpg]]

[[folder: "T.H.E. Rock"]]
[[quoteright:320:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/mv5bzjbhmzu2nzqtody4zs00ytjllthkyzytywmzzmvinjexmwm5xkeyxkfqcgdeqxvynjuxmjc1otm_v1.jpg]]

[[folder: "Handjob"]]

[[folder: Lieutenant Lockhart]]
[[quoteright:320:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/16986_6913.jpg]]

[[folder: The Door Gunner]]
[[quoteright:320:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/full_metal_jacket_tim_colceri.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:320:''"Ain't war hell?"'']]

--->'''Joker''': How can you shoot women and children?\\
'''Door Gunner''': Easy. You just don't lead 'em so much. (Laughing) Ain't war hell?

[[folder: Lieutenant Walter J. "Touchdown" Schinoski]]
[[quoteright:320:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/40091d43166149cabfaa3fec38fce21b.jpg]]

[[folder: Lieutenant Cleves]]

->'''Played By:''' Bruce Boa
-> ''"I'ts a hardball world, son. We've gotta keep our heads until this "peace craze" blows over!"''

[[folder: Gunnery Sergeant Hartman]]
[[quoteright:320:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/9a845a81f4fde1a43497c02d569ac9c2.png]]
[[caption-width-right:320:''"So you can give your hearts to Jesus... but your ass belongs to the Corps!"'']]

-> ''"I am Gunnery Sergeant Hartman, your senior Drill Instructor. From now on, you will speak only when spoken to. And the first and last words out of your filthy sewers will be "Sir". Do you maggots understand that?"''

--->'''Hartman''': My orders are to weed out all non-hackers who do not pack the gear to serve in my beloved Corps. Do you maggots understand that?

--->'''Hartman''': Because I am hard, you will not like me! But the more you hate me, the more you will learn.

--> "Private Pyle, whatever you do, don't fall down! That would break my fucking heart!"

[[folder: Private/Private First Class Leonard "Gomer Pyle" Lawrence]]
[[quoteright:320:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/mv5bmge4yzq3mtatyzjmnc00mjewlwi4zditntizodbjngqwmgrlxkeyxkfqcgdeqxvymtcwnte1ng_v1.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:320:''"Seven-six-two millimeter -- full. Metal. Jacket."'']]

-> ''"I am... in a world... of SHIT!"''

* AteHisGun: [[spoiler: Blows his brains out with his rifle after killing Hartman]].
* AxCrazy: Becomes [[spoiler: this near the end of the first part, though he only kills one other person.]]

* FirstNameBasis: Joker is the only one who regularly calls him "Leonard".

* TheFriendNobodyLikes: To the recruits for being TheMillstone and later a ForgottenFallenFriend after [[spoiler: his MurderSuicide]].

* MurderSuicide: [[spoiler: Kills Hartman before turning the gun on himself]].
* PreppyName: Leonard Lawrence. {{Lampshaded}} by Hartman, who declares "Only faggots and sailors are called Lawrence".

* TitleDrop:
--> '''Sgt. Joker''': Are those live rounds?
--> '''Pvt. Pyle''': Seven-six-two millimeter. Full metal jacket.

[[folder: Private/Private First Class "Snowball" Brown]]
[[quoteright:320:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/privatesnowball.png]]
[[caption-width-right:320:''"Sir! Private Snowball reporting as ordered, sir!"'']]

[[folder: The Viet Cong Sniper]]
[[quoteright:320:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/img_2718.jpg]]

* OhCrap: She looks completely terrified once she realizes the squad found her

* SniperRifle: Averted. Rather than using something like a scoped Mosin-Nagant or an SVD, the standard NVA and Viet Cong sniper rifles, she's instead revealed to be using a humble old vz.58 (a Czech-made assault rifle that resembles but is entirely distinct from the AK-47) to snipe her targets.
* VillainDecay: A rapid and somewhat justified example. She's a good shot with her rifle and terrorises the squad from her vantage point, killing three hardened marines who cross her sights, but resorts to recklessly unloading her ammo on the covered Joker when confronted directly and is taken out by a simple flanking maneuver.

* EveryoneHasStandards: His breakdown is limited only to Hartman and himself. Other than briefly pointing his rifle in Joker's general direction. which is hinted to be more to keep Joker away, it's never hinted that he intends to harm any of the other recruits.