History Characters / FullMetalJacket

* WouldHitAGirl[=/=]WouldHurtAChild: When Joker asks if he shot any women or children, he replied, "Sometimes!"

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

* TooDumbToLive: Fails to realize that he's driven Private Pyle to a psychotic break even when the man is sitting in front of him with a loaded rifle, looking like a grenade with its pin pulled. He thinks the appropriate response to the situation is to dish out more verbal abuse at Pyle, rather than get out of there and get the Military Police. [[KarmicDeath He's wrong]].

* DrillSergeantNasty: The TropeCodifier. However, Hartman is an [[UnbuiltTrope an unbuilt version of this]], since he proves to be a demonstrable failure of a DI.

* 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.

* ForgottenFallenFriend: He's never mentioned or alluded to again after his death, likely because to the the rest of the recruits he was TheFriendNobodyLikes for being TheMillstone for constantly getting them all in trouble, and therefore they (at best) seemingly don't really care about him afterwards or at worst are glad he was gone from their platoon... [[TakeAThirdOption or]] would likely feel disturbed talking about the recruit who [[spoiler: snapped and killed their drill instructor]] and avoid remembering him for their psyche. Still, Joker quoting him (and/or Hartman) in his parting narration implies that this incident did indeed leave an impact on his psyche.

* EnsignNewbie: He's shown to be badly suited for command, as he leads the squad to [[WrongTurnAtAlbuquerque a wrong place]], has to rely of Eightball to ammend his mistake as is ultimately killed for not taking cover.

* NiceHat: 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.)

* {{Jerkass}}: He takes DrillSergeantNasty UpToEleven, as he abuses his trainees not only verbally, but also physically for even the smallest mistakes. [[spoiler: Just ask Private Pyle.]]

* 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 to which Joker replies, "Only your sister".

* ChekhovsSkill: He manages to smuggle a jelly doughnut into the squad bay. While it's probably not entirely accurate to say that this would be impossible, it would be very, very hard to do. Later in the movie, he presumably uses the same skill to sneak in [[spoiler:enough live ammo to fill a rifle magazine]].

* FatalFlaw: His LackOfEmpathy, specifically regarding Pvt. Pyle. He doesn't notice that Pyle's mental health has eroded and thinks that he can shout Pyle down when he's ''holding a loaded rifle'' and is generally unable or just unwilling to acknowledge that Pyle is simply not suited to being a Marine, likely because doing so would feel like admitting failure on his part.

-> ''"Is that you John Wayne? Is this me?"''

[[caption-width-right:320:''"7.62 millimeter...full...metal...jacket!"'']]

* 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.

* DiesDifferentlyInAdaptation: Cowyboy's death is much quicker (by a single shot) in the film. In the book, he runs into the ambush and mercy-kills the wounded men, but before he can kill himself, the sniper shoots his pistol out of his hand and wounds him repeatedly. Joker then mercy-kills him in turn.

* SparedByTheAdaptation: Downplayed. Cowboy is "spared" in the sense that his death is much quicker (by a single shot) in the film. In the book, he runs into the ambush and mercy-kills the wounded men, but before he can kill himself, the sniper shoots his pistol out of his hand and wounds him repeatedly. Joker then mercy-kills him in turn.

* 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 to snipe her targets.

* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: Best seen during his interactions with Cowboy and Gomer Pyle, the latter of whom he really does make an effort to get through boot camp, shows genuine concern for his well-being and tries to treat with dignity, to the point of always addressing him as "Leonard" rather than the demeaning nickname Hartman gave him.

* TheNicknamer: Inverted. He makes a point of always addressing Pyle as "Leonard".

* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: Best seen during his interactions with Cowboy and Gomer Pyle.

* FatalFlaw: His LackOfEmpathy, specifically regarding Pvt. Pyle. He doesn't notice that Pyle's mental health has eroded and thinks that he can shout Pyle down when he's ''holding a loaded rifle.''

* AmbiguousDisorder: He seems to have some kind of developmental disability.

* EmbarrassingNickname: Given one as part of his abuse by Hartman.

* ActionGirl: Is able to take several well-aimed shots that wipe out no less than three troops, including Cowboy.

* HateSink: This man is a sociopathic sadist who enjoys warfare far more than he should. While transporting Joker to his destination, he picks off every Vietnamese person he sees, soldier or civilian, with a smile on his face. claiming they're all the enemy whether it's true or not. His last line is him jokingly asking "Ain't war hell?," despite clearly loving it.
* KarmaHoudini: It's presumed he never is called out for essentially murdering innocent Vietnamese; he only appears in one scene [[WhatHappenedToTheMouse and is never mentioned again]].

* RealMenLoveJesus: 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.

* EveryoneHasStandards: His breakdown is limited only to Pyle 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.

* OOCIsSeriousBusiness: Private Pyle aiming a loaded gun in his face is enough to make him briefly stop shouting and calmly order Pyle to give him the rifle. [[TooDumbToLive It doesn't last long.]]

* OOCIsSeriousBusiness: Private Pyle aiming a loaded gun in his face is enough to make him briefly stop shouting and calmly order Pyle to give him the rifle. [[TooDumbToLive It doesn't last long.]]