Line #79 Main/ActionGenreHeroGuy


1	%% Administrivia/ZeroContextExample entries are not allowed on wiki pages. All such entries have been commented out. Add context to the entries before uncommenting them.
2
3	[[quoteright:280:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/actionguy2_8149.png]]
4	[[caption-width-right:280:Haven't I seen you before?[[note]] From top left: Baldur from ''VideoGame/TooHuman'', Cole [=MacGrath=] from ''VideoGame/InFamous2'', Nico Bellic from ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoIV'', Sam Fisher from ''VideoGame/SplinterCellDoubleAgent'', Robin from ''VideoGame/BatmanArkhamCity'', Starkiller from ''VideoGame/StarWarsTheForceUnleashed'', the titular character from ''VideoGame/{{Turok}}'', Tomas Sevchenko from ''VideoGame/KillZone'', Desmond Miles from ''Franchise/AssassinsCreed'', and Dan Marshall from ''VideoGame/BinaryDomain''.[[/note]]]]
5
6	-> ''"VideoGame/{{Doom}}'s blank slate character paved the way for the generic leads seen in what feels like most modern games; a shaven-headed average joe designed to tread the path of least financial risk."''
7	-->-- '''{{WebVideo/Ahoy}}''', ''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6A4-SVUHQYI RetroAhoy: Doom]]''
8
9	One example of the ActionHero. With the emphasis on ''one''.
10
11	You know this guy, because you have seen him a thousand times. He has the lead role in almost every action movie and video game and, like Creator/BruceWillis or Creator/WillSmith, has a single role that he repeats over and over again.
12
13	Unlike the FeaturelessProtagonist, he does have fixed attributes, and they are usually the same:
14	* He is [[AlwaysMale male]].
15	* He is usually American, or at least [[HomegrownHero the same nationality as the developers]], unless it's a ScienceFiction, {{Fantasy}}, or historical setting. He will also usually be Caucasian. If he's not both of those things, then ButNotTooForeign will usually be {{invoked\|trope}}.
16	* He will be TallDarkAndHandsome; Usually around the 5'9" - 6'2" range. Never 5'8" and below, never 6'3" and above.
17	* He will have been born to blue-collar parents.
18	* He will have black or dark brown hair cut in a buzzcut, fade, or (if set after 2000) fauxhawk, or be shaved bald. In TheNewTens onwards, they added an undercut. If he is Black, he will either be bald or have a flat top. [[note]]In video games, this is generally because [[NoFlowInCGI short hair is much easier to model and animate]]. Even female characters in these games may have their hair in a tight bun.[[/note]]
19	* His face will be clean-shaven, usually with PermaStubble. Growing a beard or mustache means developing personality.
20	* Profession:
21	** He will usually a former soldier or police officer, very rarely in active service. When he was in the military, he was overwhelmingly [[SergeantRock The Sarge]], and is probably still called "Sarge" by his military pals. In 1980s media, he will probably be TheVietnamVet. In 1990s media, this was updated to [[UsefulNotes/TheGulfWar Gulf War]] veteran. Nowadays, it is, of course, UsefulNotes/TheWarOnTerror (probably Iraq) he fought in.
22	** He may also be an ex-convict instead of, or in addition to, any of the above.
23	* He uses {{handguns}} as his signature weapon. Rifles and submachine guns are always immediately discarded after using them.
24	* He almost always uses GoodOldFisticuffs as his fighting style. If matched up against even an elite martial artist, he will likely prevail.
25	* [[CombatPragmatist He will fight dirty.]]
26	* Name:
27	** Chances are good his name is a simple, monosyllabic name like Frank, Jim, Jack, or John.
28	** Alternatively, he goes by an equally monosyllabic RedBaron nickname like Dutch, Butch, Duke, or Spike.
29	** He may also be on a permanent LastNameBasis with the world.
30	* He has a dead relative, a dead friend, or is only in the action hero business because he has to [[SaveThePrincess save a loved one]].
31	* He is either a DeadpanSnarker or TheComicallySerious.
32	* He has no particularly strong political or religious beliefs (at least none they feel strongly enough about to mention), other than perhaps a general mainstream belief in the existence of God and generic national pride typical of a military[=/=]ex-military man.
33	* He has [[CoolPeopleRebelAgainstAuthority no respect for authority]], but his boss secretly admires him for this trait.
34	* He has a tendency to use [[OneLiner One-Liners]] of varying quality.
35	* He usually [[SmokingIsCool smokes]] and [[TheAlcoholic drinks heavily]].
36	* He typically drives a CoolCar or TheAllegedCar.
37	* He is [[WebAnimation/ZeroPunctuation usually voiced]] by Creator/NolanNorth or Creator/TroyBaker.
38
39	This archetype was immensely popular for video game protagonists in the 2000s and early 2010s, but has since become something of a DeadHorseTrope. The difference from a FeaturelessProtagonist is that those characters are left without real characterization to let the player project their own ideas onto the character, while the Action Genre Hero Guy follows a very specific set of traits as listed above.
40
41	If you can remember a character's name, he is probably not an example.
42
43	Compare ASpaceMarineIsYou. For a common alternative, see TheAhnold.
44	----
45	!!Examples:
46
47	[[foldercontrol]]
48
49	%%[[AC:{{Film}}]]
50	%%* Jake Sully from ''Film/{{Avatar}}''.
51	%%* Justin Timberlake's character Will in ''Film/InTime''.
52	%%* Creator/JasonStatham. In fact, this trope could be named after him and still make sense.
53	%%* Most of Creator/ArnoldSchwarzenegger's characters. The ones who aren't cyborgs, anyway.
54	%%* Most of the film characters played by [[Wrestling/DwayneJohnson The Rock]]. In real life and in the ring he was very charismatic and easy going.
55	%%* Wrestling/StoneColdSteveAustin now that he's forayed into the B Action genre. His ring persona was also this.
56	%%* Creator/BruceWillis, especially his John [=McClane=] character in the ''Franchise/DieHard'' films.
57	%%* Creator/VinDiesel
58
59	[[folder:ComicBooks]]
60	* ComicBook/ThePunisher falls into a strange ground between UnbuiltTrope and TropeCodifier: Frank Castle presaged a good deal of this trope's checklist, from his family's death as motivation to his permastubble and GunNut tendencies, but was originally an AntiVillain created to be a StealthParody and over-the-top deconstruction of the gritty VigilanteMan characters that been gaining popularity in the 1970s. In his later appearances, IndecisiveParody set in as he was given a SympatheticPOV and varying degrees of angsty character depth, blurring the lines between being a walking critique of this trope and an influential shaper of it.
61	[[/folder]]
62
63	[[folder:Literature]]
64	* Nyx in ''Literature/BelDameApocrypha'' was consciously written as [[GenderInvertedTrope a female version of this]], a former government assassin turned ruthless bounty hunter. The series' author Kameron Hurley didn't like how the ActionGirl protagonists of ScienceFiction and UrbanFantasy were often written in what she felt were sexist ways that fixated on their gender, so she thought it would be a fun experiment to write a straightforward gender-swapped take on this trope who, had she been a man, would've been nearly indistinguishable from the other examples on this page.
65	* The four protagonists of ''Literature/EncryptionStraffe'' superficially resemble this trope but also challenge it to varying degrees. For instance Genie is an American Iraq vet known mostly by his callsign, but none of his personality fits the expectation.
66	[[/folder]]
67
68	[[folder:LiveActionTV]]
69	* Subverted (of course) in ''Series/{{Firefly}}''. Jayne Cobb is a character with a buzzcut, love of one-liners, and criminal background who really likes guns. He turns out to be really nice, fiercely protective of the ship and crew, and a savvy negotiator.
70	%%* Jack Shepard from ''Series/{{Lost}}''.
71	* G. Callen from ''Series/NCISLosAngeles'', where his mysterious past is actually a subplot. G. isn't his initial; ''that's his name''.
72	* Bodie from ''Series/TheProfessionals''. His partner Doyle is basically the same except very slightly less jaded and with EightiesHair.
73	* Frank Castle from ''Series/ThePunisher2017''. He has the fade haircut and monosyllabic name down. Has a dead family and a hatred of the government after his wartime experiences. Not only that, but he's an expert in pretty much every weapon.
74	%%* Dean Winchester from ''Series/{{Supernatural}}''
75	[[/folder]]
76
77	[[folder:Music]]
78	* Spoofed in the Music/MiracleOfSound song [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ALd0ILisKvI "Shooter Guy",]] an AffectionateParody of video game protagonists who fit this mold.
79	-->''Now that the training is done, we're on a chopper to war\
80	Captain Noisy is yellin' and tellin' us what we're here for\
81	The mission is critical with volition political\
82	I could question it, but I ain't feelin' too analytical''
83	[[/folder]]
84
85	[[folder:VideoGames]]
86	%%* The topic of [[http://pc.ign.com/articles/117/1177915p1.html this article]].
87	* The character Rod “Hollywood” Stone from ''VideoGame/AgentsOfMayhem'' parodies this trope. True, he’s a muscular white guy with short brown hair and PermaStubble, who’s always cracking one-liners and toting a huge gun with him at all times, but he deviates from the typical mold quite a bit. Instead of being a police or military officer (like many other characters in the game), Hollywood is a movie and TV personality, BountyHunter, and former porn star (not to mention that, despite claiming to be from LA, he’s actually Canadian.) In addition to all that, he’s also a dimwitted {{Narcissist}} whose antics [[TheFriendNobodyLikes frequently end up pissing off his allies.]] His main reason for being on the team at all is because [[InvokedTrope his marketable appearance makes him a good PR spokesman for the group as a whole.]]
88	* Desmond Miles of ''VideoGame/AssassinsCreedI'' (bottom left in the page image) may have paved the way for similar characters back in 2007, as they began popping up often in the following years. In his early 20s and snarky with short brown hair, a hoodie, and a "cool" name, Desmond has personality enough to avoid being a complete blank slate while being generic enough to serve as an AudienceSurrogate for the game's target demographic. Voiced by Creator/NolanNorth.
89	%%* Preston Marlowe from ''VideoGame/BattlefieldBadCompany''.
90	%%* Dan Marshall from ''VideoGame/BinaryDomain''.
91	* ''VideoGame/BioShockInfinite'' has Booker Dewitt, voiced by Creator/TroyBaker. Aside from his [[AwesomeMcCoolname unusual name]] he is an army veteran, has a faux-hawk, fights dirty, and lost a family member. This aspect was [[BrokenBase criticized by some fans]] who found him not fitting in a ''[=BioShock=]'' game. [[spoiler: It's played with some when it's revealed that Booker is an alternate version of the BigBad from another reality.]]
92	* Jimmy Hopkins from ''VideoGame/{{Bully}}'' is a school-aged equivalent, having a tough, no-nonsense personality, an ''extreme'' dislike of authority, a common "J" name, and a shorn noggin. The hardass characterization stays pretty constant, but you can at least give him a different hairstyle later on.
93	%%* William Carter of ''VideoGame/TheBureauXCOMDeclassified''.
94	* Zig-zagged in the case of male V in ''VideoGame/Cyberpunk2077''. His default look (the one used on promotional materials and merchandise) is of a vaguely Caucasian man with a buzz cut, he works Night City's underbelly as a mercenary, and he has a healthy distrust of authority. As you play the game, however, you quickly find out that V is actually a [[HiddenDepths much kinder, more sensitive and emotional person than you'd think]], often showing emotions like fear, grief, or unconditional love. The game features a relatively robust CharacterCustomisation, so V can be of any race, ethnicity, or gender and can be played as [[StraightGay gay or bisexual]], and cisgender or transgender.
95	* ''VideoGame/DeadOrAlive5'' newcomer Rig has the appearance of one, but his [[FightingGame genre]] is cut from a different cloth. Series regular Bayman was also redesigned in ''5'' to have a more "action genre guy" appearance (up until then he had unusually "soft" facial features for someone in his line of work).
96	* Subverted in ''VideoGame/FarCry3''. While Grant Brody might fit much of the bill, both in background (ex-US Army reserve), personality (motivated by a want to protect his family), and appearance (short brown hair and slightly grizzled), he is not the PlayerCharacter, and he is killed off quickly in the tutorial level. You instead play as his brother Jason Brody, who's characterized as a BrilliantButLazy extreme sports enthusiast.
97	%%* Jet Brody of ''VideoGame/{{Fracture}}''.
98	* Despite his inclusion in the above article and in the page image (second one down on the left), and his first name being as nondescript as John or Jack in his native Serbian, ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoIV''[='=]s Niko Bellic has a [[GrowingTheBeard beard]] as thick as his layered personality, the latter of which is fleshed out (with the [[VideoGameCaringPotential player's]] [[VideoGameCrueltyPotential help]], of course) as the game progresses. For starters, his military background is as a veteran of UsefulNotes/TheYugoslavWars who committed war crimes and has been trying to run from his past ever since, leading him to his ''current'' profession as a criminal.
99	* While most of ''Franchise/{{Halo}}''[='s=] protagonists are too soldierly for this trope, [[MilitaryMaverick Sergeant John Forge]] from ''VideoGame/HaloWars'' fits the bill almost perfectly, right down to the shaved head and Nolan North voice.
100	* ''VideoGame/InFamous'', starring Cole [=MacGrath=] (top right in the page image). He's got the buzz cut, the growly voice, and the irritable, cynical attitude, with a more average but still "cool" job as a courier before he gains his superpowers.
101	* James Earl Cash in ''VideoGame/{{Manhunt}}'' is this trope combined with the StockSlasher. He's a death row inmate with a buzzcut, a MysteriousPast, and [[TheQuietOne few words]] who was spared lethal injection so that [[BigBad Lionel Starkweather]] could use him as a killer in his SnuffFilm operation. He's shown to be a ruthless killer who brutally murders and mutilates countless people who get in his way, but he reserves his violence for the bad guys and tries to protect the innocent, including his family when Starkweather puts them in danger. While it's never explicitly stated, certain lines of dialogue from enemies, specifically the Wardogs calling him a "Sneaky Pete" ([[UsefulNotes/TheVietnamWar Vietnam-era]] military slang for a [[UsefulNotes/TheModernDayRambo special forces operator]]), also imply that he's [[FromCamouflageToCriminal ex-military]].
102	* The default Commander Shepard from ''Franchise/MassEffect'' has the looks (and the name, John), but can develop a personality depending on how you play him, and is also [[ManlyGay potentially gay]] or bisexual. He's also in active military service at the beginning of the first game.
103	* The title character in ''VideoGame/MaxPayne'' is a deconstructive version of this trope, combined with a bit of FilmNoir protagonist mixed in. Max's facial features were originally based on the squinty-eyed visage of Remedy lead developer Sam Lake, but in ''The Fall of Max Payne'' he got a more unique look. By ''3'', he's become a fat and washed-up version of this, especially after he shaves his head.
104	* ''VideoGame/MetalGear'':
105	** Solid Snake series started as one, but developed a very detailed and unique personality starting from the {{Retool}} he had in ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid''.
106	** Same goes for his buddy Gray Fox, whose actual name is Frank Jaeger. Similarly to Snake above, Fox became markedly more interesting and complicated after ceasing being a cool EvilCounterpart with a bandanna, and returned as an [[NinjaPirateZombieRobot undead]] CyberNinja with a lot of GothicHorror elements.
107	** Snake also keeps his '80s [[EightiesHair Action Mullet]], being [[OlderThanTheyThink the '80s hero]], after all.
108	%%* Both Mercury and Jacknife from ''VideoGame/MirrorsEdge''.
109	* John "Soap" [=MacTavish=] in the ''VideoGame/ModernWarfare'' series (though you don't actually get to see his face until ''Modern Warfare 2'', you'll just have to take our word for it in ''Call of Duty 4'').
110	* ''Franchise/ResidentEvil'':
111	** Chris Redfield already had the short brown hair and police background necessary for the trope in [[VideoGame/ResidentEvil1 the first game]] and ''[[VideoGame/ResidentEvilCodeVeronica Code: Veronica]]'', but by ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil5'', he has muscled up, grown PermaStubble, and started using his fists to punch boulders.
112	** Jack Krauser in ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil4'' is a subversion, as he's one of the villains. He's a muscular, clean-shaven Special Forces veteran with [[GoodScarsEvilScars a giant scar on his face]] whose military career was ended by an injury, and given that he was a SociopathicSoldier who [[BloodKnight lived for combat]], he decided to betray the US in order to regain his strength and fighting ability. (In the original game, he does this by working for [[GreaterScopeVillain Albert Wesker]] so he can obtain a Dominant Plaga sample from [[ReligionOfEvil Los Illuminados]] and use it on himself, while in [[VideoGame/ResidentEvil4Remake the remake]], he joins Los Illuminados straight-up for the same.) When you face him, his weapon is [[PsychoKnifeNut a combat knife]].
113	** Jake Muller in ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil6'', compared to Chris, is a much more generic character. Aside from the look and the name, he's a hardass mercenary with a dead mother and a disdain for authority. While only a handful of characters have melee weapons, he's the only one who uses his fists. Voiced by Creator/TroyBaker.
114	%%* Nathan Hale from ''VideoGame/{{Resistance}}''.
115	* ''Franchise/SilentHill'':
116	** Alex Shepherd from ''VideoGame/SilentHillHomecoming'', who fits the trope to a T. [[spoiler:Except for the military background, which turns out to be a delusion to shield himself from a traumatic event.]]
117	** Murphy Pendleton from ''VideoGame/SilentHillDownpour'' seems a close enough match, with a status as a convicted killer serving as his hard-ass background.
118	* [[TragicHero Captain Martin Walker]] from ''VideoGame/SpecOpsTheLine'' is a rather savage {{Deconstruction}} of this idea. He definitely [[https://i.imgur.com/hrBqCBB.jpg looks]] and acts like one (albeit slightly more buttoned-down than average), and he [[WrongGenreSavvy seems to start off thinking that he's a straight example]]. In fact, it's Walker's belief that he's the hero of an action story that kickstarts his slide into violent and unhinged behavior as he tries to justify and rationalize his increasingly monstrous actions.
119	%%* Sam Fisher from the ''VideoGame/SplinterCell'' game series.
120	* Galen Marek/"Starkiller" (third down on the right in the page image), the protagonist from ''Franchise/StarWars: VideoGame/TheForceUnleashed'', certainly has the looks down, but is partially an aversion. Starkiller was born [[LastOfHisKind to survivors of Order 66]] and is only a teenager during the game's events, but already has a lifetime of traumatic memories, seeing Darth Vader kill his father before spending much of his life as the Sith's apprentice.
121	* The majority of the classes in ''VideoGame/TeamFortress2'' share the traits, including the buzzcut or short hair, the PermaStubble, and the tendency to give the OneLiner. Probably the straightest example is the Soldier, though he still seems to be a parody of this. He's got the buzzcut and one-liners down, but never served in the military[[note]]He was so dumb that they wouldn't take his ass in during ''UsefulNotes/WorldWarII''[[/note]], favors [[SplashDamage rocket launchers]] over handguns and rifles, his first name is (supposedly) [[GenderBlenderName Jane]], and he's a CloudCuckooLander who is impossible to take seriously.
122	* Nathan Drake from ''VideoGame/{{Uncharted}}'' fits ''almost'' every characteristic, except that he hasn't lost a loved one (he does what he does because he's a naturally curious adrenaline-junkie) and has sufficient charm to overcome his (deliberately) generic design. Played with, though, in that he looks kinda like Creator/NathanFillion, but he's still voiced by Nolan North. ''[[VideoGame/Uncharted3DrakesDeception Drake's Deception]]'' reveals that [[spoiler:Nathan Drake isn't actually his real name. He's just some orphan who was a fan of Francis Drake.]]
123	* ''VideoGame/XCom2'': John Bradford has become one of these, in stark and not unwelcome contrast to his characterisation ([[TheGenericGuy or lack thereof]]) in [[VideoGame/XCOMEnemyUnknown the previous installment.]]
124	[[/folder]]
125
126	[[folder:Web Original]]
127	* The [[https://gomakemeasandwich.wordpress.com/2014/03/12/male-protagonist-bingo-a-study-in-cliches-many-images/ Male Protagonist Bingo]] is a pretty good indicator of whether or not a character falls under this trope.
128	[[/folder]]
129

Context Main / ActionGenreHeroGuy