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5[[caption-width-right:350:Dread the locks and the kicks.]]
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10
11DreadlockRasta meets BraidsOfBarbarism and often BarbarianLonghair -- a character whose hairstyle preference is dreadlocks, cornrows, or a mane of many braids, will coincidentally be an ass-kicking fighter. If you've got a team and one of them sports this hairstyle, odds are that they're TheBigGuy. Applies even to aliens who possibly don't have actual hair, but have something looking like dreadlocks sprouting from their skull.
12
13A previously kempt character may signify that he TookALevelInBadass by showing up with locks so arrayed. Conversely, a character whose ImportantHaircut is the shearing of such a hairstyle has probably renounced violence. In science fiction works, this hair is frequently associated with the PredatorPastiche.
14
15Not related to TheDreaded, although both tropes may apply to the same character.
16
17----
18!!Examples:
19[[foldercontrol]]
20
21[[folder:Anime & Manga]]
22* Korikakkumon from ''Anime/DigimonFrontier'', with the arrowheads on the tips of his dreadlocks serving as the main source of his Frozen Arrowheads attack.
23* Izumi Curtis from ''Manga/FullmetalAlchemist'' is the Elric Brother's teacher of both alchemy and the martial arts. In fact, she is one of, if not ''THE'' only person that they are afraid of.
24* Kaname Tosen of ''Manga/{{Bleach}}'' is not only dreadlocked, but he is also blind. He was a respected Shinigami captain before turning to work for [[BigBad Aizen]].
25* Killer Bee and Ay (the Fourth Raikage) from ''Manga/{{Naruto}}''. Both are the strongest shinobi of Kumogakure.
26* [[TheLancer Ermes Costello]] in ''Manga/JojosBizarreAdventureStoneOcean'', a muscular SpicyLatina with dreads and [[DarkActionGirl a history of violent crime]]. Her [[FightingSpirit Stand]] however, is more technical than one would expect, relying on creative uses of WeaponizedTeleportation.
27* Renee from ''Manga/{{Claymore}}'' has either thin dreadlocks or microbraids (it's hard to tell with the art style) and facial features that imply she might be of African descent, as opposed to most other characters who appear visibly European. Like all Claymores she's a capable warrior.
28* Ivy from ''Manga/{{Blame}}'' is a sword-wielding cyborg with very long hair that has this appearance.
29* [[ArrogantKungFuGuy Zekka]] in ''Manga/BattleAngelAlita''.
30* Nils Nielson of ''Anime/GundamBuildFighters'' has dreadlocks styled like normal hair. He's also a powerful Gunpla Fighter, piloting the Sengoku Astray and the Nimpulse Gundam.
31* Bob Makihara from ''Manga/TenjhoTenge'', a practitioner of the Brazilian fighting style capoeira.
32[[/folder]]
33
34[[folder:Comic Books]]
35* In the ''ComicBook/AliensVsPredator'' comic books, [[spoiler: the only survivor of the colony caught between the battle of the rival species is Machiko Noguchi, who joins the Predators in the end as an alien-hunter, as signified by her adopting tight braids and hanging dreadlocks]].
36* ComicBook/{{Static}} from the comic of the same name.
37* [[ActionGirl Michonne]] from ''ComicBook/TheWalkingDead'' has dreadlocks, usually held back by a bandana.
38* ''ComicBook/XMen'':
39** Bishop had dreadlocks for several years, before going for a shaved bald look.
40** Joanna Cargill / Frenzy, a NighInvulnerable ScaryBlackWoman member of Magneto's Acolytes. She changes her hairstyle, when she joins the X-Men.
41* Maginty from "Kitchen Irish" arc of ''ComicBook/ThePunisherMAX''. A ScaryBlackMan who comes closest to killing Frank. (He does so with a machete.)
42* Monica Rambeau, in her appearances since ComicBook/{{Nextwave}}. [[note]]During the events of ComicBook/MightyAvengers she had short, straight hair instead, which is implied to be an attempt to forget about the events of Nextwave; after reclaiming the BadassLongcoat and dreads look, she uses and refers to it as an "underestimate-me look".[[/note]]
43* ''ComicBook/Robin1993'': Villain Jager evokes this by wearing his hair in dreadlocks. He films himself killing monsters and people deformed to look like monsters to sell the ensuing snuff films.
44* ''ComicBook/WatsonAndHolmes'': Holmes has a head of dreadlocks and can throw down when he has to.
45[[/folder]]
46
47[[folder:Fan Works]]
48* ''Fanfic/JauneArcLordOfHunger'': In his youth, [[Characters/JauneArcLordOfHungerDarthNihilus Darth Nihilus]] was a former Jedi warrior who fought for Revan in the Mandalorian Wars and wore his hair in dreadlocks. Because Jaune -- who has Nihilus's memories [[GhostMemory implanted in him]] -- doesn't know his name for the majority of the story, he takes to calling him "the dreadlocked man".
49[[/folder]]
50
51[[folder:Films -- Animation]]
52* ''WesternAnimation/SpiderManAcrossTheSpiderVerse'' introduces Hobie Brown a.k.a. Spider-Punk, a capable, rebellious and extremely badass spider-person with dreads so awesomely immense they shouldn't by any rights be able to fit under his mask.
53* ''WesternAnimation/HowToTrainYourDragon2'': [[BigBad Drago Bludvist]]. A massive, psycopathic warlord voiced by Creator/DjimonHounsou, bent on conquering the world by enslaving dragons, who holds his own against Hiccup's formidable father Stoick the Vast armed only with a [[HooksAndCrooks bullhook]]. Also, he does this with [[HandicappedBadass one arm]].
54* ''WesternAnimation/KungFuPanda3'': [[BigBad Kai]]. A massive, [[VampiricDraining Chi-stealing]] yak who escapes from the Spirit World planning on draining the chi of the Dragon Warrior. He fights with the help of [[OurZombiesAreDifferent a bunch of enslaved jade zombies, or "Jombies"]] and [[ChainPain two short jade swords on extendable chains]].
55[[/folder]]
56
57[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]
58* ''Franchise/{{Predator}}'' franchise:
59** The alien hunters have fleshy tentacles growing from their heads that resemble dreadlocks. Critics such as Roger Ebert criticized the design as trying to tap into fear of the ScaryBlackMan.
60** In the second film, the violent Jamaican gangsters all sport actual dreadlocks.
61* This is at least the ''intention'' of the Psyclos' hairstyles in ''Film/BattlefieldEarth''.
62* ''Film/AlienResurrection'': One of the mercenaries has warrior dreads and is strong enough to carry his colleague-fellow victim whilst fighting off the main villain.
63* In ''Film/TheLordOfTheRings'' films, The Uruk-Hai have the matted-with-the-blood-of-my-enemies kind of dreadlocks, and are more than a little menacing.
64* The Twins from ''Film/TheMatrixReloaded'' have dreadlocks and are pretty good at fighting. Link, played by Creator/HaroldPerrineau also counts.
65* Liu Kang's initial tournament match in ''Film/MortalKombatTheMovie'' was against an opponent with [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pa_HykTsxhQ long dreadlocks]].
66* Bishop from ''Film/XMenDaysOfFuturePast''. An extremely impressive and long variety.
67* Patric from ''Film/ChildrenOfMen'', an AxCrazy, hot-headed member of the [[WellIntentionedExtremist Fishes]] sporting impressive blond dreadlocks.
68* As of ''Film/ThorRagnarok'', [[spoiler: Heimdall, played by Creator/IdrisElba]] is shown leading the [[spoiler: Asgardian resistance against Hela]] while sporting locks.
69* Speaking of the Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse, the BigBad in ''Film/{{Black Panther|2018}}'' is Erik Killmonger, a former US Black ops mercenary who sports short locks, making him even more distinguishable than the rest of the characters.
70** In [[Film/BlackPantherWakandaForever the sequel]], Nakia has grown her hair into chest-length dreadlocks which helps to convey just how much [[TimeSkip time]] has passed since the first movie where she had much shorter hair. She's still a capable fighter who goes on a solo mission to rescue Shuri from Namor.
71* In ''Film/FinalScore'' the lieutenant of the main villain is Tatiana, a [[DarkActionGirl fighting female]] with a cornrow-style haircut. The tough girl image is completed by facial scarring and a leather outfit.
72* ''Film/SpecialFemaleForce'': One of the president's lieutenants is a [[DarkActionGirl female gangster]] called Tung Zi, who stands out due to her exotic looks for a Hong Kong film, being dark-skinned with long blonde dreadlocks and she has one of the longest fight scenes in the film against the protagonists and even manages to [[HeroKiller kill one of them]].
73* ''Franchise/PiratesOfTheCaribbean'' has Creator/JohnnyDepp's badass {{pirate}} Captain Jack Sparrow, whose dreads also fit his free-spirited personality in keeping with the DreadlockRasta trope.
74[[/folder]]
75
76[[folder:Literature]]
77* ''Literature/ArtemisFowl'': Trolls are tunnel dwelling simian creatures with venomous tusks that can reach nine feet in size, and require magical and high-tech equipped FairFolk SWAT teams ([[BattleButler or the third most dangerous man]] in the world with medieval weaponry) [[WhyWontYouDie just to be stunned long enough for capture]]. Their naturally-forming dreadlocks are caused by their long fur being matted with blood and filth.
78* Spike from the ''Literature/ThursdayNext'' series, a laid back, dreadlocked [[HunterOfMonsters undead hunter]].
79* In ''[[Literature/TheHeroesOfOlympus The Lost Hero]]'' the god killing giant Enceladus is described as having thick, matted dreadlocks.
80* In ''Literature/ChroniclesOfTheKencyrath'', The Merikit wear one braid for each man they've killed in battle, on the left side of their head.
81
82* ''Literature/ExHeroes'': MauveShirt Makana often takes a frontline role in defending the wall against horde of zombies, and his long, dreadlocked hair is his most commented-on feature.
83
84* Zeph Mathuin from the ''Literature/{{Ravenor}}'' series is a stone-cold BountyHunter with lengthy dreadlocks and a [[GatlingGood six-barreled rotator cannon]].
85* In the Bronze Age world of ''Literature/GodsAndWarriors'', Akean warriors braid their long hair into dreadlocks. This includes Telamon and the rest of the villainous Crows, and in the last book, the Messenian warrior Periphas and [[spoiler:Akastos, the [[RightfulKingReturns returned]] High Chieftain of Mycenae]].
86[[/folder]]
87
88[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
89* Tyr Anasazi from ''Series/{{Andromeda}}'', a ProudWarriorRaceGuy.
90* Ronon Dex of ''Series/StargateAtlantis'' survived years being hunted by the Wraith, and started hunting them back.
91* ''Franchise/StarTrek'': In ''[[Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine Deep Space Nine]]'' and a lesser extent in ''[[Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration The Next Generation]]'' Worf's hair is in long braids which are tied back into a ponytail. Usually only noticeable when his 'do is dekempt.
92* A sci-fi variation with Luxans, a ProudWarriorRace in ''Series/{{Farscape}}'' with tendrils on their head that give them a dreadlock appearance.
93* In ''Series/HighAndLow'', Tetz is the resident dreadlock warrior. A Japanese dreadlock warrior, mind you.
94* Michonne from ''Series/TheWalkingDead2010'' wears her hair in well-maintained dreadlocks throughout the whole series.
95* The 2013 miniseries ''[[Series/TheBible2013 The Bible]]'' depicts Samson this way. As a Nazirite (sort of an Old Testament proto-monk), he actually combines this trope with DreadlockRasta.
96* ''Series/{{Rome}}'': Gaia wears her hair in dreads, and proves to be one of Pullo's most effective fighters against [[spoiler: Memmio's gang]].
97[[/folder]]
98
99[[folder:Music]]
100* Music/BobMarley: "Buffalo Soldier" from ''Music/{{Confrontation}}''
101-->''Buffalo soldier, dreadlock rasta\
102There was a buffalo soldier in the heart of America\
103Stolen from Africa, brought to America\
104Fighting on arrival, fighting for survival.''
105[[/folder]]
106
107[[folder:Myths & Religion]]
108* ''Literature/SamsonAndDelilah'': Samson, the [[SuperStrength inhumanly strong]] OneManArmy from ''Literature/TheBible'', is specifically stated to wear his hair in dreadlocks in ''Literature/BookOfJudges'' 16:13.
109[[/folder]]
110
111[[folder:Pro Wrestling]]
112* Karateka, kickboxer, occasional mixed martial artist and pro wrestling legend Willie Williams. Dude beat a bear.
113* Wrestling/BookerT and Wrestling/KofiKingston have wrestled in these during their time in WWE. Tyler Reks was called the "dreadlocked demolition man" by commentator Matt Striker.
114* [[Wrestling/HunterJohnston Delirious]] probably does not have real dreadlocks, they'd have to be really short, but he does have attachments on his masks that Wrestling/ChrisJericho calls dreads. The same applies to Cyber Kong.
115* Wrestling/BrayWyatt starts rocking dreads after returning after an injury in 2016.
116* Legio (Kronya and Spectro) have white dreadlocks, making them look like old men in masks(or, perhaps, [[StringyHairedGhostGirl ghosts]]). They can fight though, even when they were actually late into their careers, briefly dethroning the best {{tag team}} in Puerto Rico for WWL's Campeon de Parejas in 2015.
117* Nina Monet had brown dreadlocks branching out of a black base.
118* Amber Rodriguez has worn purple dreadlocks in ring.
119* Brown haired Jessica James started tying on red dreadlocks.
120* Dio Maddin or Mace has a dreadlock hair since become a commentator at RAW.
121[[/folder]]
122
123[[folder:Tabletop Games]]
124* In the ''Apocalypse: Time of Judgment'' book of ''TabletopGame/WerewolfTheApocalypse'', Zhyzhak and a generic Black Fury who fell to the Wyrm are depicted with dreadlocks.
125* A strange variation in ''TabletopGame/Warhammer40000''. Angron, Primarch of the World Eaters is bald, but the "Butcher's Nails", cybernetic augmentations that increase one's aggression level, are long metallic coils that evoke this trope. As a Daemon Primarch, they actually ''[[BodyHorror bond into his body]]'', with several becoming fleshy dreadlocks.
126[[/folder]]
127
128[[folder:Video Games]]
129* Gabriel Tosh in ''VideoGame/StarCraftII'' is a Spectre, an elite type of Ghost, who are themselves elite assassins.
130** Infested Kerrigan has what looks like dreadlocks but are in fact tentacles that allow her to psychically control the zerg. [[spoiler: She retains them after being returned to human form in the end of ''Wings of Liberty'']].
131** The Protoss have similar tentacles that allow them to link their minds to their fellow Protoss. The Dark Templars cut their tentacles to remove themselves from the communal mindlink since they valued their individuality and freedom over the order of the Khala.
132*** In ''VideoGame/StarCraftIILegacyOfTheVoid'' the BigBad Amon uses the Khala to take control of the Templar, forcing those who try to resist to sever their nerve cords like the Dark Templar.
133* Many Troll players in ''VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft''.
134* Ulysses in ''VideoGame/FalloutNewVegas'' sports dreadlocks, and is one of the few characters who can rival [[PlayerCharacter The Courier]] in badassery. If you choose to fight him at the end of the ''Lonesome Road'' DLC, he's got 1000 health, (more than Lanius, the FinalBoss in the main game), max skill in all weapon skills, and maxed S.P.E.C.I.A.L. stats. In his case, the dreads aren't simply for style as they were the trademark of his former tribe, the Twisted Hairs, and were used as symbols denoting such things as status amongst other members of the tribe.
135** The White Legs tribe from the "Honest Hearts" DLC also wear them. [[spoiler:They adopted them to honor Ulysses, who (while realizing that they meant to honor him) took it as an insult, as they'd adopted it without understanding their meaning (his BerserkButton).]] They're an entire tribe of {{Sociopathic Soldier}}s.
136* ''Franchise/MortalKombat'''s cyborgs, Sektor, Cyrax, Smoke [[spoiler: and Cyber Sub-Zero]]. Later games where Cyrax is given alternate costumes in which he still appears human, he still has them, and [[VideoGame/MortalKombat9 the reboot]] eventually reveals that he was the only one of the cyborgs that had dreads while he was human.
137* ''Franchise/{{Tekken}}'''s first [[DanceBattler capoerista]], Eddy Gordo.
138** Craig Marduk, the Vale Tudo fighter, is normally shaved bald but some of his alternate costumes show him with dreadlocks. Particularly prominent in ''VideoGame/Tekken4'', in which he appears this way in his ending.
139** The old kung-fu master, Leroy Smith, who first appears in ''VideoGame/Tekken7'', has a full head of snow-white dreadlocks.
140** As well as Raven's superior and successor, the female ninja Master Raven.
141* Knuckles in the ''Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog'' series has quills shaped like dreadlocks, and he is considered to be one of the strongest characters in the series. His entire echidna race, especially members of the Knuckles tribe, all feature dreadlocks and are known for their incredible power. Knuckles' dreadlocks even double as HairWings, being able to extend them to catch air in order to glide.
142* The ProudWarriorRaceGuy Sten from ''VideoGame/DragonAgeOrigins'' wears his dreadlocks additionally bound into a sort of ponytail at the back of his head.
143* Bernie Mataki from the ''VideoGame/GearsOfWar'' series and its expanded universe has a dreadlock ponytail in the third game. Skorge, the second game's [[TheDragon Dragon]], has decorations on his helmet that makes him look like he has dreads.
144* In ''VideoGame/Borderlands2'', one of Salvador's head customizations gives him long dreadlocks tied back in a ponytail. Sasha from ''VideoGame/TalesFromTheBorderlands'' also qualifies.
145* Senua from ''VideoGame/HellbladeSenuasSacrifice'' is a Celtic ActionGirl who wears her hair in dreadlocks, and she's quite gifted at combat, despite being mentally ill.
146* You can make one in ''VideoGame/TheElderScrollsVSkyrim'', but only if your character is either an Orc or a Redguard.
147* Marcus Seligman, leader of the Apollo's Chariot mercenaries, in ''VideoGame/FrontMissionEvolved'', sports dreadlocks.
148* In ''VideoGame/LeagueOfLegends'', there is Lucian, who seeks to get rid of all the undead beings from Runaterrra; but even more dreaded is [[EgomaniacHunter Rengar]], whose objective is to hunt every other living being [[WorthyOpponent strong enough to be a challenge]]. The Resistance skin for Illaoi features reddish dreadlocks.
149* In ''VideoGame/FarCryPrimal'', Ull, the Warchief of the [[CannibalTribe Udam tribe]], has his hair done up short dreadlocks on the right-hand side of his head. The other side is bald, due to having his face scarred by fire arrows. And in Ull's case, RankScalesWithAsskicking.
150* In ''VideoGame/DarkSoulsII'', the Lion Clan Warriors have their ''manes'' in dreadlocks.
151* In ''VideoGame/PokemonSunAndMoon'', the Gen VII Pseudo-Legendary Pokémon's final stage, Kommo-o's head scales give the impression of this.
152* The protagonist of ''VideoGame/{{SiN}}'', John Blade, has his hair done up in dreadlocks. They're generally pulled back into a ponytail in the games, though some artwork for the first game depicts them flowing freely.
153* Nagoriyuki from ''VideoGame/GuiltyGearStrive'' is a vampire samurai who has dreadlocks tied back into a ponytail.
154* The Australian-born pankratist Jeffry [=McWild=] from ''VideoGame/VirtuaFighter'' wears dreads in his default look.
155[[/folder]]
156
157[[folder:Western Animation]]
158* Jedi Master Quinlan Vos in ''WesternAnimation/StarWarsTheCloneWars'' was a BoisterousBruiser with a long and slightly unkempt-looking rasta-like hairdo who trained Aayla Secura to become a Jedi Knight and eventually a Jedi Master, and was VitriolicBestBuds with Obi-Wan Kenobi.
159* The alien Jhanna, who the turtles meet in the episode ''[[Recap/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles2003S4E2ThePeoplesChoice The Peoples Choice]]'' of the ''[[WesternAnimation/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles2003 2003 series]]'', is a great warrior whose hairstyle greatly resembles blue dreadlocks.
160[[/folder]]
161
162[[folder:Real Life]]
163* Numerous NBA and NFL players.
164* The Curly Horse, a breed of horse with curly hair whose mane naturally becomes dreadlocked.... and who are known for their stamina and toughness.
165* The light heavyweight [[UsefulNotes/MixedMartialArts MMA fighter]] Sokoudjou.
166* Da'Mon Stith, an American martial artist who specializes in African and Ameri-African styles, sports this look.
167* The [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Komondor Komondor]] and its smaller companion breed the [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puli Puli]] are Hungarian herding dogs known for their long corded coats. Given that they were bred to protect livestock from all manner of predators including wolves and bears the badass part is a given, with the two types of dog often working in tandem with the former providing the muscle and the latter the speed. The corded coat is actually a defensive trait that protects them from the weather and from attack, since any predator that tries to grab them would just get a mouthful of hair before hitting anything vital. "Rasta dog" or "mop dog" are common nicknames for the breeds.
168[[/folder]]

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