Line #1 Main/MemeticBadass


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7	[[quoteright:250:[[Website/ChuckNorrisFacts https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/chuck_norris_magic_card.png]]]]
8	[[caption-width-right:250:Creator/ChuckNorris has [[TabletopGame/MagicTheGathering power and toughness, but nobody was brave enough to ask for specifics.]]]]
9
10	->''"Death had to take him in his sleep, for if he was awake there'd have been a fight."''
11	-->-- '''Thomas R. Marshall''' on learning of the death of UsefulNotes/TheodoreRoosevelt
12
13	A specific form of MemeticMutation when the fandom of a series exaggerates a character's capabilities and combat skills to preposterously epic god-like levels. Despite the name, it doesn't necessarily have to be a widely known {{Internet}} {{meme}}, and is sometimes just an in-joke among the fan-base. In some cases, [[PopularityPower the writers agree]].
14
15	While Memetic Badasses can come in all shapes and sizes, there are two recurring flavors:
16
17	* '''The Unironic Badass (a.k.a. The Creator/ChuckNorris)''': An admirable character who in canon has demonstrated enough impressive feats and is a big source of SugarWiki/{{awesome moment}}s, to the point that the fandom stops asking "What else can they do?" and instead wonders: "What else ''can't'' they do?" It's at this point that their abilities, if they weren't already hyperbolic to begin with, enter TallTale territory in {{Fanon}}. Expect to see them pull off feats BeyondTheImpossible, inflict {{Russian Reversal}}s on anyone or anything that messes with them, and [[IAmTheNoun embody any noun or concept they damn well wish]], all thanks to their [[AwesomenessIsAForce sheer awesomeness]].
18	* '''The Ironic Badass (a.k.a The [[WesternAnimation/ScoobyDoo Shaggy Rogers]])''': An otherwise weak, unimpressive or outright silly character whom {{Fanon}} -- [[RuleOfFunny for the sake of ironic humor]] -- portrays as much, ''much'' more awesome than they actually are. Unlike the above, it's not just the absurdity of their exaggerated feats that is played for humor. It's also the ''idea'' that this particular character, of all people, could kick ass and be more awesome than they have any right to be, running on the same principle as tropes like the FightingClown and the LethalJokeCharacter. As such, it is very common to see them humiliate any conventionally "cool" character in a fight. Has a lot of crossover with the MemeticLoser, with some characters managing the dubious honour of having both as highly popular fan characterisations.
19
20	Often overlaps with FanWank. Fear too the MemeticPsychopath, and especially the MemeticMolester.
21
22	InUniverse character reputations belong in ShroudedInMyth, LivingLegend, FamedInStory, or TheDreaded.
23
24	Upgrading the badassery significantly with a character from a previous work is an AdaptationalBadass. When done to a historical character, it's a HistoricalBadassUpgrade.
25
26	Compare TestosteronePoisoning. Contrast MemeticLoser.
27
28	----
29	!!Examples:
30	[[index]]
31	* MemeticBadass/AnimeAndManga
32	* MemeticBadass/ComicBooks
33	* MemeticBadass/FanWorks
34	* MemeticBadass/{{Film}}
35	* MemeticBadass/{{Literature}}
36	* MemeticBadass/LiveActionTV
37	** ''MemeticBadass/GameOfThrones''
38	* MemeticBadass/ProfessionalWrestling
39	* MemeticBadass/TabletopGames
40	* MemeticBadass/VideoGames
41	** MemeticBadass/{{Capcom}}
42	** MemeticBadass/{{Nintendo}}
43	** MemeticBadass/SquareEnix
44	* MemeticBadass/{{Webcomics}}
45	* MemeticBadass/WesternAnimation
46	* MemeticBadass/RealLife
47	[[/index]]
48
49	!!Other Examples:
50
51	[[foldercontrol]]
52
53	[[folder:Advertising]]
54	* The commercials for Dos Equis beer in America star a man whose credentials read almost like the Chuck Norris Facts: "He once had an awkward moment... just to see how it feels. He can speak French... in Russian. He is... Advertising/TheMostInterestingManInTheWorld." Of course, his beer of choice is Dos Equis.
55	** He doesn't always drink beer, but when he does, he ''prefers'' Dos Equis. [[FridgeLogic One would think that the "Most Interesting Man in the World" would usually be found drinking fine wines or brandy]], [[FridgeBrilliance hence the genius of the tag]].
56	** He once looked into a lake and had a staring contest with his reflection... On the third day, he won. He has never lost a sock. He doesn't believe in using oven mitts, nor potholders. Even his enemies list him as their emergency contact. He doesn't use oven timers, he tells the food when it's done. [[Creator/DiscoveryChannel Sharks have a week]]... dedicated to ''him''. He's a lover, not a fighter, but he's also a fighter, so don't get any ideas. He once punched a magician. That's right. You heard me. If he punched you in the face, you would have to fight off a strong urge to thank him. He can disarm you with his looks, or his hands. Either way. Based on the video, he has performed surgery on his own chest in a field hospital when the available doctors simply weren't good enough.
57	** He's also an {{Expy}} of the already MemeticBadass Creator/ErnestHemingway, albeit with a Spanish accent. (Though Hemingway spent time in Spain and spoke Spanish, so...)
58	** And an expy of the equally badass Fernando Lamas (the bar setting is an homage to Billy Crystal's ''[[Series/SaturdayNightLive SNL]]'' homage to Lamas).
59	* The [[https://www.youtube.com/user/Blendtec#p/a "Will It Blend"]] commercials attempt to do this for the Blendtec blender. One of them even incorporates the Chuck Norris meme.
60	** In case you're wondering, no, Chuck will NOT blend.
61	* [[Advertising/TheManYourManCouldSmellLike This trope is now Diamonds!]]
62	** [[Creator/BruceCampbell If you've never had any of it, ever, ]][[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Af1OxkFOK18 people just seem to know.]]
63	* Advertising/SegataSanshiro's claim to fame is beating the living daylights out of anyone who doesn't play UsefulNotes/SegaSaturn. It worked: he's credited for helping to revive popularity for the ailing Saturn in Japan! He's so badass, in fact, that he fought Creator/ChuckNorris ''[[WebAnimation/DeathBattle to a standstill]]''!
64	* Hi, Creator/{{BILLY MAYS}} here with [[NoIndoorVoice A VOICE SO LOUD]], he can sell ''ANYTHING'' and kick Creator/VinceOffer's ass!
65	* Captain Crunch
66	* The guy on a certain collection of Dairy Queen commercials.
67	** Guy: We don't just have a fluffy cloud. We have a fluffy cloud that goes-
68	** Cloud: Yeah!
69	** Guy: And I'm not just water-skiing. I'm water-ski boxing!
70	** Cloud: Yeah!
71	*** We don't just blow bubbles. We blow bubbles with kittens inside of them.
72	*** We don't just have rainbows. We have rainbows that are on ''FIRE!''
73	*** We don't settle for bunnies. we have old-fashioned-shaving-bunnies!
74	*** We don't just have heart-shaped balloons. We have heart-shaped balloons.....tied to sharks.
75	*** We don't just have subtitles. We have subtitles you can ''[[LeaningOnTheFourthWall ride around on]]''. is lying down on the subtitles as they go across the screen
76	* Advertising/JohnJameson will [[DidYouJustPunchOutCthulhu punch out Cthulhu]] to protect his whiskey...or the ladies.
77	* There are a series of commercials for a brand of laundry detergent that fall under this trope so well that it even has a "Chuck Norris Approved" seal of approval displaying at the end of each of its commercials.
78	* The famous "[=TheLegend27=]" ("[=TheLegend27=]?" [[ParrotExposition "Yeah, [=TheLegend27=]".]]") commercial for the app ''VideoGame/{{Game of War\|Fire Age}}''. It features some teens in the woods on a camping trip. On of them says the famous line: "I'm supposed to be playing Game of War but this one player keeps kicking my ass." One of his friends asks if it's [=TheLegend27=]. The rest of the commercial is the group rattling of feats [=TheLegend27=] has accomplished. This commercial has been parodied many times. In almost every famous [=YouTuber=]'s comment section, you WILL see a [=TheLegend27=] joke.
79	* ''Nothing'' will stop the ''Theatre/ShenYun'' marketing team from advertising anywhere and everywhere. That backroad in the middle of nowhere? Here's a Shen Yun billboard. On a deserted island in the middle of the Pacific? [[TagLine 5,000 Years of Civilization Reborn]]. Humans set foot on Mars? ''SHEN YUN''. Dead? They'll slip a pamphlet into your casket so you can watch ''Shen Yun'' in the afterlife.
80	[[/folder]]
81
82	[[folder:Blogs]]
83	* Felicia Day has a [[http://feliciaday.com/blog/feliciadayrumors blog entry]] detailing the Tweets other people have made of these about her.
84	* In Franchise/TheSlenderManMythos, some have made [[Blog/SeekingTruth Zeke Strahm]] one of these. When you can manage to give an epic DoNotGoGentle speech in the face of a depraved, [[ImplacableMan unstoppable]], utterly horrific EldritchAbomination, you are a badass.
85	** To really drive this point home, he became the first person to actually shoot [[HumanoidAbomination Slender Man]]. '''[[CuttingTheKnot HE SHOT SLENDER MAN IN THE CHEST]].''' It didn't do much good, but still...
86	** As of "Ashen Waste", Evan from ''WebVideo/EverymanHYBRID'' for going after him with a ''[[BatterUp baseball bat]]'', and the Hybrid crew in general for trying to "[[CarFu run the fucker down]]". Again, it didn't actually ''work'', but points for effort.
87	[[/folder]]
88
89	[[folder:Card Games]]
90	* ''TabletopGame/MagicTheGathering'' has (or had, the fad has mostly passed now) [[http://forums.gleemax.com/wotc_archive/index.php/t-968736 Tarmogoyf Facts]], based on the rather overpowered creature [[http://magiccards.info/fut/en/153.html Tarmogoyf]].
91	** [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Discussion.aspx?multiverseid=45985 Chimney Imp]], the most powerful creature ever. It kills [[UtilityPartyMember Llanowar Elves]] in combat, can fly over an [[EldritchAbomination Ulamog]], and can win a game on its own in just 20 turns! It sets your gameplan back if you kill it, and it even '''untaps for free'''![[labelnote:Explanation]]On a more serious note, Chimney Imp is woefully overcosted and underpowered, and a solid contender for one of the worst creatures in ''Magic''. Originating from a set otherwise known for producing many {{Game Breaker}}s is not helping its case. This led to players sarcastically hyping up how good Chimney Imp is, cherry-picking singular "advantages" it has over other cards while leaving unstated the fact that the whole package is so awful no sane player would ever run it.[[/labelnote]]
92	*** Craw Wurm, for the same reason.
93	** More in the tradition of Tarmogoyf, Koth and Jace (especially his Mind Sculptor version) are looking to be this.
94	** A few ''TabletopGame/MagicTheGathering'' ''players'' have also gotten the Chuck Norris treatment:
95	*** [[http://forums.mtgsalvation.com/showthread.php?t=104597 Jon Finkel]], who is widely considered the best Magic player '''ever'''.
96	*** [[http://www.misetings.com/forums/showthread.php?t=13072 Mike Flores]], who... [[SmallNameBigEgo isn't]].
97	*** Mike Flores is the world's foremost plagiarism detective.
98	*** Razor Ramon got one, just for having the balls to name his deck "HardGay". [[SugarWiki/MomentOfAwesome And he won with it!]]
99	** [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Discussion.aspx?multiverseid=83282 Storm Crow]], the most powerful creature to ever exist.[[labelnote:Explanation]]This is because it was part of the ''Alliances'' set, which saw the printing of many overpowered blue cards, including possibly the best counterspell in the game to this day, [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=489724 Force of Will]]. The joke was that every blue card, no matter how mediocre, was automatically the best card ever since it could be discarded to power Force of Will. So the fandom latched onto an otherwise middling blue card and turned it into a Memetic Badass on the sole virtue of being Force of Will fodder.[[/labelnote]]
100	** Tarkir also brought us [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=386681 Surrak Dragonclaw]], a guy so badass his card can best most dragons in the block in single combat... ''and the block is chock-full of badass dragons''. He's most known from earning his rank by [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=386652 punching a goddamn bear in the face]]. Most Khans got demoted or died in the alternate timeline of Dragons of Tarkir. Surrak? [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=394721 Still alive and kickin']]. And still badass. And now [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=394567 punching FREAKING DRAGONS in the face]].
101	* The ''[[TabletopGame/{{Pokemon}} Pokémon Trading Card Game]]'' has several classic examples. Most notably, Charizard from Base Set conforms to this trope to a T: although it is one of the slowest attackers from the set, one of the most inefficient, outclassed in both HP and attack power by nearly every stage two since 2007, and no rarer than any other holographic, the casual fandom (as well as retro fans) adamantly claims that it is the undisputed strongest card in the game.
102	* Fans of the Universal Fighting System collectable card game have elevated players to such levels.
103	** Matt "Matt Khols" Khols, the only man badass enough to have his whole name be his nickname.
104	*** Alternately, Scott "Scott Gaines" Gaines, the master of orange card-blue card.
105	** James Hata, former US and World Champion and new designer for Fantasy Flight Games (the game's producer) is regarded by some as God.
106	* ''UNO'' has the Reverse Card. In game, it's a card that reverses the order of turns. On the internet, it's depicted as a DeusExMachina that can allow somebody to cheat at anything and succeed.
107	* Shape Snatch in the ''TabletopGame/YuGiOh'' card game. [[http://yugioh.wikia.com/wiki/Shapesnatch Look at it and despair at its horrible power!]] This became an AscendedMeme in the Duelists of the Roses spin-off, where it was one of a few cards turned into a [[https://yugioh.wikia.com/wiki/Shapesnatch_(DOR) powerful immortal variation]] and given an actual ability.
108	** People have joked that the near-worthless card [[https://yugipedia.com/wiki/Zone_Eater Zone Eater]] would be able to defeat the ultimate BigBad of ''Anime/YuGiOh5Ds'', Z-one (pronounced Zone).
109	[[/folder]]
110
111	[[folder:Music]]
112	* [[Music/TheWho Keith Moon]]: Perhaps one of the purest concentrations of AwesomenessIsVolatile in real life.
113	* Music/TheProtomen are somewhere between this and ShroudedInMyth. With the band's facepaint, codenames, and some if not all members being robots, it's {{justified\|Trope}}.
114	** Panther's singing can melt faces off.
115	** The rest of the band can also melt faces.
116	*** Clearly, [[https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/ThePowerOfRock/Music The Power of Rock]]
117	** [[http://getdownfromtherereanimator.tumblr.com Get Down From There Reanimator]]
118	* God created Earth. Chuck Norris created God. Rick Wakeman composed Chuck Norris while drunk out of his skull. His website has a number of good Rick Wakeman facts. (Got everyone in the studio to drink all day, barricaded the bathroom, then mic'd an echo chamber and got people to piss in it at the same time.)
119	** Of course, Don Francisco taught Rick Wakeman everything he knew...
120	*** And Don Francisco was created because Earth Herself was bored...
121	* It's scientifically verifiable fact that Music/JAMProject [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8xqskiIehfk can make anything awesome]].
122	* MOTHERFUCKING Music/{{SLAYER}} is the most badass band this side of Venom!
123	* It's a scientifically-proven fact that [[Music/{{Queen}} Freddie Mercury]] didn't die of AIDS. Pure epic power simply overwhelmed his body and he ascended back to the higher plane of existence from whence he came.
124	* King of the ocean! Master of the universe! Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No! It's Clarence Clemons!
125	* Music/WeirdAlYankovic's 2009 single ''CNR'' is all about telling the badass traits of... [[Series/MatchGame Charles Nelson Reilly]].
126	** And to purposefully one-up Chuck Norris, the music video displays CNR's trophy room, complete with the mounted head of everyone's favorite Texas Ranger.
127	** The song also one-ups the Music/JimCroce song about a non-memetic badass, "You Don't Mess Around With Jim", the chorus of which likens messing around with Jim to [[BullyingADragon tugging on Superman's cape]] or spitting into the wind (basically, if you do it, you're TooDumbToLive and you deserve what's coming to you). "CNR" tells you to ''go ahead'' and tug on Superman's cape or spit into the wind, [[LesserOfTwoEvils it's still not as bad as messing around with CNR]].
128	* Music/DavidBowie.
129	* [[Music/FrankZappa Studebaker Hoch]], superhero of the modern economic slump. Unfortunately for him, he forgot an important fact: [[spoiler: you don't fuck with Billy the Mountain]].
130	* On the Music/IronMaiden forum Maidenfans, they even founded the [[http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Holy-Church-of-Adrian-Smith/111817128839149 Holy Church of Adrian Smith]]. (note: he's the guitarist)
131	* [[Music/{{Helloween}} Michael Kiske]], for Helloween fans. [[http://www.helloweenboard.com/topic/3292-michael-kiske-facts/ He's on his way to become one]].
132	* Most Music/DreamTheater videos on Website/YouTube have exaggerated facts about their playing skills in the comments, but John Petrucci gets the most, partially due to the popularity of the [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bD7ZnJdi2rY John Petrucci Psycho Exercises]] videos.
133	* Angela Gossow of Arch Enemy has this reputation, and to a lesser extent, so do all female artists who scream or growl in metal and metalcore bands (see the vocalists for Music/TheAgonist, Otep, Walls of Jericho, and Straight Line Stitch for more examples.)
134	* It is a well-known fact among fans that while it is possible to kill [[Music/{{Rammstein}} Till Lindemann]], it is a useless thing to do as he'll just come back to life next music video.
135	* "Elvis is Everywhere" by Mojo Nixon portrays Music/ElvisPresley as a perfect godlike being whom all living beings are attempting to emulate through the process of evolution (or, as the song calls it, "Elvislution").
136	* Music/{{Beyonce}} is so flawless, she's not referred to as Beyonce, she is Beysus.
137	* Music/MikePatton, the InsufferableGenius ManOfAThousandVoices. He can scream like FayWray and croon like Music/DeanMartin. Just as this entry was typed he finished ''another'' side project with [[GenreRoulette eleven different musical genres in it]]. He's been everywhere and done everything in the world, including YourMom, and can fully and utterly convince you of it.
138	* [[Film/{{Airheads}} Who would win a wrestling match]]: [[Music/{{Motorhead}} Lemmy]] or God? Trick question, Lemmy '''''is''''' God!
139	* Kenesaw Mountain Landis, at least according to Music/JonathanCoulton. Along with being seventeen feet tall and having a hundred and fifty wives, he saves the game of baseball... [[ItMakesSenseInContext by shooting Shoeless Joe Jackson with a sniper rifle,]] ''[[ItMakesSenseInContext from a blimp]]''.
140	* Among classical music fans, some musicians and composers have achieved this status.
141	** Music/LudwigVanBeethoven, TropeCodifier of a Badass musician. Court etiquette was suspended for him [[TheStoic because he didn't care]] but he was tolerated since he was frickin' Beethoven.
142	** Niccolò Paganini's stage presence was so intimidating that people suspected [[DealWithTheDevil the devil himself attended his concerts]].
143	** Influenced by Paganini, Music/FranzLiszt and his intense style of playing stands for emotional [[TheAce virtuoso]] piano music to this day.
144	** György Cziffra, the most famous Hungarian Pianist after Liszt, is notorious for his emotional piano playing and his name only inspired awe among classical music fans.
145	** Vladimir Horowitz. Vladimir ''fucking'' Horowitz, a pianist who didn't leave an opportunity to alter a [[SacredCow composition considered untouchable]] if he felt it wasn't badass enough. Altering a composition is like altering a piece of literature, and considered iconoclasm.
146	** Music/IgorStravinsky, due to the riot ''Theatre/TheRiteOfSpring'' caused.
147	** Music/PyotrIlyichTchaikovsky gets this for writing a piece that calls for ''a battery of cannons'' in the percussion section, to the point where it's joked that cannons are his instrument of choice.
148	* Music/LouReed is considered the coolest person who ever lived, period.
149	* Music/KeithRichards. It's widely said that [[Film/WaynesWorld he cannot be killed by conventional weapons]].
150	* Malcolm Pugh (Inferi, A Loathing Requiem) is known for his status as a living meme (which he wholeheartedly embraces) as much as he is for his great technical ability and The Artisan Era, the record label that he owns. Let's face it, who else would make a shirt with a picture of him sporting a devious grin while holding a gas station hot dog with the caption "ALL DOGS GO TO HEAVEN" after a fan jokingly started a Change.org petition to get him to print it?
151	* Greg Page of Music/TheWiggles. He survived an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, a condition with a '''less than 10% survival rate'''. He was expected to only last seven years when he was first diagnosed with [=OI=], but is still alive. Greg managed to survive a medical condition that kills 92% of its victims. Some fans joke that he's resilient to death.
152	* Music/{{Metallica}}: Cliff Burton was the original bassist who avoided NobodyLovesTheBassist. He could play while headbanging because ''his hair helped him play''.
153	[[/folder]]
154
155	[[folder:Mythology and Folklore]]
156	* Literature/TheBible: UsefulNotes/{{Jesus Christ}}. If it wasn't for him, {{God}} wouldn't have forgiven our sins.
157	** Unlike ''c.f.'' [[MemeticBadass/WesternAnimation Optimus Prime]], Jesus [[JesusWasWayCool never blasted Roman soldiers]] with an ion rifle or demonstrated an ability to turn into an awesome truck... but [[KungFuJesus he]] ''[[KungFuJesus could]]'' [[KungFuJesus have if he wanted to.]]
158	*** Heck, he wouldn't even ''need'' the ion rifle or transformation powers, he could just take out all of the Roman soldiers with his bare hands.
159	** And he [[Film/JesusChristVampireHunter fights vampires with kung fu.]]
160	** And he [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V5rF_X-8LiI pwns kids at sports.]]
161	** Then there's Michael the archangel, patron saint of police officers, military, mariners, paratroopers, [=EMTs=], the Greek Air Force, knights, swordsmiths, and grocers.
162	** It's said {{Satan}} and his various minions greatly fear Mother Mary. The rosary is the strongest weapon a prayerful person has in their arsenal.
163	** David slew Goliath with a pebble and a sling (actually easier than it sounds).
164	* UsefulNotes/{{Buddhism}}: Guan Yin. Seriously, he/she's probably the most insanely awesome depiction of a badass pacifist to have ever existed.
165	** Taken literally in ''{{VideoGame/MUGEN}}'', where she works like the F1 button, but on steroids. By that, we mean she can take down nearly any character, even god-tiered ones such as Chuck Norris. There have been several versions of her, with varying cheapness for each version.
166	* UsefulNotes/{{Hinduism}}: The beautiful [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Durga Goddess Durga]] and her terrifying and morbid "berserker form", [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kali Kalika]]... Known as "The Undefeatable". Both were summoned when an evil super-demon would threaten Creation (and the Gods were powerless against it). Durga-Kaali also major aspects of ''[=AdiShakti=]'', the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adi_Parashakti Divine Feminine Principle]] that is the ''[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shakti power]]'' behind all things. Without Her, everything's a corpse. Durga even rides around on the back of a Tiger or Asiatic Lion.
167	* Myth/PaulBunyan is one of the {{Ur Example}}s, along with other subjects of tall tales.
168	** French-Canadian lumberjack Joseph Montferrand (1802-1864), known in English as "Big Joe Mufferaw", is a legend in the Ottawa Valley for his strength and skill. (The courthouse in Gatineau, Quebec, is named after him.) Two verifiable stories are that he knocked out the boxing champion of Canada with one blow in a fight and that one night he single-handedly beat up as many as 150 Irishmen who ambushed him on the Chaudières bridge. Subsequent stories (and a song by Stompin' Tom Connors) attribute such feats as putting out a forest fire between Arnprior and Renfrew while in Smiths' Falls (38 miles away) by ''spitting'' at it, and driving a log raft down the rapids-strewn Ottawa River from Mattawa to Ottawa (a distance of over 250 miles) in a single day.
169	* Most American TallTale characters started as either RealLife people or mildly exaggerated fictional characters. Then people got to exaggerating them, then those exaggerations got exaggerated, and so on and so on. And, since they're {{Public Domain Character}}s, those exaggerations eventually become {{Canon}}.
170	** UsefulNotes/DavyCrockett used to kill a hundred bears each morning for breakfast, then go and kill a few dozen panthers for a snack. He could wrestle comets, wade the Mississippi, whip his weight in wildcats, stare most any critter to death, and shoot a baby gnat from two hundred miles on a foggy day with his eyes closed and holding his rifle with his feet.
171	*** Oh, and make a coon-skin cap look ''good''.
172	*** The RealLife Davy Crockett was no slouch either. He was indeed a noted frontiersman, but perhaps his truest display of badassery was during his career in the House of Representatives when he defended the rights of Native Americans at a time when President Jackson was illegally seizing their lands. Crockett condemned the President for his actions and refused to back down from his defense of the Native Americans. That's right folks, Davy Crockett was tough enough to stand up to Andrew Jackson and fought against a racist practice as early as the 1820's. When asked about why he didn't back down and go along with the President, Crockett replied [[{{BadassBoast}} "I bark at no man's bid. I will never come and go, and fetch and carry, at the whistle of the great man in the White House no matter who he is."]]
173	** John Henry gave his ''life'' to prove his--and by extension everyone's--awesomeness.
174	* [[Literature/TheEpicOfGilgamesh Gilgamesh]] was the first fictional badass that we know of. He is still one of the greatest, memetism aside. Among other things, he killed the [[OurOgresAreHungrier Humbaba]], killed the Bull of Heaven, carried around 600 pounds worth of swords and generally forged the idea of RankScalesWithAsskicking.
175	* In Myth/ClassicalMythology Hercules... uh... [[InconsistentSpelling Heracles]]... uh... [[SeriousBusiness Herakles]] remains one of these even to this day. In myths he was often presented as the WorldsStrongestMan, defeating, among other foes, ''death himself'' on behalf of one of his friends and is commonly held as having invented wrestling as a formal sport. His name has entered into the English language as a byword for incredible feats of strength.
176	* You wouldn't think [[ShockAndAwe lightning]] would need to be a MemeticBadass. Myth/NativeAmericanMythology, specifically plains mythology, turns it into an EldritchAbomination with the power to make you go insane with just a look.
177	* [[Myth/CelticMythology Cu Chulainn]] will FUCK YOUR SHIT UP. In the battle he died in he tied himself to a rock with his own intestines so he could remain upright and ''continue fighting''.
178	* Myth/KingArthur. DependingOnTheWriter. While he tended to get eclipsed by his [[SpotlightStealingSquad Knights of the Round Table]] (''especially'' Lancelot) as Myth/ArthurianLegend developed, in the early stages he was fighting monsters like the Giant of St. Michael's Mount and once single-handedly killed ''960'' men in a battle. When people like Sir Thomas Malory (the author of ''Literature/LeMorteDArthur'') were compiling single narratives out of the many legends, these incidents were relegated to his younger days. There is no doubt at all that the original Welsh tradition about Arthur featured him as this. He had the nickname [[TheMagnificent the. Red Ravager of Britain]] and he did all his own dirty work originally. In fact, the earliest mention of him uses him as a measuring stick for other badasses. And they're all found wanting.
179	* Myth/NorseMythology is chock full of these, but of course the most well known, and therefore memetic, would have to be '''Odin''' and '''Thor'''.
180	** In one story, Thor, Loki and Thjalfi (a farmer's son and servant to Thor) visit the halls of the giant king Utgard-Loki. Tricked by Utgard-Loki's illusions, Loki nearly wins an eating contest against fire, Thjalfi holds his own in a race against thought, Thor hits the ground so hard with his hammer that he creates a series of hills, drinks so deeply of the sea that he creates the tides, lifts the body of the serpent who encircles the world from the ground, and wrestles well against old age. Utgard-Loki is so terrified that he banishes Thor from his lands and vanishes.
181	** And on that note, for a non-god version of this, [[Literature/RagnarLodbrokAndHisSons Ragnar Lodbrok]] takes the cake.
182	* [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kintar%C5%8D Kintaro]], from Japanese folklore, who would supposedly sumo-wrestle with bears as a kid.
183	* Maui from Myth/PacificMythology. He fished islands up out of the sea, lassoed the sun, and [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=79DijItQXMM a whole lot more]].
184	[[/folder]]
185
186	[[folder:Roleplay]]
187	* [[Literature/HarryPotter Wands]] don't kill people. [[Roleplay/HonorableHogwarts Jason Frost]] kills people.
188	* Remington [[MeaningfulName Springfield]] of Roleplay/WhatHappenedInOregon beat up the original memetic badass, Chuck Norris. And everyone knows Chuck Norris [[AndThenJohnWasAZombie is]] [[WithGreatPowerComesGreatInsanity an]] [[EmpoweredBadassNormal Epic]].
189	* ''Roleplay/{{Survival of the Fittest}}''
190	** V3's Bobby Jacks, who after scoring a headshot on another student while his back was turned, was named 'Bocelot' (a reference to [[VideoGame/MetalGear Revolver Ocelot]]) by other handlers, who joked about him killing other students with triple ricochet shots, scoring headshots from halfway across the island, and firing his gun and killing a student in V4 a year later.
191	** Furthermore: Nobody killed Bocelot. He just got bored.
192	** John Rizzolo is just your average player, except a little more cunning and a lot more sadistic. THE RIZ!, however, is so entirely badass that he creates cliffs from nowhere and drop kicks anyone he wants off of them. His Rizzlefandom on the ''[=SotF=]'' Rizwebsite has gotten to the point where Rizzlehandlers, often discussing entirely unRizrelated things, will add 'Rizzle' or 'Riz' to their words.
193	** Lance Vanguard and Zack Dynamite, two rejected names for Characters in v4.
194	** A rejected {{Troll}} profile gave us THE GODDAMN BUBBA DOVER. It was a ScaryBlackMan, with {{Blaxploitation}} tropes. Rather than being annoyed, it backfired and the handlers of the board seized on this one instead, to the point where any mention of badass characters is sure to mention him at some point or another.
195	[[/folder]]
196
197	[[folder:Web Animation]]
198	* In-Universe example: [[WebAnimation/CoxAndCombesWashington George Washington]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sbRom1Rz8OA among other things]] invented cocaine, threw a knife into heaven (which scared God shitless), he routinely [[InterspeciesRomance made love to]] {{bears\|AreBadNews}}, and possibly possessed [[BodyHorror as many as thirty penises]].
199	* The manager of the English branch of WebAnimation/{{Hololive}} joined Ina, Gura, and Amelia during a game of ''VideoGame/Left4Dead2''. Not only did she have a surprisingly good grasp on the game, but she went out of her way to protect her teammates. Her reputation as a badass would be cemented in one fight where [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AFmz4QtUKtI she attacked a Tank with a katana]], intentionally drawing the monster's aggro, and ''subsequently killed the Tank with only a sliver of her health left''.
200	* ''Tricky'' the clown, also known (and even regarded by the creator themself) as the '''[[red:UNSTOPPABLE NEVADEAN CHAMPION]]''', from the ''WebAnimation/MadnessCombat'' series is definitely regarded as this. Being an unstoppable hazard that is incredibly insane, unstoppable, bloodthirsty and being able to mold reality to his liking without any care thanks to the Portable Improbability drive. He's nearly unbeatable with only the main protagonist: Hank, having stood a chance, and despite that he's also ''died'' to the clown a few times. Even the series' BigBad had a rough time with him, [[spoiler:when the Auditor absorbed Tricky's corpse, it ended up being a bit too much that it actually ended up with Tricky gaining the Auditor's halo an powers! Forcing the Auditor to help Hank out in order to have his sworn enemy take care of Tricky for him.]] This has even reached a point where if, another MemeticBadass like the [[VideoGame/FridayNightFunkin Corrupted Boyfriend]] defeats or even corrupts Tricky, can be decried as FandomHeresy.
201	* Agobard the Knight from ''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u_kYGF07tHM Marble Kingdoms 10]]'', due to his feats of [[TheRemnant managing to hold out long after the fall of the Green kingdom]], his DuelToTheDeath with Captain Gojenola, and especially the incident in which [[OneManArmy he cut down approximately half of an 96-man strong army by himself]], has amassed a large comment section praising his prowess in combat and hailing him as immortal.
202	* ''WebAnimation/{{RWBY}}'':
203	** As the show's most popular villain, Roman Torchwick never stopped being top dog of the antagonists, is only toying with Cinder by pretending to be unaware and compliant with her nebulous grand scheme as he builds up his dragon's horde of Dust, that furthermore his humoring her is the only thing that is keeping her in a position of power at all, he can pimp-slap any of the heroes into submission without missing a beat no matter the odds, could pickpocket the whole cast blind without a single person becoming aware, rules over all human and Faunus gangs alike with Machiavellian absolute authority, and is only deigning to remain in Ironwood's custody because he can make use of the position he's in. Those are the same fans who don't believe he's actually dead.
204	** Mercury Black, thanks to being in three of the best fights of Volume 3, his constant smug demeanor and a rip-roaring metal song in "I'm The One", to the point where some chan boards nicknamed Mercury "The One", out of respect during Volume 3. Even with his lessened screen-time in the Mistral Arc, Mercury managed to only add to this status in Volume 6 [[spoiler:with the revelation that he doesn't even have a Semblance thanks to his father. Many fans took this as a sign of Merc's utter badassery that even without a Semblance, he was able to go toe-to-toe with Pyrrha and Yang, and both only won because he threw both fights.]]
205	** After his dressing down of Jacques Schnee, many fans insinuate that James "Two Seats" Ironwood replaced both of his testicles with some form of God chairs. Most also believe that, should Ironwood get a third seat on the council, he would become all-powerful and single-handedly destroy Salem and the Grimm. His ''Amity Arena'' art confirms that he dual-wields revolvers which just made him even more of a badass in the eyes of his fans.
206	** Kali Belladonna. While she had little actual screen time during the attack at her mansion and was mostly shown to be a CombatPragmatist with a skill to improvise and adjust to a dangerous situation, even taking out Yuma with a tea tray, most fans consider her to be on equal footing with her husband or possibly even above him in skill and strength. She became especially known for her badass one-liner when shooting {{Mook}}s that cornered her in the library.
207	--->'''Kali''': GET OUT OF MY HOUSE!
208	** In Volume 8, the manner in which The Hound was introduced was badass enough to make it the first Grimm to score a victory against main characters. [[spoiler:It kicked the asses of Oscar, Ren, Yang and Jaune because it can shapeshift new body parts as needed, employed [[ItCanThink human-level intelligence]], and it can talk.]]
209	[[/folder]]
210
211	[[folder:Web Videos]]
212	* ''WebVideo/{{Agents of Cracked}}'' brings us The Chief, who, among other things, eats lead and craps bullets (so his toilet gets all...shot up, when he poops), rides a triceratops to work, drinks tiger blood milkshakes for breakfast (MILKSHAKES, FOR BREAKFAST!), and personally knows Die Hard (Not Bruce Willis, Die Hard). Turns out he belongs to a pantheon of other such Chiefs, all of whom are equally badass (Up to and including sexually assaulting a mountain).
213	* WebVideo/TheAngryVideoGameNerd will take you back to the past, to play the shitty games that suck ass, even if he would rather have a buffalo take a diarrhea dump in his ear.
214	* Among the Creator/ShackTactical group and in the greater ''VideoGame/{{ARMA}}'' community, [[TheAce Dslyecxi]] is widely considered one of the very best ''ARMA'' players around. Which is impressive enough, but if you listen to the way people talk about him, you'd think Dslyecxi had his own version of the Chuck Norris Fact List. People say he's a {{ninja}} who can smell your fear from kilometers away, and can only be killed if you [[DecapitationRequired cut off his head]]. That he has senses other people lack that tell him when is the exact moment that nobody will be looking in his direction, and thus the perfect time to strike. He can [[AcePilot land a helicopter]] on a piece of land the size of a postage stamp. He vanishes unless you look directly at him, and can stalk you perfectly for hours at a time, toying with you before he goes in for the kill. According to stories he can [[OneManArmy tip the scales in a battle between hundreds of players]] just by showing up on the field. Although given [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MZuvRiyIh6c some]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V4Ib5rK_OGg of]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=umE00iULDG0 the stunts]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pjRhtUKmBKI he's pulled]], you start to wonder if the stories are all true. (Dslyecxi ''really has'' [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bPc7RszIdD4 kept a helicopter flying for several minutes after its rotors stopped turning]], for example, and he really did [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qvROSuhvAZU&t=1s sneak up on a tank, climb it, then shot a crewman when the guy stuck his head up out of the turret]], he really did [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6cbWWE45vZ4 dodge bullets]], etc.)
215	* The eponymous Ninja of ''WebVideo/AskANinja'' often makes astonishing claims about what he and other ninjas can do. Like how a ninja can go through a snowstorm without being hit by a single snowflake, or that they are faster than the speed of light. They are the speed of ''darkness''. He also claims that he killed 4500 people in a day and that the Black Death was a ninja.
216	* [[WebVideo/BrandonsCultMovieReviews Brandon Tenold]] devoted four episodes of his ''Cult Movie Review'' show to the late, great Doug [=McClure=]. For a brief time in TheSeventies, [[OverlyNarrowSuperlative nobody fought]] [[SpecialEffectsFailure big rubber monsters]] [[OverlyNarrowSuperlative better.]] [=McClure=] was such a badass that he could take a arrow to the face and shrug it off.
217	* ''WebVideo/CarmillaTheSeries'' has Elsie. Who in canon material shows up briefly, twice, once as Carmilla's 'study buddy' in Episode 3 and in Episodes 34-35 after being rescued by the [[TrueCompanions Dimwit Squad]]. The fandom latched onto her cool appearance and badass army jacket and made her into the Queen of Swaghilia.
218	* Website/ChannelAwesome
219	** The fandom seems to have decided that WebVideo/ThatDudeInTheSuede is a badass. And capable of bringing down Insano's reign of terror. ItMakesSenseInContext.
220	** God help Insano in May...
221	** Proven in the Year 3 event... Suede kicked butt. No wonder Insano didn't show up.
222	** In universe? [[WebVideo/TheNostalgiaCritic SANTA CHRIST! SANTA CHRIST! WE ALL LOVE SANTA CHRIST!]]
223	** "Shall I tell ye the stories of Blood Beard Joe?"
224	** [[WebVideo/SuburbanKnights Malachite]] yet was already a badass in universe and it was proven to everyone when he [[spoiler:[[OhCrap let a car run into him and it exploded!]]]] He didn't even break his stride!
225	** CHUCK NORRIS!!!!!!!!!!!
226	** Don't Fuck With Creator/MaraWilson
227	** SSSNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOWWWWWFFFFLLLAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAMMMMMMMMEEE!!!!!!!!!!
228	** Carl Copenhagen of Demo Reel, Ex-East German Police and Mercenary, Lived a life of killing dangerous animals and people too before becoming a mild mannered Camera man.
229	** Not, in fact, [[WebVideo/WhatTheFuckIsWrongWithYou Nash Bozard himself]], but his [[VideoGame/XCOMEnemyUnknown XCOM]] Assault officer, [[AC:Colonel Igor Koslov, Savior of ERF]]. Mere mortals fear abduction by aliens. Aliens fear abduction by Igor Koslov.
230	* In-universe example: WilliamClark in [[http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=418041 this]] LetsPlay of ''VideoGame/{{Civilization}} IV''. The [[FictionalDocument Fictional Documents]] state that William Clark (the name of the starting warrior) became a legendary figure in American mythology. According to one legend, fish learned to breathe water so they could hide from him. The author describes his image as [[Literature/TheEpicOfGilgamesh Gilgamesh]] [[JustForFun/XMeetsY meets]] Myth/PaulBunyan [[JustForFun/XMeetsY meets]] Creator/ChuckNorris.
231	* Everybody knows that [[Creator/TheCynicalBrit TotalBiscuit]] is [[BadassBoast THE FRICKIN' ARCHMAGE OF THE ENTIRE UNIVERSE!]]
232	** Till he met Criken [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qz3p-1iUGGc]][[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PDQNaqlbPBE]][[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jqs6PVOlGsc]]
233	* [[WebVideo/DoctorHorriblesSingAlongBlog Bad Horse]]! He rides across the nation! The Thoroughbred of Sin!
234	** [[https://whiteknightproductions.wordpress.com/2008/11/04/the-bad-horse-facts/ Bad Horse does not sleep.]] He waits.
235	* ''WebVideo/EpicMealTime'': Muscles Glasses is definitely played up as this, culminating in coming BackFromTheDead and winning a long series of arm-wrestles with various superheroes at Comic-Con. He also won a rap battle just by [[FlippingTheBird wordlessly flipping off his opponent]].
236	* Ashly and Anthony's dad from ''WebVideo/HeyAshWhatchaPlayin'' is the ultimate badass. Look at any of their videos on Youtube for confirmation, particularly Lips.
237	* Fans of [[https://www.youtube.com/user/kilplixism Kilplix's]] ''VideoGame/Left4Dead'' vids will note that [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p6zpb_HMSjk Con]], despite usually just lighting his team (or mainly just [[LetsPlay/KilplixNFriends Kilplix]]) on fire, has quite the fan base and is thought the be the definition of awesomeness. In fact, Con is so awesome, he could probably kill Chuck Norris with only one Molotov.
238	* During the third [[WebVideo/LoadingReadyRun Desert Bus for Hope]] charity drive Matt Wiggins turned down an offer for $500 if he wore eyeliner. Hundreds of ridiculous accusations were made about how evil Matt was, including that he invented ''Desert Bus'', [[Franchise/StarWars midichlorians]], and canceled ''{{Series/Firefly}}''. Two public access Twitter accounts carried out the meme (Things Matt Did and Things Matt Did 2). He was eventually redeemed by a) promising to watch ''Film/BattlefieldEarth'', and b) [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t9mF3mISUeo this]].
239	* An in-joke among ''WebVideo/{{lonelygirl15}}'' fans is to speculate that the [[CompanionCube Purple Monkey]] is an immortal being responsible for [[http://www.lg15.com/lgpedia/index.php?title=Theories_About_Characters/Purple_Monkey every plot twist in the series]].
240	** A long time ago, [[https://www.youtube.com/user/reedabook99 Reed]] and Chuck Norris made a bet. [[http://www.lg15.com/lonelygirl15/forum/viewtopic.php?f=57&t=18522&start=60 The loser was supposed to wear a ridiculous cowboy hat.]]
241	* The chef from ''WebVideo/RegularOrdinarySwedishMealTime'' melts butter by screaming at it, peels potatoes with his teeth, chops food with an axe, and generally demolishes the entire kitchen (and the occasional assistant) in the course of making delicious food. It helps that he's very, very Swedish.
242	* Prâk "Bane" Jaws, from [[LetsPlay/TearofGrace Tear of Grace's]] ''VideoGame/MiddleEarthShadowOfMordor'' series. Not only is he more or less Bane from ''Film/TheDarkKnightRises'' in Uruk form, but he also has the ability to walk away in one direction only to then immediately attack Tear from behind. [[spoiler: There's a reason he was Tear's ClimaxBoss in the penultimate mission of the game.]]
243	[[/folder]]
244
245	[[folder:Websites]]
246	* [[http://www.badassoftheweek.com/ Badass of the Week]] is a whole website devoted to profiling historical and fictional bad-asses, from [[UsefulNotes/WorldWarII Erwin Rommel]] to [[Franchise/EvilDead Ash Williams]]. They've even covered beef jerky, the B-2 Bomber, ''[[DeathWorld the country of Australia]]'', and [[http://www.badassoftheweek.com/beetle.html This Huge-Ass Beetle.]]
247	* Most [[MessageBoard Internet forums]] have a tendency to make out their [[RankScalesWithAsskicking Admins and Moderators]] into this very thing if they're around for any solid stretch of time (see also UsefulNotes/ForumPeckingOrder).
248	** On [[http://boards.goldensunrealm.com Golden Sun Realm]], pretty much anything is fair game. It ranges from a moderator's beard, to a regular's fedora, to even an otherwise unknown Japanese old lady. And they're all out to kick your ass.
249	* The ''Pokemon''-themed adoptable site [=GPXPlus=] has [[http://gpxplus.wikia.com/wiki/Cloyster_Man Cloysterman]], a meme spawned from an entry in the site's Pokemon dress-up contest. If it punches you, you WILL die.
250	* In a meta way, SCP-682 from ''Website/SCPFoundation'' is one. Stories about new ways of killing it always end up in describing how it made it stronger.
251	** Alto Clef can't be seduced because his crotch is a hand, and that hand holds a gun.
252	** SCP-999. Given that it can subdue SCP-682, fans off-site jokingly claim that 999 can tickle just about anything into submission.
253	* Website/{{Uncyclopedia}} has [[http://uncyclopedia.wikia.com/wiki/AAA AAA]], the greatest gamer who ever lived.
254	[[/folder]]
255
256	[[folder:Others]]
257	* You gotta hack teh gibbson if you are anything like a 1337 hax0r.
258	* On January 21st, a woman by the name of Linda Clacke left a tweet saying [[http://i.imgur.com/tJiZIyV.png "I will destroy ISIS."]] The internet found this, took hold of it, and [[http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/linda-glocke-i-will-destroy-isis went crazy over it.]] Making meme after meme of her due to her sheer bravery making a statement like that and earning her the nickname Linda Glocke.
259	* Gumi, the chattering lory owned by former Creator/{{Capcom}} sound designer Hideaki Utsumi, has been declared this ever since [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ewf-8rx9_uQ&ab_channel=HideakiUtsumi his first video]], which had him doing his signature "wuewuewuewue" warble before giving an unnerving stare at the camera. Because of this, he's treated as an EldritchAbomination ready to conquer the world at a moment's notice. He's also a skilled video game player, musician, shopkeep and a master at comedic timing.
260	* On December 13, 2023, [[https://x.com/thewapplehouse/status/1734989837101371580?s=46 a video went up]] showcasing a man [[TakeAThirdOption absolutely refusing]] to answer a question that would [[HeadsIWinTailsYouLose disparage LGBTQ people]], stating that both options can be done together. Despite looking like the quintessential 2010s nerd, the man quickly became this, someone who would refuse to answer any sort of flame bait question. This reputation grew further when it was discovered that the man had zero interest in a social media presence and thus had refused to elaborate or initiate further with his newfound fame, something that earned him even more respect and admiration from those already impressed with his refusal to answer leading questions.
261	[[/folder]]

Context Main / MemeticBadass