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Character page for the ''Film/LethalWeapon'' film series. For characters from the TV series, see Characters/LethalWeapon2016.
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[[foldercontrol]]

!!Main Cast

[[folder:Martin Riggs]]
!!Detective / Captain Martin Riggs
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/lw1_1020.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:''"This is a real badge, I'm a real cop, and this is a real fucking gun!"'']]
!!!'''Played By:''' Creator/MelGibson
!!!'''Dubbed in French By:''' Creator/JacquesFrantz
!!!'''Appearances:''' ''Film/LethalWeapon'' | ''Film/LethalWeapon2'' | ''Film/LethalWeapon3'' | ''Film/LethalWeapon4''

A reckless LAPD detective and widower with a death wish.
----
* AddictionDisplacement:
** He replaces cigarettes with ''dog biscuits'', as well as a raw onion.
** By the end of the third film, he jokes about going back to cigarettes to deal with his "dog biscuit problem".
* AdoptTheDog: He adopts an AngryGuardDog in the third film, and still has it in the fourth.
* AmazonChaser: He's very impressed with Lorna's asskicking capabilities.
-->'''Murtaugh:''' Hey, Riggs, there's five of them, man!
-->'''Riggs:''' ''[lovestruck]'' I know.
* AntiHero: He is an UnscrupulousHero in the first film, where the only reason he does anything (as well as his primary reason for not going through with suicide) is because he loves being a cop. He changes into a PragmaticHero in the sequels, finding more reasons to live and people to care about (namely Lorna, Leo, and the Murtaughs), but still willing to resort to dirty tactics.
* AxCrazy: Primarily in the first film, mellows down in the sequels.
* BadassBoast: He has several throughout the series, but his EstablishingCharacterMoment in the film really hits this trope: "When I was 19, I did a guy in Laos from a thousand yards out. It was a rifle shot in high wind. Maybe eight or even ten guys in the world could have made that shot. It's the only thing I was ever good at".
* BadgesAndDogtags: He's cryptic about his Vietnam experiences, has a special forces tattoo and mentions both sniping and an encounter with Shadow Company during the war.
* BaritoneOfStrength: As portrayed by Mel Gibson, Riggs is a physically proficient character with a deep voice to match.
* TheBerserker: Even after getting over his suicidal tendencies, he still has a cavalier regard for his own survival.
* ByronicHero: In the original.
* BunnyEarsLawyer: He's obsessed with Film/TheThreeStooges and WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes, loves causing property damage, and is suicidally depressed in the first film, but is very good at his job.
* CartwrightCurse: His wife died in a car crash (actually murdered) before the first film, and his love interest in the second film slept with the fishes. Even Lorna Cole almost bought the farm, but ultimately subverted the curse.
* CassandraTruth: In the first film, he notes that half the cops think his insanity is a bluff and refuse to work with him... but the other half think it's real and legitimately refuse to work with him.
* CharacterDevelopment: He starts off as a suicidal, lonely man and at the end of the fourth movie is shown to be a happy member of a large family.
* ChekhovsSkill: His "trick" shoulder that can be dislocated more or less at will:
** His ability to dislocate his shoulder is established in the beginning of the second film, where he uses it twice to get out of a straightjacket.
** During the fight with Wah Sing Ku in ''4'', after he dislocated Riggs' shoulder, Riggs gives him a short but brutal NoHoldsBarredBeatdown.
** He also has to reset his shoulder twice in the third film, though not under such mortal circumstances. At one point, he slides himself into a pole to do so on the fly.
* ChickMagnet: Aside from being married once before, his bad boy tendencies tend to attract women. Murtaugh's daughter Riana, Rika and Detective Cole (later his wife) all crush on him.
* CombatPragmatist: Despite being a highly trained martial artist, he isn't against [[GroinAttack groin attacks]], using improvised weaponry, dropping a crate on a man, or killing him with a machine gun when it becomes clear he's not going to win a fist fight.
* CowboyCop: Has little care for procedure or doing things by-the-book, contrasting Murtaugh. He even wears cowboy boots.
* CrusadingWidower: He's reasonably heroic, but he's also suicidal and is considered crazy by everyone who knows him. He slowly becomes less unhinged as he opens up to his partner Murtaugh.
* DeadpanSnarker: He has a very dry wit, especially around Murtaugh and Leo.
* DeathSeeker: A major theme of the first film is that he wants to die, but cannot bring himself to commit suicide. Early on, he eggs a man who has taken him hostage to kill him.
* DentedIron: By the fourth film, Riggs is ''clearly'' not at his peak, having grown both older and afraid of dying. He admits being aware of the trope and declares an intent to [[DefiedTrope defy]] it.
** A bit more subtle in the first film's climactic fight, due to sleep deprivation and ElectricTorture.
* DesignatedBullet: He tells Murtaugh that he has a special bullet picked out in case he ever decides to kill himself (which he thinks about every day). At the end of the film, [[spoiler: he gives Murtaugh the bullet as a symbol that he's come to terms with his inner demons and no longer suicidal]]. The bullet is stated to be a hollow-point, to minimise the odds of botching the job [[note]]but it looks like a full metal jacket round[[/note]].
* DisneyDeath: In the second film, Riggs is shot several times by [[BigBad Rudd]], who is killed by Murtaugh in return. It turns out Riggs is fine, though.
* DramaticDislocation: In 2, Riggs shows off that he can pop his shoulder out at will due to an injury in Vietnam. It's putting it back in that's painful. It gets used during the 3rd act in 2, as well as during the final battle in 4. He also has to pop it back in after a fall in 3.
* EightiesHair: In every film except the fourth.
** As seen in his wedding photos from the first film, he had short hair before Vicki passed away. In the fourth, he's been in a stable relationship wtih Lorna for 6 years. He only seems to grow his hair long when he's single.
* EstablishingCharacterMoment: He's introduced by making crazy jokes during a sting operation, blowing a few mooks away, and then trying to commit [[SuicideByCop suicide by crook]]. This all establishes him as a loony, badass DeathSeeker, in complete contrast to the solid and serious family-man Murtaugh.
** In the director's cut, before that scene is the playground sniper situation where Riggs responds to a sniper call, leading to him nonchalantly walking in said sniper's range, giving the latter an opportunity to gun him down, retaliating after the sniper fails. Riggs shows no fear for his life during the encounter, but also shows no satisfaction that the sniper failed.
* FeelingTheirAge: By the fourth film, Riggs begins to feel outmatched by younger opponents and struggles in fights compared to the previous films. He refuses to accept it, however, deciding to "will it away."
-->"I'm not too old for this shit!"
* FriendlySniper: Was a sniper in Vietnam, and the only time we see him with his sniper rifle is on a rescue mission.
* TheGadfly: Enjoys teasing ol' Rog to no end.
* GoodIsNotDumb: After he gets blown through a window by a shotgun (he was wearing his bulletproof vest, so he didn't die), he points out to Murtaugh that now the police have the advantage, because the bad guys think Riggs is dead. Sure enough, Mr. Joshua calls the police station for information about the shooting, claiming to be a news reporter. The officer who picks up confirms that Riggs is dead, and it never occurs to [=McAllister=] and Joshua that the police could be deceiving them.
* GoodIsNotNice: A genuinely good cop, but loves tormenting suspects or messing with his co-workers.
* HairTodayGoneTomorrow: He has shorter hair in the fourth installment.
* HairTriggerTemper: Riggs is rather quick to anger if things don't go in his favor when dealing with criminals, and even moreso if he's inflicted any kind of pain by them. He does, however, overplay the trait to intimidate people.
* HeartbrokenBadass: He was a Special Forces sniper in Laos and Vietnam prior to the films, and while we never see him as a ''soldier'', we see him as a ''cop'', both proving and [[JustifiedTrope justifying]] his ImprobableAimingSkills. He's become a DeathSeeker in the first film, but begins healing as time goes after partnering with Murtaugh.
* HeroesLoveDogs: For the first three movies, he's got a dog named Sam at home. By 4, he now has the rottweiler from 3 added as a pet. He's apparently great and training them, too - despite being different breeds and ages, the two dogs get along like a house on fire.
* HeroicComedicSociopath: Once he gets over his DeathSeeker / AxCrazy tendencies and mellows out a bit, his craziness is more PlayedForLaughs.
* HeterosexualLifePartners: With Murtaugh, natch. After being partners for so long, it's hard for either of them to imagine life without the other. Riggs articulates it beautifully in the third film:
-->"You're the only family I've got! I got three beautiful kids. I love them and they're yours. Trish does my laundry. I live in your icebox. I live in your life!"
* HoistByHisOwnPetard: A more comedic example would be when he wants to ask the police psychiatrist for legitimate advice regarding his intent to marry Lorna, but his years of mocking her makes her instantly go on the defensive and assume he's trying to punk her again. So he then turns around and punks her for real.
* HonoraryUncle: By the third film, he's become part of the Murtaugh family and is treated like this, even tearfully telling Roger later "I've got three beautiful kids, I love them and they're yours".
* HotBlooded: Nothing seems to light a fire up Riggs' ass like being on a criminal's trail.
-->'''Riggs:''' ''[hitting the insides of Murtaugh's car while screaming excitedly]'' '''GOD, I LOVE THIS JOB!'''
* ImprobableAimingSkills: He pulls off some incredible shots. Sure, Murtaugh has his share, but Riggs was breast-fed on this trope. The sniper in the school, being able to shoot a smiley-face on the firing range, being able to ''successfully hit a helicopter God knows how many yards away'', etc. all with a pistol. And then picking off Shadow Company mooks like flies. And that's just the ''first film''.
* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: As much as he loves busting on his friends, he cares deeply about them and isn't afraid to show it. Best shown near the end of the fourth film, where he has a heartfelt conversation with Leo, who he spends most of the series teasing and busting on.
* {{Keet}}: Especially in the third and fourth movie, where his ManChild tendencies get pushed to the forefront.
* LargeHam: Especially in the first film. More composed in the sequels.
--> "Do you really wanna jump?! DO YOU WANNA?!?"
* LastNameBasis: He's almost exclusively referred to by his last name, even by Roger.
* TheLostLenore: His late wife, Vicki.
* LightningBruiser: In the first film, he takes out a room full of guys before they can react.
* MadeOfIron: His response to being repeatedly electrocuted with a near-lethal voltage was to start beating ass. He's had a clip full of bullets emptied into him, and it did nothing but make him quit smoking. He's been pinned underwater by a concrete slab for minutes on end at the tail end of an exhausting fistfight, and didn't lose consciousness.
* ManChild: He watches ''WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes'', even while contemplating suicide, as well as ''Film/TheThreeStooges'', and is generally adolescent in nature.
* MrFanservice: He spends a lot of time naked or shirtless; is even introduced that way.
* OneLastSmoke: Hilariously [[DefiedTrope defied]] in the second film for a bit of MoodWhiplash.
* OneManArmy: For the first three films, until his age finally catches up to him in ''4''. The only guy he has trouble with in ''4'' is Wah Sing Ku.
* OneNoteCook:
-->'''Riggs:''' I may have exaggerated a bit about being a gourmet chef. All I know how to make is chili. Do you like your chili with or without crushed Oreos?
* PetTheDog: Literally. He chooses to make friends with a guard dog instead of shooting him. He justifies it by saying that, while he's okay with shooting people, he's unable to shoot a dog. This probably would've been in effect even in the first movie.
* PreAssKickingOneLiner: To Mr. Joshua in the original.
--> "Whaddya say, Jack? You want a shot at the title?"
* RedOni: To Murtaugh's Blue Oni.
* RoaringRampageOfRevenge: He goes on one after he [[spoiler: finds out the South Africans killed his wife and his new girlfriend.]] Good thing Murtaugh was there...
* SociopathicHero: In the first film.
* SuicideByCop: Inverted in the first movie, where he's a cop who wants to commit Suicide By Criminal.
* TitleDrop: In the first film, Roger refers to him as a "lethal weapon".
* TookALevelInKindness: Is much kinder and softer in the third and fourth movies.
* TheVietnamVet: He claims to have been one of the top ten snipers in the world during his tour of 'Nam.
* WrongGenreSavvy: In the opening to the third film, he tries to disarm a bomb because "the bomb squad always arrives late." His oversight is that the ''Lethal Weapon'' series more often than not averts PoliceAreUseless, and he has absolutely no experience with explosives, so he ends up triggering the bomb to go off much earlier than the timer indicates... right before the bomb squad arrives, in what would have been more than enough time to defuse it.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Roger Murtaugh]]
!!Detective / Captain Roger Murtaugh
[[quoteright:299:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/roger_murtaugh.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:299:''"I'm too old for this shit!"'']]
!!!'''Played By:''' Creator/DannyGlover
!!!'''Dubbed in French By:''' Creator/RichardDarbois
!!!'''Appearances:''' ''Film/LethalWeapon'' | ''Film/LethalWeapon2'' | ''Film/LethalWeapon3'' | ''Film/LethalWeapon4''

Riggs's older and more cautious partner, a family man with a wife and three kids.
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* TheAtoner: After he recovers from his HeroicBSOD in the third film, he is told by said teenager's mourning parents to "get the man who put the gun in [their] son's hands"... he takes it to the heart, acting very outside of the book to nail the bad guys.
* BadgesAndDogtags:
* BlueOni: To Riggs' crazy Red Oni.
* BoxingBattler: He doesn't have Riggs' or Lorna's martial arts training and so tends to rely on straightforward punches in combat. He's big and strong enough that he doesn't really need anything fancier.
* ButtMonkey: He can sometimes be put in unfortunate accidents and sometimes gets teased by Riggs.
* ByTheBookCop: This is why he gets partnered with Riggs, though he plays less and less "by the book" as the film go on.
* {{Catchphrase}}: He mentions how his old buddy Hunsacker "took a bayonet in the lungs" for him during the War.
** "I'm too old for this shit." Inverted in the fourth film with "We're ''not'' too old for this shit!"
** "Riggs, you crazy sonuva bitch!"
** "Go ''spit,'' Riggs!"
* CharacterTic: He cracks his neck before shooting people. This is typically followed by a BoomHeadshot.
* CombatPragmatist: He will use anything he can as a weapon, including nail guns and hammers.
* CoolOldGuy: He's just turned fifty in the first film and is about to become a grandfather in the fourth film over ten years later but is just as cool and capable as ever.
* DeadpanSnarker: He's as sarcastic as Riggs at times.
* {{Deuteragonist}}: Murtaugh has virtually the same amount of screentime as Riggs, but he doesn't get the same level of character development or the same kill count. This contrasts Riggs' journey from a suicidal maniac to a committed family man.
* DidntWantAnAdventure: He's very unhappy that Amanda Hunsacker's suicide leads to uncovering a heroin smuggling operation in the first movie.
* DotingParent: Even when his kids are in college, he still spoils them.
* DrowningMySorrows: In the third film, [[spoiler: after killing an old friend of his son's out of self-defence.]]
* FeelingTheirAge: Murtaugh's CatchPhrase of "I'm too old for this" is appropriate for an older family man who has to deal with a wild card younger partner. Riggs starts saying it too once he reaches his late 40's in ''4''.
* FriendToAllChildren: Just watch his interactions with the kids outside Dixie's house in the first film. It goes without saying when you're a father of three.
* GenreRefugee: He's essentially a character from a prime time cop show or hardboiled detective novel, whereas the ''Lethal Weapon'' films are over-the-top action flicks.
* GoodParents: His kids still love and respect him throughout high school and college. They're also surprisingly well-adjusted considering all the crap the family goes through.
* GoofyPrintUnderwear: When directed by Riggs to strip to his boxer shorts to distract a madman wielding a flamethrower, Riggs asks with a laugh "Are those little hearts?"
* GrumpyOldMan: Has his moments, especially in ''4''.
* HappilyMarried: With Trish.
* HeroicBSOD: [[spoiler: When Rianne is kidnapped in the first film, and when he accidentally kills a teenager in the third.]]
* ImprobableAimingSkills:
** Played realistically in that he can hit with perfect accuracy, but needs to carefully aim his gun and loosen his neck before squeezing the trigger, and has to practice at the shooting range to maintain his skills. He pulls off an excellent shot to kill the BigBad of parts 1 and 2. In part 1, he shoots the driver of the BigBad's car coming right at him, and then gets out of the way as the out-of-control car goes flying onto Hollywood Boulevard and smashes into a bus. The flames from the crash causes grenades in the car to detonate, killing the BigBad. And in part 2, he revokes Rudd's diplomatic immunity with a damned impressive head shot (and the bullet first came through the diplomatic passport).
** This backfired on him in the fourth film. Murtaugh aims for Ku. [[spoiler:Ku dodges, but it hits and kills his brother instead.]]
* ItsPersonal: Doesn't get this as frequently as Riggs, but things get brutal with General [=McAllister=] in the first film [[spoiler:after Rianne gets kidnapped.]]
* NiceGuy: He's a little prickly at times, but generally a good cop and a loving family man.
* OlderHeroVersusYoungerVillain: Tragically in the third film. He kills (in self defence) a gangbanger who turns out to be [[spoiler:a close friend of his teenage son.]]
* OlderSidekick: He's demoted to this in the second film. The third and fourth films go back to a more even partnership.
* OnlySaneMan: To Riggs' CowboyCop tendencies and Leo's annoyingness and hyperactive behavior.
* OvershadowedByAwesome: [[DownplayedTrope Downplayed]]. Murtaugh is a Vietnam vet, an accomplished detective sergeant with the LAPD, and an extremely good shot with a revolver. His partner is a OneManArmy martial arts expert who in his prime was one of the top ten snipers in the world.
* PapaWolf:
** He's ''fiercely'' protective of his family, but particularly his daughter Rianne. He even punches Riggs right in the face (and overboard) after Riggs says "I think I may have slept with someone I shouldn't have," leading Murtaugh to assume he was talking about Rianne. [[spoiler:He was talking about Lorna.]] Granted, he was drunk at the time.
** This is the culmination of three films worth of tension. Murtaugh has always been protective of Rianne, and has worried that Riggs might "go for her". Or, more likely, that Rianne would go for him, given the goo-goo eyes she had been making since they first met.
* ReluctantWarrior: He really hates being dragged into all this crazy crap.
* {{Retirony}}: Subverted in the 3rd film.
* RevolversAreJustBetter: He prefers to carry a six-shooter, despite Riggs calling it an "Old Timer's Gun". In the later films, he starts complimenting it with a semi auto pistol of his own, but he's still more accurate with the revolver which is fitting since he tends to go for well-placed long range shots over MoreDakka.
* RoaringRampageOfRevenge: Not quite as vicious, but when he returns after Darryl's funeral, he goes person-to-person shaking people down to trace his gun. At the first one's house, the home of one of Darryl's homeys, he rants about how gang-banging is tantamount to self-genocide for their race.
* SharpDressedMan: Is very fond of wearing suits and sometimes dons three pieces. Riggs grills him at times for this especially in the fourth film ( also due to suspicions-worries that Roger might be dirty) for always getting around in snazzy suits while Riggs himself is very dress casual.
* TheVietnamVet: Like Riggs, which gives them something to bond over.
* UnskilledButStrong: Not exactly "unskilled" as he was in the Army and saw combat but he doesn't have Riggs' or Lorna's martial arts training and tends to rely more on boxing style punches and haymakers but he's big (Danny Glover is 6'4) and strong enough to usually come out on top in addition to being good at using [[CombatPragmatist whatever he can get his hands on as a weapon]].
* YoungerThanTheyLook: Danny Glover was only 40 years old when he filmed the first film despite supposedly being "too old for this shit". Murtaugh was written as an older character (50 in the first film).
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Leo Getz]]
!!Leo Getz
[[quoteright:280:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/leo_getz.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:280:''"Come on, everyone cheats a little, look at the Pentagon!"'']]
!!!'''Played By:''' Creator/JoePesci
!!!'''Dubbed in French By:''' Creator/RogerCrouzet
!!!'''Appearances:''' ''Film/LethalWeapon2'' | ''Film/LethalWeapon3'' | ''Film/LethalWeapon4''

->''"Froggy was my friend and I really loved him, and I took him everywhere with me, and I was riding on my bike one day and he jumped out of the box, and uh, I ran him over with the back tire. I killed him. I was really heartbroken. Really, he was my best friend in the whole world; the only thing I ever loved. And then I met you and Roger, and you guys really looked after me a lot more then you had to."''

A former accountant and federal witness Riggs and Murtaugh are assigned to protect in ''2'', and eventually bond with. Becomes a real estate broker in ''3'' and a private detective in ''4'', and uses his numerous connections to help solve Riggs and Murtaugh's cases.
----
* AmbiguouslyJewish: Suggested a few times in passing, most notably in the fourth movie when he says "German Jews didn't have it any easier when we were kids" after Butters accuses him of racism.[[note]]"Getz" is a German and Ashkenazi surname. “Leo,” also, is common though hardly exclusive among Jews. Italian-American actors like Pesci are often cast as Jewish characters--and vice versa--due to frequent similarities in ethnic appearance and speech between the two groups.[[/note]]
* ButtMonkey: He cops a lot of abuse from Riggs and Murtaugh.
* CatchPhrase: "Whatever you need, Leo ''gets''!", "They ''fuck'' you with/at..." and "Okay, okay, okay..."
* ChewToy: He goes through a lot of crap throughout the series, and it's all played for laughs.
* ClusterFBomb: Lampshaded when he asks a reporter in the fourth film if he can say "fuck" on air.
* CrouchingMoronHiddenBadass: Despite his generally wimpy demeanor, when the bad guys capture and torture him in the second film, he whimpers a lot but [[TortureIsIneffective gives them nothing]].
* DarkAndTroubledPast: Had a really rough childhood, being raised by an absent mother and an abusive father; he struggled to make friends at school and spent most of his time with his pet frog (which he accidentally killed).
* DeadpanSnarker: He can have a very sarcastic banter, especially towards Riggs and Murtaugh.
* TheFriendNobodyLikes: He becomes this to Riggs and the Murtaugh family, in the third film.
* HairTriggerTemper: He has a penchant for the epic ClusterFBomb. He's otherwise pretty harmless though.
* IconicSequelCharacter: He first appears as a federal witness in the second film, and manages to show up in the rest of the series' films.
* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: He may be obnoxious and foul-mouthed, not to mention a petty criminal with very questionable ethics even after going straight, but is very loyal to the protagonists.
* KnowledgeBroker: [[CatchPhrase "Whatever you need, Leo Gets".]] (Unfortunately, he tends to '''get''' [[ButtMonkey himself in trouble a lot.]])
* MeaningfulName: He tries to make this work for him (and mostly just ends up annoying people).
--> '''Leo Getz:''' My name's Leo Getz. Whatever you want, Leo gets. Get it?!
* MotorMouth: Seriously, he talks ''really'' fast.
* NonActionGuy: Despite wanting to carry a gun, he never gets involved in a single fight scene. In the third movie he does try to stop one of the villains and gets shot in the arm for his trouble.
* ParentalAbandonment: The ending of ''4'' reveals that he had a mother who had left him at a young age while his father was no bargain.
* PluckyComicRelief: In all movies after the first, and Riggs and Murtaugh annoy him just as much as he annoys them.
* PunnyName: Attempts this in his first appearance "Whatever you need, Leo 'Getz."
* OutOfFocus: In ''3'', which is surprising since [[AdvertisedExtra he’s given third billing on the poster and in the cast credits]].
* SirSwearsALot: He's a typical ill-tempered Joe Pesci character, so naturally he curses a lot, and has to self-censor for a news broadcast in the fourth movie.
* TheSmartGuy: Despite appearing hyperactive, he is knowledgable as he often gives Riggs and Murtaugh information about their cases and is good at tracking.
* StrangeMindsThinkAlike: He and Lee get along well when they connect over things that screw people over.
* UndyingLoyalty: Leo is a helpful and immensely loyal friend to Riggs and Murtaugh, even if they don’t always value him. [[spoiler:In the fourth film, he admits that he sees them as family]].
* VerbalTic: Peppers the beginning, middle, and the end of his sentences with "ok, ok, ok".
* TheVietnamVet: He is one.
* VitriolicBestBuds: With Riggs and Murtaugh.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Lorna Cole]]
!!Sergeant Lorna Cole
[[quoteright:236:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/lorna_cole_0.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:236:''"Close is a lingerie shop without a front window."'']]
!!!'''Played By:''' Creator/ReneRusso
!!!'''Dubbed in French By:''' Creator/VeroniqueAugereau
!!!'''Appearances:''' ''Film/LethalWeapon3'' | ''Film/LethalWeapon4''

An Internal Affairs detective who help Riggs and Murtaugh against Jack Travis.
----
* ActionGirl: Kicks some major ass: beating up half a dozen Travis thugs in a garage with her bare hands (while they swing at her with wrenches and such) and being a capable gunfighter.
* CombatPragmatist: She has no issue using whatever she can as a weapon, using the environment to her advantage and [[GroinAttack going below the belt in a fight]].
* CowboyCop: She will charge into danger almosf as much as Riggs.
* DeadpanSnarker: She is pretty sassy, especially towards Riggs.
-->'''Lorna:''' Fly me. I'm your friendly Portuguese airline.
* DisneyDeath: [[spoiler:She is shot several times by [[BigBad Travis]] with the armor-piercing bullets in the climax, but it turns out she was wearing two bulletproof vests.]]
* EveryScarHasAStory: She and Riggs show each other old scars received in the line of duty before sleeping together.
* FairCop: An attractive detective.
* DistaffCounterpart: Her skills, snarking and old scars make her feel like a female Riggs.
* GroinAttack: In the 3rd film, she delivers a harsh kick in the family jewels towards a random thug from within a warehouse. Later on, she crushes one thug's testicles '''BARE-HANDED''' in a fight scene!
* InternalAffairs: Her job of investigating possible police corruption masks her CowboyCop nature.
* TheLadette: Kicks serious ass, cusses like a sailor, wrestled with her brothers, read MAD magazine, plays the Three Stooges on her computer. Yep!
* PregnantBadass: Kicks the asses of Wah Sing Ku's goons while they're invading her home in the 4th film shortly before her due date. She's quickly dealt with by Wah Sing Ku himself, but that's just because ''no one'' can hope to beat him.
* {{Tsundere}}: To Riggs.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Lee Butters]]
!!Detective Lee Butters
[[quoteright:148:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/lee_butters.jpg]]
!!!'''Played By:''' Creator/ChrisRock
!!!'''Dubbed in French By:''' Lucien Jean-Baptiste
!!!'''Appearances:''' ''Film/LethalWeapon4''

A brash younger detective who secretly marries Murtaugh's daughter, Rianne, and is the father of her child.
----
* AccidentalMisnaming: Riggs and Murtaugh have major difficulty in getting his name right. Ironically, the one time they did, he was injured.
* GeniusBruiser: He has a psychology degree.
* HotBlooded: Oh yeah.
* LargeHam: He's played by Chris Rock so this goes without saying.
* LastEpisodeNewCharacter: He's introduced in the final film in the series.
* MeaningfulName: He constantly tries to "butter" his father-in-law up.
* MistakenForGay: He was ''trying'' to be nice to his father-in-law. He instead thought that he had the hots for him.
* MotorMouth: It's Chris Rock.
* TakingTheBullet: [[spoiler: Does this for Murtaugh in the final battle, but thankfully it's not fatal.]]
* WretchedHive: Where he had grown up in, and the reason he joined the police force.
[[/folder]]

!!Murtaugh Family

[[folder:Trish Murtaugh]]
!!Trish Murtaugh
!!!'''Played By:''' Creator/DarleneLove
!!!'''Dubbed in French By:''' Thamila Mesbah (Lethal Weapon), Émilie Benoit (Lethal Weapon 2), Anne Ludovik (Lethal Weapon 3), Martine Meiraghe (Lethal Weapon 4)
!!!'''Appearances:''' ''Film/LethalWeapon'' | ''Film/LethalWeapon2'' | ''Film/LethalWeapon3'' | ''Film/LethalWeapon4''
----
* HappilyMarried: Trish and Roger have a caring, mutually supportive marriage.
* LethalChef: Her less than stellar cooking is brought up a few times.

[[/folder]]

[[folder:Rianne Murtaugh]]
!!Rianne Murtaugh
!!!'''Played By:''' Creator/TraciWolfe
!!!'''Dubbed in French By:''' Brigitte Berges (Lethal Weapon), Nathalie Spitzer (Lethal Weapon 2,3 and 4)
!!!'''Appearances:''' ''Film/LethalWeapon'' | ''Film/LethalWeapon2'' | ''Film/LethalWeapon3'' | ''Film/LethalWeapon4''
----
* DamselInDistress: In the first movie, she's kidnapped and held hostage by Shadow Company. Thankfully, she was not in danger until being held hostage by Wah Sing Ku's gang in the fourth movie.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Nick Murtaugh]]
!!Nick Murtaugh
!!!'''Played By:''' Creator/DamonHines
!!!'''Dubbed in French By:''' Tony Marot
!!!'''Appearances:''' ''Film/LethalWeapon'' | ''Film/LethalWeapon2'' | ''Film/LethalWeapon3'' | ''Film/LethalWeapon4''
----
* AscendedExtra: Nick is a BitCharacter in the first two movies but has a more prominent role in the third one when Roger kills a hoodlum friend of Nick's in self-defense.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Carrie Murtaugh]]
!!Carrie Murtaugh
!!!'''Played By:''' Ebonie Smith
!!!'''Dubbed in French By:''' Sarah Marot
!!!'''Appearances:''' ''Film/LethalWeapon'' | ''Film/LethalWeapon2'' | ''Film/LethalWeapon3'' | ''Film/LethalWeapon4''
----
* AdorablyPrecociousChild: In the first two movies, she has scenes complimenting Rianne's dress, teasing Rianne with a rap song about how she has a crush on Riggs, and telling her dad not to eat a tuna sandwich because of ''Series/{{Flipper}}''.
* SatelliteCharacter: Carrie's role in the series entirely revolves around her parents and siblings.
* SheIsAllGrownUp: Carrie is a small child in the first movie and a pretty college student by the fourth.
[[/folder]]

!!Other Recurring Characters

[[folder:Ed Murphy]]
!!Captain Ed Murphy
!!!'''Played By:''' Creator/SteveKahan
!!!'''Dubbed in French By:''' Marcel Guido (Lethal Weapon), Jean-Claude Sachot (Lethal Weapon 3 and 4)
!!!'''Appearances:''' ''Film/LethalWeapon'' | ''Film/LethalWeapon2'' | ''Film/LethalWeapon3'' | ''Film/LethalWeapon4''

Riggs and Murtaugh's beleagured commanding officer.
----
* AscendedExtra: After being essentially a background character in the first two movies, he plays an active role in the plots of ''3'' and ''4''.
* BigGood: He has basically this role for the whole quadrilogy being Riggs and Murtaugh's boss.
* CoolOldGuy: He's already well into middle age at the start of the series but is always calm, good-natured and a good mentor and in the fourth film, is welcoming to younger officers and the changes they bring with them. He even proves himself to still be decently capable in the field in the third film.
* DaChief: One of the classic examples. How he puts up with the antics of Riggs and Murtaugh for so long is anyone's guess.
* DeadpanSnarker: When you're Riggs and Murtaugh's boss, this comes naturally.
* EarlyInstalmentWeirdness: In the first film he doesn't care that Riggs is suicidal, though whether he thinks Riggs is lying or sincere is YMMV. By the second film he's slid into a proper chief role, being more exasperated and tired with Riggs' antics.
* AFatherToHisMen: In the second movie he's upset by several of his detectives being murdered and is concerned for Riggs and Murtaugh.
* FeelingTheirAge: Like Riggs and Murtaugh, he goes through this in the fourth film, describing the three as "dinosaurs headed for extinction". He doesn't seem bitter though as he notes times change and the department has to as well.
* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: Riggs and Murtaugh can be a pain in the ass to him, but he knows how to handle them exceptionally well.
* WeUsedToBeFriends: He laments what happened to Jack Travis.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Stephanie Woods]]
!!Dr. Stephanie Woods
!!!'''Played By:''' Mary Ellen Trainor
!!!'''Dubbed in French By:''' Martine Meiraghe (''Lethal Weapon''), Danielle Dinan (''Lethal Weapon 4'')
!!!'''Appearances:''' ''Film/LethalWeapon'' | ''Film/LethalWeapon2'' | ''Film/LethalWeapon3'' | ''Film/LethalWeapon4''

An LAPD police psychiatrist of dubious competence.
----
* TheShrink: Stephanie is the psychiatrist who analyzes and treats cops who have gone through traumatic experiences. Her competence varies from film to film.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Jarvis Becker]]
!!Jarvis Becker
!!!'''Played By:''' Creator/KennethTigar
!!!'''Dubbed in French By:''' Creator/GilbertLevy
!!!'''Appearances:''' ''Film/LethalWeapon2'' | ''Film/LethalWeapon3''
----
* BombDisposal: Becker and his men are summoned to disarm bombs in the second and third movies.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Mickey [=McGee=]]]
!!Mickey [=McGee=]
!!!'''Played By:''' Jack [=McGee=]
!!!'''Dubbed in French By:''' Creator/GilbertLevy
!!!'''Appearances:''' ''Film/LethalWeapon2'' | ''Film/LethalWeapon3''

[[/folder]]

[[folder:Selma Wells]]
!!Officer Selma Wells
!!!'''Played By:''' Selma Archerd
!!!'''Appearances:''' ''Film/LethalWeapon'' | ''Film/LethalWeapon3''

An elderly desk officer.
----
* NeverMessWithGranny: In the first movie, she smacks a fellow Christmas caroler for singing off-key, and in the third film, Leo has difficulty convincing Selma to let him see Riggs and Murtaugh.
[[/folder]]

!!'''''Lethal Weapon'''''

[[folder:General Peter [=McAllister=]]]
!!General Peter [=McAllister=]
[[quoteright:276:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/general_mcallister.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:276:''"There's no more heroes left in the world."'']]
!!!'''Played By:''' Creator/MitchellRyan
!!!'''Dubbed in French By:''' Creator/PierreHatet

A Vietnam war veteran who was part of a special team that turned into heroin-smuggling mercenaries.
----
* BigBad: Of the first film. He runs the heroin ring our heroes are busting up.
* CutLexLuthorACheck: He runs a successful club and must be on a good fund from his military career. Why does he need to run a heroin shipping operation?
* DirtyOldMan: He sexually harasses Rianne in his custody, even sending Murtaugh a polaroid shot of Rianne and an envelope stating "YOUR DAUGHTER LOOKS VERY PRETTY NAKED." It's heavily implied he threatens to rape Rianne just for information.
* EveryoneCallsHimBarkeep: Inverted. The credits and script just refer to him as "The General," even though he's called by name more than once.
* EvilOldFolks: He calls everyone "son" a lot.
* FaceDeathWithDignity: Averted. He dies screaming like a girl, desperately trying to reach for his hand grenades before they go off.
* FauxAffablyEvil: Always pleasant and amiable, even when he's having people tortured. Has a fatherly air to him, which makes him even more menacing.
* FromCamouflageToCriminal: An ex general turned into a merciless drug lord.
* GeneralRipper: Used to be this.
* HoistByHisOwnPetard: The fact that he has explosives in his car enables Roger to kill him by killing his driver, causing an overturned-vehicle crash.
* KnightOfCerebus: While most of the other villains are in some minor way laughably evil, the General has absolutely no comedic moments and darkens the tone (and music) of the film whenever he appears.
* ManOfWealthAndTaste: Spends most of the film in a seriously nice white turtleneck and sports coat combo.
* NonActionBigBad: [[DownplayedTrope Downplayed,]] since it's more out of choice than lack of ability. He's able to sneak up on Riggs without the latter noticing, and is clearly proficient with firearms - he just chooses not to get his hands dirty.
* StuffBlowingUp: How he meets his end.
* ThereIsNoKillLikeOverkill: Murtaugh kills his getaway driver, causing a massive car crash. [=McAllister=] himself is blown sky-high when the flames from the crash reach a crate of live grenades in his car.
* VillainousBreakdown: Near the end of the film.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Mr. Joshua]]
!!Mr. Joshua
[[quoteright:318:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/mr_joshua.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:318:''"That's hardly important but if it matters you may call me Mr. Joshua."'']]
!!!'''Played By:''' Creator/GaryBusey
!!!'''Dubbed in French By:''' Thierry Ragueneau

[=McAllister's=] NumberTwo, an insane soldier who carries out most of Shadow Company's dirty work.
----
* AxCrazy: Despite his formal attitude he's actually a ruthless psychopath who takes joy in hurting and/or murdering human beings on regular basis.
* BackstabBackfire: [[spoiler:How he meets his end.]]
* BetterToDieThanBeKilled: As a cop killer, he knows he's going to get the death penalty or life in prison, [[spoiler:which leads to the above BackstabBackfire.]]
* BlownAcrossTheRoom: Uses a shotgun to blast Riggs off the sidewalk and into the storefront behind him. [[BulletproofVest It doesn't work.]]
* ColdSniper: From a helicopter no less.
* DefiantToTheEnd: Doesn't go down without a fight. [[spoiler:And shows defiance even after losing said fight.]]
* TheDragon: To [=McAllister=].
* DragonTheirFeet: He survives the confrontation that kills his boss, and breaks into Murtaugh's house and attempts to kill his whole family.
* EstablishingCharacterMoment: Allowing General [=McAllister=] to burn his arm with a lighter, clenching his teeth and taking it, establishing Joshua's loyalty (and insanity).
* EvilCounterpart: To Riggs: both were in Special Forces, but whereas Riggs chose to work as a cop, Mr. Joshua chose a [[{{Understatement}} less legal]] profession.
* FauxAffablyEvil: Mr. Joshua presents himself as formal and personable, much like his boss. But his dignified exterior only just barely hides his depravity.
* FisticuffsBoss: Riggs offers him a one-on-one fight before his arrest.
* FromCamouflageToCriminal: Just like his boss he served in the army before turning into a drug trafficker.
* TheHeavy: As General [=McAllister=]'s [[TheDragon Dragon]], his actions drive the plot of the first film. He even outlives his boss in the climax.
* HeKnowsTooMuch: His first few scenes are him killing off anyone outside of Shadow Company who is connected with Shadow Company, such as [[spoiler:Dixie]] and [[spoiler:Hunsaker.]] The second is from a helicopter. Then he tries to kill Riggs.
* MachoMasochism: Intentionally burning his arm with a lighter flame to show off his allegiance to Gen. [=McAllister=].
* ManOfWealthAndTaste: Being well-dressed seems to be a prerequisite for Shadow Company.
* PlotArmor: Riggs has him lined up for a perfect headshot with a sniper rifle during the desert battle, but hesitates long enough to get captured by General [=McAllister=].
* PsychoForHire: He has no compunctions against killing or torturing anyone that might interfere with his job as a hired gun.
* TheRival: He ends up becoming Riggs' personal arch-rival in the first movie.
* SignatureLine: "'''GODDAMN CHRISTMAS!'''"
* SouthernFriedGenius: Has Busey's Texan drawl, and is a fiendishly cunning member of Shadow Company.
* UndyingLoyalty: To [=McAllister=]. He demonstrates by allowing his boss to burn him with a lighter.
* WorthyOpponent: He and Riggs are almost cordial.
* WouldHurtAChild: Joshua murdered Rianne's boyfriend Mark when he kidnapped Rianne.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Michael Hunsaker]]
!Michael Hunsaker
!!!'''Played By:''' Creator/TomAtkins
!!!'''Dubbed in French By:''' Marc de Georgi

An old war buddy of Murtaugh whose daughter dies under mysterious circumstances.
----
* HeKnowsTooMuch: Double Subverted. At first, Shadow Company goes after his daughters to make him cooperate, but when he proves too much of a liability, [[spoiler:Joshua kills him.]]
* MorallyBankruptBanker: [[spoiler:He launders Shadow Company's profits through his bank]].
* OutlivingOnesOffspring: One of his daughters dies in the opening scene. Her sister survives the film but Michael mentions that her life was threatened as well to get his cooperation (although ultimately they kill Michael himself instead)
* SociopathicSoldier: [[spoiler:He is working with Shadow Company.]]
* TakingTheBullet: Hunsaker saved Murtaugh's life in Vietnam when he took a bayonet to the lungs.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Rick [=McCaskey=]]]
!!Sergeant Rick [=McCaskey=]
!!!'''Played By:''' Creator/JackThibeau
!!!'''Dubbed in French By:''' Creator/GilbertLevy
----
* NonActionGuy: In contrast to Riggs and Murtaugh, [=McCaseky=] is only shown doing paperwork and answering phone calls at the precinct.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Dan Boyette]]
!!Detective Dan Boyette
!!!'''Played By:''' Creator/GrandLBush
!!!'''Dubbed in French By:''' Luc Bernard
----
* MrExposition: Boyette tells Murtaugh about Amanda's autopsy report and how she was poisoned.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Dixie]]
!!Dixie
!!!'''Played By:''' Creator/LyciaNaff
!!!'''Dubbed in French By:''' Danielle Dinan

A prostitute hired by Shadow Company to poison Amanda.
----
* AssholeVictim: She helped kill Amanda by spraying drain cleaner on her drugs after Shadow Company paid her to, so it's hard to feel bad when Mr. Joshua kills her.
* KillItWithFire: She dies when Mr. Joshua blows up her house with her inside.
* YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness: Mr. Joshua blows up her house with her inside when Murtaugh and Riggs start to catch on to her role in Amanda's death.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Endo]]
!!Endo
!!!'''Played By:''' Al Leong

Shadow Company's torturer.
----
* BeardOfEvil: He has a gigantic beard, and is a cold-blooded TortureTechnician.
* ElectricTorture: Inflicts this on Riggs.
* FauxAffablyEvil: "Sorry, pal. Say goodnight."
* NeckSnap: Riggs kills him this way.
* TheMedic: After The General's arm-burning demonstration, he tells Mr. Joshua to have Endo look at the burn. Makes perfect sense that an expert torturer would know how to treat injuries as well as make them.
* TheStoic: He's always seen with a serious and gloomy look on his face.
* TokenMinority: Apparently the only Asian member of the Shadow Company.
* TortureTechnician: Mr. Joshua notes that he's an expert at torture, and his primary purpose seems to be torturing information out of people for Shadow Company.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Mendez]]
!!Mendez
!!!'''Played By:''' Creator/EdORoss
!!!'''Dubbed in French By:''' Mario Santini

A drug dealer doing business with Shadow Company.
----
* BigBadWannabe: Mendez starts off contemptuous and demanding towards his drug-smuggling partners, but quickly finds himself being intimidated and dictated to by them.
* WhateverHappenedToTheMouse: He disappears completely after the shootout at Shadow Company's base, though he probably got arrested.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Gustaf]]
!!Gustaf
!!!'''Played By:''' Gustaf Vintas

Shadow Company's negotiator.
----
%%* BaldOfEvil: A ruthless criminal who happens to be balding.
* DroppedABridgeOnHim: He gets shot by Riggs during the escape from Shadow Company. It happens so suddenly that the audience would be forgiven for not realizing Gustaf is the one being killed.
[[/folder]]

!!'''''Lethal Weapon 2'''''

[[folder:Arjen Rudd]]
!!Arjen Rudd
!!!'''Played By''' Joss Ackland
!!!'''Dubbed in French By:''' Creator/WilliamSabatier

[[quoteright:287:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/arjen_rudd.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:287:''"I hope you realize the trouble you are in right now."'']]

A South African diplomat who abuses his power and runs a profitable drug-smuggling ring.
----
* BigBad: Of the second film. He's using his status as a diplomat to cover up his illegal drug-dealing activities.
* DiplomaticImpunity: He claims diplomatic immunity to make the heroes back off (although in fact, he was only a consular officer, and they get a lower grade of immunity--unless he had some other official status as well, he could have been searched, provided proper procedures were followed). Probably the TropeCodifier for the trope's use in modern fiction. For extra ballsiness, at one point he does this while ''shooting at Riggs.'' [[spoiler:Murtaugh revokes it a second later.]]
-->'''Rudd''': My dear officer, you could not even give me a parking ticket... Who is the dickhead now, eh?
* DirtyOldMan: Hits on Rika rather creepily.
* EvilOldFolks: He's getting on in years, and one of the biggest monsters in the series.
* EvilSoundsDeep: Rudd’s voice is very deep and he is very evil.
* FauxAffablyEvil: He certainly has a diplomatic and gentlemanly air about him, but ''everyone'' knows he's up to no good.
* ImprobableAimingSkills: He manages to shoot Riggs several times with a pistol from what looks to be about 100 yards away.
* InSeriesNickname: Riggs calls him "Aryan."
* NoKillLikeOverkill: [[spoiler:Puts '''''every bullet he has''''' into Riggs at the end of the FinalBattle. But subverted after Riggs '''''[[MadeOfIron still]]''''' survives.]]
* NonActionBigBad: The only time he takes direct action is at the very end when he empties a clip into Riggs.
* PoliticallyIncorrectVillain: As above.
* PragmaticVillainy: Rudd initially tries to threaten Murtaugh to make him leave the case to avoid the complications of killing a cop.
* SmugSnake: Didn't realize his diplomatic immunity had been revoked.
* TooDumbToLive: Flashing your immunity when you've killed cop friends of main characters. [[SarcasmMode Surely he'll be more than willing to let you go.]]
* YouHaveFailedMe: Hilariously, during his EstablishingCharacterMoment. He has one of his henchmen (the driver of the crashed car the cops found the krugerlands in) brought to his office where the floors are covered in plastic, saying that he's having his walls painted. [[spoiler:Then Vorstedt shoots the henchman and wraps his body in the plastic to contain the blood flow.]]
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Pieter Vorstedt]]
!!Pieter Vorstedt
[[quoteright:287:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/pieter_vorstedt.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:287:''"It's my experience that a scared cop is more useful than a dead one."'']]
!!!'''Played By:''' Creator/DerrickOConnor
!!!'''Dubbed in French By:''' Joël Martineau

Rudd's right hand man.
----
* BackstabBackfire: Tries to shoot Riggs in the back. Riggs responds by [[spoiler:crushing him under a shipping container.]]
* DeadpanSnarker: Tosses out a few sardonic barbs.
* TheDragon: He's Rudd's top enforcer and right-hand man.
* FauxAffablyEvil: He acts polite, but he doesn't think twice about murdering anybody or anything.
* FisticuffsBoss: His final confrontation with Riggs.
* GallowsHumor: When he thinks his boss is about to pull a YouHaveFailedMe, he half-jokes that he's looking to see if he's standing on plastic (a BrickJoke about how it makes body removal easier).
* GreaterScopeVillain: Due to having killed Victoria Riggs, he indirectly made Martin Riggs become the depressive and suicidal cop that he was in the first film.
* HeroKiller: [[CopKiller Murders six police officers]] throughout the film, as well as [[spoiler:Rika.]]
* HoistByHisOwnPetard: Riggs stabs him with his own knife, before he gets a shipping container dropped on him to finish him off.
* INeedAFreakingDrink: Takes a few belts from his hip flask as the villains' plan starts falling apart.
* InSeriesNickname: After being unable to pronounce his name, Riggs says "I'll just call you Adolf."
* ItsPersonalWithTheDragon: Rudd may be the film's BigBad but of all the adversaries Riggs and Murtaugh faced, he cuts the deepest, responsible for the deaths of six of their colleagues, [[spoiler:Rika, and Riggs' wife (though he was trying to kill Riggs).]]
-->'''Riggs''': I'm not a cop tonight, Roger, it's personal. I'm not a cop.
* KnightOfCerebus: He leaves a very high body count, killing over a half dozen people.
* LightningBruiser: Almost matches Riggs in the martial arts department. ''Almost''.
* PragmaticVillainy: See his quote.
* SharpDressedMan: Sports a natty blazer and tie combo, doubles as a BadassInANiceSuit for being a LightningBruiser.
* YouKilledMyFather: [[spoiler:He's responsible for the death of Riggs' wife]].
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Rika Van Den Haas]]
!!Rika Van Den Haas
!!!'''Played By:''' Patsy Kensit
!!!'''Dubbed in French By:''' Creator/VirginieLedieu

An official of the South African consulate and love interest for Riggs.
----
* CollateralAngst: Riggs falls in love with her, then she gets murdered offscreen to make Riggs's grudge against Vorstedt (more) personal.
* DefectorFromDecadence: Agrees to help Riggs and Murtaugh take down her boss Rudd when she finds out about his crimes.
* HeroesLoveDogs: Rika quickly befriends Riggs' dog Sam and shows great concern for his safety during the shootout at Riggs' trailer.
* MsFanservice: She is a beautiful, slender, blond-haired woman who catches Riggs' eyes.
* NiceGirl: Unlike her boss or the people she works with, she is a rather kind-hearted person.
* ReplacementGoldfish: Is the first woman Riggs allows himself to love after his wife's death.
* SexySecretary: She is a very stunning secretary to his boss Arjen Rudd.
* SexyShirtSwitch: Rika spends her last scene wearing Riggs' jacket after they're attacked while making love in his trailer.
* UnwittingPawn: It's implied that Rudd is using Rika to transport some of his dirty money, judging by the forcefulness he uses when ordering the police not to touch a "diplomatic" suitcase she brought him. Unusually for this trope, Rika doesn't seem surprised to see the police investigating her boss, merely asking for confirmation that he's breaking the law and then telling Riggs that Rudd shouldn't be allowed to get away with it.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Tim Cavanaugh]]
!!Detective Tim Cavanaugh
!!!'''Played By:''' Creator/DeanNorris
!!!'''Dubbed in French By:''' Michel Derain
----
* DroppedABridgeOnHim: [[spoiler:After being a significant presence for the first 3/4ths of the movie, Cavanaugh is blown up by a booby-trapped microwave.]]
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Meagan Shapiro]]
!!Detective Megan Shapiro
!!!'''Played By:''' Creator/JenetteGoldstein
!!!'''Dubbed in French By:''' Dominique Westberg
----
* ActionMom: Shapiro is a brave and efficient police detective with a husband and at least one child at home.
* DroppedABridgeOnHer: Is killed by a bomb in the pool at her home when she jumps off the diving board.
* HellBentForLeather: Shapiro wears a black leather jacket whenever she's on the job, including during the stilt house raid.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Eddie Esteban]]
!!Detective Eddie Estaban
!!!'''Played By:''' Creator/NestorSerrano
----
* AlliterativeName: ''E''ddie ''E''steban.
* BadassDriver: Esteban drives the car containing himself, Cavanaugh, and Wyler in the opening chase, keeping up with the heavily armed fugitives.
* MauveShirt: Survives the South African's purge of Murtaugh's squad of cops simply due to being on duty at the time.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Tom Wyler]]
!!Detective Tom Wyler
!!!'''Played By:''' Juney Smith
---
* BoomHeadshot: Is on the receiving end of one from Vorstedt.
* ManlyFacialHair: Wyler is one of the more brave and professional detectives and has a mustache that rivals Murtaugh's.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Jerry Collins]]
!!Detective Jerry Collins
!!!'''Played By:''' Grand L. Bush

[[/folder]]

[[folder:Joseph Ragucci]]
!!Detective Joseph Ragucci
!!!'''Played By:''' Philip Surriano

[[/folder]]

[[folder:Hans]]
!!Hans
!!!'''Played By:''' Creator/MarkRolston
----
* AffablyEvil: He is a drug dealer who is fine with shooting at cops, but he cracks a smile that suggests he finds Riggs and his one-liners ActuallyPrettyFunny after Riggs briefly jumps on his windshield during the car chase and makes one of his usual DeadpanSnarker cracks. He is also relaxed but deferential while reporting to Rudd.
* BadassDriver: Hans does an impressive job of fleeing from Riggs and Murtaugh during a freeway chase while also shooting at them.
* OffscreenTeleportation: Hans manages to disappear from his flipped-over car in a matter of seconds before Riggs and Murtaugh make it to the wreck to look for him, with no trace of where he went.
* YouHaveFailedMe: When Hans escapes from the police, he doesn't have time to retrieve the box of traceable gold coins in his trunk. Rudd takes this poorly and has Hans shot.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Detective in squad room]]
!!Detective in squad room
!!'''Played by''': Norman D. Wilson[[note]] Who also plays different {{Bit Character}}s in the first and third films[[/note]]
* TheGambler: In the opening scene of the second film, he is seen betting on whether Riggs and Murtaugh will catch some perps in a car chase and he is later among the cops betting on whether Riggs can escape a straitjacket.
* NoNameGiven: He gets multiple scenes and some personality but is never named.
* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: He's introduced hanging around the station and being part of the Krugerrands case in multiple early scenes, but drops out of sight around the time that Riggs and Murtaugh start watching Leo Getz.

[[/folder]]

!!'''''Lethal Weapon 3'''''

[[folder:Jack Travis]]
!!Jack Travis
[[quoteright:348:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/jack_travis.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:348:''"Come on in, bitch! Door's open!"'']]
!!!'''Played By:''' Creator/StuartWilson
!!!'''Dubbed in French By:''' Michel Derain

An ex-cop turned arms dealer.
----
* ArmsDealer: Sells armor piercing bullets to criminals.
* BigBad: Of the third film.
* BondOneLiner: When disposing of an incompetent {{Mook}} that he has drowned in cement.
-->“Now we have a relationship we can build on.”
* DirtyCop: He's a cop who walked off the job, still has his badge and he was this before, having numerous suspensions, reprimands and charges of misconduct.
* EvilCounterpart: Like Riggs, he was an incredibly tough cop who bent the rules and got results, and they have many of the same snarky personality quirks. He's essentially a dark "what-if" version of who and what Riggs might've become if he'd continued down the self-destructive path he was on after Vicky died. Naturally, he and Riggs hate each other immediately.
* EvilHasABadSenseOfHumor: Thinks burying a mook in cement is hilarious.
* FauxAffablyEvil: He'll smile and crack a joke with you... while he's [[BuriedAlive burying his moron colleague alive]] in cement.
* HoistByHisOwnPetard: [[spoiler:Killed by the same "Cop-killer" bullets he has stolen and sold to gangs.]]
* {{Jerkass}}: When he means business, he'll drop all pretense of pleasantness and show the true side of his personality.
* PragmaticVillainy: He kills his two mooks not only for their greed but because their stupidity threatened to expose his entire operation.
* YouHaveFailedMe: He murders two of his men for "going into business for themselves"[[note]] In Jack's own words, they got greedy and used the time and training that he invested in them to perform a high-profile robbery disguised as armored car employees on their own that went south.[[/note]].
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Herman Walters]]
!!InternalAffairs Chief of Intelligence Herman Walters
!!!'''Played By:''' Alan Scarfe

The head of InternalAffairs.
----
* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: He's overly secretive and kind of a jerk, but his heart's in the right place, he seems to regret his behavior, and he saves Riggs' life at one point.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Edwards]]
!!Officer Edwards
!!!'''Played By:''' Jason Rainwater

A cheerful rookie.
----
* DiedOnTheirBirthday: When Travis and his men raid the police station, Riggs enlists the help of Edwards to stop them. When Riggs asks for his age, Edwards mentions that it's his birthday that day. During a shootout, he is killed by one of Travis' armor-piercing bullets. Upon seeing his corpse, Riggs grimly says, "Happy Birthday."
* MauveShirt: Gets quite a bit of characterization before [[spoiler:Travis' men gun him down.]]
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Hatchett]]
!!Hatchett
!!!'''Played By:''' Creator/NickChinlund

Travis's right-hand man.
----
* CruelAndUnusualDeath: [[spoiler:He gets fried by an electrified subway rail, a very unpleasant way to go.]]
* TheDragon: To Travis.
* SmugSnake: He's perpetually smug and oily, clearly thinking that he's way more slick than he actually is.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Billy and Smitty]]
!!Billy Phelps and Smitty
!!!'''Played By:''' Creator/MarkPellegrino and John Cenatiempo
----
* BuriedAlive: How Travis dispatches Smitty.
* CruelAndUnusualDeath: Travis has Smitty buried alive in cement as punishment.
* ThoseTwoGuys: They're never seen apart until Billy gets captured.
* TooDumbToLive: Yeah sure, come back to work like nothing had happened or sit and wait for your boss to show up to bail you out.
* YouHaveFailedMe: Travis kills them for bungling the bank robbery. It's justified with Billy, since he was captured and could give information away to the cops.
[[/folder]]

!!'''''Lethal Weapon 4'''''

[[folder:Human Tank]]
!!Human Tank
[[quoteright:196:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/rsz_mwf.png]]
!!!'''Played By:''' Danny Wynands

A heavily-armored individual who's out to burn and shoot up things while rocking out to Music/VanHalen on his Walkman. He's the villain whom Riggs and Murtaugh have to take out at the start of the fourth film.
----
* {{Expy}}:
** Of UsefulNotes/NedKelly (armored and heavily armed outlaw who takes on the police).
** The Creator/DCComics villain Firefly from ComicBook/{{Batman}}'s RoguesGallery, who's often heavily armored (including a CoolHelmet) and primarily uses flamethrowers.
* FlamethrowerBackfire: When he is momentarily distracted by Murtaugh dancing like a chicken in his underwear, Riggs shoots the vent on his flamethrower's gas tank and he dies in an explosion.
* GenericDoomsdayVillain: He simply exists to provide an exciting ActionPrologue filled with gunfire and explosions.
* GunsAkimbo: On one hand, he has a submachine gun. On the other, he wields a [[FireBreathingWeapon flamethrower]].
* HeavilyArmoredMook: Wears a heavy suit of homemade body armor, coupled with a flamethrower and a submachine gun.
* ImmuneToBullets: Courtesy of his makeshift armor -- the cops' bullets just clang off of him, until Riggs finally shoots his AchillesHeel (see FlamethrowerBackfire).
* NoNameGiven: Nothing is given on this guy's backstory or motivation. He is simply referred to as "Human Tank" in a newspaper clipping and in the credits.
* OneManArmy: He manages to keep several squad cars worth of cops at bay until Riggs and Murtaugh manage to take him out.
* OutOfGenreExperience: While the series is known for having mostly realistic villains, the Human Tank would be more at home in a superhero movie.
* RottenRockAndRoll: He plays Van Halen music on his Walkman while shooting and burning everything in sight.
* SmallRoleBigImpact: His rampage in the prologue indirectly reveals Lorna and Rianne's pregnancies to the audience and Riggs and Murtaugh. More, it's implied this incident (and the property destruction Riggs and Murtaugh caused bringing him down) was the last straw for the LAPD's insurance carrier — which is what leads to Riggs and Murtaugh getting Kicked Upstairs in a vain attempt to prevent any more damage.
* StarterVillain: The first villain encountered in the fourth movie.
* TheVoiceless: He never says a thing. He only lets out a [[StockScream Wilhelm Scream]] when sent flying and a grunt when he lands under a tanker truck.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Wah Sing Ku]]
!!Wah Sing Ku
[[quoteright:255:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/wah_sing_ku.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:255:''"In Hong Kong, you'd be dead."'']]
!!!'''Played By:''' Creator/JetLi
!!!'''Dubbed in French By:''' Pierre-François Pistorio

A martial arts-trained Chinese triad and human trafficker.
----
* AvengingTheVillain: He attempts to flee Riggs and Murtaugh with his brother, as all the other Four Fathers have been killed. When Murtaugh shoots Ku's brother while aiming for Ku himself, Ku sticks around and tries to kill Riggs and Murtaugh in revenge. [[spoiler: Riggs then shoots Ku underwater after they fall off a pier while fighting.]]
* BattleInTheRain: Engages Riggs and Murtaugh in one of these in the climax.
* BigBad: Of the fourth film.
* BigBrotherInstinct: Inverted; he spends the whole film working to buy the release of his ''older'' brother, then tries to avenge him once Murtaugh kills him.
* CatchPhrase: "In Hong Kong, you'd be dead". This refers to the criminals in his home turf handling unpleasantries more efficiently.
* DeathGlare: Gives one towards the heroes. Especially Riggs, when, thinking Wah doesn't understand English, insults him ("scumbag", "eat shit").
* DragonInChief: He is technically working to free his bosses, the Four Fathers, one of whom is his brother. But since they are all in prison he's the one who actually drives the plot.
* EvenEvilHasLovedOnes: He loves his brother. He also seems to care about the other three Four Fathers, giving one of them replacement glasses after his were broken in jail.
* FisticuffsBoss: He takes Riggs and Murtaugh on in a two-on-one fight near the end.
* ImplacableMan: Nothing slows him down. He's the toughest and deadliest foe Riggs and Murtaugh have ever faced and both barely escaped death in their final fight with him.
* KickTheDog: His murder of Hong just to get his uncle to cooperate comes across as this.
* KnightOfCerebus: He's one the most brutal villains in the franchise, let alone the film, especially when he nearly kills both Riggs and Murtaugh in the climax.
* LightningBruiser: He beats both Riggs and Murtaugh ''at the same time''.
* MadeOfIron: He gets [[ImpaledWithExtremePrejudice impaled with a rebar]] and still continues fighting. In fact, it takes a full burst from an AK-47 to the torso ''underwater'' to finally take him down.
* MoralMyopia: Wants revenge on Murtaugh and Riggs near the end of the fourth film for killing his brother, but has zero problems with murdering other people’s family members.
* OlderHeroVsYoungerVillain: The younger villain who comes closer to killing both Riggs and Murtaugh than anyone else in the series. Jet Li is seventeen younger than Danny Glover and seven years younger than Mel Gibson.
* ScrewTheRulesIHaveMoney:
-->Brother, America has many laws, but written by men. Money can change everything.
* SuperSpeed: They had to get Creator/JetLi to slow his fight scenes down because he was too fast for the actors to react to ''and the camera to catch on film''.
* TheTriadsAndTheTongs: One of these guys.
* VillainousBreakdown: Near the end, when Murtaugh kills his brother.
-->'''Riggs''': Well, now you done it. Now he's really pissed.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Paul Ng]]
!!Detective Paul Ng
!!!'''Played By:''' Calvin Jung
!!!'''Dubbed in French By:''' Bruno Carna
----
* MrExposition: Ng works in the [=LAPD=]'s Chinatown division and briefs Riggs and Murtaugh on the Triads.
* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: The last time we see him is when Murtaugh tells him to take care of Butters after the latter [[TakingTheBullet took the bullet]] for him.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Hong]]
!!Hong
!!!'''Played By:''' Eddy Ko
!!!'''Dubbed in French By:''' Jim Adhi Limas
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* SacrificialLion: [[spoiler:He's murdered by Ku late in the movie to frighten Hong's uncle into cooperating with the counterfeiting.]]
[[/folder]]

[[folder:"Uncle" Benny Chan]]
!!"Uncle" Benny Chan
!!!'''Played By:''' Kim Chan
!!!'''Dubbed in French By:''' Jim Adhi Limas
----
* TheDragon: To Ku.
* AFamilyAffair: He's sleeping with his wife's two sisters.
* HeKnowsTooMuch: [[spoiler: Ku strangles him for revealing too much information.]]
* QuicklyDemotedLeader: Benny is the local Triad leader and is involved in HumanTrafficking and other crimes, but spends most of his screen time as Ku's lackey.
* VileVillainLaughableLackey: Compared to Ku, and has one of the most comedic scenes in the movie.
[[/folder]]
----