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John Rambo | First Blood | First Blood Part II | Rambo III | Rambo IV | Last Blood
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    Sheriff Will Teasle 

Sheriff Will Teasle

Played By: Brian Dennehy

"You know, wearing that flag on that jacket, looking the way you do, you're asking for trouble around here, friend."

Sheriff of the small town Hope, Washington. He is the Big Bad of the first film, an overzealous sheriff who harasses Rambo.

  • Actor Allusion: Teasle is a Korean War veteran, which is funny as his actor Brian Dennehy early in his acting career had appeared in an episode of the Korean War-set television series M*A*S*H (which the series, as well as the movie, that ironically featured Rambo's actor Stallone as an extra and book they were based on, was seen as the same as the Vietnam War, which Teasle ironically bares prejudice against veterans of in this film). Interestingly enough, Dennehy's character on the show had the rank of Sergeant First Class, whilst Teasle in the novel was state to have been a Marine master sergeant.
  • Adaptation Name Change: Full name only; he was Wilfred Logan Teasle in the novel, but according to the Survival Mode on the film's DVD, he's William Wright Teasle. This name change is proper, considering the Adaptational Villainy and Schrödinger's Cast makeover this film's Teasle received in contrast to the novel's Teasle.
  • Adaptational Ugliness: Teasle in the novel was described as being a smaller man, around 5'7 in height and average weight, in the film, he's a Fat Bastard.
  • Adaptational Villainy: While Teasle was still a bit of a jerk in the novel, he was also a far more complex character and somewhat of a Jerk with a Heart of Gold. The novel goes into great detail on his motives, his relationships with his family and other members of the town, and acknowledges several similarities between him and John. He arguably comes off as more sympathetic than Rambo and even reveals himself to be a Reasonable Authority Figure when he drives Rambo to a diner to have something to eat before taking him to town limits. The film makes him into a one-dimensional asshole who the audience has no trouble rooting against, even though he has his Pet the Dog moments, which were minimal in comparison to the amount he had in the novel. Also, if Teasle in the film is a decorated Korean War hero like in the novel, the film makes him more of a Fallen Hero to that than in the book.
  • Affably Evil: While he was Faux Affably Evil towards Rambo initially when they first met, he can also be considered to be this due to actually caring for his town and his deputies under his command and is more civilized than his top henchman and best friend Art Galt. Despite having a dislike for Trautman for also being a Vietnam vet, he does have respect for him with one of the presumed factors being that Trautman is also a fellow Korean War vet like him to confide to, prompting him to Pet the Dog towards Trautman at the town's bar and nearly considered to take Trautman's advise to drop his vendetta against Rambo before doing a Redemption Rejection at the climax.
  • Alas, Poor Villain: In a way, as everything he tried to do was to prove what Korean War vets are made of after being shunned for so long and to uphold the law in his duty as a policeman, yet now he's wounded in a pathetic state, having finally accepted bitter defeat and is about to take more flak than he's ever before imagined.
  • Anti-Villain: Type III with aspects of Type II (but the latter is greatly emphasized in the novel). Teasle may have been a Jerkass and something of a Dirty Cop, but everything he's done was to keep his town safe and to uphold the law as well as to put forgotten Korean War vets back in the light again.
  • Avenging the Villain: Wants to avenge the villainous Art Galt's death.
  • Badass Normal: Rather than using a Hind gunship to battle Rambo, Teasle must have a lot of Villainous Valor to just face him with nothing but his thought for foot combat tactics and a rifle for the final confrontation.
  • The Bad Guys Are Cops: He's the town sheriff and the Big Bad.
  • Badges and Dog Tags: He's a Korean War vet-turned-sheriff.
  • Benevolent Boss: He genuinely cares for his deputies, heck, Galt's death is one of the main reasons why he chases after John. However, he is also considered to count as a Pointy-Haired Boss, due to neglecting to notice Galt's abuse of Rambo, being a Bad Boss towards the more rational Deputy Mitch Rogers by ignoring his advice and even grabbing him by his hair to show him Galt's corpse and vowing vengeance before finally failing to properly organize his deputies to capture Rambo that leads them to be easily overpowered. Also, most notably, he is completely oblivious to the fact his friendship to his fallen deputy Galt was completely one-sided due to the latter's insubordination and deliberately ignoring Teasle's orders at the time of his death. It does show he still cares as when he and his men were outmaneuvered, Teasle helped a deputy named Balford who was injured by a booby trap built by Rambo. However, due to his poor treatment of Mitch, who is a By-the-Book Cop unlike most of his deputies, Teasle appears to be benevolent only to fellow Dirty Cops under his command like himself and Galt.
  • Berserk Button: He's always glad to drive drifters to the edge of town closest to their destination, but God help the drifter who dares come back and test his patience.
    • Also, it's a bad idea to suggest letting the state police deal with the guy who unwittingly caused the death of his so-called best friend. Just ask Mitch for details.
  • Beyond Redemption: If Trautman's look of scorn towards him as he is taken to the ambulance after the latter does a Shut Up, Kirk! Redemption Rejection towards the former is any indication.
  • Big Bad: Of the first film. Not present in the novel, however, where he's ultimately the true hero.
  • Break the Haughty: After Rambo overpowers his posse during the manhunt initially with just Teasle and his deputies, Rambo pins the sheriff to a tree with a knife on a his throat and was able to paralyze the arrogant sheriff with fear upon warning him what Rambo's capable of and telling him to leave him alone while he still has the chance. After departing, Teasle just sinks down sobbing upon experiencing an amount of fear, humiliation and broken pride.
  • Broken Pedestal: Once the townspeople of Hope finds out what their beloved sheriff of their community did that leads to the town's destruction.
  • Bullying a Dragon: His (but mostly Galt's) mistreatment of Shell-Shocked Veteran Rambo is what led Rambo to go on a rampage.
  • By-the-Book Cop: Downplayed and ultimately Subverted, Teasle starts out as a Rabid Cop, but while Teasle wants Rambo just as bad he's still willing to go by the book on apprehending him. That is until Art Galt’s death where he’s more than happy to open fire on Rambo while he was trying to turn himself in, even though to be fair to him Teasle warned him not to move otherwise he'll shoot and only did when Rambo was slowly backing away that prompt him to do so.
  • Could Say It, But...: He arrested John Rambo for vagrancy for choosing to walk into Hope after telling him he is not welcomed, which is basically trespassing in his eyes in all but name, as there is no such thing as trespassing into a public town as a crime unless the town was private property which in general isn't.
  • Cruel Mercy: Was spared from Rambo's wrath under Trautman's orders, but did not get his own victory and revenge and is left badly wounded and most likely a cripple. Also, it's implied things will go dark for him once the reason why Rambo go on a rampage through town in the first place goes out in the open.
  • Defiant to the End: Downplayed, unlike future Rambo villains where they play this trope straight by fighting to the very end, Teasle does accept defeat after getting gunned down, but eggs Rambo to Get It Over With and Finish Him! after being wounded in battle, knowing that his death at Rambo's hands would be something of a posthumous victory for Teasle as killing Teasle not only have the State Police sharpshooters to arrive in time to execute him for his death, but would also damn Rambo and bordering on If You Kill Him, You Will Be Just Like Him!, which can be considered to be A Fate Worse Than Death for a character like Rambo.
  • The Determinator: Almost as much as Rambo in the novel. After surviving his initial encounter with the escaped vet in the woods, he is diagnosed with extreme exhaustion and various injuries, and everyone from his doctor to Trautman to State Police Captain Kern tells him to get some reason or he'll only get worse. His determination to catch or kill Rambo, however, leads him to just pop painkillers like candy and continue insinuating himself into the investigation, to the point where his physical, mental and emotional condition deteriorates rapidly over the course of the story, but he continues trudging ahead with no concern for his own well-being.
  • Dirty Cop: Downplayed, but of the abusive convict treatment and Knight Templar kind.
  • Dude, Where's My Respect?: It is implied (and the director's commentary mentions) that part of the reason Teasle is so hateful about Rambo is because of the Korean War (where he served) being pretty much forgotten by the American people while Rambo (a Vietnam War vet) is a symbol of the new, controversial thing. Explicit in the novel.
  • Establishing Character Moment: In the film specifically: during his first appearance, he asks if Rambo was lost, then decides to drive him out of the town in hopes of him not coming back. After getting denied of eating at town, Teasle shows his true side by telling Rambo that he doesn't want people like him come to his town and making it look bad.
  • Even Evil Has Loved Ones: He is married in both the novel and movie according to the DVD's extras, in the novel it is revealed Teasle is estranged from his wife and it's implied by the DVD commentary that Teasle is similarly estranged from his wife too in the movie and only has his military veteran pride to keep close by in general.
  • Even Evil Has Standards: When Rambo first escapes from the station, Galt was about to open fire until Teasle stops him as Galt would have harmed an Innocent Bystander while shooting at Rambo. Then during the initial manhunt, when Teasle hears the gunshots from Galt's attempt to personally execute Rambo out of spite, he tries to radio Galt to remind him that Rambo is to be taken in alive as part of police protocol. Even after Galt was killed and Teasle vows to get his revenge, he still wanted Rambo to be taken in alive, only this time is the case of The Only One Allowed to Defeat You as he wants to be the one to deliver the final blow against him. Also see Pet the Dog below for more information.
  • Evil Cannot Comprehend Good: When Trautman tries to explain to Teasle that Rambo would listen to him to stand down because he is not just his commanding officer, but also a trustworthy Parental Substitute, Teasle responds:
    Teasle: Jesus Christ, where the hell do you people come from?
  • Evil Virtues: Teasle is a despicable Dirty Cop Big Bad, but in contrast to the later villains, he is more fleshed out in comparison due to being a Benevolent Boss towards his deputies, being more civilized than his dragon Galt, having Pet the Dog moments with the deleted scenes showing more of this aspect, having hints of him being a Tragic Villain and a Tragic Bigot for being a Korean War vet having to live in another's shadow, believing in Honor Before Reason for himself as a Korean War vet even it overlaps with Revenge Before Reason for Galt's death, deciding to just use his infantry tactics and a M16 rifle for the showdown than a helicopter gunship that the Russians would use and finally choosing to Face Death with Dignity after accepting defeat by Rambo.
  • Face Death with Dignity: Is willing to kill Rambo or die trying, as when Trautman attempts to warn Teasle about his final confrontation with Rambo, Teasle scoffs, "Everybody dies," justified as Teasle is a Korean War vet who must have experienced risks like this and was willing go along with this (although, it might have something to do with feeling personally humiliated from his last confrontation with Rambo where he was frozen up with fear upon facing him, so Teasle this time does not want to show vulnerability and have his pride broken the next time he's given the opportunity to face Rambo). This is proven true as after Teasle was wounded by Rambo and accepting defeat, Teasle just eggs Rambo to Finish Him!.
  • "Facing the Bullets" One-Liner: Gives a Defiant to the End one to Rambo after accepting defeat and trying to Face Death with Dignity.
  • Fallen Hero: A decorated Korean War veteran War Hero who is reduced to an overzealous Knight Templar Dirty Cop.
  • Fat Bastard: While not exactly fat and more big boned, he has an imposing physique and described by Rambo to be "king shit."
  • A Father to His Men: more pronounced in the book, where he works hard to save his men from Rambo after the hunt turns into a Mook Horror Show and is consumed by vengeful desires when he fails.
  • Faux Affably Evil: When he and Rambo first met, Teasle at first seemed to be courteous to a man on a cold December morning and offered him a ride. Teasle's true colors then show when he casually tells Rambo that because he is a scruffy and long-haired drifter, he is not wanted in the town of Hope. According to a deleted scene with Kern and Teasle, this trope is probably what Teasle meant when he said he initially and very briefly treated him as "one of (his) neighbor's kids."
  • Fighting Irish: His actor is of Irish-American descent and Teasle on-screen is portrayed as a Hot-Blooded Jerkass who presumably carries the same heritage as his actor.
  • Freudian Excuse Is No Excuse: He absolutely views Rambo as the dangerous fugitive criminal needed to be taken down while not caring if Galt's abuse started this mess nor Rambo's PTSD that he suffers from.
  • Friend to All Children: He may be a despicable Dirty Cop Big Bad, but according to the DVD's Survival Mode easter egg trivia, Teasle was a little league coach, likely to substitute his yearn to be a father due to his wife and him not having children of their own.
  • From Camouflage to Criminal: Goes from a noble and highly decorated Korean War vet to a Dirty Cop.
  • Get It Over With: After being shot and severely wounded, he urges Rambo, "Go ahead, you crazy son of a bitch, finish it!" before Trautman intervenes.
  • Green-Eyed Monster: His Irrational Hatred of Rambo is fueled by the fact he is a Vietnam veteran stealing attention away from Korean War veterans like Teasle himself.
  • Hair-Trigger Temper: Teasle in the first act increasingly loses his patience with Rambo, starting with Rambo returning to Hope, then his refusal of going through the process of being booked while in police custody before finally culminated in Galt's death that really pushed Teasle over the edge.
  • Hate Sink: Subverted. While he primarily serves as someone the audience can hate for his unjust mistreatment of Rambo, he is nowhere near as corrupt as his more despicable underling Galt and does care for his deputies and the townspeople... but not enough to overcome his bloodlust for vengeance.
  • Hero Antagonist: He is performing his duty defending the well being of his town, after all, and still genuinely believes so as he goes about at the expense of Rambo. Subverted since he's also The Bully and something of a Dirty Cop, as the reason Rambo goes on his rampage in the first place is because of how he and his deputies mistreated him for no good reason.
    • Also Subverted in the fact that he only pursued Rambo out of his need for vengeance rather than justice, and that it’s his actions that escalated the plot, not Rambo’s.
    • Teasle plays this role completely straight in the novel to a point he is revealed to be the true hero.
  • Honor Before Reason: While his man hunt for Rambo and his refusal to back down is driven by his Revenge Before Reason desire to avenge Galt's death, it's also driven by Teasle's dislike of Vietnam vets and to prove that that Korean War vets are much as efficient as any other soldier who fought in combat and is willing to Face Death with Dignity rather than retreat, grovel or cry like some Dirty Coward if Rambo ever does get the upper hand.
  • Horrible Judge of Character: Teasle is genuinely friends with Galt and wants to avenge his death, but not only Galt was a despicable piece of work not worth to avenge, his so-called friendship with him appears to be one-sided due to Galt's own selfish disloyalty towards Teasle at the time of his death.
  • Hidden Depths: According to DVD's Survival Mode, he was once a league coach and won the Kiwanis Service Award for his service.
  • I Did What I Had to Do: In a deleted scene, he argued to state police officer Kern that he did his duty as a police officer to book Rambo for vagrancy and resisting arrest:
    Teasle: I did my job, Dave, I booked him for vagrancy and resisting arrest.
  • Inspector Javert: He stubbornly views himself as the police officer who holds the responsibility to stop criminals no matter the cost and views Rambo as the criminal needed to be caught.
  • Jerkass: Even though he believes he's doing his duty, he does seem to enjoy throwing his weight around. However, in the novel, Teasle is more of a Jerkass Woobie (although the movie's version still count him as this).
  • Jerkass Has a Point: While the manhunt is driven by Teasle's dislike of Vietnam vets and Rambo's Accidental Murder of Galt, he is valid that Rambo should not be let off that easy after committing, what Teasle thought was first degree murder (Rambo was also responsible for destruction of property). Subverted in the fact that he opened fire on Rambo while he was giving himself up.
    Teasle: Now don't give me any of that crap Trautman. Do you think Rambo was the only guy who had a tough time in Vietnam? He killed a police officer for Christ's sake!
    • Furthermore, when he first arrested Rambo, he was correct that Rambo should not be carrying a dangerous combat knife in the public which makes it at least one (possibly the only) good reason to prosecute him and to make matters worse, Rambo was probably carrying it without a license as he could not afford one due to being shunned by the public to support him. It also does not help that Rambo was not giving out a straight clear answer when Teasle, who already worn out his patience by Rambo's return, first questions him over it. However, the penalty Rambo received was harsher than the crime itself, thanks to the other charges for vagrancy and resisting arrest. Also subverted as Teasle only found the knife when he searched Rambo's bag without Probable Cause, a violation of the Fourth Amendment of the US Constitution's Bill of Rights (unlawful search and seizure) that would have resulted in any judge throwing the case out of court for police misconduct.
    • However, there is one fact that can mostly be agreed with Teasle, though in his case he is Right for the Wrong Reasons, that Rambo is a dangerous individual who is a threat to public safety.
    • While arresting Rambo for vagrancy seems like Disproportionate Retribution today, but it was legitimately a criminal offense in the post-Vietnam years and Teasle was just fulfilling what other officers in America were commonly doing at the time towards the homeless vets. The novel includes a "Not Making This Up" Disclaimer in the foreword of more recent editions.
    • This trope is played completely straight with Teasle in the novel.
    • Ultimately Subverted in the film as while Rambo was a fugitive, he was only made one by Teasle’s abuse. Rambo would’ve turned himself in once he calmed down. In the end Teasle is more of a hypocrite who lets his ego and vindictiveness overcome his sense of duty.
  • Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Teasle is this mostly in the novel due to showing more of his characterization and the film's version could also qualify except downplayed due to his amount of Pet the Dog moments he has with the deleted scenes Re-Cut for television showcasing more of his softer moments (see Pet the Dog below for more information). Also, despite tensions with Trautman, he was at least more polite towards him and even went to a bar he was at Drowning His Sorrows just to apologize for his Rabid Cop behavior and trying to part on good terms with him.
  • Jerk with a Heart of Jerk: He plays this straight in the film. Despite the occasional Pet the Dog moments he’s little more than a vindictive, Rabid Cop who’s more interested in getting his revenge rather than protective the people of Hope.
  • Knight Templar: Feels he has his town's best interest at heart when he uses heavy-handed protocol against vagrants.
  • Know When to Fold 'Em: Throughout the movie, Teasle refuses to stand down unless Rambo stands down first, but by the climax, it has to take Teasle being riddled with M60 bullets to get to his conscience to accept defeat.
  • A Lighter Shade of Black: In contrast to the sequel Big Bads and The Dragon Art Galt, he's by far ranked the least terrible and villainous out of the major foes that Rambo faced.
  • Mundanger: In contrast to the latter overblown caricature villains, he's a down-to-earth antagonist.
  • Necessarily Evil: Teasle is a Knight Templar Dirty Cop driven by mostly hatred against drifters and Vietnam veterans, but believes his methods are the way to bring justice.
  • Never My Fault: Does not care that his and his department's mistreatment of Rambo is what caused him to go bonkers in the first place, never accepting responsibility for it.
    *After Lester revealing Galt and the other deputies had been Bullying a Dragon towards Rambo, with Kern calling out Teasle's deputies for causing this situation in the first place.*
    Teasle: It doesn't make one goddamn bit of difference, Dave, and you know it! If one of my deputies... gets out of line with a prisoner then the prisoner comes to me with it. And if I find out it's like he says I kick the deputy's ass! Me! The Law! That's the way it's gotta be! People start fucking around with the law then all hell breaks loose!
    • In a deleted scene from Teasle's and Trautman's initial encounter, Trautman tells Teasle that he picked the wrong man to push (referring to the mistreatment he and his deputies gave to Rambo), but Teasle argues Rambo picked the wrong man (likely referring to Rambo trying to deliberately walk into town to Teasle's opposition that led to Rambo's arrest):
    *After being told by Trautman that he picked the wrong man to push.*
    Teasle: No, Trautman. He picked the wrong man!
    • However, Teasle's side of the story is more justified in the novel, as he actually gave Rambo several chances to leave the town peacefully, as opposed to the movie where he takes him in after coming back once.
  • Noble Bigot with a Badge: He is extremely prejudiced against Vietnam War vets, but however, he is more respectful towards Colonel Trautman, likely due to Trautman being not only a Vietnam War vet, but also a Korean War vet like Teasle, which is only thing that prevents Teasle from being totally hostile towards him unlike to Rambo. Even earlier when Rambo first escapes from custody, he initially wanted to take in Rambo alive as part of police protocol despite his prejudice against him for his background unlike Galt who just want to kill him for petty reasons. It's only after his friend Galt had been killed that Teasle loses any moral restraint he has inside to kill Rambo to avenge him.
  • Not Worth Killing: Trautman, who is determined to Save the Villain that he stated to Teasle the first time he meets him, convinces Rambo that he is this and to give him Cruel Mercy instead.
  • Officer O'Hara: He's a police officer played by Fighting Irish-American actor Brian Dennehy. It can be speculated he shared the same heritage as his actor.
  • Only I Can Kill Him/The Only One Allowed to Defeat You: In the novel, he firmly believes that not only does he and he alone have the right to kill Rambo, but that Rambo wants it that way, misinterpretating Rambo's destructive doubling back through town as the troubled vet seeking a confrontation with him. In reality, Rambo is simply trying to get away again, and while he does eventually seek a showdown with Teasle, it's only after his plan fails and he realizes there's no way out for him.
  • The Paranoiac: He initially drove Rambo out of town and then arrested him when returning due to him being a drifter who Teasle believes would disrupt harmony in Hope. In the novel, however, Teasle is Properly Paranoid, due to Rambo being more of a irredeemable psycho than the movie.
  • Pet the Dog: He is a police officer after all and these moments makes Teasle human and fallible. In a deleted scene, he shows remorse towards Galt's widow, who's grieving over Galt's corpse, and attempts to apologize to a deputy's wife for her husband's injuries Rambo caused. He then justified his man hunt by listing out the devastation Rambo caused ranging from his deputies' incapacitation to Galt's widow's grief. In the bar scene, he has a civil talk with Trautman (even started his talk with him by apologizing for being "out of line") after thinking Rambo was killed by the National Guard, confessing his desire to kill Rambo himself to him. In a deleted part of this scene, at the beginning of the scene, he returned the gesture of being congratulated for Rambo's "death," while at the end of the scene, he then offered Trautman a ride to the airport. During the manhunt, when Orval was wounded, he tends to Orval's wounds and then when Deputy Balford was wounded by a booby trap, he freed Balford. Also, just before his final showdown with Rambo, he alerts the townspeople to get off the streets and hide in their homes to be away from danger when Rambo arrives.
    • According to the DVD's Survival Mode easter egg trivia, Teasle's resume in his profile included being a little league coach. Teasle and his estranged wife had no children, so it's possible he took up this job to be a surrogate father to the little leaguers.
    • This is demeaned however, in a deleted scene involving an argument with Kern where Teasle tries to justify his treatment of Rambo, claiming that he "tried to do him a favor" and treated him like "one of (his) neighbor's kids" (likely referring to Teasle's initial civil and jovial welcome to Rambo while trying to escort him out of town and trying to hold back his Irrational Hatred of Rambo being a 'Nam vet while being civil with him, before Rambo pushed his Berserk Button by purposely returning to town that prompts him to arrest and mistreat him out of said irrational hatred):
      Teasle: I tried to do him a favor, I treated him like he was one of my neighbor's kids.
    • However, the novel's depiction of the character has more Pet the Dog moments than the movie's depiction and was more of a Jerk with a Heart of Gold in a way.
  • Rabid Cop: A Jerkass cop who uses heavy-handed protocol against vagrants and gets other officers to do the rest of his dirty work for him at the station.
  • Reasonable Authority Figure: Play straight in the novel, while played with in the movie. While it is mostly averted in regards to his general despicable behavior, treatment of Rambo and his lust for vengeance for Galt's death, especially in comparison to State Police Captain Kern, his deputies Mitch and Lester and Colonel Trautman (who all play this role straight unlike Teasle), he still care for the welfare of his town and his deputies and did shown some respect towards Trautman despite tensions for being Rambo's associate and a Vietnam vet and doing a Redemption Rejection towards him at the climax. Also, he proved that he had the basic decency to be able to acknowledge that he may have been in the wrong, and was more misguided and overzealous than actively malicious until Galt's death whereupon he was emotionally compromised and was clearly acting irrationally.
  • Redemption Rejection: After thinking Rambo is dead, Teasle mellows down and meets with Trautman to apologized for being a Jerkass Rabid Cop about the ordeal and confessing his desire to kill Rambo to him, making it seem he is preparing to walk away from his personal manhunt to Took a Level in Kindness, but when he hears Rambo is still alive and Trautman still tries to reason Teasle, Teasle aggressively rebuffs Trautman's attempts to take on the chance to achieve his own ends by killing Rambo.
    Teasle: This is my job, Trautman, this is my town and I'm not giving up to you or to Rambo or to anybody else. Now you just stay the hell out of my way.
  • The Resenter: Towards Rambo, as his clashing with Rambo began with his jealousy of the more popular Vietnam vets.
  • Riddle for the Ages: His open-ended fate following the events of the first film left fans with countless questions and speculation that are left unanswered and never officially confirmed by neither Word of God or Word of St. Paul. The passing of his actor Dennehy in 2020 also destroys any hopes of him reappearing in a sequel if given.
  • Revenge: Becomes more eager to join the manhunt to find Rambo to avenge the death of friend Art Galt.
  • Shut Up, Kirk!: Constantly gives Trautman this when the former tries to advise him an alternative way in apprehending Rambo. His final one was enough for Trautman to realize that Teasle's Beyond Redemption.
  • Sore Loser: He accepts defeat, though not without being bitter about it.
  • Spared by the Adaptation: Dies at the very end of the First Blood novel (and his death is the very last thing written on it). Severely wounded but alive on the movie.
  • Starter Villain: He is the first villain Rambo encounters and confronts in the franchise.
  • Supporting Protagonist: In the novel, due to equal amounts of focus and backstory. By the end of the novel, it is clear that Teasle has become The Hero against Rambo, who is a Villain Protagonist in the novel.
  • Taking You with Me: Implied after Teasle get defeated by Rambo in a showdown, Teasle eggs Rambo to finish the job, which in turn the State Police would arrive to kill him to either avenge Teasle's death or to save him if they weren't too late. Fortunately, Trautman comes in to defuse the whole thing.
  • Tautological Templar: See He Who Fights Monsters and Hero Antagonist above.
  • Tragic Bigot: Mostly in the novel, as while he bares Fantastic Racism against Rambo for being a Vietnam War veteran who overshadowed the existence of Korean War veterans, he is more of a Jerkass Woobie due to losing a father in a hunting trip, being divorced from his wife and overall portrayed more sympathetically. Downplayed in the film adaptation.
  • Tragic Villain: Hinted to be one in the film. Played straight with Teasle in the novel.
  • Troubled Abuser: Despite his despicable behavior following arresting Rambo and his persecution of him in general, it's pretty clear that he suffers from pitifully severe issues in regards to his decorated Korean War veteran past being ignored and fogotten by the public. His medals implied that he was a much better and nobler human being before The Vietnam Vet trend came in.
  • Troubled Sympathetic Bigot: Downplayed in the film, but played straight in the novel. He is prejudiced against Vietnam veterans in general, only because he felt his Korean War veteran service and the services of his fellow comrades from that war has been pushed aside and erased from history by the Vietnam controversy. However, he established a more better relationship with Rambo's C.O. Trautman and even though he wanted to kill Rambo to avenge Galt and bring justice for the town of Hope, he is actually internally confused on exactly what he wants.
  • Unwitting Pawn: Implied to be one for False Friend Galt, who only used his so-called Villainous Friendship with Teasle just to get a free pass to do whatever he pleases under Teasle's protection.
  • Vigilante Injustice: Wants to avenge Galt's death against Rambo as an ulterior motive beneath his primary objective in leading a manhunt for an escaped fugitive, but in doing so he's wronging Rambo as Galt was an Asshole Victim who attempted to kill Rambo against police protocol, prompting the former to accidentally kill the latter in self-defense.
  • Vigilante Man: Downplayed. While he leads the manhunt of Rambo because he's an escaped fugitive, Teasle's persistence is fueled by wanting to avenge Art Galt's death. Can double as Vigilante Injustice.
  • Villain with Good Publicity: In the eyes of the town of Hope, he is their sheriff hunting for an escaped fugitive and a Hero Antagonist after all. In addition, according to the DVD's Survival Mode, Teasle had many affiliations in the Hope area and was a beloved member of the community, as shown in the film when he seemed to know everyone who walked past. Teasle at one point won the Hope Little League Coach of the Year award, as well as the Kiwanis Service Award in 1968, a Hope community service award in 1973 and a Mayor's Circle award in 1978. He was a member of the local Hope Kiwanis and Elks Clubs, the Fraternal Order of Police and the National Rifle Association. However, if the ending is any indication, this trope will end for him once the truth about what happened to Rambo that led to his escape and rampage through town gets out.
  • Villainous BSoD: Has one after Rambo pins him to a tree and threatens him to leave him alone. Has another after thinking Rambo's been killed by the incompetent National Guardsmen and expressed reconsidering his vendetta and acknowledge that he may have been in the wrong to Trautman at the town bar before ultimately doing a Redemption Rejection upon finding out Rambo's still alive.
  • Villainous Friendship: He has one with the sadistic Art Galt, though it appears to be one-sided and hollow due to Galt not listening to Teasle at the time of his death.
  • Villain Respect: Despite disliking Trautman for being a Vietnam veteran and Rambo's superior officer, Teasle does have some respect towards him, likely due to Trautman being also a Korean War vet like Teasle.
  • Villainous Underdog: A retroactive example. Unlike future Big Bads in the sequels, he is no genocidal warlord or some Large Ham madman, just an Inspector Javert Hero Antagonist small town sheriff trying to apprehend an escaped fugitive with moments of being a Tragic Villain which drove him to have a bias towards Rambo, while he relies on his Korean War combat experience to fight the iconic One-Man Army. Ironically, the first film was a "cheer for the underdog" story with Rambo being the underdog, more so than Teasle himself if he applies as this trope.
  • Villainous Valor: Unlike the later outrageous Dirty Communist villains in the sequels, Teasle here is just a hick town sheriff doing his job even he counts for being a Dirty Cop and wanting to avenge Galt's death. However, he is also a Korean War veteran who wants to prove himself to be better than Vietnam veterans after being sick of being in someone else's shadow for so long and relied on his old fashioned infantry combat experience he used in Korea to combat Rambo from thinking of a skirmish line tactic during the initial manhunt to using the rooftop of the police station with nothing, but a rifle and what he learned in past combat rather than an Evil Is Bigger Soviet gunship that the later villains used. When the chips are down, Teasle, despite being wounded and accepting defeat, attempts to angrily Face Death with Dignity and goads Rambo to Get It Over With. All of this actions above are quite noble and honorable even for the absolutely wrong dishonorable reasons.
  • War Hero: He was a decorated Korean War veteran, but instead sunked down to that of a horrible Fallen Hero and somewhat a Tragic Villain because of his own rancorously jealous bias against anyone who's The Vietnam Vet at the time of the film. In the novel not only Teasle was more of a Tragic Villain compared to the film's depiction of him, he was also a Tragic Hero rather than Rambo in the film because of his own War Is Hell experience during the Battle of the Chosin Reservoir he partake in.

    Deputy Sergeant Art Galt 

Deputy Sergeant Art Galt

Played By: Jack Starrett

"Hey, if you're looking for trouble, you've come to the right place, buddy."

Senior and most trusted Teasle' deputy. He's a sadistic and cruel one too, who likes to brutalize people.

  • Accidental Murder: Only in the movie. Arguably. It's probable Rambo's only intention chucking the rock was to scare Portis into flying away. If he'd intended to kill Galt, he would've thrown the rock at him. This it was entirely unintentional that Galt fell out when Portis lost control of the chopper.
  • Adaptational Ugliness: Galt in the novel was a young man who had a similar slender physical frame compared to Mitch, in the film, he's a Fat Bastard.
  • Adaptational Villainy: In the novel, Galt is no better or worse than any of Teasle's other men. In the movie, he's an abusive Jerkass.
  • Age Lift: He's a young man in the novel, middle-aged in the film.
  • All There in the Manual: According to the DVD's Survival Mode easter egg trivia, Galt served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1953 to 1957 as a motorpool sergeant at Camp Lejeune and then served in the reserves from 1958 to 1973. This might as well explain why Galt was trigger-happy and a Cold Sniper in the film. It's also state Teasle is a Korean War veteran and both he and Galt have been friends for a long time, since Deputy Mitch Rogers was still a little kid. Also, given Teasle's prejudice against Rambo for being a Vietnam vet and Galt's cruelty against Rambo, it could also imply Galt's bullying of Rambo stems from both officers sharing the same dislike of Vietnam veterans as both Galt and Teasle served in the military at a decade that has been forgotten by the public at the time of this film. In addition, despite being a cop, Galt also has criminal record, which shows Galt is a Hypocrite due to his occupation and also explains what kind of character he is based on his behavior in the film.
  • Artistic License – Law: Identified as a deputy in the novel despite working for a municipal police department run by a chief. This makes more sense in the movie, where Hope's police are county cops headed by a sheriff.
  • Asshole Victim: A right sadistic bastard who was going out of his way to kill Rambo when he dies.
  • Ax-Crazy: Very violent and borderline psychotic. He darkens what was already a pretty intense film.
  • The Bad Guys Are Cops: He is a deputy sergeant and the film's secondary antagonist who is The Dragon for the Big Bad Teasle.
  • Badges and Dog Tags: He's an ex-marine-turned-deputy sergeant.
  • Blood Knight: He takes joy in committing brutality for his own self-interests and was a non-combat Marine who is extremely rancorously jealous of combat vets.
  • Bullying a Dragon: His mistreatment of Rambo is what led to Rambo to snap and flee and his attempt to summarily execute him personally is what led to his death.
  • Card-Carrying Villain: While not actually saying he's evil himself, he clearly makes no secret with his body language and actions what he does is deplorable and he knows and enjoy it.
  • Catchphrase: "Son of a bitch" is his favorite insult.
  • Communications Officer: Was first shown operating one of the station's radios when he was first introduced when Teasle initially brought Rambo in to be booked.
  • Composite Character: Insofar as many of Teasle's nastier qualities from the book are transposed onto Galt for the movie. And because he lives longer in the movie, he performs the actions of other deputies from the book, such as Shingleton recklessly pulling his gun on the escaping Rambo in public and Lang firing from the police helicopter.
  • The Corrupter: For Teasle with his Toxic Friend Influence from his Villainous Friendship and the lower-ranking deputies under his command. Under Galt's influence, Teasle and his staff become as bad as Galt.
  • Dies Differently in Adaptation: In the novel, Galt is killed when Rambo first escapes the police station when Rambo slices open his stomach with a straight razor. In the movie, he survives long enough to participate in the manhunt and is killed by falling out of the police helicopter.
  • Dirty Cop: He's considered to be the most corrupt member of the sheriff's department who's willing to abuse then kill Rambo against the orders of the sheriff, who is his own best friend.
  • Disney Villain Death: He's killed when the helicopter he's in makes a hard bank and pitches him over the side to smash face-first onto a rock.
  • The Dragon: For Will Teasle.
  • Dragon with an Agenda: Unaware to Teasle, who initially wanted to apprehend Rambo after he escapes police custody, Galt planned to just kill Rambo upon finding him, which results in his death.
  • Even Evil Has Loved Ones: In a deleted scene, he had a wife who grieves for him.
  • Evil Is Petty: The reason he wanted to kill Rambo was for his hatred of Vietnam veterans and to retaliate for being physically assaulted back in the station when Rambo first escaped from custody which was prompted by his mistreatment.
  • Fallen Hero: Was a fellow military veteran like Rambo, Trautman and his one-sided best friend Teasle, despite not seeing combat unlike the latter three. It's that after receiving an honorable discharge Galt began to fall into a dark path, leaving behind a considerable criminal record of acts of violence before becoming a Dirty Cop, possibly to vent out his outrage at not going to war prior to his discharge and his own financial issues stemming from the Sasquatch Burger fast-food restaurant he initially tried to run going out of business in 1966.
  • False Friend: It is implied his friendship between him and Teasle was fake from the get-go if not just one-sided that Teasle was oblivious of, given his despicable characterization that makes viewers wonder what Teasle and his wife sees in him and Galt refusing to listen to Teasle's orders to take Rambo alive like a true friend should if not just a subordinate.
  • Falsely Reformed Villain: Has left behind a considerable criminal record and had been arrested in the past according to the DVD's Survival Mode easter egg trivia, yet unlike Mitch who is a Reformed Criminal who became a deputy out of community service and genuinely became a better person, Galt hasn't learned a thing from his crimes and abuses his position as a deputy sergeant up to his death. It can also be presumed he may have manipulated Teasle and used their so-called friendship to get him a job to act out his violent tendencies with no consequences as long Teasle backs him up.
  • Faux Affably Evil: He has a carefree attitude to the horrible acts he regularly commits. In his debut, he channels his ability to demonize those lesser than him through condescendingly put on a laid-back and somewhat jovial veneer, but when he loses his patience, his true colors show. Even when mistreating Rambo, he acts as mostly a Soft-Spoken Sadist. Then during the manhunt, when trying to get a bead on Rambo, he cheerfully and sadistically shouts "Hey soldier boy!" to him just for him to stick his head out to blow away.
  • From Camouflage to Criminal: Goes from a honorably discharged marine to a common criminal then to a Dirty Cop.
  • Green-Eyed Monster: Perhaps worse than Teasle, as his hatred of Rambo is due to the fact he's a veteran who had seen combat while Galt as a Marine has not. His disobedience (as shown during the time of his death) and implied hidden contempt towards his superior Teasle despite their one-sided Villainous Friendship may also relate to Teasle seeing action in Korea, while Galt has not. Galt may also resented Teasle behind his back due to the combat experienced latter given the highest rank of sheriff, while non-combatant Galt is a deputy sergeant much to his outrage.
  • Gutted Like a Fish: In the book, when Teasle tries to shave Rambo, Rambo overpowers him and swipes the razor, then disembowels Galt when he reaches for his pistol.
  • Hate Sink: Galt is easily one of the most despicable characters in the series. What with his sheer sadism and poor treatment of Rambo.
  • Jerkass: By far the nastiest specimen out of the group hunting Rambo down, and thoroughly enjoys abusing prisoners under his watch at the county jail.
  • Karmic Death: After abusing and tormenting Rambo and then going against orders to kill the man himself, during which he neglects his own safety to land the fatal shot, Galt is sent plummeting to his death when Rambo is forced to defend himself against the helicopter. His death may have been accidental on Rambo's part, but certainly not what one can call undeserved given his recklessness and sadism.
  • Kick the Dog: Art Galt tortures Rambo for no reason, triggering his PTSD-induced rampage in the first place. Then he decides to kill Rambo in cold blood for beating him up.
  • Killer Cop: Tries to gun down Rambo in cold blood.
  • Last-Name Basis: Only known by his surname in the novel. In the movie, he's given the first name Art.
  • Leader Wannabe: He clearly wants to be in charge of the town's police to rule with an iron fist over Teasle who is oblivious to that, even if Galt had to manipulate his superior Teasle as his puppet from behind the scenes to make sure his atrocities gets a free pass.
  • The Man Behind the Man: Was this for Teasle, manipulating him with his Villainous Friendship so his corruption would spread like a virus within the system of the police department and ensure Teasle and the other deputies like Ward were Dirty Cops like him.
  • Manipulative Bastard: It's implied the Villainous Friendship between Galt and Teasle is completely one-sided and Galt may have manipulated Teasle into thinking they're friends to get him a job as a policeman so he could get a free pass to do whatever heinous thing he wants with no consequences and make Teasle think his crooked actions benefits their service to the law. By the time of the film, Teasle has been completely brainwashed by Galt's very Toxic Friend Influence to point of wanting to avenge his death for the rest of the film.
  • The Millstone: Galt's crooked actions against Rambo is what kick off action of the first film.
  • More Hateable Minor Villain: Teasle is the Big Bad, but Galt is more of a villain than Teasle is and loved to express how much a vile Dirty Cop he is.
  • Mundane Horror: Grounded he may be, his atrocities are quite deplorable.
  • Mundanger: In contrast to the latter overblown caricature villains, he's a down-to-earth scumbag antagonist. However, he crosses over to Mundane Horror territory when he attempted to kill Rambo from a helicopter, with the music reflecting on this aspect.
  • Never My Fault: His mistreatment of Rambo was what caused him to snap and escape, assaulting Galt in the process. However, Galt never owns up to his mistake and tries to kill Rambo to retaliate for assaulting him.
  • Police Brutality: His pointless cruelty is what caused Rambo to freak out and make a run for it in the first place.
  • Psycho for Hire: He's sadistic and brutal when it comes to treating Rambo in incarceration and reckless when it comes to hunting him.
  • Psychopathic Manchild: The fact he tried to kill Rambo in petty retaliation can come across as senselessly immature.
  • Rabid Cop: He is downright sadistic and brutal when he mistreats Rambo and reckless during the manhunt for him when he doesn't give second thought to a Innocent Bystander in the way when trying to kill Rambo or Teasle's orders to capture Rambo alive.
  • Schrödinger's Cast: He is a completely different character in the novel, more along the lines of in terms of physical appearance and personality of Deputy Mitch Rogers from the film version.
  • Small Role, Big Impact: He only lives up to the first act of the film, but Galt's Police Brutality towards Rambo, his one-sided Villainous Friendship with Teasle and death was what begins the film's man hunt for the latter and Teasle's determination to hunt Rambo down out of Avenging the Villain.
  • Sociopathic Soldier: He was in the Marines, but it's unknown if he was an abhorrent nasty back then too. However, due to never seeing combat, he harbors selfish and vicious jealousy towards veterans who had seen combat.
  • The Starscream: Was using his one-sided Villainous Friendship with Teasle make him his puppet to call the shots of the sheriff's department to do corrupt deeds from behind the scenes.
  • Token Evil Teammate: While Teasle wants Rambo just as bad he's still willing to go by the book on apprehending him but Galt is not only the most corrupt of the town's law enforcement he was willing to do whatever it takes to bring Rambo down, to the point of attempting to open fire on him in the middle of a crowded sidewalk, with no regard for the pedestrians he could have hit (Teasle stops him at the last second).
  • Too Dumb to Live: Unbuckling your safety harness while in a helicopter, then leaning out the door of said helicopter while it's several hundred feet off the ground in order to shoot at an unarmed man, isn't a very smart idea. Let's just say a helicopter is not a very stable shooting platform, and when the pilot has to react to something unexpected...
  • Toxic Friend Influence: He is a sadistic brute with a Villainous Friendship with Teasle, who is fellow Jerkass like Galt and its likely both characters encouraged each others' bad behaviors that made them Rabid Cops and Dirty Cops (Teasle however is a Knight Templar and a Well-Intentioned Extremist, but likely his reliance on his bad friend Galt may have play a part in Teasle going down the route of He Who Fights Monsters that makes him bad as Galt and even causing his fall from grace to his decorated Korean War veteran past). He even made a posthumous influence on Teasle after his death that prompts Teasle to misguidedly avenge his death against Rambo that further makes him goes down further into darkness.
  • Unstoppable Rage: He has a fit that last up to his death, focusing on killing Rambo in retaliation for assaulting him during his escape.
  • Villainous Breakdown: He absolutely loses his cool after Rambo assaulted him, making him content on killing him in retaliation, even if he had to disobey police protocol and his own best friend Teasle and threatened the helicopter pilot to fly straight.
  • Villainous Friendship: Has one with Teasle. However, it seemingly appears to be one-sided and hollow that was oblivious to Teasle as Galt ignores Teasle's orders on the radio to take Rambo alive and tries to gun down Rambo in cold blood, which would lead to his death.
  • With Friends Like These...: For being a supposed best friend of Teasle, he doesn't show any real loyalty to the latter.

    Orval Kellerman 

Orval Kellerman

Played By: John McLiam

Dog handler, employed by the sheriff's office.

  • Demoted to Extra: He has less importance in the movie than the novel.
  • Friend to All Living Things: He refers to his hunting dogs as his babies.
  • Hero Antagonist: He was recruited under the belief he was doing his town a service of capturing a criminal.
  • Morality Pet: He act as this for Teasle in the novel, trying to tell him how he is doing his job the wrong way and how it would lead to the He Who Fights Monsters path. Orval's death only fuels Teasle with vengeance against Rambo.
  • Mundanger: He's quite down-to-earth in contrast to latter Mooks in the sequels.
  • Parental Substitute: Acts as the surrogate father figure for Teasle after Teasle's dad was killed accidentally in a deer hunt in the novel.
  • Punch-Clock Villain: While volunteering for the manhunt, he is a Friend to All Living Things who thought he was helping the town's law enforcement to capture a dangerous criminal.
  • Schrödinger's Cast: While still fulfill the role of the dog man, his character and focus is different in the novel than the movie, revealing to be Teasle's Parental Substitute after his father died in a deer hunt. Also, Orval being killed was Teasle's subject of revenge against Rambo rather than Art Galt, who was that in the movie.
  • Spared By Adaptation: He is only injured in the leg, but alive. In the novel, he is killed and was the result of Teasle's vengeance against Rambo.

    Captain Dave Kern 

Captain Dave Kern

Played By: Bill McKinney

Captain in the Washington State Patrol.

    Deputy Mitch Rogers 

Deputy Mitch Rogers

Played By: David Caruso

Young and inexperienced deputy.

  • Adaptational Wimp: In the book, he braves a flood trying to rescue Orval after most of the other deputies decide Screw This, I'm Outta Here.
  • By-the-Book Cop: He's just an honest deputy.
  • Clueless Deputy: Downplayed, as he is the only few of Teasle's deputies to have a conscience and manages to sense what they are dealing with, but could not restrain Rambo when he first escapes, while he himself lampshades that Rambo went through him and his colleagues like they weren't there and later was the first to be dispatched in the forest hunt as he wasn't careful enough to avoid Rambo's ambush.
  • Composite Character: He's a combination his novel counterpart and Galt's novel counterpart as a meek and decent young deputy who tried not to be in Rambo's way back in the station.
  • Friend to All Children: Was first seen chatting with a couple of Hope's child civilians while Out of Focus when Teasle first took in Rambo to the station to be booked and incarcerated.
  • Hero Antagonist: Perhaps more so than Teasle.
  • Mundanger: Subverted for being a Token Good Teammate, but he's quite down-to-earth in contrast to latter Mooks in the sequels.
  • No Good Deed Goes Unpunished: Due to him being a By-the-Book Cop Reasonable Authority Figure Token Good Teammate amongst Teasle's deputy staff who is not a Dirty Cop nor look the other way to the Police Brutality, Mitch gets the unfortunate honor of being given the Bad Boss treatment by Teasle, who appears to be a Benevolent Boss only to fellow Dirty Cops like him and ignores Mitch's advice and even grabbing him by his hair to show him Galt's corpse and vowing vengeance.
    • In the book, after Orval dies in the flood. Teasle furiously hits Mitch when he shows up too late to help, even though Mitch actually did try to help, unlike most of the others.
  • Police Are Useless: Downplayed, but during the first manhunt, Mitch was the first to be dispatched by Rambo, yet gets the least painful injury due to being a Reasonable Authority Figure Token Good Teammate. Also, when Rambo first escapes from the station, Mitch was amongst those overpowered by Rambo.
  • Punch-Clock Villain: Appears to be Just Following Orders under Teasle's entourage.
  • Reasonable Authority Figure: Compared to Teasle, who ignores his advice, was against Galt's abuse back at the station, expressed concern for Rambo's well-being after witnessing his multiple battle scars all over his body and initially refuses to needlessly risk the lives of his colleagues during the first manhunt in the woods.
  • Red-Headed Hero: The only nice deputy, and he has red hair.
  • Reformed Criminal: According to the DVD's Survival Mode easter egg trivia, Mitch was once a car stereo and speaker thief who owned marijuana, for all of that he was busted and became deputy out of performing community service. By the time of the film, Mitch became a better person in contrast to his aforementioned criminal record and his leniency towards Rambo was likely due to knowing out of personal experience of being an ex-con himself and making sure he'll be treated fairly possibly out of Mitch being mistreated similarly by authorities himself following his own past conviction.
  • Spared by the Adaptation: Dies along with everyone else in Teasle's posse during the first manhunt in the novel, but in the movie, Rambo only slices his leg to disable him.
  • Sympathetic Inspector Antagonist: In contrast to Teasle's Inspector Javert.
  • Token Good Teammate: Is the only officer to show anything even remotely resembling compassion for Rambo.
  • What Happened to the Mouse?: He shows up one last time in the police tent after Rambo takes down Teasle's posse, but disappears afterward.

    Deputy Lester 

Deputy Lester

Played By: Alf Humphreys

One of Hope's deputies.

    Deputy Preston 

Deputy Preston

Played By: Don MacKay

One of Hope's deputies.

  • Bald of Evil: For a given definition of evil, anyway. He's a somewhat aggressive cop and has male pattern baldness.
  • Clueless Deputy: Downplayed, as he is the only few of Teasle's deputies to have a conscience, but bolts when his work buddies are being attacked when Rambo first escapes.
  • Dirty Cop: For following orders of the equally corrupt Teasle and Galt without question.
  • Dirty Coward: Emphatically doesn't help Galt, Ward and Mitch fight Rambo, running from the room instead.
  • Go for the Eye: During his escape from the station in the novel, Rambo breaks Preston's nose, sending bone splinters into his eyes, permanently blinding him.
  • Hero Antagonist: Downplayed, but compared to Teasle, he appeared to be just a deputy doing his job in the line of duty.
  • Mundanger: He's quite down-to-earth in contrast to latter Mooks in the sequels.
  • Police Are Useless: He bolts when Rambo begins to Freak Out and overpower his jailers.
  • Punch-Clock Villain: Appears to be Just Following Orders and his facial expressions while hosing Rambo down appeared he doesn't seem to enjoy it as much as Galt.
  • Screw This, I'm Outta Here: When Rambo freaks at Ward trying to shave him and starts fighting with him, Galt and Mitch, Preston runs from the room.
  • Sole Survivor: He is the only officer in the novel who doesn't get killed, and only then because Rambo's blinding him during his escape leads to Preston being hospitalized and thus removed from danger.
  • Sympathetic Inspector Antagonist: Downplayed, but he does seem to be a Punch-Clock Villain Just Following Orders like how a low ranking deputy in any Sheriff's department should be and appears to regret hosing down Rambo.

    Deputy Shingleton 

Deputy Shingleton

Played By: David Crowley

One of Hope's deputies.

    Deputy Lang 

Deputy Lang

Played By: N/A

A deputy who is only featured in the novel.

  • Adapted Out: In the novel, he's the cop who shoots at Rambo from the helicopter and gets killed in that scene. In the movie, his role is taken by Galt, and Lang himself never appears.

    Deputy Ward 

Deputy Ward

Played By: Chris Mulkey

One of Hope's deputies.

  • Adaptational Villainy: In the book he is a fairly heroic character and isn't even at the police station when Rambo gets shaved.
  • Adaptational Wimp: His No One Gets Left Behind heroism from the book is cut out.
  • Bullying a Dragon: Had not Ward gleefully taunted Rambo not to move otherwise he'll have a Slashed Throat when trying to dry-shave him, Rambo would have cool his jets and not to escape from the station that started this mess.
  • Clueless Deputy: He and his colleagues have no idea what they're dealing with when hunting Rambo.
  • Composite Character: In the novel, Galt is the one who tries to shave Rambo, not him.
  • Dirty Cop: For following orders of the equally corrupt Teasle and Galt without question. He even revels in taunting Rambo when trying to dry-shave him back at the station that prompted him to escape in the first place.
  • Groin Attack: Gets a kick below the belt when Rambo freaks out.
  • Mundanger: He's quite down-to-earth in contrast to latter Mooks in the sequels.
  • No One Gets Left Behind: in the book, when floodwaters from the rain are threatening to wash the injured Orval away, Ward grabs him and tries to carry him on his back, uphill, to safety although ultimately he can't hold on to him long enough.
  • Police Are Useless: In the film, he was amongst those overpowered by Rambo when he first escapes and never saw him coming when he dispatches him in the forest during the first manhunt.
  • Punch-Clock Villain: Appears to be Just Following Orders under Teasle's entourage, however, unlike the others, he does seemed to enjoy in tormenting Rambo, just not the same extent as Galt though.
  • Rabid Cop: Downplayed in comparison to Teasle and Galt, but was willing to be abrasive towards Rambo while incarcerated.
  • Small Role, Big Impact: His taunting of Rambo while trying to dry shave him is what set the latter off to make a break for it.
  • Spared by the Adaptation: Dies along with everyone else in Teasle's posse during the first manhunt in the novel, but survives in the movie.
  • Unwitting Instigator of Doom: His attempt to shave Rambo, brandishing a razor, triggers Rambo's PTSD flashbacks to him being sliced across the chest by an enemy officer. Ward even unwittingly says almost the exact same thing as Rambo's torturer: "Don't move. I don't want you to cut your throat." The Vietnamese officer in the triggered flashback says (in Cantonese) "Don't move! Or I'll kill you!"

    Deputy Balford 

Deputy Balford

Played By: Michael Talbott

One of Hope's deputies.

  • Age Lift: He's described as very young in the book, but clearly middle-aged in the movie.
  • Bring My Brown Pants: Craps himself out of sheer terror in the novel.
  • Clueless Deputy: He and his colleagues have no idea what they're dealing with when hunting Rambo.
  • Communications Officer: Was operating a radio while wearing headphones at the time of Rambo's escape from jail that he tried to stop to no avail.
  • Dirty Cop: For following orders of the equally corrupt Teasle without question.
  • Donut Mess with a Cop: Was first shown Out of Focus when Teasle first took Rambo in to the station to be booked and jailed eating pieces of a donut while relaxing by a file cabinet.
  • Even Evil Has Loved Ones: In a deleted scene Re-Cut for television and Out of Focus in the theatrical cut, he is married to his wife named Barbara whom Teasle apologizes for Balford's injuries and tells her he'll call her at the hospital to make sure everything's okay.
  • Hero Antagonist: Downplayed, but compared to Teasle, he appeared to be just a deputy doing his job in the line of duty.
  • Madness Mantra: When the manhunt goes wrong, Balford takes to muttering "Never so scared" over and over.
  • Mundanger: He's quite down-to-earth in contrast to latter Mooks in the sequels.
  • New Meat: Is implied to be a rookie in the novel.
  • Nominal Importance: Despite having a name, he is constantly called "the young deputy" in the novel.
  • Police Are Useless: He was kicked away at ease when Rambo first escapes and never saw him coming when he dispatches him with his booby trap in the forest during the first manhunt.
  • Punch-Clock Villain: Appears to be Just Following Orders under Teasle's entourage.
  • Schrödinger's Cast: Was an easily scared rookie in the novel, but not in the film.
  • Spared by the Adaptation: Dies along with everyone else in Teasle's posse during the first manhunt in the novel, but survives in the movie.
  • Sympathetic Inspector Antagonist: Downplayed, but he does seem to be a Punch-Clock Villain Just Following Orders like how a low ranking deputy in any Sheriff's department should be and is not as actively malicious as his superiors.

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