In this article, we’re talking about the fiercest, strongest, most protective, action hero dads. Those kinds of dads not only show us support in the typical small ways (showing us how to ride a bike or cook), but they will also fight bad guys to save us (literally). Here are the eight most hardcore action movie dads, ranked:
8Russell Crowe as Maximus - Gladiator
InGladiator, what haunts Maximus (Russell Crowe) isn’t that he has become a slave, but the fact that even after horse riding for days, he couldn’t save his wife and son. Vengeance for their killings is what keeps Maximus focused, and it’s the real reason he has a beef with Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix). When he dies, he goes back to his wife and son; that’s all he wants, as that’s heaven for him. A good dad indeed. About the family,Russell Crowe told Variety: “One of Ridley’s unique changes right at the beginning was adding that second act when you find Maximus sold as a slave at the edge of the Empire. That second act gives the whole journey a much more epic quality.”
7Nicolas Cage as Cameron Poe - Con Air
InCon Air, Cameron Poe (Nicolas Cage) is going to be released from prison and see his wife and daughter for the first time in seven years (he has never met his kid). On the prison plane that’s bringing him to them, a riot starts, and Poe will do anything to get to his loved ones, even if it means killing every bad prisoner on the plane. This movieis still one of the best action films of the ’90s, and that’s, in big part, to Poe’s earnestness to see his daughter. Yeah, he’ll do the right thing and save everyone on the plane, but his main concern is getting back to his loved ones.
6Bruce Willis as John McClane - Die Hard Franchise
John McClane (Bruce Willis) only wanted to have a happy Christmas with his wife and kids, when everything happened inDie Hard. As the franchise kept expanding over the years, and McClane got older, so did his kids. That’s why they appear in the last two movies in the franchise. He protects his daughter Lucy (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) inLive Free or Die Hard, and helping his son Jack (Jai Courtney) in Russia is the main motivation forA Good Day to Die Hard.
Related:Every Die Hard Movie, Ranked
5Sylvester Stallone as Rocky Balboa - Rocky Franchise
Rocky(Sylvester Stallone) has always been a family man. His relationship with Adrian (Talia Shire) was important in every movie, even when things got bad; especially when things got bad. The same happens when they have a son.InRocky V, the relationship with his son(played by Stallone’s son Sage) should’ve been the heart of the story, but it failed, as we couldn’t believe Rocky and his kid would be so in the outs for a such big part of the movie for their conflict to be solved easily, near the end of the movie. A longer focus on the relationship would’ve madeRocky Va better film.
Related:Every Rocky & Creed Movie, Ranked
4James Earl Jones as Darth Vader - Star Wars Franchise
The story of Darth Vader (James Earl Jones) inStar Warsis tragic to the point that we’re stillwondering if he’s really a villain. He might not be the greatest of dads, at least until the end ofStar Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi,where he sacrifices himself to save his kid. What’s for sure is that he’s a badass. Not many other parents can use the force to their advantage, showing he’s one of the most powerful men (and dads) in the whole galaxy.
3Arnold Schwarzenegger as John Matrix - Commando
InCommando, John Matrix (Arnold Schwarzenegger) is having the time of his life with his little girl. He’s as caring as he is tough, and she’s his only priority. When a former Delta Force team member abducts her to make Matrix him help him with a planned military coup, all hell breaks loose. Matrix will do anything to get her back, even if that means killing all the mercenaries of Val Verde to find her, as he’s a one-man killing squad. What wouldn’t this man have done for his daughter?
2Sean Connery as Henry Jones - Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
InIndiana Jones and the Last Crusade, we meet Indiana’s (Harrison Ford) dad, Professor Henry Jones (Sean Connery). Even if Indiana Jones doesn’t want to hear it, they’re a lot more alike than he thinks. In the film, they start with a rocky relationship, fighting for most of the movie, until they find a middle ground, creating one of the greatest father-son duos in action movie history. Their relationship is one of the reasons thatmakes the movie one of the bestIndiana Jonesmovies, proving there’s no better bonding experience than being chased by Nazis and supernatural powers.
1Liam Neeson as Brian Mills - Taken
Takentells the story of Brian Mills (Liam Neeson), who has his daughter kidnapped by a human trafficking ring, while he’s on the phone with her. Proving he has “a special set of skills” Mills goes to Europe to find her and kill anyone who has had anything to do with her kidnapping. If that’s not a badass father, we don’t know what that is. Mills kills half of Albania trying to get his daughter Kim (Maggie Grace) back, international laws be damned. This movie created a successful franchise for Neeson to reinvent himself as a revenge dad action hero, which he’s now been playing for almost fifteen years.
Liam Neeson told Entertainment Weekly: “Takenwas an accident," he admits of the 2009 film. “I never focused on, ‘Oh, I’d love to do action movies.’ It wasn’t really on my periphery. I read [it] and just thought, ‘This would be great; just hang out with stuntmen every day and beat guys up.’ I did think it would be straight-to-video”
