I can't believe I forgot about Tyler and Leonidas, those are probably in my top 10 movies of all time easily. There are just so many badass characters to choose from.

I would probably add Bill Adama from the new Battlestar Galactica to my top 10 also. He was such a tuff old fart.

1) Master Chief
2) Ryu Hayabusa
3) Jason Bourne
4) Maximus Decimus Meridius (Gladiator)
5) Bear Grylls

A special mention goes out for Kratos, Batman, King Leonidus and John Creasy (aka Creasy Bear)

Those group of people above are the epitomy of "badassness"

John Creasy was definantly a badass. The things he did for that little girl.

movie= the new Capt. James T. Kirk

game = Commander Sheppard (Mass Effect)

Santino Corleone from The Godfather.  They riddled his body with hundreds of bullets on the causeway, and they still couldn't keep him out of the sequel.

That being said, the problem with "badass" characters is that they're a dime a dozen nowadays; badassness has pretty much become cliche in my eyes.  (As much as I love James Caan, I'll take a Fredo over a Sonny any day of the week.)

Where is king Leonidas? It takes spartan sized balls to take an army of 300 to fight a persian army ranking around the millions ;o

I totally agree with number 5.

That guys a beast!

Shooting faces off with shotguns, cutting off every single finger during and interrogation, sticking bombs up peoples asses and leaving a river of blood every where his wrath led him. That man was amazing.

While I too like Bear, I think he has been proven to be a bit of a fraud.  I think there was a few times that he was caught lodging in a motel instead of ruffing it in the bush. 

With that said, he is still a tuff fellow though.