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What I mean by normal is no enhancements, no special (super Karate) I would also like to exclude comic book characters and Remo bloody Williams. I'm talking about Jack Reacher, John McClane, Dirk Pitt, Bruce Lee in Enter the Dragon. Book, Film or T.V. characters are fine and comparison between book and film versions are fine. i.e. Tom Cruise is a pussy as Jack Reacher and the book Reacher is hard as nails. So who is the baddest of the bad? Thoughts? For me the Book Conan takes some beating.

Bond. James Bond.



What's the title of Jack REacher book? and yeah, Cruise was a bit... mięczakowaty

Bruce Lee

Karate Kid....from DC comics. No contest. No other normal fictional character can compare to this feats. He's the only non-superhuman to regularly compete with and defeat powerful superhumans.

http://www.comicvine.com/karate-kid/4005-1269/

http://dc.wikia.com/wiki/Karate_Kid

Originally posted by dadudemon
Karate Kid....from DC comics. No contest. No other normal fictional character can compare to this feats. He's the only non-superhuman to regularly compete with and defeat powerful superhumans.

http://www.comicvine.com/karate-kid/4005-1269/

http://dc.wikia.com/wiki/Karate_Kid

Read the O.P. please, no super Karate!

Originally posted by Clovie
Bond. James Bond.



What's the title of Jack REacher book? and yeah, Cruise was a bit... mięczakowaty

There's loads, the first is the Killing Floor, the one I liked least is 61 hours.

Hmm...

Oddly enough, I think it's probably Tarzan, especially if you just consider his novelization. He's not enhanced, but his upbringing as an ape-man allowed him to greatly enhance his physical abilities (since he was conditioned to climb and swing through the trees and be fast and strong enough to live amongst apes) to the point he could wrestle with lions, gorillas, rhinos, etc.

Originally posted by MF DELPH
Hmm...

Oddly enough, I think it's probably Tarzan, especially if you just consider his novelization. He's not enhanced, but his upbringing as an ape-man allowed him to greatly enhance his physical abilities (since he was conditioned to climb and swing through the trees and be fast and strong enough to live amongst apes) to the point he could wrestle with lions, gorillas, rhinos, etc.

Good Choice my friend!

But is Lord Greystoke Badass? He might beat a few 19C tribal chiefs but would he beat Maximus from Gladiator in the arena?

It has to be Jesus.

Originally posted by Shakyamunison
It has to be Jesus.

The Prophet Jesus was tough good friend.

Originally posted by Geeker
Good Choice my friend!

But is Lord Greystoke Badass? He might beat a few 19C tribal chiefs but would he beat Maximus from Gladiator in the arena?

Yeah, I think Tarzan (novel) could kill Maximus. Unarmed it's no contest Tarzan would kill him, and armed, while Maximus was very skilled (and a great team leader/strategist), Tarzan has the edge in all physical attributes, particularly speed, strength, agility, and stamina. If you gave them both armor and a sword Tarzan's likely going to be strong and fast enough to dodge Maximus's sword swings and eventually grab his wrists to prevent him from attacking, and strong enough to manhandle him.

Are you allowing the truly ridiculous charles atlas superpower characters?

I mean for example there's Karate Kid that dadudemon mentioned above, but even just disallowing comic characters there's ridiculous people like Hayato Furinji from History's Strongest Disciple Kenichi who can move dozens of times faster than the speed of sound and destroy tanks by throwing people at them.

If you want something more realisticish (Like Conan the Barbarian, who is still superhuman but less blatantly), there's Guts from Berserk.

Originally posted by Geeker
The Prophet Jesus was tough good friend.

Prophet? Jesus was just a man.

John McClane

Originally posted by NemeBro
there's Guts from Berserk.

Guts is nuts.

the old guy from old man and the sea

until any of these mother frackers can light a match on fire with a nunchuck, I don't want to hear any complaining.

Jack Bauer, Jason Bourne, or Dutch Schaefer. Either one deserves top spot.

Originally posted by jinXed by JaNx
Bruce Lee

Chev Chelios from the Crank series. The amount of punishment that guy took in either movie is ungodly, way beyond the paygrade of your average Hollywood tough guy.

He's definitely the answer for movie characters, if there are tougher characters still from books and television series.

If you mean not in comic books or video games there still are some pretty "tough" characters, or powerful ones. What about Q from Star Trek? Or some alien beings from Dr. Who. But you specifically mean beings who are "normal", as in no special powers. Just pointing out there isn't any agreed on definition on what is normal. Nikola Tesla was a real person but he would actually fit into the category of fiction well because of all the crazy things he invented; if you included reality I'd say he was the most powerful character, because he could really screw people up with his death day and Earth quake device. May I also mention Luke Skywalker who isn't technically a comic and video game character? Ok so you specifically mean tough guy, in which case I'm not sure. Master Chief maybe? But doesn't be have some enhancement?

Clean with no enhancements or related stuff: Bruce Lee or some Shaolin Monks.

Jack Reacher by far. A 6'5" 250 lb mesomorph who routinely takes on multiple opponents and always wins. Usually putting several in the hospital with multiple fractures if he is in a charitable mood. If not they're killed. Very few humans would have a chance against Jack one-on-one based upon his character in the Reacher novels.

Erast Fandorin.

Originally posted by ManyBeers
Jack Reacher by far. A 6'5" 250 lb mesomorph who routinely takes on multiple opponents and always wins. Usually putting several in the hospital with multiple fractures if he is in a charitable mood. If not they're killed. Very few humans would have a chance against Jack one-on-one based upon his character in the Reacher novels. Ser Gregor Clegane from A Song of Ice and Fire could cave Reacher's skull in with his fist (Not hyperbole). And he's relatively tame compared to some "humans" in fiction.

Originally posted by NemeBro
Ser Gregor Clegane from A Song of Ice and Fire could cave Reacher's skull in with his fist (Not hyperbole). And he's relatively tame compared to some "humans" in fiction.

Unfortunately the realm in that story is so magical it's difficult to know who is normal.

Chev Chelios is the clear, undisputed and unambiguous answer to this thread.

Guts would eat Chelios for breakfast.

Without any milk.

To be tough requires more than the ability to control one's emotions, it requires an ability to harness them - arousal as a response to pain and brutality.

In considering who's the 'toughest'; consider who is the most psycho, who can go the 'hardest' without any care of their bodily destruction in the process. Absolute/hysterical strength is triggered by rage, epinephrine and norepinephrine, more than anything else.

Answer: Uber Immortal;

http://www.shaunsmithfx.com/images/gallery/300/large/uber-immortal.jpg

Or this guy; after his son died he was consistently about as ballistic as the Uber Immortal.

I think its this guy:
http://img2.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20120722085357/disney/images/b/b0/Huge_Warrior_002.jpg

The fanboy version of Chuck Norris

Davey Crockett (killed a bear, when he was only three)

Steven Segal: under siege (die hard, on a boat)

Riddick (technically an alien)

Ripley/Sarah Connor to rep the ladies here.

Rambo?

I still think the Jesus in fiction. However, maybe he wasn't a normal guy. He did have supper powers. So, my second guess would be John McClane from Die Hard.

Marv from Sin City.

Originally posted by Jmanghan
Marv from Sin City.

Can I change my mind again?

Who is the toughest normal guy in fiction not comic book or video game??

The answer is, Shakyamunison...duhhh!

Originally posted by Time Immemorial
Who is the toughest normal guy in fiction not comic book or video game??

The answer is, Shakyamunison...duhhh!

Doesn't count, Shakya is a video game character!

John McClane

Chief O'Brian

Originally posted by Bardock42
Doesn't count, Shakya is a video game character!

Don't tell anyone!

..Still sticking to Marv... In terms of toughness, he has one of of the biggest Damage Soaks in any plain human I have ever seen.

Jason Voorheees from Friday the 13th part 6 and later movies was pretty much unstoppable.


Oh, and LOL@Jesus being a "fictional character". Oh boy, are you in for a surprise! Go ahead and laugh while you can though. I hope you like it hot.

Bryan Mills (Taken) ?

Originally posted by Star428
Jason Voorheees from Friday the 13th part 6 and later movies was pretty much unstoppable.


Oh, and LOL@Jesus being a "fictional character". Oh boy, are you in for a surprise! Go ahead and laugh while you can though. I hope you like it hot. Do you believe Jesus or God would want you to laugh about and take pleasure in the eternal suffering of others?

Originally posted by Star428
Jason Voorheees from Friday the 13th part 6 and later movies was pretty much unstoppable.


Oh, and LOL@Jesus being a "fictional character". Oh boy, are you in for a surprise! Go ahead and laugh while you can though. I hope you like it hot.

Yeah, even if you don't believe in any god whatsoever, you have to believe in Jesus because he was a REAL ****ING PERSON O-O

Roland Deschain.

I'm not sure if the OP meant "normal" as in "somewhat realistic" or simply "is a human." There's a pretty big distinction. This is all for fun though, so I guess it doesn't matter.


Peter Griffin is a solid pick I'd say. He one-shots whales, sustains legendary damage in the Giant Chicken fights, and heals from having his head crushed because he wanted a hat.

Tough is a pretty generic term - what exactly do you define as tough? Hard to kill? Badass in a fight? Emotionally unresponsive? Durable under torture? Willing to fight a lost cause, alone?

Spenser, in the Robert B. Parker books, is emotionally and physically one of the toughest guys ever created in fiction (he's never lost a fight), because he tries to do the right thing whatever the cost to himself, emotionally or physically. This doesn't mean that he would win in a hand-to-hand fight against Tarzan (though he could probably shoot him), or outshoot Bob Lee Swagger from Shooter and all the other Stephen Hunter books ( though he could definitely beat him up).

Parker, the character from the Richard Stark books, played by Mel Gibson in Payback, is emotionally a lot tougher than Spenser, since he doesn't care about people as much as Spenser, but Spenser would rip him apart if it came to a physical confrontation.

Bob Lee Swagger withstood a whole night of waterboarding without breaking and he's killed hundreds of people, but he nearly falls apart every time somebody he cares about dies.

Maybe Bruce Wayne? He's human, yet has dedicated his life to fighting all kinds of villains and monsters, so he's physically very tough, he had to grow up alone and sacrificed any chance of happiness to protect his identity, so he is emotionally very tough, he never quits no matter the odds and never gives in to temptation or loses faith in his cause, so he is spiritually very tough, and he has trained himself in all kinds of disciplines and skills, so he is mentally very tough.

But, he is a comic book character, so by your rules he is disqualified...

In animal terms, the honey badger is described by the 2002 edition of the Guinness Book of World Records as "the most fearless animal in the world', so it seems fair to give it the title as the toughest of them all. But this doesn't mean it will win in a fight against a leopard or a lion. It just means it can take an extraordinary amount of punishment and still keep on coming back for more. Honey badgers have survived venomous snake bites, hundreds of bee stings and yes, even getting mauled by lions.

Therefore, in human terms, you don't really want a Jack Reacher - you want a John McClane. According to their respective abilities Reacher will beat the crap out of him, every single time, yet McClane won't ever admit defeat - making him simultaneously the toughest and the less badass.