In Columbia Pictures’ upcoming sci-fi epic After Earth, a crash-landing leaves teenager Kitai (Jaden Smith) and his legendary father Cypher (Will Smith) stranded on Earth some 1,000 years after cataclysmic events forced humanity's leave.
As the lone hero who must face his fears to save himself and his father, Kitai's journey presents audiences with an all-too-real truth behind what makes many of film’s most fearless tick: that danger may be real, but fear is a choice.
In honor of the film’s release, we’re celebrating some of the silver screen’s bravest and boldest of the last decade. Whether they’re the blockbuster heroes you’ve come to know and love, unsung heroes simply trying to do the right thing, or the indomitable everyman or woman pitted against all odds, we’ve narrowed down 40 of our favorites.
Who are some of your fearless favorites of the last 10 years? Of all-time? Nominate yours in the comments below, and see After Earth, now playing.
40 Fearless Film Heroes of the Last Decade
The Driver, ‘Drive’(01 of40)
Driver: “I don't carry a gun. I drive.” (credit:Everett Collection)
Leonidas, ‘300’(02 of40)
King Leonidas: “You are generous as you are divine, O king of kings. Such an offer only a madman would refuse. But the, uh, the idea of kneeling, it's- You see, slaughtering all those men of yours has, uh, well it's left a nasty cramp in my leg, so kneeling will be hard for me.” (credit:Everett Collection)
Batman, ‘The Dark Knight’ series(03 of40)
Lt. James Gordon: “Because he's the hero Gotham deserves, but not the one it needs right now. So we'll hunt him. Because he can take it. Because he's not our hero. He's a silent guardian. A watchful protector. A Dark Knight.” (credit:Everett Collection)
Katniss Everdeen, 'The Hunger Games'(04 of40)
Caesar Flickerman: "And what did you say to her in the end?"Katniss Everdeen: "I told her that I would try to win. That I would try to win for her."Caesar Flickerman: "Of course you did. And try you will." (credit:Everett Collection)
Jamal Malik, ‘Slumdog Millionaire’(05 of40)
Prem Kumar: “Final question for twenty million rupees, and he's smiling. I guess you know the answer.”Jamal Malik: “Do you believe it, I don't!”Prem Kumar: “You don't? So you take the ten million and walk?”Jamal Malik: “No. I'll play.” (credit:Everett Collection)
The Bride, ‘Kill Bill’(06 of40)
The Bride: “Looked dead, didn't I? But I wasn't. But it wasn't from lack of trying, I can tell you that. Actually, Bill's last bullet put me in a coma. A coma I was to lie in for four years. When I woke up, I went on what the movie advertisements refer to as a 'roaring rampage of revenge.' I roared. And I rampaged. And I got bloody satisfaction. I've killed a hell of a lot of people to get to this point, but I have only one more. The last one. The one I'm driving to right now. The only one left. And when I arrive at my destination, I am gonna kill Bill.” (credit:Everett Collection)
James Bond, ‘Casino Royale’(07 of40)
James Bond: [After being struck with a knotted rope] “I've got a little itch, down there. Would you mind?” (credit:Everett Collection)
Maggie Fitzgerald, ‘Million Dollar Baby’(08 of40)
Maggie Fitzgerald: “I'm 32, Mr. Dunn, and I'm here celebrating the fact that I spent another year scraping dishes and waitressing which is what I've been doing since 13, and according to you, I'll be 37 before I can even throw a decent punch, which I have to admit, after working on this speed bag for a month, may be the God's simple truth. Other truth is, my brother's in prison, my sister cheats on welfare by pretending one of her babies is still alive, my daddy's dead, and my momma weighs 312lbs. If I was thinking straight, I'd go back home, find a used trailer, buy a deep fryer and some oreos. Problem is, this the only thing I ever felt good doing. If I'm too old for this, then I got nothing. That enough truth to suit you?” (credit:Everett Collection)
Chris Gardner, ‘The Pursuit of Happyness’(09 of40)
Christopher Gardner: "I met my father for the first time when I was 28 years old. I made up my mind that when I had children, my children were going to know who their father was." (credit:Everett Collection)
Harry Potter, The ‘Harry Potter' series(10 of40)
Harry Potter: “Come on Tom, let's finish this the way we started, together.” (credit:Everett Collection)
Alice, ‘Resident Evil’ series(11 of40)
Alice: “It's nothing personal. But in an hour, maybe two, you'll be dead. And moments later, you'll become one of them. You'll endanger your friends, try to kill them, probably succeed. I'm sorry. That's just the way it is.” (credit:Everett Collection)
Nicholas Angel, ‘Hot Fuzz’(12 of40)
Nicholas Angel: “I don't remember a time when I didn't want to be a police officer... apart from the summer of 1979 when I wanted to be Kermit the Frog. It all started with my Uncle Derek. He was a Sergeant in the Met. He bought me a police pedal car when I was five. I rode around in it every second I was awake — arresting kids twice my size for littering and spitting. I got beaten up a lot when I was young, but it didn't stop me. I wanted to be like Uncle Derek.” (credit:Everett Collection)
Merida, ‘Brave’(13 of40)
Merida: “There comes a day when I don't have to be a Princess. No rules, no expectations. A day where anything can happen. A day where I can change my fate.” (credit:Everett Collection)
Harvey Milk, ‘Milk’(14 of40)
Harvey Milk: “I am here tonight to say that we will no longer sit quietly in the closet. We must fight. And not only in the Castro, not only in San Francisco, but everywhere the Anitas go. Anita Bryant did not win tonight, Anita Bryant brought us together! She is going to create a national gay force! And the young people in Jackson Mississippi, in Minnesota, in the Richmond, in Woodmere New York, who are hearing her on television, hearing Anita Bryant telling them on television that they are sick, they are wrong, there is no place in this great country for them, no place in this world, they are looking to us for something tonight, and I say, we have got to give them hope!” (credit:Everett Collection)
Ethan Hunt, The ‘Mission: Impossible’ series(15 of40)
Brandt: You’re not gonna make it!”Ethan Hunt: “You're not helping!” (credit:Everett Collection)
John Rambo, ‘Rambo’(16 of40)
John J. Rambo: “Any of you boys want to shoot, now's the time. There isn't one of us that doesn't want to be someplace else. But this is what we do, who we are. Live for nothing, or die for something. Your call.” (credit:Everett Collection)
Ivy Walker, ‘The Village’(17 of40)
Lucius Hunt: “Are you not angry you have no sight?”Ivy Walker: “I see the world, Lucius Hunt. Just not as you see it.” (credit:Everett Collection)
John Hartigan, ‘Sin City’(18 of40)
John Hartigan: “And after I pull off that miracle, maybe I'll go punch out God.” (credit:Everett Collection)
Ree, ‘Winter’s Bone’ (19 of40)
Ree: “I'd be lost without the weight of you two on my back. I ain't goin' anywhere.” (credit:Everett Collection)
Django, ‘Django Unchained'(20 of40)
Django: “I recall the man who had me kill another man in front of his son and he didn’t bat an eye. You remember that?”Dr. Schultz: “Of course I remember.”Django: “What you said was, that this is my world and in my world you gotta get dirty. So that’s what I’m doing. I’m getting dirty.” (credit:Everett Collection)
Paul Rusesabagina, ‘Hotel Rwanda’(21 of40)
Paul Rusesabagina: “There will be no rescue, no intervention for us. We can only save ourselves. Many of you know influential people abroad, you must call these people. You must tell them what will happen to us... say goodbye. But when you say goodbye, say it as if you are reaching through the phone and holding their hand. Let them know that if they let go of that hand, you will die. We must shame them into sending help.” (credit:Everett Collection)
Bryan Mills, ‘Taken’(22 of40)
Bryan: “I don't know who you are. I don't know what you want. If you are looking for ransom, I can tell you I don't have money. But what I do have are a very particular set of skills; skills I have acquired over a very long career. Skills that make me a nightmare for people like you. If you let my daughter go now, that'll be the end of it. I will not look for you, I will not pursue you. But if you don't, I will look for you, I will find you, and I will kill you.” (credit:Everett Collection)
Billy Costigan, ‘The Departed’(23 of40)
Billy Costigan: “You accuse me once, I put up with it. You accuse me twice... I quit. You pressure me to fear for my life and I will put a f**king bullet in your head as if you were anybody else. OK? (credit:Everett Collection)
Nathan Algren, ‘The Last Samurai’(24 of40)
Katsumoto: “You do not have to die here.”Algren: “I should have died so many times before.” (credit:Everett Collection)
James T. Kirk, ‘Star Trek’(25 of40)
James T. Kirk: “I don't think you like the fact that I beat your test.”Spock: “Furthermore, you have failed to divine the purpose of the test.”James T. Kirk: “Enlighten me again.”Spock: “The purpose is to experience fear, fear in the face of certain death, to accept that fear, and maintain control of oneself and one's crew. This is the quality expected in every Starfleet captain.” (credit:Everett Collection)
Edward R. Murrow, ‘Good Night, and Good Luck’(26 of40)
Edward R. Murrow: “We must not confuse dissent with disloyalty. We must remember always, that accusation is not proof, and that conviction depends upon evidence and due process of law. We will not walk in fear, one of another. We will not be driven by fear into an age of unreason if we dig deep into our history and our doctrine, and remember that we are not descended from fearful men. Not from men who feared to write, to associate, to speak, and to defend the causes that were for the moment unpopular. This is no time for men who oppose Sen. McCarthy's methods to keep silent or for those who approve. We can deny our heritage and our history but we cannot escape responsibility for the result. We proclaim ourselves as indeed we are, the defenders of freedom wherever it continues to exist in the world. But we cannot defend freedom abroad by deserting it at home. The actions of the Junior Senator from Wisconsin have caused alarm and dismay amongst our allies abroad and given considerable comfort to our enemies. And whose fault is that? Not really his, he didn't create this situation of fear, he merely exploited it, and rather successfully. Cassius was right, the fault dear Brutus is not in our stars, but in ourselves. Good night, and good luck.” (credit:Everett Collection)
Tony Mendez, ‘Argo’(27 of40)
John Chambers: [after hearing of the plan to get the hostages out] “So you want to come to Hollywood, act like a big shot...”Tony Mendez: “Yeah.”John Chambers: “...without actually doing anything?”Tony Mendez: “Yeah.”John Chambers: “You'll fit right in!” (credit:Everett Collection)
Rocky, ‘Rocky Balboa’(28 of40)
Rocky Balboa: “The world ain't all sunshine and rainbows. It is a very mean and nasty place It will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it. You, me or nobody is going to hit as hard as life. But it ain't about how hard you hit, it is about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward, how much can you take and keep moving forward. That's how winning is done!” (credit:Everett Collection)
Walt Kowalski, ‘Gran Torino’(29 of40)
Walt Kowalski: “Ever notice how you come across somebody once in a while you shouldn't have f***ed with? That's me.” (credit:Everett Collection)
Peter Parker, ‘The Amazing Spider-Man’(30 of40)
Peter Parker: “I got to stop him, though. I have to because I created him.”Gwen Stacy: “What do you mean?”Peter Parker: “I gave him an equation... that made all of this possible. Something my father had been working on, you know. Secretly. Now I realize why he kept it a secret. Point is, this is my responsibility. I have to fix it.” (credit:Everett Collection)
Det. Richie Roberts, ‘American Gangster’(31 of40)
Frank Lucas: “It don't mean nothing to me for you to show up tomorrow morning with your head blown off.”Detective Richie Roberts: “Get in line. That one stretches around the block.” (credit:Everett Collection)
Jake Sully, ‘Avatar’(32 of40)
Jake Sully:” The Sky People have sent us a message... that they can take whatever they want. That no one can stop them. Well, we will send them a message. You ride out as fast as the wind can carry you. You tell the other clans to come… You fly now, with me! My brothers! Sisters! And we will show the Sky People... that they cannot take whatever they want! And that this... this is our land!” (credit:Everett Collection)
Michael Clayton, ‘Michael Clayton’(33 of40)
Michael Clayton: “Do I look like I'm negotiating?” (credit:Everett Collection)
Jason Bourne, ‘The Bourne’ series(34 of40)
Pamela Landy: “This is Jason Bourne, the toughest target that you have ever tracked. He is really good at staying alive, and trying to kill him and failing... just pisses him off.” (credit:Everett Collection)
Neo, ‘The Matrix’ series(35 of40)
Agent Smith: “Why, Mr. Anderson? Why do you do it? Why get up? Why keep fighting? Do you believe you're fighting for something? For more than your survival? Can you tell me what it is? Do you even know? Is it freedom? Or truth? Perhaps peace? Yes? No? Could it be for love? Illusions, Mr. Anderson. Vagaries of perception. The temporary constructs of a feeble human intellect trying desperately to justify an existence that is without meaning or purpose. And all of them as artificial as the Matrix itself, although only a human mind could invent something as insipid as love. You must be able to see it, Mr. Anderson. You must know it by now. You can't win. It's pointless to keep fighting. Why, Mr. Anderson? Why? Why do you persist?”Neo: “Because I choose to.” (credit:Everett Collection)
Wesley, ‘Wanted’(36 of40)
Wesley: “This is me taking control from Sloane, from the fraternity, from Janice from billing reports, from ergonomic keyboards, from cheating girlfriends and sack a s**t best friends. This is me taking back control of my life. What the f**k have you done lately?” (credit:Everett Collection)
Coraline, ‘Coraline’(37 of40)
Cat: “You realize you're walking right into her trap.”Coraline Jones: “I have to go back. They are my parents.” (credit:Everett Collection)
Lisbeth Salander, ‘The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo’(38 of40)
Lisbeth Salander: “If you touch me I'll more than alarm you.” (credit:Everett Collection)
Abraham Lincoln, ‘Lincoln’(39 of40)
Abraham Lincoln: “ I can't listen to this anymore. I can't accomplish a goddamn thing of any worth until we cure ourselves of slavery and end this pestilential war! I wonder if any of you or anyone else knows it. I know! I need this! This amendment is that cure! We've stepped out upon the world stage now. Now! With the fate of human dignity in our hands. Blood's been spilled to afford us this moment now! Now! Now! And you grouse so and heckle and dodge about like pettifogging Tammany Hall hucksters!” (credit:Everett Collection)
Frodo, ‘The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King'(40 of40)
Frodo Baggins: “How do you go on when in your heart, you begin to understand there is no going back? There are some things that time cannot mend, some hurts that go too deep that have taken hold.” (credit:Everett Collection)