5: Walt Kowalski

Film: Gran Torino

Reason for vigilantism: Standing up for those who can’t.

Weapon/s of choice: Racist taunts and foul language.

One of Clint Eastwood’s finest moments was as Walt Kowalski in Gran Torino, a narrow-minded, bitter old man who comes to love his Hmong neighbours, especially one boy named Thao. But when Thao is forced by members of a local gang to steal Walt’s prize Gran Torino and his family is attacked when he decides to have no part in their activities, Walt honourably steps forward to commit what is quite possibly the most passive, but effective, form of vigilantism ever seen in cinema. But we wouldn’t want to spoil anything now would we?

4: Harry Brown

Film: Harry Brown

Reason for vigilantism: Fed up with chavs.

Weapon/s of choice: Slick cockney accent and some Marine training.

Harry Brown (played by Michael Caine) is the UK, no-nonsense equivalent of Walt Kowalski. Fed up with the way in which youths on the council estate he lives on behave after his only friend is stabbed and killed by one, Harry goes out to clean the streets, guns blazing. Harry is higher than Walt in the vigilante chart because, although his methods may be far more uncouth, he did what everyone watching wanted him to do: Show those chavs that if you mess with Michael Caine he’ll blow your bloody doors off!

3: Dexter Morgan

TV Show: Dexter

Reason for vigilantism: Mentally scarred as a child.

Weapon/s of choice: Syringes, surgical knives and glass slides.

Dexter Morgan is one truly disturbed individual. Obsessed with killing following some horrific childhood events, he struggles to balance his social life and an insatiable urge to end lives. His adoptive father, Harry, noticed these urges from an early age and taught Dexter a code that would mean he only killed those guilty of the most horrendous crimes. Some argue, however, that Dexter is not truly a vigilante, as although he only kills those who are truly deserving, it is through bloodlust and not the search for justice. Discounting this though, Dexter is one of the greatest on-screen vigilantes of all time.

2: Hit-Girl

Film: Kick-Ass

Reason for vigilantism: Brain-washed by Dad.

Weapon/s of choice: Anything she can get her hands on. And the C word.

This little girl was perhaps the most shocking thing about Mark Millar’s Kick-Ass, if not the most controversial thing ever to hit mainstream cinema. Mindy Macready was raised by her deluded father to be as close to a comic book vigilante as he himself dreamed of being, creating a twisted father-daughter superhero team. The foul-mouthed 12 year old (played in the movie adaptation by Chloe Moretz) is a master of almost any weaponry imaginable and has no qualms about slicing and dicing any and all bad guys. Not to be underestimated.

1: Bruce Wayne (aka Batman)

Film: Far too many to list.

Reason for vigilantism: Murdered parents and an obsession with bats.

Weapon/s of choice: Batarangs, cool gadgets and LOTS of money.

Bruce HAD to be the top of this list, and anyone who thinks otherwise should seriously consider tests of some kind. He is the best of the best, the vigilante to end all vigilantes, he is The Dark Knight, the world’s greatest detective. Another product of horrific childhood events, Bruce saw his parents murdered over their wallets and jewellery and since vowed to protect the city of Gotham from the likes of those who would commit such acts. Played by numerous actors, his most celebrated outings are the most recent, directed by Christopher Nolan and starring Christian Bale. There is no denying that Batman is one of the most iconic fictional figures in history, and for that reason, he is the number one on-screen vigilante of all time.

FemaleFirst – Fareed Athman

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