10 Most Underrated Action Movie Heroes, Ranked

Few genres have been able to create as many iconic and memorable heroes as action movies, with action movie heroes becoming some of the most recognizable film characters of each generation. From long-time classic heroes like Indiana Jones and John McClane to more modern examples like Black Panther and Evelyn Wang, there is no shortage of memorable and exhilarating action movie heroes that have flooded the annuls of film history.

However, for every monumental and beloved action movie hero out there, there is also a selection that failed to receive their own deserved time in the spotlight. There are many reasons why an action hero can be underrated. Whether they were part of an underrated or forgotten action film, they’re overlooked in favor of other action heroes, or the film is simply remembered for aspects other than its main hero. Throughout film history, there have been a multitude of underrated action movie heroes that have been loved by few but deserve to be loved and celebrated by many more.

10 Henry

‘Hardcore Henry’ (2015)

While many action movies and experiences have claimed to place their audience in the shoes of the main hero, no film or hero quite accomplishes this feat like Hardcore Henry. The film follows Henry, a newly resurrected cyborg who, soon after waking up, experiences his wife being kidnapped by a psychotic tyrant with telekinetic powers, and is forced to fight to save his wife. The entire film takes place from the POV of Henry, as the audience sees exactly how he takes down hordes of enemies to get his revenge and save his wife.

Even without directly seeing what Henry looks like until the end of the film, Hardcore Henry does everything in his power to help the audience relate and understand Henry’s struggles and adventures. It also helps that the film’s exceptional action and high-stakes action, all seen from the POV of Henry, allow audiences an even closer and more direct connection to all the exceptional feats and abilities of the character. While Henry can sometimes fall into a blank slate status to act as a surrogate for the audience to see themselves as, the character still has signature moments that give him a distinct personality throughout the film.

Hardcore Henry can be streamed on Tubi in the U.S.

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9 Andy

‘The Old Guard’ (2020)

Andy (Charlize Theron) is the leader of a covert group of mercenaries who are unable to die and have been fighting and protecting the mortal world for centuries under her leadership. However, after a mission gone wrong has their abilities exposed, they are forced to eliminate a new villain who threatens to capture and experiment with the group in able to replicate and monetize their abilities. This is made more complicated by the discovery of a new person who has retained these unkillable powers, Nile, with Andy having to act as a mentor to teach Nile how to optimize her newfound strength.

With centuries worth of combat experience under her belt, Andy is easily one of the most dangerous and most skilled action heroes out there, further amplified by the cold and stern performance from Theron. Even when she eventually seems to have lost her power of immortality, she continues to prove just how powerful of a threat she is, with her signature axe and proficiency in all types of combat. Her evolution throughout the film and effective usage of her biggest strengths are easily the biggest highlights of The Old Guard.

The Old Guard can be streamed on Netflix in the U.S.

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8 Hutch Mansell

‘Nobody’ (2021)

A self-described nobody who is in reality much more dangerous than meets the eye, Hutch Mansell (Bob Odenkirk) is the lead of Nobody, a film filled with bloodshed and destruction around every corner. Hutch has been living a simple and ordinary life as a suburban dad and unassuming neighbor for a while now, completely abandoned and removed from his mysterious past. However, after thieves break into his home, the bubbling rage kept within him finds its way to the surface, leading him on a path of bloodshed and anger that ends up putting him in much deeper waters.

While Odenkirk is much more commonly recognized for his more comedic and lighthearted performances, he leans into the rough and anger-driven role of Hutch perfectly. He distinctly makes an impact on the audience throughout the film with his uncanny ability to do away with hordes of rogues, a complete shift not only from his unassuming life at the beginning of his film, but Odenkirk’s preconceived notions as an actor. The film is certainly worth a watch for anyone looking for some good old-fashioned violent fun where one angry man can seemingly take on the entire world by himself.

Nobody can be streamed on Prime Video in the U.S.

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7 Ria Khan

‘Polite Society’ (2023)

A young and passionate martial artist-in-training from Polite Society, Ria Khan (Priya Kansara) proves herself to be one of the most charming and likable action movie protagonists in recent memory, even despite her young age. Ria has been training her entire life to be a stuntwoman, but will soon have to take her athletic abilities to the test when she believes that her older sister Lena is the target of a dangerous conspiracy. It is now up to Ria to pull off a highly improbable and dangerous wedding heist to save her sister from a terrifying fate.

Combining the strongest aspects of both coming-of-age films and highly choreographed kung fu films helps transform Ria into a character that is as deeply relatable and rootable as she is powerful and energetic on-screen. While the character certainly gets in her own head and imagination about the nature of the situation at hand, it proves to be a powerful asset when it comes to taking down the genuine conspiracy at the center of it all. The leading performance of Kansara especially makes the character of Ria work so well, with high hopes that Kansara will continue this emphatic energy in more action films going forward.

Polite Society can be streamed on Prime Video in the U.S.

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6 Diana ‘T.N.T.’ Jackson

‘TNT Jackson’ (1974)

Jeannie Bell plays the titular Diana ‘T.N.T’ Jackson in TNT Jackson, a beautiful melding of blaxploitation filmmaking of the 70s with the similarly trending kung fu movie craze of the 70s. The film follows Diana who, after learning that her brother is missing, travels to Hong Kong after suspecting that a powerful gangster and his friends may be behind the disappearance. While there, she is determined to wage war on the criminal gang to solve the mystery of her brother’s disappearance.

There were many iconic blaxploitation heroes and kung fu masters on film throughout the 70s, so it only made sense to combine the two in glorious fashion. While not the only film to attempt this combination, the core performance and charisma from Bell as TNT easily amplifies this to be one of the most well-executed and underrated action films of the era. TNT easily deserves to be in the same conversation as other blaxploitation icons like Dolemite, Foxy Brown, and Shaft when it comes to the best blaxploitation heroes of all time.

T.N.T Jackson can be streamed on Tubi in the U.S.

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5 Eric Brooks / Blade

The ‘Blade’ Franchise

Marvel has had a multitude of memorable and legendary heroes in their cinematic ventures over the years, but easily one of the most forgotten and overlooked was the original R-rated vampire killer, Blade. In his own titular film, Blade, he dedicates himself to taking down the underground society of evil vampires hidden in plain sight, in search of revenge for when his mother was bitten by a vampire during pregnancy. With an array of dangerous weapons at his disposal, his sights are set on a dangerous vampire revel who is planning on using Blade’s blood to resurrect a dangerous god.

The Blade movies are pristine and the utmost wild and extremely stylish blood-soaked 90s action possible, going hand in hand with its over-the-top absurdity and cheesy one-liners as well as outstanding action sequences. What continues to make these movies work so well and stand the test of time over 20 years later is Wesley Snipes‘s lead performance as Blade, who fully embodies the character while adding his signature layers to the character. While the character may find a resurgence with the upcoming new Blade film, for now, he is still a highly underrated hero in Marvel’s cinematic catalog.

Blade II can be streamed on Fubo in the U.S.

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4 Robert Roy MacGregor

‘Rob Roy’ (1995)

While Liam Neeson is most commonly recognized nowadays for his multitude of gruff and tough action roles, one of his first as well as one of his most underrated was that of Robert Roy MacGregor in the aptly titled Rob Roy. The film takes place in the highlands of Scotland in the 1700s, and sees Rob attempting to lead his small village into the future through a deal with local nobility. However, after being framed for theft, he is forced into a Robin Hood lifestyle to defend his family as well as reclaim his honor within the kingdom.

Even as one of his first forays into action, there are a lot of tendencies and aspects of Neeson’s turn as Rob Roy that would further become staples of his characters over the years. From a reliance on honor to getting revenge and fighting for one’s family, the only major difference is the setting and time period, with the 1700s folk aesthetic surprisingly working extremely well for Neeson’s style. Sadly, the film has mostly been forgotten over time, which is a shame, as it’s easily one of Neeson’s most effective and most underrated action movie heroes.

Rob Roy can be streamed on Prime Video in the U.S.

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3 General Nanisca

‘The Woman King’ (2022)

The protagonist of the most powerful and enthralling historical epics of recent memory, General Nanisca (Viola Davis) is the general of the Agojie, an all-female unit of warriors that protected the African Kingdom of Dahomey in the 1800s. As Nanisca is training the next generation of recruits and warriors, they are preparing for an oncoming battle against a powerful enemy who threatens to destroy their very way of life.

One of the biggest strengths of The Woman King is its widely varied and powerful ensemble of powerful and dynamic female heroes, with Nanisca standing proud as the main character and leader of the group. There’s an overall commanding presence and power that is fulfilled through Davis’s brilliant performance, balancing both strength and vigor with knowledge and respect. The modern era of filmmaking doesn’t have nearly as many historical epics about powerful heroic figures, making Nanisca and The Woman King the clear standout of the archetype in the digital era.

The Woman King can be streamed on Netflix in the U.S.

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2 Cameron Poe

‘Con Air’ (1997)

Nicolas Cage has certainly had a very prolific and varied career over the years, with a multitude of iconic action movie heroes under his belt, yet none are quite emblematic of the best aspects of Cage quite like Cameron Poe from Con Air. The film follows a plan by the government to transport all the worst criminals in the system on a single plane traveling across the country, where it doesn’t take long before they escape and take over the plane. Cage plays the wrongfully convicted Cameron Poe, who is stuck on the flight and simply doing what he can to survive and return to his family.

Cameron Poe finds the perfect balance between the best aspects of Cage as an actor, combining the capabilities of a stoic and serious character with the inherent absurdity and chaos of his characters and dialogue. Cage’s performance is simply one beautiful piece to the crazy, over-the-top pie that is Con Air, where the heroes are insane, and the villains are even more insane. Only Cage could make a line reading like “put the bunny back in the box” manage to sound equal parts hilarious and intimidating at the same time.

Con Air can be streamed on AMC in the U.S.

Watch on AMC

1 Black Dynamite

‘Black Dynamite’ (2009)

Acting as a beautiful love letter to the style and glory of blaxploitation, Black Dynamite is the culmination and combination of the greatest aspects of all the memorable blaxploitation heroes over the years. As he faces off against villains and protects his neighborhood from criminals and corruption, he proves his capabilities of being to fight anyone who stands in his way in his quest for betterment. The film has a distinct satirical and comedic flair that emphasizes nearly every aspect of its filmmaking and character to the extreme, in the process making Black Dynamite as a character incredibly memorable.

Black Dynamite is the quintessential blaxploitation hero, able to balance being a cold-blooded and cutthroat killer while also being incredibly suave and emotionally resonating with women. The film serves to play up and exponentially increase these conventions of blaxploitation heroes to the point of both absurdity and comedic hilarity, creating a beautiful over-the-top comedic masterwork. Everyone who has experienced Black Dynamite will agree that the character is a true heroic icon who deserves to be in the conversation as one of the greatest action movie heroes of all time.

Black Dynamite can be streamed on Starz in the U.S.

Watch on Starz

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