The 40 Toughest Movie Characters of All-Time

There are a lot of ways to define toughness—from physicality and swagger to mental fortitude and strength of character—but as a film fan, you tend to know toughness when you see it. It’s the way the character is framed, the way the music swells, or the sheer odds the movie places in the protagonist's way.

As such, some of the toughest men and women in film history are also some of the most beloved and heroic. Still others are shrewd, vengeful, and shockingly villainous. Whatever side they're on, the iconic folks on this list are all unrelentingly feisty—but one character trumps the rest in terms of toughness. Click through to find out who.

*Warning: Some entries contain heavy spoilers.