Movie Hero Mount Rushmore: Who are the Best Movie Heroes of All Time?

What’s a movie with someone to root for? Not much of a movie, right? The best movie protagonists are the ones we can relate to in some way, even if they possess vastly different personalities or character traits than us.

The best heroes speak to something inside us—as much with their flaws as their virtues. If a story’s protagonist is engaging, we can’t help but cheer for them when they overcome their obstacles and succeed. But which heroes are the BEST?

Just like I did with movie heroes, here’s my personal ranking for the best movie heroes of all time…

A Intrepid Ranking

There are so many incredible heroes to choose from! Instead of doing a Top 10 list or something to that effect, I wanted to put together a Mount Rushmore ranking—something that’s been popularized by Bill Simmons, founder of The Ringer.

There are only four spots on Mount Rushmore, so which heroes will be immortalized forever in my little corner of the internet?

So, Who are the Best Heroes?

That’s a pretty straightforward question, so I complicated it.

As I did with my villains list, I didn’t just want to do a list of my four favorite heroes. I felt that might skew a bit too much toward certain genres while leaving others underrepresented. I decided that each of the four heroes would represent a different type of movie.

The first category is heroes from Sci-Fi & Fantasy. Pretty self-explanatory—this is the category for the good guys who exist in extraordinary and fantastical settings, be that a distant planet or magical forest.

The second category is something we’ll call Grounded Reality. Heroes in this category exist in a world where realism is the aim. Think cop dramas or psychological thrillers.

Enhanced Reality is the third category of heroes—these are the good guys who exist in a heightened version of the world which stretches beyond the bounds of realism. Comic book movies would fit here. So would other films that contain exaggerated exploits.

Our fourth and final category is for Monster heroes. This spot is earmarked for the best protagonist in a monster movie—the “last survivor”-type who must fend off a monstrous threat.

Movie Hero Mount Rushmore

Okay, with the categories in place, let’s get into it.

1. Sci-Fi & Fantasy

This category was easy for me to fill, but hard to narrow down to just a few options. Here are my “final five”: Harry Potter from Harry Potter, Inigo Montoya from The Princess Bride, Jack Sparrow from Pirates of the Caribbean, Luke Skywalker from Star Wars, and Samwise Gamgee from The Lord of the Rings.

Inigo Montoya (Mandy Patinkin) surprised me. He was not on my radar when I started putting together this list, but the more I thought about it, the more the Spanish swordsman stood out. The Princess Bride is full of witty dialogue and wonderful characters, but I’d argue that Inigo is the best and has the best line. Ask anyone familiar with the movie for a quote, and though there are many good ones to choose from, the odds are good that you’ll get this one. Inigo is fueled by vengeance (which dovetails nicely with one of the film’s antagonists), but he still is a man of honor. His transformation from adversary to ally is a great one and seeing him finally get his revenge is a fantastic movie moment.

The Boy Who Lived is up next. The centerpiece of a massive magical fantasy franchise, I couldn’t (and didn’t want to) leave Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe) off the list. While the idea of a wizarding school had been done before, J.K. Rowling took it to a whole new level, chronicling Harry’s exploits at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Harry is an immediately sympathetic character—a boy who lost his parents and was forced into a dreadful existence with the Dursleys (thanks a lot, Dumbledore). But from humble origins, the real treat is seeing Harry grow in his powers and confidence alongside his friends over the entire movie franchise, finally defeating Voldemort and getting a happy, cathartic ending.

Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) was a surprise sensation when the first Pirates of the Caribbean movie was released. He wasn’t the main character, but the peculiar but charismatic pirate captain was the driving force behind the movie’s success. In fact, Jack Sparrow not being the protagonist allowed the character to paint outside the lines, flip allegiances when it suited him, and ultimately become a more interesting heroic character. Everything about Depp’s performance (the quirky mannerisms, sardonic swashbuckling, and fixation on rum) was pitch perfect and created a character that’s still in the cultural consciousness today.

The runner-up for my greatest sci-fi and fantasy hero is the farm boy from Tatooine, Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill). In many ways, Luke is the quintessential fantasy protagonist, as George Lucas directed his character arc based on Joseph Campbell’s “Hero’s Journey.” We see Luke grow from a naïve young man stuck on a backwater world to a daring rebel and powerful Jedi. While Han Solo and Princess Leia may be more interesting characters, Luke’s journey is the heartbeat of the Original Trilogy. It’s moving to see him grow into someone willing to lay down his life to save his father, even against the advice of his mentors. By the end of the trilogy, Luke proves himself to be a true Jedi.

When it comes to heroes, in my mind, nobody tops Samwise Gamgee (Sean Astin) from The Lord of the Rings. Sam is the rare hero who grows and changes over the course of a story, but never loses his love for where he came from. Sam is a simple gardener at heart and carries that through the entire trilogy—that’s what makes him a hero. He’s not a soldier, or a king, or a wizard. He’s a simple hobbit willing to fight for the good in his world. Of course, he’s loyal and brave and optimistic and never gives up, but those traits are outpourings of his inner character, with him from the very beginning. He never forgets where he came from, and as such he is driven all the more to persist in the face of overwhelming evil. In a series with a seemingly endless supply of heroic characters, Sam stands out among the rest.

Winner: Samwise Gamgee

2. Grounded Reality

Here are the five “grounded reality” heroes that I came up with: Clarice Starling from The Silence of the Lambs, John McClane from Die Hard, Juror #8 from 12 Angry Men, Maximus from Gladiator, and Rocky Balboa from Rocky.

First up is John McClane (Bruce Willis). Readers of my Villain Mount Rushmore will remember my love for Die Hard big bad Hans Gruber, and workaday New York City cop is the ideal foil to the erudite villain. McClane the perfect everyman action hero, thrust into an unexpected situation and surviving a skyscraper full of terrorists through his wit and grit. One of the character’s greatest strengths is how relatable he is—we can connect with his personal stakes (trying to reconnect with his estranged wife) and the physical, life-or-death stakes he stumbles into (trying to stop a bunch of terrorists while staying alive). His ultimate victory over Hans Gruber and the restoration of his marriage makes for one of the most satisfying endings to any movie.

Hello, Clarice. That’s right, Clarice Starling, FBI trainee (played by Jodie Foster) takes the next spot on this list. Clarice is young and driven and is eager to take on a special assignment to interview Dr. Hannibal Lecter. It’s a great use of a classic character trope—the outsider looking to get in. Clarice’s desire to prove herself drives her through the story, though she comes to lose the idealism she possessed at the beginning of the film. Clarice is tough, intelligent, and resourceful, navigating the bureaucratic hurdles created by her superiors as well as Lecter’s mind games. In the end, she chases down the film’s main antagonist, the serial killer Jame Gumb, and emerges victorious after a tense cat-and-mouse confrontation. 

The next character in this category is an oldie-but-a-goodie: Juror #8 (Henry Fonda) from 1957’s 12 Angry Men. Talk about a hero having to stand up for their convictions in the face of immense pressure. If you don’t know, the movie is about twelve members of a jury deliberating the verdict of a murder trial. The case seems pretty open-and-shut, and the jury is almost unanimously ready to render a guilty verdict that would result in a death sentence for the accused. I say “almost,” because there is one dissenting vote—from Juror #8. He’s not totally convinced by the evidence and presses the others to give the case more careful consideration. At first, it’s not received well. However, slowly but surely, as the men reexamine the evidence, they come to realize Juror #8 prevented them from sentencing an innocent young man to death. Truly heroic stuff.

I struggled with who the runner-up would be in this category. In the end, the Italian Stallion was the one who came in second place. But he’s no bum! Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone) is one of cinema’s great heroes—a true underdog story that inspires us in a way few movies can. There are many good movies in the Rocky franchise (and the Creed spinoff franchise, as well), but the first film gives us a good-natured, “loser” character who’s easy to root for. We cheer as he rises from his humble station and shocks the world by giving the heavyweight champion, Apollo Creed, a run for his money. Rocky is a story that endures, and its titular character endures as well—so much so that they put up a real-life statue of him in Philadelphia!

Are you not entertained? Maximus Decimus Meridius (Russell Crowe), commander of the Armies of the North, General of the Felix Legions and loyal servant to the true emperor, Marcus Aurelius, takes the top spot of Grounded Reality heroes. Maximus is an incredible hero—he’s noble, strong, and honorable. When his life falls apart (thanks to the machinations of Joaquin Phoenix’s conniving Commodus), it is because of his sense of what is just and right. A good man being punished for doing what is good. Easy to root for. As an audience, we’re in Maximus’ corner all the way from that point on—while he survives the gladiator pits, confronts Commodus, gets his vengeance, and reunites with his murdered family in the afterlife. Gladiator is an epic, and Maximus is one of the greatest heroes in film history.

Winner: Maximus

3. Enhanced Reality

This category included the most eclectic cast of characters by far. The five finalists are: Batman (specifically from Mask of the Phantasm), Carl Fredericksen from Up, Indiana Jones from the Indiana Jones franchise, James Bond from the Bond franchise, and Iron Man from the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Agent 007 is the first cut, despite his popularity and incredible longevity—sixty years and counting! The dashing, daring super spy has been played by a number of actors over the years (for my money, the first Bond and the most recent Bond have been the best), but the best ones have portrayed the character’s suave charm and killer competency with equal aplomb. Later movies have tried to explore Bond’s psyche, seeking to show us what makes him tick. The interesting thing is, with one exception, these attempts have made Bond a less interesting character than the international man of mystery that we were first introduced to. Sometimes less is more. But still, James Bond is very deserving of an honorable mention.

Pixar’s 2009 movie, Up, is as heartwarming as it is tear-jerking, and at the center of it all is Carl Fredericksen (Ed Asner). Carl is an old man struggling with the loss of his beloved wife (communicated in a beautiful and gut-wrenching masterclass of an opening sequence), and as such has become crotchety and closed off to the world. He finds purpose in fulfilling the dream of his late wife and sets off for the South American wilderness via his balloon-propelled house. On his adventure, he meets a colorful cast of characters who show him that his life’s adventure didn’t end with his wife’s passing. Seeing Carl’s hardened heart slowly melt over the course of the story is a delight, and he displays incredible courage and determination. He’s a wonderful hero.

Holy Movie Magic, Batman! A Batman movie that’s actually about the Dark Knight! I kid, kinda. We’ve gotten a lot of great Batman movies over the years, but in most of them, the colorful, crazy villain steals the show while the Caped Crusader is left to brood in the background. Not so 1993’s Mask of the Phantasm, which tells a phenomenal noir story that includes flashbacks to Batman’s (Kevin Conroy) earliest days as a crimefighter and his lost love. Batman/Bruce Wayne has never been better realized as a character than in this film, which deftly keeps its focus on Batman’s emotional core—even as he contends with mobsters, the police, the Joker, and the titular Phantasm. If you haven’t seen this movie, please check it out! Simply put, it’s one of the best Batman films ever made.

Next up is another comic book character—Tony Stark/Iron Man (Robert Downey, Jr.) from the Marvel Cinematic Universe. While the original Iron Man film kicked off the MCU’s unprecedented run of success, Tony Stark’s impact has made it impossible to only talk about him in the context of one movie (or even his titular series). The progression of Tony Stark as a character is one of Marvel’s greatest cinematic achievements, growing from a self-absorbed billionaire playboy to a true hero prepared to make the ultimate sacrifice. The best part is that Stark—thanks to Downey’s pitch-perfect performance—is eminently entertaining, regardless of where he is at in his character’s journey. Iron Man is a character we’ll remember for a long, long time.

Ultimately, the number one spot for this category was never in doubt. Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford) is one of the greatest (if not the greatest) heroes in cinematic history. While the success of his last two outings have been mixed, the character’s original trilogy of films is unassailable. From his very first appearance in jungles of Peru to his ride into the sunset on the desert sands in The Last Crusade, Indiana Jones stands tall as one of the ultimate movie heroes. He’s brave, charming, and made for adventure. He may not always start with the most altruistic motives, but he always does the right thing by the end and is willing to go to great lengths to save the ones he loves. Unlike James Bond, even the attempt to give Indiana Jones greater depth in the third movie works flawlessly, as his interaction with his father is perfectly orchestrated and tells us all we need to know about the titular hero. The character of Indiana Jones is so great, it belongs in a museum!

Winner: Indiana Jones

4. Monster

This category contains some of the toughest heroes in movie history, characters that fight to survive against all odds. The five I landed on are: Chief Martin Brody from Jaws, Ellen Ripley from the Aliens franchise, Jim from 28 Days Later, R.J. MacReady from The Thing, and Sarah Connor from the Terminator franchise.

In 28 Days Later, bicycle courier Jim (Cillian Murphy) awakens from a coma to find his world overrun by “the infected”—effectively, fast zombies. It’s a harrowing introduction to a bleak situation, and we experience it along with Jim as he figures out what to do. He starts off meek and unsure—very relatable given the circumstances—but as he flees more infected and meets up with other survivors, he grows into a more confident and capable hero. Ultimately, he rescues his companions, a woman and an orphaned teenager, from rogue soldiers taking advantage of their society’s collapse. Jim’s growth over the course of the film makes him a strong character, and a great hero.

R.J. MacReady (Kurt Russell) from The Thing is next. A no-nonsense helicopter pilot, MacReady is stationed at the Antarctic base that the monstrous alien thing arrives at and attempts to assimilate everyone there. With paranoia running wild throughout the base (the Thing could be imitating anyone, after all), MacReady takes charge, learning more about the Thing and thinking up ways to sniff out the alien. It all culminates with a final fight—MacReady knows the alien must be destroyed, lest it spread and assimilate the rest of the Earth. But he also knows that even if he succeeds, he likely won’t survive the frozen Antarctic wastes that surround the base. Even considering the movie’s ambiguous ending, MacReady is a top tier monster movie hero.

“You’re gonna need a bigger boat.” So famously says Amity Island’s police chief, Martin Brody (Roy Scheider) upon seeing the massive, titular shark in Jaws. Brody is a pretty unassuming guy who wants to do his job well but at times is pushed to act against his convictions. That changes over the course of the story, as more people are attacked by a killer great white shark. We sympathize with Brody’s situation and cheer when he finally reaches the point of no return—he and those he recruited sailing out to sea to kill the beast and bring safety back to the waters of Amity Island. Eventually, Brody is the last man standing against the shark and manages to kill it just before he becomes the shark’s next meal. Chief Brody may be a humble hero, but he’s still a great one.

The winner of this category came down to two strong women thrust in remarkable sci-fi circumstances—I went with Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton) in the runner-up spot. Her character’s growth over the course of the first two Terminator movies is awesome to see—from a meek and mild waitress to a full-on action heroine. But her humble beginnings as the former give us as the audience the depth to appreciate her transformation into the latter. At first, Sarah doesn’t know what to do when pursued by a killer, time-traveling robot (who would?), but she soon displays exceptional toughness and a will to survive that outlasts even the Terminator. In the sequel, we learn Sarah has prepared herself for the Terminator’s return—she’s now a force to be reckoned with, fighting for the survival of her son. She’s a classic movie hero, and would be number one in this category if not for…

Ellen Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) is the greatest hero in this “monster” movie category, and one of the best sci-fi movie heroes of all-time. Like Sarah Connor, Ripley’s Hall of Fame resume is built in the first two movies of the franchise, when she begins the first film as a warrant officer on the spaceship Nostromo and winds up as the only survivor of an alien attack. She returns in the sequel and serves as an advisor of sorts to a military unit tasked with finding out what happened to a terraforming colony on a distant planet. Spoiler: it was aliens! When everything goes wrong, Ripley is the one to hold the survivors together and get them out alive. She’s strong, tough, and sensible. Add in the emotional layer of Ripley becoming a surrogate mother to a young, orphaned girl and the climactic battle between her and the terrifying Alien Queen, and Ripley solidifies herself as one of cinema’s great heroes.

Winner: Ripley

Conclusion: Best Movie Heroes

So that’s it! My movie hero Mount Rushmore: Samwise Gamgee, Maximus, Indiana Jones, and Ellen Ripley. What do you think? Who are your favorite movie heroes? Sound off in the comments below!