“Tough, uncompromising, or intimidating.” That’s how the New Oxford American Dictionary describes the ideal “badass.” Also: “Formidably impressive person.” These descriptors are accurate, certainly, but perhaps too broad. Sterling Archer* wouldn’t settle for an imprecise definition of anything, and neither would we. If there are twelve principles of animation, we present a humble proposition: the nine attributes of animated badassery, in alphabetical order, and nine badasses who show the rest how it’s done.
capable
able to achieve efficiently whatever one has to do; competent
ex. Turanga Leela, Futurama
Expert pilot. Fine tactical mind. Superb hand-to-hand combatant. Responsible commander even in the face of crippling self-doubt while positioned at the head of a group of utterly incompetent, self-sabotaging knuckleheads. Turanga Leela has it all in spades, and despite a hardened exterior, she still has the compassion and foresight to save the adorable Nibbler from a collapsing planet — and that before realizing he was a member of an ancient and wise alien race.
devil-may-care
relaxed and without worry
ex. Spike Spiegel, Cowboy Bebop
“Whatever happens, happens,” he says, staring off skyward with a resigned smirk as his spaceship dips toward Earth’s atmosphere and the fiery disintegration of its hull begins. A former crime syndicate hotshot turned languid bounty hunter, Spike Spiegel defined neo-noir cool for generations of anime and space-western fans alike with his Bruce Lee-inspired martial-arts skills and dry, charming apathy. You’d have to look pretty far to find a sci-fi badass he hasn’t influenced since. Don’t believe it? Just check out Firefly’s Malcolm Reynolds or Outlaw Star’s Gene Starwind. But as Bebop’s bluesy soul, Spike had them all beat. There’s a reason he sent the series out with a “Bang.”
intimidating
making you feel frightened or nervous
ex. Brock Samson, The Venture Bros.
Throughout the flagship Adult Swim series that successfully morphed from an irreverent Jonny Quest parody into a thoughtful meditation on the failures of the masculine power fantasy, Dr. Thaddeus “Rusty” Venture’s trusty bodyguard is called many things. Among them: “walking Swedish murder machine,” “Super Kill-Guy,” and “Franken-mullet.” Don’t let him hear the last one, though, or he’ll bury his Bowie knife in your larynx with little more than a twitch of those baby blues. In many ways, Brock Samson is the animated ür-badass — a top agent in multiple secret paramilitary and intelligence organizations with a License to Kill and a resume of deceased supervillains to match. We’d love to see him one-on-one with Archer’s titular spy. But that’s for another list.
mysterious
difficult or impossible to understand, explain, or identify
ex. Valerie Frizzle, The Magic School Bus
Admit it, Ms. Frizzle was the teacher you always wanted and never had. Her extracurricular antics and Socratic refusal to explain herself or most of her material always kept her students guessing. The mysteries she actively encouraged — her love life; a hyper-intelligent pet lizard; a shape-shifting school bus; or where she learned her madcap, wildly illegal teaching method — all made for pretty excellent TV. The students may have been the protagonists of this show, especially since its format allowed viewers to easily slip into any of their shoes and learn along the way. But the Frizz was the baddest of the bunch, and that had everything to do with how little we knew about her.
resilient
able to withstand or recover quickly from difficult conditions
ex. Jack, Samurai Jack
When it comes to hanging in there, Jack has few worthy rivals. This is a man whose homeland was razed by an unspeakable and merciless evil, whose parents were tortured and enslaved, and who was flung helplessly into an unforgiving future with nothing but his sword, kimono, sandals, and straw hat. And yet, friendless and exhausted, he will stop at nothing as he travels a strange new galaxy, hoping to find his way back home. Someday soon, he may just happen to find it.
resourceful
having the ability to find quick and clever ways to overcome difficulties
ex. Huey Freeman, The Boondocks
The youngest player on this list, Huey is arguably even more resourceful than strategic mastermind Bruce Wayne. This is, after all, an elementary schooler who prevents both an unjust execution of a former Black Panther and an attempted Oprah kidnapping, makes national headlines leading a BET hunger strike, and hires Quincy Jones to score a school Christmas play. “Me and Huey go way back,” says Jones, of a ten-year-old boy. Level-headed and cynical, Huey consistently outwits friends, foes, and family alike with an almost supernatural ability to turn liabilities into advantages.
stoic
can endure pain or hardship without showing their feelings or complaining
ex. Motoko Kusanagi, Ghost in the Shell
Keeping a poker face may come easy when you’re a special-ops cyborg consumed with existential questions, but that doesn’t make any of Major Kusanagi’s steely reserve any less interesting. She hardly blinks in Mamoru Oshii’s 1995 film, and though her personality differs between the various adaptations of the original manga, her composed, adult portrayal is still the most iconic.
tenacious
not readily relinquishing a position, principle, or course of action
ex. Vegeta, Dragonball Z
Prince of the Saiyans, arch-villain turned anti-hero, and 5’5” rippling pile of mega-muscle, Vegeta’s determined ferocity knows almost no bounds. It’s something of an in-joke amongst Dragonball fans that in a series packed to the brim with over-the-top heroes, this paragon of arrogance (originally painted only as a foil for Superman/Boy Scout stand-in Goku) has arguably the best character arc in the entire bloated series. Vegeta’s sheer force of will is indomitable, yet that doesn’t stop him from personal growth — a byproduct, surely, of a never-say-die attitude even his enemies seem compelled to respect.
tough-as-nails
strong and durable; not easily broken or cut
ex. Buttercup, The Powerpuff Girls
Let’s be real. She was your favorite. She was everyone’s favorite. Sugar, spice, and everything nice had nothing on this Chemical X-fueled titan of a tot. The Powerpuffs were a pretty potent remedy to the caricatured masculine power fantasies of your run-of-the-mill mid-1990s superhero show, and this green-eyed bruiser was there to remind you that not all children named for sweet-smelling flowers were clichéd Princess Brides. This Buttercup packs a punch plus some — a school-of-hard-knocks, all-action sort of lady who can take as good as she gives. And later this year, she’ll do it again.
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