History Main / ColonelBadass

Imagine TheCaptain, but instead of a ship at sea or in the [[SpaceIsAnOcean stars]], s/he has a large contingent of ground troops. Still the most kickass guy around, powerful leader, outranks everyone else in TheSquad, you know the type. Chances are, he is gonna be a colonel.

* ''{{Rifts}}'' has Col. Buck Murphy, a hotshot SAMAS (flying PoweredArmor) Pilot who has an impressive combat record, and is AFatherToHisMen.

* Col. Sanders is the preferred nickname of one of the most powerful fighters in ''MahouSenseiNegima'' that we've seen so far.

* [[PuttingOnTheReich Standartenführer]] Rhianna von [[MeaningfulName Adolph]] from ''OpenBlue'' is a [[StepfordSmiler constantly smiling]] KnifeNut who is in charge of the special operations division of Sirene's intelligence agency. She is also TheCaptain of ''two'' ships.

* Maxima of ''Webcomic/GrrlPower'' is an Colonel in the US Army, [[HeroesRUs Arc-SWAT's]] field commander, and the strongest (heroic) superhuman in the setting.

* Some civil war historians credit the early success of the South in the American Civil War to superior leadership. In support of this trope, the North managed to collect EVERY SINGLE general of the former armed forces, leaving the South no one higher than Colonel including their eventual supreme commander, Robert E. Lee.

** Considering that he's [[ANewHope Grand Moff Tarkin]] if Tarkin were stupid rather than evil, this is to be expected.

* In his 1884 ''Literature/AdventuresOfHuckleberryFinn'', MarkTwain gave us Col. Sherburn who shoots a drunk who only annoyed him and gets away with it by ''scaring the lynch mob away'' with a BreakingSpeech.

* Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Edward Lawrence, A.K.A. ''LawrenceOfArabia''.

* Averted in ''IpMan'', where Japanese Colonel Sato is a SmugSnake who only hits people when they're in no position to fight back. Preferably from safe up high behind a gun.

** Colonel Douglas "Duke" Ellington, the [[CoolPlane F-19 Ghostrider]] pilot who provided the main point of view character for the central front air war in Germany and the Soviet colonel commanding the MiG-29 regiment at Keflavik both also qualify (both demonstrate their AcePilot skills numerous times, the MiG-29 regiment CO survives leading his pilots in a battle against two full squadrons of F-14 Tomcats at one point, while Ellington also gets to demonstrate his all-around [[BadAss badassery]] by managing to successfully escape and evade after being shot down over hostile territory late in the war).

* George Washington was a colonel during his time fighting for the British during the French and Indian War, and his BadAss exploits earned him enough distinction to be appointed Commander in Chief of the Continental Army during the Revolution, which in turn helped get him elected as the first President of the United States.

* Col. ComicBook/NickFury in the Franchise/MarvelUniverse. His badassery is compounded in the UltimateMarvel universe [[spoiler:and the ''Film/IronMan'' film]] due to his portrayal by Creator/SamuelLJackson.
** Somewhat averted in the UltimateMarvel universe though, as he's actually a four-star general there (or started out that way, anyhow), which would be much more realistic for the commander-in-chief of a multinational paramilitary espionage organization. Either way, it doesn't make him any less badass.

* Also Marvel, [[ComicBook/WarMachine James Rhodes]] (War Machine, and sometimes ComicBook/IronMan), is an Air Force Lt. Colonel in UltimateMarvel and [[Film/IronMan the movies]].

* Col. Nathan R. Jessup, as played by JackNicholson in ''Film/AFewGoodMen''.

** Greatjon Umber, Robb's right hand in Season 1 is a a formidable and proud bannerman of House StarK, who fought for Robb in the War of the Five Kings. Despite sometimes standing up against Robb when disagreeing with his decisions, he is fiercely loyal to the Starks of Winterfell, and is in fact the first lord to propose crowning Robb the King of the North.

* [[VideoGame/{{Killzone}} Colonel Tendon Cobar and Colonel Mael Radec]] are with the bad guys, [[AuthorityEqualsAsskicking but they're both badass enough to show you how they've earned their ranks]]. Templar, while promoted to colonel in ''Killzone 2'', doesn't quite make the cut.

** Colonel Lev Andropov (Creator/PeterStormare) also qualifies: not only does he save AJ (Creator/BenAffleck) when the space station blows, he also [[PercussiveMaintenance restarts a FREAKIN' space shuttle]]. He also gets most of the [[CrowningMomentOfFunny best lines]] in the movie:

** Even when Jade gets hit with a Fon Slot Seal, he doesn't lose any of his awesomeness. In fact, it's by traveling with the party that he can learn the [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin Meteor Storm]] spell. [[CrowningMomentOfAwesome And Indignation]].

* Col. Randall Moore from ''UniverseAtWar: Earth Assault'', although he gets promoted to General by the second mission. It takes a lot of badass to be a powerful hero unit when everyone else in your species is CannonFodder or, even worse, resources for the alien invaders.

* In ''[[VideoGame/JustCause Just Cause 2]]'', you get to take down various colonels who carry good firepower and are MadeOfIron enough to shrug off bullets to anywhere except [[BoomHeadshot the face]].

** A younger version of him is the star of the prequel HardCorpsUprising.
* Jax from the ''MortalKombat'' series fits this trope to a tee, despite being a Major.

* Marine Col. John Glenn, who was an [[AcePilot ace pilot]] before becoming the first American in orbit and much later, the oldest man in space.

* In the 'WesternAnimation/{{Daria}}' FanFic series 'Legion of Lawndale Heroes', there are ''two'' ColonelBadass types - Colonel Kyle Armalin, and Colonel Franklin Davers. The latter's an Army Special Forces type, the former a Marine aviator with a LOT of covert paramilitary experience from shooting things all over the world. Just to cement his badass cred, first look at the first initials of his full name - '''K'''yleton '''I'''saiah '''A'''rmalin... and then, also consider that he was given his middle name in honor of ''Isaiah Bradley - the FIRST Captain America'', and an 'old-school' BadAss if EVER there was one.

** Colonel Günther Reza of ''Film/DuckYouSucker'' a SilentAntagonist and ImplacableMan who survives having a bridge dropped on him, a train explosion, and having half a machinegun clip emptied into him before finally going down.

* Colonel Willie Sharp, pilot of the space shuttle in ''Film/{{Armageddon}}''. [[NuclearPhysicsGoof Can disarm nine-foot-long nuclear weapons with only 20 seconds and minimal assistance]]. Also the only guy trusted with a firearm on the whole vessel (making him the only one badass enough to bring a gun onto a spaceship), and the only guy with enough balls to disobey a ''Presidential order'' for the greater good of the planet.

Imagine TheCaptain, but instead of a ship at sea or in the [[SpaceIsAnOcean stars]], s/he has a large contingent of ground troops. Still the most [[{{badass}} kickass]] guy around, powerful leader, outranks everyone else in TheSquad, you know the type. Chances are, he is gonna be a colonel.

* Col. Roy Mustang from ''Manga/FullmetalAlchemist'', as seen on the page image above. He BURNS HIS OWN WOUNDS SHUT and by the end of the series, he manages to personally take down [[spoiler:two of the seven Homunculi]], which is [[{{Badass}} REALLY impressive]] in that universe. He also plays several of the defining bits of the trope incredibly straight - he's only thirty years old, rose through the ranks incredibly fast (partly due to being a State Alchemist, which automatically starts you off at the rank of Major), he's extremely high-minded and has tremendous ideals for the country, and he will throw himself into danger in a heartbeat rather than risk losing one of his comrades, particularly [[AFatherToHisMen his five dearest and most loyal subordinates]].

* Col. ComicBook/NickFury in the Franchise/MarvelUniverse. His {{Badass}}ery is compounded in the UltimateMarvel universe [[spoiler:and the ''Film/IronMan'' film]] due to his portrayal by Creator/SamuelLJackson.
** Somewhat averted in the UltimateMarvel universe though, as he's actually a four-star general there (or started out that way, anyhow), which would be much more realistic for the commander-in-chief of a multinational paramilitary espionage organization. Either way, it doesn't make him any less {{Badass}}.

* In the 'WesternAnimation/{{Daria}}' FanFic series 'Legion of Lawndale Heroes', there are ''two'' ColonelBadass types - Colonel Kyle Armalin, and Colonel Franklin Davers. The latter's an Army Special Forces type, the former a Marine aviator with a LOT of covert paramilitary experience from shooting things all over the world. Just to cement his {{badass}} cred, first look at the first initials of his full name - '''K'''yleton '''I'''saiah '''A'''rmalin... and then, also consider that he was given his middle name in honor of ''Isaiah Bradley - the FIRST Captain America'', and an 'old-school' BadAss if EVER there was one.

* Colonel Miles Motherfucking Quaritch of ''Film/{{Avatar}}''. He's [[DesignatedVillain obviously]] the [[GeneralRipper villain]], but that doesn't stop him from modding his [[AMechByAnyOtherName AMP suit]] with a gigantic ''combat knife'', or running out into Pandora's toxic atmosphere, guns blazing, without bothering to put a gas mask on. In one instance, it takes him about 11 seconds to react to the fact that he is, in fact, ''on fire''. Quaritch is in fact, so {{badass}} he inspires major RootingForTheEmpire.

* ''Film/ApocalypseNow'' features two Colonel Badasses. The first is Colonel Kurtz, who had the credentials to be a general but chose a life in the shit. While fighting in Vietnam, he goes kill-crazy and creates an army of zealots who worship him like a god. The other is [[ColonelKilgore Lt.Col. Bill Kilgore]], a bulletproof {{badass}} who surfs in warzones and enjoys the aroma of napalm like a nice cup of joe. In the Redux edition, however, he's taken down a peg after his surfboard is stolen and he broadcasts messages begging for it back.

* in Terry Mancour's ''Literature/TheSpellmongerSeries'', Bold Asgus, Commander of the Orohan's band. He oozes command and confidence. Proficient with almost all weapons, he is a one man wave of death on the field of battle. [[{{Badass}} The man launched himself onto a troll, and killed it with one hit.]] [[UpToEleven then he dismounted into a double decapitation of nearby Mooks]]

** Before he [[DefectorFromDecadence defected]] to the Rebel Alliance, Soontir Fel was a Baron-Colonel. His {{badass}}ery is unquestionable; after Vader's death Baron Soontir Fel was perceived as the best pilot in the Empire, bar none (and without Vader around, rumors started spreading that Vader's only edge was in his [[AceCustom expensive custom starfighters]]). He lost that rank when he joined Rogue Squadron, but it may be assumed that he got it back, [[EasilyForgiven and more]], in the Empire of the Hand after Thrawn had him kidnapped and brought there.

* ''Literature/CodexAlera'': While Aleran Legions are commanded by [[TheCaptain Captains]], they don't use modern military ranks and their role tends to fit this trope better. As usual, the most {{badass}} of the lot is Captain Rufus Scipio (a.k.a. [[TheHero Tavi]]) a CrazyAwesome BadassNormal capable of taking on [[ElementalPowers Knights]] and [[{{Wolfman}} Canim]] by himself.

** Maj. Richard Winters, possibly even more than Speirs since while Speirs gained respect mainly through being terrifyingly {{Badass}}, Winters was more like awe-inspiringly {{Badass}}. And OfficerAndAGentleman to a T, plus greatly admired and loved by his men.

* Shepard from ''Franchise/MassEffect'' started off as a very {{badass}} [[MajorlyAwesome Lieutenant Commander]] in ''VideoGame/MassEffect1''. The character quickly receives command of the CoolShip becoming the Normandy's [[TheCaptain commanding officer]]. By ''VideoGame/MassEffect2'' s/he was most likely posthumously promoted to Staff Commander (the equivalent rank of a Lieutenant Colonel) after his death. He was brought back to life by Cerberus and [[DidYouJustFlipOffCthulhu pissed off a fleet of Mecha-Cthulhu]] [[DidYouJustPunchOutCthulhu by being directly or indirectly responsible for the destruction of a few of them]]. By the [[VideoGame/MassEffect third game]], the Alliance has reinstated Shepard back to his/her Staff Commander rank.

** There's Colonel Blair himself, from [=WC3=] and [=WC4=]. Having killed the most "ace" [[MegaNeko Kilrathi]] pilots in the entire three decade war, and defeating [[TheDragon Prince Thrakhath]], ''twice'' (the second time when Blair's fighter is weighed down with the [[EarthShatteringKaboom Temblor Device]], which also halved his missile loadout), is one way of earning {{badass}} points. He later gets promoted to FourStarBadass

** It's required for the former, seeing as his {{Rival}} is the resident {{Badass}}...

** In the reboot, ''VideoGame/XCOMEnemyUnknown'', Colonel is ''the highest rank'', and any soldiers who make it there will most assuredly be {{Badass}}.

* [[DragonInChief Sergei Vladimir]] from ''VideoGame/ResidentEvilTheUmbrellaChronicles'', [[FormerRegimePersonnel former Soviet]] colonel and head of Umbrella Corporation's field-oriented Red Umbrella Division. Strangely, he's somewhat AffablyEvil and usually lets his bodyguards do most of the actual fighting, but even that doesn't diminish his badassery. The man pulls a gun on [[BigBad Wesker]] without flinching, transforms into a monster to try and save his employer's company, and has so much [[LargeHam presence]] that his {{Badass}} status is ''never'' in doubt. No one does UndyingLoyalty quite like Sergei.

** ''Chronophantasma'' includes Colonel Kagura Mutsuki, who's not only the leader of the highest clan amongst the NOL Duodecim... but also a surprisingly pleasant dude. To fill in the {{Badass}} part, he {{Curb Stomp|Battle}}s Ragna and fights Noel/Mu-12 on equal terms.

* Pit, as of ''VideoGame/KidIcarusUprising'' is the Captain of the Guard for Palutena, and he leads the charge against all of her enemies (and he even points out at one point that he's an officer, not just an enlisted man). The sheer number of foes he rips through (including the top generals of the Forces of Nature and [[spoiler: [[EveryoneHatesHades Hades, the god of the underworld himself]]]]) cements his {{Badass}} credentials as well.

* Many of [[http://www.badassoftheweek.com/ataturk.html Mustafa Kemal Ataturk's]] claims to {{badass}}itude occurred when he was a Colonel in the reserves, in particular defending the key pass whose loss would have probably made the Gallipoli campaign in UsefulNotes/WorldWarI succeed. Even after the Ottoman Empire ultimately lost, he continued being a badass as a soldier and then the founder of modern Turkey, until he died.

* In an aversion, "colonel" was for a long time simply the "constitutional monarch" (so to speak) of a given regiment (originally meaning mercenary unit on permanent contract to TheGovernment from the Latin ''regimentum''). He, or she on rare occasions, might indeed be a {{badass}}, but their badassery and their colonelcy were unrelated. That is because, in several armies, a regiment was a ceremonial and administrative unit rather than a tactical unit, and the highest rank to go into battle specifically as a member of a given regiment was Lt Colonel. General officers in the British army often retained colonelcies for much of their career, but this was a ceremonial position. For instance, General Killalot might also be Colonel of the Duke of Earl's own fusiliers, but his only relation would be to pay for the band or the silverware or whatnot.

[[quoteright:350:[[Manga/FullmetalAlchemist http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/shot638_0.png]]]]

[[quoteright:350:[[Manga/FullmetalAlchemist http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/colBadassMustang_1258.jpg]]]]

* ''Film/EveOfDestruction'': Colonel Jim [=McQuade=] to a realistic degree. An army veteran, expert marksman and counter-terrorism expert, he's the guy the government calls in to take down a rogue killer android.

** Two in ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}}: GauntsGhosts'': Colonel-Commissar Ibram Gaunt and his subordinate, Col. Colm Corbec. Gaunt has a head-start in that he's already a BadassLongcoat, but Corbec makes a rather good accounting of himself as well.

* ''TechInfantry'' has Colonel Arthur Clarke, commanding officer of the Raptors, an elite military unit tasked with chasing down and arresting (or killing) draft-dodging Werewolves and Mages, as well as other secret operations. His successor, Colonel Andrea Treschi, is quite the badass himself.