The Top 10 Best Movie Mercenaries
5. The Expendables- The Expendables Trilogy
Apparently, you can’t teach old dogs new tricks. That doesn’t really matter when the old dogs in question already have plenty of tricks up their sleeves. Sylvester Stallone earns another spot on this list of movie mercenaries, alongside his squad of geri-action heroes for The Expendables. The team consists of notable badasses like Jason Statham, Terry Crews, Randy Couture, Jet Li, and has only grown over the years. No matter how terrible the odds might be, The Expendables is the perfect team of mercs to call in when you’ve got a problem that can only be solved with excessive firepower. They’re getting up there in years though, so it’s not clear how long they might hold a top spot among movie mercenaries. For now, this team of “early bird special” heroes is one that you don’t want to mess with.
4. Wade Wilson and X-Force- Deadpool 2
Even before becoming the coolest mutant to appear on the big screen, Wade Wilson was one of the best movie mercenaries out there. While most of the “contractors” on this list go in for big jobs with big bucks, Wade was looking out for the little guy as a member of Sister Margaret’s School for Wayward Children. Run by his buddy, Weasel, Sister Margret’s was a bar where you could hire bad men to do bad things for the right price. Wade took on a lot of pro-bono jobs scarring off stalkers and the like. A hell of a swordsman and gun-fu master, Wade kept his moral compass and sticks to jobs that hit bad guys where it hurts. This rings true for his team of mutant mercs as well, X-Force. While more didn’t make it through their first mission, Wade still has the badasses that count, including Domino, Cable, and Dopinder.
3. John W. Creasy- Man on Fire
Not many movie mercenaries become soldiers of fortune because their lives are on track. Case in point, Denzel Washington’s John Creasy. Before becoming a merc, Creasy was a Marine, Special Forces operator, and CIA assassin. That line of work will burn a man out though, and Creasy is seemingly a shell of the man he once was. Driven to drink, Creasy is a burnout, which means that his services are kind of affordable these days. His former comrade gets him a job working in Mexico for a wealthy family worried that their young daughter might be kidnapped and held for ransom. Creasy takes the bodyguard job only to be taken down by corrupt cops who are after the little girl left in his care. That turns out to be the last mistake any of them make, as Creasy goes full vigilante mode and works his way through the organization that took her, killing them one by one.
2. Tyler Rake- Extraction
Normally, I try to stick with movies that received a theatrical release when I do top 10 lists like this. However, with how incredible Netflix’s recent film, Extraction, was, I had to include Chris Hemsworth’s Tyler Rake. A former Australian Special Air Service Regiment officer (the guys that inspired Navy SEALs), Tyler makes his living selling his services on the black market. The kind of guy who will do anything for the right price, Tyler is struggling with reconciling exactly what kind of man he is. Set up with a new mission to rescue the kidnapped son of an Indian drug lord, Tyler finds himself betrayed by the very people who hired him. Even as an entire city full of criminals and corrupt cops descends upon him, Tyler keeps his moral compass and decides to see the job through to the end. Good news for the kid. Bad news for the underworld.
1. The Seven- The Seven Samurai
Whether you want to count the OG seven from The Seven Samurai or the gunslingers from the American remake, The Magnificent Seven, this team of selfless movie mercenaries are the best of the best. When a small town is threatened by bandits that want to take their annual harvest for themselves, a group of farmers pool their money together to hire help. They don’t have much to offer, but they, fortunately, manage to find a noble warrior who agrees to help their cause. One man against a hundred isn’t the best odds though, so he helps the farmers find six more warriors skilled in the ways of the sword who are willing to help fight off the bandits. While they might not look like much, their years of experience combined with their battle-honed skills make them a nightmare for the bad guys and make them the best movie mercenaries of all time.
Honorable Mention: Jaws- The James Bond Franchise
It could be argued that most Bond henchmen are mercenaries. However, Jaws is the only one that returns with a new boss, suggesting that he sells his skills to the highest bidder. This proves to be bad luck for Bond as he is forced to deal with the nearly unkillable giant with a killer smile. The fact that Jaws is willing to switch sides means he’s not a fanatical believer in the cause his boss believes him. He just works there.
Personally, if I had to hire some movie mercenaries, the ones above would be the first on my list. There are tons of other ones out there though, and if I forgot some that deserve a spot, let me know in the comments below. Of course, I’ll be updating this list as new and improved movie mercenaries appear on the big screen. So, be sure to check back from time to time to see how the rankings might change!