The Top 10 Best Movie Explorers

5. Rick O’Connell- The Mummy Trilogy

At first glance, Rick O’Connell might not seem like much of a hero. He’s a soldier of fortune who is more interested in saving his own neck than searching out lost relics and ancient ruins. That is until he finds himself in the Lost City of the Dead facing down an ancient evil that threatens the entire world. From there he goes on to explore dozens of lost tombs as he finds himself the go-to guy when it comes to saving the world from mummies. His swashbuckling, devil may care attitude might make him endearing (he is played by Brendan Frasier after all), but it’s his quick thinking in dire situations that earned him a spot on this list of movie explorers. It’s too bad he didn’t get a chance to appear in the remake that was set to become part of Universal’s Dark Universe. 

4. Cooper- Interstellar

Not all movie explorers go trekking through jungles or searching through ancient ruins. Matthew McConaughey went in search of a new world for humanity as our planet slowly died. His great exploration took him out beyond our solar system as he visited new planets and navigated the trials and tribulations of space travel. While a potent combination of brains and brawn is usually a requirement when it comes to movie explorers, Cooper is one of the only scientists that manages to earn a spot on this list. More importantly, he knows that his mission is a one-way trip because of the time dilation that happens with space travel, especially around black holes. He might not be exactly what springs to mind when you think of movie explorers, but Cooper definitely meets all the requirements.   

3. The Goonies- The Goonies

I’ve found myself in an awkward position when it comes to this entry. Normally, I try to focus on an individual character, but how can you choose just one of them? They’re a team after all and prove to be greater than the sum of their parts when they work together. Not only that, but each Goonie has a useful and very specific skill set. Mickey is the leader, Data is the inventor, and Chunk is the sloth tamer. Because of that, I’ve decided to give the group that found the long lost treasure of Old “One-Eyed Willie” a place here. The fact that none of them can legally buy alcohol yet, makes their accomplishments even more impressive, especially when you take into account that they had to outwit criminals lead by one of the scariest moms in movie history. These teenage adventurers definitely deserve a spot on this list of movie explorers

2. Lara Croft- Tomb Raider

Video game movies that don’t suck are few and far between. One notable exception are the Tomb Raider films, specifically the 2018 film starring Alicia Vikander. Not that there was anything wrong with Angelina Jolie‘s take on the character, but I prefer the rough and tumble version Vikander gave us. She was the kind of explorer that refused to stay down no matter how many hits she took. By the end of her adventure, she was bruised and bloodied, but still managed to save the day thanks to her impressive wits and iron will. While some people might think that adventuring is a man’s job, Croft is more than happy to put that idiotic perception to rest. Hell, not only is she just as good as any of the guys on this list of movie explorers, but she manages to earn the second spot which is pretty damn impressive.

1. Dr. Henry Jones Jr. AKA Indiana Jones- The Indiana Jones films

Honestly, there really is no other character in the history of cinema that deserves the number one spot on this list of movie explorers more than Indiana Jones. Not only is he a professor of archeology, but he’s also a hell of an adventurer and a well known Nazi ass-kicker. When you close your eyes and think of a brave explorer wandering through ancient ruins, I’ll bet he’s wearing a fedora and has a bullwhip on his hip. He’s one of the most iconic characters from an actor who has played tons of them over the years (Harrison Ford). While a lot of explorers might be in it for the glory, Jones just wants the past to be shared with the world. However, that doesn’t stop him from putting his life on the line to defeat evildoers around the world when he happens to run into him. That’s why he’s the greatest movie explorer of all time. 

Honorable Mention: Milo Thatch – Atlantis: The Lost Empire

I know I said no animated characters on this list, but I had to give a shout out to Milo Thatch voice by Michael J. Fox. He’s a bit of a book worm when we first meet him but soon finds himself to be quite the natural when it comes to exploring the lost mythological city. Here’s hoping Disney decides to do a live-action remake of this movie!

While I did quite a bit of exploring myself when it came to this top 10 list, I’m sure there were probably some movie characters that might have gone undiscovered. I’d love to hear who some of your favorite movie explorers are as well as any I might have missed. So, leave me a comment below to let me know your thoughts. As always, I’ll be updating this list as new movie explorers appear on the silver screen, and you can check back in the future to see how the rankings might change.