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hwarang

Member
Oct 27, 2017
3,462
There is no stopping the Determinator. They do not understand tact. They do not Know When to Fold 'Em, and it's a waste of time to tell them the odds. No one can reason with them. Their adversaries will shout, in exasperated rage, "Why Won't You Die?!". For them, there is no line between "perseverance" and "insanity."

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There's a lot more of course. Curious to see if there are some out there that I don't know of.
 

HStallion

Member
Oct 25, 2017
62,466
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Harmonica (Charles Bronson) from Once Upon A Time In The West is a force of nature, revenge made manifest.
 

Lulu

Saw the truth behind the copied door
Member
Oct 25, 2017
26,962
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Shira from Blade of the Immortal is fucking wild fam
 

Mekanos

â–˛ Legend â–˛
Member
Oct 17, 2018
44,414
Most battle shonen characters would apply for this trope, but Vegeta is probably the most significant example that springs to mind.

In his fight against Goku, he takes on a full power 4x Kaioken Kamehameha, gets his tail cut off, and is hit with a (weakened) Genki Dama and still keeps fighting. Only Gohan's giant ape form crushing his body is enough to get him to crawl to his spaceship in surrender. Ryo Horikawa said this was why he liked Vegeta, he was a spoiled brat who had to learn the hard way how to survive tough battles and kept getting his ass kicked but kept fighting even so.
 

FaceHugger

Banned
Oct 27, 2017
13,949
USA
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A realistic portrayal of a complete psychopath. Absolutely no remorse or regard for any kind of life - human or otherwise. Cormac McCarthy described him as an unstoppable force of nature (sic) and I think they showed that in the film.

Read the book. This adaptation is pretty good, but he brought this character to life in a way I wasn't expecting. He just played it straight, while other actors may have tried to humanize him.
 

Fat4all

Woke up, got a money tag, swears a lot
Member
Oct 25, 2017
94,433
here
EHye5Yn.jpg


A realistic portrayal of a complete psychopath.

Read the book. This adaptation is pretty good, but he brought this character to life in a way wasn't expecting.
essentially a more modern take on The Shape

eventuality and death personified as an unyielding force

cool beans
 

Truant

Member
Oct 28, 2017
6,774
I want to see a piece of media where the hero actually responds thoughtfully to the "Why won't you die" rhetorical question asked in burning anger.
 

Chopchop

Member
Oct 25, 2017
14,171
Guts from Berserk is the obvious one.

Both the T-800 and T-1000 in Terminator 1 and 2.

Max Payne.

John Wick.

The Doom Slayer.
 

Z-Beat

One Winged Slayer
Member
Oct 25, 2017
31,939
Nemesis (Resident Evil)
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In any other series he'd probably be a mindless monster, but the fact that he's capable of rational thought and doesn't care about anything other than getting YOU is terrifying. He's also exceedingly durable


Kayako (The Grudge)
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This is probably the most "you're fucked" you'll ever get in terms of ghosts. There is more or less no stopping her. No mystery to solve that will put her at peace. No central target of her revenge. You go in, you're fucked. And it doesn't matter how far away you move, she'll follow you, and you might just spread the curse to people who didn't even set foot in the house like some kind of ghost pandemic (but I guess we'll leave that to Pulse)

John Wick (John Wick)
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This man's been murdering for days on end with no food or sleep all because some little shit murdered his dog. I feel like I'd have a better chance of escaping the T-800
 

meowdi gras

Banned
Feb 24, 2018
12,679
EHye5Yn.jpg


A realistic portrayal of a complete psychopath. Absolutely no remorse or regard for any kind of life - human or otherwise. Cormac McCarthy described him as an unstoppable force of nature (sic) and I think they showed that in the film.

Read the book. This adaptation is pretty good, but he brought this character to life in a way I wasn't expecting. He just played it straight, while other actors may have tried to humanize him.
Lol, Anton Chigurh isn't a "realistic portrayal". He's a cartoon human terminator. The dude performs pretty extensive surgery on himself with barely a wince, for chrissakes.
 

FaceHugger

Banned
Oct 27, 2017
13,949
USA
Lol, Anton Chigurh isn't a "realistic portrayal". He's a cartoon human terminator. The dude performs pretty extensive surgery on himself with barely a wince, for chrissakes.

My own uncle had that kind of pain threshold. I saw him do that kind of thing (operating on himself without reacting to the pain). My uncle was a good guy though, just saying people can do those things.

As to "realistic", psychopaths don't always need some kind of back story where they're tortured or something in their youth. Many are merely born that way. They're not all like The Iceman / Richard Kuklinski. They just don't care, and that's how they always were.

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Hmm, does The Bride count?

I would say no, because she was all emotion. Her whole deal was revenge.
 

Deleted member 25606

User requested account closure
Banned
Oct 29, 2017
8,973
EHye5Yn.jpg


A realistic portrayal of a complete psychopath. Absolutely no remorse or regard for any kind of life - human or otherwise. Cormac McCarthy described him as an unstoppable force of nature (sic) and I think they showed that in the film.

Read the book. This adaptation is pretty good, but he brought this character to life in a way I wasn't expecting. He just played it straight, while other actors may have tried to humanize him.
Came in to say exactly this. And while the film is great and one of the best I have ever seen, the book is one of my favorite novels of all time and eclipses the movie easily though it can be argued the movie adapted everything adaptable and the stuff that's book only is a lot of conceptual and philosophical ideas that wouldn't work in the film format since they are pure idea with no visual component.
 

Alavard

The Fallen
Oct 25, 2017
5,381
I would say no, because she was all emotion. Her whole deal was revenge.

The trope description makes no mention of the reason for the determination. Is being fueled by revenge any different than being fueled by something like duty? The TvTropes page lists Star Trek's Khan, and specifically calls out his quest for revenge, for example. It also lists of Asura of Asura's Wrath for the same reason.
 

meowdi gras

Banned
Feb 24, 2018
12,679
My own uncle had that kind of pain threshold. I saw him do that kind of thing (operating on himself without reacting to the pain). My uncle was a good guy though, just saying people can do those things.

As to "realistic", psychopaths don't always need some kind of back story where they're tortured or something in their youth. Many are merely born that way. They're not all like The Iceman / Richard Kuklinski. They just don't care, and that's how they always were.
I dunno. I'd say something like Cameron Britton's turn as Ed Kemper in Mindhunter is a far more realistic (certainly convincing) portrayal of a psychopath.

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But then again, Chigurh much more correctly fits the "force of nature" theme of this thread.
 

FaceHugger

Banned
Oct 27, 2017
13,949
USA
The trope description makes no mention of the reason for the determination. Is being fueled by revenge any different than being fueled by something like duty? The TvTropes page lists Star Trek's Khan, and specifically calls out his quest for revenge, for example.

But I think we're talking about unfeeling vehicles here? Right? The Terminator kills because he's programmed to. He's not a person. The Aliens in the Alien franchise kill because they're compelled to. The Bride killed because she specifically wanted to punish those that did her wrong. So I think that's the difference.

Also I want to add Iago from Shakespeare. There seemed to be no reason why he ruined others' lives. He just did it.
 

Alavard

The Fallen
Oct 25, 2017
5,381
But I think we're talking about unfeeling vehicles here? Right? The Terminator kills because he's programmed to. He's not a person. The Aliens in the Alien franchise kill because they're compelled to. The Bride killed because she specifically wanted to punish those that did her wrong. So I think that's the difference.

Also I want to add Iago from Shakespeare. There seemed to be no reason why he ruined others' lives. He just did it.


https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/Determinator

A character — good or evil, male or female, young or old — who never gives up. Ever. No matter what.

There is no stopping the Determinator. They do not understand tact. They do not Know When to Fold 'Em, and it's a waste of time to tell them the odds. No one can reason with them. They'll do whatever they have to without question. No price is too great to pay for success, up to and including their own life. Do not expect them to realize they might be better off letting it go, even if they can barely stand. If you're ever kidnapped or lost with no hope of rescue, they'll be the one who will find you. Their adversaries will shout, in exasperated rage, "Why Won't You Die?!". For them, there is no line between "perseverance" and "insanity."

The description goes on in more detail, but a lack of emotion or feeling is not mentioned. Heck, it gives the MCU Steve Rogers as an example.
 
OP
OP
hwarang

hwarang

Member
Oct 27, 2017
3,462
But I think we're talking about unfeeling vehicles here? Right? The Terminator kills because he's programmed to. He's not a person. The Aliens in the Alien franchise kill because they're compelled to. The Bride killed because she specifically wanted to punish those that did her wrong. So I think that's the difference.

I think the trope applies to those that feel emotion as well.
 

Ogodei

One Winged Slayer
Banned
Oct 25, 2017
10,256
Coruscant
Finishing a re-read of Lord of the Rings and you really feel it for Frodo and Sam in the end, moreso for Sam, as Frodo is kind of driven beyond reason (though that could still apply), Sam is really The Little Engine That Could-ing his way through the most dangerous place in their world. He never gives in, physically or emotionally, though he so often contemplates it.
 

Deleted member 68874

Account closed at user request
Banned
May 10, 2020
10,441
Guts from Berserk obviously.
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For video games it'd be Master Chief from Halo.
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Who would win in a fight? A Religious Army of Aliens that can destroy planets from orbit or one tall green boi?
 

Strings

Member
Oct 27, 2017
31,612
I want to see a piece of media where the hero actually responds thoughtfully to the "Why won't you die" rhetorical question asked in burning anger.
Literally done in V for Vendetta:
youtu.be

V for Vendetta (2005) - We're Both About to Die Scene (8/8) | Movieclips

V for Vendetta movie clips: http://j.mp/2nMaKXfBUY THE MOVIE: http://bit.ly/2oh1jOSDon't miss the HOTTEST NEW TRAILERS: http://bit.ly/1u2y6prCLIP DESCRIPTION...

Dan Stevans in The Guest is a wonderful version of this:




Due to mental programming fuckery, he's compelled to kill everyone who sees through his cover.

EDIT: My favourite version of this character is hands down Akagi though:

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Can't find any of the clips I want to link on youtube, but he's the sort of guy who plays chicken on a cliff by slamming down on the accelerator with no intention of ever stopping.
 
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KDR_11k

Banned
Nov 10, 2017
5,235
The Doom Slayer in the recent Doom games is exactly this. Nothing about him is truly special besides his unquenchable desire to KILL EVERY DEMON. He's not invincible or super powerful, he's just angry and will. never. stop. He does receive some augmentations from the Makyrs in the backstory of Eternal but even before then, when he was just a normal, mortal human he was stuck in Hell for weeks, just murdering everything he laid eyes upon.

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For a less brutal character (if you choose to play that way), Frisk from Undertale is literally driven by determination. Determination is a physical thing in that world that humans have and monsters don't and a mad science experiment to inject a monster with determination is what causes the big mess in the first place. The one with the most determination in the world is able to save and load the game state.

300
 

DiipuSurotu

Banned
Oct 25, 2017
53,148
The Doom Slayer in the recent Doom games is exactly this. Nothing about him is truly special besides his unquenchable desire to KILL EVERY DEMON. He's not invincible or super powerful, he's just angry and will. never. stop. He does receive some augmentations from the Makyrs in the backstory of Eternal but even before then, when he was just a normal, mortal human he was stuck in Hell for weeks, just murdering everything he laid eyes upon.

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Those demons shouldn't have killed his pet rabbit
 

fontguy

Avenger
Oct 8, 2018
16,206
Steven Universe, but instead of killing you he wants you to heal and better yourself.
 

Yossarian

The Fallen
Oct 25, 2017
13,278
b8548f7090a40334912517ab201e05e2.gif


Harmonica (Charles Bronson) from Once Upon A Time In The West is a force of nature, revenge made manifest.

What a gloriously on point first post.

"You brought two too many."


In a similar vein

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Lee Marvin as Walker in Point Blank.

This too!

To throw my hat in the ring, I'll go for Max Payne.

Not quite a force of nature since he's usually the one telling the story, but from the perspective of the goons he's up against...? Guy's a goddamn nightmare whirlwind of lead that only stops when absolutely every one of them is dead.

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Deleted member 16516

User requested account closure
Member
Oct 27, 2017
8,427
Amos Burton from The Expanse.

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"Last man standing," Amos replied with another grin. "It's in my job description."

Both in the TV show and the books.
 

gforguava

Member
Oct 25, 2017
4,739
In a similar vein

images

Lee Marvin as Walker in Point Blank.
Definitely my choice. Walker is just this implacable being of pure resolve and determination, and Lee Marvin and John Boorman portray him perfectly.


And a sure to be unpopular pick but Kate Beckinsale is great as the heavy chasing down Colin Farrell in the Total Recall remake. Lame movie but every moment of Beckinsale being a running, jumping, sliding, leaping, shooting, punching, badass is a good time. And that is all she does.

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Give me a flick of just her chasing someone down for 90 minutes and I would be more than happy.
 

Adrifi

Attempted to circumvent ban with alt account
Banned
Jan 5, 2019
3,466
the Spanish Basque Country
Definitely my choice. Walker is just this implacable being of pure resolve and determination, and Lee Marvin and John Boorman portray him perfectly.


And a sure to be unpopular pick but Kate Beckinsale is great as the heavy chasing down Colin Farrell in the Total Recall remake. Lame movie but every moment of Beckinsale being a running, jumping, sliding, leaping, shooting, punching, badass is a good time. And that is all she does.

s5FfNtR.png

Give me a flick of just her chasing someone down for 90 minutes and I would be more than happy.
I didn't think the film was bad. I think people tend to compare it to the original but if you take it as its own thing, I think it's decent, not very good or excellent or anything, but enjoyable.