John Wick and The Man With No Name ???

February 21, 2026, 07:43 PM

4MUL8R

I was reading about John Wick movies, and it occurred to me we might compare these to other heroic tales.

For whatever reason, I entered the wayback machine and ended up in the man with no name films, as comparative art.

What do you all think? What other "series" of films might we find that offer very similar properties of:
1. Same main character
2. Main character is gifted in some way to survive against all odds
3. Main character has a singular reason to overcome adversity, in each film
4. Main character experiences emotionally traumatic loss that drives him forward
5. Main character finds little satisfaction even in his success

Bring the popcorn...

February 21, 2026, 07:59 PM

Orguss

Would John Rambo fit those criteria?

"I'm yet another resource-consuming kid in an overpopulated planet raised to an alarming extent by Hollywood and Madison Avenue, poised with my cynical and alienated peers to take over the world when you're old and weak!" - Calvin, "Calvin & Hobbes"

February 21, 2026, 11:09 PM

YooperSigs

The James Bond movies come to mind.

February 22, 2026, 05:08 AM

4MUL8R

Rambo...
1. check
2. special training, special forces experience
3. check
4. war
5. tragic in every way

Bond? Of course!

February 22, 2026, 01:16 PM

Windhover

Batman

February 22, 2026, 01:38 PM

Orguss

I'm currently watching the Equalizer series and Robert McCall definitely fits the criteria.

February 22, 2026, 01:51 PM

4MUL8R

Equalizer...yes!

I had never thought about Batman, but makes sense!

February 22, 2026, 02:04 PM

jsbcody

The Man From Nowhere checks those boxes too.

February 22, 2026, 02:10 PM

oddball

The Bruce Lee films follow the criteria.

_{"I’m not going to read Time Magazine, I’m not going to read Newsweek, I’m not going to read any of these magazines; I mean, because they have too much to lose by printing the truth"- Bob Dylan, 1965}