8. Detective Jimmy 'Popeye' Doyle (French Connection, 1971)
Ranked at number 44 in the American Film Institutes top 100 movie heroes of all time Jimmy 'Popeye' Doyle may not look all that formidable but looks dear reader can be deceiving. Played to perfection by Gene Hackman 'Popeye' is a hard nosed, rough as they come New York City Police detective who doesn't care what he does to find the truth as long as he gets his man in the end. What Doyle lacks in physical presence he makes up for in street smarts, alcoholism and an unwavering determination to bring the bad guy to justice. He doesn't care if he takes down the odd civilian either - it's all just collateral damage in a much bigger picture. What makes 'Popeye' Doyle even more of a force to be reckoned with is the fact he's based on a real life police officer by the name of Eddie Egan whose exploits were turned into a book - and ultimately the movie - called The French Connection.