10 Most Badass Characters In TV History

9. Tony Soprano - The Sopranos

Tony Soprano was one of the very first anti-heroes in a lead role on a television show. Time after time, we were witness to him committing some unspeakably violent acts, not to mention his blatant infidelity and unpredictable nature that meant he could turn on anyone at any time, and yet he remains one of the most popular characters on TV. This can be attributed to the late James Gandolfini's spectacular performance, as Tony struggles with keeping both of his families at bay. Here was a man who was brought up in a world where violence was not an option; it was a necessity and it shines through in every scene. From the moment The Sopranos started you could tell that Tony was going to be a badass character. In an early scene in the Pilot, he is in his car, chasing down some poor guy who owes him money. He hits the guy with his car then gets out and proceeds to beat seven bells out of him. It's a great introduction to the 'mafia' side of his character and lets the audience know they are in for a very different kind of ride. Some may argue that Tony is too despicable to be considered badass and whilst that is not entirely unfair, I would say he needed to be ruthless and despicable to survive in the world he inhabited and therefore his inclusion here is entirely merited. Most Badass Moment His first onscreen kill. Tony is taking Meadow to visit some colleges when he spots an old FBI informant, now under witness protection. Whilst Meadow is taking a look around a college campus, Tony spots his opportunity and tracks the informant down, and what follows is one of the most difficult scenes in the whole show as we see Tony literally strangle the guys last breath out of him. The story goes that HBO did not want this scene as they felt audiences would struggle to sympathise with their lead character but David Chase insisted on it. It's clear to see why as it perfectly sets up the duality of the character and is pretty badass to boot.