Four-Star Badass: Difference between revisions

The [[Four-Star Badass]] is a badass in a military hierarchy that also happens to be a flag officer.

 

 

However, some fiction writers don't subscribe to this notion. They believe that [[Asskicking Equals Authority|in order to have reached a four-star rank you had to have done some]] ''[[Asskicking Equals Authority|serious]]'' [[Asskicking Equals Authority|asskicking once upon a time]]. While some writers feel [[Badass|Badassery]] is a muscle that [[Badass Decay|grows weak]] with disuse, the writers who subscribe to this trope feel it's more like riding a bike; you never forget how to do it. Even after years of sitting behind a desk, filing reports, cashing fat checks, and being saluted by ''everybody''.

 

 

This happens in a number of ways

** ''Every'' Kage is expected to embody this trope. They are known as the strongest in the village, and while not always technically accurate they always rank up there. They are also fully expected to live and, if necessary, die for their village, as the Sandaime illustrated.

** The fifth Kazekage, {{spoiler|Gaara}}, takes this trope to the next level when he's voted to be badass enough to lead the other Kages. The Four Star Badasses elected him THEIR Four Star Badass. ''Badass''.

* Nakago in ''[[Fushigi Yuugi]]''

* By the time ''[[Gundam Seed Destiny]]'' rolls around, both Kira Yamato and Cagalli Yula Atha count as this. The former is an Orb Admiral, while Cagalli is Commander-in-Chief of Orb's forces, though Kira rarely ever uses his position of authority instead having Marrue (A Captain) lead the Archangel.

* While the command structure in ''[[Starship Troopers (novel)|Starship Troopers]]'' can be defined as [[Authority Equals Asskicking]], the Sky Marshals take the cake. In order to get that promotion, one needs to go through the command structures of both the Navy and the Mobile Infantry, starting from the bottom. Also note that the Sky Marshal leads from the front. In the book, the Sky Marshal who planned the disastrous Battle of Klendathu died on Klendathu. In the movie, it just had them resign, being a REMF (Rear Echelon Mother Fucker).

* From [[David Drake]]'s ''The Sharp End'', a minor character: "Hellfire Hank Tedeschi had no manners and no patience. He successfully completed campaigns in minimal time and with minimal casualties among his own troops, because there was absolutely nothing else in the universe that mattered to him. He would cashier an officer in a heartbeat, and he was rumored to have knocked down underlings who didn't jump fast enough to suit him. Tedeschi believed in leading from the front. He'd killed people with his pistol, his knife, and his bare hands."

* The ''[[X Wing Series]]''' Wedge Antilles [[Limited Advancement Opportunities|put off promotion]] for as long as he could, preferring to be a commander, but eventually Ackbar talked him around. It did come with deskwork, unfortunately, but he still got to fly. His track record, before and after getting that rank, is nothing short of spectacular. During the New Jedi Order he tried to [[Obfuscating Stupidity|lose a battle]] so that he'd have a poor Vong commander to deal with, only to very much ''[[Springtime for Hitler|not]]'' lose. Then he ended up facing a very good Vong commander, and still managed to very much not lose.

{{quote|'''Tycho''': "We'll put that in your biography. General Antilles was so good he couldn't fail when he tried to."}}

** There are actually a fair number of these in the [[Star Wars Expanded Universe]], and a lot of them did start as Commanders.

** [[The Thrawn Trilogy|Grand Admiral Thrawn]]. He was the mysterious alien Grand Admiral who, five years after [[Return of the Jedi]], returned from the Unknown Regions to breathe life back into the flagging Empire, and listing off all the things that make him awesome would take a while, but there's a reason why he was one of the (many, many, many) pictures on the [[Magnificent Bastard]] page.

** Supreme Commander [[Hand of Thrawn|Gilad Pellaeon]]: "Supreme Commander" is just about the highest military rank in the Empire. This was Vader's rank, back when the Emperor lived. Pellaeon earned it. A dedicated naval officer and [[Commander Contrarian|the best second-in-command anyone could hope for]], Pellaeon started service when he was fifteen and died in service when he was in his nineties, having seen the start of the Clone Wars, the rise and fall of the Empire, the subsequent rise of the New Republic and all that that entailed, the Vong invasion, and the unpleasantness that followed. He was the one who was always there to pick up the pieces when the head Imperial died, which happened worryingly often, and he got his rank by being quietly competent, [[Know When to Fold'Em|knowing when to retreat]], and [[You Are in Command Now|outliving everyone else who was in charge]]. Pellaeon picked up on some of the tactical skill of his Grand Admiral, and when the time came he pushed for [[Peace Conference|peace]] with the New Republic.

'''Talmanes''': ''In that case, he's planning us a war''

The other three nodded in agreement as if that were the most normal thing in the world.|''Knife of Dreams''}}

* Richard Hannay from ''[[The Thirty-Nine Steps]]'' is promoted quickly to Major-General once his determined badassery becomes apparent. Promotion dulls neither his skills nor his insane perseverance.

* Dujek Onearm, Whiskeyjack and Dasseem Ultor from [[Tale Of The Malazan Book Of The Fallen]] all qualify in spades.

* Sir Thursday from ''[[The Keys to The Kingdom]]'' was insanely badass, as well as having a fiery temper. His own soldiers were terrified of him.

* Admiral Rybakov in ''[[The Sixth Battle]]'' subverts this: {{spoiler|He decides to lead his remaining carrier airwing into its last battle. However, he's shot down and can't even take out an AAA gun when he crashes.}}

** Xiahou Dun {{spoiler|[[Eye Scream|ripped out his own eye and ate it]] after getting shot in the eye with an arrow. He felt it would be wrong to abandon his eye, since it came from his parents. And then killed the guy who shot him.}} He was forced to withdraw after that, though.

** Guan Yu, who would eventually become a god of war and loyalty.

* A fair few in [[Sharpe]]. Major-General David Baird in the early ones, based on the real life [[wikipedia:Sir David Baird, 1st Baronet|British general of the same name]]. The man personally leads the assault on Seringapatam with a ''[[Cool Sword|claymore]]''. By the end he is so covered in enemy blood his men don't recognize him.

** Sharpe sometimes steps into this role, usually when he either manipulates ineffective superiors into taking the action he wants or when he simply decides the superior in question isn't up to the job and "promotes" himself.

{{quote|'''Calvet''': In Russia, I ate my own corporal.

'''Calvet''': Human flesh tastes like skate. Did you know that, Ducos? [[Ho Yay|Roast buttock of corporal]], nicely peppered. Next time you eat skate, remember that. }}

* Admiral Albadawi of the Terran Confederation in [[Traveller]].

* In the [[Exalted]] RPG, this is the norm. A few examples;

 

 

== [[Video Games]] ==

* While she probably doesn't hold an actual star rank in the Republic Fleet, the [[Knights of the Old Republic|Jedi Exile]] held a position of such authority within Revan's army that she is commonly referred to as "General". Needless to say, she is a [[Magic Knight|Jedi]], too, promoting her to instant badass.

* One could argue that General Armin Metrac of Killzone: Liberation is one of these. Most high-ranking Helghast Generals don't initiate in combat with normal soldiers. Most Generals don't sling around chainguns with under-slung rocket launchers with relative ease, either.

* Generals Oka ([[Voltes V]]) and Igor (Dancougar) in [[Super Robot Wars Alpha]] Gaiden. They were quite willing to risk being shot to make damn sure the Titans were screwed over from trying to jack [[Great Mazinger]]. Kinda helps that Oka was an honest to God ninja.

** According to [[Mass Effect 3]]'s codex, Hackett started off as just an Enlisted before the First Contact War, and worked his way up the rank ladder, earning a commission, then earning a ''flag'' commission, and then becoming the top admiral in the Alliance Navy. His climb is the stuff of legends... according to the Codex.

** Admiral or Councilor Anderson is still willing to kick ass with Shepard in the trailers of ''[[Mass Effect 3]]''. Seeing that he was the first graduate of the N7 commando program in the Alliance Marines, he definitely qualifies once he gets some admiral's stars.

*** {{spoiler|Should Tali remain in good standing with her people, she ends up filling her father's spot in the Admiralty, due to being the eminent authority on the Geth and Reapers amongst her people due to her travels with Shepard.}}

** General Septimus was apparently this before his [[Heroic BSOD]]. Shepard can pull him out of it.

** Now that Wrex is chief of all the krogan, he qualilfies.

* General-turned-Governor-Militant Lukas Alexander of the 1st Kronus Liberators in ''[[Dawn of War]]: Dark Crusade''. He's the supreme commander of all the Imperial Guard forces on Kronus, as well as political leader of Victory Bay and its provinces. But he fights on the front line in '''every''' conflict on the planet. Of course, you could say the same for most/all of the leaders (see the Warhammer 40,000 entry under Tabletop Games), but Imperial Guard merit and leadership systems best emulate real life ones, so Alexander fits this trope best.

** Vance ''[[Fan Nickname|Motherfuckin']]'' Stubbs.

* In ''Star Trek Online'', the [[Player Character]] becomes this upon reaching Grade 40 - Starfleet Rear Admiral or Klingon [[The Brigadier|Brigadier]] General. This only improves at grades 45 and 50: Rear Adm. Upper Half and Major General, then [[Badass Longcoat|Vice Admiral]] and Lieutenant General.

 

* Hawk from ''[[G.I. Joe]]''. To a somewhat lesser extent, Flagg.

* General Treister from [[Venture Brothers]] is apparently an example of this. He prefers a hands on approach to warfare, and continually excercises despite having had 8 heart attacks.

* General Rogard from [[The Iron Giant]] He displays his badassness while being chased by {{spoiler|a berserk, gun covered giant.}} While [[Big Bad|Mansley]] panics, Rogard turns around and shoots at it with a pistol. He never even looked afraid.

* Although General Iroh of ''[[Avatar: The Last Airbender]]'' is [[Retired Badass|retired]], he was once the Fire Nation's most fearsome general and the only person in history to break through the wall of Ba Sing Se. By the time we meet him, he has dedicated his life to drinking tea, eating, shopping, playing pai sho, and making sure Zuko grows up right... but is still the only person besides Aang who has any chance of matching [[Big Bad|Ozai's]] combat prowess.

* Sky Marshal Wade in ''[[Voltron Force]]'' is a villainous example, as he confronts the Voltron Force personally a few times.

[[Category:Four-Star Badass]]

[[Category:No Real Life Examples, Please]]