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Four-Star Badass (view source)

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[[File:GeneralPatton.jpg|frame|link=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_S._Patton|[[Truth in Television]].]]
 
{{quote|''"There's [[There Are Two Kinds of People in the World|two kinds of generals]] in the service. Some are dumber than a box of inbred chickens and get their job through political connections, and not actual battlefield skills. I'm the other kind. Learn the difference."''|'''General Lumberdon''', ''[[Antihero for Hire]]'' [http://www.antiheroforhire.com/d/20090406.html 2009-04-06]}}
|'''General Lumberdon''', ''[[Antihero for Hire]]'' [http://www.antiheroforhire.com/d/20090406.html 2009-04-06]}}
 
{{quote|'''Soldier:''' "Where ya goin', General?"
'''Patton:''' "Berlin. I'm going to personally shoot [[Adolf Hitler|that paper-hangin' sonofabitch]]!"|''[[Patton]]''}}
|''[[Patton]]''}}
 
The '''Four-Star Badass''' is a badass in a military hierarchy that also happens to be a flag officer in a military hierarchy.
 
The [[Colonel Badass]] page explains that a Colonel is usually more [[Badass]] than a General because although a General has the higher rank (and may even be a certifiable [[Badass]] himself) they're usually relegated to desk duty and administrative tasks. This is also the reason why [[The Captain]] will always be the star of the show even if they don't have the same clout as a Commodore or Admiral.
 
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]]ery 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''.
 
The important characteristic of Four-Star Badass is the BADASS''badass''. It's not enough for them to be [[The Brigadier]] or a [[Benevolent Boss]] (although they tend to share some of the same characteristics, like never saying "[[We Have Reserves]]" and being [[A Father to His Men|A Father To Their Men]]). They have to actually ''[[Royals Who Actually Do Something|do]]'' something to earn the title. This usually involves rolling up their sleeves, ditching the desk, and mixing it up.
 
This happens in a number of ways:
* '''The Four-Star Badass is the star''' -: [[The Hero]] of the story also happens to be a General or Admiral, ensuring that they have to get involved in the story's conflicts and adventures.▼
 
* '''[[Awesome Moment of Crowning]], Business As Usual''' -: [[The Captain]] or [[Colonel Badass]] gets promoted. But they're [[The Hero]] so they continue to be badass.▼
▲'''The Four-Star Badass is the star''' - [[The Hero]] of the story also happens to be a General or Admiral, ensuring that they have to get involved in the story's conflicts and adventures.
* '''The [[Future Badass]] route''' -: If its a [[Speculative Fiction]] series, we may get an episode glimpse in which a protagonist, usually [[The Captain]], is promoted, probably [[Twenty Minutes Into the Future]].▼
 
* '''Ten -Minute Promotion''' -: They're promoted for a moment, but events (or themselves) conspire to demote them right back into a position where they're back in the field.▼
▲'''[[Awesome Moment of Crowning]], Business As Usual''' - [[The Captain]] or [[Colonel Badass]] gets promoted. But they're [[The Hero]] so they continue to be badass.
* '''[[Da Chief]] To The Rescue''' -: The [[Cowboy Cop]] or [[Military Maverick]] has gotten themselves in a ''real'' jam. [[Da Chief]] takes it upon themselves to personally get involved in order to rescue their subordinate. They might say something like ''"Sure X is a loose cannon, but dammit, they're MY loose cannon and I'm gonna get them."''▼
 
▲'''The [[Future Badass]] route''' - If its a [[Speculative Fiction]] series, we may get an episode glimpse in which a protagonist, usually [[The Captain]], is promoted, probably [[Twenty Minutes Into the Future]].
 
▲'''Ten Minute Promotion''' - They're promoted for a moment, but events (or themselves) conspire to demote them right back into a position where they're back in the field.
 
▲'''[[Da Chief]] To The Rescue''' - The [[Cowboy Cop]] or [[Military Maverick]] has gotten themselves in a ''real'' jam. [[Da Chief]] takes it upon themselves to personally get involved in order to rescue their subordinate. They might say something like ''"Sure X is a loose cannon, but dammit, they're MY loose cannon and I'm gonna get them."''
 
Many examples of this trope will probably turn out to be [[Badass Grandpa|Badass Grandpas and Grandmas]], and sometimes [[Cool Old Guy]]s and [[Cool Old Lady|Cool Old Ladies]]. Often a contemporary of the [[Old Soldier]].
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Contrast [[General Ripper]]<ref>Though sometimes this guy may be badass enough to qualify, especially if his obsession came from leading the fight from the front and snapped after seeing the Enemy's atrocities firsthand.</ref> and [[General Failure]]. May have a [[Chest of Medals]].
 
Please no [[Real Life]] examples. With{{noreallife|with thousands of years of recorded history, there are enough of them to crash the entire wiki.}}
 
{{examples}}
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