Sharpe/Awesome

Everything About Fiction You Never Wanted to Know.


  • Patrick Harper gets his in Sharpe's Rifles, when he has been placed under arrest for mutiny. The Dragon (accompanied by two Mooks) kills his guards and suggests he change sides:

Man in Black: I will give you one hundred guineas in gold, and safe passage to America.
Harper: America? That'd be nice. But you see, sir, the King of England owes me last month's wages and I'd never be comfortable in America knowing that bastard owed me a shilling.
Man in Black: You would die for a shilling?
Harper: That's what I signed on to do, sir.

Needless to say, Harper isn't the one who ends up dying.
  • In Sharpe's Eagle, the cigar-chomping American Virginian loyalist Captain Leroy is literally a walking crowning moment of awesome in his own right, but without a doubt his finest moment is when he assumes command of the South Essex at the battle of Talavera, with the line: "Boys, let's load up and do some shootin'!"
  • The final battle scene in Sharpe's Enemy." Particularly when the rocket artillery let loose all hell on the French. Think Macross Missile Massacre combined with More Dakka.
    • It's even more bad-ass in the book, as the battle takes place over several days, and Sharpe's forces (about a full battalion, including the Rocket Troop) face off against a division-strength French army, including an artillery regiment and at least a dozen French infantry battalions. Sharpe ends up winning, mostly through the effective use of the terrain and his forces, and being a cheating son of a bitch.
  • In the TV version of Sharpe's Sword, Badass Preacher Father Curtis gets a big one when he stops Sir Henry from raping a young nun. Simmerson assumes that a single Irish priest will pose no threat, but forgets that Curtis was once known as the finest swordsman in all of Spain. A Curb Stomp Battle ensues.

Father Curtis: God forgive me, but I wish it had lasted longer. (cue Groin Attack)

  • Sharpe's Eagle possess a moment so badass it's continually referenced in-story, Sharpe taking a French Eagle (ie, a battle standard) at Talavera. Even more impressive, Sharpe and Harper end up doing this more or less by themselves, the Light Company offers a bit of covering fire, and Ensign Denny joins the fray eventually (mostly to be killed off), but otherwise, it's two guys against a hundred enemy Grenadiers, and winning.

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