Give a man a fish, and he’ll eat for a day. Give a top 10 badass hero a tinkered‑up nail gun and a box of nails, and the world might just tremble under his ingenuity.
Meet the Top 10 Badass Legends
10 Tony Stein And ‘The Stinger’
This World War II combatant was practically a living Transformer. When he stormed the battlefield, he transformed himself into a ground‑based fighter jet, mowing down foes as if they were swarms of Messerschmitts… only, humans fall far easier than metal planes.
Stein armed himself with a souped‑up M1919 machine gun to take on the Japanese. The weapon’s rate of fire was boosted from a modest 400 rounds per minute to an eye‑popping 1,350 rounds per minute, and it was bolted onto fighter aircraft.
Sergeant Mel Grevich loved the concept, but he wasn’t a pilot. He scavenged guns from wrecked planes, grafted an M1 Garand stock and a box magazine onto the piece, birthing what became known as “The Stinger.” One of these fearsome contraptions was handed to Stein ahead of the Battle of Iwo Jima.
During that fierce engagement, Stein ripped through enemy pillboxes and dispatched at least twenty combatants. He sprinted on frequent ammunition runs without boots or a helmet, favoring speed over protection.
9 An 11‑Year‑Old North Carolina Boy And His Machete
“This is a very tough kid who kept his wits about him,” observed Orange County Sheriff Charles Blackwood, describing an 11‑year‑old who fended off a violent intruder with a machete. The youngster had been forced into a closet at gunpoint by 19‑year‑old Jataveon Dashawn Hall, who was brandishing a pellet gun he’d snatched while ransacking the home.
Most children would obey, cry, or even wet themselves. Not this kid. He bolted from the closet, seized a machete, and charged downstairs where the burglar was greedily looting a TV and a PlayStation.
The boy slammed the machete into the thief’s head, taking a kick to the stomach in retaliation. Undeterred, he swung again, missing but receiving a round‑house blow to his own head. The attacker, now bleeding heavily from the scalp, abandoned the loot and fled, taking two accomplices with him.
8 Lars Andersen With A Bow And Arrow
Lars Andersen must be at least half‑wood‑elf to pull off the astonishing feats he performs with a bow. Watching him shatter records with arrows makes us wonder why we rely so heavily on firearms—though Tony Stein’s “Stinger” does remind us why the occasional bow can still be deadly.
Andersen is also a gifted painter, having studied at art school and apprenticed under fellow Dane Otto Frello. The artistic background adds no tactical advantage, but it’s a fun footnote that prevents the author from being peppered with a volley of ten arrows in under five seconds.
7 ‘Jason’ And His Jar Of Instant Coffee
Many people feel useless without their morning brew, but few become modern‑day Charles Bronson wielding a jar of coffee granules. “Jason,” a 48‑year‑old from Victoria, Australia, was about to refuel his Mercedes at a Frankston petrol station when a gun‑toting youngster confronted him.
The would‑be carjacker demanded the keys, but Jason refused. “I think most people probably should hand the keys over, but I’m not one of those people,” he said.
During the scuffle, Jason’s newly bought jar of instant coffee toppled and shattered. He ripped a shard from the broken jar, turning it into an impromptu knife, and fought back. Fortunately for Jason, the attacker’s gun turned out to be a replica; the shattered glass, however, was all too real.
Eventually the would‑be carjacker fled, pocketing only a pack of Jason’s cigarettes.
6 Darryn Frost Fights Terrorist
Here we have the tale of an incredibly brave Englishman who faced a murderous terrorist armed with a piece of a dead animal. Yes, you read that right.
Originally from South Africa, 38‑year‑old Darryn Frost confronted terrorist Usman Khan as the latter rampaged across London Bridge wielding two knives. Frost’s weapon of choice? A narwhal’s tusk, lifted from the decorative antique display inside Fishmongers’ Hall where he and colleagues were attending an event.
He managed to pin the knife‑wielding attacker to the ground, struggling to disarm him while the crowd watched in stunned silence.
Khan had already claimed the lives of Jack Merritt, 25, and Saskia Jones, 23. Police soon intervened, neutralizing the terrorist, who later admitted his bomb vest was a fake.
5 19th‑Century New England Whalers And Their Explosive Harpoon Guns
Continuing the giant‑mammal theme, whaling once formed the backbone of New England’s economy. Whale blubber was rendered into lamp fuel that lit homes worldwide. The demand was massive, and harvesting these massive creatures was perilous.
Mid‑19th‑century inventors introduced the impressive harpoon gun pictured above. Prior to that, whalers simply tossed handheld harpoons and hoped for a bite. As one traditionalist whaler remarked, “A whaler does not like to shoot a whale any more than a sportsman would shoot a trout.”
Even with this powerful invention, bagging enough whales to light the planet was a monumental task—respect to those who did.
4 Joerg Sprave And His Arsenal Of Homemade Weapons
The only thing cooler than Joerg Sprave’s collection of DIY projectile contraptions is his booming, infectious laugh that sounds like a medieval king after a boar hunt—probably a hunt conducted with PVC‑pipe recurve bows.
Sprave’s YouTube channel showcases his wild slingshot tinkering, including a bowling‑ball‑firing slingshot that packs a serious punch.
He also invented the “Instant Legolas,” now known as the “Fenris Rapid‑Fire Bow Magazine,” an attachment that auto‑loads arrows, essentially turning a bow into a rapid‑fire weapon. Badass doesn’t even begin to cover it.
3 Billy Sing And His Lee‑Enfield Rifle
Two hundred confirmed kills is a staggering tally for any sniper, and Australian soldier Billy Sing achieved this using a simple Lee‑Enfield rifle amid the brutal trench warfare of World I.
His most legendary feat involved a duel with the famed Turkish sniper “Abdul the Terrible,” whose rifle was affectionately named “Mother of Death.” Abdul stalked Sing, dug in, and prepared to fire, but Sing, relying on hunter’s instinct, pinpointed Abdul’s position first and eliminated him.
After the war, Sing faded into obscurity, living in a Brisbane boarding house in poverty. His unmarked grave was discovered by Brian Tate half a century after his 1943 death and has since been properly marked.
2 Jerry Miculek And Any Gun You Hand Him
It’s often said you shouldn’t bring a knife to a gunfight. If the gunfight includes Jerry Miculek, you might consider bringing a futuristic pulse weapon instead.
Miculek can fire a revolver so precisely that his groupings fit inside a playing‑card‑sized area, and he can achieve that in just 0.57 seconds. A master gunsmith and handyman, he designs, maintains, and fires firearms faster than anyone alive.
1 Marcus Attilius And His Shiny(us) Gladius
Some people just love a good scrap. Many blokes enjoy getting loaded on the weekend and find any excuse to swing at someone—a spilled drink, a misheard insult, a cockeyed look.
For Roman citizen Marcus Attilius, that love for violence went far beyond weekend barroom brawls. His name appears in the graffiti of Pompeii, listing the gladiatorial superstars of the day. Marcus was the only gladiator listed who wasn’t a slave—he chose the arena willingly.
It’s likely Marcus had served as a soldier before turning to the sands. Records suggest he bested at least two veteran gladiators, and his willingness to sacrifice citizen rights hints at hard financial times.
Isn’t it cooler to think this guy simply wanted a fight? Perhaps he missed the glory and gore of the battlefield. Whatever his motivation, Marcus entered one of the deadliest environments ever fashioned—and he emerged victorious.
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About The Author: CJ Phillips is a storyteller, actor, and writer living in rural West Wales. He is a little obsessed with lists.