It’s normal for movie characters to have flaws and succumb to their issues,as this is what makes them interesting. However, while it’s normal to make mistakes, these individuals are too incompetent to ever be considered true heroes. Not every film has a high-stakes concept that would force its characters to carry the weight of the world on their shoulders, and it’s a relief that most of these characters don’t come close to that kind of pressure. If they already buckle under the strain of carrying their stories, I wouldn’t want to see them trying to save the day.
There are many ways that a character can fail, like inmovies where a character’s obsession leads to destruction. However, these characters were bogged down by their own ineptitude and avoidable mistakes. This doesn’t stop some of them from being likable, but it definitely means they wouldn’t make good heroes or ever be able to save the world. Some of these individuals lose the audience after hurting those around them, but others are simply doing their best and failing to meet other people’s expectations, earning empathy from the audience.
8Holland March - The Nice Guys (2016)
Played by Ryan Gosling
Ryan Gosling is at his best inThe Nice Guysas Holland March,perhaps the most incompetent private eye to ever grace the screen. Set in 1970s Los Angeles,The Nice Guysis a funny, stylish, action-packed adventure that sees Holland team up with the much more capable Jackson Healy (Russell Crowe). A tribute to the LA crime thriller,The Nice Guysputs a spin on the typical archetypes featured in the genre by making Holland a bumbling dad just trying his best.
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This doesn’t make it hard to like Holland, even when he’s making avoidable mistakes, but it does set both he and Jackson back throughout their adventure. Unfortunately, charisma doesn’t equal capabilities, andHolland is much more charming than he is able to follow through on his plans.As the years have progressed,The Nice Guyshas become a beloved cult classic, as it’s always fun to watch Gosling and Crowe play off each other.
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7Aldo Raine - Inglourious Basterds (2009)
Quentin Tarantino is quick to point out the flaws in his leading characters in all his films,andInglourious Basterdsis no exception. As the many threads of the story slowly weave together, the audience learns that Aldo Raine and his team will have to step out of their comfort zone and deal with something other than violence. While gore and bloody fight scenes are a large part ofInglourious Basterds, it’s sad when many of Aldo’s men are killed, and he fails to save everyone involved in the story.
This is what makes him such a fun character to watch and adds some lightness to the intensity ofInglourious Basterds.
Aldo still gets the last laugh and helps to save the day inInglourious Basterds, but this is because the film is full of revisionist history and unbelievable plot twists. In any other situation, Aldo would not be someone you wanted making plans and being in charge of anything other than ambushes and bloody vengeance. However, this is what makes him such a fun character to watch and adds some lightness to the intensity ofInglourious Basterds.
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6Gale Hawthorne - The Hunger Games (2012)
Played by Liam Hemswoth
The love triangle is a popular trope indystopian books likeThe Hunger Gamesand the movies that bring their stories to life. However, the relationship dynamic between Gale, Katniss (Jennifer Lawrence), and Peeta (Josh Hutcherson) has clear winners and losers. Gale might be the strong, safe presence from Katniss’s past, butit’s clear from the way that he behaves when she comes back from the Games that he isn’t someone she can count on.This is only further cemented by his actions inMockingjay.
Gale only thinks about himself and what’s best for his future, not taking into account the larger moral implications of his actions. He’s given a lot of responsibility in the rebellion because he’s a good fighter, but that doesn’t make him a good leader. He’s too easily swayed by President Coin andis willing to make awful ideological compromises throughout the storyto make him a proper hero. Though Katniss isn’t perfect and has her ambiguous moments, she knows what she believes, and this makes her a true hero.
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5Jeffrey Beaumont - Blue Velvet (1986)
Played by Kyle MacLachlan
Blue Velvetis one ofDavid Lynch’s best moviesand features one of the many collaborations between Lynch and Kyle MacLachlan. MacLachlan’s character,Jeffery, brings the thematic intentions and dark irony ofBlue Velvetto life as he wishes to escape his idyllic suburban existenceby exploring the dangerous world of the woman he has become infatuated with. Unfortunately for Jeffrey, a large part of the reason he makes it out of the film alive is luck, as he’s no detective and is investigating the crimes to fulfill a fantasy.
It becomes all too clear that Jeffrey isn’t the daring noir protagonist who cracks the case but a foolish kid.
By the end of the story, Jeffrey begins to realize just how out of his depth he is, especially after he finds the bodies of those who paid the price for his rash behavior. Jeffrey comes very close to dying at the hands of Frank Booth, terrifyingly brought to life by Dennis Hopper, and eventually gets everything he wants, losing nothing but his innocence. It becomes all too clear that Jeffrey isn’t the daring noir protagonist who cracks the case but a foolish kid.
4Walter Sobchak - The Big Lebowski (1998)
Played by John Goodman
John Goodman strikes the perfect tone as Walter, the foil to and friend of the Dude (Jeff Bridges) inThe Big Lebowski. The Coen Brothers' twist on the classic LA noir movie,The Big Lebowski, sees the often high and laid-back character of the Dude attempt to navigate a dangerous case of mistaken identity, and Walter doesn’t help to resolve the situation.If anything, Walter makes things worse for the Dude throughout the movie,getting the characters into deeper trouble because he thinks he can double-cross the people blackmailing them.
Of course, it doesn’t take long for Walter to be outsmarted, as he has an inflated sense of his intellect and what he can do, which ultimately leads to disaster.The convoluted plot ofThe Big Lebowskiis part of the fun of watching the film,and Walter’s constant mistakes are part of what makes the narrative even more twisting. However, if anyone other than the Dude was Walter’s friend, they would have blown up at Walter long before the final moments of the film. Having him as a partner in crime only leads to mistakes and death.
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3Dale Denton & Saul Silver - Pineapple Express (2008)
Played by Seth Rogen & James Franco
James Franco and Seth Rogen make a hilarious duo inPineapple Express,the stoner comedy that made its mark on the genre in the early 2000s. After getting caught in the midst of a larger conspiracy involving drug lords, torture, and crime, Dale and Saul embark on an offbeat adventure that sees them make all the wrong choices but still manage to emerge from the story relatively unscathed. Saul and Dale spend most of the movie running from the villains, taking wild detours, and coming close to death more times than not.
However, the movie revels in the obvious plot armor that Dale and Saul share, pushing them to their limits throughout the story.
The chemistry between the characters helps the audience root for them, even as it becomes increasingly ridiculous that the pair would have made it this far. However, the movie revels in the obvious plot armor that Dale and Saul share, pushing them to their limits throughout the story. While it’s fun to watch them bumble their way through a crime thriller, if the stakes were any higher, there’s no way that Dale and Saul would win the day as the heroes of the film.
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2Mickey Barnes - Mickey 17 (2025)
Played by Robert Pattinson
Bong Joon Ho’s latest dark comedy sci-fi adventure,Mickey 17, is overflowing with incompetent characters, not just the protagonist, Mickey. Though Mickey is deliberately put into dangerous and lethal situations, he proves himself to be good at finding painful and difficult ways to die. It becomes clear throughoutMickey 17that while Mickey is part of the adventure to save the day and create a more just settlement, he’s not the brains behind the operation. His girlfriend, Nasha (Naomi Ackie), is far more competent.
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In most cases,Mickey 17mines Mickey’s failings and unfortunate endings for comedy, elevating the ridiculousness of his situation. However, the fact thathe signed up to be an Expendable without knowing what it was or where he was goingspeaks to Mickey’s lack of long-term planning and foresight. While saving the world can’t always be something you prepare for, Mickey couldn’t have survived his ordeal without the help of others, and I wouldn’t want him to be in charge on Earth.
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1Bella Swan - Twilight (2008)
Played by Kristen Stewart
Kristen Stewart has the difficult job of making Bella a likable character in theTwilightSaga. Bella isn’t the kind of character that audiences can immediately relate to, andher consistent penchant for danger and making matters worse doesn’t help her case.From the moment that Bella meets Edward (Robert Pattinson) in the first movie, she puts the Cullens in danger and threatens to expose them and the entire vampire community. Even after she’s turned, Bella is the source of a lot of controversy.
Until she’s changed into a vampire and can start taking care of herself, Bella needs constant protection, resulting in deaths and risks that lead to trouble for everyone.
Until she’s changed into a vampire and can start taking care of herself, Bella needs constant protection, resulting in deaths and risks that lead to trouble for everyone. Edward comes close to dying many times for her, and Jacob (Taylor Lautner) becomes alienated from his family. Though it’s not always Bella’s fault that she’s at the heart of the conflicts inTwilight, it’s impossible to ignore that she doesn’t make any heroic choices alone.
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