The 10 Best Quentin Tarantino Characters, According To Reddit

Split image showing Hans Lana arriving at a farm in Inglorious Basterds and Chery kising Jackie in Jackie Brown

There’s still no news about Quentin Tarantino’s 10th and supposedly final movie and that’s understandable because the award-winning director is currently residing in Israel focussing on daddy duties. Tarantino recently welcomed his second child with his wife, Daniella (People).

Given how much work he has put in over the years, fans will presumably be okay with him taking as much time as he needs. The director hasn’t just made critically acclaimed movies but created or adapted very memorable characters, as well. So which ones can be considered the best? Redditors have nominated a few names.

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Dr. King Schultz – Django Unchained (2012)

King Schultz walking with Django in Django Unchained.

The dentist-turned-bounty hunter is more of a sidekick to the protagonist, Django. He frees him from slavery before helping him rescue his wife. Redditor Mofrosho loves “the way he makes sure what he’s about to do is absolutely clear to the person he’s talking to.”

The Redditor is right about Schultz being a brilliant conversationalist as some of the most powerful Django Unchained quotes can be traced back to him. He is also a pleasant character because he is resistant to the indoctrination of the era. The bounty hunter does well by choosing to be an ally to Black people at a time when they are otherwise enslaved. Furthermore, Schultz is extremely good at his job and thanks to his marksmanship skills, he contributes greatly to the movie’s action sequences.

Stuntman Mike – Death Proof (2007)

Stuntman Mike talking to Pam in Death Proof

The Hollywood stunt driver disturbingly makes a habit of using his death-proofed car to deliberately crash into cars being driven by women. The ButtonFlyEffect notes “how he breaks the fourth wall is hilarious and creepy at the same time.”

The manner in which Mike occasionally updates the audience on his objectives via the fourth wall is indeed so chilling it gives him a case for inclusion among the best-ever horror villains. But unlike most horror villains who are untouchable and tend to face no retribution, Mike gets to pay for his actions in a manner that is very satisfactory to audiences. The final scene in which the three women he targeted outrace him and give him a brutal beatdown remains one of the most unforgettable movie endings.

Max Cherry – Jackie Brown (1997)

Redditor omegaman618 feels Max has “the best arc of them all.” The bail bondsman falls for the protagonist, Jackie, after helping her get out of jail and helps her take down her troublesome associate, Ordell.

Max has heist, legal, and romance storylines and they’re all interwoven in a sufficient manner. Out of all Tarantino characters, he has the best relationship arc too. There are too many wholesome things surrounding his crush on Jackie, from the love-at-first-sight moment where the sounds of “Natural High” by Bloodstone play to the conjuring of a flawless plan to take down a crime boss. In addition, Max remains memorable to this day because he is the Tarantino character with the most ambiguous ending. No one knows what happens to him after Jackie leaves for Madrid.

Vincent Vega – Pulp Fiction (1994)

Vincent Vega looking confused in Pulp Fiction

Redditor PeterPoon names Vincent as one of the best ones, explaining, “the dancing… the dialogue… Travolta is just so cool in that role.” Vincent is one of two trusted henchmen of the crime boss, Marsellus Wallace. Over the course of the movie, he falls for his boss’ wife, Mia.

The Redditor isn’t merely overrating Travolta since the actor earned a “Best Actor” Oscar nomination for the role. Vincent’s appeal stems from the actor giving his all, from the dance with Mia at the ’50s-themed restaurant, Jack Rabbit Slim’s, to the reckless shootings. Vincent being in 80% of Pulp Fiction’s most iconic scenes also makes him even more memorable.

Hansa Landa – Inglourious Basterds (2009)

Hans Landa with a phone in Inglourious Basterds.

Standartenführer (Colonel) Hans Landa is tasked with hunting down Jews, but when things go wrong for the Nazis, he makes a deal to save himself. Redditor FalseGangster45 thinks that with the character, “Tarantino perfected the Villain in ways he had never done before, and may not do again.

Lando’s introductory scene alone is enough to qualify him as a top-tier Tarantino character. In what is regarded as one of the best movie opening sequences, he terrorizes the French farmer Perrier LaPadite, forcing him to reveal where a Jewish family is hiding. The colonel is a solid villain not only because of his brutality but also because of his intuition. He is quick to figure out things, including the fact that German actress, Bridget Von Hammersmark, is spying for the Allies.

Mr. Pink – Reservoir Dogs (1992)

Mr Pink sitting in the cafe in Reservoir Dogs

Mr. Pink blasts his way through the authorities when a diamond heist goes wrong before vanishing with the loot. EaseofUse describes him the perfect way, writing, “He acts basically as the viewer would act in that situation, but he’s not the audience surrogate because he’s slimy and remorseless.”

It’s hinted that Mr. Pink is inexperienced but a case could be made for him as the most competent one of the suit-donning robbers. Coming out of a deadly shootout without a scratch is amazing and so is managing to not become a target for colleagues who are hell-bent on killing each other. And since he’s the one that gets to walk away with the loot, he can be automatically labeled the victor.

Louis Gara – Jackie Brown (1997)

Simone dances for Louis in Jackie Brown

The ex-convict works with the gunrunner Ordell Robbie but gets killed after an argument between the two. About him, Nemoxon writes, “watching that rage build up like a shaken pop (soda) bottle is brilliant.”

Louis is a basic character but it’s Robert DeNiro’s great performance that places him close to the Mount Rushmore of ’90s movie villains. A stereotypical gangster, he gets angry over the slightest things and fails to control his sexual appetite. All his misdemeanors are brought out perfectly by the actor, making Gara more loathsome yet more interesting by the minute.

Lt. Aldo “Apache” Raine – Inglourious Basterds (2009)

The leader of the commando unit known as The Basterds is put in charge of Operation Kino, a mission meant to wipe out the top brass of the Third Reich. FortySets88 declares  “that character is one of the most memorable ones out there.”

Raine is an all-around great military leader. His training methods are intense, his military strategies are unique and his tactical awareness is great too. His unusual punishment methods, which involve actions such as skinning the heads of enemies or curving swastikas into their foreheads, leave audiences stunned too.

Jules Winnfield –  Pulp Fiction (1994)

Jules Winnfield aiming a gun in Pulp Fiction.

AMG-28-06-42-12 thinks it’s brilliant how “Jules transitions from a cold-blooded killer to a religious, life-lessoning righteous man.” Like Vega, Jules is also one of Wallace’s chief henchmen.

Jules is way more multilayered compared to most of Tarantino’s other characters. He understands how the TV industry works, knows bible verses, and happens to be aware of all the gossip surrounding his boss. Above all, Jules remains iconic to this day because of the diner scene where he foils a robbery attempt before surprisingly letting the robbers go.

Cliff Booth – Once Upon A Time … In Hollywood (2019)

Cliff Booth and Bruce Lee in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

Redditor dylercrews notes that “Cliff condenses all of Tarantino’s characters and tropes into one.” The stuntman’s career tanks because of rumors that he murdered his wife. Nonetheless, he continues to get minor jobs, thanks to his friend, the actor Rick Dalton.

The Redditor sums up Cliff in the most perfect way possible. Tarantino characters tend to either be good with weapons, good drivers, good in hand-to-hand combat, or associated with shady people. Cliff is all of that. Audiences would find it hard to forget his scenes, notably one where he brutalizes a fictionalized version of the legendary Bruce Lee. Cliff is also part of one of the best alternate history movie moments where he fends off an attack by murderous Manson Family cultists while injured.

NEXT: Quentin Tarantino’s Best Movies Ranked According To Letterboxd

Author: Deann Hawkins