Poll: What makes a character "badass"?

[Dingoman013]

Recently I beat Condemned 2: Bloodshot, and thinking back on a post I saw awhile back in the Forums section (the post asked why the main character was never the most badass) I realized Ethan Thomas(The main Protagonist) was probably the most badass character I have ever seen. As I then began to analyze him and realized a few things;

1. Hes got his haunting problems
2. He doesn't have immaculately large health
3. His melee based combat style
4. And overall coolness
5. He also fits into Yahtzee's Manly side, not macho manly side of his article on the topic

And I'm sure how you all wonder why I havn't chosen Kratos, or Alucard(From castlevania or hellsing), or someone like dante. They just don't appeal to me as well as he did. Was it perhaps the universe he was in, with an excellent charcter for it? I would like some sort of explanation.

And if you dont know wo I'm talking about check out some of these vids on youtube (ethan is the guy running away in front of the rioters)
Pic(look first): http://cghub.com/files/Image/012001-013000/12758/790_realsize.jpg
Vid(look last):http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ikWLhcEWIok


So I'm beginning to wonder, what is the science involved in making a character "Badass"

And if I did something wrong, don comment on my grammar

 

[mrm5561]

i say if he is willing to fight on even though he is more than likely going to die. a good example is leon from re4, and regular man would run away after the sea monster but he kept going because he didnt fear death and he was worried about a young girls life

 

[quack35]

Someone who is really intelligent and good at manipulating people and events to his/her liking.

 

[ottenni]

For a man to bad-ass he must be huge and have a massive beard. So he must be like Santa. Dont doubt this logic. Santa is badass.

 

[NeutralDrow]

The Rule Of Cool personified.

A character who gets away with outright insane stunts (defusing a bomb with their teeth, conning a mob boss, getting into a firefight with the entire US army, etc.) that would never work in real life. A Bad Ass is a fantasy figure who the audience roots for precisely because they break or stretch the Willing Suspension Of Disbelief.

Of course, Willing Suspension Of Disbelief may still be maintained depending on the mechanics of the universe.

Quoth <url=http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/Badass>TV Tropes

 

[Vrex360]

Noble ideologies and conflicting beliefs and a personality change over the course of the story combined with determination, strength and a great sense of humor.
This makes a character badass.

Also, if I am playing as the character then they are automatically badass.

 

[clipped crow]

He would have be manipulative.

Someone that can talk his way out of any situation handed to 'im, while not shy of weapons, someone who doesn't get tied down by morals or person codes, and lastly has a sense of humor.

Some one that all movements are fluid, without even a hint of hesitation, a man who moves like a physical manifestation of song.