Helljumpers (Halo 3: ODST)
There’s really no disputing that Spartans are about as badass they get. Master Chief was responsible for saving the galaxy from the Covenant, the Flood and Halo, and Noble Team prevented Reach from falling long enough for Master Chief to get off the planet. All their human comrades, like marines and pilots, just seem kind of useless in comparison. However, it’s also really easy to be a super, Covenant slaying badass when you’re genetically modified and are encased in a billion dollars worth of high-tech military hardware.
The Helljumpers (or Orbital Drop Shock Troopers) on the other hand have no such luxuries. They don’t have fancy rechargeable shields, advanced AI companions or superhuman strength. All they’re equipped with is a submachine gun, their comparatively weak body armor and a huge set of balls when they step into a metal pod that sends them plummeting to the ground billions of miles below. It’s simple to be brave when the deck is stacked in your favor, but when you’re just a puny human going up against aliens armed with laser weapons and plasma grenades; it takes boulder-sized cojones to still think running in guns blazing is a good idea.
But that’s just what the Helljumpers are all about. They’re just normal soldiers with abnormal amounts of courage. The fact that the squad in Halo 3: ODST is comprised of no other than Malcom Reynolds, Sarah Kerrigan, Animal Mother, Pastor Veal, and goddamn Nathan Drake certainly doesn’t hurt their case for being on this list either.
Bravo Squad (Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare)
If you learned one thing from playing Modern Warfare it’s that terrorism is a very bad idea. Because if you’re a terrorist, it’s very, very likely that you’ll one day awaken to see the British Special Air Service’s Bravo Squad (lead by Captain John Price and his glorious mustache) peering down at you while fastening alligator clips to your testicles in preparation for some impromptu electroshock therapy. They’ll eventually shoot you in the face, of course, but not before breaking your legs, making fun of your mother, spitting in your eye and inflicting ungodly amounts of pain until you give up every piece of information they want to know.
That’s just how Captain Price and Bravo Squad roll. When they’re not dropping in behind enemy lines to rescue allies, they’re storming oil tankers, crashing helicopters, fighting the entire Russian army, saving the United States from being nuked and in general policing the world (through violence and torture, granted) more efficiently than the United Nations could ever dream of. Most of Bravo Squad is killed in one of the most badass last stands in video games, but Captain Price (who evidently is impervious to something as silly as being shot multiple times) survives to kick ass another day in Modern Warfare 2.
Next Page: FOXHOUND, Baker’s Squad