The Dirty Dozen: Top 12 Movie Vigilantes

In film, some bad guys require a type of justice that the law can't provide. That's where these movie vigilantes come in. As Denzel Washington plays judge and jury in 'The Equalizer,' let's check out 12 of our favorite anti-heroes. 

John Creasy in 'Man on Fire' (2003)

Before 'Equalizer,' Denzel set out to get revenge on Mexican kidnappers for taking sweet, little Dakota Fanning. 

Peyton Westlake in 'Darkman' (1990)

Director Sam Raimi's answer to 1989's 'Batman' casts a pre-'Taken' Liam Neeson as a badly-burned scienstist who dons a trenchcoat and becomes a vigilante -- all to get revenge on those who disfigured him. 

Bryan Mills in 'Taken' (2008)

Liam Neeson has a certain set of skills that hinge on finding new ways to punch and shoot bad guys for stealing his daughter.

Travis Bickle in 'Taxi Driver' (1976)

Martin Scorsese's 1976 classic puts a gritty, tragic spin on vigilante justice, with Robert De Niro giving an iconic performance as the troubled Travis "You Talkin' to Me?!" Bickle. 

Paul Kersey in 'Death Wish' (1974)

"Original vigilante" Charles Bronson set the tone for thrillers about average guys with a vendetta, playing a New York City architect hunting down the thugs that murdered his wife.

Erica Bain in 'The Brave One' (2007)

Jodie Foster takes a page from the ‘Death Wish’ playbook in this 2007 thriller, playing a woman armed and dangerous and out for revenge when her lover is killed in a mugging gone wrong. 

Chris Vaughn in 'Walking Tall' (2004)

Can you smell what The Rock is cooking? It's ol' fashioned street justice in this remake of the 1974 hit. Dwayne Johnson plays Chris Vaughn, an ex-soldier who uses a 4x4 to clean up corruption in his hometown. 

Walt Kowalski in 'Gran Torino' (2008)

Clint Eastwood takes a very extreme "get off my lawn!" approach to serving street justice when local thugs threaten his neighborhood. Dirty Harry would be proud... 

Connor and Murphy McManus in 'The Boondock Saints' Series (1999, 2009)

These fraternal twins are the anti-heroes Boston needs when criminals threaten the city in both the 1999 cult favorite, 'The Boondock Saints,' and its 2009 sequel, 'The Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day' (pictured). 

Tom Craven in 'Edge of Darkness' (2010)

Mel Gibson plays a homicide detective struggling to find his daughter's killers before he runs out of bullets. 

Beatrix Kiddo in 'Kill Bill: Vols. 1 & 2' (2003, 2004)

When The Bride (Uma Thurman) is shot and left for dead, she (naturally) puts on a yellow jumpsuit and uses a samurai sword to get bloody vengeance. 

Bruce Wayne in 'The Dark Knight' Trilogy (2005-2012)

The big screen's most popular vigilante, Batman is the hero we need and deserve whenever guys wearing weird breathing masks -- or clowns with pockets full of knives and lint -- show up.