John Cena in The Marine (2006)

An action hero (or action heroine for women) is the protagonist of an action film or other form of entertainment which portrays action, adventure, and often violence.^[1] Other media in which such heroes appear include swashbuckler films, Western films, old-time radio, adventure novels, dime novels, pulp magazines, and folklore.

Notable action heroes

This list focuses on male action heroes. For the list of female action heroes, see List of female action heroes and villains.