YOLO, so don’t go solo: See why lone rangers have it worse on screen
Films and shows are overrun with lone wolves. One fighter against all odds. One hero doing it all. Be a team player, maybe?
Mad Max.It’s pretty easy to imagine Mel Gibson or Tom Hardy (who’ve both played Max Rockatansky) as lone rangers in a post-apocalyptic world. They’re not the type to take orders. Surely a sidekick would have helped with the loneliness and nightmares? They’d have to watch their backs less. Max did have a best friend, wife, and son, all of whom were butchered. He’s befriended a doggo. But that’s hardly useful when battling War Boys.
Wolverine. We can see why this sexy mutant stays aloof. In the comic book Wolverine: Origin #1 (2006), Logan accidentally clawed the love of his life, Rose, to death. But in a world crawling (and flying and swimming) with fellow mutants, surely he’s seen the advantages of running with a pack. Who knows, it might make for better human-mutant relations too. And fewer scratches.
The Bride. Why mess with a pregnant woman, especially an expert assassin you’ve seen in action? Kill Bill’s Beatrix Kiddo, aka The Bride, returns for revenge on her murderous colleagues, picking them off one by one, and leaving them all jittery. Disgruntled employees are the worst. Could they not have had an exit interview? These blood-spattered one-on-ones could well have been an email.
Ellen Ripley. Nostromo, the space freighter Ellen Ripley is on, already runs on a skeleton crew. So, it only makes sense to treat everyone as an ally and build relationships. And yet, in the Alien franchise, people repeatedly hold grudges, keep secrets, back stab, and betray. Why make enemies out of people who can cover for you while you take that much-needed shower?
Witcher. It must be exhausting to be the only competent full-time monster hunter. But Geralt of Rivia, from The Last Wish and The Witcher series, persists in going it alone, fighting packs of enemies, never relaxing, no time to shampoo that hair, even. If only he had made a few more useful friends, he’d probably have better work-life balance and spend more time with his daughter, Cirilla.
John Wick. Probably our favourite lone wolf, John takes no prisoners, especially after his pup, Daisy, is murdered. The widower, and seasoned hitman, could do with a friend or two (and some grief counselling, honestly). He’s at peak physical strength, but he’s hardly immortal. Plus, his heart is broken. A friend would have brought over some chicken soup while he recovered from that broken arm.
Jason Bourne. This man has a unique problem. He’s an expert fighting machine. He looks delicious. He’s a danger even to himself. And yet, he has amnesia so he can’t remember who he is and what he’s fighting for. Which of his four distinct identities is the real one? Why has he been involved in shady dealings? So, he’s understandably wary of collabs. If only he could vent over a Venti with a buddy, or take off on a guys trip (using one of his passports) to figure himself out.
