Jules 

Pulp Fiction

Sporting unruly sideburns and a constant scowl, the fearsome Jules is without a doubt a “Bad Mother F****er” (as his wallet clearly states) among Tarantino’s basterds. A tribute to blaxploitation antiheroes, the god-fearing Jules has a bounce in his step, a nine-millimeter in his pocket and a really hot temper. He’s a smooth talker, a grandiose killer and is at his best when mincing the gospel to play devil or saint. Jules is philosophical, intense and confrontational. He contemplates life and speaks with conviction. Plus, he’ll shoot one man just to break another man’s concentration.

Classic line: “You’re the weak and I’m the tyranny of evil men.”

Mia Wallace

Pulp Fiction

The crime boss’ wife ain’t your typical dame. Uma Thurman’s foxy Mia Wallace puts men in line with her hip, urban sass, quick wit and, well, her hips. She talks about talking, dishing the ins and outs of gossip, conversational suspense and, ironically, silence. A verbal whiz, Mia also outwits John Travolta on the dance floor and remains captivating even when she’s comatose.

Classic line: “That’s when you know you found somebody really special, when you can just shut the f*** up for a minute and comfortably share silence.”

Vincent Vega

Pulp Fiction

It’s the role that resurrected John Travolta’s career: Hitman Vincent Vega is a persistently stoned screw-up who lets his date OD, accidentally blows someone’s head off and goes to the bathroom at the worst moment possible. Vincent’s an audacious basterd who has the b**** to argue against his own follies and moan when he’s not getting his due respect. Yet, he’s also a curious observer who enjoys the finer details in life, like how the metric system applies to McDonald’s and what kind of discrete meaning is hidden in a foot massage. Plus, he shows off his cool with some fancy footwork on the dance floor.

Classic line: “Oh man, I shot Marvin in the face.”

Mr. Pink

Reservoir Dogs

The whiniest, most hilarious basterd, Mr. Pink, as played by Steve Buscemi and his rodent looks, is the criminal ready to consider the facts and think things through — the voice of reason among mad men. He’s an a** who is insecure with the color pink and doesn’t believe in tipping, but he has his principles and can dish out a good Quentin-esque argument or two to justify them.

Classic line: “The words ‘too f*****g busy’ shouldn’t be in a waitress’ vocabulary.”

Drexl

True Romance

Tony Scott may have directed True Romance but Quentin Tarantino wrote the screenplay and Drexl, the dreadlocked pimp played by an unrecognizable Gary Oldman, brings Quentin’s jive to the fore. It takes five minutes for this scar-faced, gold-toothed, milky eyed pimp in white boxers and a silk leopard-print bathrobe to steal this movie. And all he has to do is swing a tacky lamp and deliver a brilliant monologue about the methods and politics of criminal negotiation: how to sit, eat and keep the mystery. Drexl’s advice: Eat the f***ing egg roll.

Classic line: “If I asked if you want some dinner, and you grabbed an egg roll and started chowing down, I’d say to myself, this m*****f***a, he’s carrying on like he ain’t got a care in the world. And who knows. Maybe you don’t.”

Bud (aka Sidewinder)

Kill Bill: Vol. 1 & 2

A former member of the Deadly Viper Assassination Squad, Bill’s estranged brother, Bud, becomes a strip club bouncer who spends his days in a mobile home spitting something nasty into a bucket. Yet, Michael Madsen’s lowlife Bud is still crafty when it comes to dealing with enemies. What makes Bud tick is his twisted empathy. He has a curiosity to understand the human condition and there’s a glimmer in his eye that shows understanding, even while he’s burying his victims alive. In fact, Bud may be the only brutal bastard who makes you feel all warm inside.

Classic line: “That woman deserves her revenge… and we deserve to die.”

Winston “The Wolf” Wolfe

Pulp Fiction

A bow-tie-wearing, sports-car-revving problem solver, Harvey Keitel’s Winston Wolfe is like the uncle you never had. Assigned to hide a dead body and make for a clean getaway, Wolfe’s five-minute onscreen appearance makes for one of the smoothest and funniest moments in Tarantino’s movies. He’s brisk and polite, has his wits together in the middle of chaos and appreciates a good coffee while soaking up pools of blood. He can simultaneously put a hit man in his place and calm an anxious civilian. In fact, he probably should run for president.

Classic line: “You’ve got a corpse in the car, minus a head, in the garage. Take me to it.”

Bill (aka Snake Charmer)

Kill Bill: Vol. 1 & 2

Played by Kung Fu’s David Carradine, Bill — the pimpin’ boss of the Deadly Viper Assassination Squad — is the basterd responsible for the massacre of the wedding party and subsequent “coup de grace” performed on The Bride (he’s also the guy who knocked her up). Bill is a part-time mystic, a full-time killer and a hopeless romantic who cites ‘80s pop songs and elaborates on comic book mythology. He’s a pied piper kind of guy, luring his victims with his suave, friendly humor and the tune from his wooden flute before getting medieval on them.

Classic line: “There are consequences to breaking the heart of a murdering bastard.”

Mr. Blonde (aka Vic Vega)

Reservoir Dogs

Mr. Blonde’s loyalty to his partners is matched only by how much he hates cops and people who set off alarms. The brother of Pulp Fiction’s Vincent Vega, Michael Madsen’s Vic is frank and upfront. He’ll tell you exactly what he’s going to do and how little he cares about doing it. Both easy to admire and discomforting to watch, Mr. Blonde is a murderous bastard who takes time and pleasure in his dirty work; he’ll even sing and dance while doing it. He keeps cool, calm and collected, even when he’s hacking off someone’s ear.

Classic line: “If they hadn’t a done what I told them not to do, they’d still be alive.”

The Bride

Kill Bill: Vol. 1 & 2

Who says a woman can’t be a bastard? Besides, this empowered bridezilla ain’t your typical woman. Uma Thurman’s vengeful assassin is a Frankenstein-ish amalgamation of ancient samurai, spaghetti western cowboy and a girl with the most deadly case of PMS you can imagine. Her grandiose, self-referential Quentin-speak is the backbone of the Kill Bill movies. The Bride has the nurturing warmth of a would-have-been mother and the ice-cold stare of a killer ready to decapitate just about everything.

Classic line: “You and I have an unfinished business.”