Choose Your Fighter! TVLine Editors Pit The Toughest Of The Tough Against One Another — But You Select The Winner

Ever wonder which TV toughie you'd be happiest to have your back in a knock-down, drag-out brawl? Well, your friends here at TVLine sure have. As a matter of fact, we've not only gotten around to considering the characters that we'd choose to throw down with us, we've debated the matter — admirably, without fisticuffs — and decided in the end to let you have the final say.

First, though, we invite you to peruse the below Who's Who of fictional folks who could kick not only our ass, but virtually anyone's. The list comprises the nominees for our entirely unofficial but still enviable title of TV's Most Reliable Bruiser.

Going in, you should be aware that supernatural beings of any sort have not been included. If a character heals up as fast as, say, Buffy the Vampire Slayer? Nope! Eliminated. Mechanized characters have also been left on the cutting-room floor. With apologies to the Six Million Dollar Man, who, let's be real, sounds like a bargain today.

The fighters whose praises we'll sing below are entirely flesh and blood — although, given their knack for standing up when the chips are down, we don't necessarily ever get to see a whole lot of their blood shed.

Ready to dive in and choose your fighter? Keep going, you're already on a scroll.

The most effective fighters are often the ones you don't see coming. Just ask Gemma, who severely underestimated the brute strength of all-caps Abbi at the annual Soulstice Games. Basically, if you put a pugil stick in this girl's hands — or challenge her to a full-contact game of Red Rover — she becomes an unstoppable killing machine. Not only would you win the fight with Abbi by your side, but she would also take an unhinged amount of pleasure rubbing your win in the loser's bloody face. — Andy Swift

Not only would Jack screaming in my enemy's face be intimidating af, but Bauer knows how to take a few licks and keep on ticking. In his nine seasons (plus TV movie!), CTU's secret weapon never stopped fighting for his country, friends and family. The guy didn't even back down from a few rounds of Russian roulette behind bars! He's a total badass whose resumé speaks for itself, dammit. — Nick Caruso

"Don't Call Me Lady" Brienne isn't the most physically powerful on this list (though she's no slouch), but what she lacks in brute strength, she makes up for in absolute conviction of purpose. Ser Brienne's strongest armor is her loyalty and honor, which helps her come out on top when situations look bleak (the Battle of Winterfell) and/or absolutely unwinnable (she fought a freaking bear, for the love of the Seven!). And hey, let's not forget: She did beat The Hound... — Kimberly Roots

Is it unfair to pick a pair of fighters here? I don't think so, since the Cousins always worked as a team — a terrifying team. The killing exploits of these fearsome cartel hitmen (played by real-life brothers Luis and Daniel Moncada) were the stuff of legend, as they effortlessly mowed down every opponent with a ruthless precision that was nearly supernatural. And to those who might point out that Hank managed to take them both out? I say: He got lucky. — Dave Nemetz

Back against the wall? Not to worry. This post-apocalyptic badass wouldn't just show you the way forward, she'd clear it of walkers and anything else that obstructed your progress with her handy-dandy katana. Rick Grimes' better half has not only survived Whisperers, Saviors and Wolves (oh my), she forced a new point of view on Woodbury's nefarious Governor by stabbing out one of his eyes. And did I mention that she has a katana? It bears repeating. — Charlie Mason

We all know what Lindsay looks like when she's activated: red in the face and yelling about how many times you've made her a sandwich. The woman is ruthless when it comes to proving she's right. In Season 9, she went as far as to stage a "Freedom Dinner" to celebrate her broken engagement — with her ex in attendance! With Lindsay by your side, you'll always be on the attack when it comes to psychological warfare. — Claire Franken

Weighing in at 235 lbs. and standing 6-foot-3 in height, Alan Ritchson's Reacher is a veritable mountain of a man. And while his sheer strength allows him to, say, punch through car windows with impunity, it's his powers of observation, honed as an elite investigator for the military police, that often give him a tactical edge. — Matt Webb Mitovich

For the purposes of this list, I'm going to ignore the asinine conclusion to Yvonne Strahovski's arc, wherein Sarah's memory bank was wiped clean. Instead, I'm choosing to remember the onetime CIA agent as the kick-ass operative who protected Chuck Bartowski — aka The Intersect — and (mostly) kept him out of danger the same way I'd like to think she would me. — Ryan Schwartz

Yeah, yeah, I know Dean was ultimately felled by an ordinary rusty nail in Supernatural's series finale. I'm ignoring that! Assuming he were an alive-and-well real person, Dean would be my ideal fighting companion: If simple punches and kicks won't do the trick, this Winchester brother knows how to handle everything from knives to rock-salt-filled shotguns. And if he can bring a little levity to the proceedings with a well-timed one-liner? All the better! Someone cue up the Zeppelin for our fight scene, please. — Rebecca Luther

OK, your turn. Which fighter would you want by your side when the chips are down and the dukes are up? Cast your vote below.

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