List of Rambo characters


There are many characters in the Rambo franchise, although the only two to appear in multiple films are Rambo himself and Colonel Trautman.

Main characters

John James Rambo

John James Rambo is an iconic titular character and the protagonist of the Rambo franchise. A former Vietnam War veteran and highly skilled Green Beret, Rambo returned from the war as a decorated, but disturbed hero. He is filled with self-loathing and hates killing, but is willing to use his skills to protect those close to him. This is the general plot line of the three First Blood sequels. The main character of the series, Rambo appears in all the films. The only character to come close to this is Sam Trautman, his mentor, and commander in Vietnam.
He is played by Sylvester Stallone in five films, and Noah Centineo in the prequel, as well as the video game Mortal Kombat 11 DLC Kombat Pack 2 and voiced by Neil Ross in the animated series.

Colonel Samuel Richard "Sam" Trautman

Colonel Samuel Richard "Sam" Trautman is the secondary character in the franchise. He was born on July 6, 1929, in Columbus, Ohio. After graduating from Hilldale High School in his hometown and receiving a B.A. in Sociology from University of Texas in 1950, Trautman joined the United States Army through the ROTC. It is also possible that he enlisted during World War II. After serving in the Korean War, Trautman joined the fledgling Special Forces and was promoted to captain. At the start of the Vietnam War, Trautman began his first combat tour as an adviser to the ARVN. Following his return to the United States, Trautman was selected to form a special forces unit along the lines of S.O.G. It was here that Trautman first met John Rambo, who at that time was a young man who had left both his home and an abusive father. Over the months in training, Trautman became a substitute father for the young Rambo, especially as Rambo was the youngest of the group. When Trautman completed the group's Special Forces training, they were sent on the first of two tours of Vietnam. Trautman's team received the code name of Baker Team and usually consisted of eight men.
The known members of Baker Team were John Rambo, Delmore Barry, Joseph "Joey" Danforth, Manuel "Loco" Ortega, Paul Messner, Delbert Krackheur, Giuseppe "Greasy Cunt" Colletta, and Ralph Jorghenson. Rambo, Barry, and Trautman are said to be Baker Team's only surviving members from Vietnam, though Barry eventually dies of cancer the summer prior to the events of First Blood.
He is played by Richard Crenna in the first three Rambo films and voiced by Alan Oppenheimer in the animated series.

Introduced in ''First Blood'' (1972/1982)

Sheriff William "Will" Teasle

Sheriff William "Will" Teasle appears in First Blood. He serves as the main antagonist as well as the sheriff of Hope and strongly dislikes "unwanted elements" in his town, like drifters. Teasle arrests John Rambo for this reason, but Rambo eventually escapes. As the film progresses, Teasle becomes enemies with Rambo. He initially wants to take Rambo alive, but when Art Galt is killed while trying to shoot Rambo, Teasle becomes obsessed with hunting him down and killing him, even after learning that Rambo was a war hero in Vietnam. Teasle later meets Colonel Trautman; the two men seem to respect each other, although they both clearly dislike one another. At the end of the film, Rambo severely injures Teasle and almost kills him before Trautman intervenes and stops him, unlike in the novel, where Teasle and Rambo kill each other. He is last seen being taken into an ambulance, and he is not seen or mentioned again in later films with an exception of a brief flashback during the fourth film.

Deputy Sergeant Arthur "Art" Galt

Deputy Sergeant Arthur "Art" Galt is Teasle's head deputy, and also his closest friend. He is shown to be very cruel, as he tortures Rambo to the approval of most of the other deputies. He gets beaten up by Rambo as he escapes the police station. Teasle sends him to look for Rambo in a helicopter. Despite Teasle's orders to take him alive, Galt tries to kill him in cold blood as he climbs down from a cliff, threatening to kill the pilot if he does not fly straight so that he can get a clear shot, and ignoring Teasle on his radio. When Rambo is cornered against a tree, he throws a rock at the helicopter's windshield, causing Galt to fall from the helicopter into the gorge, to his death.

Deputy Mitch Rogers

Deputy Mitch Rogers is the only deputy in First Blood who is pleasant to Rambo and even shows disgust when Art Galt sadistically tortures Rambo. Upon learning that Rambo was a Green Beret and a Medal of Honor recipient he tries to talk Teasle out of killing Rambo only to be ridiculed by the Sheriff. Eventually he is taken out when Rambo stabs him in the leg during the manhunt, however he was unfeeling to the injury having told a fellow deputy that Rambo was being abused by Galt and others to thwart Teasle hunting for Rambo.

Introduced in ''Rambo: First Blood Part II'' (1985)

Agent Co Phuong Bao

A native girl named Agent Co Phuong Bao appears in Rambo: First Blood Part II. She works for an intelligence agency. She wants to leave her country, and she arranges for Rambo and herself to go upstream with a group of river pirates. Rambo comes to the camp, and in contradiction to his briefing, he finds US prisoners there and rescues one of them from a makeshift crucifixion. Later, Co enters the camp, in the guise of a prostitute, and comes to the hut in which Rambo is held captive. Rambo agrees to Podovsky's conditions, but instead threatens Murdock on the radio that he is "coming to get you", then escapes from captivity into a nearby jungle with Co's help. Co then tends to Rambo's wounds and begins to implore him to take her to the United States. Rambo agrees, and they kiss. However, they are then attacked by some Vietnamese soldiers, and Co is killed. Rambo kills them all and then buries Co's body in the jungle.
In Rambo III Co Bao's necklace is seen being worn by Rambo for the duration of the film. Rambo eventually gives the necklace to Hamid.
In Rambo: The Force of Freedom, Co Bao was used as the inspiration for Katherine Anne "K.A.T." Taylor, who was also a master of disguise, gymnastics, and martial arts.
Co Bao appears in Rambo via flashbacks. The flashbacks were scenes from the second film.

Major Marshall Roger T. Murdock

Major Marshall Roger T. Murdock is an American bureaucrat and CIA field operative who is in charge of the operation. In Rambo: First Blood Part II, he tells Rambo that the demand by the American public for knowledge about the POWs will be found by a trained commando under certain conditions. Rambo is briefed that rescue is not the aim of the mission, only photographs of the POWs. The enemy is not to be engaged. Rambo reluctantly agrees to the mission before he is told an agent of the American government will receive him in the jungles of Vietnam. Murdock claims that in 1966 he served with the 2nd battalion, 3rd Marines at Kon Tum. Rambo realizes the unit did not exist then. It becomes known that Murdock cares little about the mission being successful. Murdock either beloves that no evidence will be found of the POWs or Rambo killed before the mission is completed. Rambo returns with POWs and confronts Murdock for the betrayal telling him that there are more POWs. Rambo demands that Murdock have those still captive returned or Rambo will kill Murdock. Nothing is revealed about what happens with Murdock.

Michael Reed Ericson

Michael Reed Ericson, one of Murdock's associates, is a CIA paramilitary operative and skillful mercenary pilot who can fly fixed and rotary-winged aircraft equally well. He seems a pleasant character, who attempts to befriend Rambo. When Murdoch orders Rambo's betrayal, he reluctantly complies. When Rambo flies the POWs back to the base, Ericson greets Rambo and congratulates him for surviving, only for Rambo to knock him unconscious with a machine gun over a misunderstanding.

Lifer

Lifer, another of Murdock's mercenaries, a CIA paramilitary operative is a seedy-looking character who, along with Ericson, betrays Rambo on Murdoch's orders. When Trautman argues, Lifer holds a gun to his head. At the end when Rambo returns with the POWs, Lifer hides amongst the Army personnel helping the POWs onto waiting ambulances.

Lieutenant Tay

Lieutenant Tay is a vicious POW-camp officer played by George Kee Cheung. Tay, who tortures the POWs and Rambo when he is captured, is ultimately killed by Rambo in revenge for the death of Co-Bao.

Captain Vinh

Captain Vinh, POW Camp commander. Ends up burned to death in a fire set by Rambo.

Banks

Banks is an American POW who is rescued by Rambo and Co-Bao. He is shocked by how long he has been held captive.

Sergeant Yushin

Sergeant Yushin is a Russian soldier. He is Podovsky's henchman. He serves as a torturer and electrocutes Rambo to force him to make a radio call. He and Rambo later fight each other in a Soviet helicopter and he is thrown out of the chopper and falls to his death.

Lieutenant Colonel Sergei T. Podovsky

Lieutenant Colonel Sergei T. Podovsky, a Soviet commander and the main antagonist, he is played by Steven Berkoff. He first arrives at the POW camp after Rambo is captured. He and Yushin torture Rambo, and later threaten to torture Banks, to make him radio the Americans that no further rescue attempts should be made for the POWs. When Rambo later destroys the entire camp and frees the POWs, Podovsky chases after them in an attack helicopter. After Rambo's chopper gets damaged in the chase, Rambo tricks the Soviet by pretending to be dead and immobile. When Podovsky flew close enough, Rambo blows him and his helicopter up with a rocket launcher, killing Podovsky and the crew inside.