Heroes are, by definition, willing and able to do extraordinary acts that would make a regular Joe cower in a fetal position under his desk. Heroes can face down Nazis, thwart orcs, and stop a criminal mastermind from destroying the world. We've put together a list of some cinema's greatest heroes. Take a look.

Photo by David James/Paramount PicturesINDIANA JONES -- Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

Indie isn't your average tenured archaeology professor. Dr. Jones has fought Nazis in Egypt, cultists in India, and now Soviets in South America, proving that neither the years nor the mileage can slow him down.

Photo by UA/Kobal, WireImageJames Bond -- Goldfinger

Like many on this list, James Bond regularly confronts all sorts of weird and dangerous villains. But no one does so with so much aplomb. No matter how many times he confronts death and the annihilation of the Earth, he looks completely unruffled. The only thing that ever gets shaken is his vodka martini.

Photo by Stephen Vaughan/Warner Bros. PicturesBATMAN -- The Dark Knight

Most of the world's uber-rich prefer to spend their time playing polo or perhaps starring in a reality TV show. But not Bruce Wayne. He likes nothing more than to don a high-tech bat suit and knock the stuffing out of criminals.

Photo by United Artists, Everett CollectionRocky Balboa -- Rocky

America's favorite meat-punching underdog might not be the most articulate of people, but he does prove that no problem can't be overcome after some inspirational grunts and a rousing workout montage scene.

Photo by Paramount/Kobal, WireImageWILLIAM WALLACE -- Braveheart

William Wallace was a man on a mission. He rallied the clans of Scotland to stand up to the English army, and he did it in blue face paint and an anachronistic kilt. Yet his most extraordinary feat might have been to continue to talk politics while being disemboweled.

Photo by Lucas Films/20th Century Fox/Kobal, WireImageLUKE SKYWALKER -- Star Wars

Sure, Han Solo might have the swagger, the Wookie and the Millennium Falcon, but Luke - that intergalactic Boy Scout - has the Force. Though he had moments of doubt where he wished he stayed on Tatooine, he defeated the evil Emperor while redeeming his Jedi-wonder-boy-turned-cyborg-enforcer dad. Can't get much more heroic than that.

Photo by Warner Bros., Everett CollectionNEO -- The Matrix

As everyone keeps telling him, Neo is "The One." But in spite of cool sunglasses, spooky prophesies, and easily downloaded Kung Fu lessons, he didn't believe it until he discovers he could dodge bullets as if they were spitballs. After that, all it took to defeat even the toughest Agent was to remember, "There is no spoon."

CAPTAIN JACK SPARROW -- Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest

Jack Sparrow was a drunken cad in heavy eyeliner who lied constantly, fought dirty, and rarely bathed. Yet, he did rescue damsels in distress, save the life of a rival, and face a massive, tentacled sea monster. Sparrow just doesn't publicize such things; it would ruin his pirate street cred.

Photo by TRI-STAR/Kobal, WireImageJOHN RAMBO -- Rambo: First Blood Part II

Everyone's favorite bulging, sweat-soaked, bandana-wearing killing machine. He took on the Washington National Guard, lay waste to the Vietnamese army, blew away Russian commandoes, and rescued missionaries in Burma. And he managed to do all this while communicating only through monosyllabic grunts.

Photo by 20th Century Fox/Kobal, WireImageJOHN McCLANE -- Die Hard

The irritable New York cop with marital problems who became a one-man "War on Terror." After Nakatomi Plaza was captured by a dozen high-tech Eurotrash thieves, he managed to kill all the baddies, save his wife, and leap off an exploding skyscraper supported by nothing but a fire hose. And he didn't even need shoes to do it.

Photo by Warner BrothersKING LEONIDAS -- 300

Leonidas was a man of his time. He tended to kick people down pits, make overly portentous statements and sport duds -- leather Jockeys and a red cape -- that would definitely raise eyebrows if you wore them to the mall. Yet he was undeniably brave, leading his 300 Spartans to glory against the mammoth army of another king with even worse fashion sense.

Photo by Golden Harvest/Kobal, WireImageDETECTIVE KEVIN CHAN -- Supercop

Jackie Chan lacks a certain something the other heroes on this list all have: a stunt double. Yes, Harrison Ford was actually dragged behind a moving truck in Raiders of the Lost Ark (though camera tricks made it look faster than it actually was). But in this flick, Jackie hung from a speeding bus, a train, and a helicopter without safety harnesses, computer effects, or a moment's hesitation.

Photo by Kobal/, WireImageCONAN -- Conan the Barbarian

That which did not kill him only made him stronger. Though the Teutonic bruiser in a fur codpiece might not have said much, Conan the Barbarian sure did know his way around a sword. This proved to be especially helpful when confronting a freaky cult leader who could turn into a snake while sounding exactly like Darth Vader.

INSPECTOR HARRY CALLAHAN -- Dirty Harry

Harry Callahan is a cop who had enough of longed-haired freaks running wild in the streets of San Francisco and decided to do something about it, using his fists, flinty stare, and his .44 Magnum -- the most powerful handgun in the world. So remember, if you decide to cross Callahan, you've got to ask yourself, "Do you feel lucky, punk?"

Photo by Paramount/Kobal, WireImageLARA CROFT -- Lara Croft: Tomb Raider

Most trust fund babies go to art school or start their own fashion lines. Not Lara Croft. She spent her family's millions differently - jetting from Cambodia to the Arctic, battling six-armed statues, and accidentally bending time and space - all to keep a mysterious cult from taking over the world. Let's see Paris Hilton do that.

Photo by Orion/Kobal, WireImageOFFICER ALEX J. MURPHY -- Robocop

Turned into a crime fighting cyborg by a corrupt corporation, Murphy's main feat of heroism was not dispassionately cleaning the clock of every criminal in Detroit -- that's what he was programmed to do -- but getting in touch with his human side and exacting revenge on the corporate thugs who made him a cyborg in the first place.

ARAGORN -- The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers

Absolute power corrupts absolutely, especially when it comes in the form of a little gold ring. Aragorn knew that from the weakness of his ancestor Isildur, so he turned away from the world of men. Still, when duty called he battled legions of orcs, ventured to the land of the dead, and led his army to the gates of Mordor, all while hoping that two pint-sized hobbits could dispose of some jewelry in a timely fashion.

Photo by Dino DeLauentis/Kobal, WireImageASH -- Army of Darkness

All Ash wanted was a little weekend canoodling with his girlfriend in the country. Instead, he became the unwilling chainsaw-wielding messiah for a medieval alternate universe oppressed by the undead, thanks to the magic books he left in the back of his trusty Oldsmobile. Hail to the king, baby.