A Definitive Breakdown of "The Expendables" Members

With heart-pounding drama and a roster of action-movie superstars, The Expendables series has been wildly entertaining from the jump. While the films are about a team of mercenaries called the Expendables who go around saving different parts of the world one bullet, explosive, and knife at a time, its the series’ extremities that make it so appealing. Randy Couture throwing Steve Austin into a ring of fire? Sylvester Stallone going one-on-one with Jean-Claude Van Damme? Chuck Norris blowing up a tank and then telling a story about how he survived a bite from a king cobra? This series gives viewers a shot of adrenaline made up of everything one loves about action movies, and then some.

August 15 marks the release of The Expendables 3 which, like its predecessors, holds back no punches. And the lineup is just as over the top as you would expect it to be. Harrison Ford, Antonio Banderas, Wesley Snipes, Kelsey Grammer, Ronda Rousey, and many others will be joining the Expendables on one of their most difficult missions yet. The team, which primarily consists of Barney Ross (Stallone), Lee Christmas (Jason Statham), Yin Yang (Jet Li), Gunner Jensen (Dolph Lundgren), Toll Road (Couture), and Hale Caesar (Terry Crews), has gone from defeating a corrupt ex-CIA officer to thwarting the plans of a rival mercenary. Now, they face someone who formed the team they have come to know and love: Conrad Stonebanks (Mel Gibson).

So, in honor of The Expendables 3, we give A Definitive Breakdown of “The Expendables” Members, as well as some honorary characters that helped them along the way.

Barney Ross (Sylvester Stallone)

Ross doubles between a leader and occasional father figure throughout The Expendables and The Expendables 2. He’s a seasoned mercenary, bringing a certain coolness and experience to his team. Sure, at times he has to put up with Lee Christmas’ girl problems (more on this later), or almost kill good guy turned bad guy turned good guy again Gunner Jensen, but he’s very loyal to his team. Case in point? The Expendables 2, when Billy the Kid (Liam Hemsworth) gets stabbed and the team exacts revenge on his killer. Ross can come across as distant and private, but he obviously can have a good time while wearing a skeleton ring for good luck. After all, what other leader of a deadly mercenary team have you heard of that can drink a beer and smoke a cigar while controlling a plane? Exactly.

Lee Christmas (Jason Statham)

Christmas, as Ross describes him, is “very emotional.” He’s the only member of the group who calls his girlfriend while embarking on a dangerous mission. But, granted, he can practically kill anything and everything with a knife. Although he gets along with most of the group, Christmas and Ross arguably have the biggest bromance of the entire team. Ross (kind of) gives Christmas advice about his relationship; both seem to help each other right as one of them is about to die; and both give each other fist bumps after completing a mission. Christmas is essentially second in command to the Expendables, leading the group when Ross is taking care of something else. And judging by his appearance in the recent The Expendables 3 trailer, he’ll be able to have some knife throwing fun with Doc (Wesley Snipes).

Yin Yang (Jet Li)

Sure, he’s the shortest member of the Expendables, but he could still kick your ass. Just ask Gunner Jensen. Yang is somewhat of a mystery throughout The Expendables series, claiming to have a family (he doesn’t) in the first one, and disappearing from the Expendables with Dr. Zhou in the second one. Although soft spoken, he was very loyal to the Expendables, even telling Ross that “friends die together,” when the Expendables leader tries to complete a mission alone. Fortunately, he’ll be back for a third round, which means he and Jensen will be reunited—for better or worse.

Gunner Jensen (Dolph Lundgren)

From the very beginning, you knew Jensen was going to be a character. He shoots a bullet that halves someone and gets into a fight with Yang within the first several minutes of The Expendables. He’s the badass that’s too bad for his own good, affected by years of combat stress and alcohol abuse. Ultimately, he turns on the Expendables, which leads to Ross almost killing him. By the end of the first Expendables film, Jensen is new and improved and back on the team. Yes, he still messes around with Yang, and might have forgotten how to make a bomb out of phosphate rock and gunpowder, but he’s the occasional comic relief the team needs. And to think that this guy received a chemical engineering degree from MIT. Not bad, Jensen.

Toll Road (Randy Couture)

One mention of Road’s ear and he just might explode on you, which is ironic considering he’s the team’s demolitions expert. So, why is his ear messed up? During his time in college as a wrestler, Road’s ear was injured and not properly treated. As a result, a blood clot developed in his ear, transforming it into what it is now. Sure, the rest of the Expendables team teases him about it (primarily close friend Hale Caesar), but at least he can blow off steam by blowing things up.

Hale Caesar (Terry Crews)

He’s the loudest and most amusing of the Expendables, often using powerful weapons that reflect his dynamic personality. His “girlfriend” is a AA-12 shotgun by the name of Omya Kaboom, and he has a razor engraved with his last name. As the Heavy Weapons Specialist for the Expendables, it only makes sense that Caesar uses the biggest and baddest weapons. So much so, that Trench Mauser (Arnold Schwarzenegger) takes Omya from him and never gives it back. He’s a loyal member of the Expendables, and although he may give Yang and Road a hard time (Road more so), he’s more than willing to shoot 250 rounds per minute into someone threatening his team.

Tool (Mickey Rourke)

As the recruitment liaison, armorer, and tattoo artist for the Expendables, Tool serves an important role to the team—even if it’s just for one movie. He almost comes across as the hippie counterpart to Ross: cool, funny, and great with a knife and needle. However, Tool has been guilt-ridden for years after witnessing a girl commit suicide during his time fighting in the Bosnian War. He tells this to Ross, which ultimately leads to Ross returning to Vilena (an island in the Gulf of Mexico) to rescue Sandra. Tool never made an appearance in The Expendables 2, and he probably will not make an appearance in the third one either. Looks like we won’t be getting a knife throwing contest between Tool, Christmas, and Doc after all.

Jean Vilain (Jean-Claude Van Damme)

Sure, the antagonist’s name is a reference to the guy that portrays him, but he’s quite the villain. He not only lies about keeping Billy the Kid (Liam Hemsworth) alive, but roundhouse kicks (yes, roundhouse kicks) a knife through his heart. Plus, he plans on using plutonium to cause world destruction. Fortunately, Barney gruesomely defeats Jean by wrapping a chain around his neck, stabbing him through the heart with the same knife he used on Billy, and decapitating him. We were already aware that being on the bad side of the Expendables is never good, and Jean’s brutal death reminded us of such. Obviously he will not be in The Expendables 3 (although a zombie Jean seems plausible in an action movie that’s so enjoyably over-the-top), but maybe his brother, Claude Vilain, will seek revenge in The Expendables 4.

Trench Mauser (Arnold Schwarzenegger)

How can you not like Trench? Sure, he and Ross might have had a falling out (which has been explained vaguely in the last two movies), but he’s an over-the-top badass that is almost as insane as all of the Expendables team. As soon as he entered the church in the first Expendables movie, you hoped that you would see him again; and although it took a second movie for that to happen, it was worth the wait. Seriously, what is better than a badass referencing another badass (Mauser saying “I’ll be back” or “Who’s next? Rambo?”)? Nothing, that’s what. Okay, so Mauser takes Caesar’s gun and fails to return it, and Ross never seems too excited to see the guy. But he adds another layer of excitement and macho epicness that is so necessary.

Maggie Chan (Yu Nan)

The first woman a part of the Expendables, Maggie immediately proves her worth when she and the team attempt to retrieve an item from a demolished airplane. Ross tells her she has guts but no common sense, and seems to judge her because of her intelligence. But she holds her own with the team of gun-toting mercenaries easily, preferring a carving knife over most weapons. She also seems to have an interest in Ross but, as we’ve seen with the macho leader, love is not his strongest suit. (Plus, she is not in The Expendables 3, so a love affair between the two will have to remain in online Expendables fan fiction.) We will miss your cool and charm in the face of uncontrollable testosterone, but maybe we will see you again when The ExpendaBelles finally releases.

Max Drummer (Harrison Ford)

Harrison Ford: Action hero legend. Who else has been sealed in carbonite, only to return and save the world from absolute destruction? So, it makes sense that Harrison’s character, Max Drummer, is not only a part of the CIA, but also manages The Expendables. Considering he will be making his debut in The Expendables 3, not much is known about Max except that he was once a Major in the United States Air Force. So, at the very least, we will probably see him save the Expendables with his piloting prowess. (While wearing the coolest aviator sunglasses of all time.)

Booker (Chuck Norris)

He survived a bite from a king cobra. Not only that, but the king cobra died. THE KING COBRA DIED. He also took out a tank and group of soldiers and saved the Expendables. Booker not appearing in The Expendables 3 is understandable—he would steal the show. Instead of The Expendables 3 it would just be called Booker 3. (Even though Booker’s first and only appearance was in The Expendables 2.) You are among the greats Booker, and we should all strive to be a lone wolf like you.