10 Best 'Pulp Fiction' Characters, Ranked (original) (raw)
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Published Dec 12, 2024, 8:00 PM EST
J.S. Gornael has a BA in English with a Creative Writing Emphasis in Poetry and an MFA in Fiction. He has taken workshops in poetry, fiction, and non-fiction (though mostly the second). Half-cinephile, half-bookworm, he is both a TV/Movie List Writer for Collider and the lead Book Review Editor for IndieReader. He occasionally writes book reviews himself, and looks forward to finally getting several novels out of his head and onto paper.
His favorite movie is Apocalypse Now, but specifically 2019's Apocalypse Now: Final Cut (the 1979 theatrical version would still be is favorite if Coppola never re-cut it, though. Redux is too long). Though he gave up trying to watch every episode of The Simpsons when he reached season 10, he still likes to venture out into this mysterious territory of 21st-Century Simpsons and see what's out there. Other shows he also loves writing about include SpongeBob, Avatar: The Last Airbender (the one from Nickelodeon is the only one that counts!), and Breaking Bad.
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Pulp Fiction is one of the greatest movies without an actual protagonist because every single one of its main characters is excellent. Writer-director Quentin Tarantino drew them with fine detail, and all the actors in this ensemble delivered immortal performances to make this revolutionary comedy one of the most important movies of the '90s. It would go on to win the Palme d'Or and inspire filmmakers like Paul Thomas Anderson and the Coen Brothers, who would make masterpieces of their own.
This is one of the grittiest comedies out there, as it's filmed with enough realism and written well enough for the audience to see them happening in real life. They at least seem to exist within the realm of possibility while still making us laugh, which requires a lot from the characters. Luckily, the movie includes two hitmen, a boxer on the run from a crime boss, two thieves who decide to rob a diner, a drug dealer, and more. Even the characters who only show up briefly, including a cab driver who wants to know what it's like to kill someone and a Vietnam veteran with an uncomfortable story, are very memorable. Fans can choose their favorites, but the best characters in Pulp Fiction arguably heighten its eccentric tone, get surprisingly complex performances from the actors, do more than make us laugh, and carry their weight more than the other players in this astounding cast.
Pulp Fiction
Release Date
September 10, 1994
Cast
John Travolta, Samuel L. Jackson, Uma Thurman, Bruce Willis, Ving Rhames, Harvey Keitel, Eric Stoltz, Tim Roth, Amanda Plummer, Maria de Medeiros, Quentin Tarantino, Christopher Walken, Rosanna Arquette, Peter Greene, Duane Whitaker, Angela Jones, Phil LaMarr, Steve Buscemi, Bronagh Gallagher, Laura Lovelace, Frank Whaley, Burr Steers, Paul Calderon, Jerome Patrick Hoban, Michael Gilden
Runtime
154 minutes
Director
Writers
Quentin Tarantino, Roger Avary
10 Jody
Played by Rosanna Arquette
Image via Miramax
Played by an excellent Rosanna Arquette, Jody is introduced while telling another woman about the various piercings she has all over her body. The ones in her lip, nose, eyebrow, and ear are the only ones shown, but there are many others. She lists where every single one of those 18 piercings is and claims that doing them with a needle is the only way to go. Even her first line about how these piercings make her feel is very out there.
Played for comedy at first, Jody also plays a big part in making the overdose scene even more hectic than it already is. Once Mia and Vincent show up, she's just yelling all over the place. The sheer amount of arguing and noise Jody creates adds a lot to the tension. Note that the more the scene plays out, the more silently excited she becomes. When it's time to administer the adrenaline shot, Jody is hyped, and the audience quietly awaits what will happen. Most side characters don't do this much work to establish the mood, let alone this well.
9 Yolanda (Honey-Bunny)
Played by Amanda Plummer
Image via Miramax
Amanda Plummer puts in an effectively quirky performance as Yolanda, AKA Honey-Bunny, one half of the couple that robs the diner. As indicated by the intensity on her face right before they take out their guns, she also loves the criminal lifestyle. The point when she starts screaming at everybody is the best time to present the movie's title; it really sets the viewers up for what'll be a wild ride.
Another side of Yolanda comes out when the tables turn on her partner in the film's final act. Plummer gets to show off her range here as Yolanda goes from snarling to panicked to almost childish, knowing that she and her man have totally lost control of the situation. Though she is standing on a counter with a loaded gun in her hands, the audience pities her when she says she wants to go home.
8 Ringo
Played by Tim Roth
Image via Miramax
His voice is the first one heard in Pulp Fiction, and, thanks to Tim Roth's performance, the audience is immediately invested. They gradually understand that this man, whom Jules calls Ringo (due to his slight resemblance to Ringo Starr), is an armed robber. This guy has a cool and easy air about him that helps the audience believe the amount of experience he's accrued and the insights he's made over time.
Of course, Ringo's reasoning about stealing from a diner proves nearly fatal, but we also get the sense that he's a bit too cocky for his (and his partner's) own good. An interesting part about Ringo is that he's always calm; when he raises his voice to let everyone know they're getting robbed, his tone and diction are in stark contrast to Yolanda's. Even when he has the gun pointed at his face, Ringo (like Jules) remains calm and helps Yolanda cool down. Has he learned his lesson by the end? One can only hope.
7 Winston Wolfe
Played by Harvey Keitel
Image via Miramax Films
Harvey Keitel has been in some incredible movies, and Pulp Fiction is definitely one. He takes a while to arrive, but once he does, his presence is very strong. Jules's reaction to hearing that The Wolf is coming tells audiences all they need to know about this man. He's reliable, and everything else viewers learn about him supports that. It's amusing that he's at a fancy party so early in the morning, and his line about completing a 30-minute drive in only 10 minutes is terrific.
Winston Wolfe is a professional, curtly giving orders to Jules and Vincent so that they can finish the clean-up job in only 40 minutes. The way he asks for coffee while evaluating the mess in the car is classic, and it's very funny when he calmly but sternly explains his process to Vincent. As opposed to the other time-sensitive scene in Pulp Fiction (the overdose), this Bonnie section feels more comedic because even we know that The Wolfe is going to make sure they clean things up in time, reducing the sense of panic and allowing some time for more playful (if dark) material. What a legend.
6 Captain Koons
Played by Christopher Walken
Image via Miramax
He only shows up for a few minutes, but Captain Koons is nevertheless one of Christopher Walken's most memorable roles. In telling Butch's father's story, he is more or less telling his own. The way viewers are introduced to him from Butch's child perspective conveys just how integral this conversation is to Butch's life. The low-angle shots make Koons look large and important, which is only accentuated by the close-ups when he's looking directly at Butch and his old but pristine military uniform.
Koons looks just as important as the watch, and his delivery of the story is very effective. Notice that, in telling the story of the watch, he is more or less tracing through war history, specifically U.S. war history. Over that time, he shows people, occasionally strangers, who helped this watch survive each conflict to get where it is today. The way he says "this watch" (and pauses) carries significant dramatic weight, yet his describing how he and Butch's father hid the watch still shifts the tone seamlessly from drama to comedy. It's an exceptional cameo where performance, camera work, and dialogue paint a three-dimensional character in almost no time.
5 Marsellus Wallace
Played by Ving Rhames
Marsellus Wallace frowning while looking ahead in Pulp Fiction
Image via Miramax
Marsellus Wallace (Ving Rhames) has some of the most badass quotes in cinema history; the delivery of his lines alone is enough to carry a scene. Audiences often don't even need to see his face to get a sense that he's a crime boss very much in control of his territory. Tarantino uses this to the character's advantage, taking his time before showing Marsellus' face up close. Brett describes him to the hitmen before he's killed; the camera stays on Butch when Marsellus is telling him to throw the fight; Tarantino shows the bandage on his neck, and then viewers catch a glimpse of his face from a distance.
This man encapsulates power and intimidation, as Vince is afraid of the very prospect of taking his wife out on the town. This fear makes Vincent's later ordeal all the more shocking, while the controlled rage Marsellus exudes afterward is all the more true to his character. Like everyone else, Marsellus can still be very funny and relatable. It's a fantastic turn by Ving Rhames, who elevates Tarantino's close attention to craft as well as anybody could.
4 Butch Coolidge
Played by Bruce Willis
Bruce Willis as Butch holding his watch in Pulp Fiction
Image via Miramax
Butch (Bruce Willis in one of his best movies) is a complicated man. As shown from the flashback with Captain Koons, he grew up without a father and essentially just has the man's watch to remember him by. Nowadays, Butch is an aging boxer who's willing to accept a payment to throw the next match. He still has his pride, though, as the film shows how a few unkind comments are enough to change his mind. Butch is also willing to risk his life for his most cherished family heirloom.
Butch's soul is hardened enough for him to quickly get over accidentally killing his opponent in the ring. Yet, like all the anti-heroes here, his actions allow us to still root for him. The way he almost leaves the music store following his ordeal with Zed (Peter Greene) but looks back is fantastic, as audiences see him struggling with the prospect of leaving Marsellus behind. Notice the connection to his backstory, too, as he's probably thinking of his father and Captain Koons being war prisoners for all that time. Butch doesn't let his fellow prisoner suffer that fate, and it (sort of) redeems him.
3 Mia Wallace
Played by Uma Thurman
Uma Thurman gives one of her best performances as Marsellus Wallace's confident wife, Mia. Like Marsellus, it takes audiences a while to see her face as well. She carries a different kind of intimidation, though, as Vincent wants to be careful not to end up like the guy who allegedly got thrown out of a window for giving her a foot massage. Over the impressive house's intercom, she has Vince make himself a drink while playing "Son of a Preacher Man." We see her lips (and feet because this is a Tarantino movie) before we see her entire face.
Mia is much more than a sex figure, though. She has a unique personality, and her chemistry with Vincent is so good that they could have had the entire movie to themselves. Striking details — the way she traces a rectangle to tell Vincent not to be a square, talks about the difference between comfortable and uncomfortable silences, and bluntly yet playfully orders Vincent to dance with her — make her one of the strongest and most lovable characters in the movie.
2 Vincent Vega
Played by John Travolta
Vincent Vega (John Travolta) turning around to talk to someone in a car in Pulp Fiction.
Image via Miramax
Pulp Fiction revitalized John Travolta's career, and for good reason. Whether he's talking about his trip to France, arguing with Jules about foot massages, or questioning how a shake could be five dollars, his character is endlessly fun to watch. The subtlety Travolta brings to the role is perfect, like how nonchalant his body language is, while Jules is terrifying those kids. Also, the amount of time he needs to talk to himself in the mirror before he can confidently say goodbye to Mia is hilarious.
He generally has such a cool vibe that it's all the more convincing when he freaks out from Mia's overdose. Though audiences can relate to his personality, it's also nice to see him be mean to Butch (as he's so upset about the date he has with the boss man's wife). We're reminded time and again that he's a killer, making him a great foil for Jules as well. Travolta did a lot of hands-on research to learn what it's like to be a heroin user, and it really paid off. He could still dance, too.
1 Jules Winnfield
Played by Samuel L. Jackson
Samuel L. Jackson as Jules Winfield aiming his gun at someone off-camera in Pulp Fiction (1994).
Image via Miramax
Jules (peak Samuel L. Jackson) has many of the best quotes in Pulp Fiction, including the famous recitation of Ezekiel 25:17. Out of all the characters, Jules has the most complete and fascinating arc. He begins as a hitman whose intimidating friendliness almost single-handedly builds tremendous suspense. The way he doesn't break eye contact as he finishes Brett's Sprite is terrifying, as is the way he motions with his hand to keep those guys where they are.
But then he and Vincent miraculously survive several bullets fired straight at them from a fairly large gun. The look on Jules's face after they shoot the bathroom guy says it all. Such a profound moment for him can still be funny, as he demands that his partner acknowledge what they just went through was a miracle before leaving a fresh crime scene. Then there's the way he carries himself in the diner, identifying himself as the tyranny of evil men while trying to help Yolanda and Ringo. By the end, the audience hopes he turns into the shepherd he wants so badly to be.
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