Actor, composer, and filmmaker, Clint Eastwood, is one of the last surviving stars of the tail end of Hollywood's Golden Age and has headlined some of the greatest films of all time, including The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly, Unforgiven, and Dirty Harry. Eastwood has proven his immense talent in front and behind the camera and, while he's starred in and directed countless classics, he's also given audiences unforgettable characters, like Frankie Dunn in Million Dollar Baby and Robert Kincaid from The Bridges of Madison County.

For several decades, Eastwood has delivered memorable performances on the silver screen as iconic characters, but some of his roles, such as Preacher from Pale Rider and Walt Kowalski in Gran Torino have left a lasting impression on film fanatics. Considering Eastwood's long list of films and vital characters, ranging from gunslinging Westerns to endearing romantic dramas, these are the best Clint Eastwood movie characters.

10 Luther Whitney

'Absolute Power' (1997)

Eastwood takes on the role of a skillful jewel thief, Luther Whitney, who, while robbing the home of an elderly wealthy billionaire, Walter Sullivan (E.G. Marshall), secretly witnesses the man's wife, Christy (Melora Hardin) with the U.S. President, Alan Richmond (Gene Hackman). When the couple's encounter turns violent, Christy is killed and Whitney is framed for her murder. With the help of a discreet detective, Seth Frank (Ed Harris), Whitney fights to prove his innocence and bring the true killer to justice.

In the political thriller, Absolute Power, Eastwood's character is an intriguing paradox who, despite his criminal history, still has a moral compass and values law and order. While he wants to clear his name, he is willing to sacrifice his freedom if it means that his loved ones, particularly his estranged daughter, Kate, played by Laura Linney, are unharmed and safe. Even though he has a checkered past, Whitney's crimes are essentially victimless, and he is still an honorable man who refuses to let anyone take advantage of him or his family, making him one of Eastwood's best movie characters.

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9 Preacher

'Pale Rider' (1985)

When a greedy owner of a mining company, Coy LaHood (Richard Dysart), hires a group of gunmen to terrorize and run the residents of a small town, Carbon Canyon, out of their homes, a mysterious man known as Preacher, arrives and decides to help defend the people against LaHood's men. After fending off the attacks, Preacher attempts to negotiate peace with LaHood, but when the terms are refused, LaHood sends Marshall Stockburn (John Russell) to confront and eliminate Preacher.

Eastwood directs and stars in one of his most underrated films, Pale Rider, as the selfless Preacher who is willing to stand up for those who are unable to fight for themselves, even if there is nothing in it for him. Eastwood's character is an interesting enigma who wears a clerical collar, hence his name, but is far from a holy man of the cloth and has no qualms about resorting to violence to protect the people of Carbon Canyon. It's clear that Preacher is not a man who can be swayed or bought with money, as he refuses LaHood's attempts at bribery and, considering he is willing to stick his neck out for strangers, deems him to be one of Eastwood's finest characters.

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8 Walt Kowalski

'Gran Torino' (2008)

Eastwood stars in Gran Torino as Korean War veteran and retired mechanic, Walt Kowalski, who, initially is displeased with the crime and violence plaguing his neighborhood which used to be an all-white law-abiding neighborhood, and doesn't appreciate how many minorities are moving in next door. When Kowalski unexpectedly befriends a young Hmong teen, Thao (Bee Vang), he begins to see not only the errors of his ways but also decides to take a stand and defend his new neighbors from the punks who threaten them.

Initially, Kowlaski isn't a very likable character and has a racist mindset towards the minorities who he believes are overrunning his home, but as his character develops throughout the film, he becomes an admirable man who is willing to admit that he was wrong. Another redeeming quality about Kowalski is his relationship with Thao. He is almost a father figure to the boy and saves him from a life of crime and gang violence. Even though Kowalski starts as an undesirable character, his growth, and choice to take action against those who are a bad influence on Thao and many others qualifies him to be one of Eastwood's best movie characters.

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7 Robert Kincaid

'The Bridges of Madison County' (1995)

When a photojournalist with National Geographic Magazine, Robert Kincaid, is sent to take photos of the historical bridges in Madison County, Iowa, he unexpectedly meets and falls in love with a lonely World War II bride and mother, Francesca (Meryl Streep). With Francesca's husband and children away at the state fair, the two have a whirlwind love affair that, despite only lasting several days, leaves a lasting impression on both of them for the rest of their lives.

The Bridges of Madison Country is a classic star-crossed lovers film featuring Eastwood as one of his most heartfelt characters, Robert Kincaid. The beauty of Kincaid is that he is grateful for the time he shares with Francesca and, while she can't bring herself to abandon her husband and children, he holds no animosity towards her and, instead, tries to focus on the silver lining of their romance. Kincaid could never live with himself if he broke up a family, and even though it hurts him to leave Francesca, he knows it's the right thing to do, which is why he is one of Eastwood's top-notch movie characters.

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6 Marshal Jed Cooper

'Hang 'Em High' (1968)

In the Western film, Hang 'Em High, Eastwood plays Jed Cooper, who, after being wrongfully accused of stealing a rancher's cattle and murdering him, is hanged by a posse and left for dead. Fortunately, Cooper survives and is rescued by a marshal, Dave Bliss (Ben Johnson), who takes him to Fort Grant, where he is exonerated of any crime by Judge Fenton (Pat Hingle). The lawmen offer Cooper a job, with the exception that he doesn't abuse his position and seek revenge against the men who strung him but instead brings them in to be tried in a court of law. When Cooper finds and attempts to bring the men in, the job proves to be easier said than done.

Eastwood takes on the role of Jed Cooper, who initially is a man of the law and strives to ensure that his employers don't regret their decision to offer him a job. As Cooper realizes that the men won't go quietly, he has to get creative and still enforce his authority without crossing the line that could cost him his badge. The men responsible for his almost-death attempt to kill him again, but they soon realize that Cooper is stronger than he looks as he continues to get back up time and time again until his job is done. Cooper is a perfect example of how creative lawmen had to get in the Old West and even though it almost costs him his life, he refuses to back down, making him one of Eastwood's all-time best movie characters.

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5 Frankie Dunn

'Million Dollar Baby' (2004)

In the Oscar-winning film, Million Dollar Baby, Eastwood plays an old-time boxing coach, Frankie Dunn, who prefers to keep to himself and only really socializes with his friend and former associate, Eddie (Morgan Freeman). When an aspiring female boxer, Maggie (Hilary Swank), arrives at Dunn's gym seeking his help, he reluctantly agrees to train her and as they spend more time together, they develop an unbreakable bond which leads to Maggie's ultimate rise to the top.

Frankie Dunn is the classic hardass, no-nonsense character who emulates several of Eastwood's former roles with a modern twist. He's rough around the edges and hard to get close to, but once someone manages to break down that wall, they discover that there is so much more to the man than what meets the eye. Whether it's because he's kept people at a safe distance for years or developed an emotional father-like connection with Maggie, Dunn's layers begin to slowly peel away, revealing a surprisingly heartfelt character who is willing to make the ultimate sacrifice for the ones he loves. Even though Dunn initially isn't easy to figure out and comes off as cold, his true colors eventually come to light, which adds a whole new insightful perspective to one of Eastwood's best characters.

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4 Josey Wales

'The Outlaw Josey Wales' (1976)

Eastwood takes on the role of Missouri farmer, Josey Wales, in The Outlaw Josey Wales, who, after his family is murdered during the Civil War, joins the Confederate Army to avenge their deaths. When the war is over, Wales refuses to surrender and flees to Texas, but after a hefty bounty is placed on his head, bounty hunters eventually find him, forcing him to defend his newfound home and surrogate family at any cost.

The thrilling tale of revenge and redemption, The Outlaw Josey Wales, is another Eastwood character who initially has nothing to lose, but as he starts a new life in Texas, he meets a group of people he is willing to go to his grave for to ensure their safety. Wales has a rebellious streak that some might not understand, but at a time when law and order cease to exist, he's at least picking his battles with the people who deserve it and not slaughtering innocent families. In the Wild West, it's every man for himself and while Wales might mercilessly gun down men on his journey to seek justice, he isn't doing anything any other man at the time wouldn't have done, which is what makes him one of the best Eastwood characters.

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3 William Munny

'Unforgiven' (1992)

When two men brutally attack a woman in the town of Big Whiskey, her friends secretly raise a reward for anyone who can kill the men who were let off with a slap on the wrist by the town's corrupt sheriff, Little Bill Daggett (Gene Hackman). When word of the reward reaches former gunslinger and widower farmer, William Munny, he and his friend, Ned (Morgan Freeman) decide to make one more big score, but once they arrive in town, Daggett and his men give them a less-than-warm welcome.

Eastwood stars and directs the Oscar-winning modern Western, Unforgiven, and features him in one of his most epic characters. Eastwood's character used to be a lot like Daggett and his men and would brutally murder and terrorize innocent people for his own personal gain, but as he refuses to resort to any violence, Daggett eventually pushes him to his breaking point. Even though there's not a lot of action from Munny in the beginning, he comes alive after Ned's senseless murder and shows Dagget exactly what he is capable of when he picks up a rifle. Munny is one of the most fascinating characters who, in the end, is worth the wait to see in action and, hands down, one of Eastwood's greatest movie characters.

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2 Harry Callahan

'Dirty Harry' (1971)

Eastwood stars in one of his signature roles in Dirty Harry as Detective Harry Callahan who, after apprehending a young girl's sadistic kidnappers, is livid when the man is let go after it's discovered that Callahan abused his civil rights by roughing him up. Once the man is back on the streets, he's quickly back to his criminal ways and hijacks a school bus full of children, forcing Callahan to go after him again, but this time, he is going to get rid of the madman for good.

Dirty Harry is the first installment in the popular action franchise and easily one of Eastwood's most badass characters who toes the line of law and order. Some might think that Callahan is a reckless man with a gun and a badge, but instead, he understands that sometimes the law fails to protect victims of serious crimes and is willing to put himself and his job on the line to ensure the public's safety. He shows zero hesitance in taking action, especially in the first scene when the bank across the street is being robbed. He springs into action taking down the crooks while still finishing the bite of his sandwich. Callahan might not follow standard procedure every time, but his methods prove to be quite effective, hence why he is one of Eastwood's best movie characters of all time.

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1 Man With No Name

'The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly' (1966)

A notorious outlaw, Tuco (Eli Wallach), and a nameless bounty hunter nicknamed Blondie are unlikely partners in a profitable scam, but when one incident almost leaves Tuco dead, the two decide to part ways. Before they go