Adventure movies have served as one of the greatest forms of entertainment since the dawn of cinema, following a slew of heroes heading out to parts unknown in search of relics, treasures, and myths. These heroes are often sent on fantastical quests, making friends and enemies along the way, relying on their wits and skills to survive the perils of mysterious lands. From old-school pulp-inspired heroes to modern-day treasure hunters, these heroes are some of the greatest in cinema.

Adventure heroes offer viewers one of the highest forms of escapism, typically following ordinary men and women made great through their expeditions. Traveling to the deepest jungles, the hottest deserts, and lost cities, these characters immerse viewers in a new world. While some are charged with recovering lost items, others are motivated by everything from saving lives to protecting their homes from villains.

10 Flynn Carsen Headlines An Underrated Franchise

The Librarian franchise begins with Flynn Carsen, a grown college student with more than twenty degrees, who gets kicked out by his professor who wants him to experience life beyond the classroom. He applies for a job at the Metropolitan Public Library, where he is charged with safeguarding a treasure trove of ancient artifacts from history, mythology, and science fiction. After the theft of a piece of the Spear of Destiny, Flynn embarks on his first adventure, a quest to recover the Spear and bring it back to the library.

Flynn Carsen can best be described as a more immature version of Indiana Jones packaged for a 2000s audience. Throughout his travels, audiences see him put his various degrees to good use, playing on an impressive command of facts from numerous subjects that come in handy in the jungle.

9 Benjamin Gates Has A Reverence For History

National Treasure tells the story of Benjamin Gates, a treasure hunter and devoted American patriot from a family dedicated to finding the lost treasure of America’s Freemason founders. After being betrayed by his English partners, Gates is forced to steal the Declaration of Independence, to prevent it from falling into the wrong hands — and to salvage the secrets written in invisible ink on the back of the document.

Ben Gates has the same respect for history as Indiana Jones and the intelligence to back it up, leading his friends — and the viewers — on a modern-day treasure hunt through the history of America’s founding. Throwing Nicolas Cage’s screen presence into the mix, he became one of the most entertaining and knowledgeable adventurers of the 2000s.

8 The Phantom Was One Of The First Comic Book Heroes

The Phantom was created by Lee Falk in the 1930s as a comic strip hero, one of several who helped inspire Batman. A mantle handed down between fathers and sons, the Phantom’s best-known identity is Kit Walker, the hero who headlined the 1996 movie, with Billy Zane cast in the role. The guardian of the fictional African nation Bengalla, the Ghost Who Walks tackles threats like poachers, looters, and predatory companies from the outside.

The Phantom is a jack of many trades, a well-read gentleman with expertise in hand-to-hand combat, as well as a trained pilot, marksman, and all-around honorable hero. Billy Zane brought a fun, tongue-in-cheek charismatic performance to the character, exploring both his protection of Bengalla and skills taking on villains. Throughout comics and animation, he has been built up as one of the greatest adventure heroes of all time.

7 Allan Quartermain Is Plucked From Classical Literature

Allan Quartermain was created by H. Rider Haggard for his novel, King Solomon’s Mines. Documenting the quest to find the brother of British aristocrat, Sir Henry, who disappeared during his search for the fabled King Solomon’s Mines. Quartermain is an Englishman by heritage but was born to a Christian missionary in Africa, which he views as his true home. A big game hunter, he earned a reputation as an honorable man and protector and is seen in high standing by locals.

Allan Quartermain has appeared in a variety of films, but his best-known adaptations were Sean Connery’s performance in The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen and Richard Chamberlain’s portrayal. In many ways, he is the inspiration for the typical cinematic adventure hero, a gruff but decent explorer and hunter, with a reverence for Africa and its history.

6 Lara Croft Uses Tech To Hunt For Lost Relics

Created for the Tomb Raider video game series, Lara Croft got her first movie adaptation in 2001’s Lara Croft: Tomb Raider. The story follows Lara when she’s betrayed by a fellow adventurer, who steals a clock from her home that points the way to a powerful and dangerous artifact. Up against a team of mercenaries, the adventurer travels to Cambodia, where she hopes to retrieve the artifact before it falls into the wrong hands.

Lara Croft is an Indiana Jones-inspired figure for the modern age, one who uses gadgets and technology to aid her in her quests for treasure and relics. An expert martial artist and shooter, Croft comes from a wealthy family, providing her with the resources she needs. Her story borrows elements of James Bond, Bruce Wayne, and Jones to craft an original and iconic hero for the modern age.

5 Peter Pan Is The Hero Of Neverland

Originating in the 1904 play of the same name, Peter Pan is the young hero of Neverland, a faraway land where nobody grows old. Populated by a variety of different peoples, such as mermaids, Native Americans, pirates, and the Lost Boys, the good people are protected by Pan, a young boy with a love for adventure. Locked in a seemingly endless battle with Captain Hook and his pirate crew, Peter leads the Lost Boys to countless victories, rescuing damsels in distress from the buccaneers.

Peter Pan is a genuine cultural touchstone when it comes to the adventure genre, and represents the desire for adventure and excitement held by children. Through Neverland, Peter and his friends can live out their adventures for as long as they stay. Through films like Hook, audiences have been shown an older Peter, forced back to Neverland to save his kids from a bored Hook, where he rediscovers the rush of adventure. Peter’s adventures are told at the perfect intersection of fantasy and adventure, and hold something for everyone to enjoy.

4 Sinbad Sails The High Seas

Sinbad the Sailor has been a source of adventure for centuries, though a distinct Westernized version of the character reinvented him as a swashbuckling daredevil of the high seas. Best known to Western audiences for his 2003 movie, the hero was reimagined as a sailor in Ancient Greece, where he is charged with a quest for a stolen Book of Souls to spare his best friend from execution. Despite audiences being led to believe Sinbad cares for nothing but himself, he comes through in the end, putting his own life on the line.

Sinbad’s origin dates back further than most of his cinematic counterparts, originating in the classic Arabic manuscript One Thousand and One Nights. The character’s Westernized version follows him at his most adventurous, though he began on the screen as a character written more in the style of Popeye. His various portrayals and depictions show a range of motivations and character traits, from the bumbling merchant sailor of old to the rebellious adventurer today.

3 Rick O’Connell Is Carried By The Charisma Of Brendan Fraser

The Mummy begins with the story of an Ancient Egyptian love affair between the High Priest, Imhotep, and Pharoah’s wife, Anck-Su-Namun. When they are discovered, they murder Pharoah and are taken by his guards, the Medjai, who torture and mummify them for their crimes. Years later, during the 1920s, Rick O’Connell led a small force of soldiers to defend the lost city of Hamunaptra. After surviving an attack, O’Connell wanders off into the desert alone, later being freed from jail by the English historian, Evelyn Carnahan, who hires him to take her to the city. There, they unwittingly awaken Imhotep.

Rick O’Connell is at his best when he’s paired with Evelyn, who later becomes his wife. Where she brings historical expertise, O’Connell represents the classic pulpy action hero archetype inspired by Indiana Jones, a charismatic tough guy who shoots his way out of dangerous situations. The character is ultimately carried by Brendan Fraser, whose charm in the role endeared him to a generation of moviegoers as one of cinema’s best adventurers.

2 Captain Jack Sparrow Bumbles His Way Through Adventure

Based on the popular Disneyland ride of the same name, the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise follows Captain Jack Sparrow and a variety of companions, most notably Will Turner and Elizabeth Swan. Beginning with Sparrow joining Turner on a quest to rescue Elizabeth from the vicious Captain Barbossa, the peculiar captain often lucked into surviving perilous encounters. Despite a long list of disgruntled acquaintances throughout the Caribbean, Jack has a knack for convincing the region’s most unfortunate souls to join his voyages.

Jack Sparrow was the biggest adventure hero of the 2000s and stood out as the best part of Pirates of the Caribbean from the jump. The character represents the peak of the swashbuckler sub-genre, bringing a combination of slapstick, oddball humor, and an unpredictable nature to the story. Throughout the series, the captain pursues his old ship, the Black Pearl, often being robbed of it just as soon as he finds it, being forced into his next adventure to reclaim his ship. Although Sparrow often seems like a self-interested fool, when the going gets tough he usually does the right thing.

1 Indiana Jones Is The King Of Adventure

Created by George Lucas and Steven Spielberg, Indiana Jones headlines the most famous, iconic adventure franchise in cinema. Revolving around the hero’s hunt for various historical artifacts and mythological relics, the films cover topics like the Ark of the Covenant, the Holy Grail, and the mystery surrounding the 1947 Roswell Crash. Despite the popularity of Han Solo, Jones is Harrison Ford’s best role, casting him as a teacher who craves adventure and risks his life to preserve history. He is joined by a recurring cast of fellow adventurers, like Marcus Brody, Sallah, Marion Ravenwood, and his father, Henry Jones Jr.

Indiana Jones is, by trade, a professor of archeology, whose knowledge of the ancient world seems to know no bounds. Educated by his father, an expert in Biblical history, Jones was fascinated by history from an early age and went on his first adventures as a mere teen. With his trusty bullwhip, fedora, and pistol, Indy has taken on Nazis, cults, Russians, and rival archaeologists in his quest to protect history and take the world’s treasures back to museums for protection.