Inside Hook claims the original himbos began with characters played by Arnold Schwarzenegger, Chuck Norris, and Sylvester Stallone. The über tough guy, who became a symbol for fanboys as a more attainable hero, was birthed in action films. Not surprisingly, the himbo has evolved within the action genre and comes in varieties. As The Washington Post outlines, the "himbo erectus" are all muscle with no interest in romance, whereas the "himbeau sapiens" are chauvinistic tough guys. The true flexibility of the "himbo" is in movies and TV shows, where he begins as a joke but grows to be a wholesome and lovable character.

Update August 14, 2023: This list has been updated with even more great himbos from film and television.

A "himbo" is typically large, beefy, and relatively handsome but friendly. Across movies and TV shows, the himbo is the muscle and, typically, not the sharpest tool in the shed. One way the himbo is humanized is by pairing them with an organized love interest or a crotchety best friend. Whomever the himbo is paired with, their partnership makes them tolerable. Typically, the himbo has a moment (in movies) or a handful of moments (in TV) where they prove they’re smarter than assumed. After they prove themselves, they are taken a little more seriously. These are the best himbos in movies and TV shows.

15 Johnny Storm — Fantastic Four (2005)

The younger brother of Sue Storm, Johnny’s body was altered by a blast of radiation from the sun that allowed him to voluntarily set his body on fire. In his first superhero role, in 2005's Fantastic Four, Chris Evans portrayed the youngest member of Marvel's First Family, well, marvelously. Johnny Storm is a classic chauvinist. Additionally, he is the team prankster and risk-taker. Once he receives his powers, he does everything to avoid boredom, including showing off for attention. These risks often result in Johnny being on TV or surrounded by the women he objectifies.

14 Kyojuro Rengoku — Demon Slayer

The three main characteristics of a himbo is that they are buff, kind, and a little dumb. Well, that description matches perfectly with Demon Slayer anime's fire hashira Kyojuro Rengoku. The fans only got to see him for one season, but within that time, he was able to win all our hearts. Rengoku was a man of immense bravery and one of the kindest and sweetest people in the anime. He had a big and bright personality that everyone loved and sometimes seemed a little dumb. He was one of the strongest hashiras and taught Tanjiro and the gang a lot during their brief encounter. His death was truly heartbreaking for everyone, and we can definitely say that this mama's boy is one of the most beloved anime himbos of all time.

13 Andy Dwyer — Parks and Recreation

In Parks and Recreation, Andy begins as an innocent but dopey boyfriend to Ann, whom he takes advantage of quite frequently. In fact, Andy was originally meant to be Ann’s deadbeat boyfriend for one season, but the writers enjoyed Chris Pratt’s performance so much they kept him on the show. Andy becomes ambitious in later seasons due to his wife April’s encouragement, but he remains off base in many social situations. Despite not connecting all the dots, Andy’s childlike excitement about life makes him one of the most beloved himbos on TV.

12 Troy Barnes — Community

Played by Donald Glover, the beloved Community character Troy Barnes is as himbo as a himbo could be. He is buff, really dumb, very nice, and moreover, he respects women. That is a himbo quality that some of them tend to lack, but not Troy. One of the best things about Troy is his character arc in the show. He started the series as a jock and kind of a jerk who was really scared to let go of his high school persona. But over time, he became one of the best characters in the show and definitely one of the sweetest.

11 Kronk — The Emperor’s New Groove

As the right-hand man to Yzma, the Emperor’s advisor, Kronk is very dedicated to her, despite her verbal abuse. Throughout The Emperor's New Groove, he often seems out to sea, especially when the plan to murder Kuzco goes awry, and his main concern is the dinner he made getting cold. Kronk nevertheless gets to prove himself a couple of times in the film. First, he takes over a restaurant kitchen with ease, though it did stall Yzma’s pursuit of Kuzco, and his final redemption comes when Kuzco makes him head chef and the leader of the Squirrel Scouts.

10 Kim Geon-Woo — Bloodhounds

The character of Kim Geon-woo is proof that a himbo can be present anywhere, even in a serious drama like Bloodhounds. In the Netflix series, Kim Geon-woo is a former marine and a boxer who is as gentle and nice as they come. His killer punch is strong, but his moral compass is stronger. Not only is he buff and nice, he is such a good person that it can be borderline dumb sometimes. Thankfully, Woo-jin, his friend and senior is there to keep him on his toe. Geon-woo is not only a mama's boy through and through, but also respects the women around him, making him a true himbo action hero.

9 Jason Mendoza — The Good Place

The ultimate Florida Man in The Good Place, and the former Jacksonville resident, Jason Mendoza brings distraction in the form of a Molotov cocktail, causing distressful but necessary chaos to his friends in the afterlife. Jason is not the brightest, especially where logic is needed. This Molotov cocktail-loving himbo redeemed himself several times in the afterlife and once when he was back on earth. Of course, his biggest redemption moment comes when he saves everyone from being obliterated.

8 Scott Lang - MCU

Played by Paul Rudd, the character of Scott Lang/ Antman is one of the himbo-est characters in the entire MCU. He is sweet, strong, loving, and just here to have a good time. We cannot say that Scott Lang is entirely dumb, but he appears to be lacking a few IQ points in several situations. But he is a beloved character. He tries to build a relationship with his daughter, and we see that he is a really great father. If you watch MCU movies, you cannot help but love Scott Lang and his antics, even though you will be frustrated with him from time to time, making him a perfect himbo.

7 Rambo — First Blood

One of the reasons the himbo exists, and why action films are so beloved, is because of Sylvester Stallone's characters — in particular, his portrayal of Rambo in First Blood. The film is based on David Morrell's novel of the same title and follows a Green Beret Vietnam Veteran. Rambo is an expert at guerrilla warfare, knife-fighting, and hand-to-hand combat. He is also a stealth master and survivalist.

Essentially, he is set apart from other himbos due to his knowledge of various languages. Rambo is a tragic himbo, one suffering from PTSD. While later films would make him more a cartoon action hero, it is worth remembering the first film painted him as a tragic figure.

6 Kevin Beckman — Ghostbusters (2016)

When Abby (Melissa McCarthy), Erin (Kristen Wiig), Jillian (Kate McKinnon), and Patty (Leslie Jones) started their Ghostbusters business in 2016's reboot Ghostbusters, they realized they needed a secretary. Their vacancy was filled by aspiring actor Kevin Beckman (Chris Hemsworth). Though his hiring was solely because Erin had a crush on him, he spent most of his time preoccupied with choosing headshots. Unlike other himbos, Kevin doesn’t necessarily redeem himself as he becomes possessed and wreaks havoc on the city. Even though he survives the possession, he remains virtually unchanged and goes to a deli to get a sandwich.

5 Mr. Peanutbutter — BoJack Horseman

The bane of BoJack's existence in "Hollywoo," Mr. Peanutbutter had a copy-and-paste style show like his in the 1980s. Ultimately, he had a better career in the long run, as he didn’t struggle with fame the same way as BoJack. Mr. Peanutbutter is annoyingly positive in BoJack Horseman, but like most himbos, remains not the brightest of light bulbs. He eventually finds love after a failed marriage but can’t keep up with Diane’s ambitions to do more than what "Hollywoo" can offer.

4 Michael Kelso — That 70's Show

We already know that every beloved sitcom has its own version of a himbo that the audience loves, and Micheal Kelso is that himbo from That 70's Show. Played by Ashton Kutcher, the character of Kelso is depicted as fun-loving, kind, and stupid. He is also very handsome and one of the buffest dudes in the series. The amalgamation of all these qualities makes Kelso one of the OG himbos of teen sitcoms of the 90s and 00s. What makes him so great is that even though he was simple-minded, he was never immature. This came to fruition when he got a girl pregnant and moved to Chicago to get a job and be a part of his kid's life.

3 Adam Warlock - Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3

One of the newest heroes in the MCU, Adam Warlock made his MCU debut in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. While the original comic book version is a very serious and self-important character, writer and director James Gunn reworks the character to be an overgrown child. He is meant to have a great purpose but is also rather oblivious to a lot of the world as he is relatively new to it. While he is designed as a weapon, he also seems to have a kind heart and eventually joins the Guardians of the Galaxy by the end of the movie. With a golden body that matches his heart of gold, here is hoping we see more of this himbo around the MCU.

2 Joey Tribbiani — Friends

The beloved sitcom Friends gave himbos a new direction in TV and film: humor. Joey, portrayed by Matt LeBlanc, was an aspiring actor and food lover. Whenever the group was in a situation or just hanging out, Joey had some of the best reactions, even if he didn’t fully understand what was happening. Joey is typically hitting on women or doing something physical that gets him — or someone else — hurt.

1 Ken - Barbie

Barbie has taken the world by storm, becoming a cultural phenomenon and a box office smash. Yet, while Barbie is the star of the picture, it might just be Ryan Gosling's Ken that steals the show. Writer and director Greta Gerwig digs into the idea of Ken being a toy accessory for Barbie as a brand and uses Ken to explore concepts of masculinity, the patriarchy, and how one defines oneself

What is more himbo than someone whose job is just "Beach". From the breakout song "I'm Just Ken" to the phrase Kenergy and Kenough, Ken has become a pop culture icon. It is more than enough to get Gosling some much-deserved Academy Awards talk and to make Ken the best himbo.