Jon Bernthal has been dazzling us as Frank Castle in Marvel’s The Punisher since 2016. He has given a heartbreaking and badass performance as the anti-hero looking to avenge his family’s murders. Frank Castle is not for everyone. He is a traumatized and grieving former soldier who lives in a morally gray area where he doesn’t want people to die, but he also has no issues killing people who he feels deserve it. He’s a cold, brash character that most would not be able to stomach if it weren’t for Jon Bernthal.

Bernthal brings so much weight to the role of Frank Castle. You can see the grief in his eyes as he searches for the culprits along with the anger and blind hatred. And just when you think he has completely gone off the rails, he surprises you with his emotion and his code of ethics that keep the innocents around him alive. It’s a great performance, so here are Jon Bernthal’s best moments as The Punisher.

Related: Jon Bernthal is Open to Returning as The Punisher in the MCU, But on One Condition

Pawn Shop Scene (Daredevil: Season 2, Episode 2)

The Punisher Pawn Shop

This scene in Daredevil starts out as nothing much. Frank Castle goes into a pawn shop to buy a police radio, so he can track their movements in order to learn about the whereabouts of the people who killed his family, so he can seek his revenge. He negotiates with the pawnshop owner, normal stuff. We as the audience aren’t quite sure if we like Frank yet; he’s new to the show and out to kill people, which is something we don’t see the titular hero doing at all, no matter how bad the criminals are. But we form an opinion on Frank Castle as he leaves the pawnshop: the owner, trying to make more money off him, offers Frank child pornography, and this is the moment we first learn who Frank truly is as a character. He calmly flips the shop sign from open to closed, finishes his coffee, and puts his bag down before turning around, grabbing a metal bat, and beating the shop owner to death, presumably. Frank Castle, unlike Daredevil, is not above killing people, but he only kills those who he feels deserve it.

The Punisher Argues with Matt Murdock (Daredevil: Season 2, Episode 3)

Punisher and Daredevil Argument
Netflix

This scene is one of the best when it comes to character building. Here, we see The Punisher argue with Daredevil over their respective philosophies when it comes to dealing with criminals. This is the first time we get to hear The Punisher really explain why he is ready to kill any horrible person, not just those who murdered his family. The Punisher comes off as slightly unhinged, especially as he’s being compared with the hero of the show, Daredevil, but his reasons are understandable. Where Daredevil believes no one is ever too far gone, that people can always change and get better, The Punisher disagrees and believes that some people are bad and will always be bad, so they have to go, so they will no longer be a cancer to society. The Punisher is a man who lost everything, lost everyone he loved, and with that, he lost his belief in second chances. The Punisher and Daredevil are two sides of the same coin, and we get to see that in this scene.

Cemetery Scene (Daredevil: Season 2, Episode 4)

The Punisher Penny and Dime
Netflix

In this incredibly emotional monologue, we learned what Frank went through in his life that led to him becoming The Punisher. From the war to the tragic story of losing his family (including the heart-wrenching story of his daughter’s favorite book), we truly sympathize with Frank for the first time. Along with Daredevil, we learned that Frank’s unusual code of ethics doesn’t come from a place of blind hatred like we may have believed it to before but from a place of love and overwhelming grief. Jon Bernthal’s performance in this scene is simple, but he still manages to pack so much depth into everything he says, it’s truly one of his best.

Frank’s Dream (The Punisher: Season 1, Episode 6)

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Netflix

In this scene, we get a sense of the mental torture Frank endures after losing his family. His memories constantly haunt him, even following him when he’s unconscious. But the dream we see in this scene is not like his others. The unlikely friendship he has developed with Micro has seeped its way in, and he watches Micro’s family be murdered along with his own. This does show us a lot about Frank that we may not have realized before, particularly that he is not the monster everyone thinks he is. And we as the audience may know that he isn’t a monster, but we learn in this scene that he is capable of caring about others who aren’t his murdered family, that he is capable of feeling love for others now even if it is Platonic love.

Related: Thomas Jane Wants to Direct Jon Bernthal as The Punisher

Learning Why His Family Was Killed (The Punisher: Season 1, Episode 2)

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Netflix

This is hands-down one of the most amazing scenes in all of The Punisher. What’s so amazing about it is that we the audience learn the truth about why Frank’s family was killed along with him, but it isn’t even the best part. The best part is seeing Frank’s tactical training and intelligence in full force. Not only does he infiltrate Carson’s house, fight him, knock him out and tie him up, demonstrating his physical strength, but when Carson frees himself and holds Frank at gunpoint, we get to see Frank’s intelligence as well. While holding Frank at gunpoint, Carson tells him the truth, thinking that it won’t matter in a couple of minutes because he plans to shoot Frank, only to find out that Frank had already used the only bullet in the gun on Carson, and that this had been Frank’s plan all along in order to learn the truth. Frank’s line of, “Gun’s empty, asshole.” is one of the most iconic lines he says in the series, and it is the perfect thing for Carson to hear right before Frank snaps his neck.