After 62 contests, five rounds of voting, four regional champions and tens of thousands of ballots cast, it comes down to two established fan favorites as we seek the greatest on-screen fictional movie character ever.
Gunnery Sgt. Hartman ("Full Metal Jacket") and Capt. John Miller ("Saving Private Ryan") trounced their semifinal competition to earn spots in the championship round of Battle Bracket: Clash of Characters. Voting is open through Tuesday here; make your pick and spread it on social media using the hashtag #BattleBracket.
Vote in the championship round of Battle Bracket: Clash of Characters
Bounced in the semis were Benjamin Martin ("The Patriot") and Lord Darth Vader, whose combined tournament hit list includes impressive entrants like Jack Reacher, NCIS Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs, and two captains: "Hawkeye" Pierce and Steve Rogers, better known as Captain America.
But Vader was outmatched by Capt. Miller, who amassed more than 70 percent of the vote. Gunny Hartman did even better, approaching 75 percent of the vote total in his win over Mel Gibson's Martin.
R. Lee Ermey's Vietnam-era drill instructor faced Tom Hanks' World War II-era officer once before in Military Times-sponsored bracket play, albeit indirectly: "Full Metal Jacket" and "Saving Private Ryan" squared off in the semifinals of 2015's Military Movie Madness, with "Full Metal Jacket" winning 58 percent to 42 percent. It was the most-voted-upon contest of the entire bracket, and "Full Metal Jacket" would go on to defeat "Patton" for the overall crown.
Find out about this year's GI Film Festival
The winner will be announced on our voting page Tuesday, shortly after the polls close.
Kevin Lilley is the features editor of Military Times.
