Pop Culture’s 10 Most Underated Himbos

Sweet. Dumb. Beefy. Pretty. These are the qualities that make a protector of the innocent, a living personification of gym goals, and a juicy piece of eye candy: a himbo. A masculine ideal made famous by gorgeous galoots like George of the Jungle and Kronk from The Emperor’s New Groove, the himbo has, with his tree-trunk arms, put all of pop culture in a stranglehold. And while other great himbos like Jason Stackhouse from True Blood and Andy Dwyer from Parks and Recreation have muscled their way into the spotlight, some of the most beautiful and brolic contenders have sadly not yet gotten the recognition that they deserve… until now. These 10 underrated specimens might not be the most famous of himbos, but they have the beauty, brainlessness, and body mass to be the best of the best.

Sea Hawk

Sea Hawk is the Platonic ideal of a himbo, a man standing on the shoulders of himbo giants like Kronk and George of the Jungle — honoring their muscly legacy with every brainless breath he draws. A salty young sea captain in She-Ra and the Princesses of Power, Sea Hawk begins his tenure on the show partaking in a himbo favorite pastime: arm wrestling. From then on, his himbo behavior only intensifies. He sings sea shanties. He flexes. He boasts. He smoulders. And, as any self-respecting himbo should, he throws himself headlong into a battle against evil not even ten minutes after he’s been introduced. And when it comes to respecting women, he’s one of the finest examples on this list. He’s endlessly devoted Mermista, the princess of the watery kingdom of Salenis, and even though he accidentally set their gondola on fire in the Tunnel of Love, he makes up for it by sweeping her off her feet at the Princess Prom.

David Puddy

If you think Seinfeld‘s David Puddy has a voice that sounds suspiciously like another more famous himbo, you’d be right. He’s played by Patrick Warburton, the same guy who voiced god-of-himbos Kronk in The Emperor’s New Groove. Usually referred to as just “Puddy” (was there ever a better himbo name?), he serves as a dim-witted, hairy-chested, and surprisingly kind-hearted foil to the show’s cynical, cerebral central cast. Elaine’s on-again-off-again boyfriend, Puddy is, in his own way, devoted to Elaine, and while she only dates him so he’ll help her move her furniture, he’s always happy to assist without any hidden agenda. While the other men in Elaine’s life *cough* Jerry *cough* are endlessly chaotic and manipulative romantic partners, Puddy’s a surprisingly stable guy. Sure, he stares off into space a lot and mutters “feels like an Arby’s night” without explanation, but that’s just part of his himbo charm.

Might Guy

Putting the “him“ in himbo, Might Guy is, without question, one of the greatest shinobi warriors of his generation. An undisputed master of martial arts, Guy spends the entirety of Naruto relying only on his fists and feet — heady, complicated jutsus only cramp his himbo style. He’s strong enough to take on Madara Uchiha, a man who once soloed a literal army of ninja, in a one-on-one fight. And what’s even more impressively himboish of him is that he was fully willing to sacrifice his life in this battle for the good of his comrades, his village, and the shinobi world. Always thinking of others, he’s one of the most effective teachers in the series, going above and beyond to be the best instructor he can be to his fervently loyal students. And despite his numerous physical abilities, one of the most impressive about his body is his eyebrows. Seriously, those things are beefy, and an endless source of himbo pride.

Troy Barnes

Troy Barnes of Community might not have the hulking frame of other himbos, but the strongest muscle in his body is without a doubt his heart. Alongside his best friend Abed, Troy Barnes is 100% dedicated to bettering the vibe at his community college, whether it’s through school-wide “the floor is lava” games or simply showing up for his friends when he’s needed. While Troy’s himbo resume is strong (he was his high school’s prom king and all-star quarterback), he wasn’t always the nicest guy. He started the series as a classic jerk jock, but this was all a defense to hide his sweet, goofy, anxious, and totally himbo inner self. All he needed to do was get in touch with his emotions, which he accomplishes by repeatedly yelling “my emotions!” when he feels something.

Bolin

Avatar: The Last Airbender purists will say that The Legend of Korra‘s Bolin was the writers’ attempt to create another Sokka. My rebuttal? Bolin is way dumber than Sokka ever was, making him far more qualified to be a himbo. Unlike Sokka, Bolin respected women from the series’ beginning; he was immediately in awe of Korra’s fighting prowess. And unlike Sokka, Bolin had almost no good ideas whatsoever. Joining wannabe dictator Kuvira on her quest for world domination? Bad idea. Becoming a movie star while everyone else was trying to save the world? Bad idea. Working for a guy named Shady Shin? Obvious bad idea. Like any good himbo, he always means well, but needs a little guidance from his friends from time to time. But, hey, he’s got big arms and lavabending. What else does a himbo really need?

Halsin

Baldur’s Gate 3 is full of crafty, conniving, morally ambiguous characters, and Halsin is not one of them. A wood elf built like an NFL linebacker, Halsin is 300 pounds of pure wholesome. As a druid, he’s selflessly devoted to protecting nature, as well as any defenseless person wandering through monster-infested woods. As a friend, he’s one of the most dependable and stable companions in the game, dedicated to helping you on your quest without any hidden agenda of his own. As a lover, well, that’s where Halsin really shines as a himbo. A 350-year-old pansexual, Halsin has done it like they do on the Discovery Channel with just about every intelligent mammal. He’s got tree-trunk arms, polyamorous leanings, and an eagerness to please in any shape — man or bear. Also, he really likes ducks. Platonically, that is.

Hodor

In a cesspool of moral depravity like Westeros, Hodor shines like a beacon of simple-minded goodness. One of the few true innocents in Game of Thrones, Hodor uses his The Mountain-sized frame not for war, but for protecting peace. When Theon Greyjoy attacked Winterfell, Hodor didn’t hesitate to carry his comrades to safety. Literally. He spends half his screen time walking around with an adolescent Stark strapped to his back. Does he complain? Hell no. All he ever says is “Hodor,” and 9 times out of 10, that phrase translates to “you can count on me.” And while he might not be complex enough to form romantic attachments, he certainly respects women, evidenced by the fact that he followed Bran and Rickon’s protector Osha without any hesitation. Sweet, statuesque, and ultimately self-sacrificing, Hodor belongs in the Himbo Hall of Fame.

Fezzik

Fezzik is arguably the most underrated himbo of all time. While he spends about ten seconds of The Princess Bride on the side of evil, he quickly switches to good once his boss drops dead of iocane poisoning. From that moment on, Fezzik is devoted to saving Princess Buttercup, the very same woman that he was hired to kill. A lonely man feared for his hulking size, Fezzik hires himself out as a mercenary simply because he doesn’t want to be by himself. All he needed was a little bit of love and support, and when the film’s heroes give him that, he soon becomes one himself. A gentle giant with a heart of gold, Fezzik is the princess-saving, boulder-chucking, rhyme-spinning stuff of himbo legend.

Nick Bottom

Nick Bottom from A Midsummer Night’s Dream is the great-great-great-great-godfather of all himbos, a donkey-headed man to whom every other himbo in the Western canon can trace his lineage. He’s the star of a group of traveling players, so context clues say he’s himbo handsome. He thinks he’s the next Willia Shakespeare despite barely being able to string a rhyme together, so he’s got the classic himbo lack of self-awareness. And while the fairy queen Titania technically only fell for him because a pixie named Puck slipped her a love potion, Bottom has a certain manly charm that makes him irresistible — donkey head or no. Despite being delusional, self-involved, and semi-illiterate, he manages to date a forest goddess and star in a play for the King of Athens. If that’s not himbo levels of failing upwards, then I don’t know what is.

Vash the Stampede

Often overshadowed by himbo heroes like Son Goku, Vash the Stampede is one of anime’s deserving contenders. He’s a feared outlaw with a bounty worth multi-billions on his head, but he’s more Robin Hood than Jesse James. A gunslinger always fighting for the little guy, Vash works tirelessly to protect his self-stated values of “love and peace” on the lawless desert planet of Gunsmoke. And while he hides his fearsome abilities behind a goofy exterior, he’s surprisingly intelligent — so much so that it almost disqualifies him from himbo status. But it’s his almost suicidal devotion to his pacifist ideals that makes up for this; he refuses to resort to fatal violence even when violence often is the only option he has left. You’d have to be delusional to believe you can change a deadly Western world without killing anyone, but being delusional is a himbo’s specialty. That and being absolutely jacked, which, when his red jacket comes off, you can see Vash also has that covered.

(featured image: HBO)

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