# The Greatest Warriors of All Time

An episode of [Be Amazed](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1687637469), 12 Dec 2025, 27 min.

Audio: https://audio4.redcircle.com/episodes/3aab58bf-d234-411a-88ec-bff06fd38287/stream.mp3

If you’ve ever overheard a schoolyard conversation, you know nothing captures the imagination quite like the daring fights of a brave warrior. I remember spending countless hours as a kid debating whether Goku or SpongeBob would win in a fight. But today, I’m here to explore real warriors who committed utterly awesome feats that put anime and cartoon fights to shame! From Aztec beast-men to one-armed gunmen, let’s investigate some of the greatest warriors that have ever existed. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

## Transcript

[0:00] \[SPEAKER_00\]: If you've ever overheard a school yard conversation, you know nothing captures the imagination quite like the daring fights of a brave warrior.
[0:08] \[SPEAKER_00\]: I remember spending countless hours as a kid debating whether Goku or SpongeBob would win in a fight.
[0:14] \[SPEAKER_00\]: But today I'm here to explore real warriors who committed utterly awesome feats that put anime and cartoon fights to shame.
[0:24] \[SPEAKER_00\]: From Aztec Beastmen to one armed gunmen, let's investigate some of the greatest warriors that have ever existed.
[0:31] \[SPEAKER_00\]: There was an indoor listening to you, and this could be amazed.
[0:44] \[SPEAKER_00\]: You may recognize Leonidas the burn from his oily glistening portrayal by Gerard Butler in Zack Snyder's action film, 300.
[0:54] \[SPEAKER_00\]: Existing between 932 BCE and Ancient Greece, the Spartans were notoriously hard and warlike people.
[1:04] \[SPEAKER_00\]: From the age of seven, Spartan boys were forcibly taken from their homes and began the ego.
[1:10] \[SPEAKER_00\]: A militaristic state-sponsored training regimen designed to turn them into unbeatable soldiers.
[1:18] \[SPEAKER_00\]: Here, food was scarce, fighting was encouraged, and because all Spartan men were expected to be lifelong soldiers, the very concept of surrender was considered the ultimate disgrace.
[1:30] \[SPEAKER_00\]: Leonidas, though royalty, was no exception.
[1:34] \[SPEAKER_00\]: He, like many others, survived the agoges, but he never expected to rule.
[1:39] \[SPEAKER_00\]: His half-brother Cleomanz was king originally, but after going mad, the crown fell to him.
[1:46] \[SPEAKER_00\]: Boy did he inherit a mess, and 480 BCE the Persians led by the Cunning King Xerxes were on a warpath across Greece.
[1:57] \[SPEAKER_00\]: Many Greek city states had already submitted to Xerxes overwhelming numbers, but not Leonidas.
[2:04] \[SPEAKER_00\]: Legend has it that at the Battle of Thermopoli, Leonidas, and just 300 Spartans successfully fended off two million Persians in a narrow mountain pass over three grueling days.
[2:17] \[SPEAKER_00\]: While all Spartans were eventually slain, their sacrifice rallied the rest of Greece into action ultimately repelling Persian forces.
[2:27] \[SPEAKER_00\]: The story is heroic, inspiring, and genuinely unbelievable, because it's not completely true.
[2:35] \[SPEAKER_00\]: While the 300 Spartans factoid isn't untrue, it is leaving out one important tidbit.
[2:42] \[SPEAKER_00\]: The Spartans weren't alone.
[2:44] \[SPEAKER_00\]: Leo Knightas had aligned with several other Greek states before the battle, who supported the Spartans.
[2:51] \[SPEAKER_00\]: I know.
[2:51] \[SPEAKER_00\]: I'm sorry to be the party pooper, but in reality there were around 7,000 soldiers on the Greek side in between 100,000 and 300,000 on the Persian.
[3:02] \[SPEAKER_00\]: This still makes for an incredible Greek victory, however, with those numbers the Persians
[3:13] \[SPEAKER_00\]: Imagine standing in the roaring rain spear and shield in hand, and being told you only have to defeat 42 soldiers.
[3:21] \[SPEAKER_00\]: In my book, that still makes Leonidas a pretty outstanding warrior without exaggeration.
[3:28] \[SPEAKER_00\]: Next up, who doesn't love a pirate?
[3:31] \[SPEAKER_00\]: Specifically, this one, sings she, the pirate queen.
[3:36] \[SPEAKER_00\]: She was born into poverty in 1775 in China's Guangdong Province.
[3:42] \[SPEAKER_00\]: After a difficult youth, she was kidnapped by Zhang Yi, captain of the infamous Red Flag Pirate Fleet, enamored by her beauty and wits, however, he asked for her hand in marriage.
[3:54] \[SPEAKER_00\]: But Qingxia was no pushover.
[3:56] \[SPEAKER_00\]: She had him sign a pirate pre-nup granting her ownership of 50% of his earnings and a portion of his fleet.
[4:04] \[SPEAKER_00\]: After they married, Changsher shocked everyone with her aptitude for piracy.
[4:09] \[SPEAKER_00\]: She supervised raids, plotted attacks, and got stuck into the action.
[4:15] \[SPEAKER_00\]: Under her, the red flag grew from 200 ships to over 1,800 in just a few months.
[4:21] \[SPEAKER_00\]: The reason for this, if you'll pardon the pun, is that Changsher ran a tight ship.
[4:25] \[SPEAKER_00\]: She rewrote their code, granting crewmates more freedom, but much harsher punishments for disobedience.
[4:32] \[SPEAKER_00\]: When Zhang Yi died in 1807, Qingxiu took over, under her leadership the fleet became unstoppable, amassing immense wealth and exerting unmatched power over the Chinese seas.
[4:45] \[SPEAKER_00\]: It soon became evident that Qingxiu's outlook was a lot like Spider-Man's, with greater power came greater responsibility.
[4:54] \[SPEAKER_00\]: Pirates found hoarding loot lost body parts equal to the crime, and those who protested
[5:02] \[SPEAKER_00\]: Furthermore, she codified protections for enemies that surrendered.
[5:06] \[SPEAKER_00\]: This allowed her numbers to grow exponentially.
[5:09] \[SPEAKER_00\]: After all, it made way more sense for sailors to surrender and potentially join her than die fighting.
[5:15] \[SPEAKER_00\]: While the Chinese government was terrified of Qing's sure, they knew they had to do something.
[5:21] \[SPEAKER_00\]: Eventually, the Red Flag fleet faced down the thunderous might of the Qing Dynasty's Mandarin Navy and decimated them in a few hours.
[5:30] \[SPEAKER_00\]: The defeat was so resounding that the Emperor's hand was forced.
[5:34] \[SPEAKER_00\]: He offered her a ridiculous deal.
[5:36] \[SPEAKER_00\]: In exchange for stepping down, she would be granted full amnesty for her crimes, the right to keep everything she'd plundered, and the ability to keep operating her legitimate businesses.
[5:48] \[SPEAKER_00\]: Knowing the life of a pirate inevitably ends in bloodshed, Ching-Shur took the deal.
[5:54] \[SPEAKER_00\]: She disbanded the red flag and retired to a life of luxury.
[5:58] \[SPEAKER_00\]: This likely makes her the most successful pirate in history.
[6:03] \[SPEAKER_00\]: Take that Jack Sparrow.
[6:06] \[SPEAKER_00\]: We like to imagine medieval nights as valiant warriors, longing for the thrill of battle against worthy foes.
[6:14] \[SPEAKER_00\]: In reality, however, most of their time wasn't spent clashing blades with menacing adversaries, but mowing down hapless peasants that could barely swing a sword.
[6:24] \[SPEAKER_00\]: Not exactly heroic, right?
[6:26] \[SPEAKER_00\]: Jowsting, however, required real skill.
[6:30] \[SPEAKER_00\]: These competitions allowed practice nights to throw down against equally fierce opponents to determine who was the baddest.
[6:37] \[SPEAKER_00\]: And in 12th century England, there was nobody better than William Marshall.
[6:43] \[SPEAKER_00\]: Born around 1146, Marshall was kidnapped at an early age by Rebels hoping to extort his father.
[6:51] \[SPEAKER_00\]: Will's dad wasn't playing though, telling them to go ahead and hang him.
[6:55] \[SPEAKER_00\]: I can forge better sons.
[6:57] \[SPEAKER_00\]: Sensing the awkward family dynamic, or William was released without incident.
[7:03] \[SPEAKER_00\]: This ordeal no doubt left its mark on the boy, as it just 12 years old he left for Normandy to train as a night by 1166 at around 20 years old he had fought his first proper battle.
[7:14] \[SPEAKER_00\]: Not long afterwards he began his tournament career with a mason foot and a lance on horseback.
[7:21] \[SPEAKER_00\]: After racking up when after when Queen Eleanor took notice of him, and he became her champion, fighting battles in her honor and becoming a kind of ye old celebrity.
[7:32] \[SPEAKER_00\]: Marshall was an unstoppable jowster, toppling man after man, and claimed to have bested over 500 nights in his career.
[7:42] \[SPEAKER_00\]: Marshall was such a stud.
[7:44] \[SPEAKER_00\]: He was even accused of having an affair with King Henry's wife, though he was eventually
[7:51] \[SPEAKER_00\]: proving that you can't keep a true himbo down, Marshall married into royalty at 42, becoming the first Earl of Pam Brook.
[8:00] \[SPEAKER_00\]: He would go on to become the only man to ever knock King Richard the Lionheart off his horse.
[8:07] \[SPEAKER_00\]: This must have impressed the King as upon his deathbed, Richard and trusted Marshall with the task of choosing his successor.
[8:14] \[SPEAKER_00\]: Ever valiant Marshall continued riding into battle until the ripe old age of 70, under King John the Man he chose to rule.
[8:23] \[SPEAKER_00\]: Maybe after all that, he finally earned his dad's respect.
[8:27] \[SPEAKER_00\]: Some people say that Revenge is a dish best served cold.
[8:31] \[SPEAKER_00\]: Our next warrior, Chandra Goptamoria, preferred it served with the tip of a spear in his enemy's own throne room.
[8:38] \[SPEAKER_00\]: In the fourth century BCE, India was ruled by the cruel King Nanda, who even Alexander the Great didn't want to mess with.
[8:46] \[SPEAKER_00\]: Despite his military power, however, Nanda was concerned about the growing strength of the subordinate Maurya clan.
[8:54] \[SPEAKER_00\]: Legend has it one evening he invited the family to his palace for dinner, only to imprison them all in his cellar.
[9:01] \[SPEAKER_00\]: As the marius starved their patriarch made them swear and oath, if any of them survived, they would destroy Nanda.
[9:09] \[SPEAKER_00\]: Eventually, only the young Chandra Gupta was left.
[9:13] \[SPEAKER_00\]: To further mock the once prestigious family, Nanda released the weakened boy into a life of squalor.
[9:21] \[SPEAKER_00\]: Having lost everything, Chandra Gupta resigned himself to poverty until he was discovered by the long-haired sage, Chanakya.
[9:30] \[SPEAKER_00\]: Chanakya had been insulted by Nanda in his court and vowed not to cut his hair until he got revenge.
[9:37] \[SPEAKER_00\]: And this guy's hair was long.
[9:39] \[SPEAKER_00\]: Together the two swore a blood oath to take Nanda down.
[9:43] \[SPEAKER_00\]: While the historical legitimacy of this legend is debated, the duo's conquest is undeniable.
[9:49] \[SPEAKER_00\]: Chandra Gupta was trained in the arts of warfare and leadership by Channakya and became a brutally cunning warrior.
[9:57] \[SPEAKER_00\]: Chandra Gupta rallied the numerous dynasty clans of India behind him, trained war elephants, and defeated all those that opposed him before absorbing their warriors into his ranks.
[10:08] \[SPEAKER_00\]: Despite being its sole surviving member, Chandra Gupta reforged the maria into a terrifying force.
[10:15] \[SPEAKER_00\]: Eventually he launched an assault on Nondas Palace and, after a long and bloody battle, finally put an end to Nondas himself in his own throne room.
[10:26] \[SPEAKER_00\]: Chandra Gupta quickly expanded the borders of the new Morian Empire, liberating territories Alexander the Great Head conquered just a few decades prior.
[10:37] \[SPEAKER_00\]: Proving his strength of will was unmatched, Chandra Gupta eventually abdicated the throne of the empire he forged believing his work was finished.
[10:46] \[SPEAKER_00\]: I can't even give up the last slice of pizza, imagine giving up a kingdom that stretched from southern India to Pakistan.
[10:53] \[SPEAKER_00\]: Chandra Gupta lived the rest of his life as a solitary hermit and died meditating one afternoon in a secluded cave.
[11:01] \[SPEAKER_00\]: Chinakia presumably finally got a haircut.
[11:04] \[SPEAKER_00\]: Well, destroying an entire empire because someone made fun of you seems pretty extreme.
[11:10] \[SPEAKER_00\]: But, you know what isn't?
[11:11] \[SPEAKER_00\]: Following my podcast, it's easy as pie and a great way to stay up to date with even more episodes of mine, all done.
[11:19] \[SPEAKER_00\]: All right, moving on.
[11:22] \[SPEAKER_00\]: It's been said before that I could eat for a dozen men, but even I can't imagine being called a soldier worth a million.
[11:30] \[SPEAKER_00\]: But that title is awarded to Portuguese soldier Annabelle Milhais, who, despite his fetching mustache, was just 22 years old when he found himself in the middle of the Battle of Lewis.
[11:42] \[SPEAKER_00\]: This fierce firefight took place in northern France in 1918 during the final years of World War 1.
[11:50] \[SPEAKER_00\]: For days, Milhais and his comrades had been bearing the brunt of a ceaseless German bombardment.
[11:57] \[SPEAKER_00\]: One foggy morning, the bomb barredment mysteriously, and suddenly stopped.
[12:02] \[SPEAKER_00\]: Milhae's race to his machine gun and spotted soldiers, he didn't recognize jumping into the trenches in front of him.
[12:09] \[SPEAKER_00\]: Realizing the bomb barredment had been covered for a German approach, Milhae's fired indiscriminately at the approaching shadows in the fog.
[12:18] \[SPEAKER_00\]: Many Portuguese attempted to run back and join him, only to be mowed down by mist-vailed Germans.
[12:25] \[SPEAKER_00\]: Mill Highs continued to fire at any movement he saw in the fog taking down waves of men entirely on his own.
[12:33] \[SPEAKER_00\]: The German numbers were too great, however, and Mill Highs was forced to retreat.
[12:37] \[SPEAKER_00\]: He briefly regrouped with several allies behind a wall, but sensing their fear told them to run, and that he would cover them.
[12:45] \[SPEAKER_00\]: Mill-highest fired bursts of suppressive fire at the Germans who ducked into his former trenches for safety.
[12:52] \[SPEAKER_00\]: cleverly Mill-high's changed his position by several feet each burst, tricking the Germans into believing they were facing more than one man.
[13:01] \[SPEAKER_00\]: After firing his last bullet, Mill-Hice motionlessly hit under a canvas as dozens of Germans approached.
[13:08] \[SPEAKER_00\]: Thinking an entire squadron had mysteriously vanished into the mist, they didn't think to check the tart for a single man.
[13:16] \[SPEAKER_00\]: For his bravery, Mill-Hice was awarded Portugal's highest distinction, the military order of the tower, which was delivered to him in front of 15,000 of his fellow men.
[13:26] \[SPEAKER_00\]: The general presenting his metal claim that, though you are Mill Heiss, you are worth millions of soldiers.
[13:33] \[SPEAKER_00\]: This is upon, as the word Mill Heiss is similar to the Portuguese for Millions.
[13:40] \[SPEAKER_00\]: Imagine the sound of 15,000 brave soldiers, politely laughing at their superiors, dad joke.
[13:47] \[SPEAKER_00\]: Thank you, Tuff.
[13:48] \[SPEAKER_00\]: Well, you aren't crazy, Tuff, at least not as much as Lakota, Sue Warrior, crazy horse.
[13:54] \[SPEAKER_00\]: Born sometime around 1842, he was a man of unmatched bravery.
[13:59] \[SPEAKER_00\]: At just 12 years old, Crazy Horse rescued his brother from a rabid grizzly bear, successfully fighting the beast off with nothing but a lasso.
[14:08] \[SPEAKER_00\]: Recognized for his spirit, Crazy Horse became a revered young warrior, never hesitating to throw himself into danger.
[14:17] \[SPEAKER_00\]: When gold was discovered in the Black Hills, Sue territory, that previously held peace between new US settlers and the Sue fell apart.
[14:27] \[SPEAKER_00\]: Despite the fact treaties promised the region to the Sue, America's new settlers just couldn't resist the sweet call of gold.
[14:35] \[SPEAKER_00\]: War broke out between the two and Crazy Horse found himself going toe-to-toe with the U.S. many times.
[14:42] \[SPEAKER_00\]: On one occasion, Crazy Horse acted as a lone decoy, pursued by 80 U.S. soldiers.
[14:48] \[SPEAKER_00\]: After miles of chase, Crazy Horse led them right into a deadly ambush.
[14:53] \[SPEAKER_00\]: He was a commander at Little Big Horn, one of the most important battles fought between U.S. and Indigenous forces.
[15:01] \[SPEAKER_00\]: During this battle, America's Lieutenant Custer attempted to surprise the Sue with a surrounding pincer attack.
[15:08] \[SPEAKER_00\]: Custer thought if he surrounded them, the Sue would be overwhelmed by his superior fire power.
[15:14] \[SPEAKER_00\]: However, it was Custer's forces that ended up surrounded and were decisively defeated.
[15:19] \[SPEAKER_00\]: The encirclement of a larger army by a smaller one is rare in military history often only pulled off by people like Hannibal Barça and Alexander the Great, considered some of the greatest commanders of all time.
[15:32] \[SPEAKER_00\]: With that in mind, remember the Sue were also outmaneuvering custer's attempt at a pincere attack and did so with mostly inferior weaponry.
[15:41] \[SPEAKER_00\]: Unfortunately, this victory was short-lived.
[15:44] \[SPEAKER_00\]: Americans began hunting the native buffalo to extinction in the late 1870s.
[15:50] \[SPEAKER_00\]: This animal was hugely important for sue agriculture and they struggled without it.
[15:56] \[SPEAKER_00\]: Crazy Horse eventually relented to American demands and moved his people to a small village.
[16:01] \[SPEAKER_00\]: In 1877, it just 35 years old, Crazy Horse was killed during peace negotiations with the United States.
[16:08] \[SPEAKER_00\]: The man is still remembered today through the Lakota's annual Crazy Horse Ride, along with an enormous memorial carving.
[16:16] \[SPEAKER_00\]: While impressive, his memorial is unfortunately carved into a mountain, many Sue considers sacred.
[16:23] \[SPEAKER_00\]: That's like trying to honor a Christian by scribbling good job on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, not cool.
[16:30] \[SPEAKER_00\]: So no one was having a great time during the Second World War, were they?
[16:34] \[SPEAKER_00\]: Not exactly a relaxing period in history.
[16:37] \[SPEAKER_00\]: Well, in 1939, when the USSR invaded Finland was having a particularly terrible time.
[16:45] \[SPEAKER_00\]: At the outbreak of the invasion, the population of Finland was around 3.7 million, while the USSR's was over 175 million.
[16:55] \[SPEAKER_00\]: Not good odds.
[16:57] \[SPEAKER_00\]: Still, there was one thing the Soviets didn't have.
[17:01] \[SPEAKER_00\]: Simo Hayha.
[17:03] \[SPEAKER_00\]: Born in 1905, Simo had lived an unassuming life as a farmer.
[17:09] \[SPEAKER_00\]: When the Soviets invaded, however, he picked up his rifle and walked out the door to defend his country, passing by his multiple marksmanship trophies on the way out.
[17:19] \[SPEAKER_00\]: You see, despite being a humble farmer, Simo had the eyes of a hawk, the discipline of an athlete, and the reactions of an internet troll whenever I mispronounce a word.
[17:30] \[SPEAKER_00\]: Over just 98 days, Simo would become the single deadliest sniper in human history, acquiring the nickname, The White Death.
[17:39] \[SPEAKER_00\]: Simo earned this moniker because in his native forest he could become invisible.
[17:45] \[SPEAKER_00\]: Simo would dress in white, bury himself in the snow, and even place ice in his mouth and nostrils.
[17:51] \[SPEAKER_00\]: This cooled his breath, so it wasn't visible in the cold.
[17:55] \[SPEAKER_00\]: Simo knew a single mistake could mean death, so he changed his location constantly.
[18:02] \[SPEAKER_00\]: When Simo lined up a target, he stayed on them, never giving into his nerves or firing too early, taking them out only when it was most advantageous.
[18:11] \[SPEAKER_00\]: Entire squads were sent into the woods looking for Simo, and most never made it back.
[18:16] \[SPEAKER_00\]: As if this wasn't scary enough, Simo didn't use a scope while sniping, he feared it would give away his position if it glented in the sun.
[18:25] \[SPEAKER_00\]: This means Simo was making all his shots based on eyesight alone.
[18:29] \[SPEAKER_00\]: Man, there are times when I can't even find the cursor on my desktop.
[18:34] \[SPEAKER_00\]: Simo was only ever hit once, but it was a doozy.
[18:38] \[SPEAKER_00\]: The Soviets eventually blasted the forest apart just to hit Simo and sadly, they did.
[18:43] \[SPEAKER_00\]: A mortar exploded right in his face, but it didn't kill him.
[18:48] \[SPEAKER_00\]: After several reconstructive surgeries Simo, hold through.
[18:52] \[SPEAKER_00\]: He was scarred, but he was alive.
[19:00] \[SPEAKER_00\]: But during this time, in less than 100 days, Simo amassed over 500 kills, more than 5 slain soldiers a day.
[19:08] \[SPEAKER_00\]: Talk about being ratio'd, some folks want to pass away peacefully in their sleep, others want to go tearing apart Aztec Eagle Warriors, both ways have their merits.
[19:19] \[SPEAKER_00\]: Meet La Huacal, a Central American warrior born in 1497 to the Tlaxcala tribe.
[19:26] \[SPEAKER_00\]: and according to ancient depictions, he was also an absolute beast of a man.
[19:32] \[SPEAKER_00\]: Clahua Cole was captured defending his tribe and brought before Aztec Emperor Moctezuma the first.
[19:39] \[SPEAKER_00\]: Moctezuma took one look at him and fearing his wrath ordered his release.
[19:45] \[SPEAKER_00\]: To the who-a-call refused this offer stating the shame of being captured alive dishonored his home and that he could never return.
[19:53] \[SPEAKER_00\]: Impressed and a little frightened the Emperor offered him a deal.
[19:57] \[SPEAKER_00\]: To the who-a-call could become an Aztec and be granted control of one of their armies.
[20:02] \[SPEAKER_00\]: This way he could continue living as a warrior, and he did just that, decimating other tribes in the name of his new emperor.
[20:11] \[SPEAKER_00\]: In addition to being an absolute unit, Tlawui Cole was also a master of arms, including the vicious Makoa Whitele, a nasty weapon consisted of a wooden paddle with inlayed teeth of obsidian, which is a kind of volcanic glass.
[20:28] \[SPEAKER_00\]: These teeth can be up to 500 times sharper than steel, and are designed to break off and whoever is struck by the Makua Heidel, a viscerating there in size.
[20:39] \[SPEAKER_00\]: If that wasn't bad enough, the Lehuha Coles weapon was apparently so heavy, other men weren't even able to lift it.
[20:46] \[SPEAKER_00\]: forget internal damage, I'd be worried about exploding on impact.
[20:50] \[SPEAKER_00\]: When the Aztec Empire began to expand, Tlawui Cole was presented with an awful task to conquer and subjugate his former tribe.
[21:00] \[SPEAKER_00\]: Tlawui Cole found himself caught between two codes.
[21:04] \[SPEAKER_00\]: He couldn't bring himself to fight his former people, but as a warrior couldn't refuse to fight either.
[21:10] \[SPEAKER_00\]: The only option for Talahua Cole was to accept execution by combat.
[21:17] \[SPEAKER_00\]: One warm morning in the jungle to La Huicol entered a ceremonial stone circle and awaited his opponents.
[21:25] \[SPEAKER_00\]: Eight Aztec eagle warriors, the baddest of the bed, each eager to be the one to bring down the beast.
[21:32] \[SPEAKER_00\]: Unfortunately for them, La Huicol slew them all, one by one.
[21:37] \[SPEAKER_00\]: Multiple warriors attacked him simultaneously and he would go on to injure twenty more before he was taken out.
[21:44] \[SPEAKER_00\]: Chloe Cole's heart was then carved from his body and treated by the Aztecs as a revered artifact of power.
[21:52] \[SPEAKER_00\]: I'll just stick with cremation.
[21:54] \[SPEAKER_00\]: Thanks.
[21:55] \[SPEAKER_00\]: If you asked me who the baddest people on Earth are, a few answers come to mind.
[22:00] \[SPEAKER_00\]: Bodybuilders, bounty hunters, myself, obviously, and the list goes on.
[22:05] \[SPEAKER_00\]: With all those badasses in mind, I still don't think there's any one tougher than the Gurka.
[22:11] \[SPEAKER_00\]: These nepellies warriors have made up some of the most elite soldiers in the British Army for more than 200 years.
[22:19] \[SPEAKER_00\]: Field Marshal Sam Monkshaw once said, if anyone tells you they're not afraid of dying, they're either lying or they're a Gurka.
[22:27] \[SPEAKER_00\]: To back those words up, let's take a look at the story of La Kemon Guron.
[22:32] \[SPEAKER_00\]: Guron and his battalion were stationed in Burma in 1945 towards the end of World War II.
[22:39] \[SPEAKER_00\]: Japanese forces were growing desperate as the war drew to a close, and the Gurkha's mission was to stop their advance into Tong Dao.
[22:48] \[SPEAKER_00\]: On the first night luckyman was keeping watch far away from his comrades camp.
[22:54] \[SPEAKER_00\]: Suddenly, 200 Japanese soldiers surprised him with a sudden advance on Tong Dao.
[22:59] \[SPEAKER_00\]: They announced themselves by throwing three grenades into Guruang's trench.
[23:09] \[SPEAKER_00\]: tragically he was too late on the third which obliterated his hand.
[23:13] \[SPEAKER_00\]: Gurung had no time to mourn however, he dug his traditional Nepalese kukri, a heavy dagger into the ground in front of him, and about no Japanese soldier would cross it.
[23:24] \[SPEAKER_00\]: Off balance and with only one good arm he took to his machine gun firing wildly into the night.
[23:30] \[SPEAKER_00\]: The Japanese soldiers continued tossing grenades at Garong, but, having not learned his lesson, he tossed them right back.
[23:38] \[SPEAKER_00\]: Garong was also blinded in one eye during the firefight, but continued his unrelenting defense.
[23:45] \[SPEAKER_00\]: Guruung menacingly screamed, come and fight a Gurka.
[23:49] \[SPEAKER_00\]: Over and over again, as he rained down bullets, eventually Guruung considered taking his kukri from the ground for one final melee assault.
[23:58] \[SPEAKER_00\]: While these brutal knives are sharp and heavy, there's not much they can do against gunfire.
[24:03] \[SPEAKER_00\]: Luckily for Guru-Rung after holding off 200 Japanese soldiers for four grueling hours, reinforcements arrived and relieved the exhausted battered Guru-Rung of duty.
[24:13] \[SPEAKER_00\]: He was awarded the Victoria Cross for his efforts and despite his injuries continued to fight for the rest of the war.
[24:19] \[SPEAKER_00\]: Folks, let's give him a hand.
[24:21] \[SPEAKER_00\]: He really deserves it.
[24:22] \[SPEAKER_00\]: Next up, do you find the opera a little stuffy?
[24:25] \[SPEAKER_00\]: Boring.
[24:26] \[SPEAKER_00\]: Do you think the medium could use more fight scenes in scandalous affairs?
[24:31] \[SPEAKER_00\]: Well, meet Julie Dobini, your new favorite superstar.
[24:35] \[SPEAKER_00\]: Born in France around 1707, Julie quickly discovered she had two great passions, singing and sword fighting.
[24:44] \[SPEAKER_00\]: Unfortunately, the incredibly prudish society of 18th century France looked down on girls in blood sports, so naturally Julie began dressing as a boy in order to compete in dueling competitions when she was just 12.
[25:00] \[SPEAKER_00\]: As she grew older, she began dueling more openly as herself and started her professional career as an opera singer.
[25:07] \[SPEAKER_00\]: At one point, another male singer annoyed her so much she challenged him to a duel while dressed as a man and beat him senseless with a cane.
[25:16] \[SPEAKER_00\]: Apparently, she couldn't stop laughing the following day when he claimed he was mugged by three large men.
[25:23] \[SPEAKER_00\]: Oh, and as if her life couldn't get any more scandalous, she was also openly bisexual in the 1700s.
[25:32] \[SPEAKER_00\]: At one point a girl she was entangled with was sent to live in a convict by her parents.
[25:38] \[SPEAKER_00\]: Julie responded by disguising herself as a nun and setting the convict on fire to break the girl out.
[25:45] \[SPEAKER_00\]: As if she wasn't enough of a badass, she once kissed a noble woman at a fancy gala in front of three noble men who had been hitting on her.
[25:54] \[SPEAKER_00\]: Enraged, they each challenged her to a duel.
[26:03] \[SPEAKER_00\]: As you can imagine, Julie's ostentatious lifestyle got her in trouble with the law on many occasions.
[26:10] \[SPEAKER_00\]: Luckily for her, the king at the time was Louis XIV who was quite the character himself.
[26:16] \[SPEAKER_00\]: Louis found her exploits hilarious and pardoned her of her crimes on several occasions.
[26:22] \[SPEAKER_00\]: Julie eventually entered a long-term relationship with Madame de Florensac, who many called the most beautiful woman in all France.
[26:32] \[SPEAKER_00\]: Julie continued dueling and singing the rest of her life.
[26:36] \[SPEAKER_00\]: She died young between 33 and 36 years old, having never lost a duel.
[26:42] \[SPEAKER_00\]: She must have had a very disarming voice.
[26:44] \[SPEAKER_00\]: There you have it, a collection of truly formidable warriors across time and culture.
[26:50] \[SPEAKER_00\]: There are way, way too many awesome warriors from around the world to include in a single episode, so it was very hard to choose them.
[26:58] \[SPEAKER_00\]: I might do a part two.
[26:59] \[SPEAKER_00\]: Thanks for listening.
[27:01] \[SPEAKER_00\]: Thanks.

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