Jack Ryan and Jack Reacher are both very intriguing men of action because they’re strong and intelligent individuals who handle themselves very well under pressure when it comes to taking down evil villains. Both men also have dark and heavy histories due to their service in the military. Each man is also surrounded by skillful allies who are pivotal in helping the protagonists solve important cases.
Ryan is a CIA analyst and Reacher is a former military investigator. Reacher is more of an outlaw compared to Ryan, but both men have a habit of disobeying direct orders from their superiors when searching for suspects who are difficult to encounter. It’s hard to tell which Jack is better due to their respective skill sets, but only one can be considered superior.
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Both Jacks Are Skilled Fighters And Marksmen
Reacher is very tall (a little over six feet in height) and very muscular, making his physical appearance very intimidating. He has several fight scenes with suspects and killers in the first season of hisAmazon Prime TV series. Reacher can beat up guys with knives, guns, his bare hands, etc.
One of Reacher’s best action scenes involves him using a house as an extraction point in order to lure villains to find him so that he can take them out one by onein pure Rambo style fashion. Another great scene involves Reacher executing men in a quick fashion with a Desert Eagle pistol, and placing the dead bodies in the trunk of a car. What makes Reacher dangerous is that he is an expert killer who primarily works for himself (even though he has military connections and works with the police in Georgia to solve his brother’s murder and a counterfeit scheme involving corrupt members of high-level agencies).
On the other hand, Ryan is an analyst working for the CIA. He analyzes financial transactions (especially those that come from dangerous terrorists in season one of his Amazon series). While he may not appear to be physically intimidating compared to Reacher, Ryan is an ex-soldier who served in Afghanistan, and his training comes in handy when fighting terrorists and skilled assassins alongside other soldiers during large-scale missions.
In season one, Ryan surprises the Suleiman brothers when battling both terrorists at the same time (despite getting hurt in the process). Like Reacher, he works well with guns and knives andholds his own during hand-to-hand combat. Ryan is also a good tracker, especially in season two when searching for a European assassin who murdered Ryan’s friend (a U.S. Senator). The assassin almost drowns Ryan, but the analyst manages to fight him off in Venezuela and encounters him in London.
Each Man Has Special Allies And Love Interests
While both Jacks tend to work well alone,each protagonist is even better with a team. Reacher isn’t the most approachable guy, but over time he does get along with the new police captain in Margrave, Georgia since both men mean business when interrogating suspects and searching for clues and evidence. They also have a few funny moments, such as arguing over their choice of music during car rides and debating over whether Margrave serves the best pie. Reacher also falls in love with a female police officer, who grows to like Reacher for his toughness and persistence, and they are both seeking vengeance for loved ones they’ve lost in the hands of corrupt enemies.
Ryan initially has a conflicting relationship with James Greer, an experienced CIA agent who briefly becomes Ryan’s boss in season one. However, both men grow on each other because they recognize their skills and potential to shake things up in the agency. Greer becomesan important mentor figureto Ryan in terms of showing the analyst how to work and conduct himself as a field agent. Ryan also falls in love with Dr. Cathy Mueller, whom he initially lies to about working for the CIA, but they manage to keep their relationship casual and affectionate since they are professionals with challenging duties.
Both Jacks Know How To Confront Powerful Figures
Reacher and Ryan aren’t fearful when it comes to confronting powerful men. For Reacher, he and his allies investigate a wealthy businessman who’s a regular donor to Margrave, Georgia, but may also be behind the counterfeit scheme. Another suspect, the businessman’s son, tries to be threatening toward Reacher, but the military man beats him down a few times (even in public) to let him know that he won’t be intimidated by rich and corrupt individuals.
For Ryan,there’s a pivotal moment in season twowhen he confronts the corrupt President of Venezuela during a face-to-face meeting. Ryan shakes his hand and whispers to his ear, saying that he knows he’s responsible for his friend’s (the U.S. senator’s) assassination. Ryan’s superiors, including Greer, also get upset with the analyst when he refuses to follow orders, such as chasing down suspects after being told to stop or looking at case evidence without authorization.
The Final Verdict
While Reacher may seem like the obvious choice due to his muscular physique and brutal killing methods, Ryan is the best Jack because he has the element of surprise. Reacher seems more obvious to read and sticks out more to the villains, while Ryan has slightly more resources at his disposal. Ryan may appear like just another nerdy analyst who can talk about finances, but he’s also a former soldier who remembers his training and can fight tough when necessary. Both shows will determine how good Ryan and Reacher will be in each of their upcoming seasons.
