Reacher's 10 Best Sparring Partners, Ranked by Strength

Reacher's 10 Best Sparring Partners, Ranked by Strength Alan Ritchson on the phone in 'Reacher.'Image via Prime Video By  Dyah Ayu Larasati Published 55 minutes ago Dyah (pronounced Dee-yah) is a Senior Author at Collider, responsible for both writing and transcription duties. She joined the website in 2022 as a Resource Writer before stepping into her current role in April 2023. As a Senior Author, she writes Features and Lists covering TV, music, and movies, making her a true Jill of all trades. In addition to her writing, Dyah also serves as an interview transcriber, primarily for events such as San Diego Comic-Con, the Toronto International Film Festival, and the Sundance Film Festival. Dyah graduated from Satya Wacana Christian University in October 2019 with a Bachelor's degree in English Literature, concentrating on Creative Writing. She is currently completing her Master's degree in English Literature Studies, with a thesis on intersectionality in postcolonial-feminist studies in Asian literary works, and is expected to graduate in 2026. Born and raised between Indonesia and Singapore, Dyah is no stranger to different cultures. She now resides in the small town of Kendal with her husband and four cats, where she spends her free time cooking or cycling. Sign in to your Collider account Summary Generate a summary of this story follow Follow followed Followed Like Like Thread Log in Here is a fact-based summary of the story contents: Try something different: Show me the facts Explain it like I’m 5 Give me a lighthearted recap

Nobody fights better in Reacher than Jack Reacher (Alan Ritchson). The former Army MP experienced more than his fair share of physical brawls. Over three seasons, Reacher has proven a wide array of skills, be it in fistfights or weapon mastery. But what sets a good fighter apart from a great one is not what they can do, but how they do it — that includes combat.

Some fights are hard for Reacher, but others are just exceptionally difficult. Having faced criminals of all walks of life, from prisoners to biker thugs, no two confrontations are the same. Without further ado, here are Reacher's 10 best sparring partners, ranked by strength.

10 Motel Henchmen

"First Dance" – Season 1, Episode 2 (2022)

When a tall, buff man like Reacher comes walking into the middle-of-nowhere Margrave, some of its townsfolk are bound to get wary. Following an unexpected arrest at a diner and getting wrongfully imprisoned afterwards, this unknown protagonist has caught everyone’s attention. Officer Roscoe Conklin (Willa Fitzgerald) is assigned to keep Reacher out of trouble. But it seems like trouble follows him everywhere.

As Reacher tries to settle down for the night, he’s secretly followed by a group of young guys. They don’t look too dangerous, but they’re just as unsafe since they outnumber him. At this point, it becomes clear that quantity is no issue for Reacher. Although they had him all cornered in front of his motel room, he swiftly beat up three of them, leaving one guy unscathed so that he could take them to the hospital.

9 Richard's Bullies

"Number 2 With a Bullet" – Season 3, Episode 3 (2025)

Alan Ritchson as Jack Reacher grabbing a man's arm, midswing, in Season 3.Image via Prime Video

With all the money and connections he has, businessman Zachary Beck (Anthony Michael Hall) is quite the fearful figure. However, the same can’t be said for his son Richard (Johnny Berchtold). Unlike his father, Richard is completely shielded from the life of crime. It’s a conscious decision on Zachary’s side, following a traumatic past involving a kidnapped Richard, leading to one of his ears being cut off.

To make sure nothing similar ever happens to Richard, Zachary assigns the undercover Reacher to protect his son at all costs. Reacher obviously gets the job done when a group of bullies taunts Richard outside a shop. Although they were merely college-age men, they knew how to throw a lethal punch or two. One of them even pulled out a baseball bat to hit Reacher. While certainly not among the best action scenes of the 21st century, it's still an exciting exchange to watch.

8 Construction Work Assailants

"What Happens in Atlantic City" – Season 2, Episode 2 (2023)

Joris Jarsky as Trevor Saropian talking on a phone in Reacher.Image via Prime Video

A man as elusive as Shane Langston (Robert Patrick) wouldn't want to get his hands dirty, so he has his subordinates do it for him instead. One night in Atlantic City, Reacher and Karla Dixon (Serinda Swan) go out and about to look for more clues. It doesn't take long for the two to realize that they're being followed by a group of assailants.

Not only are Langston's men armed, but they're also smart. Fighting at a construction site means they can utilize their surroundings for maximum damage. In between using their knives, Reacher is caught off guard when he almost gets hit by a cinderblock. Reacher returns the favor by shoving one of their faces into wet cement, effectively strangling them.

7 Biker Gang

"A Night at the Symphony" – Season 2, Episode 4 (2023)

Dinner will have to wait. After a successful interrogation, the 110th Special Ops is ambushed by a biker gang in the parking lot. In a four-against-eight situation, the odds look stacked. Instead of guns, they turn to their fists, which prevents them from getting unwanted attention. But not a single amount of chains can intimidate Reacher and his gang into submission.

These gang members don't hesitate to get up close and personal with the Reacher gang. One of them tried to hit Reacher with a chain on a moving bike. They also tag team when necessary. At one point, Reacher tried to fight off a guy with a knife, while another one tried to tackle him from behind. It goes to show that these gruff thugs are seasoned professionals. With Reacher's side being outnumbered, it's one of the season's longer and most jaw-dropping fight scenes.

6 Kliner Jr.

"Pie" - Season 1, Episode 8 (2022)

Chris Webster as Kliner Jr. talking to someone outside a vehicle in Reacher.Image via Prime Video

The heir to Kliner Industries, Kliner Jr. (Chris Webster), is the typical arrogant son of a businessman who thinks he can get away with anything. Whether it’s vandalizing Conklin’s car for rejecting him or causing a fight in an eatery, Kliner Jr. leaves unscathed. Meanwhile, all the blame is directed at Reacher. Spoiled brat attitude aside, Kliner Jr. is just as devilishly smart as he is deadly.

Throughout Season 1, Kliner Jr. mostly acts in the shadows, opting to use henchmen to stay hidden. But by the series’ finale, Kliner Jr. gets into a one-on-one spar with Reacher. Armed with an axe, he swings his weapon recklessly at Reacher, completely oblivious to the fact that they’re both fighting in a burning factory. His sheer wild attitude might’ve given him some bravado, but Reacher swiftly disarms him and ends Kliner Jr. for good (in one of Reacher's most brutal death scenes).

5 Alley Assassin

"Papier" – Season 1, Episode 6 (2022)

Alan Ritchson as Reacher wearing a white shirt fighting in an alley with a man in 'Reacher'.Image via Prime Video

Some enemies have both strength and stealth. In a brief trip to New York City, Reacher seeks out one of his late brother’s associates. It’s here where Reacher gets some highly classified information about Kliner Industries. Underneath Kliner Sr.’s donations to Margrave, the businessman has been secretly using the town as a hub for moving counterfeit bills to a buyer in Venezuela.

Such sensitive information shouldn’t be handed out, especially to someone like Reacher. As he steps outside the precinct, Reacher notices that he’s been spied on all this time. Reacher draws his assassin to an alley. Though his armed pursuer had the upper hand at first by cutting Reacher’s midsection, Reacher maneuvers the fight into a stairwell, where he uses his tie to choke the assailant and hang him to death.

4 Xavier Quinn's Mercs

"Smoke on the Water" – Season 3, Episode 6 (2025)

Reacher (Alan Ritchson) hiding in the forest with a gun in the Forest Fight Scene in Season 3, Episode 7 of 'Reacher'Image via Prime Video

All hell breaks loose at the Beck household. When Reacher’s cover is blown in front of Zachary and Xavier Quinn (Brian Tee), he immediately rushes outside — but not without a shower of gunshots. As he crosses the front lawn miraculously unscathed, Reacher leads the chase through the woods. It’s a one-man battle against a fully armed battalion. The scariest part is that it’s completely pitch black.

Zachary’s men are far from the ordinary thugs that Reacher dealt with in the previous two seasons. They’re elite henchmen who operate with a military-level standard. With guns like UMPs and snipers, these men are strong because they have all the resources to take down Reacher within seconds. But being a former military member himself, Reacher knows how to quickly disarm them with his secret weapon: stealth.

3 Paul Hubble's Hitmen

"Reacher Said Nothing" – Season 1, Episode 7 (2022)

The reason why Kliner Industries is so successful is because of a nervous banker named Paul Hubble (Marc Bendavid). The innocent man first crossed paths when Kliner Sr. (Currie Graham) offered him a much more lucrative job in the finance sector, only to be forced to run a counterfeit money operation. Terrified for his family’s safety, Hubble disappears without a trace, leaving Kliner's men to hunt him down.

To protect Hubble, Reacher stands by in his home to lure his hitmen in. Kliner’s men first play it safe by going for the stealth approach, quietly checking every corner. Although Reacher manages to disarm them, what he didn’t expect was a crowbar blow to his head, driving a bloodied and disoriented Reacher into the swimming pool. Nothing could’ve prepared him for that sneaky, surprise attack.

2 Margrave Prisoners

"Welcome to Margrave" – Season 1, Episode 1 (2022)

Alan Ritchson's Reacher looking upset in ReacherImage via Prime Video

Putting a man like Reacher in a maximum-security prison is a recipe for trouble. His fellow inmates don’t take a liking to the new guy — some of them are clearly instructed to kill him without the guards knowing. Unlike low-level henchmen, these prisoners are well-oiled murder machines who have no qualms about making Reacher suffer. The prison bathroom is the last place anyone should pick a fight, and Kliner’s men know it.

Wet, slippery, and unsupervised, it’s the perfect spot to ambush Reacher. Despite being heavily outnumbered (and being the badass TV character that he is), Reacher proves he can handle the fight well. Whether it’s slamming a guy onto a metal sink, gouging an eye, or delivering headbutts after one another, the only reason why Kliner’s men stopped fighting is that the guards finally intervened. Had they not shown up, they’d probably fight until their last dying breath.

1 Paulie Van Hoven

"Unfinished Business" – Season 3, Episode 8 (2025)

Alan Ritchson's Jack Reacher meets Oliver Richters' Paulie in Reacher Season 3.Image via Prime Video

Reacher finally meets his match in Season 3. Paulie Van Hoven (Olivier Richters) might not be Zachary's right-hand man, but he's clearly the enforcer who gets the job done. Twice the size of Reacher, Paulie literally overshadows the titular character. During Reacher's undercover days, Paulie tries to be as civil as possible (with the occasional tauntings here and there). He eventually shows off his big guns in the season finale showdown.

In their nearly 15-minute fight, the massive Paulie absorbs blow after blow as if nothing happened. Even when he's hit in the groin, he doesn't show any sign of pain. As for Reacher, he's been punched senseless, almost hanged, and nearly drowned in the cold Maine ocean. Paulie is just impossibly invincible at this point. But as the saying goes, he's no brain, all brawn.

9 10

Reacher

Like Follow Followed TV-MA Crime Drama Action Thriller Release Date February 3, 2022 Network Prime Video Showrunner Nick Santora Directors Omar Madha, Carol Banker, Julian Holmes, Lin Oeding, M.J. Bassett, Norberto Barba, Stephen Surjik, Thomas Vincent Writers Cait Duffy Franchise(s) Jack Reacher

Cast

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• Alan Ritchson Jack Reacher
• Maria Sten Frances Neagley

Genres Crime, Drama, Action, Thriller Creator(s) Nick Santora Powered by Expand Collapse

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• Reacher
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