Stallone’s John Rambo has mercilessly taken on swathes of vicious enemies over the years, but exactly how old is Rambo in every franchise movie?
The Rambo franchise consists of five films from 1982 through 2019, with Sylvester Stallone playing the character at various ages throughout. John Rambo was created by author David Morrell in his 1972 novel First Blood, which was later adapted into the 1982 film of the same name. Directed by Ted Kotcheff (Uncommon Valor) and starring Stallone at Rambo, First Blood kicked off the franchise, which would be followed by 1985’s Rambo: First Blood Part II, directed by George P. Cosmatos (Cobra). In 1988 Rambo returned with Rambo III, this time directed by Peter MacDonald (Legionnaire). Rambo aka John Rambo was the next entry, released in 2008 and directed by Stallone. The last chapter of the series (so far) was 2019’s Rambo: Last Blood, directed by Adrian Grunberg (Get The Gringo).
John Rambo is a former Special Forces Operator (Green Beret) who served in the Vietnam War. He was captured and tortured by the North Vietnamese at one point, held in captivity for a year before escaping. He redeployed to Vietnam afterward, serving a total of three combat deployments before being discharged and returning to the United States. There, Rambo faced the harsh realities of many Vets returning from Vietnam, which set off the events of First Blood and put the character on a path that sent him all over the world as he sought to find his place in society after being involved in one conflict after another.
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How Old Rambo Is In First Blood
In the First Blood novel, John Rambo is said to have been born sometime in 1947 in Bowie, Arizona. He enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1966 at 17 (although he frequently says he was drafted). First Blood takes place in December 1981, which would make Rambo 34 years old at the time of those events. Sylvester Stallone was 34 years old at the time of filming, making the actor’s age identical to Rambo’s.
How Old Rambo Is In Rambo: First Blood Part II
The Rambo films take place in the present day, often pulling from real-world places or scenarios from around the world to put Rambo into. Rambo: First Blood Part II takes place in 1985, and begins with the character being released from prison by his former commanding officer Colonel Trautman (Richard Crenna), in order to go back to Vietnam on a top-secret mission to document (and rescue) captured U.S. POWs. Rambo’s age in Rambo: First Blood Part II would be 37 years old, as the events occur three years after First Blood. Stallone was also 37 years old at the time of production.
How Old Rambo Is In Rambo III
Rambo III finds the character living in Thailand after the events of the last film, once again sought by Colonel Trautman to take on a dangerous mission, this time involving the then ongoing Soviet-Afghan War. Rambo declines the mission, but Trautman goes through with it, getting himself captured in the process. Loyal to his one and only friend, Rambo goes on a rescue mission to get Trautman out of Afghanistan, taking on Russian forces. The film takes place in 1988, making Rambo 40 years old, the same as Stallone at the time of filming.
How Old Rambo Is In John Rambo
It would be two decades before Rambo returned to the big screen in John Rambo aka Rambo IV. The film finds Rambo back in Thailand, working as a boat driver and snake catcher, who is enlisted by a group of humanitarians to go into Burma to provide aid. Set amidst the ongoing Internal conflict in Myanmar (Burma), Rambo must once again stage a rescue mission while taking on a group of sadistic Burmese soldiers. Set in 2008, Rambo would be 59 years old, once again the same as Stallone at the time of filming.RELATED:
Rambo IV (2008) Biography, Plot, Filming, Fight.
