Movie
Description
Bob Bragan is a supporting antagonist in the animated film Golgo 13: The Professional. He holds the rank of Lieutenant and is described as a corrupt Army Special Investigator, though his primary role in the narrative is as the field leader of a highly trained military task force. This unit is assembled by the wealthy and vengeful oil baron Leonard Dawson, who uses his immense resources to recruit operatives from both law enforcement and intelligence agencies for a singular purpose: to hunt down and kill the master assassin Golgo 13 as retribution for the death of Dawson's son.
Bragan's character is defined by his relentless and methodical pursuit of his target. He is a professional who approaches the manhunt as a tactical operation, leading his squad through a series of ambushes and tracking efforts across international locations. His initial attempt to corner Golgo 13 takes place in Sicily, where he and a group of CIA agents track the hitman during a contract. Although Golgo 13 manages to escape the ambush on the coastline, Bragan and his men succeed in locating and killing the assassin's valuable informant, the Clockmaker. This event demonstrates Bragan's effectiveness as an operative; even when he fails to capture his primary target, he inflicts significant damage by severing Golgo 13's support network.
The central conflict between Bragan and Golgo 13 culminates in San Francisco, where the hitman has been hired to eliminate a former Nazi captain. Bragan and his unit attempt to use tactical analysis to predict the assassin's next move, studying the city to identify the most likely vantage point for a sniper. However, they consistently underestimate Golgo 13's superhuman marksmanship and unorthodox methods, as he is able to kill his target by firing through an intervening building that should have obstructed the shot. This miscalculation forces Bragan into a desperate high-speed chase through the city streets.
The character's defining traits are his tenacity and his willingness to engage his quarry directly, even as his operation falls apart. After several of his men are killed during the chase, Bragan sets up a roadblock and orders his troops to fire bazookas at Golgo 13's vehicle, destroying it. Yet the assassin had already escaped, having set the car to roll driverless down the incline. In the ensuing counterattack, Golgo 13 emerges with an M16 rifle and systematically eliminates Bragan's entire squad. Cornered and alone, Bragan makes a final, desperate attempt to run the hitman down with his car in an underpass. This final confrontation reveals his core motivation: a professional determination to complete his mission regardless of the personal cost. Even after Golgo 13 fires three rounds through his windscreen, a mortally wounded Bragan manages to fire a single shot from his Colt MK IV Series 70 through his side window, wounding his target before his vehicle crashes and explodes. This act solidifies his role as a uniquely dangerous adversary, as he is one of the few characters in the film who successfully inflicts any physical harm on the protagonist.
His primary relationship is with his employer, Leonard Dawson, for whom he leads the manhunt. He also works alongside other operatives recruited by Dawson, including representatives from the CIA, FBI, and the army. While Bragan does not undergo a significant personal transformation or character arc, his escalating encounters with Golgo 13 demonstrate his increasing desperation and willingness to take greater risks, culminating in his final, fatal direct assault. In terms of notable abilities, Bragan is portrayed as a capable and determined field commander and marksman. While his tactical skills allow him to track one of the world's most elusive assassins, his ultimate failure underscores the nearly insurmountable challenge of his mission. His most notable achievement is his final act of defiance, successfully wounding Golgo 13 at the moment of his own death.
Bragan's character is defined by his relentless and methodical pursuit of his target. He is a professional who approaches the manhunt as a tactical operation, leading his squad through a series of ambushes and tracking efforts across international locations. His initial attempt to corner Golgo 13 takes place in Sicily, where he and a group of CIA agents track the hitman during a contract. Although Golgo 13 manages to escape the ambush on the coastline, Bragan and his men succeed in locating and killing the assassin's valuable informant, the Clockmaker. This event demonstrates Bragan's effectiveness as an operative; even when he fails to capture his primary target, he inflicts significant damage by severing Golgo 13's support network.
The central conflict between Bragan and Golgo 13 culminates in San Francisco, where the hitman has been hired to eliminate a former Nazi captain. Bragan and his unit attempt to use tactical analysis to predict the assassin's next move, studying the city to identify the most likely vantage point for a sniper. However, they consistently underestimate Golgo 13's superhuman marksmanship and unorthodox methods, as he is able to kill his target by firing through an intervening building that should have obstructed the shot. This miscalculation forces Bragan into a desperate high-speed chase through the city streets.
The character's defining traits are his tenacity and his willingness to engage his quarry directly, even as his operation falls apart. After several of his men are killed during the chase, Bragan sets up a roadblock and orders his troops to fire bazookas at Golgo 13's vehicle, destroying it. Yet the assassin had already escaped, having set the car to roll driverless down the incline. In the ensuing counterattack, Golgo 13 emerges with an M16 rifle and systematically eliminates Bragan's entire squad. Cornered and alone, Bragan makes a final, desperate attempt to run the hitman down with his car in an underpass. This final confrontation reveals his core motivation: a professional determination to complete his mission regardless of the personal cost. Even after Golgo 13 fires three rounds through his windscreen, a mortally wounded Bragan manages to fire a single shot from his Colt MK IV Series 70 through his side window, wounding his target before his vehicle crashes and explodes. This act solidifies his role as a uniquely dangerous adversary, as he is one of the few characters in the film who successfully inflicts any physical harm on the protagonist.
His primary relationship is with his employer, Leonard Dawson, for whom he leads the manhunt. He also works alongside other operatives recruited by Dawson, including representatives from the CIA, FBI, and the army. While Bragan does not undergo a significant personal transformation or character arc, his escalating encounters with Golgo 13 demonstrate his increasing desperation and willingness to take greater risks, culminating in his final, fatal direct assault. In terms of notable abilities, Bragan is portrayed as a capable and determined field commander and marksman. While his tactical skills allow him to track one of the world's most elusive assassins, his ultimate failure underscores the nearly insurmountable challenge of his mission. His most notable achievement is his final act of defiance, successfully wounding Golgo 13 at the moment of his own death.