Welcome back to Mr. Right, a newsletter about navigating modern manhood for normal guys in a not-normal world. Happy New Year’s. We hope 2026 is off to a good start and that you have not already given up on your resolutions. This week, we name 25 men who made a mark in 2025. Cheers.
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25 Men Who Left Their Mark On 2025
Many of these men were brave. Many were heroic, strong, funny, daring, gritty, genius, artistic, and athletic. Most were role models for all of us, and the life lessons and wisdom they may have imparted to you will be immensely valuable in the coming year.
Again, no particular order or ranking …
Bondi Beach Hero
During the terrorist attack in Bondi Beach, Australia, Ahmed al-Ahmed tackled and disarmed one of the gunmen. He also took some bullets. Why did he do it? “My soul and all my everything in my organ, in my body, in my brain, asked me to go, and to defend and to save innocent life,” al-Ahmed said. “I didn’t think about it.”
Charlie Kirk
This one almost goes without saying. There’s not much I can add here, other than the fact that Kirk cannot be replaced.
Ben Sasse
The former GOP senator is slowly dying from terminal pancreatic cancer. His stoic acceptance of his fate, his faith, and his embrace of gallows humor are heroic and inspiring.
Charles Shay
A D-Day veteran, Shay passed away in early December at the age of 101. He was a 19-year-old when he helped liberate the Old World and saved countless lives as an Army medic.
He told The AP in 2024, “I had been given a job, and the way I looked at it, it was up to me to complete my job,” he told the AP in 2024. “I did not have time to worry about my situation of being there and perhaps losing my life. There was no time for this.”
Philip Rivers
Rivers returned to the NFL five years after retirement. He couldn’t lead the Colts to the playoffs, but his personal comeback might be the greatest football story in years.
Dominick Critelli
A 104-year-old WWII vet, Critelli ripped his saxophone at an NFL game in December, and got an entire stadium fired up with his rendition of the National Anthem.
Stephen A. Smith
His brutal takedowns of the Democratic Party were a joy to behold this year. And I’m hearing rumors on the street that Stephen A. will be running for POTUS in 2028 ...
Al Jolani
Ahmed al-Sharaa, the al-Qaeda-scumbag-turned-president of Syria. Whatever you think of that, his life has been a trip. Sometimes, simply surviving is how you end up at the top inside the Oval Office with Donald Trump. Now, he and the boys are doing some nation-building.
Scott Bessent
The Treasury secretary is gay and also super normal. He seems to be pretty effective at his job. He also reportedly threatened to punch Bill Pulte, the moron behind the farcical 50-year mortgage idea, which is pretty awesome.
Charlie Bynum
My future brother-in-law, who beat cancer this year and stayed positive despite the circumstances.
Random Bali Citizen
Some random Bali citizen helped get OnlyFans porn strumpet Bonnie Blue arrested, saving hundreds, perhaps thousands of men from soul-crushing degeneracy and gnarly STDs.
Paul Thomas Anderson
PTA is one of the few living American directors who will be remembered in the decades to come as a cinematic artist. His latest movie, One Battle After Another, was not his best. But “not the best” PTA movie is still a beautiful gem to behold, better than 97% of the films Hollywood releases each year.
Big Balls
Edward Coristine, the former DOGE staffer, fought off a group of car-jacking goons. He also defended his woman while taking an absolute beating. He certainly earned his nickname.
Sam Rooke
Mary Rooke’s husband and a fellow scouser. Mr. Rooke had a health scare this year, but bounced back like a legend. Not only is he a great husband and father, but he is a diehard Liverpool F.C. fan, which automatically puts him into this list.
Diogo Jota
Jota was a Portuguese soccer star who played for Liverpool. Tragically, he passed away in a car accident in the summer, along with his brother. He was an exceptional athlete, a tenacious forward who scored goals in clutch moments, and played a crucial role in Liverpool’s title win last season. He will be remembered for his warm personality, sense of humor, and humility, as well as his achievements at Liverpool.
Charlie LeDuff
One of the last OG newsmen who is still raking up muck and corruption. LeDuff is the host of NoBS News Hour and publishes his written work over at the Michigan Enjoyer. He mostly reports on Detroit and Michigan, as he is a Detroit native, but his work is so good, informative, and fun to read/watch that you don’t even have to live there to appreciate and respect it.
David Hookstead
A Daily Caller legend, Hookstead helped expose the Stolen Valor fraud, Tim Kennedy.
Scottie Scheffler
Once again, the world’s best golfer had a phenomenal year and notched two major wins at the PGA Championship and British Open. Scottie is a great husband and father, as well, and has long prioritized his family over the game. He wins so often on the course, in part, because he has “already won” the game of life.
Pope Leo
All-American Chicago boy Robert Francis Prevost was elected Pope in May. He is the first-ever Pope born in the United States, and is a big fan of the cinema.
Timothée Chalamet
Chalamet’s latest movie, Marty Supreme, is like a Coen Brothers joint on speed: dark, funny, chaotic, and surreal at times. He was perfect for the role, and might take home an Oscar over Leonardo DiCaprio. In promoting the movie, he was also the first person to stand on top of the Sphere in Las Vegas.
Derrick Perry
Marine vet Derrick Perry was an armed good Samaritan who stepped up during a horrific stabbing spree at a Michigan Walmart over the summer. He helped stop the suspect, saving countless lives.
Solomon Thomas
Thomas is the Dallas Cowboys’ nominee for the “Walter Payton Man of the Year” award. He is a stand-out guy and has done tremendous work in helping young Americans overcome mental health struggles and depression.
Fernando Mendoza
The winner of the Heisman Trophy, quarterback Mendoza led the Indiana Hoosiers to a historic, undefeated regular season. He wasn’t really on the NFL’s radar until this season, and now he is projected to go first in the 2026 draft.
Walton Goggins and Sam Rockwell
These two White Lotus actors helped make perhaps the wildest scene of any movie or television show of 2025. And Goggins’ character’s reaction later turned into the meme of the year, as well. Watch the scene here.
The US Pilots, Crew Who Bombed Iran
Thank you for not starting World War III.
Bonus: Pet Of The Year Award
The “Pet of the Year” award goes to far-left influencer Hasan Piker’s dog, Kaya, for enduring shock collar torture and her owner’s obnoxious livestream rants.
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