How did you discern this? From your own viewing or elsewhere? I think they may fall into the same category, but to me they were pretty distinct. Care to elaborate?

From my own viewing. I was watching Dirty Harry and he reminded me of Martin Riggs. Such as being a loner, not scared of anything, no one wanting to work with him and other traits. So I decided to look up Lethal Weapon on Wiki and sure enough it was actually mentioned.

@mechajutaro said:

@ausfem said:

I just watched Dirty Harry and it struck me that Martin Riggs (Mel Gibson) fashioned his role from Dirty Harry... once you realise that it's easy to spot.

Screenwriter Shane Black has admitted the influence himself, verbatim, on more than one occasion. Though I'm not particularly a fan of these vigilante cop movies, must give both Black and Gibson credit on one count: Harry Callahan would never be so human as to seethe with raw grief over his dead wife, much less hold a gun to his own head and shed tears afterwards. They took Eastwood's caricature and made it their own.

I had not heard this. Very interesting, as I have always viewed the characters so differently (other than the vigilante/loose canon cop bit). While I like both, if I had to pick I just can't get over Eastwood as Dirty Harry.

I can't picture Harry Callahan sticking a gun in his mouth and contemplating eating a bullet, but I suppose its possible.

He seems to take out his angst on suspects rather than on himself.

@sukhisoo said:

I can't picture Harry Callahan sticking a gun in his mouth and contemplating eating a bullet, but I suppose its possible.

Like the warden in The Shawshank Redemption after he realized that the jig was up — only he really did splatter his own brains. Poor man!