16 People (And One Giant Tortoise) That I Think Everyone Will Be Able To Agree Are Some Of The Biggest Sex Symbols Ever

    These sex symbols range from now to all the way back in ancient times.

    Brian Galindo
    by Brian Galindo

    BuzzFeed Staff

    A lot of times, who we consider to be a sex symbol comes down to our own personal opinions. However, there are people we can all generally agree are undeniable sex symbols, and recently, Reddit user u/Improv92 was curious about that when they asked, "Living or dead, who do you think has been the most powerful sex symbol the world has ever seen?"

    SNL / NBC / Via giphy.com

    Obviously, with such a great question, there were lots and lots of replies — including some pretty ridiculous ones that were clearly meant to troll. However, there were some names that kept coming up over and over:

    1. "Marilyn Monroe."

    Marilyn in a halter top
    Michael Ochs Archives / Getty Images

    —u/amandablast

    "Her movies grossed the equivalent of billions in today's money, and her career is the stuff of legends."

    —u/Bisthebestever

    "Honestly, she pushed so many boundaries for women, and I can’t even imagine the changes she could have made if she'd lived her life out fully."

    —u/Improv92

    "Marilyn Monroe remains one of the most iconic and powerful sex symbols in modern history. Her stunning beauty, charismatic personality, and enigmatic onscreen presence have made her an enduring cultural figure and an embodiment of Hollywood glamour."

    —u/YelperQlx

    2. "Cleopatra, undoubtedly. Believing herself to be a living goddess, she would use clever stagecraft to seduce or woo potential allies (or enemies) to reinforce her divine status."

    Painting of Cleopatra reclining and surrounded by other figures
    Hulton Archive / Getty Images

    —u/lutherevels

    "Cleopatra, for sure. But not for the reasons people generally think. It's important to keep in mind that a lot of what we've heard in media about Cleopatra being a seductress and all that is based on how much Rome HATED her and the sexism that's tied into that.

    "She was extremely smart and calculating and was able to speak seven to nine different languages. She's the only ruler from the Ptolemaic dynasty who actually bothered to learn Egyptian. And while, yes, she did have relations with Caesar and Mark Antony, it certainly wasn't just out of being some impulsive, overtly sexual person.

    "Augustus viewed her as a huge threat to Rome, which is why he ultimately attacked her and Mark Antony, and long after that spread rumors about her to downplay her significance and power."

    —u/OrdinaryBlob

    3. "Prince: He 'was the only guy who could show up at your party, in frills, and steal your girlfriend. Then steal her clothes, then steal someone else's girl in your girlfriend's clothes.'"

    Warner Bros.

    —u/LeChefK_Tang

    "The Prince camp thanks you for your comment. If I didn't see his name toward the top, I was ready to give the Prince side-eye 😒."

    —u/termina_inconsolable

    4. "James Dean."

    Close-up of James
    Bettmann / Bettmann Archive

    —u/TwoNine0929

    "James Dean was a victim of his own good looks. He was a gifted character actor. If he came out now, he'd be like Brad Pitt or Leo DiCaprio, handsome guys who have a ton of acting talent, too."

    —u/yougotthesilver

    "Watched Rebel Without a Cause, and yup, I'm bisexual now."

    —u/MuchPriority4501

    5. "Helen of Troy."

    Painting of Helen
    Hulton Archive / Getty Images

    —u/destro23

    "Imagine having thousands of people killed and an entire civilization destroyed in your quest just to get with someone."

    —u/FirstBankofAngmar

    "My favorite measurement is the milli-Helen: a unit of measure of beauty, corresponding to the amount of beauty required to launch one ship."

    —u/Zerowantuthri

    6. "Marlon Brando in the 1950s."

    Warner Bros.

    —u/Kitchen-Magnet

    "That GIF of him rolling his eyes makes me feel things."

    —u/Improv92

    "Marlon Brando was so very handsome in his prime."

    —u/Dakduif51

    "Okay, as a straight man who has only ever seen this man in The Godfather...goddamn, I see it."

    —u/AcridAcedia

    7. "Victor Hugo. Supposedly all the brothels in Paris closed on the day of his funeral and the sex workers — who attended by the hundreds — draped their privates with black cloths as a sign of mourning."

    Victor in a chair
    Photo 12 / Universal Images Group via Getty Images

    —u/heimdahl81

    8. "Mae West. If you don't know why, then you don't understand her."

    Close-up of Mae holding a cigarette and surrounded by men with cigarette lighters
    Bettmann / Bettmann Archive / Getty Images

    "Mae West: 'I believe in censorship. I made a fortune out of it.'"

    —u/kullnan

    9. "David Bowie."

    Bowie with his arms folded and his finger to his lips
    Michael Ochs Archives / Getty Images

    —u/punnymama

    "Had to scroll way too far to find this. This was my first thought — the gender fluidity, sexual fluidity, LABYRINTH!"

    —u/HoweverFutile

    "Bowie was the first person who came to my mind — sexy AF."

    —u/BrownSugarBare

    10. "Paul Newman because of his 'All Profits to Charity' motto, and it's $600 million so far."

    Close-up of Paul
    Herbert Dorfman / Corbis via Getty Images

    —u/tracyinge

    "And because he's sexy!"

    —u/InsaneInTheDrain

    "He was pretty fucking hot when he was younger. I remember when his food started being sold in my hometown, and my mom said he was so handsome when he was younger. To me he was always the old salad dressing guy. But after looking him up online? He's the salad dressing guy who was a hottie in his youth."

    —u/StinkyKittyBreath

    11. "I always loved Sophia Loren."

    Close-up of Sophia
    Tony Evans / Getty Images

    —u/Bergelmer2

    "Thank you! I can’t believe I had to scroll this far to find Sophia Loren — a modern goddess, with style and élan emanating from her every facet."

    —u/coffeemmm

    12. "Eartha Kitt."

    Close-up of Eartha in a spaghetti-strap outfit with an animal-print coat behind her
    Central Press / Getty Images

    —u/wasporchidlouixse

    "I met her about a year before she died. She was sassy as ever!"

    —u/shelsilverstien

    "The most interesting woman in the world!"

    —u/bootrick

    13. "Jim Morrison."

    Close-up of Jim
    CBS Photo Archive / CBS via Getty Images

    —u/kendog63

    "Hell yeah. He was hypnotizing."

    —u/LeChatNoir04

    "Handsome, nice body, nice hair, poet, rebel, rock star, great, deep voice, lots of energy. And context is important too. A Morrison now wouldn’t be the same as the one in the liberating '60s, where sex and drugs were a big deal."

    —u/Brymlo

    14. "Not only is Dolly Parton the most powerful sex symbol, but she will remain one for as long as Dollywood stands."

    Close-up of Dolly smiling
    Chris Walter / WireImage

    —u/HooterEnthusiast

    15. "How is Elvis not up here?! He made every woman literally melt for a decade and still does to this day."

    boomunderground / Via giphy.com

    —u/eyes2small

    16. "Pedro Pascal."

    Pedro at The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
    NBC / Todd Owyoung / NBC via Getty Images

    —u/Moronamission

    "The Red Viper of Dorne? I can get behind that."

    —u/stvbckwth

    "Massive man crush on Pedro. Yes, he's a heartthrob."

    —u/poloboi84

    And lastly, this one, which honestly very much deserved a mention...

    17. "The giant tortoise who single-handedly brought his species back from endangerment of extinction by having a fuck ton of sex."

    A large tortoise
    Rodrigo Buendia / AFP via Getty Images

    —u/abitsussy

    "His name is Diego, and you will show some damn respect!"

    —u/SometimesITalk16

    You can read the full thread of responses on Reddit.

    Note: Some responses have been edited for length and/or clarity.