The Definitive Ranking of Tom Cruise's Hair In The 'Mission: Impossible' Movies!

Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning’ marks 29 years of the iconic Mission: Impossible action movie franchise, as well as the culmination of it. There is a lot one could discuss about the Mission: Impossible movies, such as the intense stunt sequences that Tom Cruise does for real. It’s gone through numerous stylistic changes, and so has Ethan Hunt. In the last 29 years, a variety of hairstyles have gone in and out of fashion, and in those 29 years since we first met him, Ethan Hunt has gone through many different hairstyles as well. He’s had a variety of long hair, a crew cut, classic fades. Since the Mission series has now come to an end (for now), we thought it would be fun to look back and rank all of Ethan Hunt’s hairstyles from worst to best!

This isn’t just a fun list, though. Like everything else in the Mission: Impossible franchise, Ethan’s hair is important for the larger picture of each film. His hair can be for a practical use, representing the film, where his character is at in his life, and for his character arc throughout the series. Now, with this in mind, let’s look at Ethan Hunt’s hair!

8. Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning (2023)

Ethan’s hair in Dead Reckoning is a huge misstep in the franchise. That may be too dramatic, sure, but someone needed to be brave enough to say it. What they are trying to do with Ethan’s hair is to make it work for any scene in the film. They have to make it look good for espionage club scenes, running in the airport or Rome, jumping off a cliff on a bike, and walking on a moving train. They found the perfect length for this before; however, here the sides are too short to slick it back, yet they try, and his coif is too short for the style they are trying to achieve. When the coif is up against wind, it looks like Ethan cut his bangs too short, not like his hair is fighting for its life just like Ethan. There is also the factor of age, which plays a key role for any person and their hair. There are just certain lengths or styles that stop working after a certain age, and for Cruise, who was around 61 years old duringDead Reckoning, this is a length and styling that doesn’t work anymore. 

7. Mission: Impossible (1996)

It may seem like we have an agenda against short-haired Ethan Hunt, but we promise that is not the case. This is definitely Ethan’s shortest hair, but in the context of this film, it works. Ethan is a young member of the IMF, having most likely just gotten out of military training where he would’ve had it buzzed. With that in mind, it’s a logical hairstyle for Ethan at this stage in his life. Tom Cruise, as seen throughout the Mission franchise and Cruise’s filmography, can rock a variety of hairstyles, but a crew cut? To be fair, it’s not an awful crew cut. Ethan’s hair had to start somewhere, and with this being the beginning of the franchise, they didn’t quite yet realize how important of a factor Ethan’s hair is. 

6. Mission: Impossible - Final Reckoning (2025)

This is the lowest-ranked of Ethan’s long hair, which generally is his best length. This is for one simple reason: it’s just not long enough. The styling of his hair and its versatility between scenes is fine. It looks good when he’s with President Sloane (played by Angela Bassett) asking her to trust him one last time, when the helicopter is blowing it in the wind, and even when he’s jumping from one biplane to another. He hasn’t had time in the 2 months since Dead Reckoning to get it cut, so it’s really messy and shaggy (in a good way), which represents Ethan’s frantic state as he rushes to save the world from the Entity. It’s not a bad head of hair in general, it’s just that we know Ethan’s hair could be much more.

5. Mission: Impossible III (2006)

Another short hair style that’s low on the list. This hair is possibly the most average haircut Ethan has in the series, but that’s the point. In the third film, Ethan is retired from the field, he is no longer going on IMF missions and is instead attempting to settle down in the suburbs with Julia. Ethan is attempting to blend into regular society and leave that wild side of him in the past, which is represented with this classic fade. It’s a part of what makes Mission: Impossible III as good as it is. This cut, more than maybe any of the others, is an important part of the narrative and its themes. 

4. Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol (2011)

Our first proper long hair Ethan on the list. Ghost Protocol is where the Mission films finds its footing as a franchise for what it will be from here onward. It brings back elements from the previous films and refines them, the most important for our purposes is the hair from Mission Impossible II. It’s voluptuous and lengthy once again but a bit more tame for an espionage action film. It looks great in the stunts, particularly the Burj Khalifa climb and the sandstorm run, as well as in scenes where his hair needs to be slicked back for a classy party. It’s versatile and functional for everything the film requires while also being beautiful for the big screen, much like Tom Cruise himself.

3. Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation (2015)

Now back to shorter-haired Ethan. This is a medium length cut that works for everything we just discussed about the Ghost Protocol style. It’s practical, able to work gelled up or messy. His hair holds up against the wind as Ethan holds onto an airborne plane or riding a high speed bike on the curving roads of Casablanca. Ethan’s hair in Rogue Nation is versatile to its environment. It gives Ethan’s head a really good shape because of how well this cut suits him. There is not a bad screenshot of his hair from the film. 

2. Mission: Impossible - Fallout (2018)

This is the perfect short-hair Ethan Hunt look. It has a great shape to it. Not too short on the sides and leaves enough length at the top to look well-styled for undercover missions and mussed from intense action scenes. Any good hairstyle frames the person’s face perfectly, and that’s what the Fallout haircut does for Ethan. Just like the film, it’s sleek and efficient while also being just crazy enough to work. If Ethan ever wants to go short with his hair again, he should just show his barber a picture from this period of his life as reference. 

1. Mission: Impossible II (2000)

Ethan Hunt with long hair is like a majestic bird, such as a dove. The Mission: Impossible films are cinematic marvels, meant to be seen on the biggest screen possible. Long hair is the Mission: Impossible of hair styles -- it’s a very cinematic hair length, and that’s why Mission: Impossible II is at the top spot. The way Ethan’s hair blows in the wind as he runs with the doves, as he drives a motorcycle, the way it whips around in slow motion during a shootout, or rock climbing in Utah, makes it look like the most beautiful head of hair we have ever seen. The way it drapes around Ethan’s face frames his face perfectly. It also represents Ethan as a character the best. He is this wild animal, a force of nature, the manifestation of destiny, no one can stop him nor his long hair. It has a mind of its own, nothing can tame it, just like how no one can take down Ethan. 

Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning is in theatres now!