This week, host Ben Thompson is joined by guest Mike Primavera to tell the story of Kondo Isami the peasant-born swordsman who rose to command the most feared killers in Kyoto: the Shinsengumi.
As Japan cracked open under pressure from Western powers and internal rebellion, Kondo and his men became the iron fist of the collapsing shogunate — hunting assassins, cutting down rebels, and enforcing order with cold steel in the streets.
But when civil war erupted and the emperor’s modern army marched forward with rifles and artillery, Kondo faced an impossible choice: adapt… or die defending a dying world.
He chose the sword.
This is loyalty pushed to its breaking point. An era ending in blood. And a man who stood firm while history moved past him.
Josephine Baker: The Most Dangerous Woman in Paris
24/02/2026 | 46 mins.
In the 1920s, she scandalized Europe in a banana skirt and became the most famous entertainer in the world. But when war came, Josephine Baker traded applause for espionage—smuggling secrets for the French Resistance, hiding messages in sheet music, and risking execution by the Nazis
In today's episode, Host Ben Thompson is joined by historian Taylor Cassidy to break down the astonishing life of a woman who refused to be boxed in - by racism, by borders, or by history itself. From the stages of Paris to the front lines of World War II and the steps of the March on Washington, this is the story of a performer who turned celebrity into a weapon.
Feathers. Freedom. Fire. This is Josephine Baker at full volume.
George Washington: Ice-Cold and Unkillable
16/02/2026 | 1h 9 mins.
Wooden teeth? No. Cherry tree? Probably not. Absolute unit of a leader? Undeniably.
Ben Thompson welcomes EpicLLOYD from Epic Rap Battles of History for a Presidents’ Day breakdown George Washington — the six-foot-two surveyor who became the most dangerous man in the British Empire.
Outnumbered. Undersupplied. Outgunned. Washington lost more battles than he won, but he never lost the war. From the frozen gamble at Trenton to resigning his commission when he didn’t have to, he pulled off something rarer than victory: he gave power back.
If monarchy was the expectation, Washington was the plot twist.
Fridtjof Nansen: North of Insanity
11/02/2026 | 50 mins.
Ice. Starvation. Total darkness. And somewhere out there — a polar bear that would very much like to eat you.
On this episode, Ben Thompson is joined by producer Andrew Jacobs to break down the life of Fridtjof Nansen — Arctic explorer, record-setting skier, neuroscientist, diplomat, Nobel Peace Prize winner, and the only man in history to drift across the polar ice cap on purpose.
Nansen didn’t just explore the Arctic — he weaponized it. He froze his own ship into the pack ice to prove a scientific theory. He skied farther north than any human had ever gone. And when he was done conquering the planet’s most hostile environment, he turned around and saved hundreds of thousands of refugees.
This one has frostbite, philosophy, and a man who genuinely believed the only way out… was further in.
Olympias: Snakes, Curses, and the Birth of an Empire
04/02/2026 | 1h
Empires don’t begin with heroes — they begin with mothers who refuse to lose.
Olympias ruled from the shadows using fear, religion, and assassination, making sure history remembered her son as a god and forgot anyone who stood in his way. If Alexander conquered the world with a sword, Olympias conquered history with snakes, curses, and a body count. Hosted by Ben Thompson, with co-host Dr. Patricia Larash, this episode unpacks how power really worked in ancient Macedonia — and why Olympias may have been the most dangerous person in the room.
Throughout the course of human history certain individuals have stood out as being completely f***ing awesome. From ninjas and gunfighters to pirates and Vikings, to explorers, scientists and great leaders, these people - true badasses - completely obliterated anything that stood in their path, routinely overcame seemingly insurmountable obstacles, and ultimately altered the course of history through their actions. Be it glory, conquest, or survival, these hardcore men and women all had one specific goal in life - and they didn’t let anything stand between themselves and their mission. They refused to back down even when the odds seemed hopelessly stacked against them, they came back from the brink of failure to achieve ultimate success, and they beat the hell out of anyone stupid enough to have stood in their way.
Welcome to Badass of the Week hosted by Ben Thompson. The weekly (duh) podcast, that dives into depths history to tell new stories of badasses every week.Badass of the Week is Produced by High Five Content and Seven Bucks Productions. Executive Producers are Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, Dany Garcia, Andrew Jacobs, Ben Thompson, Hiram Garcia,Brian Gewirtz and Frankie Chiapperino. You can support more Badass story telling by joining our patreon here:https://www.patreon.com/cw/badassoftheweek
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