Korben Dallas is the central character of Luc Besson's 1997 science-fiction film The Fifth Element, played by Bruce Willis as a former soldier turned New York taxi driver who becomes an unlikely protector of Leeloo and the fate of the universe. The film's colourful future world, quotable dialogue and Willis's dry delivery have kept it a lasting cult favourite, and short clips from it continue to circulate in fan edits and reaction videos. Online, the name alone now works as shorthand for a reluctant hero stepping up when everything is on the line.