 | Sylvester Stallone als John Rambo, Vietnam veteran |
 | Richard Crenna als Col. Samuel Trautman |
 | Brian Dennehy als Hope Sheriff Will Teasle |
 | Bill McKinney als State Police Capt. Dave Kern |
 | Jack Starrett als Deputy Sgt. Arthur Galt |
 | Michael Talbott als Deputy Balford |
 | Chris Mulkey als Deputy Ward |
 | John McLiam als Orval the Dog Man |
 | Alf Humphreys als Deputy Lester |
 | David Caruso als Deputy Mitch |
 | David L. Crowley als Deputy Shingleton |
 | Don MacKay als Preston |
 | Charles A. Tamburro als Helicopter pilot |
 | David Petersen als Trooper |
| Craig Huston als Radio operator |
 | Patrick Stack als Lt. Morgen, National Guard, civilian pharmacist |
 | Stephen E. Miller als Guardsman #1 |
 | Raimund Stamm als Guardsman #2 |
 | Robert Metcalfe als Guardsman #3 |
 | Stephen Dimopoulos als Guardsman #4 |
 | Bruce Greenwood als Guardsman #5 |
| Earl Klein als Guardsman #6 |
 | Danny Wozna als The young son of one of the hunters |
| Peter Lonstrup als Attendant |
 | Mike Winlaw als TV Reporter |
 | Donald Adams als Guard C.O. |
| David Menzies als Miner |
| Frank Richter als Man on Street #1 |
| Grahman L. Galativk als Man on Street #2 |
 | Ian Hutchinson als Man on Street #3 |
| Amy Alexander als Woman on Street |
 | Gary Hetherington als Hunter |
 | Alex Kliner als Hunter |
| R.G. Miller als Hunter |
| Bruce Paul Barbour als Robert A. Cathcart (uncredited) |
 | Stephen Chang als VC Commander (uncredited) |
 | Suzee Pai als Vietnamese Prostitute (uncredited) |
| Robert Prowse als Soldier (uncredited) |
 | Jack Rigg als Bobby (The Base Camp Radio Operator) (uncredited) |
 | Helene Udy als Small Girl (uncredited) |
 | Cynthia Dale als (archive footage) (uncredited) |
| Ted Kotcheff | Director |
| David Morrell | Original Story |
| Michael Kozoll | Screenplay |
| William Sackheim | Screenplay |
| Sylvester Stallone | Screenplay |
| Buzz Feitshans | Producer |
| Jerry Goldsmith | Original Music Composer |
| Andrew Laszlo | Director of Photography |
| Joan E. Chapman | Editor |
| Wolf Kroeger | Production Design |
| Kimberley Richardson | Set Decoration |
| Tom Bronson | Costume Design |
| Salli Bailey | Hairstylist |
| Ilona Herman | Makeup Artist |
| Fred J. Brown | Supervising Sound Editor |
| Bub Asman | Sound Editor |
| Conrad E. Palmisano | Stunt Coordinator |
| Will Harper | Stunts |
| Burton Elias | Unit Publicist |
| Mario Kassar | Executive Producer |
| Herb Nanas | Co-Executive Producer |
| Andrew G. Vajna | Executive Producer |
| Joseph Lederer | Still Photographer |
| Jimmy Turrell | Camera Operator |
| Stéphane Reichel | Art Department Coordinator |
| David Willson | Construction Coordinator |
| Gary J. Williams | Greensman |
| Theo Eglseder | First Assistant Camera |
| Lesley Beale | Craft Service |
| Bob Bowe | Driver |
| Thomas L. Fisher | Special Effects Coordinator |
| Scott Irvine | Transportation Coordinator |
| Russell Engels | Gaffer |
| John W. Scott | Lighting Technician |
| Lisa Freiberger | Casting Associate |
| Charlie Davidson | Production Accountant |
| Bridget Murphy | Production Office Coordinator |
| Arthur Morton | Orchestrator |
| Rob Young | Sound mixer |
| Rick Kline | Sound Re-Recording Mixer |
| Tom Neuwirth | Helicopter Camera |
| Tim Hogan | Key Grip |
| Craig Huston | First Assistant Director |
| Dave Gordon | Dolly Grip |
| Charles A. Tamburro | Pilot |
| Mario Kassar | Presenter |
| Otta Hanus | Second Assistant Director |
| Jacques Hubert | Third Assistant Director |
| Leonard Wolf Jr. | Apprentice Sound Editor |
| Juno J. Ellis | Assistant Sound Editor |
| Christopher Ryan | Wardrobe Supervisor |
| Pattie Robertson | Script Supervisor |
| Gordon Mark | Location Manager |
| Michael Smith | Assistant Editor |
| Pamela Jule Yuen | Assistant Editor |
| John Holbrook | Second Unit Director of Photography |
| Conrad E. Palmisano | Second Unit Director |
| Gary Brolly | Standby Carpenter |
| William Stout | Storyboard Artist |
| Judy Clapp | Assistant Sound Engineer |
| Margie O'Malley | Foley Artist |
| George Erschbamer | Special Effects Assistant |
| Bennie E. Dobbins | Stunt Double |
| Chris Harris | Second Assistant Camera |
| Lynne Carrow | Additional Casting |
| Jan Campbell | Production Assistant |
| Karen Stewart | Production Secretary |
| David Morrell | Novel |
| Paul L. Tucker | Production Manager |
| John Thomas | Special Effects Best Boy |
| Bill Thumm | Property Master |
| Keith Henderson | Boom Operator |
| Robert Nichols II | Sound Recordist |
| Buddy Joe Hooker | Stunts |
| Bruce Paul Barbour | Stunts |
| Bobby Sargent | Stunts |
| Jack Gill | Stunts |
| Diamond Farnsworth | Stunt Double |
| Don Charles McGovern | Stunt Double |
| Alex Green | Stunts |
| Frank Orsatti | Stunts |
| Robert Milicevic | Stunts |
| Charles A. Tamburro | Stunts |
| Jacob Rupp | Stunts |
| Lynn Stalmaster | Casting Director |
