The 26 Best Martial Arts Movies of All Time

There's no anyone can make a list of the best martial arts movies and NOT mention the ass-kicking trendsetter known as Bruce Lee. The legendary practitioner of Jeet Kune Do made waves as a cinematic icon as he starred in a wealth of films that defined the martial-arts movie genre. One of his best posthumous onscreen performances is Enter the Dragon, which is an amazing film where Lee brawls with the best during a sinister karate tournament. Lee's underground prison infiltration scene sees him put in work on a bunch of hapless victims and deliver one of the best action sequences of all time.

Donnie Yen has starred in countless martial arts classics and is even now getting his props in blockbuster American films, such as Rouge One: A Star Wars Story and John Wick: Chapter 4. One of his most lauded roles takes place here in a biopic martial arts movie series that follows the exploits of Bruce Lee's teacher/mentor, Ip Man. This storied figure is the esteemed grandmaster of the martial art Wing Chun. Yen does a sublime job as the ultimate martial arts mastermind in this film that beats back all challenges with relative ease. The first Ip Man has to be considered one of the best martial arts movies ever made thanks to the scene where Ip Man defeats 10 Black Belts like it's nothing!

There's Bruce Lee. There's Jackie Chan. And of course, there's the exalted one known as Jet Li. His martial arts movie run goes hand in hand with some of the most legit picks for the best fighting movies. One of the greatest Li movie performances we have to highlight here is his starring role in the first installment of this amazing series. Once Upon a Time in China shines the spotlight on a Chinese folk hero that rises up to protect his country from foreign invaders and protect Aunt Yee from certain harm. Li's ass-kicking expertise comes through in full during a sequence where he and his foe battle atop sets of ladders.

One of the most influential and groundbreaking kung-fu films ever made just so happens to be the inspiration for a rap group you may have heard of. The great Gordon Liu takes center stage here in a movie that sees him play the role of the real-life San Te, who studies under the Shaolin martial arts teachings of temple monks. With his newfound strength, Te uses it to rise up against the tyrannical Manchu government. This classic film will wow you with its fight scenes, more specifically the "Three Section Staff" faceoff and that one encounter in the grassy field where Te lands a nasty headbutt to his opponent to cap things off.

The story for this film is pretty wild! So a one-armed martial arts master ends up in the crosshairs of an imperial assassin (who just so happens to be blind). And that's due to the fact that the one-armed man killed two of the assassin's students (check out One-Armed Boxer to see how those deaths come to be). What ensues is a quest for revenge where both men make their way towards a decisive clash that is pure art once you finally watch it in motion. The name of this film should clue you into the signature weapon that strikes fear into the hearts of everyone that hears about it and the unfortunate souls that end up on the receiving end of it.

Jackie Chan is going to make some additional appearances on this list of the best martial arts movies, so get used to it! And for this next entry, we feel like it's the best time to talk about his time spent onscreen handing out devastating beatdowns with his Drunken Boxing. The Legend of Drunken Master sees Chan put his skills to the ultimate test in a bid to keep some evil foreigners from stealing priceless Chinese artifacts. The final fight scene between Chan and fellow martial arts movie great Ken Lo is GOAT-tier fighting movie material.

Corrupt political regimes seemed to be a huge theme in most martial arts movies from the 70s, right? That main antagonistic party also comes up here in this genre-defining film. A Touch of Zen sees the unlikely trio of a young princess on the run, a painter, and some Buddhist monks rise up against dishonorable officials and the man that killed the young woman's family. The bamboo forest fight sequence from this classic film is a thing of beauty that can be seen as setting the foundation for movies such as Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and The House of Flying Daggers.

We're going all the way back to the late 60s for this one! Dragon Inn follows the story of a brother and sister who end up on the run and being pursued by the political opponents that murdered their father. The Dragon Gate Inn ends up being an important meeting point for the children, the group meant to assassinate them, and the individuals who make it their mission to protect the brother/sister duo from imminent danger. The swordplay on display here is masterful and the tension-filled tale being told her will enrapture you.

In the year 2000, practically everyone with even a passing interest in martial arts films went to go see this awe-inspiring epic. If you still haven't seen it, you owe it to yourself to fix such a grave error and get a handle on what this movie is all about. Luminaries of the big-screen martial arts genre such as Michelle Yeoh, Chow Yun-fat, and Zhang Ziyi come to blows in this movie that's all about ferocious swordplay and other weapons being implemented into some wild displays of fighting action. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon is simply goated.

Donnie Yen and Sammo Hung should be familiar to anyone who's seen them go head-to-head during that jaw-dropping table battle from Ip Man 2. They actually came to blows even earlier than that film in this next highly recommended classic, Kill Zone. The story for this delves into high crime drama as a police unit goes all out to bring a triad boss to justice. When a star witness, whose testimony would have led to that boss' incarceration, is murdered by his henchman, the stakes are raised even higher. Yen's alleyway encounter with Wu Jing, plus Yen's exciting finale against Hung will both blow your mind.

The Indonesian-born actors Iko Uwais and Yayan Ruhian are the two main reasons why you need to sit down and watch this film from front to back. The Raid: Redemption should be on everyone's list of the best martial arts movies due to the awesome and wicked fight choreography that puts the martial art of Pencak Silat in the spotlight. After the cover of a SWAT team invading an apartment complex ruled by drug lords is blown, Uwais' character must rise up to see his team's missions through. Uwais' dissection of all the machete thugs he runs into in the hallway will treat you to some of the best fight choreography you'll ever witness!

The young Pencak Silat Iko Uwais let the world know that his star-making performances in The Raid: Redemption weren't a fluke. He comes back in full force in this unsurprisingly great sequel that follows Uwais' main character as he goes undercover to find a way to eliminate the criminal empire that continues to frustrate him. Yayan Ruhian also makes his return here to get in on all the fisticuffs and nasty footwork the first movie featured. The two-on-one hallway battle and the finale in the kitchen mark two of this movie's most satisfying high points.

Donnie Yen has made it back onto this list of the best martial arts movies once again and for good reason - this early starring role of his turned us into diehard fans of his work. We simply adore that man, which is why we had to show some love for his Robin Hood-inspired classic Iron Monkey. Yen stars as the good-natured hero that fights for the poor and downtrodden against a corrupt government. Do yourself and look up "Iron Monkey Pole Fight" on YouTube to have your mind completely blown!

Yep, our boy Chan is back! And for this pick, we're ready to shout out one of his funnier yet still action-packed onscreen adventures. Wheels on Meals goes from a movie following the exploits of two close friends running a struggling good truck business to one that entails both men working in conjunction with a private investigator to protect a woman targeted by a gang. This film gives off serious Indiana Jones vibes as Chan gets caught up in some wild brawls in various locales within Barcelona, Spain. The stunts are amazing and that kitchen clash between Chan and Benny Urquidez is top-tier material.

Jackie Chan is one of those martial arts movie actors that knows how to inject just the right amount of comedy and seriousness into whatever he does once the cameras start rolling. His biggest claim to fame is his outrageous stunts, which he's known for performing in the real without a stunt double to rely on. Police Story showcases those impressive skills of his in a bus chase sequence that makes you understand just how awesome Chan has been and always will be. And the fight in the mall is one of the greatest spectacles in martial arts movie history.

When this film hit the big screen in 2004, Tony Jaa arrived on the martial arts cinema scene as its most promising young star to date. And thanks to all the amazing feats of Muay Thai Jaa pulled off by the dynamic warrior, everyone who watched Ong-Bak: The Thai Warrior acknowledged it as a smash hit. The simple premise of a sacred statue head getting taken from a village leads to Jaa landing the nastiest strikes we've ever seen during his search for that object in the big city. All those underground fight club scenes show just how much of a killer Jaa can be.

The Eight Diagram Pole Fighter has an air of sadness around it due to the unfortunate car accident that claimed the life of one of its stars, Alexander Fu. Director Lau Kar-Leung had to keep pushing on and still pushed out a martial arts movie classic. What's being presented here is a gripping film that adapts one of the legends attached to The Generals of the Yang Family folklore. The Battle of Jinsha at the center of this movie sees Song Dynasty general Yeung Yip and his seven sons get embroiled in weapons-filled fighting excellence.

Jet Li makes his cinematic return to Ancient China in the simply named Hero. Li plays the part of a nameless warrior who seeks to destroy the army that claimed the lives of his people. His revenge-driven mission delivers graceful swordplay and airborne antics that will leave your jaw on the floor. With fellow martial arts dynamos such as Donnie Yen, Maggie Cheung, and Ziyi Zhang also making their mark in this film, Hero ends up being a great period piece full of martial arts splendor.

We have a sneaking suspicion that the Wu-Tang Clan took quite a liking to this movie. What say you? Alright, let's get serious here folks! The Mystery of Chess Boxing encompasses two story threads simultaneously as it follows a young man learning kung fu so he can avenge his father's killer and a man by the name of the "Ghost Faced Killer" seeking retribution against the clan leaders who conspired against him. The kung fu work that you'll be treated to here is just pure beauty in motion that you'll rewatch countless times to fully wrap your head around its execution.

We're heading back to the late 70s to shine a light on another one of that time period's best martial arts movies. Born Invincible is another huge inspiration for one of the biggest rap cliques of all time and it's pretty easy to understand why. A white-haired Thai Chi martial arts master and his two lackeys terrorize a small village, which leads to three local heroes who rise up to take them all down. However, their mission becomes a tall task since the Thai Chi master has the ability to change his weak points at will and seemingly remain invincible. Watching that white-haired master at work is definitely worth the price of admission.

Shaolin vs Lama is another Wu Tang Collection gem that's such an integral part of the history surrounding the long-running genre of martial arts movies. The plotline delves into a kung-fu fanatic that seeks out a formidable master that can teach him a few things and give him the worthy challenge he's looking for. In order to enter the Shaolin Temple that houses those new teachings, that apprentice must seek out a Lama Monk who stole a secret scroll containing fighting styles tied to the temple itself. You'll watch this one unfold and come to value the strength of Shaolin kung-fu as it gets plenty of time to shine in this first-rate martial arts movie.

House of Flying Daggers is one of those beautifully shot martial arts spectaculars that make you pause and appreciate the cinematic excellence being presented to you. Once the high-flying combat kicks into overdrive, you'll acquire an infatuation with this film and its well-produced fight choreography. The Robin Hood vibes are easy to spot throughout this one, which means you'll find yourself rooting for the main protagonists of this amazing film. The bamboo forest fight scene is simply awe-inspiring and will leave your jaw on the floor the first time you watch it unfold.

What we have right here is a cinematic triumph released in 1966 that is required viewing for martial arts movies connoisseurs. Come Drink With Me focuses on a search and rescue mission where a governor's daughter sets out to find her kidnapped brother. While her skills on the battlefield are solid enough, she gets to the point where allies are needed to see her through to a successful completion. Watching the heroine at the heart of this film put in work as she beats back a tavern full of bandits is hype as hell!

Five Deadly Venoms feels like you're watching a fighting game arcade mode ladder unfold and that's why we love it so much. The last pupil of a dying martial arts master is given his toughest assignment - find, challenge, and eliminate any of his master's last five students that have turned to the side of evil. Watching those five masters showcase their signature style of kung-fu presents a watchable tutorial on just how lethal each one can be in the hands of an undisputed expert. The final battle sequence of this film, which sees two fights erupting in close quarters right next to each other at the very same time, is a hell of a finish.

When this movie gained a foothold in the United States, moviegoers finally started to acknowledge Jackie Chan as an undeniable superstar. As the Hong Kong policeman known as Keung, Chan embarks on a brutal campaign against local street gangs that chose to terrorize a local Bronx store that belongs to a young woman. Chan ends up becoming the savior of the people residing in the famed New York borough - the vicious beatdowns Chan hands out during the supermarket sequence will have you in awe! Rumble in the Bronx is, hands down, a martial arts movie classic.

Kung Fu Hustle is a riot of a movie, but it manages to sprinkle in just enough exciting hand-to-hand combat to have it mentioned alongside the best martial arts movies. Its easy-to-understand plotline, which follows a housing complex community banding together to fend off a ruthless gang leads to some outlandish interactions and fight scenes that are truly over the top thanks to some wild special effects. Stephen Chow and Yuen Qiu's characters in this film lead to some gut-bustlingly funny scenes and dope action sequences.