Films in settings with commonplace swordplay, such as the Pirates of the Caribbean or Star Wars franchises, face some heavy competition from martial arts movies when it comes to the greatest bladed duels on screen. Wuxia classics featuring their heroes trading flurries of blows and crossing fists with their evil protagonists are the first scenes that spring to mind when the genre is mentioned. What’s easy to forget is that many martial arts movies incorporate weapons just as much, if not more so, than mere hand-to-hand combat.
In the best martial arts films, weapons are often very present, serving the philosophies of the arts represented on-screen by acting as extensions of the wielder’s bodies. Swords are one of the most common armaments in martial arts films, with a wide variety of blades being historically used in China and Japan, progenitors of some of the more famous martial arts systems. Swords have been present in martial arts films across generations, resulting in some excellently-choreographed fight scenes that are pure eye candy.
10 The Samurai vs The Bandit
Rashomon, 1950
One of famed director Akira Kurosawa’s best films, Rashomon is a fascinating dissection of the human condition. The winding tale is told using a framing device, recounting multiple testimonies of a murder trial in feudal Japan that tells the same story from the point of view of four different characters. Besides being a thoughtful investigation of the nature of human bias and the reality of truth, Rashomon features some of the great Samurai sword fighting Kurosawa became known for.
The duel, between a nameless Samurai and the bandit on trial for his murder, Tajōmaru. Tajōmaru’s story depicts an epic duel, hyping his story up by boasting that the battle was the fiercest he’d ever had, claiming their swords crossed 23 times. Kurosawa backs up his version of events with a great, climactic katana duel, both opponents staying mobile and utilizing their environment to their advantage during the emotionally intense battle for the hand of the Samurai’s wife.
9 Kenshin vs. Enishi
Rurouni Kenshin: The Final, 2021
Reviving the popular Samurai franchise inspired by the anime of the same name, Rurouni Kenshin: The Final revived its titular character on-screen for one last cinematic adventure. This particular installment brings to life Kenshin’s lesser-known OVA series, Trust & Betrayal, which brings Enishi, the brother of Kenshin’s late love interest, into the fold. Blaming his sister’s death on his former brother-in-law, Enishi confronts Kenshin for a very personal duel.
The resulting fight is intensely one-on-one, both expert Samurai fighters being matched dead evenly. Uniquely, the fight only ends when Enishi gives up hope on besting Kenshin the honorable way, pulling a gun on him. The drama fueling Kenshin’s opponent is what makes this expertly-choreographed swordfight so powerful, helping to cement the live-action Rurouni Kenshin series as one of the greatest live-action Anime adaptations of all time.
8 Rama vs. The Assassin
The Raid 2, 2014
Despite it’s unique origins as an Indonesian action-thriller helmed by a Welsh director, 2011’s The Raid is heralded as an action-drama classic that elevated the martial arts movie to new heights. For The Raid 2, writer and director Garteh Evans had a big act to follow-up, but his lean action masterpiece was elevated with some excellent blade work. Having gone from a rookie cop to a seasoned combat veteran, protagonist Rama goes undercover in the sequel, fending off assassins meant to expose him along the way.
One such hostile actor that gets the drop on him, the top assassin of crime boss Bangun, unsheathes twin karambits to help him finish the job. This fight has a lot of unique elements that put it in a higher-caliber of martial arts sequences, from the unique, claustrophobic kitchen setting to the use of Indonesia’s signature bladed weapon, the curved karambit dagger. While Rama is victorious in the end, he’s bloodied and barely standing from the vicious brawl, far from an invincible Wuxia protagonist.
7 Algren’s Training Scene
The Last Samurai, 2003
2003’s period drama The Last Samurai takes place towards the end of the Samurai era in Japan. The film follows Tom Cruise as the weary American Army Captain, Algren, as he is sent to Japan to modernize the government’s tactics during a Samurai-led rebellion. Algren teaches as much as he learns, being trained in Japanese swordsmanship in this excellent training scene.
Though this sword battle is only a sparring match done with blunted wooden swords, it manages to convey a great amount of story through action alone. After getting continuously whooped, Cruise manages to finally hold his own against his master, earning his respect with a single nod. Without a word of dialogue, this fight tells an entire story, even without the context of the greater film, making it an incredibly effective action scene.
6 Golden Swallow vs. Tiger’s Bandits
Come Drink With Me, 1966
Nearly 40 years before Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Golden Swallow carved through opponents as a capable female Wuxia heroine. Sent to rescue her brother from the clutches of the Jade-Faced Tiger, Golden Swallow is the daughter of a governor with surprising skill with a blade, dancing between hordes of foes with the greatest of ease. To aid her in her quest, Golden Swallow halfheartedly disguises herself as a man, her lazy disguise being quickly seen through at an inn during her travels.
Luckily, Golden Swallow prefers to rely on her skills to keep her safe, quickly drawing twin swords to defend herself against a horde of Tiger’s gang members that confront her. What follows is a fantastic action setpiece as Swallow tears through the gang members, even as they come at her all at the same time. The tense standoffs punctuated by quick bouts of action make this fight a true joy to watch, if the film’s hilariously bad English dub isn’t there to spoil the intensity.
5 The Bride vs. O’Ren Ishii
Kill Bill Vol. 1, 2003
Sometimes the most popular choice remains so for a good reason, and when it comes to movie sword fights, Kill Bill Vol. 1 is sharper than Occam’s Razor. Uma Thurman made a lasting impression in the eyes of many audiences as a bloody katana prodigy bent on revenge, a striking role not usually given to female characters in Hollywood’s action film history. While it’s hard to choose only a single fight from the two-part series, The Bride’s encounter with O’Ren Ishii stands out.
To even get to O’Ren, The Bride must carve her way through the entire Crazy 88 gang, slaying hordes of the sharply-dressed gangsters without remorse. It’s only then that she is able to face Ishii in her scenic winter garden, summoning the last of her waning strength to prevail over Lucy Liu’s villainess, taking her scalp in a dramatic finish. This scene alone puts Kill Bill Vol. 1 in the conversation for Tarantino’s greatest film.
4 Drunken Master’s Market Fight
Drunken Master, 1978
One of Kung-Fu legend Jackie Chan’s breakout hits, Drunken Master was an incredibly influential martial arts film that brough the concept of Drunken Boxing into the pop-culture zeitgeist. Starring Chan as Wong Fei-hung, referred to as Freddie Wong in the West, the film is a choreography marvel, featuring some of the most creative and hypnotizing hand-to-hand fights in movie history. However, the film also harbors a little-known swordfight, taking place in a crowded market.
Compared to most honorable martial arts film protagonists, Wong is a bit of an outlier. Lazy, prideful, and prone to deception to make a quick buck or get a free meal, Drunken Boxing turns out to be the perfect style for the playful, deceptive character. His skills are tested against weaponry for the first time in a crowded market, fending off a sword-wielding thug with nothing but a pair of gourds, showing off Wong’s ability to take on even armed foes with nothing but improvised attacks from the surrounding environment.
3 Nameless vs. Long Sky
Hero, 2002
Originally only a hit in China, 2002’s Hero impressed Quentin Tarantino enough for him to personally sponsor a U.S. release, earning director Zhang Yimou a frosty American box office as a cherry on top of his local earnings. The film starred Jet Li and Donnie Yen, who have since gone on to become martial arts icons, and their youngest and hungriest. Their mettle is proven in the flashback fight scene, as Jet Li’s nameless hero recalls his bout with the undefeated Long Sky.
The presentation of Nameless and Sky’s fight is incredibly unique, taking place in a serene courtyard alongside a Go match. Not only that, but the fight itself, full of the slow-motion and delicate wirework classic Wuxia films became known for, takes place entirely within the opponents’ minds, the two prodigies being good enough to create an entire hypothetical reality measuring the others’ skill. In the end, Nameless snaps back to reality, using his predictions to land a single deadly strike.
2 Jen vs. Shu Lien
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, 2000
Reawakening an entire Western audience to the dramatic power of Kung-Fu films, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon is a masterpiece in martial arts spectacle, most of its fights utilizing swords. This makes sense considering the film’s protagonist, Zhang Ziyi’s Jen, and her struggle with controlling the mighty Green Dragon sword she was destined to wield. Though the film has many great fights scattered throughout, it’s Jen’s duel with Shu Lien, played by Michelle Yeoh, that steals the show.
This sword battle is a great study of the two women’s character. Jen’s skill with the mighty Green Dragon Blade is unmistakable, despite her inexperience, she gives trouble to the seasoned Shu Lien as she swaps between the many different weapons scattered throughout the dojo. A thrilling battle of raw skill versus trained mastery, this sword fight is one to remember, with Lien exploiting her opponent’s over-reliance on breaking her weapons.
1 Ogami Ittō vs. The Akari Yagyū Assassins
Lone Wolf and Cub: Baby Cart at the River Styx, 1972
Based on the manga series of the same name, the second installment of the Lone Wolf and Cub series has become a cult classic. The series really hitting its stride in the second film, the story follows the adventures of disgraced executioner Ogami Ittō as he wanders the land with his three-year-old son, Daigoro, pushing him along in a stroller. In the excellently named Lone Wolf and Cub: Baby Cart at the River Styx, Ittō faces down a guild of all-female assassins.
Attacking Ogami and his son from out of their disguises, the Lone Wolf faces the women one-by-one, deftly evading their weaponry hidden in hats, robes, and even a daikon radish. Ittō’s trademark brutality is on full-display during these fights, chopping down his hapless attackers with plentiful gore. He isn’t above sending his infant son into the fray either, pushing Daigoro’s weapon-laden cart into the fray for some hilarious surprise attacks. While many martial arts movies boast some impressive swordplay, no one does it quite like Lone Wolf and Cub.
