15 Must-Watch Martial Arts Movies, Ranked

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Bruce Lee in an figting stance in Enter The Dragon

Updated May 18, 2026, 5:11 AM EDT

Jessica is a young writer from Brisbane, Australia. An avid consumer and lover of all things Film and TV, you will never tear her away from a screen. A tendency rooted from childhood, she once had dreams of becoming a member of the famed kids-band 'Hi-5'. Perhaps that's what pushed her to secure an education with a theater background. But now, as dreams evolved, her passions have turned to admiring performances from afar. Frankly, she's just grateful that she can put her binging skills to good use. Outside of work, Jessica recently completed her undergraduate double degree in Arts/Communications. Other than that, she spends most of her free time with family and friends, probably never forgetting to talk about the new movie or show she watched the day prior.

Between flying kicks and epic take-downs, the world of martial arts offers a cinematic experience filled with pure adrenaline. But that's not all there is to it. More than just action-packed spectacles, the best films in this genre are often driven by resilience and poetic discipline. They are shaped by characters who seek honor, redemption, or even revenge. These are, after all, the philosophies that transcend borders and time periods.

But, yes, of course. The most compelling aspects of martial arts films stem from the astonishing choreography, elegant wirework, and wild fists of fury. This is what crafts them into cinematic epics that consistently push the boundaries of physical storytelling. Culturally rich and a true celebration of the stunt team, the following films capture the best of the best—but don't let this list stop you from exploring more. If anything, these are simply the essentials that must be added to your list.

15 'Ong Bak: The Thai Warrior' (2003)

Tony Jaa with a raised knee in a martial arts stance in 'Ong-Bak'.

When a sacred Buddha statue is stolen from a small Thai village, young Ting (Tony Jaa) travels down to the seedy streets of Bangkok to reclaim the lost relic. Along the way, his quest leads him to a volatile drug lord, forcing Ting to utilize his Muay Thai skills to combat his adversaries.

The plot may be simple (and a tad melodramatic in its execution), but there's no denying that Ong Bak: The Thai Warrior shines in its electrifying athleticism. Jaw-dropping in every way, audiences witness a side of martial arts that isn't rooted in grace but fierce brutality. Indeed, Jaa is a force to be reckoned with as he offers a fearless performance filled with strength—something that's even more impressive given that the stunt work was done without any CGI or wires. Just pure unbridled skill.

14 'The Raid' (2011)

Known as The Raid: Redemption in the US, the Indonesian action cult classic The Raid is a true blast of fun from start to finish. Gareth Evans' gun fu cop thriller follows a S.W.A.T. team that becomes trapped in a tenement run by a ruthless mobster and his army of killers and thugs. The balls-to-the-wall extravaganza that ensues may not have the densest script ever, but when the action is this fun and this well-choreographed, the story hardly matters.

But even then, this showcase of the traditional Indonesian martial art of pencak silat nevertheless has a story and set of characters compelling enough to propel the film to the finish line without a single moment of anything resembling boredom. It's a brutal, furious, heart-pounding adventure unlike anything else that the genre has ever seen. —Diego Pineda Pacheco

13 'The Raid 2' (2014)

A young man wielding two sticks while covered in mud in The Raid 2.

After surviving a bloody fight against powerful gangsters, rookie cop Rama (Iko Uwais) believes he can finally live a normal life. Much to his dismay, chaos calls once again when he discovers his actions caught the attention of even more dangerous criminals. Now, with his family at risk, Rama has no choice but to go undercover and destroy the criminal empire from the inside.

If you thought The Raid was a picture of endless brutality, then buckle up because its sequel turns everything up to a thousand. In this case, bigger was better, with the film's world of crime expanding beyond the claustrophobic hallways and into a story filled with overwhelming levels of carnage, gore, and violence. Unsurprisingly, Uwais stuns with his bone-breaking pencak silat moves, effortlessly executing the choreography in ways that left audiences questioning the reality of the injuries. Better still, The Raid 2 shines as a morality tale, examining the nuances of "heroes" and "villains" amid complex political landscapes. Yet another stellar piece of work from Gareth Evans.

12 'The Karate Kid' (1984)

Mr. Miyagi and Daniel LaRusso working out in The Karate Kid

Soon after moving to a new town, Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio) becomes the target of bullies who study karate at the Cobra Kai dojo. Luckily for Daniel, he manages to befriend an unassuming repairman who just so happens to be a master of martial arts himself. Agreeing to take the naive boy under his wing, Mr Miyagi (Pat Morita) shows him a new perspective on the world of karate.

As a staple of '80s cinema and one of the most beloved underdog tales of all time, The Karate Kid elevates the genre by using martial arts as the conduit for coming-of-age storytelling. Between the waxing on and waxing off, karate is treated not as a source of power and brutality, but as an extension of heart and humility. This multifacetedness is what makes this film so timeless. Every crane kick is backed by emotional stakes, making the final showdown feel earned in every sense. The only thing making it better is the heartwarming mentorship between Mr Miyagi and his young student.

11 'Hero' (2002)

Set in ancient China, warring factions throughout the six kingdoms plot to assassinate the most powerful ruler, Qin (Chen Daoming). Luckily for him, a nameless man (Jet Li) single-handedly eliminates three of the most notorious assassins. Wanting to know the story behind the surprising victory, Qin summons the man to the palace—only to discover flaws in his tale.

More than just a showcase of wuxia's balleic qualities and elegant swordplay, Hero tells a tale of sacrifice, patriotism, and the weight of keeping peace. Li stuns in this operatic epic as it transforms combat into high art. From the meticulous art direction, the vivid color schemes, and the stellar cinematography, each frame is essentially turned into a painting. Better still, it also features haunting performances from some of the best actors in Asian cinema (apart from Lee and Daoming, of course). We're talking about the likes of In the Mood for Love alumni, Tony Leung and Maggie Cheung. Combine all this, and it's no wonder it was nominated for an Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film.

10 'The 36th Chambers of Shaolin' (1978)

Liu Yu-de (Gordon Liu), a young student, is inspired by his teacher to join the local rebellion against the Manchu government. These sentiments only grow stronger after he sadly witnesses his enemies slaughtering everyone involved in the uprising group. Desperate to seek revenge over the death of his friends and family, the student—now known as San Te—heads for the Shaolin temple to master the art of kung-fu.

Fictionalizing the life of a legendary Shaolin master, The 36th Chambers of Shaolin is widely considered to be one of the greatest kung fu films of all time. This achievement is especially impressive given that the film doesn't really showcase the typical thrilling blows of action. Instead, it's slow and deliberate in its focus by centering the narrative on the process of becoming the master, rather than being one. Indeed, this film revolutionized the tropes of martial arts training, filling it with just as much excitement and catharsis as any final showdown.

9 'Drunken Master II' (1994)

Set in the early 20th century, Wong Fei-Hung (Jackie Chan) is unwittingly caught in a battle between smugglers who want to steal ancient Chinese artifacts, and loyalists who do not want the pieces to ever leave the country. Stuck in a complicated predicament, Fei-Hung is forced to use his skills in "drunken boxing" to fight against the foreigners, much to the dismay of his father, who heavily disapproves of his actions.

What kind of list would this be if it didn't honor the legendary Chan? And let's be real: Drunken Master II clearly finds him at the height of his physical and creative prowess. Bending slapstick comedy with bone-crunching action, this film is hilariously chaotic in the best possible way. His commitment to practical stunts and physical storytelling is relentless—a trait especially seen in the final flame-filled factory showdown. Who else would willingly crawl over burning coal for the sake of a film shot? Now that is dedication.

Collider Exclusive · Action Hero Quiz Which Action Hero Would Be
Your Perfect Partner? Rambo · James Bond · Indiana Jones · John McClane · Ethan Hunt

Five legends. Five completely different ways of getting out alive — with style, with muscle, with charm, with luck, or with a plan so intricate it probably shouldn't work. Ten questions will reveal which action hero was built to have your back.

🎖️Rambo

🍸James Bond

🏺Indiana Jones

🔧John McClane

🎭Ethan Hunt

FIND YOUR PARTNER →

You're dropped into a dangerous situation with no warning. What do you need most from a partner? The first few seconds tell you everything about who belongs beside you.

ASomeone who already has three contingency plans running and is calmly working through all of them. BSomeone who reads the terrain instinctively and knows exactly how to use it against the enemy. CSomeone who keeps their nerve and their sense of humour when everything is falling apart. DSomeone who knows the history of wherever we are and what we're walking into. ESomeone with the right contact, the right cover identity, and the right exit already arranged.

NEXT QUESTION →

You have to get somewhere dangerous, fast. How do you travel? How you get there is half the mission.

AOn foot through terrain no one else would attempt — I move where vehicles can't follow. BOn a motorcycle, a cargo plane, or anything else that gets me there before I think too hard about it. CIn something that belongs to someone else — borrowed, stolen, or improvised under fire. DFirst class, with a cover identity and a gadget that does something I won't explain until it's needed. EBy whatever means are available — I've driven, flown, and once arrived by camel. The destination matters, not the method.

NEXT QUESTION →

You're pinned down and outnumbered. What does your ideal partner do? This is when you find out what someone is really made of.

ADisappears into the environment, flanks them silently, and ends it before I've reloaded. BCracks a one-liner, grabs a fire extinguisher or a chair, and improvises something that somehow works. CProduces a gadget specifically designed for this exact scenario and uses it with infuriating precision. DPulls out a whip, a pistol, and an archaeological insight that somehow gets us out alive. ENeutralises the threat with maximum efficiency and minimum words — they were already three moves ahead.

NEXT QUESTION →

The mission is paused. You have one evening to decompress. What does your partner suggest? Who someone is when the pressure drops is who they actually are.

AA bar with terrible lighting, cold beer, and absolutely no questions about feelings. BThe finest restaurant in the city, a bottle of something expensive, and a conversation that is equal parts brilliant and exhausting. CA local dig site, a museum after hours, or a long story about why that particular artefact matters to human civilisation. DPizza. Bad TV. Falling asleep halfway through a movie neither of you were watching anyway. EA debrief that turns into three hours of contingency planning that somehow becomes the most fun you've had all week.

NEXT QUESTION →

How do you prefer your partner to communicate mid-mission? Good communication is the difference between partners and a liability.

APrecise and minimal — tell me what I need to know and nothing else. Every word has a cost. BDeadpan and dry — keeping it light keeps me sharp, even when everything is on fire. CEnthusiastic and slightly chaotic — but always with useful information buried somewhere in the noise. DCalm and controlled through an earpiece, with a plan that covers every variable I haven't thought of yet. EBarely at all — silence is a language and they speak it fluently.

NEXT QUESTION →

Your enemy is powerful, well-resourced, and has the upper hand. How should your partner approach them? The approach to the enemy defines the partnership.

AInfiltrate their inner circle, learn everything, and dismantle them from inside out before they know we're there. BStudy the historical pattern — every villain of this type has a weakness written somewhere in the past. CGet them talking. The more they monologue, the more time I have to figure out how to beat them. DGo through them. Directly. With as much force as the terrain allows. EFind the one thing they haven't accounted for — there's always one thing — and make sure we're holding it.

NEXT QUESTION →

Things go badly wrong and you're captured. What do you trust your partner to do? Who someone is when you need them most is the only thing that matters.

ACome in alone, quietly, and get me out before anyone knows they were there. BHave already been working on the extraction since the moment I disappeared — the plan is already running. CCome in loud, come in fast, and worry about the collateral damage later — I'd do the same for them. DUse every resource, every contact, and bend every rule until I'm out — they don't leave people behind. ECharm their way in somehow, bluff through the hard part, and still manage to look good doing it.

NEXT QUESTION →

What does your ideal partner bring to the table that you couldn't replace? A great partner fills the gap you didn't know you had.

ATechnology that shouldn't exist yet and the training to use it under any conditions. BSurvival instinct so refined it borders on supernatural — and the scars to prove it's been tested. CKnowledge of history, language, and culture that makes them invaluable in places where force is useless. DThe ability to walk into any room in the world and immediately become the most trusted person in it. EStubbornness that refuses to accept a situation is hopeless — and the improvisational skill to back it up.

NEXT QUESTION →

Every partnership has a cost. Which of these can you live with? No one comes without baggage. The question is whether you can carry it together.

AA partner who never fully switches off — always watching exits, always calculating threats, even at dinner. BA partner who gets the job done brilliantly but has the emotional availability of a locked filing cabinet. CA partner who makes everything ten times more complicated than it needs to be — but who always comes through. DA partner who gets personally attached to every relic, ruin, and artefact we encounter, which slows everything down. EA partner who was not built for this and knows it — but shows up anyway, every time, without being asked.

NEXT QUESTION →

It's the final moment. Everything is on the line. What do you need from your partner right now? The last question is the most honest one.

AOne line. Absolutely dry. Delivered like the world isn't ending. Then we move. BNothing said at all — just a look that means we both already know what has to happen. CA plan I don't fully understand that somehow accounts for everything, delivered in thirty seconds flat. DA piece of historical context that reframes the entire situation and tells us exactly what to do next. ESomeone who steps forward instead of back — because that's who they've always been.

REVEAL MY PARTNER →

Your Partner Has Been Assigned Your Perfect Partner Is…

Your answers have pointed to one action hero above all others. This is the person built to have your back — for better or considerably, spectacularly worse.

Rambo

Your partner doesn't talk much, doesn't need to, and will have assessed every threat in your immediate environment before you've finished your first sentence. John Rambo is not a man of plans or politics — he is a force of nature shaped by survival, loyalty, and a capacity for endurance that goes beyond anything training can produce. He will not leave you behind. He has never left anyone behind who deserved to come home. What you get with Rambo is the most capable, most quietly ferocious partner imaginable — one who has been through things that would have broken anyone else, and who chose to keep going anyway. You'll never need to ask if he has your back. You'll just know.

James Bond

Your partner will arrive perfectly dressed, perfectly briefed, and with a cover story so convincing it'll take you a moment to remember what's actually true. James Bond is the most professionally dangerous person in any room he enters — and the most disarmingly charming, which is the point. He operates in a world of layers, where nothing is what it appears and every advantage is used without apology. You'll never be bored. You'll occasionally be furious. But when it matters — when the mission is genuinely on the line and the margin for error has collapsed to nothing — Bond is exactly the partner you want. He has survived things that have no business being survivable. He does it with style. That is not nothing.

Indiana Jones

Your partner will know the history, the language, the cultural context, and exactly why the thing everyone else is ignoring is actually the most important thing in the room. Indiana Jones is brilliant, reckless, and occasionally impossible — but he is also one of the most resourceful, most genuinely knowledgeable partners you could find yourself beside. He approaches every situation with a scholar's eye and a brawler's instinct, which is an unusual combination and a remarkably effective one. He hates snakes and gets personally attached to objects of historical significance, both of which will slow you down at least once. It doesn't matter. What Indy brings is irreplaceable — and the adventures you'll have together will be the kind people write books about. Assuming you survive them.

John McClane

Your partner was not supposed to be here. He does not have the right equipment, the right information, or anything approaching the right odds. He has a sarcastic remark and an absolute refusal to accept that the situation is as bad as it looks. John McClane is the greatest accidental hero in the history of action cinema — a man whose superpower is stubbornness, whose contingency plan is improvisation, and whose capacity to absorb punishment and keep moving would be alarming if it weren't so useful. He will complain the entire time. He will make it significantly more chaotic than it needed to be. And he will absolutely, unconditionally, without question come through when it counts. Yippee-ki-yay.

Ethan Hunt

Your partner has already run seventeen scenarios by the time you've finished reading the briefing, and the plan he's settled on involves at least two things that should be physically impossible. Ethan Hunt operates at the absolute edge of human capability — technically, physically, and intellectually — and he brings the same relentless precision to protecting his partners that he brings to dismantling organisations that shouldn't exist. He is not easy to know and he will never fully tell you everything. But he will carry the weight of the mission so completely, so absolutely, that your job is simply to trust him — and the remarkable thing is that trusting him always turns out to be the right call. The mission will be impossible. He will complete it anyway.

↻ RETAKE THE QUIZ

8 'Kung Fu Hustle' (2004)

A man kicking a bunch of goons down some stairs

Petty crooks, Sing (Chow) and Bone (Lam Chi-chung), are wannabe gangsters who aspire to join the notorious Axe Gang. Hoping to gain their respect, the pair pretends to be Axe members and travels to the slums of Pig Sty Alley to terrorize its inhabitants. Unfortunately, their plans quickly fail as they unknowingly provoke a community filled with martial arts experts. And things only get worse when the real gangsters arrive in town.

No one crafts a delirious genre-bending masterpiece like Chow. What starts as a slapstick R-rated comedy movie transforms into a widely inventive action epic, filled with cartoon logic, wirework theatrics, and jaw-dropping choreography. Indeed, Kung Fu Hustle shines because it's able to pay homage to martial arts cinema, while also parodying its ridiculousness. Every sequence is absurd and unexpected, not only in terms of the action, but even the emotional beats it sporadically hits. As a film that never takes itself too seriously, it's a truly thrilling watch. Of course, it also helps that they have several scene-stealing characters that are burned into the iconography of martial arts cinema (we're looking at you, Landlady).

7 'Lady Snowblood' (1973)

Lady Snowblood wielding a knife and staring at the camera in Lady Snowblood.

There are plenty of must-watch samurai movies out there, perfect for those who love it when martial arts films include swordplay. One of the most essential is Lady Snowblood, where a young woman (Meiko Kaji) is trained from birth to be a deadly instrument of revenge against the swindlers who destroyed her family. Told out of chronological order, this enthralling revenge tale is based on Kazuo Koike and Kazuo Kamimura's manga series of the same name.

It has become one of the most beloved and highly influential cult classics from Japan's '70s filmography, an immensely respected action masterpiece whose score of 100% on Rotten Tomatoes is nothing if not well-deserved. The battle choreography is restlessly kinetic, the way director Toshiya Kujita uses color is a delight, and the pulpy story is engrossing. —Diego Pineda Pacheco

6 'Kill Bill: Volume 1' (2003)

All those who have watched Lady Snowblood will easily recognize the many ways in which Quentin Tarantino borrows from that cult classic in Kill Bill: Volume 1. But this is a martial arts extravaganza that's greatly elevated by its many influences. Following a former assassin's (Uma Thurman) quest for revenge against the team that betrayed her, this masterpiece is a love letter to the martial arts and exploitation films of the 1970s.

Led by Thurman's powerhouse performance, Kill Bill: Volume 1 is a nonstop parade of some of the most stylish action that the big screen has ever seen. Far more than any ol' revenge thriller, it's a martial arts gem that not only wears its influences out on its sleeve with pride, but actually overtly builds its whole narrative on the foundation of those influences. It's a blood-soaked emotional roller coaster perfect for those who love pastiche cinema. —Diego Pineda Pacheco

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