Enter the Dragon (1973) tops The Movie List editors’ ranking of the best martial arts movies, followed by Police Story, The Raid and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. The list puts fight quality first while drawing on different eras, styles and national cinemas; it is an editorial recommendation, not an objective measure of the genre.
How this ranking approaches martial arts movies
The Movie List editors say they ranked films on “the quality of the fights first and everything else second,” then spread the selections across styles. Their October 7, 2026 list ranges from 1960s swordplay and Shaw Brothers training films to Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan stunt comedies, Jet Li’s Wong Fei-hung films, Thai Muay Thai and Indonesian silat. Hong Kong cinema features prominently.
That approach makes the order useful as a guided watchlist, but not as a universal verdict. A different list can value influence, storytelling, realism or a particular tradition more heavily. Time Out’s May 15, 2024 ranking, for example, puts The 36th Chamber of Shaolin first. The difference illustrates how “best” depends on editorial choices and scope.
The 25 best martial arts movies, ranked
-
Enter the Dragon (1973)
The list’s top pick and a starting point for readers who want a landmark Bruce Lee film. Its position reflects the ranking’s emphasis on fights, alongside its role in a list spanning several martial-arts traditions.
What’s actually slowing this PC down?
Pick the symptom - the matching free tool is one click away.
Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy.#1 Best Overall
Martial Arts 50 Movie Pack: Black Cobra - The Black Godfather - The Master - The Real Bruce Lee - The Street Fighter - TNT Jackson - Ninja Death - Heroes of Shaolin + 42 more!- Brand Name: VDI Mfg#: 826831070148
- Shipping Weight: 0.84 lbs
- Manufacturer:
- Genre:
- All music products are properly licensed and guaranteed authentic.
-
Police Story (1985)
Jackie Chan’s action-comedy approach brings stunt-driven fights into the ranking. It is the second stop in the editors’ suggested beginner sequence.
-
The Raid (2012)
The third recommended starting film, representing Indonesian silat and a more contemporary action style than the first two picks.
-
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000)
A wuxia fantasy that broadens the list beyond grounded action and hand-to-hand combat.
-
The Legend of Drunken Master (1994)
A Jackie Chan selection that brings comic performance and martial-arts action together.
Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy. -
The 36th Chamber of Shaolin (1978)
A Shaw Brothers training film, and a reminder that the ranking’s fourth-place film is not the only major contender for the genre’s top spot.
Rank #2
-
Fist of Legend (1994)
Jet Li’s martial-arts film is among the list’s selections, reflecting its interest in fight-focused cinema.
-
Hero (2002)
A further wuxia entry, giving the ranking another example of stylized martial-arts filmmaking.
-
Once Upon a Time in China (1991)
Jet Li’s Wong Fei-hung films are part of the range the editors cite when describing the list’s coverage.
Recommended Free Tools
Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy. -
Kung Fu Hustle (2004)
A comic martial-arts film that adds a different tone to a ranking otherwise spanning dramas, action films and wuxia.
-
Ip Man (2008)
A modern entry among a list that also includes older Hong Kong and Shaw Brothers films.
Rank #3
Sale
4 Film Favorites: Martial Arts (Bloodsport, The Corruptor, Rumble In The Bronx, Showdown in Little Tokyo)- DVD
- Multiple Formats, Color, Full Screen
- English (Original Language), English (Unknown)
- 2
- 370
-
Fist of Fury (1972)
Bruce Lee’s second appearance in the ranking, alongside Enter the Dragon.
-
A Touch of Zen (1970)
An older swordplay selection that speaks to the breadth of the list’s historical range.
PC Slower Than It Used to Be?
A free scan shows the junk files, broken settings and background clutter dragging Windows down - then fixes them in one click.Free scan · Windows 10 & 11Crashes, No Sound, or Screen Glitches?
Random freezes, missing sound and display glitches usually trace back to one bad driver. Find and replace yours safely.Free scan · under a minuteSpecial offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy. -
Come Drink with Me (1966)
The earliest film in the ranking, representing the 1960s swordplay tradition.
-
Dragon Inn (1967)
Another early swordplay film, placed alongside Come Drink with Me in the list’s exploration of the genre’s earlier eras.
-
Iron Monkey (1993)
A further entry in a ranking that includes several Hong Kong martial-arts films from the 1990s.
Rank #4
-
Ong-Bak (2003)
The list’s Thai Muay Thai representative, extending its reach beyond Hong Kong and Chinese martial-arts cinema.
Quick wins for a faster PC:
Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy. -
The Raid 2 (2014)
A second Indonesian silat film, following The Raid in the ranking.
-
The Five Venoms (1978)
A Shaw Brothers selection from the same year as The 36th Chamber of Shaolin.
-
Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003)
A martial-arts action film from outside the list’s central run of Hong Kong and Asian cinema.
-
The Karate Kid (1984)
An American favorite that makes the ranking’s broader popular-cinema reach explicit.
Free tools Windows power users keep installed
One-click scans. No signup required.
Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy.Best Value
-
Bloodsport (1988)
Another American favorite, positioned among films from very different national and stylistic traditions.
-
Kung Fu Panda (2008)
An animated comedy, showing that the editors’ selection is not limited to live-action martial-arts films.
-
The Grandmaster (2013)
A later entry in the ranking’s span of martial-arts films and styles.
-
Furie (2019)
The most recent film in the list, which runs from Come Drink with Me (1966) to this 2019 release.
Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy.
Where to start if you are new to the genre
The editors’ suggested introduction is Enter the Dragon, Police Story and The Raid, in that order. The sequence moves across eras and approaches: a 1973 Bruce Lee film, Jackie Chan’s 1985 stunt comedy, and a 2012 Indonesian silat action film. It is a compact sample of the range the ranking values, rather than a claim that these three represent every tradition.
What to look for when choosing your next film
- Fight choreography and clarity: Choose a film for how its action is staged and presented, the ranking’s primary criterion.
- Style and tradition: The selections include swordplay, Shaolin training films, Muay Thai and silat, as well as films associated with Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan and Jet Li.
- Tone: The list moves between grounded action, comedy, wuxia fantasy and animation.
- Era and national cinema: Its years run from 1966 to 2019, with Hong Kong cinema prominent alongside Thai, Indonesian and American examples.
- Accessibility: For a first watch, follow the editors’ three-film sequence; for a particular mood or tradition, choose from the relevant entries above.
Physical edition note
Warner Bros. announced an Enter the Dragon 4K UHD Blu-ray for August 8, 2023, with both the theatrical version and the Special Edition. That announcement establishes the release details, not current stock, price or availability in a particular region.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
