Top 10 Movie Sword Fights
Swords and movies have had a long history and with that comes the sword fight. The sword fight has really evolved over the years and they have become more and more elaborate and spectacular. But sometimes what makes a sword fight great is how simple some of them are. So this is my list of the Top 10 Movie Sword Fights. Now I should note that some people list some fights from the old Errol Flynn movies like The Adventures of Robin Hood but I haven't seen these. So if you see any big omissions (like Highlander) this is because I haven't seen the movie or the sword fight and therefore can't comment on it. I would like to add a few honorable mentions. I didn't add the fight between Luke and Darth Vader in Empire because while I think it's a great fight it just never really grabbed my attention like some others and the almost fight between Indiana Jones and the Scimitar Guy in Raiders of the Lost Ark is great just for the fact that you expect this long fight and you don't make it worth mentioning.
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- DirectorRob ReinerStarsCary ElwesMandy PatinkinRobin WrightA bedridden boy's grandfather reads him the story of a farmboy-turned-pirate who encounters numerous obstacles, enemies and allies in his quest to be reunited with his true love.The Man in Black vs. Inigo Montoya - How could this fight not be number 1? First off you get this amazing build up where Inigo tells the story of the six fingered man and the death of his father. Then the fight starts off slowly with the two of them testing each other's skills. The dialogue between the two of them is spot on and when Inigo switches to his left hand and the fight swings in his favor you stand up and take notice. But then when the Man in Black does the same thing then it goes from being good to amazing. Add onto that acrobatics and the hero showing Inigo mercy make this in my opinion the best movie sword fight ever.
- DirectorIrvin KershnerStarsMark HamillHarrison FordCarrie FisherAfter the Rebel Alliance are overpowered by the Empire, Luke Skywalker begins his Jedi training with Yoda, while his friends are pursued across the galaxy by Darth Vader and bounty hunter Boba Fett.Luke Skywalker vs. Darth Vader - This is the first time that Luke confronts Darth Vader. When he goes to the cloud planet to rescue his friends he's forced to fight Darth Vader. What you get is an amazing fight that culminates in the famous "no, I am your father" line. This isn't the first time you get to see a lightsabre fight in a Star Wars movie but when Luke fights Darth Vader for the first time it's one for the ages.
- DirectorGeorge LucasStarsHayden ChristensenNatalie PortmanEwan McGregorThree years into the Clone Wars, Obi-Wan Kenobi pursues a new threat, while Anakin Skywalker is lured by Chancellor Palpatine into a sinister plot to rule the galaxy.Obi-Wan Kenobi vs. Anakin Skywalker - This fight was building for three movies and when it finally comes it doesn't disappoint. Anakin has gone over to the dark side and he has his showdown with his master Obi-Wan on a planet covered in active volcanoes. Now add to that the fact that Star Wars fans knew this from Darth Vader's origin so Lucas has a lot to live up to and I feel he did the hype justice.
This is another one of those fights that ranges all over and even has them hanging off a piece of a building as it heads towards a waterfall of lava. This does suffer some from what hurt the fight in Episode I where it cuts away but thankfully the pacing isn't hurt a lot by this. In the end when Anakin loses and is quite literally in pieces you breathe a big sigh and realize after years and years of waiting the fight lived up to what people were waiting for. - DirectorGeorge LucasStarsHayden ChristensenNatalie PortmanEwan McGregorTen years after initially meeting, Anakin Skywalker shares a forbidden romance with Padmé Amidala, while Obi-Wan Kenobi discovers a secret clone army crafted for the Jedi.Yoda vs. Count Dooku - People had been waiting years to see Yoda fight and when he faced off against Count Dooku the fight was so worth it. The way Yoda jumps around and spins make this a very fast paced and fun fight to watch and then to top it off you get a battle of their force powers against each other. This is another one of those scenes that I just to just put in the DVD and skip to because it's just so much fun to watch.
- DirectorAng LeeStarsChow Yun-FatMichelle YeohZiyi ZhangA young Chinese warrior steals a sword from a famed swordsman and then escapes into a world of romantic adventure with a mysterious man in the frontier of the nation.Jen Yu vs. Yu Shu Lien - I saw a lot of people list the fight between Li Mu Bai and Jen Yu where they are jumping through the trees but my personal favorite from this movie is the fight between Jen Yu and Yu Shu Lien inside the dojo. What makes this fight great is first off the choreography from master Yuen Woo-ping and the fact that both Ziyi Zhang and Michelle Yeoh are very good at what they do but what I love is the evolution of the fight. Yeoh comes into it with no weapon so Ziyi lets her choose and being in a dojo she's got plenty to choose from. How she goes from normal swords to spears and even and ironwood staff just trying to beat this young girl holding the Green Destiny gives it a great back and forth feeling. Plus the fact that these two were at one time friends and now they are being forced to fight each other is the reason why whenever I want to test out a new TV or DVD player I put on this fight.
- DirectorQuentin TarantinoStarsUma ThurmanDavid CarradineDaryl HannahAfter awakening from a four-year coma, a former assassin wreaks vengeance on the team of assassins who betrayed her.The Bride vs. The Crazy 88's - This is probably the craziest fight on this list. When The Bride, played by Uma Thurman, goes to confront O-Ren, played by Lucy Lui, she first has to deal with her army of bodyguards know as the Crazy 88's. Tarantino really studied his source material of the old samurai movies and did a great job putting that style forward. What you get is a crazy bloodbath with limbs being chopped off and eyes being pulled out.
Plus the style is done exceedingly well. Part of the fight is shown in black and white (although if you watch the uncut version it's in color) and near the end of the fight it's is almost total darkness with just the fighters silhouettes. Of course along with the Crazy 88's she also has to deal with her head bodyguard Johnny Mo.
Unfortunately the fight afterwards between her and O-Ren is a bit underwhelming but this one leaves you on such a high from the action and the humor that you don't really notice. - DirectorRidley ScottStarsRussell CroweJoaquin PhoenixConnie NielsenA former Roman General sets out to exact vengeance against the corrupt emperor who murdered his family and sent him into slavery.Maximus vs. Tigris of Gaul - This is a little bit of a cheat because when Maximus fights the retired gladiator Tigris of Gaul he's using axes and not swords but the concept is the same. Two people fighting with bladed weapons. What makes this fight good is not only the fight choreography and the editing but its the addition of tigers. So not only is Maximus trying to fight off this brute of a man he's having to deal with several live tigers barely being held back by chains. The fight is very fast paced and the look of the Coliseum and the crowd really add to the atmosphere and when Maximus shows mercy at the end it leaves you very satisfied.
- DirectorGeorge LucasStarsEwan McGregorLiam NeesonNatalie PortmanTwo Jedi escape a hostile blockade to find allies and come across a young boy who may bring balance to the Force, but the long dormant Sith resurface to claim their original glory.Obi-Wan Kenobi & Qui-Gon Jinn vs. Darth Maul - During the fight on Naboo Darth Maul who has been going after our heros for a good part of the movie finally shows up. He enters and brandishes his double-bladed lightsabre and the fight is on. Normally a two on one sword fight isn't very good but the fact that his lightsabre has two blades really evens things out and the fact that Ray Park is a master martial artist doesn't hurt that fact.
This fight ranges all over through multiple levels and even through tight corridors. The thing that hurts this fight the most is the way the movie is edited. At the point when you are getting really into the fight it cuts away to a young Anakin flying around in the space battle over the planet. Then when you finally come back to the fight the end is great but that gap of a few minutes really hurts the flow. If this would have been one long uninterrupted fight it might have been farther up on this list. - DirectorStephen NorringtonStarsWesley SnipesStephen DorffKris KristoffersonA half-vampire, half-mortal man becomes a protector of the mortal race, while slaying evil vampires.Blade vs. Deacon Frost - This is a pretty short fight but after Frost has changed into a more powerful form there's a great sword fight between him and Blade. I love the way you can see the sparks coming off their swords and the sounds as they hit together and scrape off one another. The fight is very visceral and it accomplishes its goal very fast.
- DirectorTerry GilliamTerry JonesStarsGraham ChapmanJohn CleeseEric IdleKing Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table embark on a surreal, low-budget search for the Holy Grail, encountering many, very silly obstacles.King Arthur vs. The Black Knight - Now I might get some flack for putting this so low on the list. While this is one of my favorite movies of all time the reason this takes the number 10 spot is because while the fight itself is hilarious with the often repeated lines of "'tis but a scratch" and "it's just a flesh wound" the actually sword play in the fight isn't very good. Now this was probably either due to the film's budget or done for the comedic value but neither Graham Chapman nor John Cleese really knew how to handle a sword very well. But if for nothing else other than how insanely funny this scene is it makes this list.