Top 20 Best Hand to Hand Fighters in Movie History
#20: James Dalton
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“Road House” (1989)
If there was ever anyone overqualified for his job, it’s James Dalton! A bouncer hired to clean up a rowdy roadhouse in Missouri, Dalton faces stiff resistance from the belligerent patrons, some employees, and the local rich jerk, Brad Wesley. Thankfully however, his fighting skills are as tight as his jeans. While he can still be overcome by enough numbers, Dalton can take down even the most skilled of Wesley’s goons with a good old roundhouse kick. Plus, it’s no ordinary fighter who can tear man’s throat out with his bare hands!
#19: Kurt Sloane
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“Kickboxer” franchise (1989-)
A professional kickboxer, Sloane becomes involved in a Muay Thai fighting ring in Thailand following a grievous loss by his brother, Eric. While the actor who plays him has varied over the years and reboots, one thing that never changes is Kurt’s abilities in the ring. Not only is Kurt a great fighter, he’s able to endure quite a lot of punishment too. He’s also prone to a little theatricality with his moves, with high kicks being a prominent part of his arsenal. Whether he’s out for vengeance or merely retaliating, Kurt Sloane is one kickass kickboxer.
#18: Oh Dae-su
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“Oldboy” (2003)
A South Korean businessman, Oh Dae-su is one day imprisoned in an apartment building for unknown reasons. During his confinement, he trains daily in fighting, planning for his escape. When he finally gets released, he goes on a roaring rampage of revenge. Although his style is amateurish compared to most of our other entries, Dae-su’s indomitable endurance and ferocity still marks him as a distinguished fighter. His brawl against an entire hallway of thugs with nothing but a hammer is the stuff of movie legends! Tragically, it isn’t his lack of fighting skill that overcome Dae-su but … well, we won’t spoil it for you.
#17: Jason Bourne
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“Bourne” franchise (2002-)
So says everyone when they encounter this amnesiac super spy! Bourne may have lost his identity, but his body remembers what his mind does not. In addition to his fantastic gun and car-handling abilities, Bourne also has supremacy when it comes to hand-to-hand fighting. Using his fists and whatever else comes to hand, the ex-assassin can fight off the killers and other agents sent by his former employers. Bourne’s rapid strikes, and ability to improvise allows him to deliver an ultimatum to his foes – tell him why they’re after him, or else! See what we did there?
#16: Achilles
“Troy” (2004)
This Greek mythological warrior takes part in the Trojan War. Reputed to be invulnerable, except for his famous weakness, Achilles is unmatched in battle. The legendary fighter can take down the most imposing of champions with the greatest of ease. Even Hector of Troy proves no match for Achilles’ overwhelming skill with the sword and spear. While the fighter is eventually felled, it isn’t in a hand-to-hand fight, instead falling to an arrow shot into his infamously weak heel. Achilles may die, but his prowess is as immortal as his name!
#15: Batman
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Various
C’mon - he’s Batman! Exactly! The caped crusader may be armed to the teeth with gadgets and vehicles, but at the end of the day, he beats up the criminals of Gotham using his gauntleted fists. Batman’s actual skill level does vary depending on the on-screen version, but his ability to take on supervillains never diminishes. The Dark Knight is skilled with swords and various martial arts, and in using stealth to get the drop on his enemies. But whether he’s sneaking around or facing a foe head-on, Batman is a terrifying opponent for anyone!
#14: Alluri Sitarama Raju
“RRR” (2022)
He may be a real-life historical Indian revolutionary, but his movie incarnation is basically a superhero. Allura Sitarama Raju, better known as “Ram” in the film, is determined to get his fellow revolutionaries weapons, even if it means working for the British Raj. To that end, he performs some utterly absurd feats of martial prowess! Ram fights an entire mob in pursuit of a single man. And he wins! He punches a tiger with fire! Just about the only person who can match Ram in combat is his BFF and fellow revolutionary Komaram Bheem. While he was also a tempting choice for our list, we feel like Ram edges him out just slightly. They’ve both got a lock on the list of best dancers though!
#13: Kham
“Tom-Yum-Goong” franchise (2005-13)
Tony Jaa’s many characters tend to kick ass, and Kham is perhaps his most famous. A guardian for a line of royal war elephants, Kham is determined to save the animals when they’re stolen. The criminals who have taken them soon come to regret it when he comes knocking. Kham’s Muay Thai fighting style favors plenty of high kicks and knees, and he uses them to blow through most of the goons pitted against him with ease – and plenty of broken bones! Kham rarely holds anything back and it makes for some electrifying fight scenes.
#12: Isaiah Bone
“Blood and Bone” (2009)
An ex-convict turned underground fighter, Bone spends most of his titular film embarrassing everyone he’s pitted against. Played by the incredibly underrated Michael Jai White, Bone is a mixed martial artist of shocking skill. Whether he’s facing multiple opponents, or single fighters, Bone always manages to make defeating them look downright easy. Muscular, yet graceful, Bone’s signature moves tend to revolve around aerial punches and kicks, sometimes combining them to hit multiple people at once. There’s no bones about how insane Bone’s moves are. We’ll never stop loving that double spin kick!
#11: Yuri Boyka
“Undisputed” franchise (2002-16)
Self-described as “the most complete fighter in the world,” Boyka lives up to that title. As a phenomenally skilled Russian prison fighter, Boyka has a nearly flawless win-loss ratio, having lost only once. A mixed martial artist, he incorporates many different styles into his own, though his signature moves generally revolve around flying kicks, particularly the so-called “Guyver” kick. While initially presented as an antagonist in his franchise, Boyka undergoes something of a redemption, becoming more of an anti-hero. He believes his fighting skills are a gift from God – and we’d agree that they’re certainly divine!
#10: Chen Zhen
“Fist of Fury” franchise (1972-2010)
A fictional disciple of real life martial artist Huo Yuanjia, Chen Zhen’s story varies depending on the film, though most depict him seeking revenge after the death of his master. Chen has been played by some of the greatest martial arts action stars of all time, including Bruce Lee, Jet Li, and Donnie Yen. Each actor has brought their own unique flair and style to the character. Yet each is a spectacular fighter, whose fists and feet enact vengeance on the imperialist forces that have wronged him and his fellow Chinese people.
#9: Frank Martin
“Transporter” franchise (2002-15)
A meticulous driver for hire who will transport any cargo for a price, Martin is equally as skilled in combat as he is behind the wheel. Despite his specific set of rules, Frank’s jobs inevitably go off the rails and he usually ends up having to bust the heads of whichever bad guys double-crossed him. Frank’s fighting style is eclectic and adaptable, as he often uses whatever comes to hand as an improvised weapon. Sometimes he just utilizes the environment to put his enemies at a disadvantage. And he always looks good, no matter how tough the fight is.
#8: Wong Fei-hung
Various
A real historical Chinese martial artist, he’s appeared in over one hundred films in the last century. He has been played by everyone from Gordon Liu to Sammo Hung. However, his most prominent portrayals are in the “Once Upon a Time in China” series and the “Drunken Master” films, starring Jet Li and Jackie Chan, respectively. While the former emphasizes Wong’s traditional Hung Ga martial arts, the “Drunken Master” films see him practicing drunken boxing, which he actually did, according to folklore. No matter his style or his actor though, Wong Fei-hung’s legend is kept alive through some incredible action!
#7: Neo
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“The Matrix” franchise (1999-2021)
Mr. Anderson, welcome back. We missed you. Even setting aside his ability to manipulate the Matrix to move faster and hit more powerfully, Neo is also supernaturally gifted at martial arts. In addition to kung fu, Neo has had dozens of martial arts disciplines and weapon fighting styles downloaded into his head. This allows him to battle against many skilled and powerful opponents within the Matrix. All that together may make Neo the most powerful person on our list. He may be “the One,” but he’s not quite our number one.
#6: Lee
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“Enter the Dragon” (1973)
In Bruce Lee’s final completed role, he shares a name with his character Lee, a martial artist monk turned secret agent sent to infiltrate a fighting tournament. Lee defeats all comers in the ring, and even kills the crime boss at its head in a famed fight in a hall of mirrors. Perhaps the actor’s most iconic character, Lee showcases his namesake’s famous fighting style, Jeet Kune Do. The style focuses on intercepting blows, and it allows Lee to repeatedly get the better of his opponents, whether he’s fighting them barehanded or using nunchaku. While we’d still put a few fighters ahead of him, Lee is undoubtedly an exceptional, and influential, movie martial artist.
#5: Beatrix Kiddo [aka The Bride]
“Kill Bill: Volume 1” (2003) & “Kill Bill: Volume 2” (2004)
A deadly assassin out for revenge after she’s betrayed by the title character, Beatrix Kiddo is among the most deadly female characters to ever grace the silver screen! Skilled in everything from firearms to the exquisite art of the samurai sword, the Bride is a force to be reckoned with. Although she favors the blade, Beatrix is no slouch when it comes to unarmed combat. She’s mastered the one-inch punch and the five point palm exploding heart technique, after all. Regardless of whether Beatrix is taking on dozens of yakuza or engaging in a brawl in a trailer, Black Mamba has quite the bite!
#4: Chan Ka-Kui [aka “Kevin Chan”]
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“Police Story” franchise (1985-)
Jackie Chan has already shown up on our list, but out of all his roles, Chan Ka-Kui is arguably the best fighter. A Hong Kong police officer, Chan frequently finds himself in hot water while working undercover or going up against goons. He often makes excellent use of his environment and whatever objects come to hand to fend off his attackers, like the rest of the actor’s characters. Chan also undergoes some of the most brutal stunts. If the character endures even half the punishment Jackie Chan himself took while filming, this is one “super cop”!
#3: Ip Man
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Various
Yet another real life martial artist, Ip Man was the grandmaster of the art of Wing Chun and one of his students was Bruce Lee. While a few actors have played the famed master over the years, easily the most iconic is Donnie Yen, who plays the part in the “Ip Man” series of films. Ip’s calm, measured style is suitable to his primary role as a teacher, and usually involves him artfully defeating his opponents. But when he does lose his temper in combat, he can be downright terrifying. The man eats black belts for breakfast!
#2: Rama
“The Raid” (2011) & “The Raid 2” (2014)
An Indonesian special ops officer, Rama is as tough as diamonds. Whether he’s trapped in a crime lord controlled apartment building or taking down a gang from the inside, Rama doesn’t quit until the job is done. Skilled in the Indonesian martial art of pencak silat, Rama delivers plenty of rapid punches and kicks to his opponents, while also incorporating grapples, throws, and anything else he can lay his hands on. What’s truly phenomenal about Rama is how many of his fights take place consecutively. His endurance and creativity are nearly unrivaled.
#1: John Wick
John Wick Vs Neo
“John Wick” franchise (2014-)
You probably already guessed it. John Wick has a near mythic reputation both in and out of universe. Baba Yaga is the assassin that makes other assassins check under their beds at night. Mr. Wick is a master at just about every kind of combat, though he does favor judo and jiu jitsu. It doesn’t matter if he’s armed with a gun, a pencil, a book, or his bare hands – if you try to kill him or a dog, he’ll kill you! John has gone up against characters played by some of the biggest martial arts stars in the world, including many on our list, and bested them all.
Who’s your favorite movie fighter? Let us know in the comments.
