Top 10 Blind Movie Fights

Every great fighter starts somewhere, and even more amazing fighters start blinded. Forced to rely on his other senses to defend himself in training, not only does Raizo successfully parry all attacks, but he even manages to turn the tide with his trusty chain. His skill on offer is a sign of things to come and he leaves us just as impressed as his master.

Not only a great fight for showing off each combatant’s acrobatics, but the simple task issued to Snake Eyes makes for a tense fight as he faces a dual sword wielding and blindfolded Jinx while unarmed. It seems he would never get close enough to her, that is, until he uses his ingenuity to take advantage of his opponent’s weakness. And the Blind Master standing in the back the whole time adds an extra special layer of cool. Snake Eyes certainly earned that awesome sword.

Marvel’s greatest blinded hero faces off against his biggest enemy in this epic duel. Despite Kingpin’s clear strength advantage, a wounded Daredevil’s only hope relies on the sprinklers, which allows his other senses to recreate an image. With his greatest weakness no longer a hindrance, this battle becomes a test of strength versus skill, and a Daredevil who can practically see is skillful indeed.

With Johnny Depp’s Sands all but missing his eye sockets, he enters a firefight with nothing more than his ingenuity to back him up. He outsmarts his opponents to get his first kill, but then uses his hearing to nab his second. He isn’t just showing off his gunplay skill, impressive as it is, but also how he has reformed as a character after losing his eyes. Being led to this battle by a young boy certainly drives that point home, and makes it all the more badass.

Beginning with an impressive display of martial arts skill, this fight truly becomes special once the wind picks up. As the sensei is blinded by the wind, Jet Li’s Chen has enough respect to challenge him on equal footing. With both fighters blinded, this clash becomes a true test of skill as they depend on touch and sound to orient themselves. With incredible choreography by Yuen Woo-ping, every punch and throw has enough weight behind it to make you feel every blow, and turn every moment of this fight into a sight to behold.

He may not be the smoothest fighter on this list, but he can still slice an apple in midair. Rutger Hauer sells us on his blind swordsmanship with his empty look and reliance on his other senses. He isn’t an infallible killing machine, and he certainly makes mistakes here and there making for a messy fight overall, but that’s what makes a sword fight over an electric hot tub seem plausible and awesome.

Realizing that Agent Smith has invaded Bane’s body outside the Matrix, Neo engages him a brutal one on one that leads to some unfortunate results. With Neo seemingly out of commission, Bane/Smith leads him into darkness to finally put an end to The One. We were all expecting Trinity or someone else to come and save him, but when Neo reveals his newfound knowledge and quickly turns the tide of battle, it also has the effect of making the inevitable conclusion to this trilogy all the more exciting.

If you don’t know how this movie ends, then be spoiler warned. Although it is one of the earliest fights in themovie, and an awesome one at that with the silhouette of Eli causing all sorts of damage, it is the realization on a second viewing that he is blind that makes this fight all the more impressive. Not only impressive because he quickly dispatches of his enemies with a few swings of his machete, but his choice to bring these hoodlums into the tunnel so their vision is compromised as well is a stroke of genius.

There are few blind fighters that have the pedigree of Zatoichi. Known for quickly disposing of his enemies, it is this fight among all of his duels that stands out as the best. The atmosphere of the pouring rain and the music makes us feel every strike, just as Zatoichi feels every kill. When the camera pulls back to reveal all the damage he’s done, we’re filled with remorse, and the feeling that we just saw something incredible.

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions:
- Chained Together
“Saw IV” (2007)
- Darkness Is Your Ally
“The Dark Knight Rises” (2012)
- Final Flight of the Osiris
“The Animatrix” (2003)
- Goodbye, Peter
“DodgeBall: A True Underdog Story” (2004)

If being blinded in a fight is the ultimate disadvantage, then this is the ultimate fight in overcoming it. With Chong Li resorting to cheat tactics to win, Frank Dux must recall his training days to help him overcome his opponent. Van Damme’s performance is solid in selling the disoriented blinded fighter and really makes it seem like his blindness may be his undoing. Where other fighters are at one with their affliction, it is Van Damme who seems to do the most to overcome it, and that’s why this fight gets our number one spot.

Do you agree with our list? What’s your favorite blind movie fight? For more eye-opening Top 10s published daily, be sure to subscribe to WatchMojo.com.