Top 10 Greatest TV Fight Scenes

“The Walking Dead” (2010-22)
When the enormous Beta and his fellow Whisperers pursue Daryl Dixon in pursuit of their leader’s daughter, Daryl sets a trap for them in an office building. While he’s able to kill Beta’s men easily enough, Beta himself is another matter. A vicious fight ensues, with both combatants using knives, saws, and two-by-fours against each other. Finally, Daryl manages to use the unfinished construction site to hide and then surprise Beta, pushing him down an elevator shaft. It’s an epic clash between two of the series’ most capable fighters. If not for the zombie apocalypse, it could have sold out a stadium of viewers!

“Alias” (2001-06)
Sydney Bristow and her roommate Francie are relaxing at home, when the former receives a message identifying Francie as an imposter. After testing her, Sydney goes to retrieve her gun, but is confronted by Allison, the not-Francie. The two then engage in a no-holds-barred brawl throughout their house. Glass, furniture, and probably plenty of bones are broken in the ensuing fight. Some of the moves are acrobatic and stylized, but most are quick and brutal. Sydney eventually retrieves her gun to shoot the woman masquerading as her friend. All in all, it’s one of the most intense fights between two women ever put on TV!

“The Witcher” (2019-)
As the titular Witcher, Geralt of Rivia hunts monsters, but sometimes those monsters end up being human too. When Renfri threatens to slaughter her way through a town to get at a sorcerer, Geralt decides to choose the lesser evil and fights her and her gang. Geralt cuts through her men in increasingly gruesome ways in a continuous shot that’s beautifully executed. As if that wasn’t fantastic enough, he then duels with Renfri herself. The matchup between Geralt’s greatsword and Renfri’s smaller sword and dagger makes for some great choreography. Ultimately though, Geralt is forced to kill her with her own knife. With its combination of tragedy and bloody action, this fight is a fantastic distillation of the best parts of “The Witcher.”

“Reacher” (2022-)
The premiere of this action series starts with a bang! Titular hero Jack Reacher is stuck in prison for a crime he didn’t commit. Placed among the general population, along with a shifty banker, they’re harassed by several inmates. Later, in the bathroom, they’re attacked by a whole gang. Reacher warns them off, before attacking first. His methodical, brutal takedowns of each of his foes is a sight to behold! Bones are broken, heads are smashed into sinks, and eyes are gouged out! It’s overwhelmingly one-sided, but we love it all the same!

“Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” (2013-20)
As the woman they call “the Cavalry,” Melinda May has plenty of great fight scenes in this show. But perhaps her greatest fight is with…herself. Sort of. After her doppelganger, Agent 33, is exposed, May engages her double in a mirror match in a hotel room. The duo fight all over the room, performing flips to twist out of grips, throwing each other over counters. And that table slam will never get old! Speaking of never getting old, does anyone else have a hard time believing actress Ming-Na Wen was in her 50s here? Crazy, right?! May wins by electrocution, ensuring that Agent 33 looks a little less like her from now on!

“Banshee” (2013-16)
This criminally underrated show is loaded with some of the most brutal fight scenes on TV, and this is arguably the best. Nola Longshadow announces her presence at Kai Proctor’s house by throwing a hatchet into the chest of Proctor’s man Clay Burton. Unwilling to let Nola kill his employer, Burton engages in a vicious fight with her. The duo grapple in and around Proctor’s car, with the camera following them inside it and moving on top of it. Both accumulate wounds throughout, yet keep fighting. Finally, Burton manages to eke out a victory with the most gruesome use of a hood ornament you’ll ever see! Bloody, well-choreographed, and expertly filmed, this fight fires on all cylinders!

“Cobra Kai” (2018-19; 2021-)
With its martial arts focus, “Cobra Kai” features plenty of great fights. But few of them are as ambitious as this one. The rivalry between the titular dojo and Miyagi-Do explodes on the first day of school after Tory calls Sam out over the PA. Fights between students of the rival karate dojos erupt throughout the hallways. Each fight has had plenty of buildup and the payoff for each one is fantastic, with plenty of longer shots featuring multiple fights at once. It may end in tragedy, but while it lasts, we’re every bit as invested as the onlookers. They may not pay Mr. Palmer enough to intervene, but we’d pay good money to be “ringside,” as it were.

“Game of Thrones” (2011-19)
This epic fantasy series has several notable duels we considered. Although Brienne’s fight with the Hound was a contender, we elected for a fight involving the latter’s brother, instead. To decide the fate of Tyrion Lannister in a trial by combat, Oberyn Martell a.k.a. the Red Viper duels Gregor Clegane, a.k.a. the Mountain. Oberyn’s flashy spearwork proves a surprisingly good match against the Mountain’s impressive reach. He even stabs Clegane several times, getting him on the ground. Unfortunately, Oberyn wants Clegane to confess to the assault and murder of his sister and her children and doesn’t make it quick. After getting too close, the Mountain obliterates Oberyn’s head. It’s a savage, yet well-choreographed fight in a series infamous for graphic violence.

“Into the Badlands” (2015-19)
Given its many wuxia influenced fight scenes, picking just one fight from this post-apocalyptic series is difficult. Although the Widow and Moon’s fight was tempting, there’s just no beating the final conflict of the show. The last battle of the series involves just about every major character left and lasts for around 10 minutes. While it’s fought on multiple fronts, this gives all the combatants a chance for their unique fighting styles to be highlighted. All the character growth and improvement in fighting skills ensures that everyone is at the top of their games and that “Into the Badlands” goes out on one incredible high note!

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.

This Rematch Delivered on All Fronts!

Jack Gives This Terrorist the Chain

Quite the Creative Use of Fish Hooks…

Arrow Fights a Lot of Guys in Warehouses, but This Goes Especially HARD

Just as Grisly as 2 Men Beating Each Other in the Street Sounds

“Daredevil” (2015-18)
This could have gone several ways, as “Daredevil” has several of TV’s greatest fight scenes. The original long take hallway fight was a game changer. The brutality of the Punisher’s own fight in prison is plenty memorable. But this fight is one of the most technically impressive achievements on TV! Trapped in a prison by the Kingpin during a prison riot, Matt Murdock must escape by fighting off assassins, warring gangs, and corrupt prison guards. The entire sequence is filmed in a single, uninterrupted take, which makes every hit and stunt that much more impressive! No matter how many times we watch it (and that’s a lot) we’re still left as breathless as Murdock by its conclusion!