If you cross paths with these formidable fighters, you better bring your A-game. Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the film characters most skilled at close combat, with or without weapons.
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00:00You should have stayed out, for all our sakes.
00:06I tried.
00:08Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the film character's most skilled at close combat, with or without weapons.
00:21Number 20. James Dalton. Roadhouse.
00:24If there were ever anyone overqualified for his job, it's James Dalton.
00:31Escort this gentleman to the door.
00:34A 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.
00:43Thankfully, however, his fighting skills are as tight as his jeans.
00:46While 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.
00:51Plus, it's no ordinary fighter who can tear a man's throat out with his bare hands.
01:04Number 19. Kurt Sloane. Kickboxer franchise.
01:07A professional kickboxer, Sloane becomes involved in a Muay Thai fighting ring in Thailand, following a grievous loss by his brother, Eric.
01:21While the actor who plays him has varied over the years and reboots, one thing that never changes is Kurt's abilities in the ring.
01:27Not only is Kurt a great fighter, he's able to endure quite a lot of punishment, too.
01:36He's also prone to a little theatricality with his moves, with high kicks being a prominent part of his arsenal.
01:41Whether he's out for vengeance or merely retaliating, Kurt Sloane is one kick-ass kickboxer.
01:46Number 18. Oh Dae-su. Old boy.
01:48A South Korean businessman, Oh Dae-su is one day imprisoned in an apartment building for unknown reasons.
01:54During his confinement, he trains daily in fighting, planning for his escape.
02:02When he finally gets released, he goes on a roaring rampage of revenge.
02:06Although 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.
02:13His brawl against an entire hallway of thugs with nothing but a hammer is the stuff of movie legends.
02:23Tragically, it isn't his lack of fighting skill that overcomes Dae-su, but, well, we won't spoil it for you.
02:28Number 17. Jason Bourne. Bourne franchise.
02:35So says everyone when they encounter this amnesiac super-spy.
02:38Bourne may have lost his identity, but his body remembers what his mind does not.
02:43In addition to his fantastic gun and car handling abilities, Bourne also has supremacy when it comes to hand-to-hand fighting.
02:49Using his fists and whatever else comes to hand, the ex-assassin can fight off the killers and other agents sent by his former employers.
02:55Bourne's rapid strikes and ability to improvise allows him to deliver an ultimatum to his foes.
03:00Tell them why they're after him, or else.
03:02See what we did there?
03:12Number 16. Achilles. Troy.
03:15This Greek mythological warrior takes part in the battle of Troy.
03:18Reputed to be invulnerable, except for his famous weakness, Achilles is unmatched in battle.
03:27The legendary fighter can take down the most imposing of champions with the greatest of ease.
03:32Even Hector of Troy proves no match for Achilles' overwhelming skill with the sword and spear.
03:36While the fighter is eventually felled, it isn't in a hand-to-hand fight, instead falling to an arrow shot from a bow.
03:41Achilles may die, but his prowess is as immortal as his name.
03:45Number 15. Batman. Various.
03:48Come on, he's Batman. Exactly.
03:50What are you?
03:52I'm Batman.
03:54The caped crusader may be armed to the teeth with gadgets and vehicles, but at the end of the day, he's just a man.
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05:38Kham Yum Goong Franchise
05:39Tony Jaa's many characters tend to kick ass, and Kham is perhaps his most famous.
05:43A guardian for a line of Royal War Elephants, Kham is determined to save the animals when
05:47they're stolen.
05:55The criminals who have taken them soon come to regret it when he comes knocking.
05:58Kham's Muay Thai fighting style favors plenty of high kicks and knees, and he uses them
06:03to blow through most of the goons pitted against him with ease, and plenty of broken bones.
06:14Kham rarely holds anything back, and it makes for some electrifying fight scenes.
06:18Isaiah Bone – Blood and Bone
06:20An ex-convict turned underground fighter, Bone spends most of his titular film embarrassing
06:25everyone he's pitted against.
06:30Played by the incredibly underrated Michael Jai White, Bone is a mixed martial artist
06:34of shocking skill.
06:35Whether he's facing multiple opponents or single fighters, Bone always manages to make
06:39defeating them look downright easy.
06:41Muscular yet graceful, Bone's signature moves tend to revolve around aerial punches and
06:46kicks, sometimes combining them to hit multiple people at once.
06:49There's no bones about how insane Bone's moves are.
06:51We'll never stop loving that double spin kick.
07:00Yuri Boyka – Undisputed Franchise
07:02Self-described as the most complete fighter in the world, Boyka lives up to that title.
07:12As a phenomenally skilled Russian prison fighter, Boyka has a nearly flawless win-loss ratio,
07:17having lost only once.
07:18A mixed martial artist, he incorporates many different styles into his own, though his
07:22signature moves generally revolve around flying kicks, particularly the so-called Giver kick.
07:27While initially presented as an antagonist in his franchise, Boyka undergoes something
07:31of a redemption, becoming more of an anti-hero.
07:37He believes his fighting skills are a gift from God, and we'd agree that they're certainly
07:40divine.
07:41Chan-Jen – Fist of Fury Franchise
07:45A fictional disciple of real-life martial artist Huo Yuanjia, Chan-Jen's story varies
07:50depending on the film, though most depict him seeking revenge after the death of his
07:53master.
07:59Chan has been played by some of the greatest martial arts action stars of all time, including
08:03Bruce Lee, Jet Li, and Donnie Yen.
08:05Each actor has brought their own unique flair and style to the character, yet each is a
08:09spectacular fighter, whose fists and feet enact vengeance on the imperialist forces
08:13that have wronged him and his fellow Chinese people.
08:22Mark Martin – Transporter Franchise
08:24A meticulous driver-for-hire who will transport any cargo for a price, Martin is equally as
08:28skilled in combat as he is behind the wheel.
08:39Despite his specific set of rules, Frank's jobs inevitably go off the rails, and he usually
08:43ends up having to bust the heads of whichever bad guys double-crossed him.
08:46Frank's fighting style is eclectic and adaptable, as he often uses whatever comes to hand as
08:50an improvised weapon.
08:58Sometimes he just utilizes the environment to put his enemies at a disadvantage, and
09:01he always looks good no matter how tough the fight is.
09:05Wang Fei-Hung – Varius
09:07A real historical Chinese martial artist, he's appeared in over 100 films in the last
09:11century.
09:12He's played by everyone from Gordon Liu to Sammo Hung, however his most prominent
09:23portrayals are in the Once Upon a Time in China series and the Drunken Master films
09:27starring Jet Li and Jackie Chan, respectively.
09:29While the former emphasizes Wang's traditional Hung Ga martial arts, the Drunken Master films
09:34see him practicing drunken boxing, which he actually did according to Folklore.
09:43No matter his style or his actor, though, Wang Fei-Hung's legend is kept alive through
09:47some incredible action.
09:49Neo – The Matrix Franchise
09:58Even setting aside his ability to manipulate the Matrix to move faster and hit more powerfully,
10:03Neo is also supernaturally gifted at martial arts.
10:05In addition to Kung Fu, Neo has had dozens of martial arts disciplines and weapon fighting
10:09styles downloaded into his head.
10:11This allows him to battle against many skilled and powerful opponents within the Matrix.
10:19All that together may make Neo the most powerful person on our list.
10:22He may be the one, but he's not quite our number one.
10:26Li – Enter the Dragon
10:28In Bruce Lee's final completed role, he shares a name with his character, Li.
10:31Martial artist monk turned secret agent sent to infiltrate a fighting tournament.
10:39Li defeats all comers in the ring and even kills the crime boss at its head in a famed
10:43fight in a hall of mirrors.
10:44Perhaps the actor's most iconic character, Li showcases his namesake's famous fighting
10:49style, Jeet Kune Do.
10:50The style focuses on intercepting blows and it allows Li to repeatedly get the better
10:54of his opponents, whether he's fighting them barehanded or using nunchaku.
11:00While we'd still put a few fighters ahead of him, Li is undoubtedly an exceptional and
11:06influential movie martial artist.
11:08Beatrix Kiddo – AKA The Bride
11:11Kill Bill Vol. 1 and Kill Bill Vol. 2
11:14A deadly assassin out for revenge after she's betrayed by the title character, Beatrix Kiddo
11:18is among the most deadly female characters to ever grace the silver screen.
11:29Skilled in everything from firearms to the exquisite art of the samurai sword, The Bride
11:33is a force to be reckoned with.
11:35Although she favors the blade, Beatrix is no slouch when it comes to unarmed combat.
11:39She's mastered the one-inch punch and the five-point palm exploding heart technique
11:42after all.
11:49Regardless of whether Beatrix is taking on dozens of yakuza or engaging in a brawl in
11:53a trailer, Black Mamba has quite the bite.
11:56Chan Kakui – AKA Kevin Chan – Police Story Franchise
12:00Jackie Chan has already shown up on our list, but out of all his roles, Chan Kakui is arguably
12:04the best fighter.
12:11A Hong Kong police officer, Chan frequently finds himself in hot water while working undercover
12:16or going up against goons.
12:17He often makes excellent use of his environment and whatever objects come to hand to fend
12:21off his attackers, like the rest of the actor's characters.
12:24Chan also undergoes some of the most brutal stunts.
12:26If the character endures even half the punishment Jackie Chan himself took while filming, this
12:30is one super cop.
12:40Ip Man – Various Yet another real-life martial artist, Ip
12:44Man was the grandmaster of the art of Wing Chun, and one of his students was Bruce Lee.
12:49While a few actors have played the famed master over the years, easily the most iconic is
12:53Donnie Yen, who plays the part in the Ip Man series of films.
12:56Ip's calm, measured style is suitable to his primary role as a teacher, and usually
13:00involves him artfully defeating his opponents.
13:02But when he does lose his temper in combat, he can be downright terrifying.
13:05The man eats black bells for breakfast.
13:14The Raid – The Raid 2 An Indonesian special ops officer, Rama is
13:17as tough as diamonds.
13:23Whether he's trapped in a crime lord-controlled apartment building, or taking down a gang
13:27from the inside, Rama doesn't quit until the job is done.
13:30Skilled in the Indonesian martial art of Pencak Silat, Rama delivers plenty of rapid punches
13:35and kicks to his opponents, while also incorporating grapples, throws, and anything else he can
13:39lay his hands on.
13:40What's truly phenomenal about Rama is how many of his fights take place consecutively.
13:49His endurance and creativity are nearly unrivaled.
14:08John Wick – John Wick Franchise You probably already guessed it, John Wick
14:12has a near-mythic reputation both in and out of universe.
14:22Baba Yaga is the assassin that makes other assassins check under their beds at night.
14:25Mr. Wick is a master of just about every kind of combat, though he does favor judo and jujitsu.
14:30It doesn't matter if he's armed with a gun, a pencil, a book, or his bare hands.
14:33If you try to kill him, or a dog, he'll kill you.
14:36John has gone up against characters played by some of the biggest martial arts stars
14:39in the world, including many on our list, and bested them all.
14:51Who is your favorite movie fighter?
14:53Let us know in the comments!