The martial arts genre seems to be one that’ll remain eternal, perhaps not as popular as it once was, but never waning to the point where people will become disinterested. There’s an undeniable bluntness and spectacle to such movies, given they tend to feature frequent fight scenes, stunt work, and amazing action choreography, more often than not highlighting hand-to-hand combat.
Directors and fight scene choreographers are obviously essential, but great stars are similarly important, because martial arts movies need to sell the action, and it’s the actors who play a massive role in making fight sequences believable. The following actors all have charisma, immense physicality, and a certain believability when it comes to action (often because they’ll do their own stunts). From great to greatest, here’s an attempt to go through some of the best of the best to ever be involved with the genre, particularly in starring roles.
10Iko Uwais
Movies include: ‘The Raid’ (2011), ‘The Raid 2’ (2014), ‘The Night Comes for Us’ (2018)
Though he only found breakout success in 2011, withThe Raid,Iko Uwaishas already established himself worthy of being counted among the greats when it comes to martial arts movie stars.The Raidwassuch an incredible, pure, brutal, and sickeningly convincing action/thriller movie, and then 2014’sThe Raid 2just escalated things even more, with itbecoming a surprisingly epic gangster movieon top of an action flick.
These two films are easily Uwais’ most iconic to date, and as the protagonist of both, he’s essential to a huge number of iconic action scenes spread across the two films. Hollywood has so far underused him in films likeStar Wars: The Force Awakensandthe fourthExpendablesmovie, but anyone who’s seenThe Raidand wants more Iko Uwais should check out the (also brutal)The Night Comes for Us, where he once again shines in a prominent role.
9Sonny Chiba
Movies include: ‘Kill Bill Vol. 1’ (2003), ‘The Street Fighter’ (1974), ‘Wolf Guy’ (1975)
Sonny Chibahas a memorable supporting role inthe first volume ofKill Bill, which is a great martial arts movie, though Chiba himself doesn’t get to show off his martial arts skills. Anyone wanting Sonny Chiba to get into the actual action of an action movie might have to travel back a few decades,back to when he was a massive star in Japan, especially during the 1970s.
He was the sort of actor who considerably elevated what might’ve ordinarily been rather average action flicks, withThe Street Fighterseries,Wolf Guy, andDragon Princessbeing some of his best films from the era. It’s pretty clearQuentin Tarantinowas a big fan of Chiba, givenKill Billhomages the sort of martial arts movies he starred in while also casting the actor in the pivotal role of sword-smith Hattori Hanzō.
8Donnie Yen
Movies include: ‘Hero’ (2002), ‘Ip Man’ (2008), ‘John Wick: Chapter 4’ (2023)
Faring a little better in Hollywood to date than Iko Uwais,Donnie Yenmight be most recognizable to viewers in the West for his roles inRogue One: A Star Wars StoryandJohn Wick: Chapter 4. Funnily enough, both movies saw him playing a blind character, though in both instances, lacking eyesight did very little to slow down his combat abilities (especially so inJohn Wick).
He’s had plenty of noteworthy non-American movie roles, too, starring inthe long-running biographicalIp Manseries,as well as being featured inOnce Upon a Time in China IIin 1992, andNew Dragon Gate Innfrom that same year. He’s consistently great whenever called upon to take part in an action scene, and the latestJohn Wicksuggests he’s not going to slow down any time soon, since Yen turned 60 the same year that film came out.
7Chow Yun-fat
Movies include: ‘Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon’ (2000), ‘Curse of the Golden Flower’ (2006), ‘The Killer’ (1989)
There’s an argument to be made that anyone who had a prominent role in the creation ofCrouching Tiger, Hidden Dragonis worthy of being considered an icon within the martial arts genre. It offered something new to martial arts movies as a whole, homaging classic wuxia movies while making the whole thing more approachable than ever before.Chow Yun-fatwas well-established before 2000 as an action movie star, butCrouching Tiger, Hidden Dragonjust made him even more of a legend.
Some of his other moviesfeature gunfights more than fist/sword fights, but there’s a physicality to the roles he plays in movies like The Killer andHard Boiledthat makes those films almost feel like martial arts movies, at least in some scenes. And then there are other genuine/more traditional martial arts movies he starred in, including 2006’sCurse of the Golden Flower,which scratches a similar itch toCrouching Tiger, Hidden Dragonby also being beautiful, visually bold, and dramatically impactful.
Movies include: ‘Hero’ (2002), ‘Fearless’ (2006), ‘Once Upon a Time in China’ (1991)
Jet Liwas born the same year as Donnie Yen, and the two have both starred together on more than one occasion, including inHeroandOnce Upon a Time in China II. In both those instances at least, though, Li played the central character, and when it comes toOnce Upon a Time in China, he’s the star across that series’ initial trilogy (three films telling an epic story, all released in 1991 and 1992).
Other Jet Limartial arts movies that prove seriously impressiveincludeTai-Chi Master(1993), Fist of Legend (1994), and Fearless (2006). He became fairly well-known in Hollywood, too, thanks to starring in the first threeExpendablesmovies andMulan(2020)… admittedly, those aren’t as good as the classic Chinese films he’s starred in, but it’s nevertheless worth mentioning that he’s a martial arts star who’s achieved true international recognition.
5Sammo Hung
Movies include: ‘Project A’ (1986), ‘Ip Man 2’ (2010), ‘The Millionaires’ Express’ (1986)
It would be nearly impossible to count thenumber of iconic action sequencesSammo Hung’sbeen a part of, ashe started out as a martial arts actor when he was very young, appearing in uncredited/background roles for a while. He slowly rose up the ranks, so to speak, and eventually became a somewhat unlikely leading man, as well as a skilled director of various action movies, too.
Hung brings a unique physicality to the sorts of fights his characters get involved in, as he has a large frame yet can still move just as fast as just about anyone else. He stands out among other martial arts movie actors in a good way, and has been at the forefront of numerous classic action flicks, includingThe Millionaires’ ExpressandProject A, as well as more recent films like the second entry in the Donnie Yen-starringIp Manseries.
4Michelle Yeoh
Movies include: ‘Everything Everywhere All at Once’ (2022), ‘Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon’ (2000), ‘Wing Chun’ (1994)
The landscape of martial arts cinema in decades past tended to be more than a bit male-dominated, butMichelle Yeohproves it’s unfair how actresses generally weren’t given as many opportunities to shine, given she’s just as iconic as all the great male leads in the genre. She’s been kicking all sorts of ass for decades now, withearly films likeYes, Madam!andMagnificent Warriorsstill – for the most part – holding up extremely well.
She’s never seemed to slow down when it came to picking action movie roles, either, as she played a lead role inCrouching Tiger, Hidden Dragonalongside Chow Yun-fat, and also hadperhaps the best role of her entire career as recently as 2022, withEverything, Everywhere All at Once. That Best Picture winner shows she can do a lot more than just action, too, but when there’s a fight scene to be fought, few other stars – be they male or female – are as capable as Yeoh consistently is.
3Gordon Liu
Movies include: ‘Kill Bill Vol. 1’ (2003) & ‘Vol. 2’ (2004), ‘The 36th Chamber of Shaolin, (1978), ‘The 8 Diagram Pole Fighter’ (1984)
It feels a bit unfair to only highlight one actor who’s inextricably linked to Shaw Brothers Studio, butGordon Liuis debatably the best star who had breakout success with the studio.Whether it was inunique martial arts movies likeThe 36th Chamber of Shaolinor all-out bloodbaths likeThe 8 Diagram Pole Fighter, Liu continually showed how he always understood the assignment.
Like with Sonny Chiba, Quentin Tarantino was clearly a fan, and he ended up giving Gordon Liu not one, but two roles in Kill Bill: one as the leader of the Crazy 88 in Vol. 1, and then a meatier/more dialogue-heavy role as Pai Mei inVol. 2. Those movies are probably where most people in the West will know Liu from, but his dozens of performances in martial arts movies of old – often in the starring role – shouldn’t be overlooked by anyone who loves old-school martial arts action.
2Bruce Lee
Movies include: ‘Enter the Dragon’ (1973), ‘Fist of Fury’ (1972), ‘The Way of the Dragon’ (1972)
Bruce Leeis basically untouchable, so far as iconic action stars go, even though heonly starred in four complete martial arts moviesin his tragically short career. A fifth of sorts,Game of Death, wascobbled together after he passed away, with the fight scenes he shot for the movie easily being the best parts of it… well, really, the only watchable parts, because the non-Bruce Lee stuff in that film proves to be kind of rubbish.
But as for the other four movies, they’re all classics, and it’s bittersweet howeach one felt a little better or more ambitious than the last, given he could well have continued making even better films.The Big Boss,Fist of Fury, TheWay of the Dragon, and then his final completed film,Enter the Dragon, all represent 1970s martial arts action at its best, and are essentially required viewing for anyone who loves action movies. They immortalized Bruce Lee as an icon forever, and though it always hurts knowing he wasn’t able to star in more, the films he did give the world continue to endure and entertain more than half a century on from his passing.
1Jackie Chan
Movies include: ‘Drunken Master II’ (1994), ‘Police Story’ (1985), ‘Who Am I?’ (1998)
Because of Bruce Lee’s untimely death,Jackie Chanmight well just get the edge on Lee when it comes to crowning a single actor as the king of the martial arts genre. Jackie Chancame close to deathduring many of his grandiose stunts, because when he was at his peak, there seemed to be nothing off-limits to the actor. Outside the stunts, he’s also aperfectionist when it comes to choreographing action, but the dedication almost always pays off.
Before coming to Hollywood, Jackie Chan worked tirelessly within the Hong Kong film industry, starring in (and sometimes directing) dozens of amazing action movies. He’s continued to charm and entertain as he’s gotten older, and proves enjoyable to watch even in his (generally) tamer Hollywood outings. He’s a legend, perhaps the bravest of all time when it comes to performing stunts, and always delivers in the action department. None have ever done the martial arts genre better,and it might well be safe to say that no one will ever top Jackie Chan when both the quality and quantity of one’s filmography are taken into account.
