While there are plenty of iconic martial arts heroes across the history of kung fu cinema, there are just as many unforgettable villains who have spread fear into the hearts of countless viewers. From Hong Kong classics to Hollywood hits, the martial arts movie industry has been a global phenomenon for decades, whose popularity often hinged on the power of its ruthless villains and formidable foes. Although audiences love to watch heroes like Bruce Lee defeat the bad guys, the best martial arts movies feature three-dimensional villains who endure in the public consciousness decades after their movie first came to theaters.

Creating a truly memorable movie villain is no mean feat, as it’s important that they have other character traits besides being ruthlessly evil. Whether it is through acting as a mirrored image of the film’s protagonist or simply being so outrageous that they endure in audiences’ memories for years on end, having a great villain is just as essential as a compelling hero for any kung fu film worth its salt. While everyone will have a different answer for their favorite martial arts movie villain, all of these antagonists have left an unquestionable mark on the genre.

5

Sho’nuff

The Last Dragon (1985)

The gang leader Sho’nuff stands as a truly unforgettable martial arts movie villain whose vain and brutal techniques made him an integral part of the Blaxploitation classic The Last Dragon. With an intense hatred for the film’s hero, Leroy Green (Taimak), Sho’nuff despised Leroy’s words of wisdom, calling his path of peace and enlightenment nothing but “mumbo jumbo” that “gives kung fu a bad name.” Known as the Shogun of Harlem, Sho’nuff was a lowlife New York City fighter who would provoke people into fights to try and soothe his fragile ego.

With a suitably unhinged performance from Julius J. Carry III as Sho’nuff, The Last Dragon was a wild, genre-bending experience that was oozing with style. Although Sho’nuff may have been small in stature, he possessed fighting ability far beyond what his appearance suggests and showcased enough skill to take on an entire theater of moviegoers and defeat them all. As a chaotic leader and one of the funniest martial arts villains, Sho’nuff was an unforgettable movie character.

4

Colt

The Way of the Dragon (1972)

The Way of the Dragon stands as a defining release in Bruce Lee’s all too brief filmography that was also the major screen debut of internet legend Chuck Norris. As Colt, Norris was one of the few movie villains whose talents could stack up against a cinematic legend like Lee, and to see them facing off in the film’s climactic fight stands as one of the most unforgettable battles in kung fu history. With Colt as a world-class martial artist who’d rather die than accept mercy, this character was a major part of the film’s legacy.

While Colt has remained an iconic martial arts villain, his appearance was also memorable for the behind-the-scenes circumstances of his relationship with Lee. As the director, writer, and star of The Way of the Dragon, Lee exerted incredible creative control over the project and personally invited Norris to join the film for the final showdown in the Colosseum. As an epic ten-minute battle, Lee knew he needed a fighter of exceptional talent and, in the process, kickstarted the extraordinary career of one of the all-time great American action heroes.

3

Bill

Kill Bill (2003/2004)

The leader of the ᴅᴇᴀᴅly Viper ᴀssᴀssination Squad, simply known as Bill, was the main antagonist of Quentin Tarantino’s Kill Bill duology, which was released in two parts in 2003 and 2004. As a mᴀssively important martial arts release, Kill Bill helped reignite the popularity of kung fu cinema in the Western world and featured many allusions, references, and appearances relating to classic Hong Kong fighting films. As an unseen figure for the majority of the two-part series, the epic build toward the Bride’s (Uma Thurman) confrontation with Bill was part of what made his character so compelling.

With a great performance from David Carradine, the revelation that Bill was actually the Bride’s former lover and father of their child made his ruthless ᴀssᴀssination attempt all the more sinister. The build-up toward Bill’s revelation was central to his enduring legacy, as the тιтle made clear that the Bride’s journey was continually inching toward an epic stand-off against this violent man. Tarantino created many memorable martial arts villains for the Bride to face in Kill Bill, but the ᴅᴇᴀᴅly Viper Squad’s heartless leader is always the first who comes to mind.

2

Chong Li

Bloodsport (1988)

Bloodsport was the breakout role for action movie legend Jean-Claude Van Damme, although this movie would not be nearly as iconic without the epic villain that was Chong Li. Through a compelling performance from the skilled martial artist and bodybuilder Bolo Yeung, Chong Li was a formidable foe for Van Damme’s Frank Dux, whose participation in the ᴅᴇᴀᴅly underground Kumite compeтιтion made for nail-biting viewing. As a strong fighter and an unforgettable Kumite champion, Chong Li was known to have killed several opponents in the ring.

Chong Li had an aggressive personality and consistently mocked, taunted, and intimidated his opponents before battle. As a truly ruthless fighter, Chong Li took sadistic glee out of hurting his fellow compeтιтors and would leave them crippled or even ᴅᴇᴀᴅ just to show off to the crowd. While there have been plenty of callous and vicious villains across the history of martial arts cinema, it’s hard to think of one more cruel and savage than Bloodsport’s Chong Li.

1

Johnny Lawrence

The Karate Kid (1984)

The Karate Kid’s Johnny Lawrence was such an iconic martial arts movie villain that his legacy endured decades after the original 1984 film, and he even received a redemption arc in the Netflix sequel series Cobra Kai. Johnny stood as the total anтιтhesis to Daniel LaRusso, and as an arrogant and self-important high school bully, it was intensely satisfying to watch him finally get his comeuppance as LaRusso defeated him with his iconic crane stance kick at the All Valley Under 18 Karate Tournament. With a ruthless martial arts mentality, Johnny’s no-mercy philosophy made him the definitive Cobra Kai antagonist.

While Johnny might look like a one-dimensional villain in The Karate Kid, the way his story was expanded upon in Cobra Kai added intrigue to his character. As a troubled kid in need of guidance, Johnny was coaxed into his villainous beliefs, and when the story of The Karate Kid is seen from his point of view, it’s possible to see Johnny as a victim of LaRusso. The depth behind the simple facade of Johnny’s appearance in The Karate Kid made his journey in Cobra Kai all the more compelling and turned him into a true martial arts hero.