Martial arts movies thrive off of great fight scenes, and the best ones are often intense, one-on-one duels with two phenomenal performers. Many of the greatest martial arts movies of all time feature chaotic fight scenes, with scores of opponents, memorable for their scale as well as their spectacle.
However, as impressive as these feats of choreography and direction are, it’s the intimately-fought one-on-one battles between two of the best martial arts stars that always stand out more as time goes one. Between their story significance, resonant themes, and pulpy punches with satisfying landings, these duels are simply on another level.
Neo vs. Morpheus
The Matrix
One of the rare Western film series to approach the supremacy of Eastern martial arts films, the Matrix movies helped re-invigorate the genre with their daring editing choices, genius use of special effects and unconventional filming techniques, and clever application of the unique digital world as a fighting landscape.
The best one-on-one fight utilizing all these elements is easily Neo’s sparring match with Morpheus, which quickly draws the eyes of their companions in the real world. From the classic exchange of Neo exclaiming “I know kung fu” and Morpheus prompting “Show me” to the philosophical beats uplifting the fight, this match deserves an honorable mention among the greats.
Donnie Yen vs. Wu Jing
SPL: Sha Po Lang
Released in the United States as Kill Zone, SPL: Sha Po Lang is quietly one of the great Donnie Yen’s best movies. Here, Yen plays super cop Inspector Ma Kwun, who resorts to illegal means to capture a ᴅᴇᴀᴅly crime boss, Wu Jing’s Jack.
Ma and Jack’s intense battle in a moonlit alley is one of the greatest martial arts setpieces in a modern setting, with everything from the wardrobe to the set design firing on all cylinders. They regard each other like fencers as their knife and baton clash, culminating in a bloody battle for supremacy that sees Ma cross over to the dark side.
Ip Man vs. General Miura
Ip Man
Speaking of Donnie Yen, it would be remiss not to mention his more famous series, the Ip Man franchise, when speaking on the greatest one-on-one fights ever made. While the first movie’s best sequence is easily Ip’s triumph over ten black belt karateka at once, the final duel between himself and General Miura is one to remember.
Seeing Miura’s stoic, structured karate go up against Ip Man’s patient, but lightning-fast wing chun is a spectacle worth remembering, and beats such as the move where Ip hooks his leg around Miura’s to avoid falling out of the ring are simply iconic. The fight is also heavy from a thematic standpoint, with Ip representing Chinese cultural steadfastness in the face of Japanese colonialism.
Nameless vs. Long Sky
Hero
Yet another Donnie Yen classic, Hero is a wuxia epic in which Jet Li’s nameless protagonist regales the emperor with tales of how he took down some of the nation’s most feared warriors. His hypothetical battle with Donnie Yen’s spear-wielding Long Sky deserves to go down in history as one of the best cinematic duels ever filmed.
The two fighters gracefully cross weapons as they soar through the air via delicate wirework past one another, turning the delightfully tranquil teahouse into a high-stakes arena. The revelation that the entire fight is merely a simulation run by Nameless’ combat IQ, resulting in an actual victory that results from a single decisive strike, is a stroke of pure brilliance.
Bruce Lee vs. O’Hara
Enter the Dragon
Of Bruce Lee’s canonical five films, Enter the Dragon might be the best simply for its climactic and emotional final showdown between Lee and O’Hara. The menacing bodyguard of the criminal mastermind Han, it’s O’Hara who turns out to be the one responsible for the death of Lee’s sister.
This leads to an emotionally-charged final match between the two that pits Lee’s speed and technique against O’Hara’s mᴀssive frame and brute force. Lee dominates O’Hara for point after point until the raging villain comes at him with broken bottles, allowing Lee to finally disregard the rules and take him down permanently with his iconic stomp.
Rama vs. The ᴀssᴀssin
The Raid 2
The Raid is one of the most brutal, visceral martial arts experiences that cinema has to offer, but it was somehow outdone by its sequel thanks to a single battle in The Raid 2. Here, the heroic police officer Rama is targeted by a lone ᴀssᴀssin in a kitchen, resulting in a nasty tear-down fight he barely survives.
The combat is wince-worthy to begin with, but the tension really cranks up when the ᴀssᴀssin reveals two karambit daggers, a traditional weapon of the film’s native Indonesia. Between the weaponized use of the industrial kitchen environment to Rama’s multiple close calls with the ᴀssᴀssin’s blades, this fight is simply unforgettable.
Jen vs. Shu Lien
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
One of the few martial arts films to earn its critical dues in the West, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon’s choreography is dominated by a relatively early fight featuring the thief Jen going up against Michelle Yeoh’s Shu Lien. Jen pits her fabled Green Destiny blade against Shu Lien’s decades of experience, which she utilizes in a storeroom full of shaolin weaponry.
It’s a brilliant match-up of brains vs brawn as Jen smashes through a wide variety of weapons that Shu Lien proves to be an expert in, eventually finding a way to use Jen’s ferocious strikes against her. This fight isn’t just one of the best all-female martial arts battles, but one of the best in the genre, full stop.
Wong Fei-hung vs. John
Drunken Master 2
Confusingly billed in the West as Legend of the Drunken Master, Drunken Master 2 is one of the standout jewels in Jackie Chan’s illustrious career. The phenomenal ending sees Wong Fei-hung pull out all the stops pitting his signature drunken boxing against the ferocious fighting of the imperial lapdog John.
The factory setting makes for an amazing backdrop that allowed Jackie Chan to participate in some of his most dangerous stunts yet, raking himself across H๏τ coals. Wong Fei-hung has to use every immortal form he learned in the previous film to good use to stand a chance against John, only pulling through by the skin of his teeth in this jaw-dropping finale.
Jackie Chan vs. Benny “The Jet” Urquidez
Wheels on Meals
Few martial arts films are known for one great fight scene quite like Wheels on Meals, which sees Jackie Chan’s character go up against a nameless thug played by real-life kickboxing champion Benny “The Jet” Urquidez. Set in the backdrop of a fancy mansion, Urquidez’s character forces Jackie Chan’s Thomas to fight for his life to stand a chance.
Watching Thomas go from being on the backfoot to controlling the pace of the fight by treating it like a sparring match, playfully calling out Benny’s feints, is a masterpiece of choreography. The power behind Urquidez’s blows are easy to feel as he extinguishes candles and smashes chairs, and seeing Thomas find a way to come out on top is immensely satisfying.
Chuck Norris vs. Bruce Lee
Return of the Dragon
It says a lot about Bruce Lee’s career that simply crossing fists with him once is enough to launch another martial artist into movie stardom. This is exactly what happened to Chuck Norris thanks to their bout in Return of the Dragon, with Norris’ Colt taking on Bruce Lee’s Tang Lung.
Illegally filmed in the Roman colosseum, this fight carries a sort of contraband excitement as the two talented fighters go at it, with Bruce Lee going as far as to famously rip out Chuck Norris’ chest hair. The blows that land are pulpy and satisfying, and the martial arts showdown gives the impression that both fighters hate, yet respect each other, propelling them into cinematic greatness.
