Best fight scenes in movies and TV
Do you love watching people punch each other in the face repeatedly? If so, you’re going to love our list of the best fight scenes in movies and TV.
Yes, we know on paper it’s not exactly high-brow stuff, but a good fight scene or action set piece can inspire just as much emotion as any dramatic scene or heartfelt monologue. Just think about the time Captain America fought Thanos and the swell of emotion you felt as the Mad Titan got bonked on the head by Thor’s hammer. Would that moment have worked if Cap and Thanos had had a debate instead? We don’t think so.
Of course, that’s just one example of the incredible fights from across the worlds of TV and film. So strap on your sweatbands and get your best gi out of the closet because these are the best fight scenes in movies and TV.
Frank versus Nada (They Live)
Filmmakers often prioritize style above all else when shooting fight scenes, and it’s easy to understand why. Slickly choreographed action is really entertaining to watch and brings some clarity to something inherently frantic. As a result, though, some cinematic brawls can feel artificial and staged.
That’s not an accusation you can throw Nada (Roddy Piper) and Frank’s (Keith David) fight in John Carpenter’s They Live. This brilliant set piece realistically captures the strange, impotent fury of a good old-fashioned scrap. Set in an alley, the fight is long and ugly, eschewing overly complicated choreography in favor of practical, heavy blows and efficient grapples.
It’s chaotic – and in many ways remarkably uncinematic – yet Piper and David turn what could have been a forgettable muddle into an exhausting and memorable movie moment. The fight essentially serves as a metaphor for the entire film. Nada is going to make the human race confront the aliens who control them no matter what, even if it involves an awful amount of kicking and screaming.
Omni-Man versus Mark Grayson (Invincible)
Some fights on this list were chosen because they’re amazing displays of athleticism; others evoke incredible emotion, but Omni-Man versus Invincible? Well, we chose this one for its jaw-dropping brutality. It’s not even really a fight, not in the traditional sense, Mark’s just too shell-shocked and inexperienced to land a scratch on his dear old dad, allowing Omni-Man to tear him (and anyone unfortunate enough to take the train to work) apart.
By the end, Mark looks like he’s had an unfortunate accident in a red paint factory, covered in blood, bone, and bits of teeth. Still, Mark gets the final blow, delivering a metaphorical gut punch to Omni-Man when — through the mess of sausage meat that was once his face — he reminds his dad that despite the bloodshed, he still loves him.
That’s arguably what makes this fight so memorable. The underlying horror is that this isn’t some simple superhero showdown. It’s a vicious fight between father and son, both of whom believe the other betrayed them. Thankfully it was all resolved in Invincible season 2... for now.
Oh Dae-su and his hammer versus everyone (Oldboy)
A lot of the fighters on this list have special powers of some kind or a unique combat style that makes fighting them a death sentence. That’s not the case for Oh Dae-su (Choi Min-sik), the main character of Oldboy and a man on a mission to find out who locked him away for 15 years. All Oh Dae-su has going for him is an unstoppable determination to take revenge on those who’ve wronged him.
No scene in Park Chan-wook’s violent masterpiece demonstrates that commitment to vengeance more than the corridor hammer fight. Shot in a single take, the fight is a brutal orgy of violence, with Oh Dae-su facing a seemingly endless horde of gangsters. As wave after wave of thugs throws themselves against our hero, he refuses to break, even if he does occasionally stumble, until all his foes have tasted the blunt edge of his hammer.
The Mountain versus The Red Viper (Game of Thrones)
Game of Thrones featured many spectacular struggles, but few were as personal as Oberyn Martell (Pedro Pascal) and The Mountain’s (Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson) battle to the death. As fights go, the actual duel was spectacularly well choreographed, and the pair’s contrasting styles turned what was effectively a punch-up into an operatic ballet of gore and viscera.
Oberyn was every bit as quick and deadly as his serpentine sobriquet suggested, lashing out with his spear with murderous grace. At the same time, The Mountain was a juggernaut of barbarity, hammering at his foe like a sour-faced butcher chopping through a sinewy piece of meat. Ultimately, neither man really won the fight, although Oberyn – who had his head turned into chunky salsa – probably came off worst.
What elevates this duel above others in the series, though, is the setup and stakes. This isn’t a fight over a castle or perceived slight; it’s about justice for Oberyn’s murdered sister and Tyrion Lannister, whose ultimate fate will be decided by the winner. In any other series, the virtuous Oberyn would have triumphed and avenged his sister by saving Tryion from the executioner’s blade, but in Game of Thrones, the good guys don’t always win.
Mad Dog versus Jaka (The Raid)
Few fighters on this list are as violent and ruthless as Mad Dog (Yayan Ruhian), the right-hand man of The Raid’s villain Tama. A frighteningly fast fighter, Mad Dog’s small stature belied his mastery of martial arts, as poor Sergeant Jaka (Joe Taslim) learned when he tried to take him on. Their fight was a quick but memorable one, with Jaka giving as good as he got in the beginning. Unfortunately, Jaka just couldn’t anticipate Mad Dog’s slightly unhinged and needlessly cruel fighting style, and he ended up paying the ultimate price.
What makes this fight so special isn’t the way it underscores the message of The Raid or because it has some special significance to the overall story. It’s just badass. Sorry if that’s a bit vapid, but it’s true: Mad Dog and Jaka’s fight gives me everything I want from a fight; it’s fast, violent, and incredibly entertaining. It makes sense that of all the action set pieces in The Raid, this is the one that stands out the most, considering Ruhian helped choreograph a lot of the film’s fight scenes. Still, director Gareth Evans does a fantastic job of keeping the action coherent despite the fighter’s blistering speed.
Gohan versus Cell (Dragon Ball Z)
Dragon Ball is well known for its meticulously crafted fights, and any one of Goku, Gohan, or even Vegeta’s (if you were feeling charitable) battles could have made this list. That said, when it comes to sheer catharsis, no bout of blows in the series will ever top Gohan versus Cell. Allow us to set the scene: the stakes had never been higher for the Z-Fighters, who’d never faced an opponent as powerful as Cell. Even Goku, the strongest man on Earth, was unable to take down the bio-mechanical baddie.
Yet there’s still hope; Goku believes his son Gohan has the power to end Cell, and so the fight begins. Ever the smug snake, Cell decided to taunt Gohan and attacked his friends, hoping to enrage the boy and unlock his true power. Well, as the old saying goes, be careful what you wish for (even when using Dragon Balls) because once Gohan had tapped into that power, the battle was basically over.
With startling ease, Gohan humbled Cell, reducing him to a crying mess with some well-placed blows. The android was completely helpless in front of the might of a Super Saiyan 2, and after an entire saga of Cell boasting about his perfect power, it was so satisfying to see the villain brought to his knees. The cherry on top? Cell loses his perfect form and reverts to his weaker, Semi-Perfect stage. It’s possibly the series’ most humiliating moment, and it always makes me smile. Yeah, we know it didn’t stick, and Cell returned more powerful than ever, but even now, we get chills watching Gohan take him down a peg or two.
Morpheus and Neo (The Matrix)
While stakes are an important part of any fight scene, not every battle has to be a life-or-death struggle. Indeed, one of the better fights in the first Matrix movie is Morpheus (Laurence Fishburne) and Neo’s (Keanu Reeves) sparring session. Despite being a training match, this scene manages to be particularly exciting while also driving the story forward.
In terms of fight choreography, it’s an astounding piece of work that allows the Wachowskis to show off some anime-inspired cinematography, impressive wirework, as well as the skill of Reeves and Fishburne. That said, there’s more to the scene than simple spectacle. The fight is a neat bit of economic storytelling that allows the Wachowskis to explain how people unplugged from The Matrix quickly get their powers – while also teasing the abilities of The One – without resorting to dull exposition.
The best part about the fight – aside from the crew of the Neverkenza’s shock at Neo’s blinding speed – is how Morpheus reacts to the session. In the beginning, Morpheus is clearly the master, demanding his opponent “stop trying to hit him and him, but by the end, he knows Neo knows more than just kung fu. He’s The One.
Wong Fei-hung’s market fight (Legend Of The Drunken Master)
No one mixes comedy and action together quite like Jackie Chan; he’s basically Buster Keaton with a black belt, and no film proves that quite like Legend Of The Drunken Master. As you’d expect from the title, the film follows Wong Fei-hung (Chan), a fighter with a unique style that means he’s at his strongest after a drink… or several.
As a premise, it’s brilliantly funny, but Chan’s clever choreography and playful sense of humor shine brightest during the fight in the market. During the scene, Chan bobs and weaves around his opponents like a cartoon character brought to life, humiliating them in the process. What makes this all the more memorable is the goofy expression on Chan’s face as he flails around the place like a trash bag caught in the wind.
Aang versus Fire Lord Ozai (Avatar: The Last Airbender)
We had three seasons of build-up for the final showdown between Aang and Ozai, and boy, oh boy, was it worth the wait. Going into the battle, the odds seemed stacked against Aang; he’d lost access to the Avatar State and was determined to resolve things peacefully. Meanwhile, The Fire Lord wanted the boy dead and had been turned from a simple bender into a walking firestorm by Sozin’s comet.
While the pair initially seemed evenly matched – with Aang even showing a slight advantage when he redirected Ozai’s most powerful attack – the tide turned when the young Avatar refused to go on the offensive. As Ozai pushed his advantage, it looked as though Aang’s Goose-eel was cooked. Luckily, a well-placed rock (yes, really) unblocked Aang’s chakra, and he could once again access the Avatar state, allowing him to use the combined power of all his previous incarnations and subdue the genocidal Fire Lord.
While the final showdown between Ozai and Aang is action-packed and beautifully animated, the reason it stands out as one of the best fight scenes ever has little to do with spectacle. Instead, it’s the way the fight’s resolution cleverly aligns with the series’ anti-war message. Aang doesn’t murder his enemy, despite the pressure from his friends and previous incarnations, as he realizes that as the Last Airbender, he has to live up to his people’s values. Otherwise, the airbenders way of life would be gone forever.