The Art of the Blade: Unforgettable Sword Fights in Kung Fu Cinema

1. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000)

The Green Destiny vs. Jen Yu in the Bamboo Forest

• Director: Ang Lee
• Writer: James Schamus, Kuo Jung Tsai, Hui-Ling Wang
• Cast: Chow Yun-Fat (Li Mu Bai), Michelle Yeoh (Yu Shu Lien), Zhang Ziyi (Jen Yu), Chang Chen (Lo 'Dark Cloud' An)

This is one of my all-time favorite movies and a story I come back to time and time again to understand the power of love and to see some asses getting kicked. The sword fight in this movie is ethereal and visually stunning. It's a fight that showcases the almost magical capabilities of the wuxia genre. You get these guys dancing on trees, trying to kill one another.

2. Hero (2002)

Nameless vs. Long Sky (The Chess House Duel)

• Director: Zhang Yimou
• Writer: Feng Li, Bin Wang, Zhang Yimou
• Cast: Jet Li (Nameless), Donnie Yen (Long Sky), Tony Leung (Broken Sword), Maggie Cheung (Flying Snow)

I feel like more people need to see this movie. It's such an interestingly structured fight movie. This battle is set against the rhythmic plucking of a guqin and the steady drip of rain. The choreography is razor-sharp, and we see them use the speed of the "straight sword" (jian) and the spear. It’s a masterpiece of cinematography where the environment reacts to the intensity of the fighters' qi.

3. Come Drink with Me (1966)

Golden Swallow vs. Jade Faced Tiger’s Henchmen

• Director: King Hu
• Writer: King Hu, Erh Chun
• Cast: Cheng Pei-pei (Golden Swallow), Yueh Hua (Fan Da-pei/Drunken Cat), Chan Hung-lit (Jade Faced Tiger)

I could only find the trailer for this movie, which is a bummer because I am not sure it does this sword fight justice. This film is a cornerstone of the genre. The inn fight remains iconic; Golden Swallow uses her twin short swords with surgical precision against overwhelming odds. It's one of those movies that inspired so many after it.

4. The One-Armed Swordsman (1967)

Fang Kang vs. The Long-Armed Devil

• Director: Chang Cheh
• Writer: Ni Kuang, Chang Cheh
• Cast: Jimmy Wang Yu (Fang Kang), Chiao Chiao (Xiao Man), Pan Yin-Tze (Qi Pei-er)

Grabbed another trailer for this epic Shaw Brothers movie. It's like a dark and powerful martial arts experience. The story is simple: After losing his arm, Fang Kang develops a broken-sword technique to counter the specialized "sword-trap" weapons of his enemies. At the end of the movie, you have a crazy showdown with a wild body count. All done with blades.

5. Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003)

The Bride vs. The Crazy 88 at the House of Blue Leaves

• Director: Quentin Tarantino
• Writer: Quentin Tarantino
• Cast: Uma Thurman (The Bride), Lucy Liu (O-Ren Ishii), Sonny Chiba (Hattori Hanzo), Gordon Liu (Johnny Mo)

I think this is one of Quentin Tarantino's best movies, and certainly one of my faves all time. I just think he understands the heart of these movies, and this one is specifically emotional and raw. It's a love letter to Japanese chanbara and Chinese wuxia. This sequence is a maximalist explosion of limbs and steel with a Hanzo sword swung like a conductor at a blood orchestra.

6. Drunken Master II (1994)

Wong Fei-hung vs. Fu Wen-chi (The Marketplace Duel)

• Director: Lau Kar-leung
• Writer: Edward Tang, Tong Kay-ming, Yuen Chieh-chi
• Cast: Jackie Chan (Wong Fei-hung), Ti Lung (Wong Kei-ying), Anita Mui (Ling), Lau Kar-leung (Master Fu Wen-chi)

I think this movie has, pound for pound, the best stunts I have ever seen. The mid-movie duel between Jackie Chan and his real-life director, Lau Kar-leung, is a masterclass in weapon choreography. I mean, this scene is maybe one of the greatest fight scenes of all time. They are fighting under and around a moving train with a spear and a straight sword. It is incredible.

Summing It All Up 

These are my favorite fights, but I bet you have a few that should be on here. I want to hear about more sword fights I need to see and to add to this list. Educate me!