There are plenty of different types of action scenes featured throughout the history of the highly regarded and ever-popular genre. It’s in the name of the genre, really: the bread-and-butter of action movies are their action scenes, and such movies live or die based on how memorable such sequences are. It’s hard to pick which kind of action scene is the best or most thrilling, but the humble movie sword fight would have to be up there as a contender.

Whether in classic martial arts movies, samurai films, or fantasy flicks, when two or more characters clash in an extended sword fight, and the choreography and camerawork do such a set-up justice, movie magic tends to follow. The following rank among the greatest sword fight sequences of all time, taking into account intensity, impact, and sometimes – though not always – duration, which such great scenes ranked below.

10 'Kill Bill: Vol. 2' (2004)

The Bride vs. Elle Driver

Kill Bill Vol. 2 has a good deal less action than the first half of the overall epic revenge-focused duology, but it still delivers when it needs to. The climactic confrontation between The Bride and Bill is more a battle of words than one of physical skill, but things get down, dirty, darkly funny, and nerve-wracking when the Bride clashes with Elle Driver inside a very cramped location: a trailer home.

It’s an unlikely place to have a dramatic showdown, but it works unbelievably well within the context of Kill Bill Vol. 2, standing out because of how brutal the fighting gets and for where it takes place. It might not be the very best sword fight found in Kill Bill, but it’s definitely the highlight of Vol. 2 as far as action sequences go.

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9 'Monty Python and the Holy Grail' (1975)

The Black Knight scene

Okay, so the Black Knight confrontation in the classic parody film that is Monty Python and the Holy Grail is a complete joke, so anyone inexplicably hoping for great choreography or believable action is going to be disappointed. But what a joke it is, and though there are many iconic (and endlessly quotable) scenes featured throughout this film, King Arthur’s confrontation with the Black Knight stands tall as one of the very best.

But do you know who doesn’t stand tall? The Black Knight by the end of the fight in question, given it’s a drawn-out sequence where Arthur lops off all his limbs one by one, with the Black Knight unwilling – or maybe even unable – to ever admit defeat. ‘Tis one of the silliest sword fights in cinema history, but that’s also what makes it one of the very best.

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8 'The Last Duel' (2021)

The titular last duel

Given Ridley Scott has made his fair share of action movies, epics, and historical dramas, it follows quite naturally that his filmography is made up of some very good sword fight sequences. In fact, there probably should be some honorable mentions, with his very first feature film – The Duellists – being all about… well, dueling, and 2005’s underrated Kingdom of Heaven having some amazing war sequences complete with plenty of clashing swords.

But (the also underrated) The Last Duel is a film of his where the single big sword fight of the film is built up to so fantastically, with stakes well-established and an amazing sense of tension both in that build-up and then during the fight itself. The story of The Last Duel builds up to a depiction of the final official judicial duel fought in France in 1386, and the duel in question is undoubtedly an all-timer.

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7 'Gladiator' (2000)

Maximus vs. Commodus

For as good as the last duel in The Last Duel is, the last duel from Ridley Scott’s Gladiator is probably even better. Again, it’s a climactic action sequence that the whole movie builds to patiently and expertly, with a thoroughly unlikable villain in the form of Emperor Commodus proposing to fight the heroic Maximus in the Colosseum, all after betraying Maximus and ruining his life.

It’s a clear instance of good vs. evil, as opposed to the more complicated and uneasy battle in The Last Duel (which is more like evil vs. eviller), but when something simple works, there’s nothing wrong with that. The final combat sequence in Gladiator is rousing, intense, cathartic, and ultimately bittersweet, being a perfect ending to an epic that ranks among Scott’s very best films.

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6 'The Empire Strikes Back' (1980)

Luke Skywalker vs. Darth Vader

As far as movie sequels go, few can claim to be better than The Empire Strikes Back, which takes everything great about 1977’s Star Wars and just builds upon it – and improves things – in just about every conceivable way. The story hits the ground running, with the first act containing the biggest battle sequence in the film, and one that ultimately splits the heroes up, with Luke Skywalker receiving training from Yoda before leaving hurriedly to confront Darth Vader in the film’s climax.

It's a fight Luke ends up losing, though he does at least make it out with his life. It’s more emotional and visceral than the lightsaber duel found in 1977’s Star Wars (which is a powerful scene if one has knowledge of the Prequel Trilogy), and it’s probably fair to call it a sword fight; it’s just done with the sci-fi equivalent of traditional swords is all. The Empire Strikes Back is essentially perfect and has a lot more to offer than just action, of course, but Luke’s fight with Vader might well be the best one-on-one duel in the series’ history.

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5 'The Princess Bride' (1987)

Westley vs. Inigo Montoya

A perfectly written movie that stands as one of the best of the entire 1980s, The Princess Bride offers a little of everything genre-wise. It works as a romantic fantasy film, but also a comedy that gently parodies the tropes found in such genres. It’s got great characters and quotable dialogue, a snappy pace, and even a decent amount of swashbuckling action for those who might otherwise be disappointed that it’s based on “a kissing book.”

Perhaps the most iconic sword-fighting scene of the film comes fairly early on, with the (at that moment) mysterious masked man dueling the charismatic Inigo Montoya on the Cliffs of Insanity. It’s a sequence that manages to be exciting, suspenseful, and funny, all at once, and even if the fight choreography wasn’t good, it would still be memorable for how much it adds to the overall story of The Princess Bride and the memorable characters within it.

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4 'The Sword of Doom' (1966)

The ending

You enter into a movie with a name like The Sword of Doom hoping it will deliver at least a little by way of compelling swordplay, and in this regard, The Sword of Doom does not disappoint. It’s one of the most brutal and memorable samurai films of its era – maybe even of all time – with the story following a terrifying and ruthless swordsman killing with little hesitation and making numerous enemies all the while.

It's predominantly a slow-build of a drama with bursts of action here and there, but most of the visceral fighting is saved for an extended sequence right near the end. It’s a carnage-heavy showdown where the main character hacks through waves of foes; a scene that was a long time coming and then ends jarringly soon. Still, this somehow just makes the entire climax of The Sword of Doom all the more effective and memorable.

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3 'Harakiri' (1962)

Hanshirō vs. the Iyi Clan

One final samurai movie worth highlighting when it comes to the topic of great sword fights is 1962’s Harakiri, which also happens to star the same lead actor as The Sword of Doom, Tatsuya Nakadai (both he and Toshiro Mifune were legendarily good when appearing in films of this genre). Harakiri is also a slow-burn movie about samurai and honor (or lack thereof) which doesn’t have frequent action, but when it hits, it’s incredible.

There’s a memorable one-on-one duel near the end of Harakiri, but the most memorable sequence of swordplay is the climax, where protagonist Tsugumo Hanshirō makes a dramatic last stand against the corrupt clan that took everything from him. It’s perhaps the best sequence of what would also be director Masaki Kobayashi’s best work (and considering his stellar filmography, that’s saying a lot).

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2 'Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon' (2000)

Jen vs. Shu Lien

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon is an all-time great martial arts movie, and therefore singling out just one action sequence from it feels a little unfair. It stars legendary actors well associated with action movies, like Michelle Yeoh and Chow Yun-fat, and it’s a scene with the former taking on Zhang Ziyi’s character that demonstrates Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon’s formidable reputation as an action classic the best.

It's a very simple set-up for an action sequence, taking place in a wide space with just two fighters, and the one novel element is that there are assorted weapons spread out across the room, leading to this being more than just a sword fight. Still, there are bladed weapons throughout the fight, and there’s sufficient swordage shown all through it, too. It’s perfectly edited, the stunts are incredible, Michelle Yeoh and Zhang Ziyi sell the intensity, slow-motion is used perfectly, and there’s even some humor thrown in there for good measure. It’s expertly balanced and a quintessential example of how to pull off a perfect action set piece.

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1 'Kill Bill Vol. 1' (2003)

The Showdown at the House of Blue Leaves

One thing that ties the best action sequence of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon to the best action sequence of Kill Bill Vol. 1 is that both films had the legendary Yuen Woo-ping attached to them as action choreographer/fight advisor. His other well-known contribution to cinema outside Hong Kong would be taking on a similar role for the first three Matrix movies, but he’s done so much within the realm of classic martial arts movies, and has also directed his fair share of movies, too.

Anyway, he’s not the sole reason why the Showdown at the House of Blue Leaves is so good, but his fingerprints can be found all over the amazing – and amazingly bloody – set piece that comes in Kill Bill Vol. 1’s spectacular final act. The Bride taking on a small army is the highlight of this sequence, and it does also conclude with the more sobering and strangely bittersweet confrontation between the Bride and O-Ren Ishii. Given a huge one-versus-many fight and a great one-on-one fight are both parts of one overall sequence, it feels fair to label the whole thing arguably the best sword-fighting scene in cinema history.

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