10. Aragorn vs. Lurtz, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
This sword fight is actually fairly short, but very, very fast and violent. After running down the hill of Amon Hen, fighting Uruk Hai all the way, Aragorn begins his fight with Lurtz to keep Boromir from being decapitated. After quickly trading blows (so quickly that sparks fly), Aragorn is knocked to the ground after stabbing Lurtz through the thigh with his elven knife, and Lurtz pulls the knife out of his leg, licks the blood off, and throws it at Aragorn, who uses his sword to bat the knife out of the air. Aragorn than furiously attacks Lurtz, cuts off his sword arm, stabs him through the stomach, and then decapitates him in a fountain of black blood. Awesome.
9. Beatrix Kiddo vs. Elle Driver, Kill Bill, Volume 2
This is the best sword fight in this second movie. In a very claustrophobic setting (in a single-wide trailer) these two women pour out their hatred for each other through the beautiful steel of their Hanso blades. Elle makes a fatal mistake when she lets Beatrix know that she killed her sensei, Pei Mei, so in retribution, Beatrix snatches out the only eye Elle has left, leaving her screaming in the trailer with nothing but the single most deadly snake on earth, the black mamba, for company.
8. Kikuchiyo vs. Bandits, Seven Samurai
Toshiro Mifune is the man. He really is. I know many of y'all reading this list will have no idea who Mifune is, or have seen any Kurosawa film (I highly recommend it, start with Rashomon), but you know Kurosawa even if you don't think you do. Georgia Lucas ripped off The Hidden Fortress for Star Wars, Episode I: A New Hope, and of course, Seven Samurai is The Magnificent Seven. Kikuchyo isn't actually a samurai, but a farmer's son. He fights anyway, and valiantly. Even after being shot in the stomach by an arrow, he still kills the bandit chief, thus proving his worth. Great sword fighting in the whole movie by the cast, but it is Kikuchiyo's blind charge into the enemy that is what is remembered.
7. Will Turner vs. Jack Sparrow vs. James Norrington, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest
This is, without a doubt, the worst film on this list, and the worst film in this series. Unlike The Matrix series, the final film does redeem the trilogy a bit, but as a whole, the last two movies can't touch the first Pirates film for a sense of fun and a plot most people can follow without needing Jack's special compass. The only redeeming thing in this second film is the three-way sword fight between Will, Jack, and Norrington over the titular Dead Man's Chest. No one is on anyone's side, so they are all fighting each other. In a rundown church. In the tropical forest. On a water wheel... that's rolling through the forest! And finally on the beach. It's hard enough to carry off a convincing two man sword fight most times, but somehow, these actors are able to carry off a three-man sword fight brilliantly.
6. Jiao Long vs. Master Li Mu Bai, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
Who can forget this graceful, soaring sword fight that was the stunning centerpiece of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon? Fought on the tops of a bamboo forest, this is a stunning example of the artistry of high-wire work at its very best. It really must be seen to be believed. The sword fighting itself really isn't anything special, but it's the flips and twirls and such that the two combatants perform while balancing on shoots of bamboo that is simply amazing.
5. The Bride vs. The Crazy 88, Kill Bill, Volume 1
I don't know if this is as much a sword fight than the most awesome act of survival ever filmed. It is The Bride vs. O-Ren's fabled Crazy 88. All of them have katanas or weapons of some kind, and it's just her, in all of her yellow jump-suited glory. What follows is the most awesome display of dismemberments, impalements, decapitations, and all-around maiming and blood-letting set to some crazy effing music.
4. Don Diego de la Vega (Zorro) vs. Capitan Esteban Pasquale, The Mark of Zorro
I couldn't believe this sword fight the first time I saw it. I must have been about 8 years old. My dad is the person who instilled a love of the great swashbuckling movies of the past in me, and this movie definitely fits the bill. The whole movie builds up to this moment, and the screen's greatest swordsman, Sir Basil Rathbone is more than up to the task. Too bad he is fated to lose as the despicable Capitan Pasquale. The leaping and jumping and pure finesse of this duel between Rathbone and Tyrone Power as Zorro is one for the history books. It may not be as famous as the Rathbone sword fight later on this list, but it is top-5 material for sure.
3. Obi-Wan Kenobi vs. Darth Vader (Anakin Skywalker), Star Wars, Episode III: Revenge of the Sith
I don't think I'm alone in my belief that the first two Star Wars prequels sucked @$$. I'm not such a fan that I will delude myself into believing that The Phantom Menace really wasn't all that bad, or that, well, the Yoda fight in Attack of the Clones was awesome so it saved that piece of crap movie from the mountains of awful dialogue and the worst Natalie Portman performance on film, and, oh yeah, Mannequin Skywalker. In my house, there will only be four Star Wars films. Kind of like how Rocky V never happened, well, those two prequels never happened. But the climatic sword fight in this film is so good. And why shouldn't it be? It was only story-boarded by Steven Spielberg. True story. All of the time spent watching two crappy movies, all of the money wasted, to get to this point. To see how Anakin became Darth Vader. Actually, a technicality, he was already Darth Vader, this sword fight just left him limb-less and unable to breath on his own. It's weird, but the best acting Hayden Christensen does in two movies is during the time when he's fighting Ewan McGreggor. You can really feel all of the hate and the anger between these two guys as they duke it out with blinding speed, viciously swinging their lightsabers at each other. Even as cool as this fight was, Lucas still owes me about $12 for the first two crappy prequels.
2. Inigo Montoya vs. The Dread Pirate Roberts (Westley), The Princess Bride
Ah... we get to the sword fight that gave birth to this particular list. What an excellent fight in the mode of the very best of Errol Flynn, Tyrone Power, and the great Basil Rathbone. Staged amongst the ruins at the top of the aptly named Cliffs of Insanity, Inigo Montoya casually asks how many fingers are on The Man in Black's hand, as he is chasing after the six finger man who murdered his father and left him scarred ("Hello, I am Inigo Montoya... you killed my father. Prepare to die!"). After seeing that Roberts has the normal five fingers, they begin their fight in a most professional if not glib sort of way. While it seems Roberts has the early advantage, Inigo announces his surprise ambidexterity("I know something you do not know... I am not left-handed!") and quickly takes the upper hand. However, Roberts announces he too, is not left-handed, and disarms Inigo. Instead of killing the artistic swordsman, Roberts knocks him unconscious.
1. Robin of Locksley (Robin Hood) vs. Sir Guy of Gisborne, The Adventures of Robin Hood
This is, without a doubt, the finest sword fight ever captured on the silver screen, produced in vivid technicolor fashion! Again, it is Rathbone's fate to lose on film, though he would have easily dispatched Flynn in real life. Throughout Nottingham Castle, Robin and Sir Guy battle, swords flashing in the candlelight. In one famous scene, only their shadows are seen dueling before the characters enter the frame. Back and forth the duel goes, with Robin always seeming to get the worst of it right up until the end, when Sir Guy has him backed against the wall, yet foolishly turns his blade up with thoughts of dispatching the Saxon Thief, only to be stabbed in the stomach by Robin's blade. A truly awesome sword fight.
This sword fight is actually fairly short, but very, very fast and violent. After running down the hill of Amon Hen, fighting Uruk Hai all the way, Aragorn begins his fight with Lurtz to keep Boromir from being decapitated. After quickly trading blows (so quickly that sparks fly), Aragorn is knocked to the ground after stabbing Lurtz through the thigh with his elven knife, and Lurtz pulls the knife out of his leg, licks the blood off, and throws it at Aragorn, who uses his sword to bat the knife out of the air. Aragorn than furiously attacks Lurtz, cuts off his sword arm, stabs him through the stomach, and then decapitates him in a fountain of black blood. Awesome.
9. Beatrix Kiddo vs. Elle Driver, Kill Bill, Volume 2
This is the best sword fight in this second movie. In a very claustrophobic setting (in a single-wide trailer) these two women pour out their hatred for each other through the beautiful steel of their Hanso blades. Elle makes a fatal mistake when she lets Beatrix know that she killed her sensei, Pei Mei, so in retribution, Beatrix snatches out the only eye Elle has left, leaving her screaming in the trailer with nothing but the single most deadly snake on earth, the black mamba, for company.
8. Kikuchiyo vs. Bandits, Seven Samurai
Toshiro Mifune is the man. He really is. I know many of y'all reading this list will have no idea who Mifune is, or have seen any Kurosawa film (I highly recommend it, start with Rashomon), but you know Kurosawa even if you don't think you do. Georgia Lucas ripped off The Hidden Fortress for Star Wars, Episode I: A New Hope, and of course, Seven Samurai is The Magnificent Seven. Kikuchyo isn't actually a samurai, but a farmer's son. He fights anyway, and valiantly. Even after being shot in the stomach by an arrow, he still kills the bandit chief, thus proving his worth. Great sword fighting in the whole movie by the cast, but it is Kikuchiyo's blind charge into the enemy that is what is remembered.
7. Will Turner vs. Jack Sparrow vs. James Norrington, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest
This is, without a doubt, the worst film on this list, and the worst film in this series. Unlike The Matrix series, the final film does redeem the trilogy a bit, but as a whole, the last two movies can't touch the first Pirates film for a sense of fun and a plot most people can follow without needing Jack's special compass. The only redeeming thing in this second film is the three-way sword fight between Will, Jack, and Norrington over the titular Dead Man's Chest. No one is on anyone's side, so they are all fighting each other. In a rundown church. In the tropical forest. On a water wheel... that's rolling through the forest! And finally on the beach. It's hard enough to carry off a convincing two man sword fight most times, but somehow, these actors are able to carry off a three-man sword fight brilliantly.
6. Jiao Long vs. Master Li Mu Bai, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
Who can forget this graceful, soaring sword fight that was the stunning centerpiece of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon? Fought on the tops of a bamboo forest, this is a stunning example of the artistry of high-wire work at its very best. It really must be seen to be believed. The sword fighting itself really isn't anything special, but it's the flips and twirls and such that the two combatants perform while balancing on shoots of bamboo that is simply amazing.
5. The Bride vs. The Crazy 88, Kill Bill, Volume 1
I don't know if this is as much a sword fight than the most awesome act of survival ever filmed. It is The Bride vs. O-Ren's fabled Crazy 88. All of them have katanas or weapons of some kind, and it's just her, in all of her yellow jump-suited glory. What follows is the most awesome display of dismemberments, impalements, decapitations, and all-around maiming and blood-letting set to some crazy effing music.
4. Don Diego de la Vega (Zorro) vs. Capitan Esteban Pasquale, The Mark of Zorro
I couldn't believe this sword fight the first time I saw it. I must have been about 8 years old. My dad is the person who instilled a love of the great swashbuckling movies of the past in me, and this movie definitely fits the bill. The whole movie builds up to this moment, and the screen's greatest swordsman, Sir Basil Rathbone is more than up to the task. Too bad he is fated to lose as the despicable Capitan Pasquale. The leaping and jumping and pure finesse of this duel between Rathbone and Tyrone Power as Zorro is one for the history books. It may not be as famous as the Rathbone sword fight later on this list, but it is top-5 material for sure.
3. Obi-Wan Kenobi vs. Darth Vader (Anakin Skywalker), Star Wars, Episode III: Revenge of the Sith
I don't think I'm alone in my belief that the first two Star Wars prequels sucked @$$. I'm not such a fan that I will delude myself into believing that The Phantom Menace really wasn't all that bad, or that, well, the Yoda fight in Attack of the Clones was awesome so it saved that piece of crap movie from the mountains of awful dialogue and the worst Natalie Portman performance on film, and, oh yeah, Mannequin Skywalker. In my house, there will only be four Star Wars films. Kind of like how Rocky V never happened, well, those two prequels never happened. But the climatic sword fight in this film is so good. And why shouldn't it be? It was only story-boarded by Steven Spielberg. True story. All of the time spent watching two crappy movies, all of the money wasted, to get to this point. To see how Anakin became Darth Vader. Actually, a technicality, he was already Darth Vader, this sword fight just left him limb-less and unable to breath on his own. It's weird, but the best acting Hayden Christensen does in two movies is during the time when he's fighting Ewan McGreggor. You can really feel all of the hate and the anger between these two guys as they duke it out with blinding speed, viciously swinging their lightsabers at each other. Even as cool as this fight was, Lucas still owes me about $12 for the first two crappy prequels.
2. Inigo Montoya vs. The Dread Pirate Roberts (Westley), The Princess Bride
Ah... we get to the sword fight that gave birth to this particular list. What an excellent fight in the mode of the very best of Errol Flynn, Tyrone Power, and the great Basil Rathbone. Staged amongst the ruins at the top of the aptly named Cliffs of Insanity, Inigo Montoya casually asks how many fingers are on The Man in Black's hand, as he is chasing after the six finger man who murdered his father and left him scarred ("Hello, I am Inigo Montoya... you killed my father. Prepare to die!"). After seeing that Roberts has the normal five fingers, they begin their fight in a most professional if not glib sort of way. While it seems Roberts has the early advantage, Inigo announces his surprise ambidexterity("I know something you do not know... I am not left-handed!") and quickly takes the upper hand. However, Roberts announces he too, is not left-handed, and disarms Inigo. Instead of killing the artistic swordsman, Roberts knocks him unconscious.
1. Robin of Locksley (Robin Hood) vs. Sir Guy of Gisborne, The Adventures of Robin Hood
This is, without a doubt, the finest sword fight ever captured on the silver screen, produced in vivid technicolor fashion! Again, it is Rathbone's fate to lose on film, though he would have easily dispatched Flynn in real life. Throughout Nottingham Castle, Robin and Sir Guy battle, swords flashing in the candlelight. In one famous scene, only their shadows are seen dueling before the characters enter the frame. Back and forth the duel goes, with Robin always seeming to get the worst of it right up until the end, when Sir Guy has him backed against the wall, yet foolishly turns his blade up with thoughts of dispatching the Saxon Thief, only to be stabbed in the stomach by Robin's blade. A truly awesome sword fight.
