I watch martial arts movies for two specific reasons—the martial arts, of course, but even more importantly, the iconic villains.
Villains in martial arts are spectacular. On one hand, they’re evil masterminds, and on the other, any fight against them is a grand show of hand-to-hand combat. Most of the time, it is the villain who pushes the protagonist to his limits in mastering the craft.
Naturally, without a strong, seemingly invincible villain, martial arts movies would fall flat on their face.
In this article, we’re commemorating some of the best martial arts movie villains who are just as wondrous as their counterparts.
The 10 Greatest Villains in Martial Arts Movies
1. Han, Enter the Dragon (1973)
‘Enter the Dragon’Credit: Warner Bros., Orange Sky Golden Harvest
Shih Kien’s Han is both intelligent and fluent in martial arts. He wears a prosthetic hand which features interchangeable claw attachments, each customised to lethal precision, allowing him to shift from one combat stance to another. Combat isn’t his passion, but rather his amusement—a man who’s calm in violence represents his detachment from fear.
Han became the template for the martial arts crime lord, whose perverse approach toward psychological domination will leave you reeling.
2. Madam Yeung, Iron Angels (1987)
Yukari Oshima in ‘Iron Angels’ (1987)Credit: Molesworth Limited
Yukari Oshima’s Madam Yeung is a proud sadist. She laughs at others’ misery, licks blood off tortured victims during interrogation, and prefers to express herself through raw, unhinged violence.
Her fighting style is all about aggressive, full-contact brutality. For her, fighting is a performance art—not always a tactical necessity.
Madam Yeung is a notable name on the list of female fighters, although she’s fighting on the wrong side.
3. General Tien Ta, The 36th Chamber of Shaolin (1978)
‘The 36th Chamber of Shaolin’Credit: Shaw Brothers Studio
Lo Lieh’s General Tien Ta is a military oppressor. He doesn’t necessarily enjoy violence but interprets it as his duty to the state. The fact that he is blind enough to justify killing in the name of imperial authority makes him scarier than those who are driven by sadism or a love for violence.
In his mind, he is doing the right thing, and that’s what makes him rather unstoppable.
4. Jade Fox, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000)
‘Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon’Credit: Columbia Pictures, Sony Pictures Classic
Cheng Pei-pei’s Jade Fox is not your regular martial artist. She is an assassin who uses poison, espionage, and manipulation as her main weapons. She is the corrupt mentor who switches sides after killing her own Wudang master.
Fox is both the villain and the victim in this story. In her quest for revenge against all the injustice done to her, she actively corrupts Jen, nudging her toward recklessness and destruction, proving that sometimes a villain’s and a hero’s fates can be more morally entangled than opposed.
5. Chong Li, Bloodsport (1988)
‘Bloodsport’Credit: Cannon Films
Bolo Yeung’s Chong Li embodies superhuman abilities. His fighting style is all about toughness. His narcissism fuels Li’s evil. He doesn’t fight out of passion or admiration toward the sport, but to flaunt dominance. In the last fight, the fact that he didn’t care to take the fight seriously is first-hand proof of his arrogance.
Chong Li’s defeat satisfies us because it punishes arrogance. He is the best of the best; if only he could stop reminding himself of that!
6. The Three Storms, Big Trouble in Little China (1986)
‘Big Trouble in Little China’ (1986)Credit: 20th Centruy Studios.
There are three supernatural martial artists, Thunder, Lightning, and Rain, who rely on three very specific elements of nature in their combat and work for Lo Pan, the ancient sorcerer and primary villain of Big Trouble in Little China. They work in a group and use mystical powers in combat—the first of their kind in the martial arts movie genre.
Fight sequences featuring the Three Storms are as much about martial arts and Eastern culture as they are about spectacle.
This trio of martial arts movie villains demonstrates how supernatural elements elevate conventional martial arts through visually spectacular choreography.
7. Jack Wilton, The Man from Hong Kong (1975)
‘The Man from Hong Kong’Credit: 20h Century Studios, Orange Sky Golden Harvest
Both a racist and a classist, George Lazenby’s Jack Wilton is a sophisticated international criminal with a martial arts background. This means he is equally strong without his entourage of fighters.
His choice of weapon is psychological intimidation, mockery, and provocation. For him, cultural supremacy translates to victory—a villain truly worthy of all contempt.
8. The Ghost Faced Killer, Mystery of Chess Boxing (1979)
‘Mystery of Chess Boxing’Credit: Hong Hwa International Films, Eureka Entertainment (UK)
The Ghost Faced Killer is pure terror as he combines Five Elements Fist, a specialized combination system drawing on tiger, crane, leopard, snake, and dragon methodologies.
He doesn’t switch between styles but integrates them all into a unified fighting strategy. He is methodical, almost bureaucratic, checking off names on his list before moving on to the next, with grim inevitability. Not to forget, his anonymity is one of his greatest strengths.
The moment the ghost face killing plate is out, you know it’s time for some real bloodshed. However, because he kills those who betrayed him, his violence becomes comprehensible to us; never justified, though.
9. Shang Tsung, Mortal Kombat (1995)
‘Mortal Kombat’Credit: New Line Cinema
Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa’s Shang Tsung is a shapeshifter who also steals souls. A parasite to his opponents, absorbing their knowledge, memories, and fighting techniques, Tsung’s real power lies in consuming others.
The irony of his power lies in the fact that he is dependent on his opponent’s existence because he essentially steals excellence from them, right after killing them. His exploitative instincts make him a real force of evil!
10. Pai Mei, Executioners from Shaolin (1977)
‘Executioners from Shaolin’ (1977)Credit: World Northal
Pai Mei is the real deal when it comes to a martial artist. He’s a fighter of such legendary mastery that it is impossible to defeat him with conventional training. He can puncture your vital organs with a single blow of a finger, with such lethal precision that you’d be disengaged before you can even realize it.
His cruelty underscores a zen-like indifference and operates outside conventional human desires and motivations. He is a villain who cannot only be defeated with strength and technique.
Who is your favorite in the list?