Large-scale battles and all-out warfare are without a doubt hugely exciting and incredibly fun to watch. Yet these massive battles pale in comparison to the smaller and more intimate duels between heroes and villains. One-on-one battle scenes have more impact than most major battles, and their intimacy adds a mountain of tension and stakes, making these one-on-one duels much more impactful. Throughout the history of cinema, we have witnessed many intense duels that left our jaws dropping. These are the best movie duels in movie history.
10 Obi-Wan Kenobi vs. Anakin Skywalker (Darth Vader) – Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith (2005)
The battle between Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor) and Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen) is nothing but legendary. Its impact on the story provided a lot of context and emotional resonance in the films that preceded it. That, and it’s just a purely exhilarating lightsaber battle, filled with incredibly fast-paced choreography and beautiful cinematography. Likewise, legendary film composer John Williams heightens the tension and spectacle with his brilliant score. Although we knew how the battle would end, the stakes were still high.
9 O-Ren Ishii vs The Bride – Kill Bill Vol. 1 (2003)
What do you get when you duel two world-class assassins together? A brutal, thrilling and thrilling confrontation. While this scene is over fairly quickly and lacks flashy choreography, the slower pace of the final duel and the accuracy of the technical martial arts heighten the tension and make it one of the most unforgettable showdowns in movie history. Instead of exaggerated choreography, director Quentin Tarantino takes a lot of inspiration from the epic confrontations in classic Samurai movies, which focus more on the build-up and realism of Katana combat. Adding an extra layer to this scene is the brutal death of O-Ren Ishii, bringing this tense confrontation to an end.
8 Jen vs. Shu Lien – Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000)
As the opposite of the last duel Kill Bill Vol. 1, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon is full of exaggerated and very impressive choreographies that make the movie one of the best martial arts movies of all time. Nowhere is this film better than the epic duel between Jen (Zhang Ziyi) and Shu Lien (Michelle Yeoh). This sensational action sequence combines swordplay, hand-to-hand combat, and spear and dagger play and is filled with high-speed choreography. It’s easy to keep watching this phenomenal duel as it will constantly take your breath away.
7 The Nameless vs. The King – Hero (2002)
Hero is an impressive martial arts artistic epic that revolves around specific colors for each of its fight scenes. The most memorable scenes focus on the coldness of blue, the warmth of orange and red, as well as the freshness of green. Within these thematically colored action scenes, we witness an exciting duel that lacks any color. With the amazing Jet Li as The King and the legendary Donnie Yen as The Nameless, every second of this fight is thrilling and full of suspense. The choreography is fast; the sound design heightens the tension, and their lack of color adds to the overall brilliance and makes for a simply unforgettable duel. There are simply no words that can describe how impressive the scene is.
6 Dumbledore vs. Voldemort – Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007)
Some of the most immersive aspects of the Wizarding World, at least in terms of action, are the magical duels. In the movies, however, not many of the duels really stand out. However, the duel between Dumbledore (Michael Gambon) and Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes) is simply breathtaking and a gold standard for duels in the Harry Potter universe, which others have failed to meet. The two mighty wizards tear the Ministry of Magic apart in their epic confrontation. The duel itself is nothing special; the two just throw water, fire, and glass at each other, and it’s over pretty quickly. But by omitting music in this scene and focusing on the mesmerizing sound effects of the two’s spells, water, fire, and screams, you make this magic-filled duel an all-timer.
5 Rama vs. the Assassin – The Raid 2 (2014)
The robbery is without a doubt one of the best action films to date. So when a sequel was announced, we all expected it to be bigger and better. While the question of which is better depends on who you ask, there’s no denying that the action in the sequel was much bigger than in its predecessor. Most notable is the confrontation between Rama (Iko Uwais) and The Assassin (Cecep Arif Rahman) at the end of the film. Stacked with impeccable set design, thrilling choreography and stunning cinematography, this brutal one-on-one is the pinnacle action sequence of The robbery franchise, with even the film’s director, Gareth Evans, claiming it’s his favorite.
4 Neo vs Agent Smith – The Matrix (1999)
The Matrix redefined Hollywood action movies of the time by bringing martial arts martial arts to Hollywood just with this scene. Filled with thrilling choreography as Neo (Keanu Reeves) and Agent Smith (Hugo Weaving) trade quick yet devastating punches and kicks, this subway showdown is a spectacle to behold. A sign of a great fight scene is when dust particles are thrown into the air when a character takes a hit, and this scene is full of them. Likewise, the scene exudes its thematic importance as Neo’s battle with Agent Smith allows Neo to harness his full power and destiny as “The One”.
3 Rob Roy vs. Archibold Cunningham – Rob Roy (1995)
The last duel in the classic historical film, Robert Roy, has been hailed as the most accurate and intense sword fight in movie history, and it’s not hard to see why. The choreography is stunning and focuses heavily on the accuracy of 17th century classic swordsmanship. In addition to the authentic choreography, the lack of music again heightens the tension of the scene, as we hear the clatter of swords and the slicing of flesh, raising the stakes for Liam Neeson’s, Rob Roy.
2 The Man in Black vs. Inigo Montoya – The Princess Bride (1987)
The princess bride as a whole is just impeccable. Telling a wild fantasy adventure, filled with revenge, comedy, terrifying beasts, swashbuckling pirates and of course romance. One of the most memorable parts of the movie is the exciting battle between The Man in Black (Cary Elwes) and Inigo Montoya (Mandy Patinkin). Many of the best duels on the list are filled with suspense, and while this duel is certainly not lacking in that, this scene only excels in entertainment value. The choreography is fast paced and the cinematography is sensational. Still, it’s an absolute joy to watch the two masterclass swordsmen try to better each other in every way possible. Whether it’s fooling each other by fighting with their non-dominant hand before switching hands, or just doing the most impressive tricks.
1 Luke Skywalker vs. Darth Vader – Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
In 1980, lightsaber combat was much simpler and more authentic than the samurai combat they were based on. This sense of authenticity and simplicity heightens the tension, along with the lack of lighting and stunning cinematography. Due to the lack of ambient lighting, the characters can only be illuminated by the lightsabers; a genius and aesthetically astonishing addition to this showdown. Technically, this showdown between Luke and Vader is breathtaking, but the scene is incredibly important, not just in the Star Wars universe, but in pop culture. The moment when Darth Vader reveals himself to be Luke’s father is a stunning solution to a flawless duel.