Top 9 Martial Artists in Science Fiction 

Where is Battle Angel Alita's Panzer Kunst?! It's literally a martial arts for taking out Cyborgs! Okay, in all seriousness, I get that most people have only seen the live action film and maybe the anime, but it makes me a little sad that people don't know about the sheer BAD ASSNESS that Alita is in the Manga!

I think a few others should have been up for consideration, like Black Widow, Ultraviolet, Universal Solder, Aeon Flux, Alita: Battle Angel, Book of Eli, Matrix.

The Kung Fu forms used in The One are Xingyiquan (evil Gabe) and Baguazhang (good Gabe)

'Chirrut was such a great character of course Disney made sure to kill him off immediately.' The farce is strong with Disney.

Eli from book of Eli ... Marcus from Babylon 5... Master bra’tac from stargate, and if worf is here then teal’c should be as well...

Also, the first fight between The Operative and Mal in Serenity is very good in that it incorporates a lot of techniques that you often don't see in the same style. The operative used very few kicks, but his attacks and defenses were quick, compact, and of the kinds of things that would make an opponent really regret attacking you including attacks on the incoming limb and fast, precise strikes to sensitive areas like nerve-clusters in the torso. Most of the time, when you see a martial arts fight scene in a movie, unless the movie is big-budget and stars a very athletic actor, the martial arts scenes have a deep blandness that comes from only being able to teach the actor some version of basic techniques like a side-kick. In the first Operative versus Mal fight, you see things that come closer to the viciousness of fights in the first Bourne movie where the illusion of two highly-trained people genuinely determined to kill one another was seamless.

I'm a simple man. I see River Tam, I click.

Neo: Am I a joke to you?

Paul Atreides, who could teach Fremen how to fight properly... when said Fremen were already eating Sardukar for breakfast.

RE:Law, the One. "While we don't the exact style..." Yes we do. Bad Law: Xingyiquan. Good Law: Baguazhang.

Yulaw used Xingyiquan, a direct and aggressive fighting style; gabe law used Baguazhang, a subtle circular style which was used as the inspiration for Airbender in the avatar franchise.

So glad he put equilibrium on this list

River was actually #1. Nobody else took on a room full of Revers by herself, then was ready to take on armed purple bellies with just an axe.

Two glaring omissions are the Major from Ghost in the Shell and Alita Battle Angel. They'd jump straight to #1 and 2 here and also they're cyborgs so greatly improved strengths and reflexes among other things

Includes Worf, who loses most of his battles. While ignoring Sunny from the Badlands, or any of the other characters from that show, which arguably has the best fighting choreography in the history of TV.

Oh American Ben… you think *acid washed jeans* are gone forever? A 90's fashion revival is overdue, it fact it may be the endgame of 2020…

Wesley Snipes is a martial artist in real life.

Isn't Milla Jovovich actually prefect? I thought she was.

Good job again American Ben. I agree with most on your list, but no Neo from Matrix? Whaaaaaaaaaat?

Paul Atreides (book version) from Dune, Paul's sister Alia (as a young adult), and Michael Valentine Smith, from A Stranger In A Strange Land. Although, admittedly, young Smith never did technically fight, it's hard to fault his technique. He always won, no matter the number of his enemies, nor the strength of their weaponry...

How have you guys not done "Top 10 freighters in SciFi" ?

This is such a good list - excellent choices all around!

Sunny from into the badlands?????

Gabriel Yu Law (Bad) practiced the martial art "Shing Ye" Gabe Law (Good) Practiced "Baguazhang". P.S. - In Avatar: The Last Airbender, the Airbending monks style is a blending of Shing Ye & Baguazhang, the same two Chinese fighting styles from "The One".

Chirrut also gave us what is now and forever my favorite one liner in Star Wars. "ARE YOU JOKING?! I'M BLIND!!"

Respect for putting Worf on the list!

you missed it with River.. it was her precognition with made her the most dangerous.. she already knew what her opponent was going to do.

Muad'dib takes all of these martial artists out by himself, and never even chips his crysknife.

Paul Atreides. Trained both as a sword master and in the weirding way of the Bene Gesserit. That’s even before you factor in the prescient abilities he had as the Kwisatz Haderach.

I once thought as you do regarding Tai Chi, but that was before I had a Sifu show me first hand the power of it. The movements are slow to teach proper breathing. The moves are actually quite effective in self defense.

Was Jackie Chan ever in space??? He had so many movies, how could he Not In Space???

Why the hell did everytime anyone get hit in the face with a Batleth did they just get knocked out without getting their heads torn off??

teal'c and bratak

American Ben you've not really thought about this have you.

River Tam, Cara Dune and Leeloo, all highly skilled in the martial art of Hawtness. A bit surprised Nebula and Gamora weren't in the list, also blackbelt masters.

No love for Remo Williams?

Ronan Stargate Atlantis

I feel like you missed a ton of great martial arts fighters from television and movies. Teal'c and Ronin from Stargate, Sunny from Badlands, Marcus from B5, Daredevil and Iron Fist from Marvel to just name a few from television. Alita, anyone from the Matrix, Eli from Book of Eli, Snake eyes or Darth Maul (same actor), Black Widow and Hawkeye from Marvel, plus several others I'm probably forgetting from various movies. Its not a terrible list, but you definitely left a lot of good ones out.

8:24 Yu law was a practitioner of Ling Gar Kung Fu, Ling Gar emphasizes quick, direct strikes and straight line movements. Meanwhile, Gabe Law was a practitioner of Tai Chi Kung Fu and his art emphasized slow, indirect strikes and circular movements. They were mentally, emotionally, down to fighting style, the Yin to the other's Yang.

Worf also deserves credit for effective use of the *two handed* swinging *punch* with fingers interlocked - apparently it's a _universal technique_ among all humanoid species… part of the genetic programming of the Progenitors?

good list, a lot of good stuff shown in it. there is one thing that i'm having trouble remembering: didn't the fight between Cara Dune and Din Djarin end in a draw, when they pulled a blaster on each other at the same time?

Farscape. Worf? Ka D'Argo wants to talk.

On The One; The *good cop's MA style is Bagua (which is "mostly" walking in circles with changing hands) The other Law *bad guy's style is Xinyi (which is a linear/straight forward fists originating from spear-fighting)

Off topic, but have you noticed that Milla Jovovich has a lot of semi naked being revived from unconsciousness/death scenes in various films with a lot of back arching and gasping*… That reminds me, *Alice* from the _Resident Evil_ series. Already a talented martial artist (in the first film) before she became a superhuman weapon. * Considering her husband directed the Resident Evil films, it can be assumed that he's getting her to pretend … …

“Martial Artists don’t use guns anyway” Cries in Gun Kata

*The Fifth Element (1997):* Milla Jovovich's portraying "Leeloo", her fighting style was fun to watch, as there was even a nod to Hong Kong Kung Fu movies. Her empathy, seeing what evil man is capable of doing was sad, touching and effective.

Sgt. Todd 3465 from the 1998 movie "Soldier" Feyd Rautha from Dune Paul Mau'Dib Atreides - also from Dune John Reese - Person of Interest Grey/STEM - Upgrade Henry - Hardcore Henry (bonus points for beating people up to Queen's "Don't Stop Me Now") Riddick - Pitch Black Eli - Book of Eli

Cara Dune is wayyy to high on this list, especially when Equilibrium is only #5 also Hanna should be on this list over Dune. And what about The Matrix?!

"The force is with me and I am the force."

Tai Chi was once known as the ultimate fist, first to use joint locks and manipulation also known today as Chin Na and redirection of an opponents momentum against him. It's only today that it's considered an exercise for old people where once it was a combat art, for those interested I suggest the movies Tai Chi Zero and it's continuation Tai Chi Hero to see it's combat applications and look up Tai Chi Chin Na and Master Wongs Combat Tai Chi here on RU-vid.

Gina Carano deserves to be on this list in general.

I subscribed only because you had the Gretzky jersey. ;) Good list.

8:43-damn right, Summer Glau better be on this list!

"true martial artists don't use guns" *angry gun kata combat reload*

Almost any Jedi could be on the list because of the amount of martial arts using a lightsaber can be.

Is "Into the Badlands" not scifi enough for Sunny to appear on this list?

SciFi told us. Never mess with a woman named River.

This is a great list that captured some often-forgotten gems like Equilibrium and Time Cop. I would add Violet from Ultraviolet, but I am sure that you didn't want too much Jovovich.

Jet Li uses two distinct kung fu styles when portraying Gabe and Yulaw. The evil Yulaw uses Xingyi Quan, or "Mind-Form Fist" (loosely translated). As can be seen when he is training, it is a very linear, offensive style. Gabe on the other hand practices Bagua Zhang, or the "Eight Trigrams Palm". It is characterized by open palm fighting, with circular footwork. Both styles are two of the three main "internal" styles of Chinese kung fu - the third being Taiji Quan (Tai Chi)

Teal'c and Ronon (Stargate)

Also missed … Max from Dark Angel, the entire Jedi Order, Neo - but was he capable outside the Matrix? But possibly the most accomplish martial artist are from *Dune.* They have no supernatural abilities (except for Paul Atreides and his decedents, with Preseance) but were vastly superior to any others on this list with far more focused minds and training than standard humans [killing several people with _a fucking pencil_ would be considered mundane]. Add in tens of thousands of years of evolution (some guided) and their reflexes were far superior as well. So far there's only the David Lynch movie and the mini series to go by - the film is delayed due to … y'know. But in the later books there's a character who can move faster than humans can think and can see the consequences of every action beforehand. And thanks to personal shield technology, both unarmed and knife plus sword fighting are still relevant. [Yes I expect Dune quotes as replies]. _I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will let it pass over me and through me. And when it has passed I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where it has gone, there will be nothing. Only I will remain._

Where a Sonny and The Widow from Into The Badlands? Where is Neo and Trinity and Morpheus from the Matrix?

The Martial Arts that Worf is proficient in, Mok Bara is a form of Tai Chi. Tai Chi means "Grand Ultimate Fist." Don't let the slow movements fool you, it can be one of the deadliest forms of combat if done properly. Also in the One, Jet Li's character Gabe Law is performing a martial art known as Pak qua or eight diagram boxing. His evil adversary is performing a martial arts known as Choy Li fut. Both are found in Wushu with the former being an internal soft style while the latter is an external hard style.

Afro Samurai, the naked girl from the last story in Heavy Metal (can't remember her name), Ms. Jupiter from Watchmen, Eli from Book of Eli, any of the Predators, Riddick, Goku, the Navi from Avatar, the main character from Sound and Fury (I don't think Sturgill tells us her name) The Ninja Turtles, so many others...and you pick Worf... fanboy

Chirrut vs River Song. That would be so much fun to watch :)

This is basically a list of some of my favorite movies.

Actually, the styles during the final fight in The One are recognizable and they reflect their personalities and goals. Yulaw (the villain) is single-minded in his goal of becoming a god, so he uses the more straightforward Xingyiquan style, which allows him to dominate the fight on the narrow catwalk. After calming down, Gabe (the good guy) switches to the calmer and more rounded Baguazhang style, which allows him to take advantage of the wide factory floor. Fun fact: the movie was originally supposed to have the Rock as the main character(s). I guess the fight scenes wouldn’t have been nearly as cool

The style they showed Gabriel Law from The One using was Pa Qua sometimes called Swimming Dragon.

nice list!

I think that the next logical step to this video should be the top X of Science Fiction Martial Arts. You could include such things as Panzerkunst (Alita), Gun Kata (Equilibrium), Light Saber Combat (Does Star Wars count as SF?), Star Treck has a Buttload of Arts on it's own and one always can put stuff like CQC from Metal Gear into focus. There could be even more but i believe that This is a video worth making.

This list was awsome and I loved every1 of these movies 😀

Just started playing... i had better fooking see Panzer Kunst master Alita on here Aaand fail... she should definitely be on here seeing as panzer kunst is gravity independent

Emile Khadaji, the Man Who Never Misses, of the 'Matador' series, needs to be brought to the big screen

How the blazes did you miss Thomas “Neo” Anderson? Also, I would’ve moved Preston up past other gun wielders into the number 3 slot since gun kata allowed him to not be where the bullets were in a gun fight.

Lady deathstrike, Darth Maul, deadpool...so many more good ones.

I have to add Michelle Yeoh, trained as a dancer she shows exquisite precision whenever executing a move, and her fluidity has not diminished with age.

I thought the matrix people would get at least an honorable mention. There exists a universe where firefly continued past the first season. I will find it one day.

*Serenity (2005):* Summer Glau's portraying "River", her fighting style was exceptionally beautiful and mesmerizing to watch.

A couple of things, John Preston was a master of the Gun Kata, but the Kata is just part of the martial art the clerics practised. John was well practised with the katana, which took out 7 adversaries within in minutes. The only scene I can remember that closely resembles unarmed combat was where he used the butts of the pistols when he was surrounded. So a bit unfair to say that he was at 5 because his art used guns. Also for The One, all iterations of oneself would be conceived at the same time depending on the result of previous events. Another iteration of oneself could not be conceived at later date since the event of conception has already past.

I really like your pick for #1, & #2. I wish THE ONE'S, primary characters, actor, could have had equal ranking in first, or second, but, I understand you have to choose between them. The tossed coins, or cards ...even dice, have to one way, or the other. We can't have both ways...usually.

Worf was an outstanding fighter whenever he was matched against an opponent that wasn't 10 times stronger than him which was always the case whenever he got beat. Plenty of examples of him beating opponents when they were even remotely close to him in strength.

Love the IRS pun! Excellent LMAO

mad props for who you chose for #1.

I think Chirrut had slightly higher midiclorian count compared to normal people. That would explain why he did so well as a blind guy. Force sensitivity is an spectrum, and some people have some small abilities even though they may not be at level they would be considered for Jedi training.

Wang Chi helped a white boy shake the pillars of heaven.

What about Captain Kirk? He has his own art known to fans as "Kirk Fu." He uses a scissor-leg headlock takedown, a Judo tomoenage, that two-fist hit on the opponent's back and the ear-popping worked on the Gorn. Actually, those fight scenes were Defendu, a British commando art developed by Col. Fairbairn at the start of the 20th Century. Fairbairn actually broke some racial barriers learning Japanese Jujitsu and even some Kung Fu which were nearly unheard of at the time.

You think Star Wars would show off more martial artist, the setting is perfect for it

I think Ryo Ishida from Dark Matter would’ve fit nicely in this list. He is a master swordsman

The Doctor, Venusian Akido. Has a 100% success rate in all Martial art things he has done on screen and does a 4 armed Martial art form with only two arms. We was even able to teach someone else with only two arms this form.

You had me at Firefly Thumbnail (Or Serenity, not sure)

1 and 2 are my favorites but rouge 1 is by far one of the best and only star wars movie to come out after the first 6 it followed canon and story lines ,

River Tam kicked ass and made it look graceful. Cara Dune is also an amazing character played by the bad-ass in real life Gina Carano! Good list!

Wait, has Chuck Norris never done a Sci-Fi movie?

No Matrix (like over half the characters), no Blade, no Black Widow or Gambit from Marvel, no Selene from Underworld? There are many more but those were the standouts for me.

Sir the list was okay but you forgot Wesley Snipes is also "Blade" which he displayed a higher level of martialarts then Demolition Man. IMO

Fun fact: the Amygdala is responsible for regulating Fear, she is also part of the system that modulate a Person's Personality, Emotions and Motion. So removing it means a major brain damage.

The term martial arts can be translated into the arts of war. This involves much more than hand to hand combat.

PHEONIX!!! YOU Forgot to say SIMON SAYS

Michelle Yeoh, who has been in MANY martial arts movies, plays Philippa Georgiou on Star Trek: Discovery.

Why no Godzilla? Master of Kaijui Jistu.