Top 10 Greatest Martial Arts Superstars

You know a martial arts superstar when you see one. Maybe it's the way they glide through a fight scene like it's a choreographed dance with fists. Maybe it's the calm stare right before the chaos, or the sheer speed that makes you want to hit rewind just to catch what happened. These are the people who don't just fight on screen. They turn combat into an art form and make you believe, even for a second, that you could pull off a spinning heel kick in jeans.

This list is all about those legends. The icons who took martial arts and brought it into living rooms, movie theaters, and pop culture like a roundhouse to the face. Some of them brought elegance. Others brought grit. A few brought so much charm you barely noticed they just disarmed five people in a single shot.

Think about who made your jaw drop, who made you want to sign up for a class, or who you quote every time someone brings up martial arts movies. Scroll through the names, make your picks, and if your favorite isn't getting the love they deserve, it's time to change that.

The Top Ten

Bruce Lee

Bruce Lee (November 27, 1940 - July 20, 1973) was a Hong Kong and American martial artist, instructor, actor, director, screenwriter, producer, and philosopher. He founded Jeet Kune Do, a hybrid martial arts philosophy that influenced modern mixed martial arts (MMA). Lee is widely considered one of the... read more

Whatever glimpses of martial arts we see now in Hollywood movies, this man started it all. He brought martial arts to movies and Hollywood, and since then, people started taking martial arts more seriously.
All genres of martial arts being portrayed by modern movies were started by him. No CGI, no special effects, all stunts done by himself. His moves were slowed down so that they could be caught on camera and we could learn from them.
Oh, and by the way, he was the inventor of the 1-inch and 3-inch punches and showed the world that martial arts can be lethal and fatal if not practiced with care.

Bruce Lee was respected by the best fighters in the world. That should tell you something. Yes, he had ACTUAL STREET FIGHTS in which he never lost. I don't know who's the GREATEST OF ALL TIME, but Bruce Lee was the best of his time, and he could definitely compete in every single era: past, present, and future.
Remember, he died early and yet did what no other martial artist could do. He put it all together: speed, stamina, strength, flexibility, intelligence, sportsmanship, skill, technique, combinations, and so forth. He deserves to be number one. No disrespect to the other martial artists. Bruce Lee learned from everyone, and that's why he's at the top of this list. You shouldn't be surprised.
Jackie Chan

Chan Kong-sang, known professionally as Jackie Chan, is a Hong Kong martial artist, actor, film director, producer, stuntman, and singer, born in 1954. He is celebrated for his acrobatic fighting style, comic timing, and innovative stunts, which he performs himself. Chan has trained in kung fu and hapkido... read more

He brought a new genre: kung fu comedy. Nowadays, Hollywood adds special effects and makes action comedies, but what Chan did in old Chinese movies still rules over them.

Jackie Chan is a great martial artist. He knows all styles of Kung Fu. He performed his most risky moves and stunts with a lot of fun. He is different from all other martial artists.

Breaks the mold of the serious martial artist with comedy and great stunts!
Jet Li

Li Lianjie, better known by his English stage name Jet Li, is a Chinese film actor, producer, and martial artist, born in 1963 in Beijing. A five-time wushu champion, he won gold medals at the Chinese national games before transitioning to film in the late 1980s. Li has starred in international blockbusters... read more

Jet Li is the best ever! Great movies and the best actor! Simple and always smiling, but when it comes to martial arts, he is fearless, wild, and extreme!

Jet Li is the best: simple but fearless, wild, and extreme when it comes to martial arts. Very cool!

Not Bruce Lee, but probably the next best thing. Fights and acts!
Donnie Yen

He has the most stunning action choreography ever and also has legit street cred. When we talk about which martial artist superstar is the best in reality, we talk about Donnie Yen, who beat up eight gang members at a nightclub when they harassed his girlfriend.
Jet Li, Jackie Chan, and Mike Tyson say he is one of the most skilled action stars they've worked with.

I wonder why Jet Li is higher than Donnie Yen? I know they fought twice and Donnie Yen lost, but times have changed. Donnie Yen has gotten a lot faster and stronger over the years.
No offense to Jet Li, but I think if Donnie Yen and he fought now, Donnie Yen would win.
Jean-Claude Van Damme

Jean-Claude Camille François Van Varenberg, professionally known as Jean-Claude Van Damme and abbreviated as JCVD, is a Belgian actor, martial artist, screenwriter, film producer, and director best known for his martial arts action films. He rose to international fame in the late 1980s with hits like... read more

Flexibility, muscles, and cool moves.
Tony Jaa

Tatchakorn Yeerum, better known as Tony Jaa, is a Thai martial artist, actor, action choreographer, stuntman, and director. Known for his explosive martial arts stunt work, Jaa broke out in 2003 with Ong-Bak: Muay Thai Warrior, which earned him international recognition and spawned two sequels. He has... read more

What amazing fighting skills and brilliant fight scenes in Ong-Bak 1, 2, 3, and Warrior King (The Protector). A fantastic fighter.
I only write this to argue Tony Jaa should get #4 over Chuck Norris! Bruce Lee will forever be #1.

His stunts and moves are great fun to watch. He really performs them, and I would pay to watch anytime. Not like Jet Li and other actors who fly around on wires to look invincible.

Laugh out loud, the top 3 places are good, but why is Chuck Norris 4th? Tony Jaa would kick his ass.
Gordon Liu

He did one of the greatest Kung Fu movies of all time: The 36th Chamber of Shaolin.
Chuck Norris

Carlos Ray "Chuck" Norris (born March 10, 1940 - March 19, 2026) was an American actor and martial artist. He earned black belts in Tang Soo Do, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, and judo and served in the United States Air Force from 1958 to 1962.... read more

Trained by Bruce Lee. Truly one of the best martial artists of all time.

Don't let him be #4, or he'll roundhouse kick us all in the face!

The face of non-Asian martial arts, on film and TV.
Jeffrey James Lippold

2015 Guinness World Record Book, page 248.
Undefeated full-contact and Russian SAMBO record. Military Veteran. Best Actor Award for Hamlet.
I would say this guy is a real-life action star versus a movie star. I liked him in Samurai Avenger. I saw him in a few Asian movies as well, and he is really skilled! However, there are just not that many movies in the US with him in it. I would love to see him in the next Expendables! Or matched up against Van Damme or Scott Adkins!
He usually plays the good guy, but he made a nice transition to the bad guy in one movie (spoiler). He could make one hell of a villain. At 6'4" and 250 lbs, he moves like Bruce Lee! Let's see it, please! Maybe in the next Mortal Kombat he could be Kenji (looks and swordplay) or maybe the next Wolverine or Batman?
Scott Adkins

Scott Edward Adkins (born 17 June 1976) is an English actor and martial artist. He gained prominence with his villainous portrayal of the Russian prison fighter Yuri Boyka in the American martial arts film Undisputed II: Last Man Standing (2006). He reprised this role in its sequels, Undisputed III:... read more

Adkins must come in the top 5. He is not popular only because of the poor storylines of his films. However, you cannot see such fast and unique moves from any other martial artist.
He also possesses around seven black belts in different martial arts, including ninjitsu, jiujitsu, and taekwondo. See his best in Undisputed II and III.

An incredible athlete and martial artist! He needs to be cast better and allowed to fulfill his potential to the highest! I hear he is working on the new Wolverine!

In terms of martial arts actors in 2017, I'd say he's in the top 3.

The Newcomers

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Polly Shang Kwan (Lingfeng Shangguan)

One of the best female Hong Kong movie martial arts performers of the late sixties and seventies.
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Shinji Yamashita

December 16, 1951.
He played Dantetsu Kiryu in Zyuden Sentai Kyoryuger. He is the oldest actor to become a Ranger in Super Sentai.

The Contenders

Sammo Hung

A great mix of humor and power, with a likable character too.
Ip Man

Ip Man (1 October 1893-2 December 1972), also known as Yip Man, was a Chinese martial arts grandmaster. He is best known for popularizing the martial art of Wing Chun.
Ip began teaching Wing Chun at the age of 20. Over the years, he trained several students who went on to become accomplished martial... read more

The best martial artist ever. The great grandmaster of Wing Chun. He inspired me to take on martial arts, especially Wing Chun.
I think he is better than Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan because he was Bruce Lee's teacher.

I think that nobody can be compared with him, but it's a pity that no one knows him. Just saying he was the teacher of Bruce Lee is enough to understand how great he is.

Had a movie made about him. Took on ten black belts and won. Trained Bruce flippin' Lee!
Jason Statham

Jason Statham is an English actor. He is known for his roles in the Guy Ritchie crime films Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, Snatch, and Revolver. Statham later became an international action star through leading roles in The Transporter series, Crank, The Expendables, and the Fast & Furious franchise... read more

More than the best! Jason must be at least in the top 10.
Steven Seagal

Steven Frederic Seagal is an American actor, film producer, screenwriter, director, martial artist, and musician. He began his adult life as an Aikido instructor in Japan before transitioning to Hollywood. Seagal is also known for working as a reserve deputy sheriff and for his roles in action films... read more

This guy proves you don't need to throw your feet around with a whole lot of fancy kicks to do some damage!
Cynthia Rothrock

Cynthia is good at kicking, jumping, rotation kicks, and complete style. A good film to watch is Tiger Claws, where her opponent is master fighter Bolo Yeung.

Cynthia Rothrock has a good fighting style with long footwork. Great discovery in the film Martial Law 2.

Best female martial arts actress!
Bolo Yeung

He is a good fighter. His style is Tiger. He has good kicking skills and provides speed and structure.
Iko Uwais

He's the rising star now. Not only does he do his own stunts, but he also designs the choreography in The Raid and The Raid 2.
At such a young age, he has starred in and choreographed two of the best action films of this decade.

A new rising star in my opinion. Still a fan of Bruce Lee, Donnie Yen, Jackie Chan, and Jet Li.
Michael Jai White
David Carradine

An oldie but goodie, especially for those of us who remember Grasshopper in Kung Fu.
Brandon Lee

Brandon Bruce Lee (February 1, 1965 to March 31, 1993) was an American actor and martial artist. He was the son of martial arts legend Bruce Lee and Linda Lee Cadwell, and the grandson of Cantonese opera performer Lee Hoi-chuen. Brandon died at the age of 28 in a tragic accident involving a prop gun... read more
Michelle Yeoh

Tan Sri Michelle Yeoh Choo-Kheng is a Chinese-Malaysian actress best known for performing her own stunts in Hong Kong action films during the early 1990s. She gained international fame through films such as Police Story 3: Super Cop and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. In 2023, she won the Academy Award... read more

Michelle Yeoh is awesome, especially in her role in "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon." She was superb. That's my favorite movie!
Dolph Lundgren

Hans "Dolph" Lundgren is a Swedish actor, director, screenwriter, producer, martial artist, and chemical engineer. He earned a degree in chemical engineering before winning the 1979 Mr. Universe title and going on to international fame with his breakout role as Ivan Drago in Rocky IV (1985).

Well, number 10 could have been Bill Superfoot Wallace or Don The Dragon Wilson, but I like the power, speed, and moves of Dolph a little more than the latter.
Yanin "Jeeja" Vismitananda
Sonny Chiba

Is everybody a moron, or am I a genius? Sonny Chiba is a martial arts god! He has more black belts than possible.
Maggie Q

Margaret Denise Quigley, professionally known as Maggie Q, is an American actress and model. She is best known for her roles in the television series Nikita and the Divergent film series. Maggie Q began her career in modeling before transitioning to acting in action films and dramas.