What is it about watching a good old-fashioned fist fight that just does it? What is it about two people trying to clobber each other or hoards of people that get people excited? Is it the determination to win in a character’s eyes? Is it the desire to see ourselves when a guy pummels goons twice their size?
Stories filled to the brim with fights used to be exclusive to movies, but they’ve slowly made their way to episodic tv shows. Most of the best series are only on streaming or exclusive channels, but this opens the door for bigger budgets and higher-octane stunt work. For anyone in search of hard-hitting fight scenes, just stay home because that’s where the action is. Here are the best martial arts TV shows, ranked.
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7 Mortal Kombat: Legacy
MachinimaWarner Home Video
While the quality isn’t on a cinematic level, Mortal Kombat: Legacy is a loyal adaptation of the popular franchise that pleased fans of the game. This web series served as a prequel story to the original video games and featured nearly all the fan-favorite fighters. It’s gripping and full of tightly filmed fights and memorable casting choices. This series stuck so closely to the titular game franchise that it could have given the 2021 film a run for its money. At the very least, it’s an astounding complement to its source material.
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
6 Kung Fu
Warner Bros. Television
David Carradine stars as Kwai Chang Caine in the 1970s series Kung Fu, which follows a kung fu master born to an American father and Chinese mother. Kwai Chang trains at a Shaolin monastery, where he eventually becomes a master of martial arts before setting out on a mission to avenge the murder of his mentor. Upon seizing his goal, the fighter travels to America, where he learns of his familial roots. In this three-season series, the viewer is taken on a fun journey full of relevant lessons and exciting action. This series may not have aged well due to the whitewashing and portrayal of Chinese peoples, but it still retains a cult following and earned a more faithful 2021 reboot, which was renewed for a third season earlier this year.
5 Into The Badlands
AMC NetworksEntertainment One
Into the Badlands takes place sometime in a post-apocalyptic future where society has been reduced to a feudal state, and most remnants of life before cease to exist. Civilization is divided into sections known as the Badlands, each run by a Baron. Each Baron houses elite warriors known as Clippers to do their bidding. One such Clipper is Sunny, and with his young protégé, they will face the dangers and wonders of this world. This AMC sereis may not have gotten off to a good start, but it soon picked up speed to become one of the best live-action shows about martial arts. It’s a unique series that served as a good zombie-free counter to The Walking Dead on Sunday nights and brought a unique aesthetic that has not been seen before on television.
4 Banshee
HBO Entertainment
Hard-hitting, gritty, sexy, and more fun than it had the right to be, Banshee sees a thief released back into the world after being locked up for 15 years. Unfortunately, some old friends waited, and he’s forced to go into hiding. What better place to do so than the town where his ex-girlfriend resides? Looking to recapture what he had lost, the thief takes the identity of Lucas Hood, the new sheriff that happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Hood has a lot on his plate in his new line of work. Fortunately for him, he came with the skills to tackle any obstacle. Banshee brought the blood, bullets, and a surprising amount of heart to a small Pennsylvania town. Four action-packed seasons held as many fight scenes as it could handle. The Cinemax series ended on a high note, but this is one town fans wouldn’t mind returning to.
3 Warrior
Warrior is one of the best TV shows about martial arts, which is no surprise because the idea came from Bruce Lee himself. Ah Sahm arrives with other Chinese refugees in America to find his sister, but tensions are high all around. The Americans don’t want them there, his sister doesn’t want him there, and he’s thrust into a local gang that is on the verge of war. Some things gotta give in this strange new land where success isn’t for the weak. Warrior brings well-choreographed fight scenes performed by actors who know the style. On top of that, there’s also great storytelling set to a unique aesthetic. There’s plenty to love about this HBO Max action joyride, and there will be for the foreseeable future as it’s been greenlit for a third season.
2 Daredevil
Netflix
Holding the number two spot is the hit formerly-Netflix series Daredevil, reported to be on its way to a Disney+ revival. Matt Murdock is a blind lawyer by day, but at night he’s the acrobatic vigilante known as Daredevil. He’s a one-person army facing down waves of goons in an endless pursuit to clean Hell’s Kitchen of crime. It’s a magnificent noir superhero series with great choreography and action that thrilled fans for three seasons. It was axed after its third, but fans were delighted to see their favorite blind lawyer turn up in Spider-Man: No Way Home, ensuring that we haven’t seen the last of the Devil of Hell’s Kitchen. This series of action sequences would be nothing without its spiritual and emotional core as the storytelling tackle’s heavy themes on morality and justice, as well as the emotional connections of a hero. Daredevil is infinitely rewatchable and easily one of the best hero shows out there.
1 Cobra Kai
Cobra Kai is the hit sequel series to Karate Kid that no one saw coming. Set 30 years later, the perspective follows that of Johnny Lawrence who is haunted by the ghosts of the past. When he takes a young boy under his wing, he’s inspired to re-open the Cobra Kai dojo to teach karate to down on their luck teenagers. However, this reignites his rivalry with Daniel LaRousso, whose seen nothing but success. Cobra Kai isn’t just about karate and nostalgia. It’s also a show about friendship and courage as the characters go through a journey that breathes life back into the decades-old franchise. It also inspires a new generation of viewers with the same spirit as the original film. Cobra Kai doesn’t seem to be slowing down anytime soon either, as its set to premiere its fifth season later this year.
