Ranking movies in any capacity feels like an almost impossible task. The thing is that what we love about films is entirely subjective — so what we think is the best movie fight scene might in fact be your absolute, yawn-inducing worst.

We’re taking a look at 5 of the greatest movie fight scenes of all times — from the jaw-dropping athleticism of Bruce Lee and Chuck Norris in The Way of the Dragon, all the way to Anchorman’s newscasters’ street fight. This is by no means an exhaustive list, but feel free to fight it out in the comments either way! So, without further ado and in no particular order (but numbered for easy reading), let’s dive right in.

5. Anchorman: Newscaster Brawl Scene

In this 5 minute scene, Ron Burgundy and his news team face off against rival groups lead by Ben Stiller (in a mildly racist depiction of a Latino newscaster), Vince Vaughn, Luke Wilson, and Tim Robbins. The scene starts with Vince Vaughn’s crew pulling up on some (much too small) bicycles, and from there things really take a turn for the ridiculous. Steve Carrel, as one of Ron Burgundy’s lackeys, is a particular highlight: standing in the middle of the furor with only a grenade to defend himself (although he later chucks a trident through another newscaster’s chest — where he got that from remains a mystery). There are horses, five rival news gangs, and enough hilarity and violence to make this a genuinely memorable fight scene — and probably the funniest one on this list!

4. Kill Bill Volume 1: The Bride vs The Crazy 88

Tarantino fight scenes are legendary, but we’d argue that this fight between Uma Thurman’s character, The Bride, and a gang of wild Yokuza bikers is pretty much peak Tarantino. If you’re into crazy blood and gore, this fight scene will be right up your alley. It’s honestly difficult to describe this scene (because you really need to watch it yourself), but the sight of Uma Thurman plucking out somebody’s eye with her delicate fingers will never leave me. If dismembered limbs and yellow tracksuits are your thing, definitely give this one a go.

3. Way of the Dragon: Bruce Lee vs Chuck Norris

Bruce Lee and Chuck Norris are action icons — so bringing them together, and on to one set, must have been one hell of an experience. This fight scene is utterly wild. Set against a backdrop of the colosseum, Lee and Norris go head to head in what has to be one of the most polite and most inspirational fight scenes in film history. It starts with the two men disrobing, where we get our first glimpse of Norris’ terrifying chest and back hair. For the next two minutes we get to watch the actors stretching and warming up, all while a very concerned kitten looks on. What follows is a truly gentlemanly fight, that still manages to be fierce and brutal — making this a worthy entry onto this list of the 5 greatest fight scenes of all time.

2. The Matrix Reloaded: Neo vs Agent Smith

The Matrix trilogy might be action based, but this fight scene screams high camp. Everything from the crows appearing before Agent Smith like a plague of locusts, to Neo’s glasses (a staple of the genre) and flowing overcoat, this scene is pure gold — all thanks to the Wachowski sisters. There are a lot of iconic fight scenes in the Matrix trilogy, but this one really stands out. Also, Keanu Reeves is the internet’s boyfriend, so we couldn’t possibly leave him off of this list.

1. Princess Bride: Inigo Montoya vs the Man in Black

This has got to be the most honorable sword fight we’ve ever seen. Inigo Montoya vs the Man in Black is undoubtedly one of the most iconic fight scenes in film history — even if you ignore everything other than Mandy Patinkin’s hair (glorious). The scene is set on the top of a mountain, and is the first time we hear what is arguably the most famous quote in the movie (which is full of very quotable moments): “Hello, my name is Inigo Montoya, you killed my father, prepare to die.” Shivers!

A Fight Scene For Everyone

Whether you’re an action movie buff, comedy geek, martial arts wiz, or rom-com lover, there’s definitely a fight scene in here for you. Fight scenes can be so many different things, they can really help to drive the narrative of a film, and they can make or break even the best movies. So, do the scenes mentioned in this list feature in your top 5 greatest fight scenes of all time? Why not leave a review at Blue Baikal and earn rewards flexing your movie knowledge?