The Best Choreographed Sword Fights In Movies And Television

The "Matrix" films are loaded with stellar combat and imagery that will dazzle and delight viewers — if one can overlook some of the special effects that haven't exactly aged spectacularly. The very premise of the film series is that a person's own mind is the only thing that sets the limits of what is and isn't possible in the virtual world of the Matrix. The fabled hero and chosen one, Neo (Keanu Reeves), becomes skilled rather quickly in the art of combat. At one point, in "The Matrix Reloaded," Neo must contend with the Merovingian — a computer program masquerading as a Frenchman — who has amassed power through his ability to gain and trade valuable information.

The Merovingian sees Neo as a threat due to his insistence on taking The Keymaker, a program that is the means of reaching the Source of the Matrix. The Frenchman sends some of his most eccentric fighters after Neo in a climactic clash that involves hails of bullets, battle axes, a pair of sai, and — you guessed it — swords. At one point, Neo reaches for a sword while on a staircase. He manages to expertly evade the attacks of two assailants with the sword in a brilliantly choreographed ballet of death. Of course, Neo predictably gains the upper hand, but that doesn't make this fight sequence any less thrilling.

Geralt of Rivia is a force to be reckoned with, especially as Henry Cavill breathes new life into the monster slayer for Netflix's live-action adaptation of "The Witcher." In the very first episode of the series, Geralt is confronted with a moral quandary. A shady mage by the name of Stregobor is attempting to kill a girl named Renfri simply because of the circumstances surrounding her birth: He believes her to be evil incarnate. Stregobor attempts to buy Geralt's services in order to dispatch the girl, seeing as she has gained a loyal following who protect her. Likewise, Renfri tries to tempt Geralt into striking down Stregobor to put an end to the feud. She argues that only conflict and bloodshed will come of it and that Stregobor's death is the lesser of two evils. 

After he rejects her plea, Renfri forces Geralt's hand when she threatens innocents and takes a hostage. Additionally, her men attack Geralt, and he is forced to dirty his blade with the blood of men. The combat sequence isn't so much of a "fight" as it is a slaughter. Geralt's skill is on display as he strikes fatal blows, one after another, in smooth succession. The moment ultimately earns him the title "The Butcher of Blavikan," making any witnesses think twice before assaulting this Witcher.

"The Count of Monte Cristo" is a novel by Alexandre Dumas that has seen numerous adaptations over the years. Edmond Dantès (Jim Caviezel) is a man who has only ever sought to do right, but is punished for it by his ambitious and jealous friend, Fernand Mondego (Guy Pearce). After Fernand has Edmond imprisoned for treason, he only manages to break free after six long years. He eventually makes allies among a pirate crew and discovers new wealth on the island of Montecristo. Edmond establishes himself as the Count of Monte Cristo, setting his sights on those who conspired to rob him of his life.

In the final act, Fernand finds himself with nothing left to his name. Desperate and frustrated, he launches into an ill-advised duel to the death with Edmond. In a grassy field, the two square off, initially losing their swords in the weeds. So they begin their conflict by bare-knuckling it. Eventually, Fernand recovers his sword which prompts Edmond to quickly search for his. Once located, the two engage in an intense duel that sees Edmond disarmed. With Fernand now wielding two swords, he plunges forward only for Edmond to counter his initial thrust, guiding the sword in Fernand's hand into his own torso. With his dying breath, he asks Edmond what happened to his mercy. In a callback to an earlier scene with a fellow prisoner, Edmond simply responds, "I'm a count, not a saint."

The historical Netflix drama "The Last Kingdom" has plenty of swordplay for combat enthusiasts. The premise of the narrative is the invasion of the Danes in the Anglo-Saxon territories of England. Uhtred (Alexander Dreymon), born a Briton, is taken in by a Viking family as a child, assimilating to their ways. After his adoptive father is killed, Uhtred strikes out on his own, attempting to find a healthy middle ground between his two worlds: the Saxons and the Danes. Uhtred eventually allies with the Saxon king, Alfred the Great.

In an effort to prove his loyalty, he takes on the Viking warlord Ubba (Rune Temte) as a distraction for the rest of the king's men to flank the Danes and push them from their territory. The duel is intense and brutal: Ubba may be an aggressive Viking, but he proves to be too bloodthirsty to see the strategy that Uhtred employs to bring him down. After taking a hit and falling to the ground, Uhtred cuts both of Ubba's ankles, forcing the Viking to fall to his knees, after which Uhtred delivers a fatal slash across his chest. Ubba is the first of many Viking warriors that Uhtred would eventually confront, earning him the title of the "Dane-Slayer."

"Game of Thrones" is known for its raw and grisly violence set in a fantasy world. If the sword fight between Inigo Montoya and Westley is a lighthearted storybook romp, the clash between two skilled giants like Brienne of Tarth (Gwendoline Christie) and Sandor "the Hound" Clegane (Rory McCann) is the exact opposite. Brienne finds Arya Stark (Maisie Williams) traveling with the Hound, and realizes she has an opportunity to protect Arya, fulfilling her promise to Lady Stark. Once it's revealed that Brienne's sword was a gift from Jaime Lannister (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau), however, all bets are off. Arya bitterly hates the Lannisters and is unwilling to join Brienne. With Brienne attempting to fulfill her perceived duty, she and Sandor engage in bloody combat.

Both Brienne and Sandor are large individuals and their skills in battle match their imposing nature. These two titans don't disappoint, offering a bloody spectacle that devolves into dirty fighting tactics from both parties just to survive. Once Brienne holds Sandor at sword point, claiming she doesn't wish to kill him, he growls, letting her know that he isn't a knight and doesn't abide by their honorable combat traditions. He lunges at Brienne with his fists and takes some rather cheap shots. Brienne returns the lack of gallantry with a blunt rock to the side of the Hound's head. It's visceral, but exciting, as fans of the show have come to expect.

Disney's "Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl" became an instant classic when the film hit theaters in the summer of 2003, with Johnny Depp's Captain Jack Sparrow stumbling and stammering his way into the hearts of fans everywhere. With a well-rounded cast including Orlando Bloom (Will Turner) and Kiera Knightley (Elizabeth Swann), the film was a raging success for Disney and ultimately spawned several more sequels. The first film, however, is widely considered the best in the entire series, mixing the age-old stories of pirates with a mystical curse.

Geoffrey Rush portrays the villainous Captain Barbossa of the Black Pearl, a ship that was once commanded by Jack Sparrow until the crew mutinied, abandoning him on a remote island. After the change in leadership, the crew of the Black Pearl plundered a cursed treasure, rendering them undead: Only the moonlight would show their true zombified nature. In a pivotal moment where Jack Sparrow and Elizabeth Swann attempt to save Will Turner from becoming the Black Pearl's sacrificial lamb as the crew pursues a cure, Jack engages Barbossa in a sword fight for the ages. Much to Barbossa's dismay, Jack secretly steals a coin from the cursed treasure so he would also be immortal. The two stab and slash each other to their heart's content, and nothing comes of it. Regardless, the fight is thrilling, backed by an epic score and plenty of witty banter between the two opponents.

Director Zack Snyder bursts onto the scene with a visually thrilling recreation of Frank Miller's graphic novel "300," based on the historical account of the Battle of Thermopylae, where King Leonidas and the Spartans make one last stand against the Persian army. Gerard Butler, alongside his cohorts, is absolutely shredded for his role as King Leonidas. In typical Zack Snyder fashion, the film accentuates the action sequences with stylistic choices, changing the color palette and adding slow motion into the mix.

There's one scene in particular that prepares us for the level of swordplay butchery that we're in for with the rest of the film. The Spartans manage to push the Persians back and splinter their groupings with a well-executed phalanx maneuver. Leonidas then leads the charge against the fractured Persian soldiers, as he is seen eviscerating them one by one with his sword as each approaches. It's a scene that surely kicks the adrenal glands of viewers into gear as they cheer on the group of warriors fighting bravely against Persian conquest.