# Most epic one-on-one fights in movie history? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 9, 2004, 5:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-epic-one-on-one-fights-in-movie-history/233257 "2004-03-09T05:20:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![DrMemory](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/977dab/32.png) [@DrMemory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrMemory)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2004, 12:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-epic-one-on-one-fights-in-movie-history/233257/21 "2004-03-09T12:07:58Z")
Uma versus Everyone in “Kill-Bill”. ---
**Author:** ![Bakhesh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3da27b/32.png) [@Bakhesh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bakhesh)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2004, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-epic-one-on-one-fights-in-movie-history/233257/22 "2004-03-09T14:16:37Z")
I nominate H.I. vs Leonard Smalls in Raising Arizona for the best fight ending. Another vote for Yoda vs Dooku and Obi-wan vs Maul. I think the light sabre fights in the prequels are much better than the ones in the original. Vader vs Obi-wan looks crap these days. Although i haven’t seen it in years, I seem to remember Riggs vs Joshua in Lethal Weapon one being quite epic. ---
**Author:** ![keithnmick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/90db22/32.png) [@keithnmick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/keithnmick)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2004, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-epic-one-on-one-fights-in-movie-history/233257/23 "2004-03-09T14:21:23Z")
Superman vs Zod (and the other 2) - in Superman 2 Can’t be specific but as a kid I always liked the two Clint Eastwood streetfighting comedies “Every Which way But Loose” and “Any Which way you Can”. There is a chance they suck these days, though. ---
**Author:** ![CandidGamera](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/candidgamera/32/2878_2.png) [@CandidGamera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CandidGamera)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2004, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-epic-one-on-one-fights-in-movie-history/233257/24 "2004-03-09T14:35:54Z")
Errol Flynn vs. Basil Rathbone … in any of a dozen movies, but specifically _The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938)_ ---
**Author:** ![Dante](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dante/32/9673_2.png) [@Dante](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dante)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2004, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-epic-one-on-one-fights-in-movie-history/233257/25 "2004-03-09T14:54:48Z")
All of the matches at the end of [Best of the Best](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0096913/). ---
**Author:** ![plnnr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ea924/32.png) [@plnnr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/plnnr)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2004, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-epic-one-on-one-fights-in-movie-history/233257/26 "2004-03-09T15:00:24Z")
Tony Curtis vs. Ross Martin in “The Great Race.” You get the extra added attraction of seeing Natalie Wood in her prime, in a corset, covered in raspberry pie. Grrrrrrrwwwwwwwwwlllllllll. Lee Marvin vs. Ernest Borgnine on top of a moving train in “Emperor of the North” John Wayne vs. Bruce Dern in “The Cowboys.” And while H. I. vs. Leonard Small is good in “Raising Arizona,” H. I. vs. Gale (John Goodman) is even better. When H. I. scrapes his knuckles on the textured ceiling -that’s just gotta smart. ---
**Author:** ![Carnac\_the\_Magnificent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Carnac\_the\_Magnificent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carnac_the_Magnificent)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2004, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-epic-one-on-one-fights-in-movie-history/233257/27 "2004-03-09T15:02:33Z")
Bruce Lee vs. Chuck Norris in “Return of the Dragon.” At the time, Norris was the world champion kickboxer. Lee, of course, was Lee. ---
**Author:** ![Dogface](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9d8465/32.png) [@Dogface](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dogface)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2004, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-epic-one-on-one-fights-in-movie-history/233257/28 "2004-03-09T15:03:12Z")
I recommend _The Duellist_, directed by Ridley Scott. The entire movie is one fight–and the swordsmanship is some of the most realistic to ever appear in any movie. ---
**Author:** ![Sub-Contractor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bcef8e/32.png) [@Sub-Contractor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sub-Contractor)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2004, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-epic-one-on-one-fights-in-movie-history/233257/29 "2004-03-09T15:10:36Z")
For sheer mean spirit and ouch that looked like it hurt: Lee Marvin vs. Ernest Borgnine in _“Emperor of the North”_ Cool horseback fighting with swords: Rescue sequence in _“The Wind and the Lion”_ Sci-Fi duel: Decker vs Roy in _“Bladerunner”_ Later… ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Carnage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/max_carnage/32/12775_2.png) [@Max\_Carnage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Carnage)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2004, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-epic-one-on-one-fights-in-movie-history/233257/30 "2004-03-09T15:17:00Z")
The first and only thing I thought of when I saw the title of the thread was **The Live**. But since that’s been done, how about Ash versus his possesed hand in **Evil Dead 2** or Good Ash versus Bad Ash in **Army of Darkness** (Good…bad…I’m the guy with the gun.) ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2004, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-epic-one-on-one-fights-in-movie-history/233257/31 "2004-03-09T15:17:16Z")
The first _famous_ fight scene in the movies—and a horribly realistic one—was between William Farnum and Tom Santschi in [The Spoilers](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0004630/) (1914). ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2004, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-epic-one-on-one-fights-in-movie-history/233257/32 "2004-03-09T15:21:40Z")
> [@Bakhesh](#): > > Although i haven’t seen it in years, I seem to remember Riggs vs Joshua in Lethal Weapon one being quite epic. Heartily seconded. Realistically, much of this fight took place as grappling on the ground. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2004, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-epic-one-on-one-fights-in-movie-history/233257/33 "2004-03-09T15:24:21Z")
John Wayne vs Forrest Tucker in **Chisum** John Wayne vs Victor McLaughlin in **The Quiet Man** Michael York vs Christopher Lee in **The Three Musketeers** Dennis Weaver vs the Semi in **Duel** ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2004, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-epic-one-on-one-fights-in-movie-history/233257/34 "2004-03-09T16:25:49Z")
King Kong vs. the T. Rex in the original 1933 **King Kong**. Willis O’Brien, the animator, was a big wrestling fan, and he worked the moves of his favorite wrestlers into the contest between the big monkey and the big lizard. ---
**Author:** ![CandidGamera](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/candidgamera/32/2878_2.png) [@CandidGamera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CandidGamera)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2004, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-epic-one-on-one-fights-in-movie-history/233257/35 "2004-03-09T16:44:24Z")
I also wanted to throw in a vote for the final fight scene in _Brotherhood of the Wolf_. Actually, there are several spiffy fights in it. Worth checking out. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2004, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-epic-one-on-one-fights-in-movie-history/233257/36 "2004-03-09T17:09:28Z")
I’m gonna have to go with the duels at the ends of both _The Empire Strikes Back_ and _Return of the Jedi_. The whole, “No, I am your father!” and Luke losing his hand in TESB is CLASSIC. And of course, the desparate battle in ROTJ…the music is perfect. I am really, really looking forward to the duel between Anakin and Obi-Wan in Episode III-by all accounts it’s supposed to be brutal. ---
**Author:** ![Sweetums](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Sweetums](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sweetums)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2004, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-epic-one-on-one-fights-in-movie-history/233257/37 "2004-03-09T17:14:45Z")
The Duellists, During the course of the film, Kieth Carradine and Harvey Keitel fight several duels. Any one of which is a good as the final in Rob Roy. ``` No big supprise as both movies had William Hobbs as the fight director. ``` ---
**Author:** ![Mister\_Rik](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mister_rik/32/491_2.png) [@Mister\_Rik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Rik)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2004, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-epic-one-on-one-fights-in-movie-history/233257/38 "2004-03-09T17:50:17Z")
Jenny McCarthy vs Pamela Anderson in _Scary Movie 3_ ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2004, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-epic-one-on-one-fights-in-movie-history/233257/39 "2004-03-09T18:40:38Z")
Tyrone Power vs. Basil Rathbone in **The Mark of Zorro** ---
**Author:** ![Kizarvexius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/da6949/32.png) [@Kizarvexius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kizarvexius)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2004, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-epic-one-on-one-fights-in-movie-history/233257/40 "2004-03-09T20:41:23Z")
This one may not technically qualify as a fight, but it wasn’t exactly a friendly game of checkers: Judah vs. Messala in _Ben-Hur_🆒 The greatest twenty minutes in the history of cinema, as far as I’m concerned. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-epic-one-on-one-fights-in-movie-history/233257.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-epic-one-on-one-fights-in-movie-history/233257.md?page=3)