Summary

Many iconic warriorlike arts player got their start by play villains . While some continued to play villains throughout their careers , others later established themselves as sub of the music genre . Still , starring as a villain was a pop point of departure for many martial artiststo break into the action movie view .

Thevillains of soldierly arts movies are often portray as potent belligerent , with some of them being even honest in combat than the heroes . Although the heroes tend to come out victorious , the villain of martial arts picture show are able to showcase unbelievable skills . It take in sensory faculty that so many life history have been launched in the martial arts world via villainy — and it could explain why some doer stayed in these roles so long .

Many great martial arts stars have play memorable heroes or villain , but some versatile actor have done both many times throughout their careers .

Dolph Lundgren, Scott Adkins, and Michael Jai White

10Dick Wei

Iconic Villain Roles: Sand Palm Fighter From Kid With The Golden Arm & Lor Sam Pau From Project A

Dick Wei started out making his own picture while in the Taiwanese army . He signed with the Shaw Brothers after being discovered in a martial arts studio . Although he did n’t start out dally villains , theybecame his most pop roles and springboarded his calling . Wei starred in dozens of martial arts movies , including popular classic likeFive Deadly VenomsandKid With the Golden Arm . Wei played Master inFive Deadly Venomsand the Sand Palm Fighter inKid With the Golden Arm . He also trained fellow martial humanistic discipline actors , Michelle Yeoh among them . Wei eventually left his roleplay career behind to become a director and producer .

9Hwang Jang-lee

Iconic Villain Roles: Silver Fox From Secret Rivals & Thunderfoot From Drunken Master

Hwang Jang - lee start out his career in villain use and seemed content to stay there . His first noteworthy role was as Yamamoto ’s escort inThe Korean Connection , a Korean martial artwork movie made in 1974.Lee ’s career grew as he earned big rolesin martial arts movies . Lee ’s most striking credit entry are as Silver Fox inSecret Rivals , Thunderfoot inDrunken Master , and Sheng Kuan inSnake in the Eagle ’s Shadow . Many of Lee ’s baddie character saw him playing the antagonist to Jackie Chan ’s champion character reference . Although his characters are opposer , they are still fun to keep an eye on — and sometimes better scrapper than the hero .

8Bolo Yeung

Iconic Villain Role: Chong Li From Bloodsport

Bolo Yeung ’s film career get down due to his fourth dimension as a muscleman . The Shaw Brothers started casting him in various villain roles , where Yeung succeeded due to his strength and build . After befriend Bruce Lee , Yeung made an coming into court inEnter the Dragonas Han ’s hatchet man . Bloodsport , however , is considered his breakout role . His martial arts skills were put on display as the dominate Chong Li . Starring alongside Jean - Claude Van Damme , who he work with again as Moon inDouble Impact , Yeung put on a brilliant performance . Although his life history conk in the early 2000s , Yeung ’s latest motion-picture show come out in 2017 , when the actor was 71 year old .

Yeung ’s real name is Yang Sze . The name ' Bolo ' came from his time inEnter the Dragon , as his character was called Bolo . The name mystify , so Yeung used it throughout his career .

7Collin Chou

Iconic Villain Roles: Jade Warlord From Forbidden Kingdom & Shang Wai From Hail The Judge

Collin Chou ’s nefarious performances throughout his career have made him a staple spoiled guy in many martial artwork motion-picture show . One of his first role was Ai , an antagonistic policeman in the activity - comedy filmSlickers vs. Killers . His character undertake to kill a telephony salesman because of his interest in his married woman . Chou has play the baddie as Jade Warlord in The Forbidden Kingdom , Tony in Flash Point , and Shang Wai inHail the Judge . He managed to break out of his villain original , however , as Seraph fromThe Matrixfranchise . Still , Chou ’s career was built off of being the baddie because he is very good at it .

6Wang Lung-wei

Iconic Villain Roles: Ma Fu-yi From Five Shaolin Temples & Justice Wang From Five Deadly Venoms

Wang Lung - wei ’s on - screen career is full of villain roles . Like many other soldierly artist , he commence out in Shaw Brothers films . His first role with the Shaw Brothers was inFive Shaolin Temples , where he played Ma Fu - yi , a double-crosser who sided with the Qing . He continued to trifle villains as his performing calling hold out on , untilMartial Clubin 1981 . InMartial Club , Wang impersonate Master Shan , a martial arts expert who was unaware that he was doing evil deeds for a school . Wang retired from acting not long afterMartial Clubto start working as a choreographer , writer , and director before retiring altogether in the early 2000s .

5Chuck Norris

Iconic Villain Role: Colt From Way Of The Dragon

Although he is have sex for his heroism and unfitness to be beat by anything , one of Chuck Norris ' first on - screen part was as a villain . Norris played Colt , a warriorlike creative person rent by Ho to campaign Tang inThe way of life of the Dragon . Tang , played by Bruce Lee , fights Norris in an sports stadium , with the latter being wipe out after refusing mercifulness . After Norris begin to pursue acting earnestly , he starred in hit after smasher . His name became synonymous with everything there is to do it about warlike art picture show . His soldierlike arts prowess — and thehilariously impossible aspects of Chuck Norris movies — cemented him as an ikon within the musical genre .

4Jean-Claude Van Damme

Iconic Villain Role: Ivan Kraschinsky From No Retreat, No Surrender

Jean - Claude Van Damme ’s historied vocation has view him defeating bad guys with little more than his incredibly powerful kicks . Van Damme ’s scrap scenesare some of the most entertaining to watch . One of his first film appearances wasNo Retreat , No Surrender , where he played Ivan Kraschinsky . Ivan was the main antagonist , who is soundly defeated by the hero sandwich at the end of the flick . Van Damme ’s next role saw him as the zep . He play Frank Dux , who confront off against Bolo Yeung inBloodsport . Over the course of his career , Van Damme play several other villain , include Andrei inBlack Eagleand Jean Vilain inThe Expendables 2 .

3Cary Hiroyuki-Tagawa

Iconic Villain Roles: Shang Tsung From Mortal Kombat & Heihachi Mishima From Tekken

Many of Cary Hiroyuki - Tagawa ’s roles see him playing the scoundrel . His first role was uncredited , but it saw him as a Wing Kong fencer inBig Trouble in Little China . His first credited role was as a henchman in Tanaka ’s gang inArmed Response . Hiroyuki - Tagawa ’s career included baddie and hero character alike , buthe is most illustrious for his scoundrel . The most well - known is Shang Tsung inMortal Kombat . He also played Heihachi Mishima in the lively - actionTekkenfilm . Hiroyuki - Tagawa plays a good hero , but his charisma and unbelievable acting make him an even well villain .

2Jackie Chan

Iconic Villain Role: Immortal Meteor Wa Wu-bin From Killer Meteors

Jackie Chan ’s unbelievable movieshave made him a legend in the warlike humanities humans . His career began when he was a child in the sixties , but it was n’t until the seventies that he gained recognition as one of the creation ’s giving natural process stars . Chan starred in Bruce Lee’sEnter the Dragon , playing one of Han ’s prison house thugs . In 1976,he played the Immortal Meteor Wa Wu - bin inKiller Meteors . This was one of his first credit role as a main graphic symbol . Wa Wu - bin was the antagonist of the film , as he set about destroying a town in Hong Kong . After that , Chan ’s career take off , and he part playing heroes .

1Bruce Lee

Iconic Villain Role: Winslow Wong From Marlowe

Bruce Lee was one of the most influential warriorlike humanities actors of all time . Lee ’s iconic roles admit Mr. Lee inEnter the Dragon , Billy Lo inGame of Death , and Tang Lung inThe Way of the Dragon . Prior to his dying in 1973 , Lee star in dozens of films , some of which were released posthumously . His act vocation commence when he was a child , butone of his first proper roles as an grownup was the villain Winslow Wong inMarlowe . He also bring Cheng Chao - an inThe Big Boss . Bruce Lee ’s dazzling martial arts movesshowcased his talent and cement him as a fable .

Sidious, Tyranus, Maul, and Vader.

How Rachel Zegler’s

Bruce Lee in front of red sun

Dick Wei as Lor Sam Pau in Project A

Yim Tit-sam, the Thunderfoot, in Drunken Master

Bolo Yeung as chong li pointing in bloodsport

jade warlord in armor with his arms open in The Forbidden Kingdom

Wang Lung Wei in Shaolin Temple movie picture

Closeup of Cary Hiroyuki-Tagawa as Shang Tsung in Mortal Kombat (1995)