View Full Version : Who Is The Greatest Swordsman In Film?
The newest Movie Version TOC got me thinking about this, so I figured Id post a thread here and see what you all thought.
In a one on one battle, strictly using their mastery at swordplay and their own weapons and equipment, WHO is Moviedoms Best and Most Skilled Overall Swordman?
Aragorn
Wesley - The Man in Black
Connor MacLeod
Mad Martigan
The Bride
Maximus
Zorro
Robin Hood
D'Artanian
(any others you might think up.)
Thoughts? Opinions?
KneelB4Zodd
05/19/2004, 16:34
In the novels, D'Artagnan is the best at everything. Overall, I'd have to go with Zorro.
man, i was going to say wesley before even reading the choices. now i feel unoriginal :(
skeevo666
05/19/2004, 16:37
Robin Hood (as portrayed by Errol Flynn)
Welcome to Sherwood!
bill4935
05/19/2004, 16:38
Captain Blood?
Inigo Montoya?
Anthony Hopkins?
Nope, nope, nope.
The answer is...
YODA!!!
Dr. Morbius
05/19/2004, 16:38
Yoda! Nuff said!
Dr. Morbius
05/19/2004, 16:39
Darn Bill...you beat me to it! :p
eltigrediablo
05/19/2004, 16:39
A few more to consider:
The Scarlet Pimpernel
Lancelot
Capt. Blood
Conan
---
I think my vote goes with Maximus though....that guy could really lay out a whupping on just about anything, man or beast. He had to be stabbed in the back *first* in order to just have a fight that was *close*...
Ok ok, no Jedi or superhuman characters above Highlander level allowed.
So far weve got one vote for Wesley, one for Zorro and one for Robin Hood.
Dr. Morbius
05/19/2004, 16:41
:disappoin
okay...in this case....Aragorn
Ah, good additions. The new list is as such.
Aragorn
Wesley - The Man in Black
Connor MacLeod
Mad Martigan
The Bride
Maximus
Zorro
Robin Hood
D'Artanian
The Scarlet Pimpernel
Lancelot
Capt. Blood
Conan
jbship628
05/19/2004, 16:44
Well, he has only been in one movie, but the main bad guy from SHanghai Knights was a pretty tight swordsman. The movie sucked, but that guy did swing a mean blade.
Aragon
He has been pacticing his trade aganst large numbers of oppoents any one of which is more dangerous than a standard human soldier, and he has been doing it for 80-100 years.
EmperorNorton
05/19/2004, 16:49
Connor McLeod is a dork.
Duncan McLead is so much better, it isn't even funny.
EmperorNorton
Blade is cool, but with superhuman reflexes, strength, toughness, agility and so on, he might be alittle too strong for this list.
Lancelot can not be defeated in a sword fight. Ever. He is the perfect warrior in a very literal sense. There can be no equal.
Well, the same can be said for quite a few other fighters here as well.
Basil Elks
05/19/2004, 16:57
Duncan McLeod, I would have said Errol Flynn, but someone already said him.
No, I mean his enchantment/curse/blessing is that he cannot be bested in battle. He is literally the best by decree from on high.
EmperorNorton
05/19/2004, 16:59
If we were talking literature, Lancelot couldn't be beat, indeed. What films is he in, though? I don't remember having seen him in one.
EmperorNorton
Which MacLead was in Highlander the movie, Connor or Duncan?
Excalibur
&
Knights of the Round Table
&
First Knight (haven't had the stomach to watch it though)
de4dp00l
05/19/2004, 17:02
Lancelot was in Excalibur. Arthur beat him, but he kind of cheated. Also, wasn't First Knight (you know, with Richard Gere) about Lancelot?
clixer11
05/19/2004, 17:02
Well the movie was....meh...depends on taste, but the Lancelot in Excalibur could not be defeated until Arthur called (selfishly) on the power of Narsil, I mean Excalibur to defeat Lance.
So Lancelot.
Of course, Aragorn exists in a different "universe", and any dude that salutes 100+ Uruk-Hai before charging them gets a triple star in my book!
Basil Elks
05/19/2004, 17:04
Originally posted by DTM
Which MacLead was in Highlander the movie, Connor or Duncan? Connor was in the movies, & Duncan was in the TV series, & the last movie "Highlander: End Game".
clixer11
05/19/2004, 17:05
Originally posted by de4dp00l
Lancelot was in Excalibur. Arthur beat him, but he kind of cheated. Also, wasn't First Knight (you know, with Richard Gere) about Lancelot?
Dude...we're talking swordsmen here, not Pretty Woman-dude with a sword.
:grin:
Kidding...
CarlosMucha
05/19/2004, 17:05
ehhh, the Pirate from The OLd Voyagers series use the sword??
de4dp00l
05/19/2004, 17:06
Also, are we restricting ourselves to American Movies? If not, I'd like to nominate Zatoichi, the blind samurai. He's badass.
EmperorNorton
05/19/2004, 17:07
Ah, yes, I remember Excalibur and First Knight.
Both fun to watch, but reading the Lancelot en prose from the 13th century gives you a completely different impression. :cool:
EmperorNorton
Blubeard
05/19/2004, 17:07
yer leaving out Li Mu Bai from "Crouching tiger hidden dragon"
:)
Basil Elks
05/19/2004, 17:10
Captain Jack Sparrow
TOSHIRO MIFUNE....is the winner.:p
Sheesh, with all these different and all AMAZING Sword fighters, looks like we could have had a TOC based on them alone, go figure. :) :p
Basil Elks
05/19/2004, 17:18
Swordsman appeared in the ill-fated Avengers cartoon, does that count?
CooperMcP
05/19/2004, 17:20
why are you guys even debating this?!?!
the greatest sword fighter is hands down Beatrix Kiddo from kill bill!
CarlosMucha
05/19/2004, 17:21
Taskmaster!! (I win he he)
Silver Ghost
05/19/2004, 17:24
Best swordsman from a movie without a doubt is the Man in Black: Wesley!
He only toys with Inigo in the fight scene in the film, so I MUST conclude he is a stellar, brilliant, un-beatable swordsman when he actually tries!:)
herosspirit
05/19/2004, 17:26
Other ideas:
Live action:
Leonardo from TMNT Movie
Perseus from Clash of the Titans
Joe Armstrong from American Ninja
Red Sonja (if not gender specific)
Lee in Enter the Dragon?
Cartoon movie:
Kenshin from Samuri X
Maniac_nmt
05/19/2004, 17:27
My vote would be to Micheal York's D'Artangan. Those musketeer movies are the best for swordplay as they did all their own, full contact stunts (several even landing actors in hospital for getting sword through the wrist, or even collar bone).
The is also Ivanhoe (the book has been made into several movies), Herger (from the 13th warrior), El Cid (Charlton Heston played this Spanish Knight), among others.
Basil Elks
05/19/2004, 17:28
Samurai Jack
Degrelle
05/19/2004, 17:30
Definitly recently-retired Dread Pirate Roberts
smitty_hew
05/19/2004, 17:31
lone wolf.
from lone wolf and cub. slaughtered thousand, c'mon.
Maniac_nmt
05/19/2004, 17:33
ah, and you all are wrong about lancelot. If you go back far enough other knights are better then him. It wasn't untill the French got involved with writing the legend of Arthur that Lancelot become the knight we all know.
In fact, it was originally Gawain who achives the grail, and is the best of all of Arthur's knights. Even with later additions, it is stated that Gawain is better at somethings, and Lancelot is better at others (I believe that it's Gawain is the better sword, but Lancelot is the better jouster, or it's the other way round).
Put my vote down for the Kill Bill chick...and a distant 2nd place to the dread pirate Roberts.
malchyor
05/19/2004, 17:37
yeah...the highlander, hands down. as much as i'd like to justify one of the jedi in this, hundreds of years of practice just have to amount to something.
Kal - El II
05/19/2004, 17:38
Neo. He has, most likely, every form of sword fighting from Chinese Broadsword to Fencing downloaded into his brain.
However, he may be too powerful to compete.
Speaking of which, DTM, I always miss your "role calls". When you do a role call for HW Movie Character Tourney could you stick in In-The-Matrix-Neo for me?
Thwap Man
05/19/2004, 17:40
If you want to bring literature into it, I'm not saying that it gaurantees the win, but read all about what Inigo did to train, and then remember that Westley beat him handily.
I haven't seen enough of these movies to say who's the best.
HCannonFodder
05/19/2004, 17:43
The main character, (Buddy?) in Six-String Samurai!!
green_knight
05/19/2004, 18:02
Originally posted by rouge2
No, I mean his enchantment/curse/blessing is that he cannot be bested in battle. He is literally the best by decree from on high.
I thought his son was better than him, and beat him, at least to a draw, but I'm pretty sure it was a victory.
Slade Wilson
05/19/2004, 18:02
adrian paul of highlander he used real time technique in highlander endgame without trick photography whatch the fight between him and donnie yen its incredible!!!
Yikes, we seem to be getting MORE new picks than characters that are already on the list. :)
And yes, if we do a HW TOC, Ill be sure that the Matrix Neo is on there for you Kal El, though His Uber Form, from the end of the Matrix onward, Id put as a SHW.
green_knight
05/19/2004, 18:08
What was the name of the samurai from Sanjiro and Yojimbo? He was AWESOME. Akira Kurosawa could direct some sweet showdowns.
I'll vote for Duncan McCleoud.
Over 400 years of fighting for his darn life is experience that can't be duplicated. Well, except by Connor, but he lost the eye of the tiger at the end, and Duncan won.
bullwhip
05/19/2004, 18:27
Hard to say, but in the end it would have to be a samurai. Probably Kikuchiyo from "The Seven Samurai"....
GoldenAge
05/19/2004, 18:36
Originally posted by DTM
Ah, good additions. The new list is as such.
Aragorn
Wesley - The Man in Black
Connor MacLeod
Mad Martigan
The Bride
Maximus
Zorro
Robin Hood
D'Artanian
The Scarlet Pimpernel
Lancelot
Capt. Blood
Conan
I'd have to say it's a toss-up between:
The Dread Pirate Roberts, Zorro & D'Artanian
From my personal perspective it's D'Artanian hands (left or right) down. ;)
four_winds
05/19/2004, 18:45
Conan easily.
boo duncan, quentin is the man!
btw, how come no one has mentioned ... dun dun dun....
MacBeth!!!! bwahahahahaha :devious: :devious: :devious: lol:laugh: :laugh: :laugh:
chopchop777
05/19/2004, 19:02
Mo Bei from Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon. What can Chow Yun Fat not do?
jaymanrulez75
05/19/2004, 19:02
wesley nuff said
darius_dax1
05/19/2004, 19:02
Lone Wolf and Cub.
li mu bai from crouching tiger
lord conquer from stormriders
simon the snow blower from the duel
hero from a man called hero
and the character played by adam cheng in shaolin vs wu tang
Gentlegamer
05/19/2004, 21:47
"I know something that you don't know. I'm not left handed either!"
Wesley - The Man in Black
VandalSavage
05/19/2004, 21:49
Achilles in Troy is pretty darn good....
Mr. Savage
I hate to play this trump card....
Yoda
Gentlegamer
05/19/2004, 22:56
Originally posted by Brazil
I hate to play this trump card....
Yoda
Somebody hasn't read the thread . . . :)
I'm going to throw in another vote for Li Mu Bai. He could beat most of these other guys down with a stick! :)
What are you guys thinking of? Aragon is not the best swordsman in all of film. No one comes close to Connor Mcleod.
No man can be his equal.
Connor Mcleod of the clan Mcleod is the best.
And maybe also Duncan Mcleod after Connor sacrificed himself to Duncan in the 4th installment of the Highlander movie.
supermangl1
05/19/2004, 23:45
Westley from the Princess Bride. No magic or superhuman powers, no curses, all skill. With cool and witty comments included.
my vote for Himura Kenshin :)
DOOMSTRIKER
05/20/2004, 00:04
captain nemo from the league of extraordinary gentlemen, was pretty good, but with just swordsmanship and the stuff they carry with them i have to say Blade.
SuperGENE
05/20/2004, 00:13
How about... Beatrix Kiddo aka Black Mamba aka The Bride aka Mommy
Glorfindel
05/20/2004, 00:38
I read the title of the Thread and the Dread Pirate Roberts - Wesley - The Man in Black straight away popped into my head.
Aragorn is the other name which I thought of. I have read the Lord of the Rings hundreds of times & watched the Princess Bride even more!
They are both very different sorts of fighter. Aragorn learnt through years of wars & experience and fights with both skill & brute force, Wesley learnt through years of training & fights with elegance & grace.
I'd give it to Aragorn though. Just far to much experience for the young Wesley. He is 87 afterall.
Errol Flynn and Basil Rathbone were both expert fencers and did all their own swordwork. They are generally regarded by film critics as among the best screen swordsmen, maybe not by comic book fans though.....
Well, see Swordsman is a misleading term, since there are several different styles of sword play and swords.
Best Fencer-Wesley from Princes's Bride
Best Kantana(Martial Arts)-Li Mu Bai from Crouching Tiger
Best Broad Sword-Conan, from both movies.
Best Lightsaber-Yoda
Best Greek/Roman/Egyptian Sword-Maximus from Gladiator
Best Other Bladed Weapon-Troy for his spear use in Troy.
There is also, Captain Jack Sparrow. But, yeah... Conan would destroy all.
skyounkin
05/20/2004, 07:32
[edit - RP]
If he doesn't count (you losers) then I would go with Errol Flynn, harken to the day when acting and stunts required strength and skill instead of special effects.
Dr Mid-Knight
05/20/2004, 08:22
Greatest swordsman? I'd say either the Bride (from Kill Bill), Obi-Wan Kenobi (from EP 1) or Conan.
doctorfate77
05/20/2004, 08:54
One Piece's Roronoa Zoro. No one else can wield three swords, especiallly like he.
gladiator1518
05/20/2004, 09:08
Originally posted by DTM
The newest Movie Version TOC got me thinking about this, so I figured Id post a thread here and see what you all thought.
In a one on one battle, strictly using their mastery at swordplay and their own weapons and equipment, WHO is Moviedoms Best and Most Skilled Overall Swordman?
Aragorn
Wesley - The Man in Black
Connor MacLeod
Mad Martigan
The Bride
Maximus
Zorro
Robin Hood
D'Artanian
(any others you might think up.)
Thoughts? Opinions? DTM, how in the world could you have listed Connor MacLeod and not his protege Duncan MacLeod? The only remaining Highlander is IMO the best movie swordsman of all time.
Dr. Morbius
05/20/2004, 09:11
[edit - RP]
Here's another suggestion:
King Arthur played by late Graham Chapman in "Monty Python's Holy Grail" ah....come on...he easily beat the undefeated Black Knight!!! :p
gladiator1518
05/20/2004, 09:15
Originally posted by EmperorNorton
Connor McLeod is a dork.
Duncan McLead is so much better, it isn't even funny.
EmperorNorton Whoa! I agree that Duncan may be better(although only slightly) than Connor with a sword but Connor MacLeod is no "dork". Don't forget he took the Kurgans head who was at the time the strongest of all immortals.
gladiator1518
05/20/2004, 09:22
Originally posted by DTM
Which MacLead was in Highlander the movie, Connor or Duncan? Connor MacLeod was in the original movie which happened years before the tv series started. So he is the original Highlander. Although I myself like Duncan just a tad bit better.
Of the four Highlander films Highlander: Endgame is the only one which Duncan is in(along with Connor) and it's my favorite film of all time.
My Gradma knew more about fencing than Errol Flynn. Errol Flynn knew nothing about fencing. Basil Rathbone was a class A Olympic fencer. Basil Rathbone had to fence just bad enough to make Errol Flynn look good.
mattsolo
05/20/2004, 10:01
What about Achilles? From the movie TROY? If you have yet to see it I suggest you get you fanboy buts to the movies tonight! Also Most of you guys are talking about fencing. When it was specified "Sword fighting" I think Achilles and Arragorn and Conan would be the best matched in a "Sword fight" Everyone else would be over powered and dead. Includeing Lancealot and Blade.
mattsolo
05/20/2004, 10:07
This has never happened before I swear! :nervous:
SamuraiWolf
05/20/2004, 10:19
Samurai Jack
mighty28
05/20/2004, 10:25
All good choices, but I have to put my money on Danny Kaye from "The Court Jester". of course, that was only after Angela Lansbury's witch hypnotized him. Still, it was one of the best sword scenes.
oh...btw, to whomever posted it, It was Galahad who found the Holy Grail while Gawaine and Tristan(?) waited outside. Galahad was the pure Knight, and Gawain's son.
John Holmes.
I mean, geez, talk about a master swordsman...
Maniac_nmt
05/20/2004, 10:37
Galahad was Lancelot's son by Elaine, daughter of the fisher king.
For a period Lancelot goes insane, because Gwenivere is a faithless #####, and petty in her affections. He is found by Elaine a wild man in the woods. For a time he finds a sort of peace with her but eventually he returns to Gwen like the spineless traitor dog he is.
Galahad is pure, and eventually comes to claim the Siege Perilous seat at the Round Table. Thus starting the end times for Arthur.
He is peerless according to later french authors, better even then his father.
Maniac_nmt
05/20/2004, 10:41
actually I thought Aragorn is shown to be closer to 100-200 years old in the book, hrm. He's Numenor, so lives to be like 400 or something.
Wesley, in one of the best films ever made.
Wesley.........Beatrice Kiddo is a chump in comparison.
mattsolo
05/20/2004, 11:16
Achilles would slap Maximus around like a little girl. I can't believe non or you ####### has seen Troy yet! I need some backup here!!
After seeing Shrek 2, I'm going to say that it's Puss-N-Boots.
REOW!
Gentlegamer
05/20/2004, 11:23
Achilles has a divine mother . . . so I think he's a bit off the chart for this.
Kal - El II
05/20/2004, 11:48
Thanks for the acknowledging Matrix Neo as SHW. Brings a tear to my eye...:devious:
Thought about some more...
What about Jubei Kipagami (sp) from Ninja Scroll (I know he's animated, but so was Yoda (in the more recent episodes).
Also, I don't know his name in the film, yet, but Jet Li in the movie Hero, which won Best Foreign Film at the Oscars this year (or last).
KE II
SonofVader
05/20/2004, 12:26
Toshiro Mifune, in all of Akira's films. Although he's fighting with Puss in Boots for sure. "Today, I repay my debt." HAH!
Conan the Barbarian. What he lacks in grace, he makes up for with sheer power and intimidating facial expressions (the patened wide-eyed glare as he looks over a defeated foe).
Originally posted by gladiator1518
DTM, how in the world could you have listed Connor MacLeod and not his protege Duncan MacLeod? The only remaining Highlander is IMO the best movie swordsman of all time.
Connor is from the FIRST Highlander film, and to me, thats the ONLY film there is, as the sequels stunk and the TV series pretty much threw away what the first film said, so Im STICKING with THE HIGHLANDER, Connor MacLeod. :)
Other skilled swordsmen:
Hamlet (any version)
MacDuff
Rob Roy
Ghost Dog
Thwap Man
05/20/2004, 14:52
The guy from Ninja Scroll is superhuman. There's no two ways about it. He's too powerful to be considered.
If you actually watch the fights in Troy, Achilles isn't really that good. All of his opponents with the exception of Hector don't really have any skill. They're just the guys who run on screen, clumsily put their swords up, and get run through.
Also, in this paradigm, we're looking at movie fighters. Literature has no place here, and since they don't mention that Achilles is practically invulnerable in the movie, he isn't in the tournament.
mattsolo, go back and watch the fights in Troy, then watch the fights in Gladiator, and see if you can hnestly say that you think that Achilles would beat Maximus.
gladiator1518
05/20/2004, 14:53
Originally posted by DTM
Connor is from the FIRST Highlander film, and to me, thats the ONLY film there is, as the sequels stunk and the TV series pretty much threw away what the first film said, so Im STICKING with THE HIGHLANDER, Connor MacLeod. :) That's your opinion. And your entitled to it. But to me and I'm sure alot of other people,if not most, accept the fact that Highlander: Endgame certainly counts as part of Highlander continuity and hence Connor is gone. Duncan MacLeod is the ONLY Highlander left. I hated the fact that Connor died(I would've hated it even more if Duncan had died), but THERE CAN BE ONLY ONE.
In the first film, Connor is the LAST and he is granted THE PRIZE after he kills Kurgen, how do they even explain the existence of Duncan at all from this? Did he hide somewhere and just not go to the Gathering? And in End Game, did Duncan BEAT Connor, fair and square, in a duel?
Maniac_nmt
05/20/2004, 14:58
yes, if you watch the first film, there really can't be any sequals or even a movie spin off.
Conor is still the best from that series because he was last. All the others are cheap attempts to make money.
I agree.
How do they explain Duncan in the TV series?
Sliverking
05/20/2004, 15:08
I second the vote for Wesley, and the vote for it being one of the best movies. But Maximus is awesome, so is the movie. Maybe the best.
archangel4661
05/20/2004, 15:19
I vote for the invisible swordsman from three amigos. Sure we never saw him fight, but he was INVISIBLE that's got to count for something. lol Seriously I vote for Wesley.
gladiator1518
05/20/2004, 15:31
Originally posted by DTM
In the first film, Connor is the LAST and he is granted THE PRIZE after he kills Kurgen, how do they even explain the existence of Duncan at all from this? Did he hide somewhere and just not go to the Gathering? And in End Game, did Duncan BEAT Connor, fair and square, in a duel? Yes,Duncan did beat Connor fair and square in Endgame. Have you even seen that movie?
In response to your first question I've wondered that same thing alot myself. I think the makers of the first film didn't expect to make sequels at the time when they made the original. I doubt at the time that they even had plans to make the series(but I sure am glad they did). The movie came out in '86 and I believe the series started in '92.
gladiator1518
05/20/2004, 15:37
Originally posted by DTM
How do they explain Duncan in the TV series? I'm not sure what you mean by that. Care to elaborate?
Dr. Morbius
05/20/2004, 15:42
Originally posted by archangel4661
I vote for the invisible swordsman from three amigos. Sure we never saw him fight, but he was INVISIBLE that's got to count for something. lol Seriously I vote for Wesley.
LOL! Yeah...he can be found by the singing bush, right?
But remember how easily he was knocked out by a stone tossed in the air? :laugh:
gladiator1518
05/20/2004, 15:44
I mean it is his show after all. If it weren't for him there wouldn't be a series and that would ####. I've every episode on dvd and the truth is I've gotten more pleasure out of the series than I have the first three movies put together.
Originally posted by DTM
I agree.
How do they explain Duncan in the TV series?
Little sketchy, because it's been a while, but the events in the first movie still happened execpt the final battle wasn't for the prize and there were still tonnes of immortals left out there.
Conner puts himself into "Sanctuary" where he doesn't have to be a part of the 'contest', but I also believe he now ages.
His relative Duncan carries on the fight for him.
In Endgame he comes out of 'retirement'.
The second movie is (wisely) ignored by both the series and the other movies.
So basically you have Highlander I (& III if you like) standing on their own or you have 90% of Highlander I (with the ending tweaked), the two Highlander TV series and then Highlander: Endgame.
Two separate stories.
gladiator1518
05/20/2004, 15:59
Originally posted by gladiator1518
I mean it is his show after all. If it weren't for him there wouldn't be a series and that would ####. I've every episode on dvd and the truth is I've gotten more pleasure out of the series than I have the first three movies put together. Asking how they explain Duncan in the tv series is like asking how do they explain Superman in the Superman movies? Or how do they explain Rocky in the Rocky movies? I just don't understand what you mean.
gladiator1518
05/20/2004, 16:07
That's a very good explanation rouge2. However, why do you think Connor ages while he is in the sanctuary? It didn't appear to me that he aged. He just hadn't shaved in a long time. Despite not being "in the game" for ten years he is still immortal.
Greenandgold
05/20/2004, 16:09
Put me down for the Dread Pirate Roberts.
Thanks rouge2 for the bit of background. I loved the first movie, but after the second one I just couldn't bring myself to watch any of the others. Sounds like I should at least go rent Endgame.
sayanything11
05/20/2004, 16:19
Greatest swordsman in film? Sure, Wesley is the way to go...although, if this question could be expanded to include the book "The Princess Bride" I would make a strong argument that Inigo Montoya is in fact, a better swordsman than Wesley...
Of course...when I think about Seven Samurais...<chill>
Maniac_nmt
05/20/2004, 16:33
except at the end of higlander he does get the prize, he discusses this with his new flame. He can now grow old and die, can read the minds of every person on Earth, have kids, etc. etc. etc. Even Highlander 3 was REALY weak on how he lost it, or why.
The show would have to occur entirely before the first movie, and then have duncan die somehow for it to make any sense.
Thwap Man
05/20/2004, 16:48
sayanything, after reading the book, how can you say that Inigo is better? Inigo did all that training, for so many years, and Westley still beat him handily (no pun intended).
Maniac_nmt
05/20/2004, 17:32
I think The Princess Bride may be one of the very very select few times where the movie is much better then the book. The book was not very good overall. It had a select few moments, but pales in comparisson to the movie.
Thwap Man
05/20/2004, 17:39
Sorry, I disagree with you maniac. I can easily see how someone wouldn't like the book (and I think it's very easy for people to hate it), but I think it's wonderful.
actually going back and reading the rules about no "super human" charaters... i guess most of my picks are eliminated.
just the wu tang guy and li mu bai.
anyone else seen stormriders, the duel or a man called hero?
good movies :)
DreadDormammu
05/20/2004, 18:11
It's gonna be someone from a Hong Kong movie without question. I'd probably look to Swordsman Yin Chek Hsia from A Chinese Ghost Story (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0093978/), Ling Wu Chung from Swordsman II (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0103295/) or the two main characters from Duel to the Death (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0084924/).
Word to your mother.
Maniac_nmt
05/20/2004, 18:46
it's so dry in places though. Where the movie keeps flowing along a number of times the book seems to stall out.
It's very rare for me not to like the book better. I mean all the James Bond books by Ian Flemming are light years ahead of the movies, and I like the movies.
The book isn't 'bad' per say, but it's just not up to the life the movie has.
Duncan McLeod gets my vote!
Gentlegamer
05/21/2004, 09:45
Originally posted by Maniac_nmt
I think The Princess Bride may be one of the very very select few times where the movie is much better then the book. The book was not very good overall. It had a select few moments, but pales in comparisson to the movie.
Not true! The book is excellent! It just has more elements to it as a fictional abridgement of "S. Morgenstern's The Princess Bride."
New Warrior
05/21/2004, 09:50
I call King Author and his Might Excalibur!
BoosterGold
05/21/2004, 09:55
ACHILLES
Thwap Man
05/21/2004, 12:04
Yeah, as I said maniac, I can easily, easily see how someone wouldn't like a lot of the book, but I found it really interesting and humerous. I have my opinion and you have yours. :)
Ghost Ripper
05/21/2004, 14:08
If aloud in!
ACHILLES-and Just because the fighting was not centered around Achilles like it was Maximus in Gladiator, then you can not grasp an accurate portrayal of Achilles. Achilles is the best b/c that was what he was made for. His armor also was magical as well as him being Impervious. Hector was the greastest warrior of Troy yet still Stalemated against Ajax. Ajax came away unscathed and Hector was wounded. According the writings Ajax was only second to Achilles in all of the Greeks. He is super fast as well. As Hector had the Power of a God bolstering his flight from Achilles and never gained a Step away from him. Achilles not only defeated the people on the screen but he had defeated many others as well as was said in the Beginning when he was told he could stop all the blood shed with one swing of his sword as before.
Maniac_nmt
05/21/2004, 15:45
actually Ajax is lesser then Diomedes, who is the one Homer notes as second only to Achillies. Even Odysseus is a mighty warrior, and it's only him and Ajax against the Trojans when Achillies dies. Ajax is awesome, and the movie REALLY cheesed him, what with his opening battle death to Hector (yeah right), but he's not the second best. That's Diomedes position ( it speculates in points he might actually be better then Achillies, but lacks the invulnerability Achillies has which makes him top dog).
Besides, if literature comes into it, then I bust out John Carter, Warlord of Mars. Who rolls half this list up while stifling a yawn. Come get some Liu Mu Bai, Johnny will rip your head off in 10 seconds flat and serve it to you on a skewer.
@Thawp
funny you say that, as I have a possitively Saharran sense of humor, in terms of how dry it is. Ah well.
four_winds
05/21/2004, 16:07
Conan would eat this list:grin: . Just my opinion of course, and I am being VERY biased in it.
Originally posted by gladiator1518
Asking how they explain Duncan in the tv series is like asking how do they explain Superman in the Superman movies? Or how do they explain Rocky in the Rocky movies? I just don't understand what you mean.
What I mean is, in the first Highlander film, Connor and Kurgen fight it out in a climatic ending duel, to see which of them is the LAST of the Immortals and wins THE PRIZE. (Connor won at the end of course)
My question is HOW did they explain the existence of Duncan at all, and every other immortal that was on the TV series? It goes against EVERYTHING the first movie is about. Did Duncan and the rest of these TV series Immortals just ignore the Gathering from the first film, and even if so, why would COnnor get all that power at the end if there were more Immortals around?
Sounds like the series ignored most of the events of the movie just so they could have a series at all, and I DONT approve of that.
gladiator1518
05/21/2004, 18:06
Originally posted by DTM
What I mean is, in the first Highlander film, Connor and Kurgen fight it out in a climatic ending duel, to see which of them is the LAST of the Immortals and wins THE PRIZE. (Connor won at the end of course)
My question is HOW did they explain the existence of Duncan at all, and every other immortal that was on the TV series? It goes against EVERYTHING the first movie is about. Did Duncan and the rest of these TV series Immortals just ignore the Gathering from the first film, and even if so, why would COnnor get all that power at the end if there were more Immortals around?
Sounds like the series ignored most of the events of the movie just so they could have a series at all, and I DONT approve of that. DTM, check out rouge2's last post(if you haven't already). I believe the post number is 114. He explains it all perfectly.
About Highlander: the Series
I think at first they did ignore the Original film,
(Ignoring the second goes without saying)
and I agree doing that to cash in is kind of
cheap.
However, the series was pretty good, and as
it developed, and they added depth to the
Watchers, some mention of Connor's
'Mini Gathering' as a past event was made,
although I don't recall it ever being explained
in detail.
I think the main feeling is just that Connor
was mistaken. He is portrayed as getting
depressed at all the fighting, mortals expiring,
etc, to the point of becoming suicidal.
I'm not sure if Connor and Duncan's duel in the
4th film can be described as a straight up fight
considering Connor's motivation, but I'd bet on
Duncan to win an even battle between the 2 anyway.
I'm wondering what other people think about Troy.
People here seem to be thinking that Brad is playing
Achilles from the Iliad, ie almost Invulnerable.
He didn't seem that way to me at all.
Just highly skilled.
I think it was when the boy was sent to fetch him,
he is asked if it was true he was impervious,
to which he replied if it were true he wouldn't
bother carrying a shield.
His death scene also implied that arrows could
hurt him, and hurt him through his armour.
He pulled them all out except for the one, which
presumably inspired the legends of his weakness.
It seemed to me that, that is what the makers of
Troy were aiming for.
To tell the 'real story' that the storytellers added
gods and magic to, to make the legend.
Danny Rand
05/22/2004, 00:53
Conan would crush all who oppose him
Krom grant him strength to crush his enemies
He would then go get drunk and do some whoring
True, but first he'd see them driven before him,
and hear the lamentations of their women.
Danny Rand
05/22/2004, 01:05
oh its true, its true
ASpaceBoyDream
05/24/2004, 01:28
No way am I reading this whole thread, but I vote for Kyuzo (Seven Samurai).
SITHSPAWN
05/24/2004, 01:47
DARTH MAUL! Fool got too confindent.
I guess I'd say Connor MacCleod (did I even come close to spelling it right?), he's only had a couple hundered years of practice and won the Gathering (in the first movie)
Originally posted by gladiator1518
Yes,Duncan did beat Connor fair and square in Endgame. Have you even seen that movie?
_______________________________________________________
Duncan DID NOT beat Connor fair and square. You should watch the movie again. Connor Sacrificed himself to make Duncan stronger because he no longer has the will to fight and win the battle so he gave his life to Duncan.
What movie were you watching, anyway?
Gentlegamer
05/24/2004, 10:34
Originally posted by Maniac_nmt
Besides, if literature comes into it, then I bust out John Carter, Warlord of Mars. Who rolls half this list up while stifling a yawn.
If "literature" were to come into it, I too would vote for John Carter of Mars. Well, if the battle is on Barsoom, that is!
gladiator1518
05/24/2004, 15:05
Originally posted by Tom1210
_______________________________________________________
Duncan DID NOT beat Connor fair and square. You should watch the movie again. Connor Sacrificed himself to make Duncan stronger because he no longer has the will to fight and win the battle so he gave his life to Duncan.
What movie were you watching, anyway? The one where Duncan did indeed beat Connor "fair and square". So Connor was not at 100%. So what ? That doesn't mean Duncan cheated to win. The fight was indeed "fair and square" as neither one of the combatants cheated.
Well, I think Duncan would've won if it were fair and square.
But Connor was only holding the sword to make Duncan
take it seriously.
There's no way he could've convinced Duncan to take his
head, without the semblance of a fight.
Duncan didn't cheat.
Connor did.
He rigged the fight so that Duncan would win.
CensusTaker
06/14/2004, 03:01
A few people voted for the Bride, but she wasn't even the best sword fighter in her own movies, let alone in all movies!
As for the ongoing highlander conversation, all opinions expressed by Highlander fans should be ignored by definition.
Anyway, I vote for the New One Armed Swordsman, David Chiang
gladiator1518
06/14/2004, 07:06
Originally posted by CensusTaker
As for the ongoing highlander conversation, all opinions expressed by Highlander fans should be ignored by definition. I don't know what you have against Highlander fans and frankly I don't give a ####. Congrats on making my ignore list.
Thunderbolts
06/14/2004, 07:53
Roronoa Zoro.
tb - one piece has 4 movies
RadicalX
06/14/2004, 10:13
Originally posted by CooperMcP
why are you guys even debating this?!?!
the greatest sword fighter is hands down Beatrix Kiddo from kill bill!
I concur! :grin:
joedirt18
06/14/2004, 16:00
I cant deside between these.
Wesley - The Man in Black
The Bride
Zorro
D'Artanian
or even Maximus
hail_eris
06/14/2004, 16:29
Peter Pan. Just as Lancelot is, by definition, the best swordsman in Camelot, Pan is the best swordsman in Neverland.
Basil Elks
06/14/2004, 16:43
Puss Boots, from Shrek 2. ;) :grin: :classic:
Basil Elks
06/14/2004, 16:46
Originally posted by gladiator1518
The one where Duncan did indeed beat Connor "fair and square". So Connor was not at 100%. So what ? That doesn't mean Duncan cheated to win. The fight was indeed "fair and square" as neither one of the combatants cheated. He does make a valid point there.
The Farmboy, aka Wesley, aka Dread Pirate Roberts (not the 1st), aka Man in Black
Inigo Montoya
Zorro
Bill the Butcher from Gangs of New York (okay, so it is a meat cleaver)
Even these greats are left behind by the Pinnacle of Panache, that Master of Muskets, The Epitome of the Epee:
CYRANO de BERGERAC
While all of the previously mentioned swordsmen (and woman),
are indeed effective in the style they employ, the only one
who has sought out and mastered multiple styles,
(and he has sought out many styles over his 400 years),
is Duncan.
Stewart Granger also made a good fencer, and Gene Wilder
made his living as a Coach before turning to acting. He
fenced a little in the Adventures of Sherlock Holmes' Younger
Brother.
da black knight from monty python and da holy grail!:laugh:
DraXXXen
06/14/2004, 18:58
Zatoichi the blind swordsman!!!
Maniac_nmt
06/14/2004, 19:12
@ NotYou
Not true, Conan has studied every concievable weapon and piece of equipment used for battle. Both in pit fights, and at the hands of the greatest masters of his world/time.
I mean, he is a wizard slayer/god killer.
we should also put up either Herger, or Bullvi (Beowulf) from the 13th Warrior. Bullvi at least knocks a guy clean out of his saddle at full gallop while at death's door. Gad that's a feat of strength and a half. While Herger cleaves the head off the Prince's best man in a single move (Don't worry little brother...there are more!)
gladiator1518
06/14/2004, 19:14
Originally posted by NotYou
While all of the previously mentioned swordsmen (and woman),
are indeed effective in the style they employ, the only one
who has sought out and mastered multiple styles,
(and he has sought out many styles over his 400 years),
is Duncan. Right. Not to mention all the quickenings he's had. After taking Connor's and then Jacob Kell's head I'd say he now is a shoo-in to win the prize.
Anybody have any idea when the next Highlander movie-which is titled Highlander: The Source-comes out? It's been almost four years since Endgame and I'm getting a bit impatient. So far about all I know about it is Adrian Paul will NOT star in it. It involves four new immortals and it won't be about sword fighting so much as finding about the origin of immortals.
Joe Kerr
06/14/2004, 19:26
Jason, if he used swords.
Maniac_nmt
06/14/2004, 19:31
Jason the Argonaut or Jason from Friday the 13th?
For Jason from Jason and the Argonaut could hold his own here (if I remember right it's Jason who kills Talos in the movie, and at the least he kills scores of the Undead that rise from the Hydra's teeth).
Joe Kerr
06/14/2004, 19:34
Jason from the Friday the 13th movies. He can swing a blade with the best of them and knock some unlucky fools head 100 yards with one good swing.
Maniac:
I agree Conan is awesome, but I disagree that he possesses
the breadth of styles Duncan has. Film Conan has nothing
on literary Conan anyway. Conan spends 15 years as a pet?
That's one of my favourite films, but that part annoys me.
Are we making distinctions between swordsman and warrior?
Conan can take people who are technically better swordsman
than he is, simply due to the fact he is a man of steel.
In the What If? where he gets trapped in Marvel Present,
he takes down CAP!
And Gladiator:
No, heard nothing. What you describe sounds like Methos
and the Horsemen.
Decapitated over one hundred lords.Knows every fencing style there is(in Japan at least)and can still kick your butt standing waist deep in water.
For everyone voting Kiddo from KILLBILL apparently forgot all about PEI MEI-he hates the ladies and taught her all she knows,but who's to say he taught her everything HE knows.
Toshiro is one of my favorite actors of all time,but alas even he would fall to Itto.The man was pushing a babycart to Hell for cryin out loud!!!
Maniac_nmt
06/14/2004, 20:47
shrug, in Conan the Barbarian, it also says he is taken east to learn at the feet of the Great Masters (and shows him learning there). That coupled with the years it implies he spends as a pit fighter I'd say makes him one of the better guys on this list.
Couple that with the fact he rips the horn out of a god's head with his bare hands I'd say puts him as someone who could take Duncan.
Heck, the movies even say he will conquer a nation via his sword-arm.
Yes, he is still destined to wear the jewelled crown of Aquilonia
upon a troubled brow.:)
greg_wolf
06/14/2004, 21:13
ogami itto the lone wolf and cub is the gretest swordman period. nuff said.
FishBulb
06/15/2004, 01:05
Haru.....The great white ninja.
Prof. Aragorn
06/15/2004, 01:24
The main villain from Shangai Knights was said to be one of the best swordsman of his time.
Aragorn obviously is great and skilled.
If you're going by comics, Batman is skilled with any weapon, so he probably swings a durn mean blade.
Bloom and Depp from Pirates were pretty good-Geoffrey Rush's character could keep up with them.
Blade is probably pretty slick, haven't really see him use it.
I'm pretty sure some characters from Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon could use a blade craftily.
A ton of others I'm sure.
Toshiro Mifune played this guy in a film of the same name-Yojimbo-and-if I recall correctly he also played him in the Yojimbo meets Zatoichi film.Outstanding men-both-alas I maintain Itto bests both-I wish Mifune could have portrayed Ogami in those wonderful films.Conan is a force of nature,but I still think the ####ed Lone Wolf and his babycart of tricks would get the drop on the Cimmarian.
Aragorn and the Highlanders are supernatural in nature-doesn't that disqualify them for this contest?
For the record I think the Dread Pirate Roberts would be a great captain for the Black Pearl.
gladiator1518
06/15/2004, 15:56
Originally posted by CREED
Aragorn and the Highlanders are supernatural in nature-doesn't that disqualify them for this contest? Well,I wouldn't call this a "contest". People are simply expressing their own opinion on who the greatest swordsman in film is. As far as I know, DTM or anybody else is not counting votes.
I might consider it, cept here there are about 125 different sword weidling characters to pick from. :)
Basil Elks
06/15/2004, 16:20
One of the Samurai Pizza Cats! ;)
gambit38
06/15/2004, 16:26
Stewart Granger in scaramouche is the best I have seen in a film.
conan and blade a close second.
It is very possible to get the drop on Conan.
Just wait till he gets bored, and downs a few kegs.
Better be sure he's out though.
spawnofmaxi
06/15/2004, 17:09
zorro
Contest or not-supernatural or whatever goes-Itto Ogami wins.
WakandaMan
06/18/2004, 11:48
C'mon you guys! Have you not seen the movie Troy yet?
ACHILLES!!!
Sure, he was an annoying brat, but he mops the floor with almost all of these people.
Conan definitely has it in strength (and good call with the 13th Warrior guys as well there Maniac), but have you actually seen Achilles in combat? No one can lay a finger on that freak.
Zatiochi the blind samurai. No one comes close
SinisterManus
06/20/2004, 17:15
Beatrix Kiddo. hehehe. That movie rocked.
(aka The Bride):grin:
CensusTaker
06/30/2004, 08:59
Wow, i say one little thing about Highlander fans, in jest and all, and i get put on an ignore list? Funny, I wish the same thing would happen with the Jehova's witnesses.
Anyway if we are aloud to vote for supernatural characters, Im going back to Jubai from Ninja Scroll
CensusTaker
06/30/2004, 09:04
Oh heck, i didn't really think that post through, hope i dont offend any one's religious beliefs!
Azmodeus_13
07/03/2004, 05:34
Well, I've read this entire thread and I think that The Bride is definately the most attractive swordsman.
What? that wasn't the topic?..Then I'm going with the Batousai(Kenshin), Hiten Mitsurugi all the way.
gladiator1518
07/04/2004, 11:30
Originally posted by gladiator1518
Whoa! I agree that Duncan may be better(although only slightly) than Connor with a sword but Connor MacLeod is no "dork". Don't forget he took the Kurgans head who was at the time the strongest of all immortals. Plus Duncan himself admitted "...who would I be if Connor MacLeod had never found me?"
Lancelot can not be defeated in a sword fight. Ever. He is the perfect warrior in a very literal sense. There can be no equal.
Lancelot was a poser. The real greatest knight, the one who actually found the Grail, was Gawain, who was just as good, except not a jerk.
It's just in later versions of the legend, Gawain was associated too much with the pagan aspects, so he got moved to the backstory, while the guy who was more full of himself and got himself involved in a soap opera got more press.
Make no mistake, Gawain's the real deal.
SilverSurfer X
07/04/2004, 17:32
I did a lot of thinking on this:rolleyes: but YODA YODA YODA YODA THE SHRIMP YODA
gets my vote
YODA
Maniac_nmt
07/04/2004, 20:00
Originally posted by Q99
Lancelot can not be defeated in a sword fight. Ever. He is the perfect warrior in a very literal sense. There can be no equal.
Lancelot was a poser. The real greatest knight, the one who actually found the Grail, was Gawain, who was just as good, except not a jerk.
It's just in later versions of the legend, Gawain was associated too much with the pagan aspects, so he got moved to the backstory, while the guy who was more full of himself and got himself involved in a soap opera got more press.
Make no mistake, Gawain's the real deal.
Amen to that! Gawain!
Frontman
07/04/2004, 20:04
Um, wasn't it Lancelot's son who was the "perfect" knight, the only one who could sit within the siege perilous or something like that? Sir Galahad if I'm not mistaken? Didn't he also find the Grail? Or is that only in certain tellings of the tale?
The Frontman
schicantek
07/04/2004, 22:33
Yeah, Harou, the great white ninja whould school all of these, so called "Swordmen"!
Maniac_nmt
07/05/2004, 02:20
Galahad was an invention of later Arthurian romance. Gawain was originally the 'perfect' knight, and obtained and drank from the grail.
However, as time passed, he was moved out of that position due to pagan connections (ie the strength/sun relationship, the origings of the name Gawain, and even his ancestry). As such he was superceeded by Lancelot (it also has to do with the bloody french starting to mess with the legend).
He could not, however, obtain the grail because of his adulterous affair with the queen. So Galahad was invented. He could be Lancelot without the affair tarnishing his image. Thus the French would have a 'Frenchman' obtain the grail, and cement their claims as 'the' knights of the day.
I can hardly call a lying, coniving, murderous, adulterer like Lancelot (not to mention his prediliction for fighting against Arthur, which he did quite a lot actually) as anything more then contemptual gutter trash, forced upon the legend by the French.
Gawain is the best knight, as he's the only knight who stands by Arthur through everything. He's the only one who ever really fullfill's a knights obligation to his liege lord. Arthur is his king, and Gawain is the only knight who is loyal, and trust-worthy from beginning to end.
Frontman
07/05/2004, 10:28
Cool, maniac. Thanks for clearing that up.
CensusTaker
07/06/2004, 09:01
Not the the grail quest (a idealised vision that did not enter brittish consciousness for centuries) has anything to do with the combination of historic fact, pre-celtic and celtic myth then anglo-saxon myth that morphed into the Arthurian legend even before the normas/french screwed with it either (remembering that Meddhruhim or how ever the heck you spelt Merlin and even Gueniverre supposedly origionally were, unlike Arthur, historically real people so ive been told)
Gentlegamer
07/06/2004, 09:18
In AD&D terms, Galahad is a Paladin and Lancelot is a Cavalier . . .
:)
I'll have to throw my hat in with Zatoichi.
And for all you doubters out there... if you haven't seen a Blind Swordsman film... you are missing out.
I thought about others, the man in black, conan, McCloud, Li Mu Bai... They just don't cut it. They might hurt him bad, but Zatoichi would have them in the end.
By Crom, Conan is a sword god. And don't you deny it!
Maniac_nmt
07/06/2004, 12:11
it is suspected that Arthur may have actually been several people from when Rome withdrew from Britain, and some others who fought with Viking and Saxon invaders.
It is speculated that Arthur may in fact have been some sort of title, such as warlord, which is why he's nigh impossible to pin down as a single person.
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