Bruce Lee changed action movies forever. Before he came along, martial arts movies were mostly fantasy. Bruce Lee brought real, fast-paced kung fu to the big screen.

Even though his career was tragically short, he left behind a legendary list of films. If you want to dive into the best Bruce Lee martial arts movies, here is our ultimate ranking of his five major films, from worst to best.

5. Game of Death (1978)

Originally, Bruce Lee planned the story around his character, Hai Tien, whose family is kidnapped by gangsters. This forced him to fight his way up a five-level wooden pagoda to retrieve a hidden treasure. However, Bruce Lee tragically passed away before finishing this film, shooting only about 100 minutes of raw footage.

Five years later, the studio completely changed the plot for the 1978 version to follow a martial artist who fakes his own death to fight back against a crime boss. They finished the movie using body doubles, fake beards, and even a cardboard cutout of his face to fill in the gaps. Because of this, the movie as a whole is a bit of a mess, which is why it sits at the bottom of our list.

4. The Big Boss (1971)

In this breakout hit, Cheng Chao-an travels to Thailand to work at an ice factory, wearing a jade amulet to symbolize a vow to his mother that he will never fight. When he discovers the factory is a front for a drug smuggling ring and his cousins are murdered, a riot breaks out. During the brawl, his amulet is broken, releasing him from his vow and sending him on a revenge mission that ends with him killing the Big Boss by deflecting a thrown knife with his shoe.

This was Bruce Lee’s first big starring role, instantly making him a massive box office superstar. It ranks at number four because the movie is still a bit rough around the edges, and the fights are not quite as smooth as his later work. He even had to film some of the action scenes with a severely sprained ankle.

3. Fist of Fury (1972)

Set in 1908 Shanghai, Fist of Fury (also known as The Chinese Connection) follows Chen Zhen, who returns to his martial arts school to find his beloved master has died. After a rival Japanese dojo insults his school with a derogatory sign, Chen single-handedly defeats their entire class and makes them literally eat their words. He soon discovers his master was actually poisoned by a spy and the school cook, leading him on a brutal quest for vengeance that concludes with his iconic flying kick toward a firing squad.

This movie earns the number three spot because it is packed with raw emotion and amazing action. Bruce Lee was given much more control over the fight scenes here, making them look incredibly real and fast-paced.

2. The Way of the Dragon (1972)

In The Way of the Dragon, Tang Lung is sent from Hong Kong to Rome, Italy, to protect his family’s restaurant from a local crime boss. At first, he seems like a naive “country bumpkin” who struggles to adapt to the new culture, allowing for some fun comedy. However, after he effortlessly defeats the local thugs using his nunchaku, the mob boss hires international martial arts assassins to stop him, leading to a deadly showdown against an American karate champion named Colt.

This film takes the runner-up spot because Bruce Lee fully wrote, directed, and starred in it, making it the purest look at his personal cinematic vision.

1. Enter the Dragon (1973)

In this ultimate masterpiece, Lee, a Shaolin martial arts instructor, is recruited by British intelligence to infiltrate a martial arts tournament hosted by a suspected crime lord named Han. Han’s private island serves as a front for a massive drug trafficking ring. Lee accepts the mission not only to stop the crime ring but also to avenge the death of his sister, ultimately leading to a massive battle where he must fight Han in a disorienting room full of mirrors.

Enter the Dragon easily claims the number one spot and is arguably the greatest martial arts film of all time. It perfectly mixes an exciting spy story with an epic fighting tournament. Thanks to a bigger Hollywood budget, amazing co-stars, and absolutely flawless fight scenes, it turned Bruce Lee into a global legend.