8 Best Karate Movies: IMDb's Top-Ranked Martial Arts Films

Key Takeaways

Karate originated in Okinawa, Japan, inspired famous martial arts movies, and influenced Hollywood.
Top-rated martial arts movies on IMDb range from the 1970s to 2017, starring iconic actors in Asian films.
Karate movie recommendations like Karate Girl, The Empty Hands, and Black Belt offer authentic action and Karate expertise.

Karate is a recognized Japanese martial art founded by the father of modern Karate, Funakoshi Gichin. It originated in Okinawa, one of the largest islands in Japan, and has since inspired many Karate movies, including the 2015 documentary The Real Miyagi and IMDb’s top-ranked Karate movie, The Karate Kid (1984).

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According to the top-rated martial arts films on IMDb, the golden era for this genre was between the 1970s and 2017. This list stars famous actors, like Chuck Norris, Bruce Lee, and the master Pat Morita, who left their mark throughout the years. The focus of this list will be Asian movies, including real-life stories like Karate For Life starring the martial artist Sonny Chiba.

This article addresses intense violent scenes. Viewers’ discretion is advised.

8 Karate Girl (2011)

IMDb’s Rating: 5.2/10

Director: Yoshikatsu Kimura
Release Date: February 5, 2011
Original Movie Title: Karateci Kiz
Streaming: Amazon Prime Video

Karate Girl tells the story of a father, a black belt holder, who teaches his two daughters an ancient karate style. The movie starts with a dramatic and emotional scene where a criminal gang murders the father and kidnaps one of the sisters. The kidnapped sister is trained in karate to kill, while the other sister works in a local cinema, living a quiet life. Eventually, both sisters reconnect and confront the gang together to avenge their father’s death.

This movie is full of karate fight scenes, heartfelt moments, and an easy-to-follow storyline. Viewers highlight the sister’s fighting scenes, although the fights appear choreographed, resulting in a 5.2/10 rating on IMDb.

7 The Empty Hands (2017)

IMDb’s Rating: 6.0/10

Director: Chapman To
Release Date: November 1, 2017
Original Movie Title: Hung sau dou
Streaming: Apple TV+

The plot of The Empty Hands is brilliant. Mari Hirakawa, the female lead, gives up on practicing karate because her father is too strict with her training. However, after her father’s death, she inherits his dojo, which she’s unsure whether or not to keep. Eventually, she reunites with one of her father’s ex-students, who inherited half of the dojo, and her perspective on Karate starts to change.

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Interestingly, the director of Hung Sau Dou also stars in the main cast and was nominated for the Hong Kong Film Award for Best New Director. While some viewers found this karate movie a bit slow, others found it a nice watch, resulting in its 6.0 out of 10 on IMDB.

6 Champion Of Death (1975)

IMDb’s Rating: 6.6/10

Director: Kazuhiko Yamaguchi
Release Date: August 9, 1975
Original Movie Title: Kenka karate kyokushinken
Streaming: Amazon Prime Video

Champion of Death, also known as Karate Bullfighter, is a gem from the 1970s starring Sonny Chiba. In this movie, he plays Mas Oyama, a respected Karate master of the period. Mas Oyama was a well-known master famous for killing ferocious bulls with his hands, as seen in one of the movie’s scenes.

This karate movie is based on the true story of Mas Oyama, which leaves Karate fans excited. In addition, viewers are drawn to its realistic karate scenes and impressive storyline, given the time it was aired.

5 Karate For Life (1977)

IMDb’s Rating: 6.7/10

Director: Kazuhiko Yamaguchi
Release Date: May 14, 1977
Original Movie Title: Karate Baka Ichidai
Streaming: Amazon Prime Video

By the respected Japanese filmmaker Kazuhiko Yamaguchi, Karate For Life is a true story about the master Mas Oyama. It was released two years after the karate movie Champions Of Death, which belongs to the same collection, and while both focus on the same karate master, the storylines are distinct.

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Karate For Life focuses on the later life of Mas Oyama and his traditional values, while Champion Of Death focuses on the early struggles of his life. Both are a must-watch for Karate fans. The reviews from viewers mention the impressive acting of Sonny Chiba and the entertaining Karate action scenes. The movie is also extremely violent, so viewers’ discretion is advised.

4 Black Belt (2007)

IMDb’s Rating: 6.9/10

Director: Shunichi Nagasaki
Release Date: May 2007
Original Movie Title: Kuro-obi
Streaming: Amazon Prime Video

What makes Black Belt interesting is the fact that the director Shunichi Nagasaki uses real Karate practitioners like Akihito Yagi, Tatsuya Naka, and Yûji Suzuki to star in the main cast, which makes it stand out from other martial arts movies.

This film is set in the 1930s, and viewer reviews appreciated its philosophical depth, the credibility of the fight scenes, character development, and storyline, which showed the challenges of karate, the mental strength required, and the true meaning of martial arts. This film is great for Karate lovers seeking an authentic action film.

3 The Street Fighter (1974)

IMDb’s Rating: 6.9/10

Director: Shigehiro Ozawa
Release Date: February 2, 1974
Original Movie Title: Gekitotsu! Satsujin ken
Streaming: Amazon Prime Video

When viewers watch the legendary Sonny Chiba in The Street Fighter, they are taken on an action-adventure through the peak of karate filmmaking in the ’70s. In the film, Chiba plays a mercenary navigating a world of betrayal and murder with both joyful action and explicit violence.

The Street Fighter, in particular, was instrumental in developing the iconic Street Fighter video game franchise, establishing its legacy among martial arts fans. Its dynamic karate performances are not only entertaining; it also gave action movies and martial arts practitioners a new look.

2 The Real Miyagi (2015)

IMDb’s Rating: 7.1/10

Director: Kayvon Derak Shanian
Release Date: February 20, 2015
Original Movie Title: The Real Miyagi
Streaming: Amazon Prime Video

The Real Miyagi is a documentary released in 2015 to educate viewers about the foundation of real karate and reveal who the Real Miyagi is. The popularity of the documentary resulted in a nomination and win for the Canada International Film Festival.

The documentary focuses on honoring Fumio Demura, who received a 9th Dan Black Belt, one of the rarest and most prestigious ranks. Demura also inspired people like Steven Seagal and Bruce Lee and was also close friends with Pat Morita, another icon. This documentary is a great watch for those who want to have a wider knowledge of Karate.

1 The Karate Kid (1984)

IMDb’s Rating: 7.3/10

Director: John G. Avildsen
Release Date: October 25, 1984
Original Movie Title: The Karate Kid
Streaming: Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV+

The Karate Kid is an iconic Karate movie featuring Daniel Larusso. In this movie, a kid is being intimidated by a group of bullies who are highly skilled in Karate and trained by a violent-minded master. Eventually, Raph (Daniel Larusso) reaches Mr. Miyagi (Pat Morita) to mentor him. This results in a transformation in his life and values. A must-watch for all Karate fans.

Moreover, this Nominee Golden Globe Karate film teaches self-discipline and that power comes from within. The emotional depth of this movie moved viewers into tears. Its popularity reached many audiences of all ages, which resulted in a good number of Karate Kid sequels and remakes.