Movies like The Challenger (1982)
The best movies like The Challenger (1982) are Return of the One-Armed Swordsman (1969), Street Fighter: Assassin's Fist The Movie (2014) and Journey to the West: The Demons Strike Back (2017). If The Challenger hooked you with its adventure and action, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedAnimal World (2018)7.0/10 from 276 votes
- NewestNever Say Never (2023)Released 2023
- In ChineseReturn of the One-Armed Swordsman (1969)Also in Chinese
Return of the One-Armed Swordsman (1969)
After the events of The One-Armed Swordsman (1967), a retired Fang Gang is drawn back into the jianghu to protect various young apprentices whose swordsmanship schools have been terrorized by 8 evil swordsmen seeking to rule the jianghu.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & adventure
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisStreet Fighter: Assassin's Fist The Movie (2014)
If one man changes his path, will he be able to change his destiny...or will he only delay the inevitable? Ryu and Ken are two traditional warriors who find themselves isolated in some corner of Japan to carry out their training as fighters, trying to master an ancient style of fighting, known as "Ansatsuken" (The Killing Fist). There they will begin to learn about the mysterious past of their trainer, Goken, and the tragic and dark legacy that the Ansatsuken style hides. Will they be able to choose their destiny or will history repeat itself once again?
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both adventure & action
Worth the HypeMovies like thisJourney to the West: The Demons Strike Back (2017)
Tang Monk brings three disciples on a journey to the West. On the outside, everything seems harmonious. However, tension is present beneath the surface, and their hearts and minds are not in agreement. After a series of demon-capturing events, the monk and his disciples gain mutual understanding of each others' hardships and unease. Finally, they resolve their inner conflict and work together to become an all-conquering, demon-exorcising team.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both adventure & action
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisJack Hunter and the Quest for Akhenaten's Tomb (2008)
Adventurer Jack Hunter sets off in pursuit of a legendary tomb, meeting dangerous old adversaries, and even more dangerous old flames, along the way.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both adventure & action
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Storm Riders (1998)
Heeding a prophecy, a warlord trains two orphans after killing their parents. But the skills he teaches could lead to his downfall.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & adventure
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisAnimal World (2018)
Backed into a corner by mounting debts, a youth agrees to submit himself to a high stakes game of chance in international waters aboard a disused warship.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & adventure
Worth the HypeMovies like thisNo Retreat, No Surrender 2: Raging Thunder (1987)
In this sequel, Scott Wylde, an American kickboxer, must go to Cambodia to rescue his Vietnamese girlfriend from Russian and Vietnamese troops.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & adventure
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisEye for an Eye (2022)
A highly trained and exceptionally deadly swordsman looks for revenge after being caught in the middle of a power struggle that results in the assassination of an innocent woman's family.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Paper Tigers (2020)
Three middle aged men polish their martial arts skills to avenge their fallen master.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisIn the Blood (2014)
When her husband goes missing during their Caribbean vacation, a woman sets off on her own to take down the men she thinks are responsible.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action
SnoozefestMovies like thisClan of the White Lotus (1980)
The Qing emperor releases all detained Shaolin disciples, but the vindictive White Lotus clan decides to exterminate all the disciples. One martial artist survives the onslaught, and constantly trains while in hiding for revenge.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisHand of Death (1976)
A young monk must face the Extended Iron Claw technique of a powerful warlord seeking to destroy Shaolin.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisCrippled Avengers (1978)
A group of martial artists seek revenge after being crippled by Tu Tin-To, a martial arts master, and his son.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisHuman Lanterns (1982)
A psychotic craftsman pits two rival Kung-Fu masters against each other while designing special lanterns from a disturbing source.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisShootfighter: Fight to the Death (1993)
Nick and Ruben are hoodwinked into a "shootfighter" (no-holds-barred, to the death) martial arts match by the evil Mr. Lee, who has a grudge against world shootfighter champ(and teacher of Nick and Ruben) Shingo.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Chinese Boxer (1970)
Lei Ming, a noble young martial arts student who doesn't know the meaning of giving up. He faces a treacherous, blood-thirsty Japanese karate expert, which leads to many memorable battles as well as several unforgettable training sequences.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisIp Man: Kung Fu Master (2019)
Ip Man’s promising career as a Policeman is ruined after he is framed for murder and targeted by a mob boss’s daughter.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisNever Say Never (2023)
A disgraced MMA fighter finds redemption by training underprivileged kids, risking everything to give them a chance at a better life through boxing.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action
Worth the HypeMovies like thisFemale Fight Squad (2017)
A former fighter reluctantly returns to the life she abandoned in order to help her sister survive the sadistic world of illegal fighting and the maniac who runs it.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisEmbattled (2020)
The eldest son of a ruthlessly tough MMA champion must fight his way out of the abusive cycle his father has continued.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisAn Eye for an Eye (1981)
Sean Kane is forced to resign from the San Francisco Police Department's Narcotics Division when he goes berserk after his partner is murdered. He decides to fight alone and follows a trail of drug traffickers into unexpected high places.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both adventure & action
SnoozefestMovies like thisThe Last Duel (1981)
Lu Shao Fung and Seeman Chelsea start a sword duel over one of the men's wives. Lu pursues Seeman, but loses him. This leads him to spend time in Death Villa, where he is both welcomed and challenged. Death Villa is run by a mysterious man who wears a cane basket on his head, with a bead curtain covering his face. He recruits Lu into his evil scheme....
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both adventure & action
Ong Bak 3 (2010)
Tien is captured and almost beaten to death before he is saved and brought back to the Kana Khone villagers. There he is taught meditation and how to deal with his Karma, but very soon his arch rival returns challenging Tien for a final duel.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both action & adventure
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Heroic Trio (1993)
While one tough woman with an invisible robe has stolen 18 babies for her powerful master, two other tough women and the cops try to stop her.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both action & adventure
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisAakhri Muqabala (1977)
A simple tale of kung fu revenge.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both adventure & action
The Death Duel (1972)
The Death Duel is a Taiwan Martial Arts movie
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both action & adventure
Iron Man (1973)
During the Japanese occupation, Little Tiger, an honest cook in Shanghai, takes exception of two Chinese that pass from insult to sexual harassment against a beautiful and modest girl servant. During the fight, the pair of molesters receive help from a number of colleagues from the same martial arts school - who are in support of the Japanese - while Little Tiger is helped by young men from his own school. A major fight develops, and the cook accidentally kills one of the thugs. The Police comes to arrest Little Tiger and to close down his school, but they resist and the cook escapes. Little Tiger is now a fugitive, living in disguise. When a duel between the two rival schools is arranged in an open-air site, Little Tiger is watching disguised as an old man, but he can't resist. He takes off his false beard, declares his name, and demands to join in the competition - beating up all competitors.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both action & adventure
The Chivalry, The Gunman and The Killer (1977)
A gang of tough swordswomen take over a fort in a small city. These women terrorise everyone, killing indiscriminately. Two heroes, one clad in white, one in black, are sought out by an aging hero and brought in to fight the swordswomen.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both action
The Fighters (1982)
Renny Basuki is a young woman and a former judo champion who, after her father's demise, tries to look after her impoverished family. When her younger brother is diagnosed with a deadly disease, she is desperate to afford his surgery costs. One day, Indra, a professional wrestling manager, offers Renny and her friend Mia to join a female wrestling troupe. They agree but Renny's mother disapproves her wrestling career.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both action
Soul of Chiba (1977)
This mid-1970s martial arts classic stars Sonny Chiba as Mu Yun Tek, a young man trained in the Thai fighting style since childhood to one day avenge his parents' death. When a fellow student kills their teacher, Mu Yun's thirst for vengeance grows. The brutal action never stops as Mu Yun teams up with an Interpol agent (Tadashi Yamashita) to find the culprit, who insists that their former master was a drug dealer who had to be destroyed.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both action
Like The Challenger and something else?
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like The Challenger?
The closest matches to The Challenger are Return of the One-Armed Swordsman (1969), Street Fighter: Assassin's Fist The Movie (2014) and Journey to the West: The Demons Strike Back (2017). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after The Challenger?
Start with Return of the One-Armed Swordsman (1969), the closest match to The Challenger.
What is the highest-rated movie like The Challenger?
Animal World (2018), rated 7.0/10 by 276 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like The Challenger?
Never Say Never (2023) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there Chinese movies like The Challenger?
Yes: Return of the One-Armed Swordsman (1969), Journey to the West: The Demons Strike Back (2017) and The Storm Riders (1998).
How are movies similar to The Challenger chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside The Challenger, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.