Unnoticed Martial Arts Franchises: Hidden Gems of the Kung-Fu World

The Forgotten Franchises

Martial arts movies have plenty of hidden gems, including entire franchises of films that are utterly unknown to most Western audiences. The best Martial Arts franchises have gotten plenty of notoriety, with staples like the Police Story and Ip Man series spawning dozens of popular sequels between them. But some of the greatest martial arts franchises have flown under the radar in the West, either due to a lack of advertising, niche popularity, or even not being released in the United States at all.

the sentimental swordsman poster

Most of the franchises that fall into this category are historical Wuxia films, period-piece Kung-Fu movies along the lines of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. These types of stories are particularly well-suited to telling epic sagas that are worth spanning multiple movies for. Additionally, this genre is also popular in literary format, with plenty of Wuxia novels that already have multiple entries being adapted for all the cinematic martial arts glory they can muster. Wuxia or otherwise, there are entire franchises in the martial arts genre that have gone entirely underappreciated.

The Overlooked Epics

The Sentimental Swordsman, a series that began in 1977, featured a complicated but rich narrative and groundbreaking stuntwork. Telling the story of Little Flying Dagger Li, a disgraced drunkard swordsman, the film was quietly popular enough to justify two follow-ups, Return of the Sentimental Swordsman and Perils of the Sentimental Swordsman. The Brave Archer, adapted from the Wuxia novel, The Legend of the Condor Heroes, is known for its star-studded cast, great female characters, and refreshing approach to romance, with some happy endings for a normally tragedy-laden genre. In The Line Of Duty, long before the release of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Academy-Award winning actress Michelle Yeoh cut her teeth on the crime-thriller franchise, spanning seven official entries and two unofficial sequels.

The Brave Archer Poster

Rurouni Kenshin, an underappreciated series that has been doing the rounds in Western theaters as recently as 2021, adapts the famous samurai manga and anime series of the same name, featuring slickly choreographed action and compelling characters. The Bride With White Hair, despite only lasting for two films, has aims of dramatic grandeur that are worthy of applause, with a simple character-focused tragedy that pits two lovers against each other. The Swordsman, a confusing saga of martial arts and criminal treachery, rewards those who are able to penetrate its dense narrative with some incredibly fascinating characters and delicious drama. Clans Of Intrigue adapts the coldly-titled Wuxia novel Fragrance in the Sea of Blood, presenting a classic story of false accusation and dangerous adventures to the mysterious Bat Island.

The Bride With White Hair

Unseen Legends

The Four trilogy stakes its legacy on the team of expert combatants that each have their own signature techniques and styles, following the adventures of the Divine Constabulary. Kung Fu Cult Master, based on the famous novel, The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber, was a contentious film for Chinese audiences but received a two-part follow-up after 29 years, featuring big names like Louis Koo and Donnie Yen. Royal Tramp, a comedic kung fu franchise featuring Stephen Chow of Kung Fu Hustle and Shaolin Soccer fame, tells the story of Wai Siu-bo, a plucky fool with a knack for finding himself in humorously precarious situations. Despite its comedic leanings, both Royal Tramp movies have a shocking amount of drama, political intrigue, and excellent fight scenes, making them a worthy martial arts franchise deserving of more recognition.

Royal Tramp 1992