10 Martial Arts Movies For Street Fighter Fans

Street Fighter is one of the most beloved fighting game series on the planet, with a legacy few other titles can emulate. Street Fighter 2 arguably changed the arcade fighting game scene forever, and its contribution to the genre cannot be understated.

The franchise has remained relevant since the 90s, and even casual gamers are aware of legendary characters like Ryu, Ken, Chun-Li, and M. Bison. Naturally, the announcement of the 2026 Street Fighter movie has whipped fans into a frenzy. The Street Fighter trailer offers tantalizing glimpses of the roster, which includes many fan favorites.

Time will tell how the upcoming movie uses the source material. Street Fighter is unique in many ways because there are already movies based on the games. There’s even another live-action film released in 1994 starring Jean-Claude Van Damme.

Based on the trailers, it’s fair to assume the 2026 movie will have a more light-hearted tone than the 1994 film. That said, we have no idea if the movie will be based on a tournament, nor do we know if M. Bison is the main antagonist, even though he’s confirmed to be in the film.

If you’re currently enjoying Street Fighter 6, the October release of the upcoming movie is a long way away. Fortunately, there are several movies that fans of the series and fighting games in general will appreciate. Whether you’re strictly a Street Fighter fan or enjoy other fighting games or martial arts movies as a whole, here’s a selection of films to tide you over until Street Fighter premieres in theaters.

Bloodsport (1988)

Bloodsport is one of Jean-Claude Van Damme’s best movies. He plays Frank, a skilled American martial artist who enters a deadly underground fighting tournament in Hong Kong.

The setting alone makes Bloodsport an ideal movie for Street Fighter fans, even though it isn’t a video-game tie-in. The tournament, called the Kumite, is notorious for its lack of rules and regulations. Frank enters the competition to honor his teacher and encounters foes who aren’t afraid to fight dirty for an unfair advantage.

Bloodsport is a classic martial arts movie with an easy-to-follow story and many scenes that have become iconic in the genre.

DOA: Dead Or Alive (2006)

The Dead or Alive games are returning in 2026 after a long hiatus. The series also had a movie tie-in during 2006, offering fans a live-action glimpse of their favorite characters.

DOA: Dead or Alive features many well-known fighters from the games, including Holly Valance as Christie and Devon Aoki as Kasumi. Victor Donovan (Eric Roberts) invites the best fighters in the world to a martial arts tournament. However, he has far more sinister plans behind organizing the competition.

The movie is full of wild fights, arguably less believable than they are in the games at times. That said, DOA fans will relish seeing their favorite characters on the silver screen. Critics were not kind to DOA: Dead or Alive, and the plot is paper-thin, but fighting game fans may still find the gravity-defying battles enjoyable.

Undisputed 2: Last Man Standing (2006)

The Undisputed movie series stars Scott Adkins as Yuri Boyka from the second installment onward. He’s a brutal fighter and an antihero who undergoes a remarkable character arc throughout the series.

In Undisputed 2: Last Man Standing, we’re introduced to another formidable fighter, Chambers, played by Michael Jai White. He’s a respected boxer, but ends up in a brutal Russian prison. Chambers meets Boyka, and the two enter a high-stakes tournament as rivals.

The fight scenes in Undisputed 2 are well-choreographed and visceral, and the prison environment is grimy and oppressive. The second movie makes the list for the Street Fighter-esque tournament at the heart of the story. Fans of fighting and martial arts films will likely enjoy all four movies, although audiences are introduced to Boyka in Last Man Standing.

The Quest (1996)

The Quest is an underrated Van Damme film starring the martial arts icon as Christopher Dubois. He participates in a deadly martial arts tournament in Tibet and quickly learns the competition could claim his life.

The Quest makes the list because it’s fundamentally similar to Street Fighter in many ways. Each combatant has a unique fighting style. For example, one is a sumo wrestler while another uses stances inspired by animals.

Van Damme immediately stands out for not adhering to a single discipline. The movie is certainly more grounded than Street Fighter, but the fights are entertaining and well-choreographed, and the stakes only increase as the tournament reaches its climax.

Mortal Kombat (1995)

The original Mortal Kombat live-action movie is beloved by fans for its inspired casting and straightforward but effective take on the high-stakes tournament.

Liu Kang (Robin Shou), Johnny Cage (Linden Ashby), and Sonya Blade (Bridgette Wilson-Sampras) are among Earthrealm’s greatest fighters. They enter the Mortal Kombat tournament at Shang Tsung’s (Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa) behest to battle for the fate of the world.

It’s a simple concept, executed perfectly. The cast is iconic, and the movie is full of references to the games. Other beloved characters like Scorpion and Goro are also welcome additions. Even Reptile makes an appearance. Cage’s battle with Scorpion is exceptional, but Mortal Kombat is full of fun battles and wonderfully over-the-top characters.

Street Fighter II: The Animated Movie (1994)

Street Fighter II: The Animated Movie is an impressive adaptation of the legendary fighting game series. It offers a serious and gritty portrayal of iconic fighters from the games and is arguably one of the best video game movies.

M. Bison is on a ruthless campaign to track and recruit the best fighters in the world for his criminal organization, Shadowlaw. He confronts many beloved fighters from the games, including Ryu and Ken. Chun-Li also appears and has an unforgettable battle with Vega, who is particularly nasty in the 1994 film.

Street Fighter II: The Animated Movie is almost required viewing for fans of the games. The movie is surprisingly dark, which makes antagonists like M. Bison much more threatening.

Tekken: Blood Vengeance (2011)

If you’re a fan of fighting games, you’re likely familiar with the Tekken franchise. It has a smaller movie footprint than Mortal Kombat or Street Fighter, but many gamers will appreciate what Tekken: Blood Vengeance offers.

The animated movie focuses on Ling Xiaoyu, a high school student who is undercover investigating another student called Shin. No Tekken movie would be complete without the Mishimas, and Xiaoyu is exploring his potential links to the family.

Tekken: Blood Vengeance may be difficult to follow if you don’t have some knowledge of the older games, as it takes place around the events of Tekken 5 and Tekken 6. Naturally, iconic fighters like Jin, Alisa, and Kazuya make a welcome appearance, and fans are treated to plenty of references to the games.

Street Fighter (1994)

Street Fighter fans are excited about seeing their favorite characters on the silver screen. However, if you can’t wait, we already have a live-action Street Fighter film, which premiered more than 30 years ago.

Street Fighter 1994 is another film that is almost required viewing before the upcoming movie. It stars Jean-Claude Van Damme as Guile on a mission to overthrow M. Bison (Raul Julia), a merciless dictator. Guile is a military operative, but also has personal stakes in the task.

Audiences are treated to plenty of nods to the source material, and many other beloved characters feature, including Chun-Li (Ming-Na Wen) and Ryu (Byron Mann). The movie is fun, if cheesy, with some absurd one-liners, and Julia steals the show in every scene he’s in for his over-the-top portrayal of the iconic antagonist.

Mortal Kombat (2021)

The most recent Mortal Kombat film is a shining example of how good movies based on fighting games can look. It also offers glimpses at how the directors of the upcoming Street Fighter movie may approach established lore.

2021’s Mortal Kombat is dramatically different from the 1995 adaptation. It focuses on events before a tournament even takes place and poses many questions for Mortal Kombat II to answer.

The movie contains plenty of respectful nods to the source material. Iconic characters like Sub-Zero and Scorpion also look incredible, and the film isn’t afraid to show off the blood and gore the games are famous for.

Mortal Kombat introduces an original character to the story in Cole Young (Lewis Tan). Time will tell if the Street Fighter movie follows suit.

Enter the Dragon (1973)

Bruce Lee’s Enter the Dragon is not video game adjacent. Still, the movie is about a brutal martial arts tournament on a secluded island, and its influence on similar films cannot be understated.

Lee (Bruce Lee) agrees to participate in a tournament run by Han (Shih Kien). He has personal stakes in the competition, but is also there to investigate an alleged drug operation on the island. The story is simple, but the martial arts on display remain among the most incredible ever committed to film.

Naturally, Bruce Lee is a phenomenal fighter, but Enter the Dragon takes time to explore each competitor’s motivations and backstory, which only heightens the stakes. The film is a no-brainer if you enjoy martial arts movies, and Hans Island is the perfect platform for one of Bruce Lee’s finest movies.