5 Old-School Kung Fu Movies With Shocking Plot Twists You Didn’t See Coming

For better or worse, old-school kung fu movies have a reputation for being extremely formulaic. Most lean heavily on themes of vengeance, honor, brotherhood, and ambition. Typically, a movie in this particular genre calls for the protagonist to get revenge on an enemy, rise up against an oppressive force, or succeed against a formidable rival. And regardless of which trope it chooses, the ending is all but guaranteed to see the hero defeat the villain in a heated final showdown.

In terms of the story, 1970s and 1980s martial arts movies have a tendency to be rather predictable, but that’s hardly a problem; many of the greatest old-school kung fu movies ever made didn’t need overly complex storytelling to be enjoyable. The audience may see a revenge plot coming a mile away, but still be entertained every second of the way, whether it’s because of the rich dialogue, incredible fight choreography, or the fun that comes with a great underdog story.

Some kung fu movies, though, are better for breaking away from the standard formula. By offering a completely unexpected twist, they’re able to entertain not only through action and the standard tropes of the martial arts genre, but also by maintaining a degree of predictability. For that reason, these classic old-school kung fu movies are must-watch films.

5

New Shaolin Boxers

Released in 1974, New Shaolin Boxers follows the rise and fall of a Shaolin martial artist while he fights against an evil gang of criminals. Played by Alexander Fu Sheng, Zhong Jian is introduced as an ambitious and overly confident young man who uses his background in Shaolin kung fu to go on a journey of rags-to-riches. Unsurprisingly, his newfound status corrupts him.

Normally, his downfall wouldn’t be a surprise, but New Shaolin Boxers takes an interesting route in ending his story. Despite his flaws, Fu Sheng’s character is the protagonist of the story, so it makes sense that he will defeat the villains of the film. Instead, he loses the showdown, paving the way for his former classmate and friend – played by Chi Kuan Chun – to step into the role of the hero for the final battle.

Chi Kuan Chun’s lack of screen-time compared to Alexander Fu Sheng helps conceal the surprise matchup for the ending, but it’s important to note that it was cleverly set up early on in the story so that it would feel earned. It was noted by Zhong Jian himself that his classmate was the superior fighter of the two.

4

The One-Armed Swordsman

Widely regarded as one of the films that helped provide the blueprint for great martial arts movies their one-man-army protagonists, The One-Armed Swordsman is a 1967 wuxia masterpiece. There’s a lot to appreciate about The One-Armed Swordsman, from its approach to the action to the training sequence, but arguably its most unforgettable scene is the one that sets the story in motion – the loss of the hero’s arm.

The fact that Jimmy Wang Yu’s character will lose his arm is made obvious by the title, but how it goes about making that happen is quite unorthodox for the franchise. Rather than lose it to an enemy in battle, Wang Yu’s Fang Gang has his arm abruptly hacked off by a woman whose love he refuses. Her brief tantrum effectively sets the stage for the entire story. It’s a shocking moment, and one that helps make sure The One-Armed Swordsman has your undivided attention from the very start.

3

To Kill A Mastermind

To Kill a Mastermind is an underrated Shaw Brothers movie, with much of its charm stemming from its unconventional plot. Helmed by one of the greatest martial arts directors of all-time in Chang Cheh, To Kill a Mastermind spends most of its time following its villains, more so than its heroes. The main characters are the eight leaders of an evil martial arts sect. The film’s underlying premise is that one of the clan leaders is a spy. In other words, both the main characters – and in turn, the audience – have to figure out which one of them is actually the hero of the story.

To Kill a Mastermind puts in a great deal of effort to keep the answer to this question a mystery. One of the ways in which it accomplishes this is through its cast; Chang Cheh was known for casting specific, recognizable Shaw Brothers stars in his movies again and again as the heroes, but To Kill a Mastermind’s cast is notably made up largely of unknown actors. Had the spy been played by one of Chang Cheh’s go-to favorites, the movie wouldn’t have been able to carefully save its big, suspense-filled reveal until the grand finale

By gradually killing off the clan leaders, To Kill a Mastermind narrows down the suspects to just two, setting up a scene where the most inconspicuous character in the cast is revealed to be the traitor everyone has been looking for. But then comes the real twist – both of the last remaining suspects are actually spies.

2

Swordsman And Enchantress

Directed by Chor Yuen, Swordsman and Enchantress is a 1978 wuxia film that brilliantly blends martial arts with romance. The movie stars Ti Lung as a wandering martial arts expert who gets roped into the search for the Deer Cutting Knife, a highly coveted weapon sought by those seeking to stand atop the martial arts world. In the amidst of all the fighting over the sword, a love story blossoms between the hero and Ching Li’s character.

The romance becomes the anchor of the protagonist’s story in Swordsman and Enchantress, and leads to some tender, heartfelt moments for the two titular characters. That, combined with the great chemistry between the two leads, goes a long way toward making the reveal that Ching Li’s Shen Pi-chun is really on the side of the villains a genuinely stunning development. It also allows for a tragic ending to their stories that makes Swordsman and Enchantress all the more compelling to watch.

1

Killer Clans

Featuring a star-studded cast packed with some of the biggest names in 1970s kung fu cinema, Killer Clans tells the story of two rival kung fu sects at war with each other. And just as it is with so many other old-school kung fu movies before it, both sides of the conflict have traitors among them. But while treachery is not an uncommon twist in this particular genre, it’s actually a foundational part of Killer Clans’ identity. It offers one major plot twist after another, making for an extremely chaotic story.

Killer Clans utilizes this aspect of its narrative so effectively that it becomes difficult to tell which characters in the cast can be trusted, even the ones the film has spent the most time developing. In addition to a highly nuanced plot loaded with betrayals and secret schemes, Killer Clans boasts a great performance from Ku Feng, one of the best villain actors in martial arts movies.