One of the most iconic action heroes of the late 80s and 90s, Jean-Claude Van Damme has been in no shortage of sublime action scenes. The Belgian-borne Hollywood icon first became famous for his role in Bloodsport, quickly making a name for himself with his signature flexibility and flashy fighting style. Over the years, Jean-Claude Van Damme’s iconic martial arts moves have been honed in actions scenes across a wide variety of action movie sub-genres.
Having appeared in 50 feature films, it can be tough to narrow down which explosive fight scenes are the best across Jean-Claude Van Damme’s filmography. The most impressive battles in his career are sure to show off his incredible kicking skills, agile acrobatics, and creativity when it comes to using his surrounding environment to aid him as a weapon.
10. Guile Vs. M. Bison
Street Fighter (1994)
Despite being the inspiration for Johnny Cage of Mortal Kombat fame, Jean-Claude Van Damme chose to instead represent a different famous fighting game franchise with his appearance as Guile in 1994’s Street Fighter. Even if his fight against Raul Julia’s scenery-chewing Bison has more high-flying wire work and aged special effects than most, it still presents a frantic, if brief, climactic battle. Van Damme is one of the few Hollywood martial artists who could’ve sold Guile’s signature Flash Kick so well, getting his licks in hard enough to send Bison flying across the room.
9. Chad Wagner Vs. Alex Wager
Double Impact (1991)
Strangely, Jean-Claude Van Damme became a go-to when it came to playing two different characters within a single action movie, the first of which being Double Impact. The film features Van Damme turning in a dual performance as twins Chad and Alex Wagner, who actually fight each other despite both being played by the same actor. The careful editing and use of stunt-doubles truly sells Van Damme as trading blows with himself in a claustrophobic environment. It’s a shame the scene isn’t longer, but it’s a truly impressive fight scene for what it is.
8. The Laundry Room Fight
Death Warrant (1990)
Jean-Claude Van Damme’s character in Death Warrant finds himself in a two-on-one brawl in the confines of a prison laundry room, and emerges victorious thanks to powerful punches and clever use of the environment. Despite being outnumbered and unarmed, Van Damme’s Louis Burke manages to turn the tide against his attackers by using a mop as a weapon and finishing off one of the thugs by sticking his head in a spin cycle. The fight is certainly memorable, but the poorly aged stereotypical accents of Burke’s attackers also make it memorable for the wrong reasons.RELATED:
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7. The Kitchen Fight
Timecop (1994)
Jean-Claude Van Damme stars in Timecop as Max Walker, a cop from the future sent back in time to stop criminals from changing history. When he discovers that corrupt politician Aaron McComb (Ron Silver) is behind a plot to change the past, he sets out to stop him. Of Jean-Claude Van Damme’s sci-fi films, Timecop features some of the most intense and entertaining fights of the martial arts star’s career. The highlight is Max Walker’s brawl with two thugs in the confines of a small futuristic apartment. In addition to besting one bad guy in an intense knife fight, Walker’s infamous use of a kitchen split to redirect one of the thugs’ taser attack back at him.
6. Louis Burke Vs. Sandman
Death Warrant (1990)
Finally catching up to the infamous serial killer Sandman, Jean-Claude Van Damme’s Louis Burke gets to finally revel in a satisfying fight against the terrifying villain. At first, it seems as though Burke isn’t able to outmatch Sandman’s raw power, brute strength winning out over the detective’s agile wiles. However, once again, Van Damme is proven to be the master of environmental kills, kicking Sandman into an exposed boiler valve to burn him alive. The fight works best as the emotional payoff to Burke’s obsessive chase of the killer, losing a bit of impact when taken out of context.
5. The Boat Fight
Double Impact (1991)
As awesome as it is to see Van Damme fight against himself as Chad and Alex Wagner, it’s even more entertaining to see them fight together. After a black market deal for counterfeit goods on the high seas goes south, Alex has to quickly tear through his potential buyers while eluding the police. Seeing Alex strangle his customers, beat them with a suitcase full of cash, and even intimidate one into submission simply by pointing and grunting is a sight to behold. It’s a shame, though, that Chad isn’t given more to do, which leaves some potential for a brawl on the table.
4. Chance Boudreaux vs Muggers
Hard Target (1993)
In Hard Target, Van Damme stars as Chance Boudreaux, a former Marine with serious martial arts skills who happens to be in the right place at the right time, saving a young woman, Natasha, from a gang of muggers. Brutal even by Van Damme’s standards, this fight sees Boudreaux pulling no punches, single-handedly taking on five muggers at once with split kicks, arm breaks, and even sending one hapless criminal straight through a storefront window. Earning points as the most painful-looking fight in Van Damme’s catalog, this scene alone makes Hard Target worth a watch.
3. McCord Vs. Iceburgh
Sudden Death (1995)
Starring Jean-Claude Van Damme as Pittsburgh fire marshal, Sudden Death throws the character into a chaotic life-or-death battle with a group of terrorists. In one of Van Damme’s most unique and hilariously bizarre fight scenes, McCord must go toe-to-toe with a terrorist disguised as Iceberg, the lovable mascot of the Pittsburgh Penguins. Aside from the unique opponent, the fight stands out for its creative use of kitchen weaponry, including frying oil, low-hanging pipes, and scalding hot dishwasher water, which ultimately finishes off the lovable assailant.
2. Luc Deveraux vs Andrew Scott
Universal Soldier (1992)
Universal Soldier is a 1992 action film starring Jean-Claude Van Damme and Dolph Lundgren. The duo play Luc Deveraux and Andrew Scott, two Vietnam War soldiers who are killed, cryogenically frozen, and then brought back to life for a secret government experiment to create superhumans. Jean-Claude Van Damme and Dolph Lundgren have starred in many films together, but their most famous pairing was certainly in the original Universal Soldier, which culminated in a high-stakes battle between their characters, Luc Deveraux and Andrew Scott. The longtime rivals are at first at odds due to Scott’s muscle enhancers, but Deveraux eventually manages to even the odds. In classic Van Damme fashion, the amazing fight ends with Scott being kicked into a combine, putting a grisly end to the psychopathic soldier.
Frank Dux vs Chong Li
Bloodsport (1988)
Jean-Claude Van Damme stars in the martial arts movie Bloodsport as a fictional version of the real-life Frank Dux, a U.S. Army officer who participated in a secret underground martial arts tournament in Hong Kong. Directed by Newt Arnold, the 1988 action film helped establish Van Damme as a Hollywood star. Being Jean-Claude Van Damme’s breakout role, Bloodsport still holds the title for the single greatest fight in the actor’s career.
As Frank Dux finally makes it to the final round of the deadly Kumite tournament, his final opponent, Chong Li, is a force to be reckoned with, nearly overwhelming Dux with his staggering strength. When that doesn’t work, Li takes to cheating, blinding Dux with a finely-ground salt pill, only to discover that his opponent had trained blindfolded, Van Damme not needing to see to land a well-placed, devastating roundhouse kick to finish the match.