The best kind of films are the ones that serve us with unstoppable, gruesome, unforgiving, and unforgettable battle scenes. In honor of sci-fi and fantasy running rampant lately, we will talk about the best battle movie scenes of all time. So, let’s get started.
15. Avengers: Endgame (2019) – Final Battle
Avengers: Endgame was the culmination of 21 movies and 3 phases of the MCU. During those 21 movies, we had many great fights, amazing battles, emotional scenes, and unwavering stakes. But none of those movies gambled on the fate of half the universe.
Largely acting as a Part 2 for Avengers: Infinity War, Endgame served us with the greatest CBM battle of all time—which seems unlikely to top now. So, when Captain America stands alone against Thanos’ army and portal opens, and the Avengers theme cues in, you are left with a bone-chilling experience.
14. 300 (2006) – The Final Battle/Adapted Battle of Thermopylae
300 is a visual feast and eye candy served to fanboys of the fantasy and battles by Michael Bay. It’s filled with powerful dialogue and outstanding acting. The plot might not serve those at times, but what it does serve is outstanding battle scenes.
During the movie, the Spartans’ unbending nature lands them in a lot of battles—they usually win unscathed too. However, the final and exaggerated Battle of Thermopylae is perhaps the best out of all three main battles in the movie.
13. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (2014) – Battle of San Francisco
Image Source: IMDb
When things go awry in a San Francisco lab, and primates take over the world, the humans are left fighting for their lives. Apes are always unmatched in strength, and some sort of experiment makes them equally intelligent to humans.
While they learn all the ways of humans, they don’t learn the cunning and sly nature that homo sapiens possess. This ends up forcing both sides into a battle of their lives, dubbed the Battle of San Francisco in the war of Humans vs. Apes.
12. The Last of the Mohicans (1992) – Siege/Massacre of Fort William Henry
The Last of the Mohicans briefly but accurately adapts the real-life event of the Siege of Fort William Henry. The French forces help the rebels against Redcoats (British America) in the film. This ends up in a siege of their primary fort in the region: Fort William Henry.
As the name suggests, the siege ended up being a massacre of the English, as the French had support from the indigenous tribes of Abenaki and Potawatomi. In the movie, it’s accurately portrayed and filled with grisly and bloody action.
11. Lawrence of Arabia (1962) – Attack on Aqaba
Another real-life-inspired movie, Lawrence of Arabia, glorifies the British invaders of Arabs. Soon he forms a coalition of Arabian tribes who wish to rebel against the powers to be.
Then, Lawrence leads them to attack Aqaba at a time when no one is expecting it. There’s a reason this movie is hailed as one of the best 60 years after its release. And one of those reasons is the accuracy of this battle.
10. The Last Samurai (2003) – The Final Charge
The Last Samurai begins with Nathan Algren (Tom Cruise) training the Japanese Army to use the latest military tech against the Samurai Rebellion. But, a twisted turn of events causes him to end up in Samurai custody—where he learns the way of Samurai culture.
At first, he struggles, but later, he embraces it with all his heart and becomes a Samurai warrior—fighting against the people he once fought for. This culminates in an epic final battle of the cultures, where guns vs. swords come into play. But, little would you guess that it’s the numbers that bring down the Samurais rather than the guns.
9. Star Wars: Return of the Jedi (1983) – Battle of Endor
The Assault on the second Death Star becomes the Mission to Endor, where the Alliance to Restore the Republic, Jedi Order, and Bright Tree Village fight together to bring down the Galactic Empire and the Sith Order.
It’s not your usual battle, where you’d expect cavalry charges and epic sword/gunfights. Albeit, it does have those two in the shape of laser blasters and lightsabers. At the time, it wasn’t deemed possible to imagine a space battle, but Richard Marquand does an outstanding job that has made it one of the most memorable battles of all time.
8. Fury (2014) – The Battle of Sherman vs. Tiger
Fury was one of the most awaited movies in 2014 and did it deliver. The movie is filled with great scenes, including the lone Tiger tank taking on four Sherman Tanks. The prowess of the German tank was unmatched in an open field.
So much so that even four American tanks couldn’t bring it down and almost lost the battle to their greater counterpart. The battle is an inspiring couple of minutes of chasing, firing rounds, and rampant emotions—leaving you wanting more of it.
7. Gladiator (2000) – The Opening Battle
Gladiator is filled with outstanding single combat, but the movie begins with a bang. It portrays a loosely based adaptation of the Battle of Vindobona. It’s one of the many battles, but it was perhaps the signifying victory for Emperor Marcus Aurelius against the Barbarian Tribes.
It has everything you’d imagine in an ancient battle, such as catapult, archers, cavalry charges, sword fights, and a bloody field.
6. Braveheart (1995) – The Battle of Stirling Bridge
Braveheart is yet another flick on this list that retells the real-life events of the First War of Scottish Independence in the 13th Century. It begins with William Wallace looking to avenge his bride—as she was killed a day after their marriage.
He calls on his clans and their allies to battle against the King Edward I of England. It ends up in the bloody and unforgiving Battle of Stirling Bridge as William Wallace defeats and leads a rout of the combined English Forces of John de Warenne.
5. The Lord of The Rings: The Two Towers (2002) – The Battle of Helm’s Deep
The Lord of the Rings series is filled with outstanding fights and battles. But, none came close to the foreboding sense of dread and uneven odds of 300+ men against the 10,000 Uruk army— bread and made to wage war against men—and wipe their race off of Middle Earth.
What culminates is a night-long battle of dreadful, adamant, and unending fights before the Gates of Hornburg. This battle is regarded as one of the best of all times because of the tension and the unmatched choreography of Peter Jackson—accompanied by an outstanding original score by Howard Shore.
4. Black Hawk Dawn (2001) – The Battle of Mogadishu
Black Hawk Down is yet another movie inspired accurately by real-life events. In 1993, UN belligerents were led by the United States and supported by Malaysian and Pakistani armies as part of a UN Coalition to bring down the Somali National Alliance.
In the operation, the Black Hawks assault a specific part of Mogadishu where the rebel forces have made their camp. In the process, a couple of Black Hawks are shot down, and the US Army/Rangers are pinned down.
This leads to an epic battle of not only guns vs. guns but also human emotions, intelligence, and perseverance, giving us a movie to remember.
3. Apocalypse Now (1979) – Ride of the Valkyries
Apocalypse Now is one of the most unforgettable war films of all time. Part of the reason behind that is the fact that this is one of the first films to portray the horrors of war instead of glorifying it. “The smell of napalm in the morning,” anyone?
The testament to that fact is the helicopter scene in the movie that has aged like fine wine. In the scene, the helicopters are going to attack a village full of rebel forces—while being accompanied by large speakers that blast Richard Wagner’s Ride of The Valkyries. The battle sequence accurately portrays the concept of ‘Air Cavalry’ used heavily by the American military during the Vietnam War.
2. The Lord of The Rings: The Return of The King (2003) – The Battle of Pelennor Fields
You know a film series is legendary when it’s on a list twice. The Return of The King is also filled with amazing battles, but nothing in the entire series comes close to the goosebump-inducing Ride of The Rohirrim.
As Théoden, King of Rohan rides with his armies to the aid of Gondor, the white city of Minas Tirith suffers the siege of Sauron’s armies. The siege is only broken when the horse masters come to save the day for the Gondorians.
Then, what follows is a battle that’ll widely go down as the greatest cavalry charge/battle scene in the history of film.
1. Saving Private Ryan (1998) – The D-Day Landing
Saving Private Ryan tells the story of the Normandy invasion in World War II. As we all know, the movie is about searching for and securing Private James Ryan—who has lost his three brothers in the war.
But, the portrayal of the infamous Dooms Day Landing makes this movie a must-watch. Thoroughly portraying the horror of battle on D-Day, the battle scenes alone show you why this film won 5 Oscars.
Honorable Mentions
- Avatar (2009) – The Final Battle
- Kingdom of Heaven (2005) – Battle of Jerusalem
- Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World (2003) – Battle for the Acheron
- Troy (2004) – Battle of Troy
What is your favorite battle sequence from films? Let us know in the comments below!
