greatest martial arts stars of all time, due in no small part to his incredible roles in old-school kung fu movies. While Yen later earned recognition in major series like John Wick, Star Wars, and Ip Man, he got his start in the 1980s and truly broke out as a major star during the 1990s. These earlier films showcased his impeccable skills as an actor, director, and talented martial artist.

The early days of fantastical wuxia movies set in times past, Yen has always had the versatility and talent to excel in whatever genre he tried his hand at. As a true icon of modern martial arts cinema, it’s important to take a look back on the early days and see where it all began for Donnie Yen.

10 The Last Conflict (1988)

Donnie Yen as Dickson Kwan

Before Donnie Yen truly broke through as a martial arts star in the 1990s, he spent some time in the 1980s working in television on shows like Fei Fu Kwan Ying and Mo Min Kap Sin Fung. One of Yen’s greatest outings on the small screen was the TV movie The Last Conflict, which he co-starred in with Stephen Chow. The Last Conflict starred Yen as the Interpol agent Dickson Kwan on the hunt to bring down a ruthless criminal syndicate.

The Last Conflict begins as a story of port forgery that turns into an epic quest of life, death, and love as Dickson falls in love with the daughter of a woman whose life he saved. As a mostly predictable buddy cop story, the appeal of The Last Conflict was down to Yen and Chow’s great charisma and its epic fight and shootout scenes. In early roles from Yen, Chow, and Francis Ng, there were a lot of future stars in The Last Conflict.

9 Shanghai Affairs (1998)

Donnie Yen as Tong Shan

Donnie Yen directed and starred in Shanghai Affairs, a film whose straightforward stylings were a big improvement upon Yen’s directorial debut, Legend of the Wolf, from the year before. Shanghai Affairs starred Yen as Tong Shan, a doctor who returns from Britain to care for the sick who cannot afford medical care in his village. However, when ruthless gangsters arrive to tear his village apart and open a casino, Yen must step in and show off that his fighting skills are just as powerful as his medical knowledge.

With children being kidnapped and used for medical research, the heartless nature of this evil gang ran opposite to all of Yen’s characters' values and beliefs. This fighting choreography was to the point and truly effective, which, paired with a good plot and effective performances, made this stand out among other kung fu movies of this era.

8 Ballistic Kiss (1998)

Donnie Yen as Cat Lee

Donnie Yen continued to show off his talents both in front of and behind the screen for Ballistic Kiss, an old-school kung fu classic that he directed and produced. With Yen as Cat Lee, a hitman in the midst of a mid-life crisis, this stylish action thriller blended romance, mystery, and philosophical intrigue as it managed to deliver thrills while also offering some existential contemplation in the process.

Cat was a far deeper character than the average kung fu assassin, as between hits, he contemplated life and was content to throw himself into his work to avoid fully facing his ethically questionable behavior. However, Cat’s life is thrown into a whirlwind when he falls in love with a beautiful policewoman and is forced to confront the true realities of his existence. As a truly underappreciated release from Yen, Ballistic Kiss was a firm showcase of his skills as a director and producer.

7 Butterfly And Sword (1993)

Donnie Yen as Yip Cheung

The Hong Kong wuxia movie Butterfly and Sword was a star-studded release that boasted Tony Leung, Michelle Yeoh, Jimmy Lin, Joey Wong, and Donnie Yen among its cast. As a true showcase of the sheer volume of talent in old-school kung fu movies during the 1990s, it was incredible to witness so many skilled performers coming together for this story of revolutionaries attempting to overthrow a king’s empire. Based on the novel Liuxing Hudie Jian by Gu Long, this story has been adapted for film, television, and even a video game series.

Donnie Yen played Yip Cheung, a member of the Happy Forest assassins who is in love with the group’s leader, Lady Ko (Michelle Yeoh.) With a strong emotional core to its storytelling and some excellent fight choreography. Butterfly and Sword was filled with plenty of fast-paced action to keep viewers engaged. While the comedic sides of the film don’t always work, Butterfly and Sword was boosted by its cartoonish gore and over-the-top entertainment value.

6 Drunken Tai Chi (1984)

Donnie Yen as Chan Chuen Chung

While Donnie Yen had previously worked as a stuntman in the Hong Kong martial arts film industry, his true acting debut was with the leading role in Drunken Tai Chi. With Yen as a spoiled young man on the run from a ruthless killer, after finding refuge with a tai chi expert puppeteer and his heavy-set wife, he masters the skill to save his life. With elements that echoed Jackie Chan’s breakout movie Drunken Master, it feels appropriate that the world would be introduced to Yen with a similar style film about a young protégé and their drunk teacher.

Drunken Tai Chi was an excellent debut for Yen that signaled his skills as both a martial artist and an actor. With an unconventional mix of classic old-school kung fu and the inclusion of American crazes such as skateboarding, Drunken Tai Chi blended its more action-packed sequences with some enjoyable slapstick comedy. While it would take some time for Yen to truly break out as a major star, Drunken Tai Chi was a solid debut that laid the groundwork for all that was to come.

5 Tiger Cage (1988)

Donnie Yen as Terry

Tiger Cage was a major release in Donnie Yen’s early career that blended fast-paced action with intense classic kung fu stylings. With crooked cops linked to a massive drug trafficking operation in America, Tiger Cage explored a world of corruption and deceit as the remaining noble police officers were exposed to excessive violence and attacks. As one of the best kung fu movies of the 1980s, Tiger Cage was essential in establishing Yen as the major star he is today.

Yen played Terry, a member of the Anti-Drug Unit of the Royal Hong Kong Police Force, in this fast and gritty Hong Kong action movie. Tiger Cage was a hit with viewers as Yen returned as an entirely different character for the sequel Tiger Cage 2, where he was bumped up from a ing character to the lead role. While a third Tiger Cage movie was made, none of the original cast was in the final installment.

4 In The Line Of Duty IV: Witness (1989)

Donnie Yen as Captain Donnie Yan

While the naming of its characters in In the Line of Duty IV: Witness could have been more creative, as it featured Michael Wong as Michael Wong and Donnie Yen as Donnie Yan, this was still the best sequel in this long-running series. With the Girls with Guns star Cynthia Khan back as Inspector Rachel Yeung, this installment proved the series still had a lot to give as it delivered the same intense thrills as Yes, Madam with Michelle Yeoh and Cynthia Rothrock four years before.

In the Line of Duty IV focused on Hong Kong law enforcers investigating drug trafficking in Seattle and was packed with epic fight scenes from start to finish. While the absence of the original stars from earlier entries was felt, the introduction of Yen more than made up for this. As one of the very best martial arts movies featuring cops, In the Line of Duty IV blended incredible fight choreography with classic action movie energy.

3 Dragon Inn (1992)

Donnie Yen as Tsao Siu-yan

Dragon Inn was also known under the title New Dragon Gate Inn and was a remake of the classic Taiwanese wuxia film Dragon Gate Inn from 1967. Set in the desert region of China during the Ming Dynasty, this sword-fighting black comedy was a star-studded release featuring not just Donnie Yen but also Brigitte Lin, Tony Leung, and Maggie Cheung. As a tale of armies, battles, and corruption, this classic wuxia story explored warriors pushing back against a power-hungry eunuch who wished to rule as emperor.

With a talented cast full of exceptional martial arts performers, Dragon Inn featured plenty of epic sword fights and some truly awe-inspiring fight choreography. With Lin as the main star, this was just one of several martial arts movies in which she disguised herself as a man, such as Peking Opera Blues and Swordsman II. A jam-packed action movie, Dragon Inn reunited Yen with his The Last Conflict director, Raymond Lee.

2 Once Upon A Time In China II (1992)

Donnie Yen as Nap-lan Yun-seut

For the second installment in the Once Upon a Time in China series, starring Jet Li as the Chinese folk hero Wong Fei-hung, Donnie Yen was brought on board for one of his greatest ing roles. As the military officer Nap-lan Yun-seut, it was a real treat for martial fans to witness Li and Yen face off in an epic staff fighting sequence. This heart-racing sequel was a hit with critics and viewers and boasts an astounding 93% score on Rotten Tomatoes.

Set in Guangzhou in 1895, Once Upon a Time in China II saw Wong face off against the White Lotus Sect, a xenophobic cult that wished to attack Westerners and destroy anything that wasn’t Chinese. With classic kung fu themes of discrimination and prejudices, Once Upon a Time in China II was filled with fast-paced fight sequences and showed off Yen’s skill in a more villainous role. As one of the best kung fu movies of the 1990s, fans of Yen should be sure to check out Once Upon a Time in China II.

1 Iron Monkey (1993)

Donnie Yen as Wong Kei-ying

Following Donnie Yen’s breakout success in Once Upon a Time in China II the year before, he continued his hot streak with a leading role in Iron Monkey. This fantastic martial arts film was based on the real Chinese folk hero Wong Fei-hung and his father Wong Kei-ying, and Yen excelled in his fatherly role as the duo faced off against a masked martial artist known as the Iron Monkey. With gorgeous cinematography and some truly compelling fights, Iron Monkey was a true highlight of Yen’s career during the 1990s.

Iron Monkey's success would be a precursor to Yen gaining his most famous role as the real Wing Chun grandmaster Ip Man 15 years later. With a talent for embodying real heroes from martial arts history, Iron Monkey delivered on all fronts as a fun-filled fighting film. While Donnie Yen would become an even bigger star in the subsequent decades, classic old-school kung fu movies like Iron Monkey laid the groundwork for the global superstar he later became.