Summary Some Hollywood actors have become genuinely skilled in sword fighting, surpassing the skill level necessary for their roles and using real weapons.
Actors like Gwendoline Christie and Kit Harington improved their sword fighting skills while working on “Game of Thrones,” becoming practiced veterans.
Legends like Basil Rathbone and Errol Flynn were renowned for their sword fighting abilities, with Flynn known for his ability to make fights look real on-screen.
Sword fighting has become something of a common practice in Hollywood ranging from classic swashbuckling pirate movies to epic fantasy television series, however, there are some actors who, over the years, have proved themselves to be genuinely skilled in the art of sword fighting, even when they aren’t in front of the camera. These actors were not only trained for their respective projects, but surpassed the skill level necessary. They became better than their stunt doubles, used real weapons rather than props, and ultimately, let sword fighting become part of their everyday lives.
The actors with the best sword fighting skills range in age from the Golden Age of Hollywood to the advent of streaming. For many of these performers, it wouldn’t be right to discuss their sword fighting skills without mentioning fencing great Bob Anderson. Over the course of several decades, Anderson became a renowned fight choreographer and trainer, working with actors on iconic franchises such as Mark Hamill, Errol Flynn, Johnny Depp, Cary Elwes, Antonio Banderas, and Sean Connery. All in all, many of the actors in the following list have Bob Anderson to thank for their incredible skills.
10 Gwendoline Christie
After inhabiting the roles of so many epic women, it makes sense that Gwendoline Christie would become particularly skilled at sword fighting. Her training began in 2011 when Christie was cast as the beloved Brienne of Tarth in Game of Thrones. Along with gaining nearly 15 pounds of muscle mass, Christie began vigorous training in horsemanship and sword fighting. Christie played Brienne for a total of eight years, which undoubtedly cemented her ability to use a sword. These skills came in handy later when she portrayed Captain Phasma in Star Wars: The Last Jedi. Overall, Gwendoline Christie has proved her long-running success with swords.
9 Mandy Patinkin
An actor that became iconic for his swordsmanship in the late 1980s was Mandy Patinkin in his role as Inigo Montoya in The Princess Bride. Patinkin was one of many actors trained by Bob Anderson, and ultimately, his time with the legend paid off. One particular scene that really shows off the skills Patinkin acquired is the sword fight between him and Cary Elwes’ Westley. Though the scene is somewhat unrealistic to real fencing, the dexterity and speed required is absolutely real. In the end, Patinkin learned to use a sword with both hands and had enough practice to be able to improvise entire fights on his own.
8 Adrian Paul
Another actor who earned his sword fighting skills from a particular fantasy television series is Adrian Paul. For around fifteen years, the English actor portrayed the immortal Scotsman Duncan MacLeod in Highlander: The Series and its adjoining movie sequels, and in that time, he became a pro with a sword. In fact, Paul became so adept as a swordsman that he now teaches sword fighting at conventions to this day. It seems that over the years he truly picked up the mechanics of sword fighting along with the dramatic essence that is necessary for a sword fight on-screen.
7 Tyrone Power
An older example of an actor-turned-swordsman is Tyrone Power. From the 1930s to the 1950s, Power made a name for himself by appearing in various swashbuckling and romance movies including Marie Antoinette, Prince of Foxes, and Nightmare Alley. One of his best known films, and one that best exemplifies his sword fighting skills, is The Mark of Zorro. During a time when many popular actors boasted incredible sword fighting skills, Tyrone Power still managed to be impressive name in Hollywood. His The Mark of Zorro co-star, Basil Rathbone said that Power “was the most agile man with a sword I’ve ever faced before a camera.”
6 Kit Harington
In the same vein as Gwendoline Christie, British actor Kit Harington learned everything he knows about sword fighting from his time working on Game of Thrones. While playing the role of Jon Snow, Harington became familiar with sword fighting, and after his work on 2014’s Pompeii, he became even better. Harington has often been praised for the believability of his fight choreography, and with a sword in particular, the actor seems like a practiced veteran. Though Game of Thrones has long since ended, seeing Harington returned to epic fantasy would certainly be a treat.
5 Henry Cavill
With an assortment of heroic roles under his belt, it’s no surprise that Henry Cavill has become something of a sword pro. Along with being trained in jiu-jitsu, Cavill has become a skilled swordsman due to his iconic role as Geralt of Rivia in The Witcher. Cavill’s commitment to the sword was so intense that, according to FandomWire, he kept three swords in his home and four at work. Essentially, he had a sword in his hand at all times of the day preparing for The Witcher’s Geralt swordfights. As a result, Cavill was able to do all of his fight choregraphy himself, and the end product certainly looks impressive.
4 Viggo Mortensen
Some may say that Viggo Mortensen was born to play the role of Aragorn in Lord of the Rings, and if his sword fighting means anything, then they might be right. During his time as Aragorn, Mortensen studied under the master Bob Anderson. Mortensen became so adept that he was not only able to complete all of his own stunts, but more than that, he was allowed to use real swords rather than ones made of rubber. However, the best detail about Viggo Mortensen’s sword fighting skills is that Anderson is quoted as saying that Mortensen was “the best swordsman I’ve ever trained.”
3 Cary Elwes
The other half to Mandy Patinkin’s Inigo Montoya is Cary Elwes’ Westley in The Princess Bride. As previously mentioned, Elwes was trained by Bob Anderson, and as a result, his and Patinkin’s sword fight scene has gone down in cinema history as one of the best and most impressive on-screen sword fights ever. In fact, the Inigo versus Westley duel is often shown to sword fighting students as an example of good swordsmanship. Cary Elwes practiced long and hard to get to the level he reached during The Princess Bride, and more than that, he completed many of his fights with a broken big toe.
2 Basil Rathbone
One of the few actors on this list to have sword fighting skills that were not earned after playing a specific role is Basil Rathbone. The South African actor first proved his abilities during World War I when he became the British Army Fencing Champion twice. Later, when Rathbone delved into his movie career, he stunned audiences with his incredible sword fighting skills, though ironically his characters rarely won on-screen, despite the fact that behind the scenes, he would help other actors with their skills. Rathbone’s best known fights occur in films such as The Mark of Zorro, The Adventures of Robin Hood, and The Court Jester.
1 Errol Flynn
When it comes to sword fighting actors, the biggest name is Errol Flynn. While Flynn had a reputation for his swashbuckling roles and hedonistic personal life, the Australian-American actor was also famous for his abilities with a sword. Flynn would fly across the screen in roles like Robin Hood or Peter Blood, taking out all of his enemies with a flick of his sword. However, Errol Flynn always claimed to be a less-than-talented swordsman. In reality, Flynn’s real skill came in his ability to make his fighting look real rather than actually be real. Despite this distinction, Flynn has gone down as one of the best on-screen swordsmen ever.