Everyone loves a good fight scene, and there is no shortage of that in HBO’s Warrior. The show follows Ah Sahm, a Chinese immigrant who arrived in 1870s San Francisco to find his sister. But when he does, she wants nothing to do with him. With nowhere else to go, Ah Sahm finds himself embroiled in the growing conflicts of the Hop Wei, a group of Chinese gangsters and a key force in the Tong Wars. As plans change in this hard-hitting series, Ah Sahm finds a new purpose in a society that wants nothing to do with him but will exploit his people for all they’re worth.
Warrior’s concept was written by one of the best movie martial artists of all time, Bruce Lee himself, and the legend planned to star in the show before his unfortunate death. The series recently returned with its third season, and reviews boast of an epic return to a martial arts classic. To get fans ready, we’re looking back on the most brutal and action-pact fights so far. Here is a ranking of the best fights from Warrior.
10 Ah Sahm vs. The Immigration Boss
After a long journey from China, Warrior‘s protagonist arrives in San Francisco to embark on a new journey. However, he quickly learns just how unwanted he and the rest of the passengers on his ride are when he crosses paths with an abrasively racist immigration officer. The man has no qualms about smacking around the immigrants, choosing to educate Ah Sahm about where he sees him on the Totem Pole. Ah Sahm, revealing his English for the first time, is keen to accept his challenge and makes short work of him before his peers and the immigrants he had sought to abuse. It was the best way to begin the series, showcasing Ah Sahm’s skill and inability to back down from a challenge, showing he is both the hero and his own worst enemy.
9 The O’Hara Family and Lee vs. Hop Wei Thugs
Bill O’Hara’s gambling debts have been a shadow for him from the start. Despite knowing he has a problem and that his losses outweigh his wins, he still can’t help himself, which is how he ends up in the Fung Hai’s pocket as a collector of debts. His worse mistake was thinking he could walk away from the cold-hearted gang, resulting in a group of thugs invading his house to kill him and his family. Thankfully Lee was there to help even the odds.
The cops of Warrior never really get to see the same kind of action that the rest of their cast mates do, so it was an interesting change of pace to see them get a sequence of their own. The entire family gives their all to stop their attacks, fighting on adrenaline and desperation to keep themselves alive. If anything, it was luck that they managed to survive, but it was a stark moment for Bill as his demons had finally caught up with him, resulting in his wife leaving him.
8 Saloon Fight Against the Harlan French Gang
Episode 5 of Warrior Season 1 was fun because it took viewers away from the main story for a Hateful Eight-inspired episode. Ah Sahm and Young Jun find themselves staying at a saloon on their way back to San Francisco to deliver a body, but the establishment is beset by a gang of outlaws that are after their charge. The duo manage to fight them off, but they know more will return. Teaming with the other guests, the situation turns into a bloody shootout that sees the Harlan French gang beaten and gunned down in an exciting showdown. Warrior has had its Western elements since its start, but this episode was the first time it went full Spaghetti Western, delivering a fun story as a sort of break from the main narrative.
7 Long Zii vs. Hop Wei
One of the main points of contention between the Hop Wei and the Long Zii throughout Warrior is the control and distribution of Molasses (Opium) in Chinatown. In Season 1, Episode 2, the Long Zii attempt to smuggle a shipment of the drugs behind the Hop Wei’s back but are sold out by a crooked police officer. This results in a midnight ambush by Ah Sahm, Young Jun, and Bolo.
The Hop Wei are disposed of, but that’s not the point of this fight. The point was to show off Jun and Bolo, two key players in the first season. Bolo is the powerhouse between the three and barrels through enemies with his specially-made hatchet. Jun, on the other hand, is far more vicious. He dices up goons with his two knives, relishing in the combat and the bloodshed that comes with it. This goes to show when it comes to conflict between the Tongs, it’s best to know how to scrap.
6 Ah Sahm vs. Leary I
When ending a show like Warrior, the last fight has to be a big one, or at the very least, special. By the end of Season 1, Ah Sahm finds himself drummed out of the Hop Wei and working under the same conditions that the rest of the Chinese immigrants work under. Poor living space, long hours, and grueling work, all for half the pay of a white person. However, it’s in the closing minutes of Episode 10 that viewers witness the true birth of the fighter that Ah Sahm is now.
Dylan Leary is the head of the Irish Mob in San Francisco and spends Season 1 working to drive out the Chinese. He launches an attack on Mercer Steel after the company laid off the Irish workers in favor of cheaper Chinese labor. It’s a brutal attack, and the workers are helpless, but then Ah Sahm steps in and faces Leary for the first time. The differences in their styles are clear. One is the unstoppable force while the other is the immovable object, but by the end of the bout (which ends in a no-contest), both men’s goals are clear, as is the knowledge that they both have found a rival.
5 Ah Sahm vs. Bolo
This one was brewing since these two men first met at the start of Season 1, but it finally comes to a head in Episode 7 when Ah Sahm confronts Bolo to save his sister. It is do-or-die in this encounter as Ah Sahm knows that not only must he save his Mai Ling, but there is no way he can let Bolo live because stopping him is an act of betrayal against the Hop Wei. It’s a fast-paced vicious fight that sees both men put through their paces.
They fight through the halls of a house neck-and-neck. Bolo is a fierce fighter with an interesting backstory. Even when he gets one of his arms broken, he won’t surrender. Mai Ling’s interference sees the fight end with her stabbing Bolo from behind. This fight was one of those moments that was worth the wait. It was one of Warrior’s most intense fights to date. Too bad there was no clear winner, but Bolo probably lost the second he got his arm broken.
4 The Long Zii and Hop Wei vs. The Irish
Warrior rides on the civil unrest between rival factions in San Francisco, but this epic brawl saw the anger and racism towards the Chinese reach a boiling point. After Jacob is murdered for killing Mayor Black, the Irish continue their bloodthirst by taking their mayhem to Chinatown. The immigrant people are completely caught off guard by the assault as businesses are destroyed, and lives are lost. But the Irish were not aware the Tongs are always ready to fight.
In a one-time truce, the Hop Wei and Long Zii put their differences aside to come together and drive the Irish out of Chinatown. This riot sees just about all the major players in action, with big moments for many. The best moment comes when Ah Sahm, stripped down to his tank top, takes up some nun-chucks and hammers away at goons alone as onlookers cheer. By the end of the riot, he’s a hero. But of course, the good times between the tongs don’t last.
3 Ah Sahm vs. Li Yong II
Dylan Leary is not Ah Sahm’s only rival. He and Li Yong had beef from the moment they met. The two had engaged in a brief fight on their first encounter, but it was interrupted. However, they were destined to fight again. The rematch comes when the Long Zii and Hop Wei contemplate peace, and a contest is proposed to decide who retains control over the opium business by pitting their two best warriors against each other in combat. The two fight hard, and each does a good deal of damage to the other.
Anyone who thought Li Yong would be the superior fighter was mistaken when Ah Sahm nearly KO’s him. However, Ah Sahm’s ego gets the better of him and gives Li Yong the chance to get the advantage. It was a defining moment for Ah Sahm, but not because of the result. Mai Ling’s choice after that makes their reconciliation near impossible.
2 Li Yong vs. Zing
In another hotly anticipated fight, viewers may not have known what to make of Zing when introduced. He came out of nowhere to take over the Fung Hai and positioned himself as an ally to the Long Zii, but he was keen to show Mai Ling just how easily the power dynamic can shift. From the end of Season 1 and onwards, it was clear he was a problem, a notion Li Yong wouldn’t forget. The tension between the two comes to a head in Season 2, Episode 5, when the two finally clash during a raid on the Fung Hai stronghold.
Zing is the bigger of the two and took an early advantage, but Li Yong was quick to remind him that he is no pushover and evened up the fight. When things began turning against Zing, he started fighting dirty, using a sword. Big Bill shows up before a winner is chosen, leading Li Yong to get away and Zing to be arrested and sent to prison. But as the season finale suggests, it’s not the last fans will see of Zing.
1 Ah Sahm vs. Dylan Leary II
These two had been looking for a rematch from the moment they met, and in the finale of Warrior Season 2, they get just that. Ah Sahm knows it can no longer be avoided after the Chinatown brawl and goes to Leary himself, clearing out a bunch of his guys before the two share a drink. Ah Sahm calmly explains to Leary why his ideals are wrong, raising some valid points, but the Irishman is not interested in reason or fairness.
When the two fight, it’s a fairly back-and-forth bout that goes multiple rounds. They each damage each other, but neither is willing to give up. Ah Sahm seems finished in the final round, but he regroups and delivers a finishing blow to the heart. It was a great fight and lived up to a season of build. They both have opposing views, and neither one is looking to give them up after this. Their feud may or may not be over.
This story originally appeared on Movieweb
