Jean-Claude Van Damme has been an action star and martial arts icon since the late '80s - here's all of his movies, ranked from worst to best.

How do the movies of Jean-Claude Van Damme rank from worst to best? Hailing from Brussels, Belgium, Jean-Claude Van Damme (born with the surname Van Varenberg) took up karate as a young boy and had big dreams of coming to Hollywood to become a movie star. The flexible kicking machine made his way stateside in his mid-20s, and gradually gained recognition in action movies like No Retreat, No Surrender, while adopting the stage name of Jean-Claude Van Damme. Eventually, Van Damme achieved his big-break in the 1988 martial arts tournament movie Bloodsport.

The success of the movie led to Van Damme steadily growing in popularity with other low budget hits like Kickboxer and Cyborg, and he rose to mainstream action movie recognition in the '90s in action films like Universal Soldier and Timecop. Though Van Damme experienced a significant career decline in the late '90s, he staged a remarkable comeback with his semi-autobiographical movie JCVD, and he leapt back to the spotlight with movies like The Expendables 2 and his return to the Universal Soldier movie franchise.

Van Damme has since announced his retirement after what he's declared to be his final action movie in the forthcoming What's My Name? With decades of doing fight scenes and splits in front of the camera and even a few times in the director's chair, Jean-Claude Van Damme will leave behind an astonishing action movie legacy. Here are Jean-Claude Van Damme's movies ranked from his weakest to his strongest.

50. Desert Heat (1999)

Also known by the title of Inferno, Desert Heat follows Van Damme as Eddie Lomax, a suicidal former soldier who finds himself facing a local gang after the theft of his prized motorcycle. One of Van Damme’s early straight-to-video movies, Desert Heat has some decent ideas on its mind with Eddie as a neo-Western anti-hero. Unfortunately, the drama of Eddie’s gradual healing process doesn’t register and the sparse martial arts fight scenes with the usually committed Van Damme aren’t anything special. The Muscles from Brussels has certainly taken on more of a Clint Eastwood-esque persona in his contemporary career, but Desert Heat is most definitely not Van Damme’s Logan.

49. Derailed (2002)

A low-rent riff on Under Siege 2: Dark Territory, Derailed sees Van Damme as NATO officer Jacques Kristoff, who finds himself navigating a terrorist takeover of a train with his family on board (Jacques’ son also played by Van Damme’s real-life son, Kristopher Van Varenberg.) The dull Derailed is the complete opposite of what the straight-to-video action subgenre would eventually rise to, while the exterior shots of the train could’ve been pulled out of Thomas the Tank Engine. Despite a handful of decent martial arts fight scenes, Van Damme and the supporting cast, including Laura Harring as thief Galina Konstanin, just don’t have much to work with, leaving Derailed with sadly little to offer as an action movie.

48. Second in Command (2006)

When the U.S. embassy in Moldova comes under attack, U.S. Navy SEAL Sam Keenan (Van Damme) is the only hope of stopping the terrorist plot. Yet, despite the stakes of the story, there's little to recommend in Second in Command. The action scenes do little to impress, making very flat use of Van Damme's talents, while the story and characters fail to give viewers much in the way to hang on to. As it is, Second in Command might barely have been a blip on the radar without Van Damme's involvement, and it stands as one of Van Damme's most generic action movies.

47. We Die Young (2019)

In the commendable but largely average We Die Young, Jean-Claude Van Damme takes on the role of military veteran Daniel, who becomes a guardian of kids in a rough Washington D.C. neighborhood ruled over by drug lords. Daniel's bond with the kids he seeks to protect including Lucas (Elijah Rodriguez) emotionally invests viewers in the younger character's well being, but We Die Young doesn't bring a great deal to elevate its anti-drug message more than the many that have come before it. We Die Young falls squarely into the average subsection of Van Damme's filmography.

46. Black Water (2018)

Another Van Damme and Dolph Lundgren team-up is the order of the day in Black Water, with the two action stars playing Scott Wheeler and Marco as they try to escape a CIA black site aboard a submarine. The low-budget restrictions of Black Water are never far from view, but the dedication of the two leads keeps the story and close-quarters action scenes afloat. Van Damme and Dolph Ludgren's work together in their more advanced age has often outshone their initial pairing in the original Universal Soldier. Despite their commitment, Black Water is not The Raid on a submarine.

45. In Hell (2004)

The title says it all in Van Damme’s 2003 prison movie In Hell, in which he plays Kyle LeBlanc, sentenced to life in a Russian prison after avenging the murder of his wife. With MMA just starting to go mainstream at the time, In Hell changes up Van Damme’s fighting style with a much greater emphasis on grappling. In Hell is a genuinely unenjoyable slog that will likely leaves viewers feeling like they’re in prison right alongside Kyle despite being Van Damme's mixed martial arts movie entry. For action fans with an affinity for a Russian prison setting with MMA influences, the Yuri Boyka-centered Undisputed series is much more highly recommended than In Hell.

44. Swelter (2014)

Half-Western and half-crime caper, Swelter zeroes in on one-time criminal Bishop (Lennie James), whose old gang, remembering him as "Pike," re-enters his smalltown life in their search for missing cash. James is as strong a screen presence as he is on Fear the Walking Dead, but the rote script doesn't rise about its routine beats. Van Damme is on hand as one of Bishop's old associates Stillman, but the movie doesn't rate high on Van Damme's latter day career. Despite a strong cast to include Alfred Molina, Swelter doesn't leave a terribly lasting impression.

43. Legionnaire (1998)

One-time Predator star Jean-Claude Van Damme made another foray into dramatic work with Legionnaire, with little real impact coming out of it. Set in 1925, French boxer Alain Lefèvre (Van Damme) joins the French Foreign Legion after the tragic outcome of refusing to throw a fight, and finds new purpose with his brothers in arms. Legionnaire was Van Damme's beginning in straight-to-video land, and not a particularly great start with the film's melodrama and periodic bursts of overacting. Despite Van Damme giving it his all, Legionnaire is not in the "essential viewing" column of his long career.

42. Until Death (2007)

Falling into the more middling corner of Van Damme's 21st century straight-to-video work, Until Death sees him as drug-addicted detective Anthony Stowe, whose experiencing in a coma after a brush with death leads him to re-evaluate his life and approach to police work. Until Death might be called a noir thriller, but that'd be giving it excess credit when its really a dark and emotionally flat crime drama. While not an outright failure, Until Death doesn't live up to the redemption story of a man who gets a second chance that it sets out to be.

41. The Hard Corps (2006)

Though The Hard Corps brought Van Damme back together with his longtime collaborate Sheldon Lettich as director and co-writer, The Hard Corps is passable but little more. Van Damme plays war veteran Phillip Sauvage is hired as a bodyguard by Wayne Barclay (Raz Adoti) against an assassination attempt feared by his sister Tamara (Vivica A. Fox). Some decent martial arts fight sequences and moments of levity are to be found in The Hard Corps, but they're not enough to raise the story of crimes of vengeance in the hip-hop world outside of cliched territory.

40. Alien Uprising (2012)

While Beyond Skyline gets most of the glory for bringing an alien invasion into a martial arts film, Alien Uprising shows that the idea is somewhat ubiquitous. Originally titled UFO, Alien Uprising follows a collection of humans, including Van Damme's George, in a fight to survive an alien invasion. Alien Uprising is a watchable enough sci-fi flick with Van Damme's daughter Bianaca Bree tackling her prominent role as Carrie. With its so-so effects, Alien Uprising is probably most readily recommended on the appearance of Street Fighter: Assassin's Fist director Joey Ansah, whose excellent martial arts fight is just one exhibit of many that he should be a far bigger star.

39. The Last Mercenary (2021)

Spoofing Van Damme movies, The Last Mercenary, with The Muscles from Brussels playing government agent Richard Brumère a.k.a. The Mist, with Brumère returning to France to help his framed son. Van Damme riffs on some of his most memed action movie moments, not the least of which being his predilection from dropping into splits whenever the opportunity arises. Entering his 60s, Van Damme is still quite spry in his comedic fight scenes. The Last Mercenary isn’t likely to be remembered as the same meta pillar of Van Damme’s career as JCVD, but it’s a nice reminder of his genuine comedic talents and ability to poke fun at himself.

38. The Bouncer (2018)

Another of Van Damme's noir-style 21st century movies, The Bouncer sees the martial artist Van Damme playing nightclub bouncer Lukas, forced to protect his daughter when events in his line of work put a target on him. Van Damme taking on a protector-type role has become something he's dabbled in to some decent results a number of times. While The Bouncer is a world removed from where his career began, Van Damme's performance in the darker and rougher action story is a suitably compelling one. The Bouncer doesn't reinvent the wheel, but it does a fair job in letting Van Damme work in a darker anti-hero role.

37. Double Team (1997)

Despite being the Hollywood debut of Hong Kong director Tsui Hark of the Once Upon A Time In China series, Double Team wasn’t a Van Damme comeback vehicle with any real strength. Van Damme plays Quinn, a former government agent escaping involuntary retirement in a facility known as the Colony, and forced to battle his vengeful old enemy Stavros (Mickey Rourke). Dennis Rodman plays Quinn’s arms dealer ally Yaz, but he and Van Damme never really mesh as a buddy comedy duo. Despite a strong Roman Colosseum finale, Double Team nonetheless sadly rates as one of Van Damme’s lesser '90s action movies.

37. Welcome to the Jungle (2013)

While Van Damme’s role in Welcome to the Jungle is secondary, it is a respectable foray into comedy. When a group of office workers are shipwrecked during a retreat, a chance encounter with some psychedelic herbs puts them into a comedic version of Lord of the Flies. Van Damme has some self-effacing fun as the group’s Crocodile Dundee-type guide Storm, while Adam Brody is suitably dorky as the reluctant underdog hero Chris. Welcome to the Jungle is a decently entertaining comedy romp, with the Van Damme kids Kristopher Van Varenberg and Bianca Bree also along for the ride.

35. Assassination Games (2011)

The second team-up with Van Damme and Scott Adkins, Assassination Games follows them as rival hitmen Vincent Brazil and Roland Flint. When a contract for crime boss Polo Yakur (Ivan Kaye), Brazil and Flint reluctantly join forces with the own motivations to take Yakur down. More of a spy thriller than a full-blown action movie, Assassination Games abides its title as a chess game between the anti-heroes and villains. Van Damme and Adkins have strong chemistry as reluctant allies, while Assassination Games is ultimately a decent but not outstanding crime caper.

34. Kill 'Em All (2017)

After four fight scenes across three movies together, Jean-Claude Van Damme and Peter Malota joined forces again for Malota's directorial debut Kill 'Em All, a routine but moderately entertaining action film. Van Damme plays Philip, recovering from a hospital stay and finding himself on the run from pursuing assassins. Kill 'Em All brings Van Damme into another project with his son Kristopher, while also being a double-header of a different sort in being Van Damme's first movie with his Bloodsport series successor Daniel Bernhardt. Kill 'Em All likely won't be remembered as having particular prestige in the careers of Malota, Bernhardt, or Van Damme and son, but it is a modestly engaging watch for 96 minutes.

33. Kung Fu Panda 2 (2011)

Following up 2008's animated martial arts hit Kung Fu Panda, Kung Fu Panda 2 brings the Bruce Lee-influenced Po the Panda (Jack Black) and his kung fu fighting animal allies back to stop the villainous plot of Lord Shen. Joining the returning Kung Fu Panda voice ensemble is a new row of characters with big stars voicing them, with Van Damme voicing the formidable Master Croc. Kung Fu Panda 2 is roughly as much fantastical and family friendly kung fu fun as its predecessor, and placed Van Damme in a whole new arena in a voice role. While Van Damme and Jackie Chan lamentably have never worked together in live-action, having both of them as part of Kung Fu Panda 2 adds some new seasoning to the mix.

32. Street Fighter (1994)

The 1994 adaptation of Street Fighter was eviscerated by fans of the games and professional reviewers, but it turned a robust profit over the holiday season and made Raul Julia’s M. Bison into a forever-after quoted meme factory. Van Damme plays Colonel Guile, tasked with rescuing hostages from Bison’s Shadaloo fortress before his 72-hour ransom clock runs out. Some of the fight scenes admirably strike hard, especially Ryu and Ken’s battle with Vega and Sagat, but the silly tone and absence of many of Street Fighter’s core fantastical elements left fans and most audiences unimpressed. Street Fighter is still a very worthwhile campy romp to revisit almost three decades later, with Julia’s hammy performance being worth the admission price and then some. Street Fighter was given a much more beloved reboot in 2014’s Street Fighter: Assassin’s Fist, but Street Fighter nonetheless holds a place of honor for many fans for Julia’s supervillain energy as M. Bison. For Julia, of course, it was just Tuesday.

31. Six Bullets (2012)

Van Damme brings some of his accumulated action movie vigor to a Taken-style story in Six Bullets. Van Damme plays mercenary Samson Gaul, who is called to help rescue the kidnapped daughter of MMA fighter Andrew Fayden (Joe Flanigan). Van Damme's second of his three movies to date with director Ernie Barbarash, Six Bullets brings some compelling intensity to its serviceable story. Six Bullets doesn't quite have the potency of Van Damme and Barbarash's later work in Pound of Flesh, but it's a not bad watch.

30. Enemies Closer (2013)

Re-teaming The Muscles From Brussels with Timecop and Sudden Death director Peter Hyams, Enemies Closer sees Van Damme jump into another villain role after The Expendables 2 as Xander, leader of a criminal gang bent on retrieving a shipment of heroin lost in a forest. Whether working with the elder Hyams or his son John, Van Damme simply flourishes, and the action-packed Enemies Closer really lets him show his capabilities in a villain role opposite Tom Everett Scott and Orlando Jones as bitter enemies turned reluctant allies Henry Taylor and Clay Decker. Van Damme tackling villain roles has been a relatively rare occurrence throughout his career, but Enemies Closer is one of the highlights of the times when he's indulged in playing a bad guy.

29. Wake Of Death (2004)

If there’s a strong candidate for the darkest Van Damme movie ever made, Wake of Death certainly qualifies. Van Damme plays mafia muscle Ben Archer, who goes on a revenge mission after his wife’s murder. Like Matt Damon's Jason Bourne, Van Damme’s fight scenes and those of his co-star Tony Schiena are fast, vicious, and swiftly concluded affairs. Wake of Death also goes bitter in Ben’s heartbreak at the loss of his wife and anger with the young girl pursued by his enemies Kim (Valerie Tian) in putting her in their crossfire. Wake of Death took Van Damme a long way from his Kumite days, while allowing him to stretch his action and acting muscles in surprisingly impressive ways.

28. Nowhere To Run (1993)

After crafting his image as a karate extraordinaire, Van Damme made his first real step outside of his usual sandbox with Nowhere to Run. After escaping from a prisoner transport bus, Sam Gillen (Van Damme) finds refuge on the farm of Clydie Anderson (Roseanne Arquette) and defends her and her son Mookie (Kieran Culkin) from the greedy real estate developer Franklin Hale (Joss Acklin). Much less of a Bruce Lee-esque martial arts movie, Van Damme's fight scenes are much rougher than usual, and his guardian angel role as a man on the run brings shades of some of the versatility he would later extol. As a departure for Van Damme into something fresh, Nowhere to Run is a small-scale action drama with some memorably new Van Damme energy.

27. Maximum Risk (1996)

As part of the noticeable '90s trend of Hong Kong directors making their Hollywood debuts with a Van Damme joint, Ringo Lam's Maximum Risk follows cop Alain Moreau (Van Damme) investigates the murder of a man who looks identical to him. Lam's direction and Van Damme's increasingly seasoned screen persona carry Maximum Risk as an engaging hybrid of action film and murder mystery. The late Stefanos Miltstakakis, a frequent action movie heavy seen in movies like The Master with Jet Li and Best of the Best 2 with Phillip Rhee, makes for an appropriately fearsome villain presence as Red Face, rumbling with Van Damme in no fewer than three fights in a burning building, a sauna, and an elevator. While The Quest still gets the honor of Van Damme's best 1996 movie, Maximum Risk gets the job done.

26. Double Impact (1991)

1991’s Double Impact gave audiences double the action and double the Van Dammes with the Muscles from Brussels playing identical twins Chad and Alex Grady. Separated a birth during their parent’s murder, Chad and Alex are brought back together in Hong Kong by their father’s old friend and Chad’s surrogate uncle Frank Avery (Geoffrey Lewis) to avenge their murder and reclaim their inheritance of a tunnel connecting China to Hong Kong. Van Damme does a fine job of making Chad and Alex polar opposites. Chad is a naïve but skilled karate master of the Mr. Miyagi-style persuasion, while Alex is a hot-headed smuggler. Granted, the momentum of the film could have done with a bit more fine tuning. Be that as it may, Van Damme fans get plenty of the Van Dammage they crave in Double Impact, including a sibling smackdown after a misunderstanding with Alex’s girlfriend Danielle (Alonna Shaw) and Van Damme’s rematch with his old Bloodsport villain Bolo Yeung as the vicious Moon.

25. Sudden Death (1995)

The template of Die Hard moves from the Nakatomi Plaza to a hockey arena in Sudden Death, and the movie does a good job in making the transition. Van Damme plays ex-fireman Darren McCord, who discovers a terrorist bomb plot while taking his kids to the Stanley Cup. Sudden Death keeps the suspense and stunts equally high, makes great use of its setting and stakes. Powers Booth, Brandon Lee's co-star in the martial arts film Rapid Fire, is cheerfully sleazy as terrorist mastermind Joshua Foss, while Van Damme also gets in some strong fight scenes, most memorably with one of the terrorists disguised as a Pittsburgh Penguins mascot. Sudden Death does the Die Hard formula overall proud, while a more comedic spin on the same story can be found in the 2020 remake Welcome to Sudden Death with Michael Jai White.

24. Knock Off (1998)

Van Damme killed two birds with one stone in making an action film set in Hong Kong and a buddy comedy with Tsui Hark's Knock Off. Van Damme plays jeans mogul Marcus Ray, who learns his business partner Tommy Hendricks (Rob Schneider) is a C.I.A. agent, and who is pulled into a plot to stop the illicit sale of tiny bombs in "knock off" jeans. For being made during Van Damme's career rough patch, Knock Off is one of his better '90s action movies with the polish of Jackie Chan-style Hong Kong action. Van Damme and Schneider also bring some fine buddy chemistry to the film's comedic side. For a good laugh and some good action, Knock Off has Van Damme fans well taken care of.

23. Kickboxer: Vengeance (2016)

Testimony to the popularity of Kickboxer, it became the first remade Van Damme movie with 2016’s Kickboxer: Vengeance. The beats of the plot remain largely unchanged, with Kurt Sloan (Alain Moussi) challenging feared Muay Thai fighter Tong Po (Dave Bautista) to a fight after the killing of his brother Eric (Darren Shahlavi). Van Damme returns as Kurt’s Muay Thai trainer Durand, and the role of a wise sage of martial arts fits him like a glove (even if half of his lines are bizarrely and quite unconvincingly dubbed.) Mortal Kombat 2 Johnny Cage nominee Alain Moussi makes an all-around strong successor to Van Damme as Kurt, and matches what The Muscles From Brussels brought to the original’s fight scenes as a very flexible kicker. Kickboxer: Vengeance is a little clunky in areas but nevertheless knows that its take on the legendary Muay Thai war with glass-coated hemp gloves is what audiences have come for and gives them their money’s worth.

22. Pound of Flesh (2015)

An action-drama with an emotional punch, Pound of Flesh sees as Deacon (Van Damme), a man in pursuit of his stolen kidney intended to be donated to his dying niece. Van Damme’s kicking might have made him famous, but he changes this up greatly for Pound of Flesh with a huge dose of MMA-based grappling, orchestrated by John Salvitti, a longtime collaborator of Ip Man star Donnie Yen. Pound of Flesh viscerally connects as a drama of two estranged brothers, with Deacon not sharing the devout faith of his brother George (John Ralston), yet choosing a Bible as his surprisingly effective melee weapon of choice. For all its Van Dammage, Pound of Flesh hits home for its powerful story of love and mortality. The film also holds a place in the hearts of martial arts fans as a posthumous performance as the villainous Drake by the late Darren Shahlavi, who tragically passed away just a few months before Pound of Flesh was released.

21. Universal Soldier: The Return (1999)

The Universal Soldier franchise returned to theaters in 1999 with Universal Soldier: The Return. Former UniSol Luc Deveraux (Van Damme) oversees the revamped version of the program and must prevent the rogue A.I. S.E.T.H., played by Spawn star Michael Jai White, from leading the UniSol army to conquer the world. In its slim 83 minutes, The Return places its focus firmly on UniSols going to war. If that is one’s highest priority in a Universal Soldier movie, The Return doesn’t disappoint. White especially, returning to the franchise himself after his very minor role in Universal Soldier, really shows himself as an action star in the making, wowing in his fight scenes and stealing the show with his ice-cold performance as S.E.T.H.

20. Death Warrant (1990) 

Still on his post-Bloodsport career rise, Van Damme leapt into Death Warrant as Detective Louis Burke, sent undercover in a local prison to solve the mysterious deaths of several inmates. Death Warrant’s dark, foreboding tone makes it a borderline horror movie for Van Damme, as Burke navigates the hellish prison environment with death seemingly lurking around every corner. Patrick Kilpatrick also portrays one of the best Van Damme movie villains as the psychotic serial killer known as the Sandman. Death Warrant keeps the action somewhat conservative with the twists in Burke’s investigation. Still, it does a marvelous job at keeping viewers on edge and genuinely worried for Burke’s safety leading up to his showdown with the Sandman, Kilpatrick clearly having a ball in the role.

19. Dragon Eyes (2012)

Dragon Eyes marked the first action movie lead of MMA legend Cung Le, with Van Damme in a prison mentor role. After his release from prison, Le’s Ryan Hong becomes an urban vigilante in the crime-filled neighborhood of St. Jude’s Square, lorded over by the profanity-prone villain Mr. V, played by Peter Weller of the Robocop franchise. Le is as much of a beast in a fight scene as in an MMA cage, and he brings some impressive dramatic heft to his portrayal of Hong. Van Damme’s role situates him as Hong’s fellow prisoner and mentor Tiano. The final fight leaves a bit to be desired, but Dragon Eyes is nonetheless a darkly engaging action thriller that fans of Le and Van Damme won’t want to miss.

18. Kickboxer: Retaliation (2018)     

After Kickboxer: Vengeance, Van Damme had grown into his role as Durand, returning to coach Alain Moussi’s Kurt Sloan again for Kickboxer: Retaliation. After his defeat of Tong Po, Kurt is kidnapped by crime boss Thomas Moore (Chistopher Lambert) to fight the towering Mongkut (Hapthor Björnsson). Retaliation is a decidedly sharper movie than Kickboxer: Vengeance with a script that provides a more fluid foundation for its excellent and in some cases Tony Jaa-style fight scenes, including include a one-shot prison battle and Kurt’s pummeling showdown with Mongkut. With that and thankfully lacking a dubbed voice on Van Damme, Kickboxer: Retaliation stands as one of the best entries of the whole Kickboxer franchise.

17. The Shepherd: Border Patrol (2008)

The era of the Van Damme-Scott Adkins team-up kicked off with The Shepherd: Border Patrol. Border Patrol centers on New Orleans-based cop Jack Robideaux (Van Damme) in a battle with a local drug gang. Van Damme had started to find a nice groove in the aughts as rugged men mellowed by constant battle and trying to abide a pacifist lifestyle, channeling that well in Border Patrol with a more grounded but still hard-hitting fighting style. Placing him opposite Scott Adkins, with frequent collaborator Isaac Florentine, The Shepherd: Border Patrol was the first Van Damme-Adkins showdown, and it wouldn’t be the last.

16. Replicant (2001)

Jean-Claude Van Damme began to re-invent himself into a genuinely compelling character actor with 2001’s Replicant. In Replicant, hot-headed police detective Jake Riley (Michael Rooker) can never catch up to serial killer Garotte a.k.a. “The Torch” (Van Damme), and he is partnered with the killer’s clone in a government experiment to use duplicates of criminal’s minds to track them down. Van Damme’s performance as the Replicant is arguably among his best as the clone of a killer given a clean slate and gradually regaining the memories of the man he was created from. Replicant adds a new dimension to Van Damme’s fight scenes, not only having fight himself but also the telepathy-like cognitive combat ability the Replicant takes on.

15. No Retreat, No Surrender (1986)

The first American film of Corey Yuen, known for his Hong Kong and Hollywood martial arts films with Jet Li, No Retreat, No Surrender was Van Damme's first major break. Kurt McKinney plays karate student Jason Stiwell, determined to defend his dojo from the sinister syndicate out to wipe out competing schools. No Retreat, No Surrender reverentially pays tribute to the legacy of Bruce Lee, who appears in the film in ghost form (played by Tai-Chung Kim) to guide Jason. Van Damme portrays the villainous kickboxing henchman Ivan "the Russian" Krachinsky, and makes a memorable early impression in his fight scenes at the beginning and end of the movie. No Retreat, No Surrender is undemanding but charming fluff in its storytelling, while its fight scenes with Van Damme are what keep nostalgic martial arts fans coming back to it.

14. Black Eagle (1988)

Black Eagle brought The Muscles From Brussels up against Sho Kosugi, legend of the '80s ninja movie phenomenon in a fun, fight-filled spy flick. Ken Tani (Kosugi) a.k.a. the "Black Eagle" is recruited on a mission for the U.S. government to retrieve top secret technology lost in Malta, and finds a formidable enemy in the KGB and operative Andrei (Van Damme). Fans of Canon Films know the name Sho Kosugi well, and he brings his great physical skills to another memorable action role. Van Damme is a cool and ever-ready villain of few words as Andrei, and his fight scenes with Kosugi pack a very refined punch (and kick). Kosugi's son Kane also appears as Ken's son Brian, foreshadowing his own future martial arts film career in movies like Muscle Heat and Scott Adkins' Ninja II: Shadow of a Tear.

13. Cyborg (1989)

The 1980s are partly remembered by action fans as the era of Canon Films, and Van Damme appeared in his share, including 1989’s Cyborg. After a deadly virus leads to the downfall of civilization, Gibson Rickenbacker (Van Damme) becomes the protector of the cybernetic human Pearl Prophet (Dale Haddon) in order to get her to Atlanta with information to develop a cure. Like many post-apocalyptic movies, Cyborg is sure to feel unintentionally meta for viewers watching it in the COVID-19 era, while rock fans will chuckle at the characters bearing names of different guitar models. For a Van Damme butt-kicking B-movie, Cyborg is a fun post-apocalyptic ride, with Vincent Klyn equally hammy and menacing as the villainous Fender Tremolo.      

12. Lionheart (1990)

Underground fights and secret tournaments are the oldest cliché in the book for martial arts films going all the way back to Bruce Lee. Fortunately, Lionheart makes good use of it. After his brother is killed in an underground fight, Lyon Gaultier (Van Damme) goes A.W.O.L. from his duty in the French Foreign Legion to help his brother’s struggling widow Hélène (Lisa Pilkan) and young daughter Nicole (Ashley Johnson). Lionheart’s something of an R-rated family film, blending harsh martial arts fights in which Lyon earns the nickname “Lionheart” with Lyon’s growing familial connection to Hélène and Nicole and his fight promoter Joshua (Harrison Page). Lionheart’s also the kind of movie that really values an instant replay out of every money shot. Like Lyon himself, Lionheart’s physical power and genuine heart make it an enduring Van Damme cult classic.

11. The Expendables 2 (2012)

After Van Damme sat out The Expendables in 2010, he took Sylvester Stallone up on his open invitation to board the action ensemble for The Expendables 2 as the villainous Jean Vilain. In The Expendables 2, the titular mercenaries embark on a mission of vengeance after Vilain kills their young new recruit Billy the Kid (Liam Hemsworth) and to stop his sale of unearthed plutonium on the black market. Van Damme brings great cocky, sinister charm to his performance as Vilain, with his and Stallone’s bruising final showdown also coming at his suggestion to expand on their originally more minor battle. The Expendables 2 is definitely the most fun of the initial trilogy, and came with the double benefit of bringing Van Damme back to the big screen while making the then-rising Scott Adkins, pit against Jason Statham, his right hand man.

10. Universal Soldier (1992)

Van Damme and Dolph Lundgren return from death in Vietnam in Roland Emmerich’s Universal Soldier, which kickstarted a sci-fi action franchise with a very unique release curvature. Revived as part of the U.S. government’s top secret “UniSol” program, Luc Devereaux (Van Damme) and Andrew Scott (Lundgren) gradually begin to regain their sentience and return to their decades old conflict. Universal Soldier isn’t a sci-fi masterpiece, but it certainly delivers on its promise of two action stars going head-to-head. Indeed, few could have predicted just how much mileage the Universal Soldier series would get out of that.

9. The Order (2001)

Van Damme goes on an adventure to the Holy Land in The Order as artifact smuggler Rudy Cafmeyer, searching for his kidnapped father amid large doses of Jackie Chan-style humor and action. On his mission, Rudy learns uncovers a plot by the zealots of a generally peaceful religious sect combining the essential tenets of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam to spark a war in Middle East. The Order just gets everything that makes Van Damme an engaging screen presence, liberally showcasing his martial arts ability in its many fight scenes with plenty of levity along the way in a very Indiana Jones-inspired adventure story. Van Damme’s frequent on-screen opponent Peter Malota is also back for the two to trade flashy kicks. Jean-Claude Van Damme might have been finding his footing again in the early 2000s, and The Order showed he was off to a great start.

8. Timecop (1994)

1994’s Timecop sends Van Damme on a time-travel adventure with action and Back to the Future-type temporal paradoxes galore. Set in 2004, Time Enforcement Commission Agent Max Walker (Van Damme) pursues U.S. presidential candidate Aaron McComb (Ron Silver), who is using time-travel to steal money to fund his presidential bid. Van Damme’s kicks and splits are all over Timecop, while Silver’s McComb is perhaps the most bombastic Van Damme villain ever. Walker’s efforts to both stop McComb’s plan and prevent the 1994 murder of his wife Melissa (Mia Sara) opens a whole can of time-travel worms that Timecop doesn’t even concern itself with addressing. Still, with all of Timecop’s time-travel based fun, that’s nothing to get hung up on.

7. Universal Soldier: Regeneration (2010)

The Universal Soldier franchise roared back to life with the 2010 straight-to-video reboot-sequel Universal Soldier: Regeneration. When a terrorist group threatens to blow up the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant, former UniSol Luc Devereaux (Van Damme) is called up to stop them. Making his own comeback from his days in less prominent work like Blackjack, Dolph Lundgren's returning Andrew Scott all but steals the show with his combination of sardonic humor and repressed rage. For a franchise that’s had as many downs as it’s had ups, Regeneration was a real turning point with its grittier story and some of the series’ best action sequences. The Universal Soldier movies are a rarity to the point of being one-of-a-kind in having theatrical, made-for-TV, and straight-to-video entries. In their case, the last one was where they struck gold with Universal Soldier: Retaliation, and later with Universal Soldier: Day of Reckoning.

6. Hard Target (1993)

The Most Dangerous Game got another retelling in 1993’s Hard Target, notably serving as the Hollywood debut of the legednary John Woo. In Hard Target, homeless military veteran Chance Boudreaux, who comes to the aid of Natasha (Yancy Butler) on her search for her missing father in New Orleans. Before long, the two find themselves in the middle of a human hunt orchestrated by gangster Emil Fouchon (Lance Henriksen). Woo’s penchant for slo-mo gave Hard Target’s action scenes a spark almost never seen in the West to that point, and the explosive stunts and action helped shoot Van Damme right up Hollywood action star pantheon. The unconnected except in name and concept Hard Target 2 eventually followed in 2016, with Scott Adkins in the lead and virtually equaling the standards of its predecessor.

5. JCVD (2008)

If any movie can be said to have shocked Jean-Claude Van Damme's career back to the life it once knew, it has to be JCVD. Van Damme plays a fictionalized version of himself, struggling with his career decline and troubles in his personal life and finding himself in a hostage situation in a bank in his native Belgium. The Muscles From Brussels laid his cards on the table like he'd never done before with JCVD. Van Damme's performance as himself is a deeply emotional self-flagellating confessional that's his most candid acting to date. With JCVD, Van Damme was back on the world's radar with genuine adulation, and while his return as a mainstream action hero was openly welcomed by his fans, JCVD was where Van Damme achieved the title of thespian for the first time.

4. Universal Soldier: Day Of Reckoning (2012)

Released just months after The Expendables 2, Scott Adkins greatly elevated the Universal Soldier series with Universal Soldier: Day of Reckoning, which also brought back Jean-Claude Van Damme. Adkins plays John, out to avenge his family’s murder by Luc Devereaux (Van Damme), only to gradually realize his memories aren’t what they seem. Its loopy, interpretive story structure likened to the work of David Lynch under the direction of John Hyams, Day of Reckoning has the feel of an action-horror combo. Scott Adkins amazes as much as ever in Larnell Stovall’s fight choreography, which includes back-to-back hack-and-slash battles with Dolph Lundgren and Van Damme. As straight-to-video action movies began to outshine the majority of those with theatrical releases, Universal Soldier: Day of Reckoning arrived to give its franchise one last wild hurrah with its two leads and Adkins' Undisputed franchise-reviving energy.

3. The Quest (1996)

The best candidate for Van Damme’s most under-appreciated movie is also the one he made his directorial debut with in The Quest. Told in flashback from modern times, The Quest follows 1920s New York City pickpocket Christopher Dubious (Van Damme), who enters a secret martial arts tournament in Tibet known as the Gang-gheng. The Quest essentially dials up Bloodsport’s basic concept to much more grandiose levels, pitting fighters from different nations in a sprawling arena in epic fashion with Randy Edelman’s Hans Zimmer-worthy score. Martial arts fans have plenty to feast on with exponents of disciplines of martial arts as diverse as John Wick's competing in an MMA tournament decades in advance. Roger Moore also adds his reliable James Bond charm to the film as conniving thief and Chris’ semi-friend Lord Edgar Dobbs, while the massive Adbel Qissi looms over the tournament as a Mongolian boxer possibly Van Damme’s most imposing opponent ever. In the underground martial arts tournament sub-genre, The Quest is a true gem.

2. Kickboxer (1989)

Following hot on the success of Bloodsport, Kickboxer was another Van Damme ‘80s hit and still one of the most beloved by his fans. Van Damme plays kickboxer Kurt Sloan, who trains for a revenge match after his brother Eric (Dennis Alexio) is crippled in a fight with ruthless Muay Thai champion Tong Po (Michel Qissi). Kickboxer is truly Van Damme in his prime, his kicks as crisp as ever as he brings a likeable charm to the somewhat naïve Kurt in his Muay Thai training out of a Tony Jaa martial arts movie. Kurt’s final showdown with Tong Po, given a silent but palpable menace by Qissi, is still one of Van Damme’s best fights. Like much of Van Damme’s ‘80s output, the soundtrack is half of its legacy with Stan Bush singles “Streets of Siam” and “Never Surrender” and Beau Williams’ “Feelin’ So Good Today.” For martial arts lovers, few Van Damme movies remain as timeless as Kickboxer.

1. Bloodsport (1988)

The '80s was the era when the martial arts tournament movie cemented its B-movie foundation, and Bloodsport is one of the best there's ever been in that distinguished arena. In Van Damme's star-making role, he plays American special forces soldier Frank Dux, who goes AWOL in order to entering the shadowy and deadly underground martial arts tournament known as the Kumite. Based on the heavily disputed claims of Frank Dux, Bloodsport is a tournament movie that simply fires on all cylinders. Martial arts fans continue to cherish Bloodsport for exquisite training montages and fight scenes with a vast range of different disciplines showcased in the Kumite itself with Stan Bush's "Fight to Survive" only enlivening the film that much more. Van Damme's flexibility and astonishing helicopter kicks made Bloodsport the fight film that had to be seen in 1988, made all the more mandatory viewing with Enter the Dragon's Bolo Yeung as the domineering villain Chong Li. Over 30 years after its release, Bloodsport hasn't lost a fraction of its power to enrapture martial arts aficionados. Jean-Claude Van Damme has made many great action and martial arts films in his long career. Despite sitting out Bloodsport 2 with Daniel Bernhardt taking over, Van Damme's crowning achievement remains his breakout hit of Bloodsport.

NEXT: Bloodsport: The Martial Arts Movie Series Ranked From Worst To Best