Top 10 Martial Arts TVB Dramas of the 80s

TVB's golden period in martial arts dramas is considered by many to be during the wake of the 1980s into the early 1990s. With a huge talent pool of artistes to choose from, and a trend in ancient, period dramas, some of the best TVB dramas were made during this time. Popular male actors included the 5 Tigers (Tony Leung Chiu Wai, Michael Miu Kiu Wai, Felix Wong Yat Wah, Kent Tong Chun Yip, and Andy Lau Duk Wah) who made their debuts as leads for the first time. On the female actresses front, competition was also fierce with artistes such as Idy Chan Yuk Lin, Barbara Yung Mei Ling, Carina Lau, and Cecilia Wong to name a few. This is a list of our favorites.

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10. Smiling, Proud Wanderer 1984

It's not true that Chow Yun Fat first acted as a swords master in the Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon movie. He starred as Ling Wu Chong in Smiling Proud Wanderer, and while the pacing and swordplay were not comparable to the excitement of the novel, this series was memorable for its time. Find more reviews, pictures, and how to buy Smiling, Proud Wanderer 1984

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9. The Blood Stained Intrigue 1986

With a cast made up of mostly supporting actors and actresses in lead roles, The Blood Stained Intrigue more than made up for it with its intriguing (excuse the pun) story. Jimmy Au Sui Wai steps up as one of the leads too and it proves that even B-list TVB actors of the past were very talented. Find more reviews, pictures, and how to buy The Blood Stained Intrigue

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8. The Flying Fox of Snowy Mountain 1985

You can't really go wrong with Jin Yong adaptations and Flying Fox of Snowy Mountain is up to par with Ray Liu as Wu Fei. Patrick Tse also makes a cool Miu Yun Fung. The fighting here is good and the story is mostly faithful. This is probably the only Flying Fox adaptation I have liked.

Find reviews, pictures, and how to buy The Flying Fox of Snowy Mountain 1985

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7. The Grand Canal 1987

The Grand Canal is an anniversary series of TVB's and it gathers a huge cast to create a historic tale. Starring Tony Leung, Idy Chan, Lau Ching Wan, and Tsang Wah Sin, the story pans many years of the fall of a dynasty and the founding of another.

Find more reviews, pictures, and how to buy The Grand Canal

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6. The Duke of Mount Deer 1984

Wai Siu Bo is the anti-hero culmination of Jin Yong's works. He cheats, lies, and doesn't know martial arts. However, his redeeming quality is his loyalty to his friends. Tony Leung is great as Wai Siu Bo, and this role probably typecasted him into a comedic character for a while. While the martial arts scenes are not prominent, the story about his friendship with the Emperor played by Andy Lau is not to be missed.

Find more reviews, pictures, and how to buy The Duke of Mount Deer 1984

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5. Demi Gods and Semi Devils 1982

With three main hero characters to choose from and a huge range of talented actors, Demi Gods doesn't fail. Though the special effects look cheesy by today's standards and we have the occasional slow-mo fight scenes, this is a classic story of a hero's tragedy. The huge cast includes Leung Kar Yun, Kent Tong Zhen Yip, Idy Chan Yuk Lin, Cecilia Wong Hung Sau, Felix Wong Yat Wah, Sak Sau, and Yeung Pan Pan. Find more reviews, pictures, and how to buy Demi Gods and Semi Devils 1982

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4. The New Heavenly Sword and Dragon Saber 1986

The third part of the Condor Trilogy is pretty much a completely new story without any of the familiar characters in Legend and Return of the Condor Heroes. The story touches deeply on revenge, brotherhood, and honor and introduces just as many new martial arts, including Tai Chi, into the pugilistic world. Tony Leung fits the bill as the kind but indecisive Cheung Mo Kei while the lady leads with Sheren Tsang and Kitty Lai shine through. Find more reviews, pictures, and how to buy The New Heavenly Sword and Dragon Saber

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3. The Return of the Condor Heroes 1983

Andy Lau catapulted to fame with his role as Yeung Gor, the student of Siu Lung Liu who was played by the fair Idy Chan. The adventure continues from Legend of the Condor Heroes, this time exploring societal taboos, and of course, the timeless story of love. Find more reviews, pictures, and how to buy The Return of the Condor Heroes 1983

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2. The New Adventures of Chor Lau Heung 1984

Gu Long's popular character Chor Lau Heung is played by Michael Miu and was well-done indeed. The story is intriguing as were the many fight scenes. The mysteries and unraveling of the story were scripted very well as we find out the story of the Bat Prince. Barbara Yung's pairing with Micheal Miu worked its chemistry as always.

Find more reviews, pictures, and how to buy The New Adventures of Chor Lau Heung 1984

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1. The Legend of the Condor Heroes 1982

This is an all-time favorite drama for many and started a Jin Yong craze. With a fantastic cast of leads (Felix Wong, Barbara Yung, Michael Miu, and Yeung Pan Pan) and supporting actors carried by veteran actors, this is one of the most, if not the most, popular martial arts dramas that TVB has ever put together. The many creative fight scenes were choreographed well and the storyline was epic. This also made Barbara Yung a household name with her mischievous portrayal of Wong Yung. Also unforgettable were the three themesongs sung by Roman Law and Jenny Tsang. Find more reviews, pictures, and how to buy The Legend of the Condor Heroes 1982

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Agree/disagree with this list? What's your favorite 80's drama? Tell us below!

See our best of the 90s list!