Fantasy movies offer audiences a chance to see incredible battles that are unlike anything else in cinema. While the idea of fantastical battles has become commonplace thanks to superhero movies and their place in the genre, the idea of old-school magical battles in ancient times with swords and magic still holds a place in the hearts of moviegoers. This is true in big-budget blockbusters and in smaller fantasy movies alike.
When looking at the best fantasy movie battles of all time, it is almost always the big-budget releases that get the most attention. That is because these movies can have a cast of thousands, with limitless money to spend on CGI and practical effects. They are also fantasy movies that can do more with magical attacks, dragons, mythical creatures, and more. That said, more does not always mean better, and sometimes one-on-one battles can be just as great.
The best fantasy movies go back to the Golden Age of cinema, and there are movies with practical effects by Ray Harryhausen that match up to anything created inside a computer using state-of-the-art CGI. The best fantasy movie battles of all time are as much about the passion and desire behind the fights as they are about the on-screen spectacle.
10
The Battle Of The Mounds — Conan The Barbarian (1982)
Arnold Schwarzenegger began his true rise to the top thanks to his starring role in the 1982 fantasy movie Conan the Barbarian. This movie had Schwarzenegger perfectly portray the classical mythical warrior, and the best battle in this movie matches up with almost any other sword-and-sorcery movie that has come out since. This comes at the climax, the Battle of the Mounds.
After Thulsa Doom (James Earl Jones) kills Valeria (Sandahl Bergman) with a magical snake arrow, Conan cremates her at the Mounds and prepares to ambush Doom’s riders with Subotai (Gerry Lopez) and the wizard Akiro (Mako). Conan uses his brain as much as his brawn, as he sets traps and prepares for the attack. This was filmed using practical effects and stunts, giving it a feeling of authenticity.
9
Arthur Versus Mordred — Excalibur (1981)
Excalibur remains one of the best fantasy movies ever made, and it was a groundbreaking 1980s film that stands as one of the best from the decade. It is an Arthurian legend story that was directed by John Boorman and stars Nigel Terry as Arthur and Robert Addie as Mordred, the incestuous son of Arthur and his half-sister Morgana. This battle between the two men remains a highlight of the movie.
Before the battle, Perceval (Paul Geoffrey) brings the Holy Grail to a dying Arthur, who drinks it and is revitalized along with his wasted land. He then rallies his knights and heads into battle. Merlin tricks Morgana, which leads to her death, and then Lancelot dies as well in a heroic death. That leads to the final single-combat fight between Arthur and his son. It is an incredible sequence of events that ensured Excalibur would stand as a true fantasy masterpiece.
8
The Fight in the Woods — Princess Mononoke (1997)
The Studio Ghibli animated film Princess Mononoke is one of the best fantasy movies of the 1990s, written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki. Set in Japan’s Muromachi period, the film follows an ongoing war between Lady Eboshi’s industrial Iron Town, which strips the forest to make weapons, and the forest gods, including the wolf god Moro, the boar clans, and the ape gods.
The hero here is Ashitaka, who is cursed and is dying, but has superhuman strength until that happens. The fight in the woods comes when the clash between the forces of Iron Town goes to battle with the sacred guardians of the forest, and it all ends when the human hunters destroy the forest gods, leading the boar leader Okkoto-nushi into a demon-forming rage.
7
The Battle of the Five Armies — The Hobbit: The Battle Of The Five Armies (2014)
The Battle of the Five Armies battle is from the 2014 Lord of the Rings prequel movie by Peter Jackson, and it takes place in the movie of the same name, The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies. The battle here is triggered after Smaug destroys Laketown. This one incident leaves Men, Elves, and Dwarves converging on the Lonely Mountain while Orc armies march to seize the strategic peak.
The five armies here include Men, Elves, Dwarves, the Orcs of Dol Guldur led by Azog, and the Orcs of Gundabad led by his son Bolg. Then, the Dwarf king Dáin II Ironfoot shows up riding a war-pig. This leads the battle to Ravenhill, and it sees sacrifices, deaths, and the eventual end in which Thorin makes peace with Bilbo Baggins. The Hobbit movies are not up to the level of The Lord of the Rings, but this battle remains a masterpiece.
6
The Battle of Beruna — The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe (2005)
In The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, the First Battle of Beruna is fought at the Fords of Beruna between Aslan’s army, commanded by Peter Pevensie, and the White Witch Jadis’ army, after the end of the Long Winter. The stakes here are high, as Aslan has been sacrificed on the Stone Table as payment in place of Edmund. This leaves Peter to lead his outnumbered army into battle.
This army includes talking animals, fauns, unicorns, and centaurs, but they have to fight massive minotaurs, werewolves, and hags. The underdogs overcome the overwhelming odds, and the battle ends with Aslan’s resurrection. He arrives with the creatures he revived from stone at Jadis’s castle and lunges at the Witch, who dies to end the battle. It remains a perfect example of the underdogs overcoming great evil.
5
The Battle Of The Pelennor Fields — The Lord Of The Rings: The Return Of The King (2003)
The Battle of the Pelennor Fields is the greatest battle in the War of the Ring, and it is the one battle that the entire Lord of the Rings trilogy was leading toward. The movie made a change to the source material when the Nazgûl chief leads the assault and destroys Gandalf’s staff. However, this is just a way to increase the danger, and it works perfectly because this entire battle is masterfully directed.
King Théoden leads the Rohirrim into a charge involving thousands of horsemen, delivering his rousing speech, and then the battle begins, with more than 1,000 cast and crew and hundreds of horses involved in this massive battle. This one battle wraps up the entire story in a perfect manner, and it is a big reason the movie was an Oscar success story.
4
The Skeleton Warriors — Jason And The Argonauts (1963)
Jason and the Argonauts is proof that big-budget CGI is not needed to present a masterful fantasy movie battle. Directed by Don Chaffey, with practical effects by Ray Harryhausen, Jason and the Argonauts had so many great scenes that it remains noted as one of the best fantasy movies ever made, and even Tom Hanks called it one of his favorites. One standout moment is the Skeleton Warriors.
The skeleton battle occurs after Jason steals the Golden Fleece from Colchis and slays the seven-headed Hydra guarding it. King Aeëtes sows the Hydra’s teeth while invoking the goddess Hecate, causing seven skeleton warriors to spring from the ground. Using puppetry and stop-motion animation, the movie has an immense fight as Jason battles the skeletons. It was also Harryhausen’s final collaboration with composer Bernard Herrmann.
3
The Battle Of Hogwarts — Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows Part 2 (2011)
It seems hard to believe that a movie franchise that started with the story of a magical school for young wizards would end up with a movie featuring a massive war between good and evil wizards that featured the deaths of countless individuals. Harry Potter grew up a lot over the years. By the time Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 arrived, he was a young man who knew he had to kill Lord Voldemort to save the world.
The Battle of Hogwarts delivered everything the books promised, and it ended up as an exhilarating battle that let some beloved characters get their moments to shine. There is excitement with Molly Weasley and Neville Longbottom getting big moments, tragedy with the deaths of some beloved characters, and the final moment with Harry Potter and Lord Voldemort in a battle. It was the triumphant end to a fantastic movie series.
2
The Trojan War – The Odyssey (2026)
The special thing about the Trojan War was that it was only shown in small detail at the start of The Odyssey before the movie expanded on what really happened as the film wore on. This was not even really part of the poem that the movie adapted, as it took place in an earlier story, but Christopher Nolan knew it was important to Odysseus’ journey, so it was an important part of this film.
The battle, the slaughter, and the realization by Odysseus that he might not be the hero in this story were shown masterfully as the battle was explored throughout the film. The addition of Athena to show the tragic loss of lives was impactful, and the battle was perfectly staged in the movie and was extremely important for Odysseus to complete his journey back home.
1
The Battle Of Helm’s Deep — The Lord Of The Rings: The Two Towers (2002)
The best fantasy movie battle in history came in the second movie in Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings trilogy, The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers. In this battle, 10,000 of Saruman’s Uruk-hai march on the Rohan fortress of Helm’s Deep. This land is defended only by around 300 Rohirrim and civilian refugees. The battle is important as it is Rohan’s last stand in its defense of keeping the kingdom alive.
When the forces of Elves led by Haldir unexpectedly arrive to help reinforce the defenders, the old alliance between the Elves and Men was reestablished. Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli lead the wall defense, with Legolas and Gimli’s kill-count competition adding levity amid the siege. The battle is expertly paced, with Haldir killed and Théoden and Aragorn leading a charge before Gandalf the White arrives and turns the tide.
