American Ninja - Watch Order: Release Order

Other Watch Orders:
1985 - 19935 Films7h 55m2.6 Average

The American Ninja franchise is a series of B-movie martial arts adventures from Cannon Films that defined 1980s ninja action cinema. Starting with Joe Armstrong's mysterious past and ninja abilities, the series follows American protagonists battling criminal ninja organizations across exotic locations.

This release order watch list includes all five films, though it's worth noting that the series shifts focus from Joe Armstrong to Sean Davidson by the third film, with both heroes uniting in the fourth entry. American Ninja 5 stands apart as an unrelated spin-off featuring a completely different protagonist, making it optional viewing for those interested only in the connected storyline.

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American Ninja poster

American Ninja

19851h 35m3.2
Director: Sam Firstenberg
Cast: Michael Dudikoff, Steve James, Judie Aronson, Guich Koock, John Fujioka

Joe Armstrong, an orphaned drifter with little respect for much other than martial arts, finds himself on an American Army base in The Philippines after a judge gives him a choice of enlistment or prison. On one of his first missions driving a convoy, his platoon is attacked by a group of rebels who try to steal the weapons the platoon is transporting and kidnap the base colonel's daughter.

Action
2
American Ninja 2: The Confrontation poster

American Ninja 2: The Confrontation

19871h 30m2.8
Director: Sam Firstenberg
Cast: Michael Dudikoff, Steve James, Larry Poindexter, Mike Stone, Jeff Celentano

On a remote Caribbean island, Army Ranger Joe Armstrong saves an old friend from the clutches of "The Lion", an evil super-criminal who has kidnapped a local scientist and mass-produced an army of mutant Ninja warriors.

Action
3
American Ninja 3: Blood Hunt poster

American Ninja 3: Blood Hunt

19891h 29m2.2
Director: Cedric Sundstrom
Cast: David Bradley, Steve James, Marjoe Gortner, Michele B. Chan, Yehuda Efroni

Jackson is back, and now he has a new partner, karate champion Sean, as they must face a deadly terrorist known as "The Cobra", who has infected Sean with a virus. Sean and Jackson have no choice but to fight the Cobra and his bands of ninjas.

ActionAdventureDrama
4
American Ninja 4: The Annihilation poster

American Ninja 4: The Annihilation

19901h 39m2.6
Director: Cedric Sundstrom
Cast: Michael Dudikoff, David Bradley, James Booth, Dwayne Alexandre, Ken Gampu

The two American Ninjas, Joe Armstrong and Sean Davidson, team up to do battle against a terrorist and his band of Ninjas.

ActionThriller
5
American Ninja 5 poster

American Ninja 5

19931h 42m2.1
Director: Bob Bralver
Cast: David Bradley, Lee Reyes, Anne Dupont, Pat Morita, James Lew

When a scientists daughter is kidnapped, American Ninja, attempts to find her, but this time he teams up with a youngster he has trained in the ways of the ninja.

ActionThriller