American Ninja Movies: Release Order
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.
There is 1 other watch order available – see the link up above.

American Ninja
An orphaned drifter with martial arts skills joins the American Army in the Philippines, where he must use his ninja abilities to rescue a colonel's daughter from rebels attempting to steal military weapons.

American Ninja 2: The Confrontation
Army Ranger Joe Armstrong returns to face off against an evil super-criminal known as "The Lion" who has created an army of mutant ninja warriors on a remote Caribbean island.

American Ninja 3: Blood Hunt
Jackson teams up with karate champion Sean to face a deadly terrorist known as "The Cobra" who has infected Sean with a dangerous virus. The duo must battle through hordes of ninjas to stop this lethal threat.

American Ninja 4: The Annihilation
Two American ninjas join forces to take down a dangerous terrorist and his army of skilled ninja warriors in this action-packed martial arts sequel.
Other Film Series
Airport
A 1970s disaster movie franchise featuring airline catastrophes and all-star ensemble casts.
Jack Ryan
CIA analyst Jack Ryan becomes an unlikely action hero in this Cold War thriller trilogy based on Tom Clancy's novels.
Lone Wolf and Cub
A legendary samurai saga following Ogami Ittō and his son Daigoro as they travel Japan seeking vengeance and justice.
Predator
Elite alien hunters stalk Earth throughout history, seeking the most dangerous prey in brutal combat.
Shaft
A multi-generational action franchise following the Shaft family of private detectives across five decades, from the original blaxploitation classic to modern action films.
The Matrix
A groundbreaking sci-fi action series exploring the nature of reality through the story of Neo, a hacker who discovers the world is a computer simulation.