Swordsman - Watch Order: Release Order

The Swordsman trilogy represents one of the most iconic entries in wuxia cinema, adapting Louis Cha's novel The Smiling, Proud Wanderer into a series that evolves dramatically across its three installments. Beginning with Sam Hui as the wandering swordsman Ling Wu Chung, the series transforms from faithful literary adaptation into increasingly fantastical martial arts spectacle.

This watch order follows the trilogy's natural progression, where each film builds upon the previous while taking greater creative liberties. The second film recasts Jet Li as Ling Wu Chung and introduces Brigitte Lin's legendary villain Invincible Asia, while the third film shifts focus entirely to Lin's character in an almost spin-off-like conclusion that fully embraces the fantastical elements of the wuxia genre.