The following is a list of

sword and sorcery Sword and sorcery (S&S) is a subgenre of fantasy characterized by sword-wielding heroes engaged in exciting and violent adventures. Elements of romance, magic, and the supernatural are also often present. Unlike works of high fantasy, the tale ...

films. These tend to focus on single heroes, romance, and magic.

List

1940s

* ''

The Iron Crown ''The Iron Crown'' () is a 1941 Italian adventure written and directed by Alessandro Blasetti, starring Massimo Girotti and Gino Cervi. The narrative revolves a sacred iron crown and a king who is prophesied to lose his kingdom to his nephew. I ...

'' (1941) * ''

Kashchey the Deathless ''Kashchey the Immortal'' (subtitle: A Little Autumn Fairy Tale) ( rus, Кащей бессмертный, Kashchéy bessmértny , ''Kashchey the Immortal'') is a one-act opera in three scenes by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov. The libretto was writte ...

'' (1944)

1950s

* '' The Magic Sword'' (1950) * ''

Prince Valiant ''Prince Valiant in the Days of King Arthur'', often simply called ''Prince Valiant'', is an American comic strip created by Hal Foster in 1937. It is an epic adventure that has told a continuous story during its entire history, and the full stretc ...

'' (1954) * ''

Ilya Muromets Ilya Muromets (russian: Илья Муромец), or Ilya of Murom, sometimes Ilya Murometz, is one of the ''bogatyrs'' (epic knights) in Bylinas of Kievan Rus. He is often featured alongside fellow bogatyrs Dobrynya Nikitich and Alyosha Pop ...

'' (1956) * ''

The 7th Voyage of Sinbad ''The 7th Voyage of Sinbad'' is a 1958 Technicolor heroic fantasy adventure film directed by Nathan H. Juran and starring Kerwin Mathews, Torin Thatcher, Kathryn Grant, Richard Eyer, and Alec Mango. It was distributed by Columbia Pictures and pro ...

'' (1958) * ''

Sleeping Beauty ''Sleeping Beauty'' (french: La belle au bois dormant, or ''The Beauty in the Sleeping Forest''; german: Dornröschen, or ''Little Briar Rose''), also titled in English as ''The Sleeping Beauty in the Woods'', is a fairy tale about a princess cu ...

'' (1959, animated) * ''

Hercules Unchained ''Hercules Unchained'' ( it, Ercole e la regina di Lidia , "Hercules and the Queen of Lydia") is a 1959 Italian-French epic fantasy feature film starring Steve Reeves and Sylva Koscina in a story about two warring brothers and Hercules' tribulati ...

'' (1959)

1960s

* ''

Hercules in the Haunted World ''Hercules in the Haunted World'' (Italian: ''Ercole al centro della terra'', lit. "Hercules at the Center of the Earth") is a 1961 Italian sword-and-sandal film directed by Mario Bava. British bodybuilder Reg Park plays Hercules while British a ...

'' (1962) * ''

Jack the Giant Killer "Jack the Giant Killer" is a Cornish fairy tale and legend about a young adult who slays a number of bad giants during King Arthur's reign. The tale is characterised by violence, gore and blood-letting. Giants are prominent in Cornish folklor ...

'' (1962) * '' The Magic Sword'' (1962) * '' Jason and the Argonauts'' (1963) * ''

Hercules the Avenger ''Hercules the Avenger'' ( it, La sfida dei giganti) is a 1965 Italian adventure film directed by Maurizio Lucidi. It was composed mostly of re-edited stock footage from Reg Park's two 1961 Hercules films, ''Hercules at the Conquest of Atlantis'' ...

'' (1965) * ''

Treasure of the Petrified Forest ''Treasure of the Petrified Forest'' (original title: ''Il tesoro della foresta pietrificata'') is a 1965 Italian adventure film directed by . It mixes elements of the Nibelungen saga and of Richard Wagner's opera Ring of the Nibelung, which is ...

'' (1965) * '' The Great Adventure of Horus, Prince of the Sun'' (1968, anime)

1970s

* ''

Ruslan and Ludmila Ruslan may refer to: * ''Ruslan'' (film), a 2009 film starring Steven Segal * Ruslan (given name), male name used mainly in Slavic countries, with list of people * Antonov An-124 ''Ruslan'', large Soviet cargo aircraft, later built in Ukraine and ...

'' (1972) * ''

The Golden Voyage of Sinbad ''The Golden Voyage of Sinbad'' is a 1973 fantasy adventure film directed by Gordon Hessler and featuring stop motion effects by Ray Harryhausen. Based on the ''Arabian Nights'' tales of Sinbad the Sailor, it is the second of three ''Sinbad'' f ...

'' (1973) * ''

Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger ''Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger'' is a 1977 fantasy film directed by Sam Wanamaker and featuring stop-motion effects by Ray Harryhausen. The film stars Patrick Wayne, Taryn Power, Jane Seymour and Patrick Troughton. The third and final ''Sinba ...

'' (1977) * '' Wizards'' (1977, animated) * ''

The Hobbit ''The Hobbit, or There and Back Again'' is a children's fantasy novel by English author J. R. R. Tolkien. It was published in 1937 to wide critical acclaim, being nominated for the Carnegie Medal and awarded a prize from the '' ...

'' (1977, animated) * ''

The Lord of the Rings ''The Lord of the Rings'' is an epic high-fantasy novel by English author and scholar J. R. R. Tolkien. Set in Middle-earth, intended to be Earth at some time in the distant past, the story began as a sequel to Tolkien's 1937 children's boo ...

'' (1978, animated) * ''

Warlords of Atlantis ''Warlords of Atlantis'' (aka ''Warlords of the Deep'', though see below for further variant titles) is a 1978 British adventure science fiction film directed by Kevin Connor and starring Doug McClure, Peter Gilmore, Shane Rimmer, and Lea Brodie ...

'' (1978)

1980s Fantasy Movies

* '' Black Angel'' (1980) * ''

Hawk the Slayer ''Hawk the Slayer'' is a 1980 British sword and sorcery adventure film directed by Terry Marcel, and starring John Terry and Jack Palance. The story follows two warring brothers who fight to gain control of a magical sword. Brave warrior, the titu ...

'' (1980) * ''

The Return of the King ''The Return of the King'' is the third and final volume of J. R. R. Tolkien's ''The Lord of the Rings'', following ''The Fellowship of the Ring'' and ''The Two Towers''. It was published in 1955. The story begins in the kingdom of Gondor, whi ...

'' (1980, animated) * '' Clash of the Titans'' (1981) * ''

Dragonslayer A dragonslayer is a person or being that slays dragons. Dragonslayers and the creatures they hunt have been popular in traditional stories from around the world: they are a type of story classified as type 300 in the Aarne–Thompson classifica ...

'' (1981) * ''

Excalibur Excalibur () is the legendary sword of King Arthur, sometimes also attributed with magical powers or associated with the rightful sovereignty of Britain. It was associated with the Arthurian legend very early on. Excalibur and the Sword in th ...

'' (1981) * '' Heavy Metal'' (1981) * '' The Archer'' (TV film) (1982) * ''

Ator l'invincibile ''Ator, the Fighting Eagle'' ( it, Ator l'invincibile; translated: "Ator the Invincible") is a 1982 Italian adventure-fantasy film directed by Joe D'Amato, and the first film to feature the character Ator (played by Miles O'Keeffe). Plot As the ...

'' (1982) (''Ator'' 1) * ''

The Sword of the Barbarians ''The Sword of the Barbarians'' ( it, Sangraal, la spada di fuoco/ ''Sangraal, the Sword of Fire'') is a 1982 sword and sorcery film written and directed by Michele Massimo Tarantini and starring Peter McCoy and Sabrina Siani. The film is also ...

'' (1982) * ''

The Beastmaster ''The Beastmaster'' is a 1982 sword and sorcery film directed by Don Coscarelli and starring Marc Singer, Tanya Roberts, John Amos and Rip Torn. Loosely based on the 1959 novel '' The Beast Master'' by Andre Norton, the film is about a man who ...

'' (1982) * ''

Conan the Barbarian Conan the Barbarian (also known as Conan the Cimmerian) is a fictional sword and sorcery hero who originated in pulp magazines and has since been adapted to books, comics, films (including '' Conan the Barbarian'' and '' Conan the Destroyer'') ...

'' (1982) * ''

The Flight of Dragons ''The Flight of Dragons'' is a 1982 animated fantasy film produced and directed by Jules Bass and Arthur Rankin Jr. loosely combining the speculative natural history book of the same name (1979) by Peter Dickinson with the novel '' The Dragon ...

'' (1982, animated) * ''

Gunan, King of the Barbarians ''Gunan, King of the Barbarians'' ( it, Gunan il guerriero) is a 1982 film directed by Franco Prosperi. Production ''Gunan, King of the Barbarians'' uses footage from ''One Million Years B.C.''. Release ''Gunan, King of the Barbarians'' was rele ...

'' (1982) * ''

Hero A hero (feminine: heroine) is a real person or a main fictional character who, in the face of danger, combats adversity through feats of ingenuity, courage, or Physical strength, strength. Like other formerly gender-specific terms (like ...

'' (1982) * ''

The Sword and the Sorcerer ''The Sword and the Sorcerer'' is a 1982 American sword and sorcery fantasy film co-written and directed by Albert Pyun, and starring Lee Horsley, Kathleen Beller, Simon MacCorkindale, George Maharis, Richard Lynch, and Richard Moll. The plot ...

'' (1982) * '' Sorceress'' (1982) * ''

Conquest Conquest is the act of military subjugation of an enemy by force of arms. Military history provides many examples of conquest: the Roman conquest of Britain, the Mauryan conquest of Afghanistan and of vast areas of the Indian subcontinent, t ...

'' (1983) * ''

Ironmaster An ironmaster is the manager, and usually owner, of a forge or blast furnace for the processing of iron. It is a term mainly associated with the period of the Industrial Revolution, especially in Great Britain. The ironmaster was usually a large ...

'' (1983) * '' Thor the Conqueror'' (1983) * ''

Deathstalker The deathstalker (''Leiurus quinquestriatus'') is a species of scorpion, a member of the family Buthidae. It is also known as the Palestine yellow scorpion, Omdurman scorpion, Naqab desert scorpion and by many other colloquial names, which gene ...

'' (1983) * '' Fire and Ice'' (1983, animated) * ''

Hearts and Armour ''Hearts and Armour'' ( it, I Paladini: Storia d'armi e d'amori) is a 1983 Italian adventure film directed by Giacomo Battiato. It is loosely based on the stories of the Paladins especially the epic poem ''Orlando Furioso'' by Ludovico Ariosto. Th ...

'' (1983) * ''

Hercules Hercules (, ) is the Roman equivalent of the Greek divine hero Heracles, son of Jupiter and the mortal Alcmena. In classical mythology, Hercules is famous for his strength and for his numerous far-ranging adventures. The Romans adapted the Gr ...

'' (1983) * ''

Hundra ''Hundra'' is a 1983 Italian-American-Spanish fantasy film co-written and directed by Matt Cimber and starring Laurene Landon. Plot Hundra belongs to a tribe of Amazons. She is the only tribe member of her age who has never been with a man. ...

'' (1983) * ''

Krull Krull is a surname originating from Prussian nobility. People *Alexander Krull (born 1970), German singer *Annie Krull (1876–1947), German operatic soprano *Germaine Krull (1897–1985), photographer * Hasso Krull (born 1964), Estonian po ...

'' (1983) * ''

The Throne of Fire ''The Throne of Fire'' is a 2011 fantasy adventure novel written by American author Rick Riordan. It is the second novel in ''The Kane Chronicles'' series, which tells of the adventures of modern-day fourteen-year-old Carter Kane and his twelve-y ...

'' (1983) * ''

Ator 2 - L'invincibile Orion ''Ator'' is a film series of four Italian movies made in the 1980s by director Joe D'Amato, under the pseudonym David Hills. D'Amato wrote and directed the first, second, and fourth films in the series, himself disregarding the existence of the t ...

'' (1984) (''Ator'' 2) * ''

Conan the Destroyer ''Conan the Destroyer'' is a 1984 American epic sword and sorcery film directed by Richard Fleischer from a screenplay by Stanley Mann and a story by Roy Thomas and Gerry Conway. Based on the character Conan the Barbarian created by Robert E. ...

'' (1984) * ''

The Devil's Sword ''The Devil's Sword'' (Indonesian: ''Golok Setan'') is a 1984 Indonesian sword and sorcery film directed by Ratno Timoer. The film stars Indonesian action star Barry Prima who appears in such films as '' Ferocious Female Freedom Fighters'' and ''T ...

'' (1984) * ''

The NeverEnding Story ''The Neverending Story'' (german: Die unendliche Geschichte) is a fantasy novel by German writer Michael Ende, published in 1979. The first English translation, by Ralph Manheim, was published in 1983. The novel was later adapted into several f ...

'' (1984) * ''

Sword of the Valiant ''Sword of the Valiant: The Legend of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight'' (often shortened to ''Sword of the Valiant'') is a 1984 dramatic fantasy film directed by Stephen Weeks and starring Miles O'Keeffe, Trevor Howard, Lila Kedrova, Cyrielle ...

'' (1984) * ''

The Warrior and the Sorceress ''The Warrior and the Sorceress'' is a 1984 Argentine-American fantasy action film directed by John C. Broderick and starring David Carradine, María Socas and Luke Askew. It was written by Broderick (story and screenplay) and William Stout (sto ...

'' (1984) * ''

Barbarian Queen ''Barbarian Queen'' (also known as ''Queen of the Naked Steel'') is a 1985 American-Argentine fantasy film starring Lana Clarkson, directed by Héctor Olivera and written by Howard R. Cohen. The film premiered in April 1985 in the United States. ...

'' (1985) * '' The Black Cauldron'' (1985, animated) * '' Ladyhawke'' (1985) * ''

Legend A legend is a Folklore genre, genre of folklore that consists of a narrative featuring human actions, believed or perceived, both by teller and listeners, to have taken place in human history. Narratives in this genre may demonstrate human valu ...

'' (1985) * ''

Red Sonja Red Sonja is a fictional sword and sorcery comic-book superheroine created by writer Roy Thomas and artist Barry Windsor-Smith for Marvel Comics in 1973, partially inspired by Robert E. Howard's character Red Sonya of Rogatino. Marvel Comics ...

'' (1985) * '' Starchaser: The Legend of Orin'' (1985) * ''

Wizards of the Lost Kingdom ''Wizards of the Lost Kingdom'' is a 1985 Argentine-American sword and sorcery film written by Ed Naha and directed by Héctor Olivera. It stars Bo Svenson as Kor the Conqueror, Vidal Peterson as Simon, and Thom Christopher as Shurka. The film is ...

'' (1985) * ''

Amazons In Greek mythology, the Amazons (Ancient Greek: Ἀμαζόνες ''Amazónes'', singular Ἀμαζών ''Amazōn'', via Latin ''Amāzon, -ŏnis'') are portrayed in a number of ancient epic poems and legends, such as the Labours of Hercules, ...

'' (1986) * '' The Barbarians'' (1987) * ''

Deathstalker II ''Deathstalker II'', also known as ''Deathstalker II: Duel of the Titans'', is a 1987 Argentine-American fantasy comedy-adventure film directed by Jim Wynorski and a sequel to 1983's ''Deathstalker''. It was written by Neil Ruttenberg (with an e ...

'' (1987) * ''(Mio in) The Land of Faraway'' (1987) * '' Stormquest'' (1987) * ''

Iron Warrior ''Iron Warrior'' ( it, Ator il guerriero di ferro) is 1987 film directed by Alfonso Brescia. Plot Ator The Fighting Eagle returns again, sans sidekick Thong, to the legendary realm of Dragor to do battle with Phoedra, an evil sorceress. Her main w ...

'' (1987) (''Ator'' 3) * ''

Masters of the Universe ''Masters of the Universe'' (sometimes referred to as the ''He-Man'' or ''She-Ra'' series) is a sword and planet-themed media franchise created by Mattel. The main premise revolves around the conflict between He-Man (the alter ego of Prince Ada ...

'' (1987) * ''

The Princess Bride The Princess Bride may refer to: * ''The Princess Bride'' (novel), 1973 fantasy romance novel by American writer William Goldman William Goldman (August 12, 1931 – November 16, 2018) was an American novelist, playwright, and screenwriter. He ...

'' (1987) * '' Deathstalker III'' (1988) * ''

Willow Willows, also called sallows and osiers, from the genus ''Salix'', comprise around 400 speciesMabberley, D.J. 1997. The Plant Book, Cambridge University Press #2: Cambridge. of typically deciduous trees and shrubs, found primarily on moist s ...

'' (1988) * ''

Erik the Viking ''Erik the Viking'' is a 1989 Cinema of United Kingdom, British comedy film, comedy-fantasy film written and directed by Terry Jones. The film was inspired by Jones's children's book ''The Saga of Erik the Viking'' (1983), but the plot is comp ...

'' (1989) * ''

Sinbad of the Seven Seas ''Sinbad of the Seven Seas'' is a 1989 Italian fantasy film produced and directed by Enzo G. Castellari from a story by Luigi Cozzi, revolving around the adventures of Sinbad the Sailor. Sinbad must recover five magical stones to free the city ...

'' (1989)

1990s

* '' The NeverEnding Story II: The Next Chapter'' (1990) * ''

Quest for the Mighty Sword ''Quest for the Mighty Sword'' (also known as ''Ator III: The Hobgoblin'', ''The Hobgoblin'', or ''Troll 3'') is a 1990 Italian fantasy adventure film directed by Joe D'Amato. It is the fourth and final film in the ''Ator'' film series. Plot ...

'' (1990) (''Ator'' 4) * ''Barbarian Queen II: The Empress Strikes Back'' (1990) * '' Beastmaster 2: Through the Portal of Time'' (1991) * '' Deathstalker IV: Match of Titans'' (1991) * ''

Army of Darkness ''Army of Darkness'' is a 1992 American comedy horror film directed, co-written and co-edited by Sam Raimi, co-produced by Robert Tapert and Bruce Campbell and co-written by Ivan Raimi. Starring Campbell and Embeth Davidtz, it is the third i ...

'' (1992) * ''

Quest of the Delta Knights ''Quest of the Delta Knights'' is a 1993 fantasy/adventure sword and sorcery film that was featured in a September 1998 episode of '' Mystery Science Theater 3000''. It is one of only a few movies shown on MST3K that was made in the 1990s. Plot ...

'' (1993) * ''

Yamato Takeru , originally , was a Japanese semi-legendary prince of the Yamato dynasty, son of Emperor Keikō, who is traditionally counted as the 12th Emperor of Japan. His name written in kanji can vary, in the '' Nihon Shoki'' it is spelled 日本武尊 a ...

'' (1994) * ''

First Knight ''First Knight'' is a 1995 medieval film based on Arthurian legend, directed by Jerry Zucker. It stars Sean Connery as King Arthur, Richard Gere as Lancelot, Julia Ormond as Guinevere and Ben Cross as Malagant. The film follows the rogue La ...

'' (1995) * '' Beastmaster III: The Eye of Braxus'' (1996) * ''

Dragonheart ''Dragonheart'' (stylized as ''DragonHeart'') is a 1996 fantasy adventure film directed by Rob Cohen and written by Charles Edward Pogue based on a story created by him and Patrick Read Johnson. The film stars Dennis Quaid, David Thewlis, Pete P ...

'' (1996) * ''

Kull the Conqueror ''Kull the Conqueror'' is a 1997 fantasy film about the Robert E. Howard character Kull starring Kevin Sorbo. It is a film adaptation of Howard's Conan novel ''The Hour of the Dragon'', with the protagonist changed to the author's other barbari ...

'' (1997) * ''

The 13th Warrior ''The 13th Warrior'' is a 1999 American historical fiction action film based on Michael Crichton's 1976 novel ''Eaters of the Dead'', which is a loose adaptation of the tale of ''Beowulf'' combined with Ahmad ibn Fadlan's historical account of the ...

'' (1999)

2000s

* ''

Dungeons and Dragons ''Dungeons & Dragons'' (commonly abbreviated as ''D&D'' or ''DnD'') is a fantasy tabletop role-playing game (RPG) originally designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson. The game was first published in 1974 by Tactical Studies Rules, Inc. (TSR). ...

'' (2000) * '' Dragonheart: A New Beginning'' (2000) * ''Demonicus'' (2001) * '' The Hexer'' (2001) * '' The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring'' (2001) * ''

The Scorpion King ''The Scorpion King'' is a 2002 American sword and sorcery action adventure film directed by Chuck Russell, starring Dwayne Johnson, Steven Brand, Kelly Hu, Grant Heslov and Michael Clarke Duncan. It is both a prequel and spin-off of ''The ...

'' (2002) * ''Ariana's Quest'' (2002) * '' The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers'' (2002) * ''

Barbarian A barbarian (or savage) is someone who is perceived to be either Civilization, uncivilized or primitive. The designation is usually applied as a generalization based on a popular stereotype; barbarians can be members of any nation judged by som ...

'' (2003) * '' The Red Knight'' (2003) * '' The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King'' (2003) * '' Dark Kingdom: The Dragon King'' (2004) * ''

BloodRayne ''BloodRayne'' is a media franchise that originated with an action-adventure video game series originally developed by Terminal Reality and published by Majesco Entertainment which began with the game of the same name in 2002. The franchise f ...

'' (2005) * '' Wolfhound'' (2006) * ''

In the Name of the King ''In the Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tale'', or simply ''In the Name of the King'', is a 2007 action-fantasy film directed by Uwe Boll and starring Jason Statham, Claire Forlani, Leelee Sobieski, John Rhys-Davies, Ron Perlman and Ray Liott ...

'' (2007) * '' The Scorpion King 2: Rise of a Warrior'' (2008) * ''

The Pagan Queen ''The Pagan Queen'' is a 2009 fantasy drama film directed by German director Constantin Werner. The film combines realism with fantasy elements and is based on the legend of Libuše, the Czech tribal queen of 8th century Bohemia who envisioned th ...

'' (2009)

2010s

* ''

Tales of an Ancient Empire ''Tales of an Ancient Empire'' is a 2010 American fantasy film, fantasy-Sword and sorcery films, sword and sorcery film directed by Albert Pyun and starring Kevin Sorbo, Michael Paré, Whitney Able, Melissa Ordway, Ralf Moeller, Lee Horsley, and Vi ...

'' (2010) * ''

'' (2011)New interpretation of the Conan mythology (not a remake of the 1982-movie of the same name). * '' In the Name of the King 2: Two Worlds'' (2011) * ''

Ronal the Barbarian ''Ronal the Barbarian'' (Danish: ''Ronal Barbaren'') is a 2011 Danish 3D adult computer-animated fantasy comedy film co-directed by Thorbjørn Christoffersen, Kresten Vestbjerg Andersen and Philip Einstein Lipski, and their third cinema feature. ...

'' (2011, animated) * '' The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey'' (2012) * '' The Scorpion King 3: Battle for Redemption'' (2012) * '' The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug'' (2013) * '' The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies'' (2014) * '' The Scorpion King 4: Quest for Power'' (2015) * '' Dragonheart 3: The Sorcerer's Curse'' (2015) * '' Dragonheart: Battle for the Heartfire'' (2017)

2020s

* '' Dragonheart: Vengeance'' (2020) * '' Onward'' (2020, animated) * ''

The Spine of Night ''The Spine of Night'' is a 2021 American adult animation, adult animated dark fantasy horror film written and directed by Philip Gelatt and Morgan Galen King. It stars Richard E. Grant, Lucy Lawless, Patton Oswalt, Betty Gabriel, and Joe Mangani ...

'' (2021) * ''

The Northman ''The Northman'' is a 2022 American Epic film, epic Historical fiction, historical action thriller film directed by Robert Eggers, who co-wrote the screenplay with Sjón. Based on the legend of Amleth, the film stars Alexander Skarsgård (who ...

'' (2022)

References

{{Fantasy fiction

Sword and sorcery films The following is a list of sword and sorcery films. These tend to focus on single heroes, romance, and magic. List 1940s * '' The Iron Crown'' (1941) * '' Kashchey the Deathless'' (1944) 1950s * '' The Magic Sword'' (1950) * ''Prince Valiant ...

List

1940s

1950s

1960s

1970s

1980s Fantasy Movies

1990s

2000s

2010s

2020s

See also

References