Watch Order (Release = Chronological)Recommended
0 / 4 watchedThe four films in release order. One continuing story.
- 1 Best of the Best 1989 tournament original. Start here.
- 2 Best of the Best II
- 3 Best of the Best 3: No Turning Back Western-tinged revenge story.
- 4 Best of the Best 4: Without Warning
About Best of the Best
Best of the Best (1989) is that rare martial arts drama that cares about the fighting and the fighters: a US taekwondo team heads to Seoul for a brutal tournament, and the final refuses the easy win. Its sequels follow Eric Roberts's Tommy Lee through grief, a desert showdown, and a return to the ring.
The four films form one loose continuity in release order, with each sequel narrowing the focus to Tommy. The tournament structure means every entry works standalone, but the emotional payoff compounds if you watch straight through. James Earl Jones's coaching presence across the early films is the connective tissue.
Good to know
The series gets progressively more direct-to-video in look after the second film, so calibrate expectations: the fights stay earnest even as the budgets shrink. Part 3 shifts genres toward a western-tinged revenge story, which surprises viewers expecting another tournament. No fifth film has ever been announced, and the 1998 fourth entry closes Tommy's arc well enough to serve as the ending.
