By Ryderon Bracht
The Kwan-Chi series has been a staple to Kwanzini Studios ever since its fruition in Phase 1 of the studio. Kwan-Chi has since then become an iconic character that has been delivering thrilling Ten Rings action for several films. Even as we enter Phase 5, Kwan-Chi remains relevant as ever as the lore of the Chiverse connects with the lore of all the Kwanzini Studios stories. The rumors of Kwan-Chi being in the great superhero teamup "The Protectors" also adds to the hype around the character.
However, the Kwan-Chi series has had its highs and lows, and after viewing every single Kwan-Chi film again in chronological order (a feat that took over an hour), I have created a comprehensive ranking of all the Kwan-Chi films from worst to best.
#12 Kwan-Chi: The Ring Redemption
Redemption? More like execration. Just god awful. I mean truly god awful. I mean why the f*** does Kwan-Chi fight himself. What a lazy story. Absolute garbage piece of s*** film. Should have never been made. James Kwan is mentally ill. There is never a need to see this movie. You won’t miss out on anything. Complete waste of time.
#11 Kwan-Chi: The Spirits of Chinatown
It’s a miracle that this Kwan-Chi was even made. The whole movie makes you feel like you’re watching clowns at the circus. The storyline is impossible to follow. The only watchable segment is the wedding montage between Kuck-Chi and The Hacker. If you’re wondering why this isn’t on the website, don’t worry. Just be grateful you don’t have to watch it.
#10 Kwan-Chi: The Four Fists of Fury
As we get to the end of the bottom three, it remains a struggle to find anything good about these films. The longest of the Kwan-Chi’s, this movie is a complete disaster. First, we have Kuck-Chi’s storyline showing him entering a lab to learn more about the Ten RIngs, and then we have Kwan-Chi and Kuck-Chi performing one of the worst training montages of the series being excruciatingly long. The fight between the two is dragged on, filled with nonsense dialogue that is barely comprehensible, and will have the viewer falling asleep. Terrible movie.
#9 Kwan-Chi: A New Dynasty
Who knew the sequel to a classic film could be so bad. On the editing side, the movie feels drawn out for no other reason than to fill up time. The movie lacks any substance whatsoever and audio is a struggle to hear. This was a huge disappointment following up the original Kwan-Chi. When I was at the premiere of this movie, I was sick, and I'm sure the others I was watching this with were too. It was horrifying to see the potential of the Kwan-Chi franchise murdered right in front of us with this direction. The introduction of Mr. Ball into the Chiverse is the only redeeming quality about this movie.
#8 Kwan-Chi: Hack and Slash
S*** iPhone quality audio mixed with horrible cinematography puts this movie in the bottom 5. The Hacker’s origin story feels bland and predictable. Meanwhile, the fight scene between him and Kwan-Chi is unbearable as you cannot see most of the action and Kwan-Chi is wearing the worst outfit in the entire series. This is also the third time that Kwan-Chi. and Hacker have faced off with the exact same resolution as the others. However, this movie has one of the best training montages in the Chiverse. Also, it sets up the prospect of 10 more rings which throws all canon out the window.
#7 Kwan-Chi: The Origins of Kuck-Chi
This is where things start to get a little better. The love story between Kuck Chi and the Hacker should be saved for a more age-restricted website. The movie is overall pretty forgettable. The inclusion of Alex Farrell as The Third Wheel makes for a fun one-off character, but really nothing more. The death scene of Kuck-Chi is horrifying to watch and is likely the most explicit scene in the entire franchise. The legacy of the character is tarnished with this scene, which is in a way simultaneously a weird and likely poor decision, but also an intriguing one. The training montage and fight scenes are decent, but other than that the film is not great. There’s a reason it’s not on Kwanzini Watch.
#6 Kwan-Chi: Through the Fire and Flames
While the direction of the story seems somewhat lost following the conclusion to the Kuck-Chi storyline in The Four Fists of Fury, the dragon is awesome. The Kuck-Chi memorial montage is heartfelt and brought a tear to my eye, a truly stunning and fitting tribute. The visual effects are quite well done, despite the low budget. Evil Kwan-Chi is one of, if not the worst character in the Chiverse, but his introduction scene is entertaining. However, there is no conclusion. The dragon is never defeated, and the movie ends abruptly, leaving the viewer dissatisfied.
#5 Kwan-Chi: The Heist of a Lifetime
While this film makes the top 5, it is not great by any means. The Sinister Minister is a lazy villain with little character development. He feels thrown in for no other purpose than to fulfill an empty plot, but he does prove to be evil by the end of the movie. Overall, the production quality was good, and the training montage enjoyable, but the movie feels empty. The heist is a good bit of fun, and I enjoyed the return of the thugs from the previous installment in the franchise (Path of Darkness).
#4 Kwan-Chi: The Serpent's Seven
Will Fleming delivers one of Kwan-Chi’s best performances. His monologue is chilling and role as a villain thrilling. The introduction of Sensei played by Oliver Diaz-Moore is a thrilling change of pace for the franchise. For several movies, we have been hidden from the beauty of this character. Furthermore, the introduction of the Serpent reintroduces the sense of there being a threat for Kwan-Chi. This film is a Kwan-Chi classic and remains an extremely underrated gem.
#3 Kwan-Chi: The Rise of the Champion
Will Fleming’s performance in this film may not be as good as his role in The Serpent’s Seven, but it still ranks higher in my book. The direction of making Kwan-Chi a film director is certainly an interesting one, and it makes me intrigued for what comes next with that character arc. The fight scene against the gangsters in the street is masterfully crafted. Mr. Basket makes a return in a thrilling fight scene with Kwan-Chi. Then, Kwan-Chi and the Serpent face off in one of the best duels in the Chiverse. A return of one of Kwan-Chi’s most notorious villains, the Sinister Minister is hinted at, leaving viewers hungry for more.
#2 Kwan-Chi: The Path of Darkness
The continuation of Oliver Diaz-Moore as sensei places this movie in the number two spot. A riveting performance from him, along with the intriguing new Dark Lord villain makes this film a great watch. The film kicks off in a thrilling manner by having Kwan-Chi encounter thugs in the street, and having to fight them off. This scene reminds us of Kwan-Chi’s conflict with his role as a vigilante in the world of evil. After multiple bad movies, this film breaks the Kwan-Chi curse.
#1 Kwan-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
The best Kwan-Chi. It marked a pinnacle in cinematic perfection. From a beautifully shot training montage to a tense altercation between two power-hungry brothers, this movie manages to do it all. The rest of the movies do not even compare to the greatness of this masterpiece.
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