Top 10 Movie Swordsmen

Zorro (The Mask of Zorro), 1998

Columbia / Everett Collection

First introduced in a serialized magazine story way back in 1919, Zorro (“the Fox”) was the alter-ego of nobleman Don Diego Vega, a masked avenger fighting for the oppressed citizenry of Spanish-ruled California. The following year, Douglass Fairbanks and Mary Pickford—the Brad and Angelina of their day—turned the adventure tale into the first movie from their brand-new studio, United Artists. The Mark of Zorro was a huge hit and Fairbanks, in the lead role, gave the character an athletic swagger and playfulness that became the basic template for the many portrayals that followed. Over time, Zorro developed a signature look—black cape, cowled mask, flat-brimmed Cordobés—and signature mark: a ‘Z’ formed by three quick slashes from his rapier. A clever re-boot that paid tribute to past presentations, 1998′s Mask of Zorro has an aging Vega passing on his secret role/identity to an undisciplined young misfit. Brimming with feline grace and Latin smolder, Banderas’ Zorro (ver. 2.0) is a smart updating of an iconic character.

Next: Maximus (Gladiator), 2000