The One-Armed Swordsman (1967)

Jimmy Wang Yu's maimed swordsman relearns his art one-handed with the broken blade he kept as a memento of his father, and the film's wounded, brooding heroism changed the genre's temperature. Chang Cheh traded graceful heroines for bloodier, more stoic sacrifice, and audiences responded: it is reportedly the first Hong Kong film to break HK$1 million at the local box office, and it made Wang a star. The sets look stagy now, but the code at its heart, returning to defend a former teacher whatever it has cost you, is pure wuxia. It led to sequels and, decades later, Tsui Hark's wild homage The Blade.