Now restored by the Taiwan Film and Audiovisual Institute, The Swordsman of all Swordsmen tells the story of Tsai Ying-chieh, who sees his family killed as a child. He then spends years honing his fighting skills until he is ready to take his revenge.
The film is marked by its consideration of the futility of revenge, as well as striking fight choreography that blends the “Northern School” of Chinese martial arts with Japanese bushido. A classic wuxia film, it proved a hit at the Taiwan box office and director Joseph Kuo would go on to direct a range of martial arts classics in Hong Kong, such as The 18 Bronzemen (1976), The 7 Grandmasters (1977) and Born Invincible (1978).