Top 10 Arnold Schwarzenegger Movies for Which He is King of Action

July 31, 2022

Last Updated Date: October 22, 2022

The Terminators — Photo: TriStar Pictures

Arnold Schwarzenegger was the most action-packed man ever. Ok, it might sound a little over the top, especially since great actors like Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Jackie Chan, and the man of the moment, Tom Cruise, also work in this genre. But we have to give the actor, politician, businessman, and legendary Mr. Olympia credit for one thing: he did enough good things in his life to be called a man of action in every way.

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Arnold Schwarzenegger turns 75 today, and he has become a true legend. Because of this, we want to remember him by going over the Arnold Schwarzenegger movies we think are his best action movies.

Here is the list of top 10 Arnold Schwarzenegger movies, for which he is the best action hero.

1. The Terminators (1984)

And how could you not start with the best of the best? James Cameron’s masterpiece of action and science fiction was a turning point in the history of movies.

Here, Schwarzenegger “steps into the shoes” of the Terminator, a killer robot from the future that goes back in time to kill Sarah Connor ( Linda Hamilton ).

But Kyle Reese (Michael Biehn), who also goes back in time to protect Sarah from Skynet, an artificial intelligence system that will cause a nuclear holocaust, will make it hard for him to do his job. Kyle sees Sarah’s son as a threat because he could be the future leader of the resistance. Everywhere you look, there’s a work of art. Arnold Schwarzenegger didn’t even have to say anything for the Arnold Schwarzenegger movies’ scenes to be so epic.

2. The Terminator 2 (1991)

I find it interesting that the list goes on to include the famous sequel to The Terminator, which has fast-paced action scenes and stunning visuals for the time. But what makes this movie a real science fiction/action landmark is the depth of the human characters and, of course, how well the actor plays the cyborg in this installment.

Now that he has to protect young John Connor (Edward Furlong), the redesigned T-800 will face the threat of the T-1000 (Robert Patrick) while forming an unexpected bond with the future leader of the resistance.

3. The Last Stand (2013)

In The Last Stand, Arnold Schwarzenegger played a small-town sheriff named Ray Owen who was in a fight to the death with a crime boss who was driving one of the world’s fastest cars toward Sommerton Junction. Lewis Dinkum, a collector of old weapons who is played with gusto by Johnny Knoxville, is right by his side.

4. Total Recall (1990)

Douglas Quaid, played by Arnold Schwarzenegger, is a self-centered construction worker who lives in the year 2084 and wants to go to a colonized Mars. He wants to get over his sadness, so he goes to “Recall,” a company that puts false memories into people’s heads, so he can feel the excitement of Mars without having to go there. But during the procedure, something goes wrong, and Quaid finds out that his whole life has been a lie, and that the people who put the lie in his head now want him dead.

Total Recall was one of the movies that turned Arnold Schwarzenegger into an action star, and at the time, it set a standard for science fiction of Arnold Schwarzenegger movies.

5. Predators (1987)

Dutch (Arnold Schwarzenegger), a soldier who will work for whoever pays the most, is hired by the U.S. government to rescue a group of politicians who are trapped in Guatemala. But something bad happens when Dutch and his team land in Central America. After finding a number of dead bodies, the crew learns that they are being chased by a cruel creature with superhuman strength and the ability to blend into its surroundings.

It’s priceless to see Schwarzenegger play cat and mouse with the Predator in the Central American jungle.

6. Stay Hungry (1976)

In this Arnold Schwarzenegger movie, Bridges plays a lazy guy named Craig Blake, who is asked by a shady businessman to help him buy a gym. Blake has a big change of heart when he gets to know one of the weightlifters and Field’s gym worker.

7. True Lies (1994)

Harry Tasker (Arnold Schwarzenegger), a spy whose family doesn’t know about him because they think he’s a boring salesman, is looking for nuclear missiles that Islamic jihadist Aziz has ( Art Malik ). Harry’s mission gets harder when he finds out that his neglected wife, Helen (Jamie Lee Curtis), is thinking about having an affair with Simon (Bill Paxton), a used car salesman who says he is a spy. When Aziz takes Harry and Helen hostage, the agent has to save the world and make sure they can get back together at the same time.

Even though it’s not as good as other movies that James Cameron and the action star have worked together in best Arnold Schwarzenegger movies, True Lies has enough action and humor to be funny.

8. Commando (1985)

John Matrix (Arnold Schwarzenegger) is a retired Special Forces soldier who lives alone with his daughter Jenny (Alyssa Milano). His privacy is interrupted by ex-Commander Franklin Kirby (James Olson), who tells him that his fellow soldiers are being killed one by one. After the news, Arius, a former Latin American dictator played by Dan Hedaya, kidnaps Jenny. He wants to use the Matrix to get back into power. Instead, Matrix goes after the leader of the rebels and tries to get his daughter back.

9. Kindergarten Cop (1990)

In Kindergarten Cop, Schwarzenegger faces his biggest challenge yet: a classroom full of elementary school students. The annoying drug lord whose son is in the class only makes things worse. Now, Schwarzenegger’s character, John Kimble, has to do his job and learn how to let a fellow teacher into his heart.

10. Conan the Barbarian (1982)

When the forces of the necromancer Thulsa Doom (James Earl Jones) destroy Conan’s village, the orphaned boy is taken as a slave and forced to push “The Wheel of Pain” for many years.

When Conan grows up, he goes out into the prehistoric world of the Hyborian Age to find the person who killed his family and took his father’s sword. Conan will face a supernatural evil with the help of Valeria, a beautiful warrior played by Sandahl Bergman, and Subotai, an archer played by Gerry Lopez.

Therefore, we brought here the best action films among Arnold Schwarzenegger movies, which the audience love most.