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Bruce Lee wanted Japanese action star Shintaro Katsu to star alongside him in one of his films, but it never happened due to Katsu's contractual obligations. Katsu, known for his samurai films, was idolized by Lee for his fast movements and exciting on-screen choreography. Lee believed that a battle between him and Katsu in a film would solidify his position as a superior martial artist and take Fists of Fury to another level.

Bruce Lee wanted another popular martial arts actor to face him in one of his movies, but it never happened. The action star is known for popularizing Kung Fu in Hollywood, and his short career forever revolutionized the film world. Lee had several on-screen battles with famous martial artists over the years, many of whom were his real-world students. However, one of his idols never appeared in a Bruce Lee film, despite the actor's hope that he would one day.

Bruce Lee fights many memorable villains in his filmography, with many of them being incredible martial artists themselves. While Bruce Lee began as a child actor in Hong Kong, he began to rise to greater prominence in the late '60s with his role as Kato on The Green Hornet. Bruce Lee later achieved greater notoriety through his roles in movies like The Big Boss, Fist of Fury, and The Way of the Dragon, though he sadly passed away before the release of 1973's Enter the Dragon, which launched him to worldwide fame.

Bruce Lee's five martial arts films have elevated him to become the greatest legend of the martial arts movie genre. Of course, achieving such status is impossible without overcoming some very challenging and formidable villains, and those faced by Bruce Lee are highly revered martial arts masters themselves. Here are the 13 martial artists who portray the villains of Bruce Lee's filmography.