Every Arnold Schwarzenegger Movie Ranked Worst To Best

The Terminator may have cemented Arnold Schwarzenegger as an acting phenomenon, but it was John Millius' Conan the Barbarian that showed the world for the first time just how unique a screen presence he was.

The first of several Schwarzenegger-starring adaptations of Robert E. Howard's high fantasy Conan stories, Millius' film is fierce and brilliantly realised, relaying the story of Conan's rise to legend and his quest to avenge the death of his family at the hands of Thulsa Doom (James Earl Jones).

Along the way he meets three notable allies: Subotai (Gerry Lopez), a thief and an archer; Valeria (Sandahl Bergman), a fellow warrior who becomes Conan's lover; and Akiro the Wizard (Mako), a mystic who also delivers the film's immortal ending narration.

While far from perfect, Schwarzenegger's first leading role remains one of his most iconic, transfixed in a visually rich and suitably violent translation of Howard's comics. Fingers crossed that, as per the actor's own wishes, an Old Man Conan film may materialise in the coming years.