An elegant weapon for a more civilized age. Which lightsaber duels reign supreme in the galaxy?
With the highly anticipated arrival of Star Wars: The Last Jedi returning viewers into a galaxy far, far away in less than one month, there are many reasons the prospect of a new Star Wars film fills fans with excitement.
Of course, there are the many questions that have been floating around since Star Wars: The Force Awakens world premiere, such as Rey’s origin story or whether Kylo Ren will even turn his back to the Dark Side.
More recently, fans have begun speculating as to where Luke’s loyalty lies on the spectrum of the Force. Regardless of these mysteries that may or may not be answered next month, one simple aspect of Star Wars everyone loves and can look forward to in The Last Jedi is new lightsaber duels.
From the double-bladed Sith blade of Darth Maul to the glowing green blade of Luke Skywalker himself, both the Light and the Dark Side represent in full “Force.”
Even though Star Wars is known for more than just epic lightsaber duels and amazing graphics, watching two glowing blades clash bring excitement like nothing else.
To help with the long wait until December 15, a day which will hopefully include the return of the myth himself, Luke Skywalker, I will rank all twelve lightsaber duels from the previous films in the Star Wars saga.
Mace Windu vs. Darth Sidious (Revenge of the Sith)
While this lightsaber duel may be ranked last on my list, I feel it is important to note this was in no way a poor duel. The main reason it found itself at the bottom of my list is due to its seemingly short length.
Even though it was enjoyable to see Chancellor Palpatine finally reveal himself to the Jedi as the mysterious Sith Lord and fans were finally able to see Mace Windu partake in a lightsaber duel, it did not last as long as it deserved.
The most notable aspect of the duel that felt far too rushed was the initial stages of the fight in which Palpatine very quickly, and nearly unrealistically, cut down the accompanying Jedi alongside Mace Windu. These are supposed to be professionally trained and fully prepared Jedi Knights, yet Palpatine struck all of them down with ease as if they were unarmed and had no intention of protecting themselves.
One aspect of Star Wars that had previously been in question since the original trilogy was the reasoning behind the Emperor’s disfigured face. The origin of Palpatine’s disfigurement was revealed in this duel, yet it did not necessarily make the most sense.
As Palpatine attempted to use his force lightning on Mace Windu, Windu deflected the bolt with his lightsaber right at Palpatine’s face. Instead of stopping Palpatine continued to try and electrocute Windu, in turn electrocuting himself and somehow “melting” his own face.
Despite this, the moment in which Palpatine finally seduces Anakin fully to the Dark Side once he kills Mace Windu makes up for all its previous flaws.
Obi-Wan Kenobi vs. General Grievous (Revenge of the Sith)
Unfortunately, this duel is another instance of just being too short. The commencement of the fight between Obi-Wan and the four-armed droid exuded potential, yet sadly, the duel suffered from Obi-Wan disarming Grievous one hand at a time right at the start and continued at a very fast pace.
While the dual itself may not be considered significant, the duel’s setup was entertaining. Watching an incognito Obi-Wan sneak up above hundreds of droids only to jump down in the middle of all of them to face Grievous and say nothing more than “hello there” was a great Obi-Wan moment.
One other downside of this lightsaber duel was the fact that it did not end with lightsabers at all. Since the lightsaber portion of the fight ended quickly in its initial moments, Grievous and Obi-Wan engaged in a high-speed chase throughout Utapau, a pursuit in which Obi-Wan lost his lightsaber. After losing his lightsaber, once the two confronted one another in the final moments of the battle Obi-Wan shot Grievous several times in the chest with a blaster to kill him, in a somewhat unclimactic fashion.
Had it not been for the fact that Grievous began the fight in such an intimidating fashion with his four lightsabers spinning in such a vibrant display of blue and green colors, this duel likely would have landed at the bottom of this list.
Grievous probably should have let the hundreds of droids standing around himself and Obi-Wan at the beginning of the scene subdue the highly-trained Jedi Knight rather than trying to take him on himself.
Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker vs Count Dooku (Attack of the Clones)
In what the vast majority of the world has considered being a disappointing film in Attack of the Clones, one aspect of the film that many have come to enjoy is the lightsaber duels. The duel between Obi-Wan, Anakin, Dooku not only provides Anakin’s first display of skill with a lightsaber but his arrogance as a Jedi.
Had it not been for the fact that he overlooked Dooku as his opponent when he immediately rushed at him with his emotions out of control, it is possible the fight could have ended differently.
On top of this, the duel provides excellent visuals, most notable being Anakin’s duel-wielding portion of the fight while in the dark, allowing the lively colors of the lightsabers to fill the darkness as they slashed through the air.
One other aspect of the duel many fans might appreciate is the trend of Skywalkers losing limbs continuing. With Luke losing a hand in The Empire Strikes Back and Darth Vader losing a hand in Return of the Jedi, it only fits the Skywalkers continue to lose their upper extremities in the prequel trilogy.
As all fans know, this trend did continue after it commenced in Attack of the Clones as Anakin would lose his other hand and two legs in Revenge of the Sith.
The trend appears to be Skywalkers lose one extremity or more in their second and third films, raising the question: is Kylo Ren, Luke (or maybe even Rey) going to lose an extremity in The Last Jedi?
Yoda vs. Count Dooku (Attack of the Clones)
While some may not have found this duel to be as appealing as I did, I am somewhat biased in this regard. When Attack of the Clones came out in 2002 I was only six years old, so seeing Yoda jump all over the screen and slash his short green lightsaber through the air in rapid succession filled me with excitement.
As an adult, I appreciate this duel for showing fans’ Yoda’s skills with the Force for the first time. In the original trilogy, Yoda was known as a legendary former warrior but served only as a mentor for Luke, teaching him the ways of the Force but rarely showing his own skill (other than the X-Wing scene).
For this reason, seeing Yoda fight Dooku not only with his lightsaber but also using his abilities through the Force was enjoyable to see for the first time on the big screen. This duel showcased Yoda’s skills in more ways than just lifting X-Wings, as it showed Yoda and Dooku flinging large objects at one another and stopped them in mid-air through the Force, an aspect of the Force shown only in glimpses prior.
The duel also served as a testament to Count Dooku’s often overlooked power. Dooku singlehandedly subdued two Jedi and although he did not technically defeat Yoda, he did escape with his life which is something worth noting.
Seeing Yoda duel Dooku in such a skillful and masterful fashion, helped in justifying the opinion that Yoda is the one of the most powerful Jedi alive. Following this duel fans were finally able to justify his title of “legendary warrior” from the original trilogy.
Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker vs Count Dooku (Revenge of the Sith)
The duel between Obi-Wan, Anakin, and Dooku in Revenge of the Sith is another instance in which the fight benefits from Anakin’s unveiled character development.
While this duel featured some of the best choreography regarding lightsaber combat in the prequel trilogy, whether it be with Obi-Wan and Anakin fighting Dooku side by side or Anakin taking on Dooku alone after having learned patience, the most notable aspect of the duel is the conclusion.
Anakin disarms (literally) Count Dooku and is given a choice; take him as a prisoner or kill him. Of course, it is convenient for Palpatine he has a front row seat to the show and is able to entice Anakin in choosing murder, another decision made by young Skywalker that leads him down the path of the Dark Side.
While the duel with Count Dooku in Attack of the Clones suffered from Anakin’s arrogance, which may not be as much of a surprise, the duel in Revenge of the Sith may have included some of Obi-Wan’s rarely-seen pride as well. Before Count Dooku makes his entrance upon the flagship, Obi-Wan and Anakin are speaking with Chancellor Palpatine and Obi-Wan tells him “Sith Lords are our specialty.”
This may not seem like anything major, yet as soon as the two began dueling Count Dooku the only one to be defeated (rather quickly to say the least) and knocked out unconscious was the one who said Sith Lords is his “specialty” only five minutes prior. This in no way is a knock on Obi-Wan or his skills a Jedi, it was just an ironic moment that seemed, unlike his character.
Yoda vs. Darth Sidious (Revenge of the Sith)
Although this duel may lack much fighting concerning lightsaber combat, it does not disappoint regarding dueling through the abilities of the Force. Both Yoda and Darth Sidious put their unparalleled Force abilities on full display in this fight, giving fans the best presentation of fighting without lightsabers.
Similar to the duel between Yoda and Count Dooku in Attack of the Clones, Yoda showcases his vast amount of powers through the Force that few other characters in the Star Wars universe rely on as heavily. Once the fight between Yoda and Palpatine moves to the iconic Senate chamber, the two Force-wielders are given many large objects to hurl at one another.
This duel also shows fans a pivotal point in the saga, the moment in which Yoda is defeated and thus chooses to go into exile on Dagobah. Considering how powerful of a Jedi Yoda is, it just goes to show how powerful Darth Sidious is on the other end of the spectrum.
In Attack of the Clones there was no decisive winner between Yoda and Dooku, although Dooku ran, yet in this duel, Yoda is clearly defeated.
While nearly every duel between Jedi and Sith in the Star Wars franchise include a character who is struggling internally with some conflict between the Dark and Light Side of the Force, this duel features a classic battle between pure good and pure evil. Unfortunately, in one of the few instances in Star Wars where it is solely good versus evil, evil prevails.
Obi-Wan Kenobi vs. Darth Vader (A New Hope)
It is hard to argue that this is not the worst-choreographed or most boring lightsaber duel in the entire Star Wars saga. However, it is important to acknowledge that this famed scene in cinematic history introduced the world to lightsaber duels and gave the franchise a baseline in terms of lightsaber action, considering it could only get better from there.
Luckily, it did get much better. Regardless of the choreography or pace of the duel, it did deliver an emotional conclusion as it provided the end for Obi-Wan as he transitioned from his physical body to his spiritual essence through the Force, thus propelling Luke into his full dedication and determination to become a Jedi.
When looking at the history between the two characters of Obi-Wan and Anakin Skywalker, it is much easier to appreciate the duel between the former master and apprentice. There is a lot of history between the two, and that history is manifested through the form of emotion that is evident during the duel.
This emotion served as a crucial part of Obi-Wan’s full willingness to sacrifice his life to save Luke and his friends. He had fulfilled his role in the physical world and was ready to play his remaining role through the Force.
One aspect of this duel that has always struck me as peculiar is the moment in which Obi-Wan calls Darth Vader “Darth” rather than Darth Vader or Vader. This is the only instance in the entire Star Wars franchise where Darth Vader or any other Sith is referred to as Darth. It doesn’t mean anything, I just always thought it was interesting.
Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi vs. Darth Maul (The Phantom Menace)
In another instance in which many have found the film to be sub-par, one thing everyone can agree on is how exciting it was to see Darth Maul take on Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon. This duel is the first in the Star Wars franchise in which there are more than two combatants, and it featured the first lightsaber that strayed away from the traditional single blade.
On top of Darth Maul’s famed dual-bladed lightsaber, fans instantly fell in love with just about everything about the new Sith Lord. From his lightsaber to his red and black-colored face, the horns protruding from the top of his skull, his acrobatic and quick moves with his lightsaber, or even the fact that he rarely speaks, Darth Maul quickly became a fan-favorite.
Considering viewers had not seen any lightsaber duels since Luke and Darth Vader in Return of the Jedi in 1983, by the time The Phantom Menace premiered in 1999 fans were eager to see new lightsaber action.
Fortunately, this duel did not disappoint. It is likely most fans would agree the biggest problem with this contest was the fact that it killed Darth Maul, the character who many believed should have remained the villain for the duration of the prequel trilogy rather than just one film.
This duel also featured John Williams famed “Duel of the Fates,” one of my favorite songs from a Star Wars score. This duel may be the best instance in Star Wars in which the music compliments the action in the film nearly-perfectly and enhances the film.
Rey and Finn vs Kylo Ren (The Force Awakens)
The latest of the lightsaber duels comes from The Force Awakens and deserves a spot towards the top of the ranking due to its beautiful visuals and array of emotions. The duel began following the genuinely saddening death of Han Solo, setting the scene in which Finn and Rey must confront Kylo Ren, all of whom are full of sadness, hatred, and the lust of revenge.
Finn begins the duel by taking on Kylo Ren, a full-fledged user of the Dark Side, with no proper lightsaber training of his own with no intention other than to protect Rey. After Kylo Ren subdues him, Rey exudes more powers no one knew she had through the force, which was followed by a stunning lightsaber fight in the dark, snowy forest.
The lightsabers in The Force Awakens were altered visually in comparison to its predecessors in the fact that they gave off a much more powerful and beautiful glow than ever before. When this synergized with the lovely and fully-interactive setting of the duel and JJ Abrams’ impressive attention to detail, this supplied fans with the best duel yet regarding visuals.
From the melting of the snow off the heat from the lightsabers, the cutting down of trees as the lightsabers are swung through the air, or the visuals and sounds from two lightsabers clashing together, this duel will remain one of the top lightsaber duels for years to come.
With The Force Awakens setting the bar so high for the sequel trilogy’s lightsaber duels, I am eager to see how Rian Johnson follows it up in The Last Jedi.
Luke Skywalker vs. Darth Vader (Return of the Jedi)
These final three duels were all difficult for me to rank as they all excel in providing emotion for the viewers. By the end of the original trilogy, Luke had been struggling with Darth Vader being his father and he had been struggling with staying off the path to the Dark Side, both of which accumulated towards feelings of inner conflict and struggled for the young Jedi Knight.
The most evident presentation of this includes the emotional instance in which Luke is filled with conflict and anger to the point of striking at Vader’s lightsaber repeatedly until Luke disarms him and Vader falls to the ground defenseless.
This showed a glimpse of the similarities between Luke and his father, Anakin, who often swung his lightsaber with just as much power fueled solely by anger or other feelings of the Dark Side.
Aside from the emotional aspect of the duel, it is also a great fight to behold visually. From the introduction of Luke’s famed green lightsaber to Darth Vader even throwing his lightsaber at Luke, something which had yet to be done in a Star Wars film, this duel provided great action and lightsaber choreography.
The most notable aspect of this duel is the fact that it includes all the events and emotions from the entire trilogy and compresses it into this final fight to conclude the story of Luke and Vader.
All these inner struggles are exuded in his duel with Darth Vader in Return of the Jedi, and in the end, Luke conclusively decides to not join the Emperor and not kill his father, even when given a chance. This duel provides a near-perfect ending to what is a near-perfect trilogy.
Obi-Wan Kenobi vs. Anakin Skywalker (Revenge of the Sith)
This lightsaber duel played a pivotal role in setting up the events of the original trilogy as it served to explain why Anakin was forced to make his full transformation into Darth Vader.
This battle not only featured the most exciting lightsaber choreography, but it was also full of emotions as Obi-Wan was forced to confront the man he thought of like his brother, yet he had to look past who he formerly was and realize he was a dangerous threat to the galaxy that had to be stopped.
The duel was set up emotionally as Padme and Obi-Wan arrived on Mustafar to try and stop Anakin. After Anakin force-chokes Padme to the point of unconsciousness, some of the best dialogue in the entire prequel trilogy is delivered between Obi-Wan and Anakin as Obi-Wan tries to talk him off the edge.
Obi-Wan exuded clear sadness and pain after subduing Anakin as he laid on the ground screaming in pain, agony, and hatred. The former Jedi was supposed to fulfill the prophecy as the Chosen One and bring balance to the Force, yet Anakin chose a different route which led to the near-extinction of the Jedi.
Obi-Wan projected evident sadness as he spoke his final words to his former Padawan, saying, “you were my brother, Anakin. I loved you.” With this, all remnants of Anakin Skywalker were left behind as the Chosen One was forced to take on the persona of Darth Vader.
This duel served as a near-perfect segue to transition the story from the prequel trilogy to the original trilogy and did an excellent job of bringing everything full circle.
Luke Skywalker vs. Darth Vader (The Empire Strikes Back)
The duel between Luke and Darth Vader features what is arguably the best lightsaber choreography in the original trilogy, especially considering how far it came following the duel between Old Ben and Darth Vader only three years prior.
The setting of Cloud City provides excellent scenery for the duel, and as usual John Williams provides a tremendous cinematic score as his iconic music plays behind the fight.
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However, one of the biggest reasons this contest lands a spot at #1 is due to the conclusion which features one of the most famous moments in cinematic history, the moment in which Darth Vader reveals himself as Luke’s father.
For those who had been following Star Wars since its original premiere in 1977, this reveal for those lucky enough to see The Empire Strikes Back in theaters in 1980 likely came as one of the biggest shocks in cinematic history.
It came as such a surprise; there were many fans who did not believe the reveal of Vader as Luke’s father to be the truth. Rather, many thought Vader was lying as a way to sway Luke to the Dark Side and the real truth that Vader was in fact not his father would be revealed in Return of the Jedi. Regardless, Vader was, in fact, Luke’s father and in-turn changed the entire dynamic of the Star Wars franchise.
In what began as a battle between a young Jedi-in-training and an infamous Sith Lord, the undercurrents of not only the duel but the entire trilogy changed in just five words; “no, I am your father.” Following this revelation, the whole tone and purpose of the trilogy turned and set the path for the rest of the saga to become a story centered around the Skywalker family.
Next: Why the Dark Side is Superior
What do you think of this ranking of all the lightsaber duels? Let us know what you agree with or disagree with on the best Star Wars lightsaber duels.