We’re always down for a good old fashioned clash of the lightsabers. Be it Jedi versus Sith or Master versus Padawan, here’s a list of the 15 greatest Star Wars rivalries.
Not many film franchises can say they’ve had a solid fan base for over 40 years, nor claim the pride medals of having 11 films earn $9 billion in box office revenue. Star Wars is popular and it’s beloved — at least it is by us — and a big part of that has to do for its epic battles and rivalries.
After all, that’s what the title and all the plot lines are based on: rivalries. Somebody stole (or disintegrated) a planet, another person wants to take over the Empire, there’s a guy who wants to wipe out the Jedi, and on and on it goes. You’d think constant intergalactic war would reach an expiration date, but it’s still going strong and fans love it.
One of the reasons the Star Wars rivalries are so thrilling is because it’s rarely ever just about politics, and the ones that are usually don’t get a lot of screen time. The deep-seeded rivalries, the really juicy kind we sink our sabers into, are the ones that are also a push and pull about right and wrong, good and bad. There’s always a philosophical challenge or emotional torment at the core of these conflicts, challenging the characters, and the audience, to question what they believe to be evil and what they always thought was righteous.
There’s dozens and dozens of noteworthy rivalries in the Star Wars saga, like Mace Windu versus Darth Sidious, or Padme versus that crazy alien tiger, but we chose our favorite 15 Star Wars rivalries, spanning all 11 films. Our personal favorite? Vader versus himself.