This week sees the rerelease of Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith. Since one of the most iconic parts of Star Wars is its lightsaber fights, we decided to discuss some of our favorites. Let us know your favorite @SiftPop!
More could (and should) be said about the massive disservice done to The Acolyte by the Star Wars fandom, but we’re here to talk FIGHTS today! In the season (and, by default, series) finale, Master Sol (Lee Jung-jae) went up against the Stranger, also known as Qimir (Manny Jacinto), a different kind of Dark Side user to the ones we’ve seen before… one more focused on the raw ferocity required for cold-blooded murder and the merciless action that draws his plans forward. In their battle, the two cross blades above, between, and below, changing terrain while leveraging Force abilities we have never before seen used on screen. Both are masters of their craft, and are uncompromising in their movements, proving to be so evenly matched that it takes an unexpected addition to the fight to finally take Sol down. Regardless of how one might feel about the series as a whole, it’s difficult to understate how exciting and tense this fight is. It’s the perfect coda for an imperfect, but still incredibly unique, series. (Rowan Wood)
How many people expected to get a lightsaber battle between Anakin Skywalker and his former apprentice, Ahsoka Tano, in the Ahsoka series? The episode “Shadow Warrior” took a lot of viewers by surprise, as Ahsoka connects with Anakin in a dominion outside of time and space. They travel back in time, and we get treated to some cool The Clone Wars callbacks. But the lightsaber battle between Anakin and Ahsoka is the real highlight. Anakin’s turn towards aggressiveness, pushing Ahsoka’s limits, is fantastic. The fight’s choreography is well done, and Hayden Christiansen reminds everyone just how good he really is with a lightsaber. But the creative visuals and direction are what really make this battle shine. The incredible shot of Anakin walking through the fog of the past, with quick edits flashing in with Darth Vader’s visage, is one of the most amazing moments in Star Wars. Intense, thrilling, and meaningful, this duel between wayward friends and allies is a true highlight of the Disney+ series. (Shane Conto)
The first time we saw a lightsaber fight on screen, the showdown between Obi-Wan Kenobi and his former apprentice, Darth Vader, holds a special place in cinematic history. Though the former friends do cross blades, it’s much more about what’s said than the fight itself. The banter sets up the intriguing mystery of the lore that will be expanded upon in the future. We know there’s a history there, but we don’t have the full context. The way Kenobi chooses to sacrifice himself by not, well, fighting in the end is all the more powerful for the path it sends both Kenobi and young Luke Skywalker down. Lightsaber choreography has come a long way since 1977, but the original fight still deserves respect. (Jake Bourgeois)
Try to imagine: It’s 2004, Revenge of the Sith is still a year away, but Cartoon Network has been drip feeding you five-minute mini adventures of the most amazingly stylized animated Clone War action imaginable in the form of the Star Wars: Clone Wars, lovingly nicknamed “The Micro Series.” Up till this point, you’ve seen mostly battles between Jedi and droids, mainly showing off the incredible power of the Force. But then, the finale of Season Two plops you down in a crashed Republic Destroyer surrounded by super battle droids. Only six Jedi survivors fighting for their lives. When suddenly the blasters stop, and an evil robotic voice taunts the run-down warriors. We are then introduced to General Grievous in the most brutal showdown to date, one which leaves one Padawan flattened like a pancake, and another obliterated with a robotic claw. The Whiphid knight manages to hold his own for a moment before being sliced through. Grievous then proceeds to engage Jedi Masters Ki-Adi-Mundi and Shaak-ti in the coolest lightsaber battle to date. He is terrifyingly unstoppable and dispatches Shaak Ti with a near-fatal blow before descending on Mundi, wielding three lightsabers. We then had to wait an entire year for the conclusion to this battle. It’s pure Star Wars lightsaber beauty, and to experience that left me on cloud nine, as a Star Wars fan forever chasing that “lightsaber fight dragon.” (Nick Ferro)
It’s not an understatement to say that some of the best lightsaber action has come in Star Wars’ animated shows. The Clone Wars is filled with great fights — from Anakin vs. Barriss Offee, to Maul and Savage Opress vs. Darth Sidious, there’s no shortage of great choices. Even picking my favorite Ahsoka fight was hard, as her fight against Obi-Wan and Anakin is fantastic, as are her fights with the inquisitors and her long-awaited showdown with Darth Vader. However, if we’re talking favorite fights, nothing quite tops her fight against Maul in the final season arc of The Clone Wars. It’s both expansive and emotionally charged — complete with some fun in-fight quipping. The showdown between two of the more acrobatic fighters, one fighting with his iconic double-blade and the other with her dual sabers, allows for choreography that’s exciting and unique. Brought to life with stunning animation and the motion capture work just made the fight feel more real, it was a crucial part of an epic conclusion fans had literally been waiting years for, and it lived up to the hype. (Jake Bourgeois)
The granddaddy of them all, movies don’t get much better than the Luke Skywalker vs. Darth Vader finale of The Empire Strikes Back. Where Obi-Wan Kenobi’s lightsaber duel with Vader first introduced audiences to the concept of a lightsaber fight in 1977, this was where their true, awesome potential was fully unveiled. Luke attempts to hack away at the man who would soon be revealed as his father, as Vader remains largely unfazed, toying with Luke at every turn. That is, until Luke gets in one good slash, and Vader fully lets loose, neutralizing Luke’s power in a matter of seconds. Not only is this a top-tier fight in the Star Wars universe, it is also one of the single most compelling sequences ever put to film. (Foster Harlfinger)
Star Wars has plenty of the best lightsaber duels to choose from, but one of my favorites is the final boss fight in the video game Jedi: Fallen Order. You play as Cal Kestis, a young Jedi who survived Order 66 and has spent the last five years hiding from the Empire. Until one day, he is forced back into the light to protect and save the future of the Jedi. Relentlessly tracking you is Second Sister Trilla, who was once a Padawan herself. The final fight takes place in the Fortress Inquisitorius, and is repetitive as far as fights go, but she is a tough one to beat. One of the key moments is once you have the upper hand, you hear Darth Vader’s respirator. Now the fight is on, mainly because Cal has no idea who he is, which makes this fight all the more challenging. Leave it to modern-day Star Wars to truly make Vader one terrifying foe. (Austen Terry)
The Sequel Trilogy is not a rich tapestry when it comes to lightsaber fights. The most iconic is probably the throne room scene, but seeing as it’s Kylo and Rey working together to take on non-lightsaber wielding foes, I’m going in a different direction from the same movie. While I did give some consideration to Finn and Rey vs. Kylo in The Force Awakens for its incredible use of lighting, and the Rey vs. Kylo fight in The Rise of Skywalker is probably the most well-choreographed of the trilogy, there’s something about how the fight between Kylo and the force projection of his former master, Luke Skywalker, plays with the form that we’ve come to expect that makes it my favorite. Like the fight that came in A New Hope before it, the encounter is much more about the story being told with the moves than the moves themselves. The subtle clues about what’s really happening are genius, and it’s a great homage to the fight that started it all. It’s not the flashiest scene in the trilogy, but it’s the one that’s stuck with me the most. (Jake Bourgeois)
The Phantom Menace features hands down the coolest introduction to any lightsaber battle, and it may be one of the best intros to anything period. As Queen Amidala and her troops fight their way through the royal palace, Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi hang back as hangar doors open to reveal a patiently-waiting Darth Maul, set to the needle drop of “Duel of the Fates.” Saying this is one of the greatest works in the iconic career of legendary composer John Williams holds immense gravity. Its intensity could make weak content feel epic, but pairing it with a beautifully choreographed battle makes for a must-see moment. You get master and apprentice together against a silent force of nature with a sick makeup job. Any previous trade dispute boredom is erased the second Maul drops his cape and unveils the dual lightsaber. With countless flips, dangerous heights and seriously skilled swordsmanship, the action starts at a 10 and never lets up. You get a tragic death, instant revenge, and a brutal bisection. The stunt work is breathtaking, especially once Obi-Wan lets his anger take over. The prequels have their flaws, but this fight is among the greatest moments in Star Wars history. (Jason Mack)
George Lucas set out to create a modern mythology with his Star Wars series, and given the way the franchise has seeped itself into every facet of our culture, it is not a stretch to say he succeeded. The arc of Anakin Skywalker remains one of the most compelling character evolutions in cinema, and seeing his descent into evil throughout Revenge of the Sith remains a highlight of the Prequel Trilogy. Obi-Wan and Anakin’s final confrontation is nothing short of iconic these days, with the red lava backdrop of Mustafar exploding into a spring of flames as two blue lightsabers meet. For the sheer visual spectacle of it all, the Battle on Mustafar may be the single most striking sequence in all of Star Wars. (Foster Harlfinger)
In recent years, I’ve been itching for the Star Wars universe to expand and try some new things. It’s why the idea of Star Wars: Visions excited me as a project that was not restricted by having to be a part of official Star Wars canon. The first season starts off with “The Duel,” the classic tale of a mysterious stranger defending a village from bad guys. It’s animated in a style where it seems straight out of a sketchbook. Being largely animated in a black-and-white style (complete with flickering film imperfections), the sparing use of colors really pops. It leans into the samurai influences, down to the character designs. The village showdown is a tense one, told compellingly and with one of the more unique lightsaber faceoffs ever put to screen. I mean, it has A SPINNING UMBRELLA LIGHTSABER ATTACHMENT. Aside from the flashiness, the duel itself at the center also delivers on the samurai-inspired fight choreography. There’s a reason this was the choice to kick off the series, and few lightsaber set pieces are as captivating to watch. (Jake Bourgeois)