For millions of fans across the globe, the words “Star Wars” instantly calls to mind a variety of eclectic images.
For some, that might mean extravagantly-designed spaceships soaring through the furthest reaches of the galaxy. For others, it might mean immersive planetary environments characterized by snow-swept plains, arid deserts, or cityscapes suspended in the clouds. And for numerous others, it likely means dramatic lightsaber battles between two or more representatives of the Dark and Light Side of the Force.
From Star Wars’ opening chapter in 1977 onwards, lightsaber duels have become a hallmark of George Lucas’s iconic space opera series, maintaining as integral a place in Star Wars’ canon as the Empire’s white-clad stormtroopers or the robed knights of the Jedi Order. From epic battles between Sith and Jedi, fathers and sons, and former masters and apprentices, here are some of our absolute favorite lightsaber duels in Star Wars’ history, ranked in order from worst to best.
For just over 20 years, audiences could only wonder what a duel might look like between the spiritual embodiment of the Jedi, Yoda, and the literal personification of evil, Darth Sidious. Fortunately, that tantalizing dream scenario soon became a reality with Revenge of the Sith, pitting the leaders of the Jedi and the Sith against one another for the future of the Republic and the all-but-demolished Jedi Order. Matching each other in both lightsaber prowess and their individual knowledge of the Force, Yoda and Sidious’s fateful meeting at the end of Revenge of the Sith more than lives up to fans’ highest expectations.
Technically speaking, it’s difficult to say whether we can classify Rey and Kylo Ren’s brawl against Snoke’s Praetorian Guards as a traditional “lightsaber duel.” However you wish to describe it, though, there’s no question that this sequence halfway through The Last Jedi stands tall as one of the most memorable moments in Disney’s Sequels. Quickly transitioning from embittered rivals into reluctant allies as they fend off the crimson-red First Order warriors, it’s a scene as epic as it is wholly unexpected, leading us to believe – if only for a moment – there was indeed still some good left in the former Ben Solo.
The second cinematic battle between Luke and his father, Luke and Vader’s rematch in Return of the Jedi has a far more emotional edge than their earlier encounter in The Empire Strikes Back. Grappling with his newly-discovered familial connection to Vader, Luke also strives to avoid the clutches of the onlooking Emperor, who does his best to sway young Skywalker into joining his side. With both his and father’s very souls hanging in the balance, Luke does everything he can to defend himself against Vader’s onslaught, all the while attempting to convince his father to return to the Light Side. An integral moment in both Luke and Vader’s personal journeys within Star Wars, it’s also the crowning moment in Vader’s redemption, making it all the more powerful to witness in its entirety.
When Ahsoka Tano first made her debut in Star Wars: The Clone Wars’ sequel series Rebels, it seemed almost guaranteed she’d eventually cross paths with her former Jedi master, Anakin Skywalker, at some point or another. When that event finally transpired on our screens, however, most of us simply weren’t ready to marvel at the sheer drama behind the two’s heartfelt reunion. Though they last departed on amicable terms, Ahsoka and Anakin’s interactions on Rebels proves to be anything but nostalgic, ushering in a raw and emotionally charged animated duel unlike any other within The Clone Wars or Rebels.
Quite possibly the best moment in The Phantom Menace’s otherwise mediocre narrative, the battle between Obi-Wan, Qui-Gon, and Darth Maul kicked off a brand-new era in Star Wars’ larger history. In contrast to the simplistic approach to dueling in the Original Trilogy, The Phantom Menace introduced a far more unique rendition of conventional lightsaber combat – one that emphasized elegance, style, and rapid offensive maneuvers. Flipping and twirling their way across the screen as they furiously slash at one another’s bodies, The Phantom Menace continues to hold up as one of the most defining scenes in all of Star Wars, whether looking at the Prequels, Sequels, or Original Trilogy before it.
While Luke and Vader’s battle at the end of Return of the Jedi might serve as the pivotal moment of the Original Trilogy, the same can be similarly argued about Obi-Wan and Anakin’s duel at the climax of Revenge of the Sith. Completing Anakin’s fall to the Dark Side and cementing his official transformation into Darth Vader, viewers watch helplessly as the two former best friends launch into a fiery duel on the molten surface of Mustafar. Combining the flashy aerial dynamics of the Prequel lightsaber duels with the simmering emotion of Luke and Vader’s battle in Return of the Jedi, Revenge of the Sith somehow manages to be gorgeously designed, emotionally captivating, and heartrendingly tragic – all at the same time.
Audiences may have gotten a glimpse at lightsaber combat in the original Star Wars, but The Empire Strikes Back marks the first significant engagement between two dedicated practitioners of the Force. Whereas the Prequels emphasized a stylish elegance to their lightsaber battles, Luke’s Cloud City encounter with Vader obtains a notably realistic air of suspense, forcing Luke to grow from youthful confidence at the start of the battle to exhausted desperation as the bout draws on. Far outmatched against his bigger, stronger, more resourceful adversary, all Luke can do is narrowly survive against Vader, using every trick in the book to counter the Dark Lord’s offense in the hopes of escaping the engagement with his life.
For some, that might mean extravagantly-designed spaceships soaring through the furthest reaches of the galaxy. For others, it might mean immersive planetary environments characterized by snow-swept plains, arid deserts, or cityscapes suspended in the clouds. And for numerous others, it likely means dramatic lightsaber battles between two or more representatives of the Dark and Light Side of the Force.
From Star Wars’ opening chapter in 1977 onwards, lightsaber duels have become a hallmark of George Lucas’s iconic space opera series, maintaining as integral a place in Star Wars’ canon as the Empire’s white-clad stormtroopers or the robed knights of the Jedi Order. From epic battles between Sith and Jedi, fathers and sons, and former masters and apprentices, here are some of our absolute favorite lightsaber duels in Star Wars’ history, ranked in order from worst to best.
7. Yoda vs. Darth Sidious (Revenge of the Sith)
For just over 20 years, audiences could only wonder what a duel might look like between the spiritual embodiment of the Jedi, Yoda, and the literal personification of evil, Darth Sidious. Fortunately, that tantalizing dream scenario soon became a reality with Revenge of the Sith, pitting the leaders of the Jedi and the Sith against one another for the future of the Republic and the all-but-demolished Jedi Order. Matching each other in both lightsaber prowess and their individual knowledge of the Force, Yoda and Sidious’s fateful meeting at the end of Revenge of the Sith more than lives up to fans’ highest expectations.
6. Rey and Kylo vs. The Praetorian Guards (The Last Jedi)
Technically speaking, it’s difficult to say whether we can classify Rey and Kylo Ren’s brawl against Snoke’s Praetorian Guards as a traditional “lightsaber duel.” However you wish to describe it, though, there’s no question that this sequence halfway through The Last Jedi stands tall as one of the most memorable moments in Disney’s Sequels. Quickly transitioning from embittered rivals into reluctant allies as they fend off the crimson-red First Order warriors, it’s a scene as epic as it is wholly unexpected, leading us to believe – if only for a moment – there was indeed still some good left in the former Ben Solo.
5. Luke vs. Darth Vader (Return of the Jedi)
The second cinematic battle between Luke and his father, Luke and Vader’s rematch in Return of the Jedi has a far more emotional edge than their earlier encounter in The Empire Strikes Back. Grappling with his newly-discovered familial connection to Vader, Luke also strives to avoid the clutches of the onlooking Emperor, who does his best to sway young Skywalker into joining his side. With both his and father’s very souls hanging in the balance, Luke does everything he can to defend himself against Vader’s onslaught, all the while attempting to convince his father to return to the Light Side. An integral moment in both Luke and Vader’s personal journeys within Star Wars, it’s also the crowning moment in Vader’s redemption, making it all the more powerful to witness in its entirety.
4. Ahsoka vs. Darth Vader (Rebels)
When Ahsoka Tano first made her debut in Star Wars: The Clone Wars’ sequel series Rebels, it seemed almost guaranteed she’d eventually cross paths with her former Jedi master, Anakin Skywalker, at some point or another. When that event finally transpired on our screens, however, most of us simply weren’t ready to marvel at the sheer drama behind the two’s heartfelt reunion. Though they last departed on amicable terms, Ahsoka and Anakin’s interactions on Rebels proves to be anything but nostalgic, ushering in a raw and emotionally charged animated duel unlike any other within The Clone Wars or Rebels.
3. Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon vs. Darth Maul (The Phantom Menace)
Quite possibly the best moment in The Phantom Menace’s otherwise mediocre narrative, the battle between Obi-Wan, Qui-Gon, and Darth Maul kicked off a brand-new era in Star Wars’ larger history. In contrast to the simplistic approach to dueling in the Original Trilogy, The Phantom Menace introduced a far more unique rendition of conventional lightsaber combat – one that emphasized elegance, style, and rapid offensive maneuvers. Flipping and twirling their way across the screen as they furiously slash at one another’s bodies, The Phantom Menace continues to hold up as one of the most defining scenes in all of Star Wars, whether looking at the Prequels, Sequels, or Original Trilogy before it.
2. Obi-Wan vs. Anakin (Revenge of the Sith)
While Luke and Vader’s battle at the end of Return of the Jedi might serve as the pivotal moment of the Original Trilogy, the same can be similarly argued about Obi-Wan and Anakin’s duel at the climax of Revenge of the Sith. Completing Anakin’s fall to the Dark Side and cementing his official transformation into Darth Vader, viewers watch helplessly as the two former best friends launch into a fiery duel on the molten surface of Mustafar. Combining the flashy aerial dynamics of the Prequel lightsaber duels with the simmering emotion of Luke and Vader’s battle in Return of the Jedi, Revenge of the Sith somehow manages to be gorgeously designed, emotionally captivating, and heartrendingly tragic – all at the same time.
1. Luke vs. Darth Vader (The Empire Strikes Back)
Audiences may have gotten a glimpse at lightsaber combat in the original Star Wars, but The Empire Strikes Back marks the first significant engagement between two dedicated practitioners of the Force. Whereas the Prequels emphasized a stylish elegance to their lightsaber battles, Luke’s Cloud City encounter with Vader obtains a notably realistic air of suspense, forcing Luke to grow from youthful confidence at the start of the battle to exhausted desperation as the bout draws on. Far outmatched against his bigger, stronger, more resourceful adversary, all Luke can do is narrowly survive against Vader, using every trick in the book to counter the Dark Lord’s offense in the hopes of escaping the engagement with his life.