It is STAR WARS WEEK! That’s right. Star Wars: The Last Jedi is on the horizon, so here are the top 10 Star Wars lightsaber battles. There have been a lot, but here are the best of the best.
10. Obi-Wan Kenobi vs. General Grievous (Episode III)- This fight is super awesome, seeing Grievous take on four sabers at once. But the thing is, the saber isn’t what did him in. Obi-Wan got him based on blasting him and tearing apart his robotic insides. So for that, we place it at number 10. But it’s still cool enough to make the list.
9. Yoda vs. Count Dooku (Episode II)- This is the first time we saw Yoda fight. Some people loved seeing Yoda kick ass, and some people didn’t think it made any sense. I loved every bit of it. The only thing that diminishes it is the somewhat outdated visual effects and the fact that it ended without much resolution. Also, the fact that “Attack of the Clones” is the weakest installment of the series works against this one too.
8. Yoda vs. The Emperor (Episode III)- Just when Yoda got started, this is where we saw a worthy opponent. Darth Sideous clearly had a side to him that no-one knew was coming, and seeing perhaps the master of Jedi and master of Sith dueling face to face was quite a sight to see.
7. Mace Windu vs. Palpatine (Episode III)- Poor Mace Windu. Somewhere, I like to believe he is alive and well. But Anakin’s backstabbing is what ultimately did Mace Windu in, after a well fought battle against the soon-to-be Emperor. I thought that this battle was cool for its color (purple and red) and for the fact that it transformed Palpatine into the iconic super villain we know from “Return of the Jedi.” This is a great battle, and a great scene in general.
6. Obi-Wan Kenobi vs. Darth Vader (Episode IV)- This is THE first lightsaber battle of the series. It was pretty awesome just seeing it all go down. But compared to how advanced and grand the newer battles are, this one seems a bit too simple. But it is still an iconic moment of cinematic history, and basically kicked off this phenomenon of people dueling with colorful light-up swords. Amazing.
5. Luke Skywalker vs. Darth Vader (Episode VI)- Not to be confused with one of our higher entries, this battle was still pretty epic, showing the ultimate showdown of father and son. It all ended up bitter-sweet for Vader, as he realized what truly meant more to him (his son), but he ended up losing his life over it. Some heartbreaking stuff.
4. Rey vs. Kylo Ren (Episode VII)- I assume we’ll be seeing more lightsaber battles from the two of them very soon, but this was a good first flavor of what to expect from the two of them. The fighting was pretty predictable, but the true beauty of this fight was Rey handling the lightsaber for the first time, retrieving it from the snow and kicking Kylo’s butt. It was an epic moment for our newest hero.
3. Qui-Gin Jinn & Obi-Wan Kenobi vs. Darth Maul (Episode I)- The best part of “Phantom Menace” was easily this fight, as it was precisely choreographed and offered some amazing stunts. I loved this also for its usage of music, John Williams’ “Duel of the Fates.” There aren’t many “perfect” moments from the prequels, but this is pretty damn close.
2. Darth Vader & Luke Skywalker (Episode V)- This is the fight that led to the BIG reveal. Yes, the one you’re thinking of. Before we found out Vader was Luke’s (spoiler alert) father, this was just the main hero of the story fighting the main villain. It was cool, but not nearly as powerful as when you watch it back, knowing who Luke was fighting and knowing the information Luke would soon find out. This fight is better upon a rewatch, which is why it doesn’t nab the top spot. But this is still iconic for countless reasons.
1. Obi-Wan Kenobi vs. Anakin Skywalker- Apprentice turned enemy. This was the epitome of the prequel series’ long journey of Anakin discovering his inner dark side. The fighting was top notch like in Episode I, the dynamic of relationship was powerful like in Episode V, but where this battle ranks higher than the other two is in its location. The lava covered wasteland of Mustafar gave a much needed dynamic that made the stakes that much more heavy. At times, there would be silhouettes that send chills down your spine, and the redness of the fiery pit below often transcended evil in Anakin’s eyes. This whole scene cannot be topped. This is the best lightsaber battle of the series.
It is STAR WARS WEEK! That’s right. Star Wars: The Last Jedi is on the horizon, so here are the top 10 Star Wars lightsaber battles. There have been a lot, but here are the best of the best.