There has been a grand total of 11 Star Wars movies and 2 series in live-action now. Since Disney took over in 2012, the content has been steadily coming out since their first release of The Force Awakens in 2015.
It’s no secret that one of the main attractions of Star Wars is the lightsaber. It’s a fascinating weapon that has much deeper meanings than what you usually see on screen.
Today, we want to look at our top 5 favorite lightsaber duels and our top 5 worst. We’re aware this doesn’t leave room to breathe but sometimes a lightsaber fight is just okay. A prime example of this would be Luke Skywalker vs Darth Vader in Empire Strikes Back. Despite the jaw-dropping surprise after the duel, the actual duel itself was alright.
These are in no particular order and are of our own opinion.
Top 5 worst
1. Finn & Rey vs Kylo Ren (The Force Awakens)
This battle makes the top 5 worst simply because it’s dumb. Especially everything that came after this movie was released. More movies showcasing Kylo Ren’s power, comics which were prequels that showed just how strong Kylo was as both Sith and Jedi. For Kylo, the grandson of Darth Vader, Anakin Skywalker, and the nephew of Luke Skywalker to be essentially taken down by not only a scrapper from Jakku but a Stormtrooper was poorly written.
2. Darth Vader vs Obi-Wan Kenobi (Old Ben) (A New Hope)
Let’s be honest, the duel here was horrific. I do understand that this was the first-ever lightsaber duel in live-action. The movie came out in 1977 so the technology wasn’t quite there. There is a reimagined version of this fight which makes it much better but this goes down as one of the most underwhelming saber fights across the entirety of Star Wars.
3. Yoda vs Darth Sidious (Revenge of the Sith)
This fight was just a mess. If there’s one thing I hate more than enough about the live-action movies is Palpatine in combat. It’s absolutely horrific. Understandably I get that it’s his style but it’s just not entertaining. This scene started really well but once it go into the public area it fell apart. Seeing who could spin the circle sofa the fastest and throw, it was bad.
4. Kylo Ren vs Luke Skywalker (The Last Jedi)
I absolutely hated that this was not a proper fight between two formidable foes. I hated that this is what caused Luke Skywalker to die. Everything about this scene was arguably wrong. This fight was only a tease to what we SHOULD have gotten in live-action.
5. Darth Sidious vs Jedi Masters (Revenge of the Sith
While I did like this fight scene between Windu and Palpatine, I just think that this scene, from the fight to the reveals to Anakin running in was so badly done compared to the actual novel. In the novel, we got to see more brutal stuff, like Anakin seeing decapitated bodies while he was running to save Palpatine. Not to mention how easily Kit Fisto was struck down in the movie was so disappointing.
Top 5 best
1. Anakin Skywalker vs Obi-Wan Kenobi (Revenge of the Sith)
Say what you will about the Prequels but the fight between Anakin and Obi-Wan is one of the most intense and brilliant saber duels that will ever exist. They pushed each other to lengths I don’t even think either was capable of. The duel was what ultimately lead to Anakin becoming Darth Vader, as this wasn’t just a battle between good and evil. It was a battle between brothers, student and master, and family. It was everything to them both to win.
2. Darth Vader vs Luke Skywalker 2 (Return of the Jedi)
For me, this lightsaber duel is fantastic. It’s the emotion from Luke that just makes it so much better. You can tell that Vader is conflicted and Luke trying everything in his power to turn him back. Once Luke turns aggressive it’s over for Vader. Fighting a relatively self-taught stance, Vader just couldn’t withhold the advance from Luke. It was a powerful scene that will always remain up there. I’m mainly a Prequel fan as I grew up with them but this is my second favorite saber duel.
3. Yoda vs Count Dooku (Attack of the Clones)
I absolutely loved this duel. Obi-Wan and Anakin while did get a few good moments in this duel with Dooku, Yoda walking in like a pure boss and showcasing his acrobatics in the duel with Dooku was such a great thing to witness because it not only proved why he was a Grandmaster but ultimately size doesn’t matter.
4. Qui-Gon & Obi-Wan Kenobi vs Darth Maul (The Phantom Menace)
I’m not a fan of The Phantom Menace, despite being a huge prequel fan. The fight scene at the end that results in Qui-Gon’s death is the best part of the movie. You can tell from the Jedi standpoint that they haven’t fought a Sith before, it took a lot for them to really adjust to not only Maul himself, but his double-bladed lightsaber definitely proved a problem. A great fight overall.
5. Din Djarin vs Ahsoka Tano (The Mandalorian season 2)
Din vs Ahsoka, what a short-lived duel. From the moment Ahsoka got the drop on Din, this duel was over. The movement by Ahsoka was flawless in this scene. In the dusty, dark, and empty forest, Ahsoka’s pure white lightsabers were godly while she was relentless striking Din. Amazing, simply amazing.
There you have it, folks. Was there any that you disagreed with or thought we were too generous or harsh?
Let us know down in the comments below, we’d love to hear your thoughts.
