Ever since Luke Skywalker first activated his father ’s lightsaber in 1977’sA New Hope , Star Wars fans have been obsessed with the sci - fi laser sword exert by Jedi and Sith likewise . Of naturally , there are plenty of other reasons to love Star Wars — the characters , the different exotic race , the outer space armed combat — but lightsaber duel have always been a staple of the franchise and often dally an important role in the climax of each movie .
With eight ( and counting ) live - activity films in the dealership now , the lightsaber battle has changed quite dramatically since its inception . This makes rank them a somewhat hard job , as some rooter favour the more technical expressive style of the prequel trilogy clashes , while others enjoy the harsh restraint of the 1 featured in the earlier film . I think it will become clear which dash I favour as you read through the list , but that does n’t make my ranking “ correct ” by any way , as this is a completely immanent affair .
- Note : Even though it ’s arguably the cool scene to feature a lightsaber , I make up one’s mind not to include the Darth Vader hall vista fromRogue One , mostly because it ’s more of a slaughter than an actual combat . Pour one out for those inauspicious Rebel soldier who found themselves in the wrong corridor …
17. Finn vs. Stormtrooper (The Force Awakens)
Considering how abbreviated this encounter is , not to mention the fact that one of the combatants does n’t even have a lightsaber , it ’s moot whether the affaire d’honneur between Finn and Stormtrooper TR-8R even qualifies as a lightsaber battle . That being enjoin , I ’ve decided to admit it because TR-8R ’s weapon system resembles a lightsaber just enough to fulfil the arbitrary parameter I ’ve set out for this list . Overall , this battle is n’t anything special , as it ’s over way too quick and it ’s not precisely exciting to check Finn flounder around and get his bottom hand to him by a Stormtrooper who ’s not even using a lightsaber ( although the fact that the First Order ’s Z6 Riot Control Baton can block lightsaber onset is admittedly reasonably coolheaded ) . Really , the highlight of this entire engagement is visualise Finn spark his lightsaber , as it ’s the first time we ’ve see Anakin ’s lightsaber since it ( and Luke ’s hand ) were lost duringThe Empire Strikes Back .
16. Darth Vader vs Obi-Wan Kenobi (Star Wars)
The lightsaber battle that started it all may have wowed audience back in 1977 but these Day , the last encounter between Obi - Wan Kenobi and Darth Vader look more like a pair of amateurs trading C than two highly - skilled warrior engaged in a battle to the death . To be fair , no one know what a lightsaber duel was supposed to front like back in 1977 or the cultural wallop the artillery would terminate up have got , so it ’s easy to overlook how inapt the whole thing looks in retrospect .
luckily , the lightsaber clash is essentially window grooming for a very significant conversation between Obi - Wan and Darth Vader , which show significant minute of Star Wars lore and also give us some of the most memorable quotes in the franchise , such as “ The lap is now sodding . When I left you I was but the learner . Now , I am the master ! ”
So yes , this is n’t a great lightsaber battle but if you revel fan theories , you may care this onethat assay to provide an account for why Obi - Wan and Vader seem to have forget how to use their weapons . It ’s actually a moderately good read !
15. Qui-Gon Jinn vs Darth Maul (The Phantom Menace)
A very abbreviated battle overall , this battle service more as an institution to Darth Maul than anything and in that regard , it get the chore done . The great thing about this clash is that it still leaves some mystery about the sports fan - favorite Sith lord for his later show inThe Phantom Menace , when he to the full reveals the true extent of his skills . Qui - Gon holds his own but it ’s clear from his organic structure language during the fight that he ’s contend to keep up with Maul ’s fierce assault and this is confirm once the elder Jedi makes his escape , as he ’s noticeably weave and exhausted as he tells Obi - Wan that whoever he just fought is well - trained in the “ Jedi arts . ” Of course , we ’d learn later on that Darth Maul was hide a few tricks up his sleeve , but this is a expert introduction to the character and a adequate , if not particularly memorable lightsaber battle overall .
14. Obi-Wan Kenobi vs General Grievous (Revenge of the Sith)
retaliation of the Sithis absolutely lade with lightsaber engagement , but not all of them are created equal . While Obi - Wan Kenobi ’s showdown with four - armed baddie General Grievous is cool to face at from a visual standpoint , it ultimately plays out more like a halfway act misdirection than an important showdown . thing start out well enough , with Grievous touch off each of his four lightsabers , while declaring that he was trained in the Jedi arts by Count Dooku , the same Sith master that made quick oeuvre of Obi - Wan back inAttack of the Clones . He then starts rotating his arms in a rapid windmill motion and payoff to slow advance on Kenobi , to the percentage point where it looks like the Jedi has no Leslie Townes Hope of penetrating Grievious ’ assault .
But then the conflict begins and it ’s surprisingly … average . Kenobi promptly gains the upper hand , cutting off two of Grievious ’ hand in the procedure and before he can finish him off , the Clone army attacks , allowing Grievious to make his escape . What follow is a fun chase chronological sequence , but the actual lightsaber struggle is done and ultimately does n’t dwell up to its potential .
13. Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker vs. Count Dooku (Revenge of the Sith)
In hindsight , this really was n’t the rematch many of us were hoping it would be . After wiping the floor with Obi - Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker inAttack of the Clones , Count Dooku meet the two Jedi again aboard Grievious ’ flagship , where Emperor Palpatine is being held captive . And while it turns out to be a much different fight this time out , it ’s a minute too abbreviated and one - sided to condition as being peculiarly memorable . One disappointment is that Obi - Wan is taken out of the engagement early on and provide unconscious , leave Anakin to contend Dooku alone ( again ) . Anakin bests Dooku rather easily in combat this time out and the fight end with the former Jedi about to be decapitated by a pair of lightsabers .
This ends up being the honorable second of the intact aspect , as Palpatine convinces Anakin to get retaliation for Dooku cut off his paw during their last showdown and fall the favor by chopping off his head . It ’s a moment that successfully illustrates Anakin ’s continued drop to the Dark Side of the Force , but the lightsaber engagement itself does n’t feel particularly inspired .
12. Obi-Wan and Anakin Skywalker vs. Count Dooku (Attack of the Clones)
The former Sir Christopher Lee excelled at play memorable villain , so it ’s no surprise that the treacherous Jedi Count Dooku remains one of his most memorable roles . Lee is so good , in fact , that he ’s one of the few bright spots ofAttack of the Clones — which is otherwise a pretty mediocre entrance in the Star Wars saga — and is at his best when his part finally gets to bust out his lightsaber and protrude make for s**t . While it ’s pretty clear that a double is do most of the engagement for Lee , it does n’t really make the fight any less acute , as the overconfident Obi - Wan and Anakin are basically require to Jedi schoolhouse by a elderly citizen .
Even Anakin fighting with two lightsabers is no match for Dooku ’s power , who punish the young Jedi for his arrogance by lopping off a paw and leaving both him and Obi - Wan strike hard out cold . WhenAttack of the Cloneswas first give up , sports fan were so accustomed to seeing the Jedi struggle , but ultimately reign , so it was refreshing to see a struggle in which they absolutely fall back .
11. Yoda vs. Count Dooku (Attack of the Clones)
It always felt as if Yoda ’s power went well beyond the physical , so it ’s disappointing to see that he ’s just really full at jumping around like a madman . At the very least , we get to see Yoda exhibit his mastery of Force push and Force pull , but as lightsaber battles go , Star Wars has done a lot better .
10. Battle of Geonosis (Attack of the Clones)
This engagement bend the prescript slightly since it does n’t feature genuine lightsaber - on - lightsaber combat , but it ’s so bombastic in scope and important as a whole to the Star Wars universe that it deserve a spot on this list . Featuring C of Jedi as they battle their way of life through breakaway forces in an effort to rescue Obi - Wan , Anakin , and Padme , this fight can arguably be viewed as the starting time of the end for the Jedi order , as most of them perish in the battle . While the scene ’s CGI has n’t mature well , it ’s still impressive from a technical standpoint .
There ’s just so much conk out on in this scene : hundreds of lightsabers clash with battle droids , Anakin riding around in a chariot ( because of course ) , Mace Windu showing off his skills for the first time and perfectly owning Jango Fett ( make out to think of it , it ’s jolly messed up that he chops off Jango ’s head right in front of his boy Boba ) . This was the first serious bit of activity in the motion picture pursue nearly two hours of distressingly awkward romanticism subplots , so it ’s intelligible why it felt like the cool scene ever at the sentence . Now , it ’s a absolutely competent action shot that do up for its lack of subtlety with just being really challenging and that ’s totally fine .
9. Rey and Finn vs. Kylo Ren (The Force Awakens)
Not long after the release ofThe Force Awakens , Samuel L. Jackson did an interview where he essentially criticized the fight choreography of the moving-picture show ’s climactic lightsaber conflict and that the kids “ need to go to lightsaber combat school . ” While this is a clean criticism and accurate in some way , as the scrap between Rey and Kylo Ren is nowhere well-nigh as elegant or practiced looking as many of the duels boast in the prequel trilogy , it kind of miss the subtext of why this fight scene feel a bit off . The affair is , none of the three participants are as well - trained as the Jedi portray in those earliest films , which help excuse why the fight feel passably cumbersome .
Finn gets taken out almost immediately because he has no idea what he ’s doing , while Rey is still attain her powers at this stop , which excuse why her scrap style feels jolly inelegant . Then there ’s Kylo Ren , easily the most well - trained of the group , who we ’ve repeatedly seen up to this point in the film is prostrate to lashing out when he gets angry , so it ’s scarcely surprising to see that he does n’t perform as well as he should ( it also help oneself that he ’s suffering from a novel bowcaster wound , thereby weakening him ) . Overall , this is a scenery that makes up for its lack of fancy stage dancing with thematic sonority and while it ’s not the best lightsaber battle put to cover , it ’s certainly not the worst .
8. Luke Skywalker vs. Kylo Ren (The Last Jedi)
Ranking this scene against the other climactic lightsaber battles of the Star Wars franchise is difficult because it ’s debatable whetherThe Last Jedi’sconfrontation between Luke Skywalker and Kylo Ren even qualifies as a “ battle ” at all . Then again , that ’s kind of the point and probably why I care it so much . Taking place on the open salt apartment of Crait , Luke ’s one - man defiance of the First Order is arguably one of the cool sequences in the integral Star Wars moving-picture show series . We get to see Luke literally brush off a bustle of blaster fire like it ’s nothing and then toy with his come nephew , put off every one of Kylo Ren ’s flak with ease . Of course , then the rug is pull up out from under our foot and we realize that Luke is actually on a whole other major planet and has been protrude his semblance through an telling display of Force mastery , which ultimately costs Luke his life . The scene as a whole is unexpected , bold , and offers Luke a shot at buyback after give up hope for many years , allowing Leia , Rey , and the rest of the Resistance to escape in the procedure .
So why does n’t it rank higher on this list ? Well , for as much as I think Rian Johnson should be recommend for subverting expectation and still managing to close down out Luke Skywalker ’s story in an emotionally satisfying way , it ’s hard not to be a flake disappointed that we do n’t get to see Luke and Kylo Ren engage in a proper lightsaber duel . That being said , it ’s fitting for Kylo Ren to be handed a heartbeat - down by an uncle who ca n’t even be bothered to physically show up to the fight and now that I ’ve find out it , I would n’t want it any other way .
7. Yoda vs. Darth Sidious (Revenge of the Sith)
While I still think Yoda bet nonsensical with a lightsaber , he fare much advantageously in his 2nd cinematic engagement , mostly because the bet are so much high this prison term out . From start to finish , the clash between Yoda and Darth Sidious feels like a true clangour of titans , with the battle go from Palpatine ’s quarter to the Senate chamber itself , where the way itself is used as a weapon . Senate seats get spew back and forward as Yoda and Palpatine deal muck up , and even though you roll in the hay how it ’s all going to sour out , it ’s hard not to look on this view and desire that Yoda go forth victorious .
Alas , it ends in frustration for the overbold Jedi Master , who is forced to fly with his fundament between his legs , with the knowledge that he has failed the Jedi Order by not being stiff enough to take Sidious down . There are more nuanced and nurse lightsaber battles , but this one stands as one of the most authoritative ever fight in the Star Wars saga .
6. Mace Windu vs. Darth Sidious (Revenge of the Sith)
The prequels get dumped on a tidy sum but one thing people seem to forget is just how dark George Lucas ’ final Star Wars film is . Revenge of the Sithalso feature a ton of lightsaber battles , which makes the undertaking of rank them all a bit more difficult , but the one between Mace Windu and Darth Sidious is a definite highlighting of the Star Wars franchise as a whole . I do n’t think there ’s another scene in any Star Wars movie that elicits the same feeling of dread as this one , as an overconfident Mace Windu and a triad of his fellow Jedi stroll into Chancellor Palpatine ’s office to arrest him for his crimes against the senate . Palpatine then reveal his lightsaber and leaps into action against the Jedi , accept them and viewing audience by surprisal as he carry on to easily cut off down everyone but Windu , who proves to be the better fencer and shoot down the newly revealed Darth Sidious in lightsaber combat … or so it seems .
One of the great things about this scene is how ambiguous it is , as it ’s never made clear whether Mace Windu really could have obliterate Palpatine if Anakin had n’t stepped in and betrayed him , or if it was all a forecast move on Palpatine ’s part to entice Anakin to his side . Whatever the case , it all finish with one of the good death scenes in the franchise , as Mace Windu get his hired hand sliced off before getting zapped by Force Lightning and thrown hundreds of feet into the Courscant skyline . Bravo George , bravo .
5. Rey and Kylo Ren vs. Snoke’s Praetorian Guard (The Last Jedi)
The only true lightsaber battle featured inThe Last Jedi , Rey and Kylo Ren ’s team - up against Snoke ’s Praetorian Guard is a pulse - pound action conniption that sees the Light and Dark Sides of the Force converge for a abbreviated consequence in parliamentary law to take down a more immediate scourge . The battle itself builds off of Kylo Ren ’s lurid murder of his master , Snoke , and sees the former Ben Solo team up with Rey for tear the old systems of index down . You ’d guess the pair would make quick workplace of Snoke ’s henchmen but the Praetorian guard prove hard to take down , with one nearly kill Kylo Ren before Rey tosses him her lightsaber to aid land up his assailant off .
While the fight itself still comes up a bit shortsighted compared to some of the better - choreographed affaire d’honneur featured in the prequel trilogy , it ’s certainly a step up from the amateurish conflict sequences found inThe Force Awakensand stands as the lightsaber battle to stick in the current trilogy .
4. Darth Vader (and Darth Sidious) vs Luke Skywalker (Return of the Jedi)
Now we ’re getting to the best stuff . return key of the Jedihas its flaws , but its third act is a barnstormer , featuring three separate battles between the Rebel Alliance and the Galactic Empire : the ground warfare between the Rebels Ewoks and 501st Legion , a monolithic dogfight between the Rebel and Imperial fleet and of course , a final duel between Luke Skywalker and his father Darth Vader . Truth be state , it ’s hard to liken the lightsaber battles of the original trilogy to the ones featured in the prequels , as the latter tend to be way more flashy , acrobatic , and exciting , butReturn of the Jedi’sduel makes up for this in full term of its emotional impact .
We see Luke reluctantly employ his father in combat , goaded into action mechanism by the manipulative Emperor Palpatine , without whose comportment this scene would only work half as well . Ian McDiarmid jolly much bargain the whole movie as Palpatine , but Mark Hamill does some enceinte workplace as well , selling the hell out of Luke ’s struggle to last out dependable to the light-headed side of the Force . When you factor out in John Williams ’ wake up score , this easily stands as one of the best Star Wars scenes ever and a pretty good lightsaber conflict to boot !
3. Obi-Wan Kenobi vs. Anakin Skywalker (Revenge of the Sith)
George Lucas pulled out all the stops for his final lightsaber battle : the epic clash between Obi - Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker that had been a part of Star Wars lore since the original movie . Set on the volcanic satellite Mustafar , this fighting was design to attract to the crowd who do it their lightsaber duels to be as athletic and intricate as possible , as Obi - Wan and Anakin flip and kink all over the place . The fight begins on a relatively small musical scale , with the pair switch bump in an enclosed control room , but things quickly become more grandiose as the fighting travel outside , to the point where they ’re each riding around on droids float along on a lava river .
The scene as a whole is pretty derisory , but it work thanks in large part to the performances of Ewan McGregor and Hayden Christensen , who both do an excellent job of portraying two former supporter and friend turn vitriolic enemies . When Obi - Wan tell Anakin that he loved him as a brother , it ’s hard not to get a bit choked up . It ’s all crest off by the now - notorious “ high-pitched ground ” scene that end with Anakin nearly combust to decease , shout out “ I HATE YOU ! ” at is former master and depending on my modality , it ’s all either deep tragical or uproarious . Still , that lightsaber conflict is an all - timer , no ?
2. Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi vs Darth Maul (The Phantom Menace)
The Phantom Menaceis not a in force film , but it does at the very least have this lightsaber fight , which is arguably the individual outstanding thing George Lucas put to film in the prequel trilogy . That first shot of Darth Maul lowering his hood and revealing that his double - bladed lightsaber alone is one of the best shots in the franchise and what watch is a battle that is truly breathless in term of choreography , legal action storytelling , and musical direction . Set to John Williams ’ unbelievable “ Duel of the Fates , ” Qui - Gon Jinn and Obi - Wan Kenobi ’s heavy fought engagement against Darth Maul pushes both Jedi to their limits as they fight into the heart of the Naboo Palace ’s control suite .
A particular shout out has to go to the reddened door sequence , a brilliant use of forcible blank space that sees Obi - Wan impatiently having to waitress to re - embark the disturbance and can only watch on helplessly as his friend and master Qui - Gon is savagely cut down by their opponent . yield with the terminal moments aside — why does Darth Maul just bear there as Obi - Wan saltation out of the pit ? — this would easily order as the greatest lightsaber conflict ever if it was n’t for one other scene …
1. Darth Vader vs Luke Skywalker (The Empire Strikes Back)
Some may argue that ‘ Duel of the Fates ’ belong in the top spot , since it ’s overall the better action scene , but nothing tops the climactic clank between Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader fromThe Empire Strikes Back . Really , it ’s fitting that the single keen Star Wars movie feature the best lightsaber battle ; one that concludes with one of the most shameful game twists in cinematic story . allow ’s look at the fight itself though . In terms of composition , it ’s a massive improvement over the anemic engagement inA New Hope , but it ’s still not very elegant , as it largely consists of Luke and Vader swinging wildly at each other . However , the reason this scene is right than any of the acrobatic battles that rule the prequel trilogy is that director Irvin Kershner apply the lightsaber duel to state a story .
We know going into the competitiveness that Luke has n’t completed his Jedi training yet and it shows in how he fights , as Vader beats him to a pulp . Speaking of Vader , this is the scene that truly cements him as one of cinema ’s greatest villain , as we at last see why everyone fears him so much . He ’s perfectly fierce in combat and penalize Luke for thinking he ever had a chance against him ( “ You ’re not a Jedi yet . ” Too true , Darth ! ) . I really trust Rian Johnson looks to this scene when crafting the climactic last lightsaber battle inThe Last Jedi , as this is the one to vex and overall is one of the great scenes in the dealership .
