10 Best Onscreen Lightsaber Battles in Star Wars
Star Wars is series about family, redemption, good vs. evil, and political intrigue. These topics and themes help make it one of the most memorable series out there, but the epic lightsaber duels make it all the more amazing. There have been some pretty amazing lightsaber fights through the years. Some have been better than others, but all of them are legendary for one reason or another. These are my personal favorite onscreen duels. I do want to note that I am only counting the encounters we see in the main live-action films. As much as I love the battles in Gendy Tartakovsky’s Clone Wars series and in Luke’s scene in The Mandalorian, they will not be included in this list as the lightsaber scenes in the animated series, games, and shows could all have lists of their own.
10. Ben Kenobi Vs. Darth Vader
This is the first real lightsaber duel we got to see in Star Wars. Not only is it the first, but it is also Luke’s mentor going up against the main villain. While it may not have as much coordination, CGI, and stunt work as some of the other entries on this list, it is still awesome to see Darth Vader and Ben duke it out on the Death Star. It is even more memorable as no one had ever seen a lightsaber duel before prior to release of the original Star Wars. I also adhere to the theory that the reason why they did not attack for a while is that they are both using the Force to predict each other's move.
9. Luke Skywalker Vs. Darth Vader (Cloud City and Death Star II)
I know I am cheating a bit here, but I honestly cannot put one above the other. They both deserve to be on this list because of what they contribute to each film. The battle in Cloud City sets up how strong Darth Vader is and how much training Luke still needs. It is also the fight where Luke loses his hand, which is already a great loss at the time, but it also represents how he may lose more than just a hand in their next encounter. Their final confrontation in Return of the Jedi is the last fight of the series. Not only is it the climactic final battle, it shows the evolution of these two characters. They are both teetering on the edge of the Dark Side. Darth Vader is slowly questioning his allegiance as he is attempting to turn or destroy Luke. Conversely, Luke lets his anger out more than ever. Despite the Emperor's tempting him to embrace the Dark Side, when Luke sees what he has done to his father in anger, he stops himself from crossing that fateful line. Are these fights the most action-packed? No, but they are some of the most important fights for the character development in the series.
8. Ben Solo Vs. Knights Of Ren
I have to admit that I was not rooting for Ben Solo to be redeemed. However, I was relatively pleased with the way The Rise of Skywalker handled it. I was even more satisfied when I saw his battle against the Knights of Ren. While the designs of the Knights of Ren are awesome, we do not get to see very much of them throughout the sequel trilogy. The one time we see them go toe-to-toe with their former leader is well worth it. It also shows off just how skilled Ben really is, and why he is strong enough to become the Supreme Leader. Not to mention the subtle roar we hear when Ben gets the lightsaber from Rey is a nice callback to his red lightsaber. The "bring it" gesture he does after getting the lightsaber is pure gold. This is definitely one of my favorite fights in The Rise of Skywalker.
7. Qui-Gon Jinn And Obi-Wan Kenobi Vs. Darth Maul
This fight scene is arguably the best scene in The Phantom Menace and Star Wars as a whole. It is visually stunning with the amount of choreography they use for the scene. Ray Park steals the show with the stunts and combat prowess he displays as Darth Maul. The scene is only elevated by "Duel of the Fates," which makes you fall in love with John Williams all over again. This is also the first time fans get to see a double-bladed lightsaber! The scene also carries a huge amount of weight because the (spoilers) death of Qui-Gon Jinn arguably sets the fall of Anakin Skywalker in motion.
6. Obi-Wan Kenobi Vs. General Grievous
Aside from spawning a ton of hilarious memes, the fight between Obi-Wan and General Grievous in Revenge of the Sith is epic. From the moment Kenobi says “Hello there,” to the chase down the various structures, to their momentous conclusion, the entire battle is a visual spectacle. It is also one of the only times we get to see General Grievous in action in the film. As a kid, I always thought Grievous was super cool, and it was solely because of this fight. A cyborg wielding a lightsaber in each of his four arms is amazing regardless of who he is fighting. Obi-Wan is just the icing on the cake.
5. Red Room Fight
Fans are divisive on The Last Jedi, to say the least. However, whatever problems you have with the film as a whole, we can all agree the Red Room Fight is phenomenal. Much like the fight with the Knights of Ren, the fight in Snoke’s chamber are visually stunning to look at. Seeing Rey and Kylo fight side-by-side against the vermillion backdrop with fluid choreographed movements is just amazing. However brief it may be, it does give you a little hope for the moment that maybe Ben could be redeemed, and they would join forces together.
4. Jedi Coliseum
Seeing dozens of Jedi battle it out in a Roman Colosseum-type arena with countless aliens is enough to sell me on any Star Wars movie. Not to mention we also get to see Count Dooku and Jango Fett in action too. George Lucas has said in the past that he wanted to demonstrate how powerful the Jedi were in the prequels. I think that this scene does just that. Every chaotic second is pure gold. The various Jedi battling it out really give the sense of a war brewing. With the number of Jedi involved, you know this war is going to be huge. I also believe this is the most Jedi we have seen on screen at one time in any of the Star Wars movies, and I long for the day when we get a battle equivalent to this in a Star Wars film.
3. Yoda Vs. Count Dooku
The incredible thing about the coliseum battle is that it takes us directly into a battle with Count Dooku fighting Ob-Wan and Anakin. Their battle end rather quickly with Dooku cutting off Anakin’s hand and injuring Obi-Wan. Then Master Yoda arrives, and the dynamic completely changes. Not only is this a master versus a former apprentice, but this is also the first time we get to see Yoda fight in the films. The way Yoda almost hobbles into the fight initially makes you worried. However, that quickly changes as he is able to match every Force ability that Dooku throws at him. He is even able to take Dooku’s Force Lightning and channel it into his own energy. Seeing Yoda bounce around from the ground to Dooku’s ship and then to a wall while swinging his lightsaber everywhere is also a sight to behold. The duel is cut short when Yoda stops to save Anakin and Obi-Wan, giving Dooku the opening to escape. I would have run too if I had to fight Yoda.
2. Yoda Vs. Darth Sidious
Going straight from one Yoda fight to another, this one takes it to another level. Until now in the prequels, we have only seen Darth Sidious quietly manipulating everything from behind the scenes. Even in the original trilogy, we only see a small fraction of his power. Now we get to see the Sith Lord in action fighting one of the strongest Jedi to ever live. You can feel the adrenaline in this fight between the strongest Sith and the strongest Jedi. It is a battle where each side takes the upper hand multiple times. Their skills with a lightsaber and knowledge of the Force are put to the test. Seeing the battle move into the senate chamber adds to the epic scale of the duel. Sidious hurling senate seats at Yoda only to have one redirected at him is a spectacle indeed. It is easy to see why both of these characters are regarded as the best on their respective sides of the Force.
1. Anakin Skywalker Vs. Obi-Wan Kenobi
This is the lightsaber duel to end all duels. It is a fight between Jedi Master and Sith Lord, between master and apprentice, between two friends, between two brothers. This is the rise of Darth Vader, and how he becomes the character we know in A New Hope. The duel is fast-paced and action-packed, as it moves through several locations. The action never stops either as they move from room to room, their swords clashing along the way. Their battleground is punctuated by surrounding lava the entire time!
At one point lava splashes on what they are using for an arena, forcing them to hop on top of droids to continue their fight down the lava river. Everything in this scene is amazing. The stunt work, the choreography, the setting, the saber combat, the characters, the performances, the location, and the ending all take my breath away at every moment. It is the best duel I have seen in Star Wars, and it will definitely be hard to match.