Ranking all ‘Star Wars’ Lightsaber Duels (Before ‘Episode IX’)

This one’s hardly a fight, more of a distraction. While Qui-Gon, Anakin, and Obi-Wan are fleeing back to their ship on Tatooine, Darth Maul finds them and locks instantly into combat with Qui-Gon. They fight just long enough for the ship to get going and then Qui-Gon hops on board. I think it goes without saying why this entry ranks the lowest out of all the lightsaber combat.

Including this in the list was more of a technicality. Lightsabers barely touch in this fight, as it’s more of a high-speed chase with some chokeslams and a shot to the heart. Still, Grievous pulling out all his arms with quad saber action was pretty cool to see, and Obi Wan’s lizard mount made some pretty cool noises.

This is a rather short fight and Obi-Wan is unconscious for 90% of it. There’s not much great about the fight. But we do see Anakin’s first traces of becoming Darth Vader and how evil Palpatine really is. Also, Anakin beheading Dooku with two lightsabers was pretty badass. 

This fight is a cool one, but it’s one that has more flash than substance. This scene does show us just how nuts Kylo Ren is; punching himself in the bowcaster wound in his abdomen. We also get to see Rey use the force for the first time, while Kylo thought he was willing the lightsaber to himself. That was a very cool series of events. But other than that, the lightsaber fight between Kylo Ren and Rey and Finn on the doomed Starkiller Base is just a visually stunning spectacle.

This is one of the more important fights from the prequels as it serves as the last nail in the coffin turning Anakin into Darth Vader. It also gives Sidious that beautiful look he sports in the original trilogy. The fight starts off as a cheap plot device to get rid of three powerful Jedi masters who get cut down like butter. But it then evolves into a decent fight between Windu and Palpatine. The impact this fight had on the franchise is undeniable, but looking at it as a duel it leaves much to be desired.

Yoda’s fight in Attack of the Clones against Count Dooku is definitely a good fight as well as Yoda’s first time in combat and wielding a lightsaber. But other than some cool force powers, and holding his own against a foe triple his size, this fight is kind of bland. The reason I have it ranked so low is that while okay, the Yoda/Sidious duel in Revenge of the Sith improves on this fight in every way.

The Return of the Jedi showdown between Darth Vader/Luke Skywalker is basically just a rematch from Empire, with the added bonus of the Emperor being in Darth Vader’s corner. While the combat itself isn’t too impressive, the character development of both duelists is. Darth Vader having inner conflict whether or not he can kill his own son, while also desperate to impress the Emperor. And Luke, trying everything he can to save his father, who he believes can still be saved. This scene also leads to one of the most impactful moments of the original trilogy; Vader once again becoming Anakin Skywalker, if only for a short time.

The first time Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker lock blades is not just one of the cooler fights in the original trilogy, but it also leads to one of the most iconic scenes in movie history. While the fight has the same issues as the other fights in the original trilogy (actors scared of breaking the lightsabers, virtually non-existent choreography, etc), it would be the best fight in the original trilogy if not for the impact of the Obi-Wan/Darth Vader fight in A New Hope.

Honestly, looking back at this fight after taking the nostalgia glasses off…it’s a pretty boring fight. It was the ’70s, Alec Guinness was old and couldn’t do anything dynamic, the Darth Vader suit was obviously pretty restricting, and they were scared to break the lightsabers. So why is it so high up on the list? The impact. This is the very first lightsaber duel ever, in all of Star Wars. The first time we got to see lightsabers clash. It’s an important fight to be sure, but not a very good one.

Okay, I’m already breaking my rule as this fight doesn’t have any lightsabers actually clashing, but they do clash with the Praetorian Guard’s electro-vibroblades and what not. Whether you loved The Last Jedi or hated it, you have to admit the Throne Room battle was a beautiful scene. The choreography in this scene blew away any other fight in the sequel trilogy (Rise of Skywalker excluded, obviously). In addition, just the set design of the whole room; the red room, red Praetorian Guards, Kylo’s red lightsaber contrasts so well with Rey’s blue lightsaber. Personally, this is one of my favorite scenes out of any of the Star Wars films, but objectively speaking I think #5 is a good spot.

Obviously this fight ranks above the Obi-Wan, Anakin vs Dooku fight in Revenge of the Sith, because it’s actually a fight and not just a flashy plot device. This is also the first time we get to see force lighting in the prequels, which is one of my favorite dark side powers.

The Yoda vs Darth Sidious fight throughout the senate building in Revenge of the Sith was definitely one of the most fun fights to watch. The size juxtaposition of the two combatants alone was unique as the only time before this we saw Yoda go toe-to-toe with someone was with Count Dooku in the movie prior. This is also one of the only times we get to see Yoda just be a bad-ass with the lightsaber.

Phantom Menace is quite the stinker. But what it got right was Darth Maul and the ‘Duel of the Fates’ at the end between Sith Lord, Master, and Apprentice. Another fight that travels through a location, with multiple instances of amazing choreography. Another thing I really liked about this duel was the pacing. Near the end when Maul is activating the red barriers it gives the fight a nice pace before the shocking events at the end (R.I.P. Qui Gon).

The battle between Anakin/Darth Vader and Obi-Wan on Mustafar is easily the coolest lightsaber battle in the entire saga. I know people have mixed feelings about the prequels, but there’s pretty much no denying that an almost 20-minute lightsaber duel over molten lava ending with the birth of one of the most iconic movie characters of all time should take number 1 on this list. The fight has excellent choreography and the contrast of the blue sabers on the lava is beautiful. The only thing that detracts from this fight is the frequent cuts to less exciting parts of the movie mid-battle. 

Honorable Mentions:

Darth Vader Rebel Slaughter (Rogue One)

While no lightsabers clashed in this scene, I still felt I needed to include it because it might be THE coolest scene in any Star Wars movie featuring a lightsaber. Darth Vader mowing through hallways of republic troops, slashing and forcing was just so satisfying. Imagine A New Hope if THIS was the Darth Vader we had.

So there are our rankings of the lightsaber duels in the Star Wars saga. Do you agree with our list? Disagree? Let us know in the comments

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