[IMG:L]No matter which Star Wars trilogy they grew up on, generations of children around the world have one thing in common: At some point they’ve swung a makeshift lightsaber against a playground opponent and reenacted the riveting duels they saw on the big screen. In the past 30 years “Jedis and Sith” have eclipsed “Cowboys and Indians” as the preferred form of play-combat.
The new CGI-animated film Star Wars: The Clone Wars unleashes even more memorable ‘saber showdowns–Obi-Kenobi takes on assassin and Sith aspirant Asajj Ventress, while Anakin Skywalker confronts an old foe–which gives Hollywood.com the perfect excuse to revisit and rank the top 10 lightsaber battles of all time.
All Photo(s) by Lucasfilm LTD- © 2008- All Rights Reserved
10. Obi-Wan Kenobi vs, General Greivous – Revenge of the Sith
As the Jedi’s premiere swordsman, Obi-Wan faces down the droid-organic hybrid Greivous with confidence and aplomb, even though the General fearsomely brandishes four lightsabers taken from Jedi he’s killed. Grevious’ showy mechanical precision is not equal to Obi-Wan’s uncanny ability, but his cyborg strength gives him an edge, forcing the Jedi to resort to an “uncivilized” solution–frying Grevious’ organic innards from a distance with a blaster.[PAGEBREAK]
9. Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi vs. Count Dooku – Attack of the Clones
As Darth Tyranus, Dooku’s mastery of the Dark Side allows him to wield his weapon in a way we’ve never seen before, slicing elegantly and effortlessly like a rapier. Dooku makes short work of padawan Anakin and deftly wounds and disarms Obi-Wan. Anakin’s anger pushes him to engage again, cleverly using his own saber and Obi-Wan’s to press a two-bladed attack, but he remains outmatched, losing his forearm as the price of his bravery–or his arrogance.[PAGEBREAK]
8. Yoda vs. Count Dooku – Attack of the Clones
Answering questions left percolating in fans’ imaginations since Episode V, the wizened Yoda’s imposing fighting skill is at last unveiled in an all-out assault against his ex-padawan. Equally matched in energy manipulation, Yoda and Dooku must engage in a fast and furious physical fight in which the wizened Jedi Master summons the Force to cast away the infirmities of age to duel like a whirling dervish–unfortunately, Dooku’s distracting attempt to kill Obi-Wan and Anakin allows the Sith Lord to escape, turning this grudge match into a draw.[PAGEBREAK]
7. Mace Windu vs. Darth Sidious – Revenge of the Sith
Short but savage, this fight features a full-throttle Mace Windu crossing sabers with Sidious, whom we’d yet to see wield a weapon: until now his most potent attacks were through his poisonous plotting. Though Sidious demonstrates his prowess by swiftly slaying a trio of Jedi, Master Windu’s way with a saber and unflagging willpower appears superior in a battle that’s exhilarating, if all-too-brief. Unfortunately, the disarmed Dark Lord still has a pair of aces up his sleeve: Anakin and those electrifying energy tendrils from his fingers. [PAGEBREAK]
6. Obi-Wan Kenobi vs. Darth Vader – Star Wars
The original battle that showed us just how Jedis and Sith throw down. Not only does it showcase the basic principles of lightsaber combat (the two-handed technique indicating that the weapons feel heavy and powerful, and the unexpectedly elegant, balletic choreography between an elderly man and a hulking cybernetic monstrosity that foreshadows the superhuman physical grace we come to expect from Force-wielders) it also demonstrates that, when Obi-Wan falls to Vader’s sweeping slice, the good guy doesn’t always win–yet in his own Zen-like way, he does.[PAGEBREAK]
5. Anakin Skywalker vs. Count Dooku – Revenge of the Sith
Although not the most elaborately choreographed encounter, this duel is chilling on a couple of levels. After we see how a Sith Lord’s unsporting use of Force trickery can take out Obi-Wan, Count Dooku spars with Anakin mentally as much as physically, goading the Jedi to use hatred to gain power, revenge and conquest. Anakin actually heeds his advice–with some not-so-subtle prodding from Palpatine: literally disarmed, Dooku discovers that Anakin just became Palpatine’s new apprentice at his own expense, beheaded neatly with a scissor-cut from his own lightsaber. [PAGEBREAK]
4. Luke Skywalker vs. Darth Vader – Return of the Jedi
The concluding clash of the saga delivers on angst and action. Luke reluctantly takes up arms against the father he hopes to redeem and, now a full Jedi, rises to the challenge admirably, only to find his peaceable philosophies challenged by the Emperor’s sudden interest in his newly revealed sister, Leia. In a protective rage, Luke unleashes as never before, hacking furiously, ungracefully away at a Vader unready for the intensity of his assault. But the potent symbolism of slicing his father’s fist into a pile of smoldering circuits shocks Luke, who has his own metallic mitt, back to his senses, and he veers off the path to the Dark Side. Not only that, his selflessness inspires an awakening of good in Anakin, who rises up to rebel against his Sith master. [PAGEBREAK]
3. Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi vs. Darth Maul – The Phantom Menace
The shining moment of Episode One pits two skilled Jedi Knights against the mysterious, mute and menacing Sith Lord who brings more than just a double-bladed lightsaber to the fight on Naboo – he brings the most flamboyant, ferocious and formidable fighting style seen in any of the films. Maul aggressively taunts and twirls, proving a single-handed match for the master-padawan pair Indeed, Qui-Gon ultimately can’t compete, tragically run through by Maul’s lightning-fast bladework. Obi-Wan, though young and unseasoned, demonstrates both a mastery of swordsmanship and quick tactical thinking that will distinguish him, leaves Maul as bifurcated as his saber – even Maul’s demise is a shock, as we’re sorry to see such a stand-out Sith go so soon (and extra points for John Williams’ haunting “Duel of the Fates” score). [PAGEBREAK]
2. Anakin Skywalker vs. Obi-Wan Kenobi – Revenge of the Sith
This is the one we’ve been waiting for: Obi-Wan at the height of his skill, Anakin embracing the Dark Side, both knowing “the Chosen One” has started down a path of no return. The stakes grow higher and the combat more intense as Mustafar’s volcanic battleground becomes increasingly tenuous – Anakin introduces the vicious chokehold that will become a Vader trademark, while Obi-Wan shows the full force of his tactical thinking and swashbuckling swordsmanship. The battle reaches an epic crescendo as Anakin, in anger and arrogance, makes a near-fatal mistake ending with his legs amputated and his body as consumed by lava fire as his soul is consumed by hate. Only then does Obi-Wan finally break down, putting an emotional capstone on the battle by crying out in frustration over Anakin’s betrayal. The one downside to this duel: we knew going in how it was going to end. [PAGEBREAK]
1. Luke Skywalker vs. Darth Vader – The Empire Strikes Back
Other battles may be flashier or staged on a grander scale, but among all six episodes no lightsaber exchange combines as many dramatic elements to such thrilling effect. Luke arrives at Cloud City ill-prepared for his duel with a Sith Lord–his first real lightsaber fight, ever; Vader toys with his new enemy early on, testing his skills; Luke introduces an acrobatic edge to the duel; and Vader breaks the rules as we knew them, using the Force to toss everything that isn’t nailed down at his unsuspecting foe. Finally, the battle ends with two cruel, cutting blows, one physical, and one emotional: Vader slices off Luke’s hand, then hits him with those painful, soul-wrenching words “I am your father.” SAY WHAT??? Luke escapes with his life, barely, and after having been given a taste of just how intense a clash of Jedi and Sith can get, both our hero, Skywalker Sr. and we know that there’s still a final dramatic confrontation–with energy blades, no doubt–yet to come. For leaving us satisfied yet wanting so much more, this one earns the title of the greatest lightsaber duel ever.
