Who is the greatest lightsaber duelist

The names, the images, the sounds. And as far back as I can remember, nothing has defined Star Wars more than the whooshing, whirring hum of a lightsaber. An elegant weapon from a more civilized age. Boy, have those weapons been featured in many scenes both elegant and clumsy.

Lightsaber duels are often the centerpiece of a Star Wars film, and that means iconic, classic moments mixed in with a few swing-and-a-miss duds. So, naturally, we've ranked them all.

To be included, a scene had to feature participants fighting each other with lightsabers, not just using a lightsaber in a fight. I extend my deepest regrets to Obi-Wan Kenobi vs.

Jango Fett. Of course, I also threw this rule out the window several times on this list. I regret nothing. Dave Filoni 's small-screen universe is wonderful, but this list does not need to be entries long. Ahsoka Tano vs. Darth Vader from "Twilight of the Apprentice" would arguably be 1, if that helps. I also did not include Darth Vader's appearance from Rogue One. That scene objectively whips an indescribable amount of ass, but calling it a "fight" is like saying the Death Star had an intellectual debate with Alderaan.

Apologies if this offends. This fight scene is, by a wide margin, the funniest bit of unintentional humor in all of Star Wars. Never has the Jedi looked more like a crew of absolute doofuses.

They just sort of watch him do it, flailing wildly. Kit Fisto Ben Cooke gets got like 30 seconds later, to the sound of McDiarmid making acting choices that can only be described as "questionable". Mace Windu and Palpatine then proceed to have the most lifeless lightsaber duel of the franchise, in which Samuel L. Jackson does the absolute least humanly possible across from McDiarmid doing the most. Pure comedy. Really, the only knock on this bite-sized battle in the desert of Tatooine is that it isn't longer.

Darth Maul Ray Park parkouring off a speeder-bike and briefly throwing down with Qui-Gon Jinn Liam Neeson is basically just a teaser for the double-sided badassery to come later in the movie. But it's still a quick jolt of electricity to a largely flat film, because the second Maul stepped on to screen you wanted to know what the cool-lookin' horn guy could do. Plus, lightsabers just photograph kind of gorgeously against brightly-lit outdoor backdrops, something the franchise really only did once before in Return of the Jedi.

But you can't go wrong with Christopher Lee as Count Dooku—arguably the most underutilized character of the entire franchise—making an operatic meal out of lines like " gooood, twice the pride, double the fall.

Once Ob-Wan gets knocked out of the fight, Anakin just wails on Dooku. My dude is swinging away like he's freaking Joaquin Phoenix in Signs and his lightsaber is a wooden baseball bat. It's sloppy but, ultimately, effective, a great piece of foreshadowing of the recklessness that will later lead Anakin to the dark side. The first entry on this list that isn't technically a lightsaber fight, but it is a pretty big piece of the franchise's puzzle: Rey Daisy Ridley and a recently-reformed Ben Solo Adam Driver simultaneously take on The Knights of Ren and Emperor Palpatine's Imperial Guard underneath Exegol.

Unfortunately, there's a laundry list of reasons I wasn't into any of this. It's the conclusion to the wildly unnecessary reveal that Rey is Palpatine's grandaughter, it's taking place beneath a space battle that barely makes sense, and it's a dimly-lit, poorly-staged rehash of the immensely more enjoyable throne room team-up in The Last Jedi.

However , I am also a simple man who enjoys simple pleasures, and Adam Driver's little shoulder shrug—the one that screams " Pure bliss. It might not feel completely earned, but Kylo Ren's brief transformation into a classic, thermal-wearing Star Wars Good Guy is very effective. Search your feelings, you know this ranking to be true.

Full disclosure: The moment immediately preceding the fight itself, when Yoda pulls his lightsaber from his belt like an absolute boss, is one of the hypest moments in movie history. I'll never forget the reaction in my first screening of Attack of the Clones ; it was like a bomb went off when the crowd realized what was about to go down.

To this day, it's still goosebumps worthy, and might be even better remembered if it wasn't directly followed by the exact type of embarrassing CGI calisthenics routine that made the prequels so frustrating. Every time I rewatch Attack of the Clones I'm waiting with anticipating for the lightsaber-pull moment, forgetting every time that Yoda's lil Jedi flips look, sound, and just generally are extremely bad.

The argument in its favor is usually that Yoda is using a legit Jedi technique Form IV , which, fair, but also an Olympic athlete using a legit gymnastic technique in a swordfight would still look really, really funny. Any lightsaber fight featuring Count Dooku is kind of fascinating because it had to contend with the fact Christopher Lee was 80 f reaking years old but also playing one of the most formidable fencers in the galaxy.

The man is a stone-cold legend, but there's only so much VFX can accomplish. Attack of the Clones features one of George Lucas ' most clever visual workarounds, a pair of extreme close-ups on Anakin and Dooku where their faces are just lit by lightsaber flashes. It's kind of weird, honestly, but a rare, refreshing break from your standard lightsaber duel framing.

With three rounds between them—plus two in which they're on the same side—Kylo Ren and Rey Daisy Ridley have the unique distinction of trying to kill each other with laser swords the most out of anyone in the Star Wars franchise. Their first Rise of Skywalker tango is the weakest, but it's at least unique in the sense that it takes place in two places at once. When his planet was attacked by the Jedi, he allowed himself to be recruited by Darth Sidious and Count Dooku to gain the revenge he wanted.

However, Count Dooku planted a bomb in his ship, almost destroying him. The Sith then transformed him into an unbeaten machine with nothing left of the Kaleesh warrior but his brain, heart, and a few organs. Grievous then rose to become the powerful leader of the clone army.

His fighting style is truly something impressive, as he uses lightsabers in a whirling motion like propellers. Although Rey had no formal Jedi training, the Force was always strong within her. To date, her lineage is shrouded in shadow. Fans debate whether or not she could be the daughter of Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, or some other famous or obscure Jedi.

For instance, in her battle with Kylo Ren, she manages to reach out for power and ultimately defeat him. At an early age, he began displaying similarities to his grandfather, Darth Vader. Afraid of where this could lead, his mother sent him to her brother, Luke Skywalker, for training. Ren could never fully get rid of the darkness inside himself. He distanced himself from his parents, who were already very busy with their own affairs.

Also, he discovered the secret of his connection to Darth Vader and felt furious that it was kept from him. His weakness made him attractive to Snoke, a powerful Dark Side user. Kylo Ren caused devastation to the Jedi and the Skywalker family. He destroyed many Jedi and was responsible for Luke to go into exile.

Watching Kylo Ren, it is impossible not to be impressed with his style. His flaming lightsaber is different from those used by the other Sith Lords, featuring a glowing cross guard. Lightsaber battles are swift, brilliant, and spectacular to watch.

Because of these 12 skilled duelists, they have become what they are now: unmatchable displays of power and finesse that are stunning to witness. No Ahsoka? She beat a few people on this list…maybe someone should watch the whole franchise first. Anakin is better than this… when Vader fought against Obi-wan-kenobi he won against him. Vader also defeated Luke twice, than after that hi died against him, but I believe the list is like this.

Yoda obviously 2. Anakin darth Vader 3. Darth Sidious 4. Mace Windu 5. Obi-wan-kenobi 6. Luke skywalker 7. Count Doku 8. Darth Maul 9. Qui gon Jin General grievous Plo Koon Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. May 4 Be With You is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Read more. Table of Contents 1. Master Yoda 2. Mace Windu 3. Obi-Wan Kenobi 4. Luke Skywalker 5. Emperor Palpatine Darth Sidious 6. Anakin Skywalker 7. Count Dooku 8. Qui-Gon Jinn General Grievous Rey Trained by Qui-Gon Jinn, Obi-Wan became distinctly aware of his surrounding environment, utilizing a principle of combat known as Sokan to gain a tactical advantage over his opponents.

This method eventually helped him defeat Anakin at Mustafar, giving him the higher ground and allowing him to exploit his weak points namely, his former apprentice's overconfidence. His patience as a swordsman also paid off in battles against the droid army leader General Grievous, who he easily exposed by targeting his internal makeup.

But sticking strictly to movie and television canon, he falls a bit short of being the best fighter on our list. Still, Luke is nothing to scoff at either. With limited knowledge of the Force, he survived the likes of Darth Vader before coming back with a vengeance in Return of the Jedi to best his father in one-on-one combat. When Luke Skywalker first landed on Dagobah to seek the guidance of the powerful teacher Yoda , the little green guy may not have come off as the wise master we know now, but he quickly showed his hand, teaching his student the ways of the Force and how they go hand in hand with one's combative skills.

Teaching was nothing new to Yoda when he met Luke. For over years, he passed his skills on to dozens of notable Jedi. While his small stature puts him at the bottom of the list in physical strength, he makes up the difference in tactful maneuvers, lightning fast agility and Force knowledge. Darth Sidious, born Sheev Palpatine , laid a foundation that took years to produce results, amassing a reputation as a mild-mannered servant with the good of the galaxy at heart.

As a Force-wielder, he channels his powers through his blade, creating a fluidity and force capable of killing multiple Jedi almost instantly. He demonstrates such abilities against Kit Fisto, Agen Kolar and Saesee Tiin when the Jedi go to arrest him after learning his true identity. According to who you ask, Sidious is hands down number one on this list, but there was one more Jedi during that arrest attempt who was capable of besting the Dark Lord at his own game.

One of two Jedi responsible for creating a new fighting style known as Vaapad, Mace Windu mastered the most difficult form of lightsaber dueling. The style in question was regarded as the most deadly, and when properly executed, it would appear so fast that the user looked to be wielding multiple lightsabers at once. But the form of combat was more than just a way of striking an opponent, it was a frame of mind that took considerable concentration and precision.

It was that kind of dedication that earned Windu his spot on the Jedi council at the age of 28 and built his reputation as one of the most proficient fighters ever. A noted swordsman and second on our list, Sidious falls quite easily to Windu, who makes quick work of the adversary by disarming him. It was only by the intervention of Anakin Skywalker that Windu was ultimately distracted, which to a chopped off hand and a nasty fall out the window.

Still, according to both George Lucas and Samuel L. Neither Luke, Vader, nor Sidious grabbed the number one spot! Surely you have some feedback on our rankings, so don't forget to leave your thoughts in the comments. By Turner Minton Published Dec 04, Share Share Tweet Email 0.

Related Topics Lists star wars star wars 8 star wars: rogue one star wars 7.