Saga What is your favourite Lightsaber Duel?

I remember being mostly unimpressed with TPM the first time I saw it then when this duel started I was like Holy ****!

I think I bought tickets to see TPM again just to see this duel.

 

Luke vs Vader ESB. "The force is with you young Skywalker, but you are not a jedi yet."

Chills. Just chills.

 

Obi-Wan vs pre-amputee Vader in ROTS. Absolutely spectacular and Ewan oozes class ("I have failed you Anakin." "Then you are lost!") so I can forgive the odd flaw.

Luke vs Vader in ESB is another big favourite. Beautifully shot and lit.

They're my two favourites.

 

Sidious vs Yoda

 

Palps vs Mace and 3 other Jedi Masters is my favourite

 

Why Duel of the Fates is so great:

 

all too easy...


second - duel of the fates is pretty mind-blowing. major props to the choreographers, actors, and stunt performers

third - rey/finn vs. kylo. loved the rough, realistic style. reminded me most of ESB

fourth - vader/luke rotj. the climax with the music/chant is a really great pins and needles moment in the saga for me

i don't think it's been mentioned yet, i also really liked this brief but exciting skirmish.
the first confrontation between the jedi and the sith in a millennia. maul looks wicked in full robe. and the flip he does off of his speeder bike...!

 

Sidious v Maul & Savage. Best. Star. Wars. Duel. Ever

 

The Anakin, Obi-Wan vs Dooku duel in the ROTS novel.

 

I'm confused since I don't believe that at all

 

Also wouldn't it be boring? Would they just stare at each other?

 

I guess he would have preferred a Gandalf vs Saruman style wizard battle. Which we did get on top of the lightsaber battle.

 

Palpatine VS Yoda: STARING CONTEST GO!

 

I guess I still have to go with ESB Luke Vs. Vader as the best. I'm not a prequel hater or anything, but if I'm being honest, I still enjoy watching/am more excited for the ESB duel than anything else during rewatches. This may be unexpected considering my top pic was ESB but, believe it or not, I actually thoroughly enjoyed the TPM duel as well. I think it was all great except 2 or 3 specific shots where it overtly looked like they were not actually trying to hit each other, and were actually AIMING for their opponent's lightsaber instead of their opponent (over choreographed). No I'm not confusing blocking with attacking. There are a couple times were Obi-Wan or Qui-Gon make clear 'attacks' that even if Maul didn't block them would have flat out missed him entirely. It's just dramatic choreography and I don't particularly hold it against them. Must have been an exhausting thing to choreograph. Didn't stop me from enjoying it, I'm just being honest. The true 'overly choreographed' issue didn't really bother me until Episodes II and III(Though honestly most of them at least still have some small parts and moments that are enjoyable).

Here's my list(Some of the middle and lower ones fluctuate with my mood that day lol):
01. ESB Luke Vs. Vader
02. TPM Obi-Wan & Qui-Gon Vs. Maul
03. ROTJ Luke Vs. Vader
04. ROTS Mace (& Other Jedi if they even count) Vs. Sidious
05. TFA Finn & Rey Vs. Kylo (If that counts as one single fight)
06. ROTS Yoda Vs. Sidious
07. ROTS Obi-Wan Vs. Anakin
08. ROTS Obi-Wan & Anakin Vs. Dooku
09. ANH Obi-Wan Vs. Vader
10. AOTC Obi-Wan & Anakin Vs. Dooku
11. AOTC Yoda Vs. Dooku
12. ESB Luke Vs. Fake Vader in the Cave
13. ANH Luke Vs. Training Remote
14. ESB Luke Vs. Wampa
15. TFA Finn Vs. Random Stormtrooper

...Okay those last 4 were jokes but I honestly do completely hate Finn's duel with the Stormtrooper. It felt so shoehorned-in, and nobody will ever convince me it wouldn't have been 10 times better if they replaced Random Stormtrooper with Captain Phasma in that scene(Seriously. Give her something to do!) and just have her 'survive injured' or 'appear to die' at the end. Seriously I wish someone was there to take a picture of my face while I watched that duel for the first time. Would have made a great meme.

 

Well in all fairness TCW made it pretty epic:

 

1. Luke Vs Vader-Return Of The Jedi
2. Mace Windu Vs Palpatine-Revenge Of The Sith
3. Luke Vs Vader- Empire Strikes Back

 

Anakin vs. Obi-Wan in ROTS is my favorite. I think it's the most emotionally powerful and intimate duel, while simultaneously feeling like an encounter from an epic myth.

 

It's a really sad duel when you look back and remember this scene.

 

E.S.B. Luke vs Vader
Followed by S.W. Obi-wan vs Vader
Then R.O.T.J. Luke vs Vader

 

They all serve their purpose. People will almost always favor the more dramatic ones, I think. All the duels should not be like that, though. If they were, Vader's entrance in Empire would feel toned down, or the ending exchanges in Sith would not be as gut wrenching. Peaks and valleys.

 

Before, I had placed the ROTJ duel on top and then the final duel between Anakin and Obi-Wan in second

But now, I'm going to say my favourite is the one in TFA!

Strange how, like many other aspects of the movie itself, it had disappointed me at first. But I then grew to love it. It isn't acrobatic and actiony like the PT nor is it really personal like the OT duels - it's more of a thematic statement of the movie itself, and I hope the rest of the ST can stay true to that.
I liked that we actually see Kylo Ren's crossguard being used practically, and the choreographers did a great job conveying the semi-trained Kylo Ren flourishing his saber with precision vs. Finn and Rey who sort of just swing theirs around like a bat
And I do love a good saber lock.... those shots of the fiery red and calm blue, sparks bouncing off of each other, each combatant's face lit up by it - VERY Lucasy

TFA, come out on blu-ray already so I can watch you more!

 

I've come to realize that the better lightsaber duels in the saga aren't fixed in one location, but rather progress in several stages. Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan vs Maul in TPM, Anakin vs Obi-Wan and Yoda vs Sidious in ROTS, and Luke vs Vader in ESB are examples of this. Other duels that primarily take place in one location are best separated when that have definitive changes in momentum based upon method of attack or an emotional beat. The best displays of this are Yoda vs Dooku in AOTC, Luke vs Vader in ROTJ and Kylo vs Finn and Rey in TFA.

 

Vader vs Obi-Wan on Mustafar. Top Duel in the saga by a mile in my opinion, no other has such drama and emotional depth between the participants.

But I also like Obi vs Grievous, Mavce vs Palpy, Yoda vs Palpy, Dooku vs Obi and Ani, and Obi and Quigon vs Maul, etc.

 

Luke vs Darth Vader on Bespin.

It's a very immersive duel for me, with excellent visuals particularly the freezing chamber. Emotionally its one of the best and I love how Vader is just playing with Luke.

 

Qui-Gon & Obi-Wan vs Maul (TPM)

Luke vs Vader (RotJ)

Yoda vs Sidious (RotS)