Lightsaber fighting styles - definative list

I thought it would be an interest topic to try and list all know methods of Lightsaber fighting and their specific details.

"Light" Style

Used by a young Obi Wan Kenobi and also used on occasion by Kyle Katarn, the lightsaber is held in a two handed grip with the hilt held low and to the right with the tip pointing over the left shoulder(or low and left with the tip pointing right). This style is amazing fast and elegant, though it cannot defend well against heavy blows.

"Medium" Style AKA Form III

The most commonly used style for the Jedi Knights, and used by notible names such as Luke Skywalker, Obi Wan Kenobi, and Kyle Katarn. The hilt is in much the same location as the "Light" style except that the blade only points to the slightly to the left. The strikes and blocks from this style can be very effective and strong, while still being fast enough to keep up with an agile opponent. It a felixible, relible style, used just as well facing a lightsaber weilder as against a large group of blaster weilding thugs. It also is very effective at deflecting blaster bolts. It can best be described as a Jack of All Trades. But like the saying goes, it doesn't do any one thing very well.

"Strong" style. Form II

Usually used by Jedi Masters because of its immense power, the "Strong" style is a force to be feared. An ancient and beautiful (but difficult to master) fighting style, it has been used by the fearsome Darth Vader and Dark Jedi Count Dooku. The style is best used against another saber weilder. The lightsaber can be used one handed for addition speed and agility, or two handed for earth shattering strikes. The power behind these blows are enough to batter a even the stoutest of Jedi into an inescapible position. Indeed, few Jedi lived to tell the tale of their encounter with the Darklord's awesome might. Its only weakness is small lack of speed, but a strong force user weilding this style is nearly unstopoible.

Form IV

Noted for its power, form IV is the choice for agressive, proactive Jedi. Anakin Skywalker is a famous user of this style. Again, the saber can be used one or two handed. It's powerful strikes can be executed quickly and easily. Hordes of Genosians and Battle Droids met their end untimely end during the Battle of Genosis under this style's effectiveness.

"Reverse" style

A rare addition to the Jedi techniques, this style is best used for maxium defence while still being able to land critical blows. Adi Gallia and Mara Jade Skywalker both used this style frequently. The hilt is held in the opposite direction as with other styles, with the blade parallel with the arm. One can easily block numerous strikes and still be able to fight back when employing its use. Acrobatics and martial arts moves are can be quickly employed should be blade be suddenly out of position at a critical moment. The speed of this style is another bonus to its usage. It's main drawback is that it is not effective for aggresive moments or attacks.

I'll post some more later, if anyone wants to jump in and cover some other styles, feel free to. It'd be pretty cool to have all the known lightsaber styles in one place for easy reference. Plus they're just cool.

 

Actualy I'm not sure if form II is what vader was using.

Form II is more of a elegant swashbuckiling style, like fencing. It's an old jedi style not a darkside style, but it's rarely used anymore as jedi are trained not for sword fighting but to defend projectile fighting.

Vader's style was not that elegant, but used more striking motions.

Vader was using one of the later forms. As I recall forms goes up to form 7 as I recall.

 

Hmm... the one handed and two handed techniques used by Vader and Dooku were VERY similar. I'm drawing on my memory of the Carbon Chamber fight and the Hanger duel.

 

Dooku didn't use form II in the movie actually. Which is a shame.

Form VII according to the visual dictionary is closer to the sith form of fighting.

 

I think Master Yoda used a customized version of Forms I-VII, basically he learned how to fight even better by jumping around alot and doing triple flips in mid air.

 

Form VII is rather implied to be a customization of all the forms before it, I-VI. One has to know all or most of the forms to be able to use it. Which is why it's useally only known by those that train to fight or kill.

 

I did a research-y thing for this a bit back. I believe that the general way is that the higher the number, the stronger the style. I is your bog standard class, II is often forgotten, and then you go slowly upwards in skill, power or however you wish to view it.



Yoda doesnt count IMO. He jumps round due to his size, so you cant really count it.

 

Mace was a form VII expert.

 

Mara holds her blade upside down?

When was this said?

 

Well if you were Yoda's size wouldnt you jump around and do triple flips in midair while fighting? Besides thats probably the same way Yaddle and Even Piell fought when they dueled with opponents too, if you can do certain things because of your small size that others cannot do or cant do easily why not use those abilities while fighting in combat?

Personally i would like to see how yoda would fight the Battle Droids in the areana ,i mean if he was there when Mace confronted Dooku and another Jedi Master would come with the Clone army at the same later point, yoda would have wiped the floor with Jango Fett and taken out multiple droids at once and nobody would come close to hitting him.

 

are you gay?

 

What's darth Maul's style?
and what style uses two lightsabers(like when anakin used the two or
in the deleted scenes where dooku used 2)

 

A lot of the time, Mara fights with the blade along her forearm, check out Dark Tide: Onslaught, and Enemy Lines: Rebel Dream for examples.

Keep the comments coming guys! We can always revise the information.

Two Lightsabers:

Often used as a measure of last resort, or when maxium striking ability is need, a skilled force user may use a lightsaber in each hand to double his offensive and defensive abilities. Most Jedi are taught this style, though few are in a situation to use it. Anakin Skywalker, Luke Skywalker, Exar Kun, Boc, as well as dozens of Jedi at the Battle of Geonosis employed this style. The user has the ability to block and strike at the same time, strike from two different angles, and deflect blaster bolts from one side while fighting with the other. It is a potentially devastating technique, but takes far more effort and consentration than using a single blade.

 

oh, ok. That's cool.

 

Come on, anyone want to take a shot at another saber style?

 

It is the basic agreement that there is 7 saber fightin styles, can anyone tell me an example for each saber style with a charactor?

 

Anakin1607,

A good topic, I think was discussed before [can't remember], and I think the styles were classed differently....


Obi Wan Kenobi [Young]
Use's a fluid style, partial martial arts and partial fencing.
Style probably learned from Obi Wan's Master, Qui Gon Jinn.
You don't see him defect many laser blast with this style, except briefly in EpI.
It would also make sense that Luke & Anakin Skywalker learned this style due to their apprentice-ship under Kenobi.

Count Dooku
Trully a classic fencing style with great agility. Precise and direct with a lot of calm. Probably learned from Yoda and fine tuned by Darth Sidious.

Yoda
A eliquient style full of grace and power. True martial art form and precision. Blows would come from any direction.

Mace Windu
Much like Yoda's, with precision and grace that would strike in a blink of an eye with true power. Never lost focus when defending or reacting with his saber.

Darth Vader
A classic form that was probably a modified version of his early techniques. Due to him losing his arm, then the soon to come Lava duel with Kenobi.
Uses the force to guide his blow's and focus them.
Remember, his suit was extremely heavy.

Darth Maul
Although he doesn't trully use one light-saber always, his style of fighting is to counter any style brought before him.
Power, grace, balance, precision; all to defend then destroy. Due to the fact he was only one, and had to be prepared to fight one or more Jedi at any given time.

...I know this isn't everybody, but it is reflective of almost all of the styles seen. Partially due to the fact that almost everybody we see fight or read about fighting, learned from one of these Jedi or Sith.....

 

hmm... lemme see which ones are of the Fencing styles...

 

As far as I can tell none seen in the movies are anything like true fencing.

Is anyone here a martial artists or fencing expert so they can give there explainations for each flashy pseudo-fight seen in the films?

 

well strong seems like the dabre fencing I do.

None are like foil but all can be thought of techniquely as epee.

 

So there are actually multiple styles of fencing?

Which one is the one that has the kind of forward thrust with the saber?

 

That's foil. Dooku did more or less that... though it looked more like sabre.

 

True there...

 

There are many differnet fencing styles. In Japan, Musashi was the first to make a fencing school out of using two swords at once against many opponents. The Wakizashi isn't used in duels for the most part, except in that one style. In fact, some schools were pratically identical save for a few key moves that were gaurded like state secrets. Musashi using his "fire and stones" cut detailed in his books, was able in a freindly duel to shatter his opponents weapon. When you see an enemy will block your strike, you hit even HARDER. Needless to say, Musashi was the winner of that fight.

It's like what Exar Kun did to his master's staff.

While some of the basic movements are pretty realistic Val, the fights are flashy for that reason, because it looks good. I think someone mentioned that because Jedi can sense each others movements somewhat, sometimes random moves are thrown in to catch a foe off gaurd.

 

I'm trying to separate the "styles" of lightsaber fighting from the "individual" tweaks a person may have added to it.

For example, you can see a difference between older Obi Wan Kenobi and Luke Skywalker's fighting. Even though most of the moves they use are the same. That's just individual style, no one uses the same technique the same way.

However, Count Dooku and Master Windu CLEARLY use different fight styles, as the moves are quite different.