Lightsaber duels, ranked

I got into a discussion about the quality of lightsaber duels in Star Wars, so naturally I decided to provide a definitive and 100% objective ranking. I haven't seen Clone Wars and can't include those, but Rebels is in. Here goes:

 

1) Luke Skywalker vs. Darth Vader, Episode V 

"The Empire strikes back" is universally regarded as the best Star Wars movie, and the lightsabre fight between Luke and Darth Vader has to qualify as well. Why is it so good, despite being totally lopsided and featuring only a few saber clashes? One, there's the emotional stakes involved. The fight itself is just an expression of the big mistake Luke makes in seeking out Vader (from a certain perspective, at least). Its whole pacing and dynamic reflects that. 

 

Second, Vader is framed as this horror movie enemy, appearing and disappearing almost at will, with the deserted Bespin station as a really frightening background. It's great in terms of tone, and the whole setting is absolutely fantastic, ending over that almost endless drop, with the wind and Luke destroyed body and soul. 

 

No lightsaber duel can touch you like this one, it has to have top billing. 

 

2) Luke Skywalker vs. Darth Vader, Episode VI

 

A close second, however, has to be the final fight on the death star. Like with the whole plot of "Raiders of the Lost Arc", many wise-asses have noted that the result of this duel doesn't matter at all, since Palpatine and Vader were going to die in the Death Star explosion anyway. 

 

The duel, however, is the very definition of "existential victory", if there ever was one. Luke isn't going up there to defeat Vader or the Empereror, he's on the Death Star because he believes there is still good in his father and that he actually can beat the Dark Side. This is what he proves, where he really becomes a Jedi, and the crossed lighstabers over Palpatine's cackling face are a memorable expression of this. 

 

3) Obi-Wan Kenobi and Qui-Gon Jinn vs. Darth Maul, Episode I 

 

If there is one criticism for our top two contenders exists, it's that they're not especially outstanding action sequences. Until 1999, fans had to rely on comics, video games and their own imagination for really suspenseful action spectacles as lightsaber fights. While the quality of "The Phantom Menace" remains somewhat debated, even the biggest haters will appreciate the final fight between the two Jedi and Darth Maul. 

 

The triel is noticeable for its frantic pace, a swinging of lightsabres that was inconceivable in the original trilogy and has remained the wet dream of fans until the release of a Phantom Menace. Maul is a great physical presence, the emotional stakes are serviceable and the whole staging of the triel with its revolving laser doors, the pit and of course the memorable soundtrack make this the last one on the winner's staircase. 

 

4) Rey and Kylo Ren vs. Snoke's guards, Episode VIII 

Another episode of hotly debated quality, episode VIII does deliver to full satisfaction with Rey and Kylo's fight against Snoke's guards. The whole scene looks absolutely astonishing, the emotional stakes are high because we don't know how long this alliance of convenience will last, and the energy weapons wielded by the goons make for an interesting change in what we know and expect.

We also get a very character-oriented choreography, with the two Jedi bringing their own mindsets to the fight and showing their compatability in each and every move, from the first back-to-back stance to the throwing of the lightsaber at the end. Without this fight, there would be no suspense nor believability in Kylo's outstretched hand afterwards. It fully delivers everywhere it counts. 

 

5) Obi-Wan Kenobi vs. Anakin Skywalker, Episode III 

The final confrontation between the old friends is very well choreographed, features interesting locations and brings the whole conflict to a head, especially after the hideous disfigurement Anakin suffers at the very end. For me, however, it's always held back by the whimsy nature of some of the jump'n'run sequences and their CGI as well as by Obi-Wan's nonsensical statement about having the high ground. 

 

6) Rey and Finn vs. Kylo Ren, Episode VII

When the plot of "Force Awakens" was still a mystery and we couldn't be sure who was a real Jedi and who wasn't, this fight was really great - it gets cheapened a bit by the knowledge of the later movies, but as a finale, it worked great. The setup is very good, with Kylo wounded by Chewbacca and therefore not able to dispatch of Rey and Finn as quickly as he'd like, and the suspense of whether Finn will be able to stand his ground is sustained to the triumphal claiming of the sword by Rey, a shot that is beautifully mirrored in the finale when she confronts Luke. The breaking Starkiller base physically removing the fighters is also a nice touch. All around, a very good duel. 

 

7) Obi-Wan Kenobi vs. Darth Vader, Episode IV

The first duel we ever see onscreen can hardly be called that, as Prowse and Guiness just lightly touch flourescent sticks with each other, but this isn't about the action, it's all about character. Obi-Wan only fights long enough to see the others off and deliver some lines to Darth Vader, and the whole idea is that Vader will essentially transform Obi-Wan into something more with this, a classical trope of brutish enemies only thinking in terms of destruction. 

 

8) Ezra Bridger and Kanan Jarrus vs. The Grand Inquisitor, Rebels Season 1

This is essentially a rehash of Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon fighting Maul in Episode 1, but it has enough interesting elements to keep the audience engaged. The question of whether Kanan will bite it always hangs on the proceedings, the huge gulf in ability makes it interesting for Ezra and the many different levels of the location provide suspense on their own. 

 

9) Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker vs. Count Dooku, Episode II

Episode II ends with a lightsaber duel, because of course it does. That's unfortunate, because it didn't need to. With all respect to Christopher Lee, but he's not a man to fight with swords, and we've seen enough of those in the rest of the Geonosis sequence. Lucas is starting to rely a bit too much on swords in order to generate finales, a trend that will find its ultimate expression in Episode III. It also features the first appearance of gumball Yoda, which I really hate. 

 

10) Obi-Wan Kenobi vs. General Grievous, Episode III

Without having seen the Clone Wars series, it's difficult to care about Grievous, and the droid (?) is just not someone I can take serious as an opponent, even with four arms. The outcome against Kenobi is never in doubt and played too much for laughs in my view, especially given the blaster-y end. 

 

11) Yoda vs. Palpatine, Episode III 

I will never understand why Lucas decided to let Palpatine and Yoda both have lighstabers, or let Yoda jump around like a gumball with too much caffein. The fight is not interesting until it reaches the Senate chamber, where the symbolism of Palpatine throwing actual Senate seats at Yoda makes this at least passably interesting. But how would these two ever settle a conflict with saber-y violence? It makes no sense and should never have been done. 

 

12) Ahsoka Tano vs. Darth Vader, Rebels season 2

Some fans might have found this event cathartic, after several seasons of Clone Wars and all, but I did not feel anything. It was obvious that Vader couldn't lose, the emotional stakes were non-existent, Ahsoka not very fleshed out in Rebels and the whole thing ends with a fake-out. Booooring. 

 

13) Rey and Kylo Ren vs. Palpatine, Episode IX

You can't have a good lightsaber fight if you don't care, and Episode IX is "I don't care" writ large. The fight is static, with Palpatine fixed to his machine, and it feels like something from Dragon Ball Z, with Rey and Kylo winning by concentrating very hard and shouting in distress. Skip it.