No there aren’t any spoilers about the upcoming Star Wars: The Force Awakens here.
Now that we have that out of the way, let’s contemplate Kylo Ren’s new lightsaber that we’ve all seen in The Force Awakens trailers. You don’t need to be a Star Wars fan to know that lightsabers are a big deal in the movie, I mean who doesn’t love swords made of pure light? If you always wanted to do the Star Wars marathon before The Force Awakens, but cannot find the time, watch these lightsaber fights and you’ll remember Star Wars as if you watched the episodes yesterday.
1. Qui Gon Jinn and Obi Wan Kenobi vs Darth Maul in The Phantom Menace
Not written by Yoda, this story is. So, we’ll take things from the top. Episode 1, The Phantom Menace, was perhaps the first time we saw an unusual lightsaber. Darth Maul’s saber was two-sided and boy was he good with it! It took Qui Gon and Obi Wan Kenobi, two of the strongest Jedis ever to defeat him, but it wasn’t before Qui Gon lost his life to the two-sided saber.
2. Yoda vs Count Dooku in Attack of the Clones
In Episode II, Yoda enters Count Dooku’s hangar and leaves the world stunned with his skills as a swordsman. Fun fact, this is also the first time we see force lightning being stopped, when Yoda absorbs Dooku’s lightning strike.
3. Yoda vs Darth Sidious in Revenge of the Sith
The little green guy is again amazing when fighting Darth Sidious (Senator Palpatine), in Episode III. The fact that this was the most recent of the Star Wars movies made the CGI even better. The battle, in our opinion, is the second-best in the Star Wars series.
4. Obi Wan Kenobi vs General Greivous in Revenge of the Sith
As mentioned above, Episode III had the best CGI amongst all Star Wars movies. This one includes General Grievous’ mechanical body and four lightsabers against little old Obi Wan Kenobi. Here you learn why Kenobi is what he is and it’s also amongst the best lightsaber battles ever.
5. Obi Wan Kenobi vs Anakin Skywalker in Revenge of the Sith
Sticking with Kenobi and Episode III, is there really any lightsaber fight that is better than this one? Kenobi vs Dark Anakin Skywalker is definitely the best fight in the Star Wars series. It leaves Anakin a broken man (literally) and his subsequent conversion to the Darth Vader that we’ve known and loved.
6. Obi Wan Kenobi vs Darth Vader in A New Hope
Interestingly, while Kenobi may have been one of the best Jedis to ever live, he also died in the first ever lightsaber battles seen on Star Wars. There’s a catch of course, but if you don’t remember, then we’ll let the video remind you!
Yes, there are plenty more that we could have chosen, but if you’re looking for the best lightsaber battles in the Star Wars series, then these are definitely it. Luke Skywalker’s battles against Darth Vader are important to the storyline, but they really aren’t as thrilling as the ones mentioned here. Still, if you absolutely have to watch them, here’s some help!
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)