Lightsabers are one of the staple trademarks within the Star Wars universe, causing fans to purchase variations of the weapon in real life. The tool’s wielders, whether a Jedi or a Sith, are also a massive component of the franchise because of their original fighting styles and techniques. So, which character boasts the best lightsaber stances? We’ll explore this idea by ranking these poses solely based on awesomeness.
11. Rey’s Quarterstaff Interpretation (Form V)
Rey’s unique fighting style combines various characteristics of the Skywalker siblings and techniques used with her Quarterstaff. For instance, if we look at Star Wars: The Force Awakens, she can get through fights with her staff almost effortlessly, suggesting that she has been practicing with the tool for a long time. Although Rey changes her weapon later down the line, she continues to incorporate similar abilities into her new form.
Based on her training with Luke and Leia Skywalker, fans have claimed that her combat style reflects Form V, a lightsaber technique focusing on offensive and quick-paced defensive strategies. While it isn’t officially confirmed, this method seems to match her aggressive combat tactics shown in the films.
10. Luke Skywalker Reignites The Way of the Krayt Dragon (Form V)
As the main protagonist who started the galactic series, it’s no surprise that Luke Skywalker would be making it on this list of awesomeness. This famous character relied on old Jedi texts and previous experiences in battles to influence the forms he used in combat. But, even if Master Yoda, a known user of Form IV, briefly trained Luke, Darth Vader impacts his technique the most with the Way of the Krayt Dragon.
Anakin Skywalker often used aggression from Form V before turning to the Dark Side, which Luke also utilizes against him in the future. You can see a perfect example of this during The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, as he exhibits many rageful acts throughout multiple showdowns. Nonetheless, his fighting style is still different from his father’s, given that he can control his temper moderately better than Anakin.
9. The Past Teachings of Kanan Jarrus (Form III and Jar’Kai Method)
In the short time Kanan Jarrus received training from Master Depa Billaba, he learned the techniques of Form III, a defensive ability used by several Jedis. However, his fighting style drastically changed after the tragedy of his master during Order 66, causing Jarrus to develop new combat strategies throughout Star Wars Rebels.
One of the most notable instances to describe Jarrus’ originality is the fight between him and the Grand Inquisitor, where he utilizes a lightsaber and blaster together. Unfortunately, Kanan undergoes another drastic change when he becomes blind while battling against Darth Maul. But, thanks to his strong connection to the Force, he victoriously wins and is also seen using the reverse grip of the Jar’Kai method.
8. General Grievous’s Quadruple Lightsaber Form (All Seven Forms)
General Grievous certainly knows how to make a grand entrance in any battle, mainly due to his ability to wield four lightsabers. In addition, the character goes beyond the limits of an ordinary human being, as his cyborg alterations enhance his body.
When it comes to Grevious’ form, we know that the Jedi-turned-Sith Count Dooku trained him, indicating his Form II ability. Yet, if we analyze the Star Wars novels, we can see that the general has practiced all seven forms with the help of the Dark Side and his bionic components.
7. The Ferocity of Mace Windu (Form VII)
Mace Windu is responsible for creating a unique rendition of Form VII, known as Vaapad. This fighting style differs from most because it uses a Dark Side element to trigger a fury state for intense battles. Vaapad is also hugely based on the user’s mind rather than standard combat strategies featured in several other forms.
Despite Windu’s use of dark tendencies, he persistently stays within the light and remains focused during each of his showdowns. In particular, when you examine his fight with Darth Sidious in Revenge of the Sith, you can see how he exploits his anger while maneuvering his lightsaber swiftly. Unlike Anakin, Windu never favors the Dark Side, showing how magnificent this great master was.
6. Darth Maul’s Sith Variation of an Old Jedi Stance (Form VII)
Due to Form VII’s connection to the Dark Side, many Siths have used this old Jedi technique for their evil doings. Darth Maul is a prime example of this idea since he wields the Juyo style (another name for Form VII) in multiple fights within the franchise.
In his duel against Obi-Wan Kenobi and Qui-Gon Jinn, we can see how he utilizes the combat style with his double-bladed lightsaber. He also consistently portrays his anger and relies on it to defeat the Jedis. But, of course, this dynamic reasonably changes in Star Wars: Rebel, showcasing a more vulnerable side during his rematch with Obi-Wan Kenobi.
5. Ahsoka Tano’s Reverse Grip Technique (Form V and Jar’Kai Method)
Ahsoka Tano incorporates the reverse grip style while dueling against terrifying foes, similar to Kanan Jarrus. As a Padawan, she was able to master the arts of dual blades from a young age, resulting in her apprenticeship with Anakin Skywalker. This bond between the two severely evolved Ahsoka’s capabilities and caused her to develop the Form V Jedi concept.
On the contrary, Ahsoka differs from her former trainer, given that she prefers the Jar’Kai dual lightsaber method, a spectrum that Darth Vader rarely partakes in. She also takes advantage of her acrobatic talents to add a twist to the Jedi form and utilizes it in her duel against her mighty master.
4. Yoda’s Aggression Form (Form IV)
Ahsoka isn’t the only one to practice acrobatic combat styles, as Yoda applies its methods consistently due to his small size. With this in mind, we can see that he is a practitioner of Form IV, an attack formation connected to the user’s athletic skills.
This technique heavily focuses on speed and aggression, which Yoda has done in countless Star Wars battles. For instance, in his showdown with Count Dooku in Attack of the Clones, he perfectly counterattacks the Sith by jumping and moving around. Then, there’s his much simpler forms, like his trademark stance of looking off into the distance or directly at his opponent, letting his enemies know that he means business.
3. Obi-Wan Kenobi’s Soresu Rendition (Form III)
The fans of the Star Wars community have always loved Obi-Wan Kenobi’s classic two-finger pose featured in several installments, such as Revenge of the Sith, Star Wars Rebels, Clone Wars, and his latest Disney+ series. The inspiration for this monumental stance derives from the defensive Soresu tactics, also known as Form III.
Ever since Obi-Wan lost his master to Darth Maul, he had to rethink his strategies and alter Qui-Gon’s teaching of Form IV. As a result, the Jedi Master changed to the Soresu technique but ultimately came up with personal additions to compensate for his weaknesses. Unfortunately, his time in exile dramatically changed his skills and caused him to lose his ways with the Force, yet he can still keep up with Darth Vader in later events.
2. Cal Kestis’ Mutliple Formations
Considering that Cal uses several forms, his primary lightsaber stances continue to be up for debate among the community. Initially, his technique derived from Form I: Shii-Cho, a well-balanced Jedi method, but it has since changed with the events of Order 66 and Jedi: The Fallen Order.
With Jedi: Survivor, Cal has achieved multiple stances, from the two lightsaber usage of Jar’Kai to the Form III-inspired Crossguard. It doesn’t even stop at these techniques, as he harnesses many other tactics throughout the storyline, including Makashi, Ataru, and Niman.
1. Darth Vader: Master of All Forms
Darth Vader remains on the top of lightsaber stances as the master of all forms. As a former Jedi and powerful Sith, he knows all the ways of the Force and has trained himself to be the best. During his time as Anakin Skywalker, he exhibited the styles of Form V and Form III (similar to his master), showcasing his combinations of techniques before turning to the Dark Side.
Like many of the lightsaber wielders on this list, the Sith Lord created original abilities, such as the iconic Force Choke and lightsaber throwing. Another unique tactic is his one-handed fighting style, which he utilized in his fight with Obi-Wan and Luke.
On top of that, Darth Vader often displays himself in a stance where he points his lightsaber to the ground. This posture differs from most wielders since many raise their weapon for battle, implying that Vader is confident in his honed skills.
Featured Image Source: Lucasfilm/Respawn
