Every Lightsaber Fight in Star Wars’ Skywalker Saga, Ranked From Worst to Best

There is so much to like about a galaxy far, far away. Star Wars is full of interesting species that come from fascinating planets so different from the one that audience members call home. Even when the series isn’t on the ground, there are intense space battles that feature some of the most iconic ships in cinema history, such as the X-Wing and Millennium Falcon. However, all of that is window dressing compared to the meat of the franchise: the battle between the light and dark sides. The Jedi and the Sith are locked into an eternal struggle that costs many lives, with one weapon doing most of the damage.

The lightsaber, of course, makes its debut in Star Wars: A New Hope, when old Ben Kenobi opens his chest and reveals the truth about his past to Luke Skywalker. After that, it goes on to be part of many iconic battles, but not all of them are cut from the same cloth. Here’s every lightsaber fight in Star Wars’ Skywalker Saga, ranked from worst to best.

14) Rey vs. Kylo Ren II (Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker)

Rey and Kylo Ren’s final clash in the sequel trilogy happens in a familiar spot, the second Death Star II. They both come looking for a Sith wayfinder and decide that fighting will be better than talking things out. While a visually stunning duel, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker starts to lose the plot around this point, taking much of the emotion out of the sequence. It also doesn’t help this fight’s case that it leads to an underwhelming redemption arc.

13) Obi-Wan vs. Darth Vader (Star Wars: A New Hope)

Choreography and storytelling are the two most important aspects of any movie fight, and the battle between Obi-Wan and Darth Vader in Star Wars: A New Hope has one of those in spades. Watching Luke lose his mentor is devastating, but Obi-Wan doesn’t put up much of a fight. That’s by design, of course, as Obi-Wan knows he can’t keep up with his former pupil. Still, there are no consolation prizes when discussing horsehoes and lightsaber fights.

12) Anakin Skywalker & Obi-Wan Kenobi vs. Count Dooku (Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith)

Anakin Skywalker has a score to settle at the start of Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith, so when he locks eyes with Count Dooku, he doesn’t hold back. It doesn’t even matter to him that Obi-Wan gets knocked out right at the start of the fight. What’s holding this fight back is that it’s over in an instant, with Anakin getting his revenge on Dooku and taking his life upon Chancellor Palpatine’s request.

11) Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi & Yoda vs. Count Dooku (Star Wars: Attack of the Clones)

There are more lightsabers present in Star Wars: Attack of the Clones than in all of the other Star Wars movies combined. However, most of them don’t turn on each other, as the Jedi use them to fight the Separatist army in the pit on Geonosis. It isn’t until Anakin and Obi-Wan find Count Dooku that blades start clashing. After the Jedi take a nice beating, Master Yoda shows up to save them in an overly dramatic sequence that does a little too much.

10) Darth Sidious vs. Mace Windu, Kit Fisto, Saesee Tiin & Agen Kolar (Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith)

After running out of apprentices, Palpatine has to start doing his own dirty work, including fighting a group of Jedi who come to arrest him in his office in Revenge of the Sith. Mace Windu leads the charge and quickly finds himself alone after his comrades fall. While Windu gets the upper hand, it feels like Palpatine is holding back in order to influence Anakin, who doesn’t know who to support at first. Dueling with one hand tied behind his back means Palpatine’s first fight can’t go very high on this list.

9) Rey vs. Kylo Ren I (Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker)

Yes, the first fight between Rey and Kylo Ren in The Rise of Skywalker deals with the same problems as the second one. It’s hard to feel anything for the characters, as they’re part of a convoluted plot that goes nowhere. How it surpasses its competition is that it utilizes a gimmick, having Rey and Kylo Ren travel between locations using their connection to the Force. This fight doesn’t change the game, but it does enough to crack the top ten.

8) Luke Skywalker vs. Kylo Ren (Star Wars: The Last Jedi)

Another lightsaber fight that walks down the path less traveled is the one between Luke and Kylo at the end of Star Wars: The Last Jedi. When his old master shows up to save the Resistance from total annihilation, Kylo loses his cool and tries to kill the last Jedi. He plays right into Luke’s hand, though, as the hero is Force-projecting himself to the battlefield and not actually present. Since it isn’t a real fight, this one stays closer to the bottom than the top. However, it’s still worth looking back at.

7) Darth Sidious vs. Yoda (Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith)

Yoda gets a second shot at glory in Revenge of the Sith when he goes toe-to-toe with the Dark Lord of the Sith. Taking place in the Senate Chambers, this lightsaber fight shows off what two powerhouses can do when they’re not holding back. Unfortunately, there’s just something about a tiny CGI creature fighting an old man that’s difficult to get behind.

6) Darth Vader vs. Luke Skywalker (Star Wars: Return of the Jedi)

Throughout all of Star Wars: Return of the Jedi, Luke believes that he senses good in his father and wants to try to redeem him. All that goes out the door for a minute when Darth Vader starts talking about going after Leia Organa during their meeting on the second Death Star. Vader and Luke’s second fight covers a lot of the same ground as the first, and it doesn’t end up being much of a competition by the end. That said, the emotional weight it carries shoots it up the rankings.

5) Obi-Wan Kenobi vs. General Grievous (Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith)

While style points aren’t the only things that matter, General Grievous’ big moment in Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith is too flashy to ignore. The Separatist leader whips out a bunch of lightsabers and backs Obi-Wan into a corner. But the defensive duelist is ready for the challenge and goes to great lengths to defeat Grievous. While he’s not around for long, Grievous sure does make an impact in the Skywalker Saga.

4) Finn & Rey vs. Kylo Ren (Star Wars: The Force Awakens)

The sequels get a lot of flak, and some of it is deserved. After all, the movies don’t know which direction to take. At least Star Wars: The Force Awakens stays on track during its big battle, which pits Finn and Rey against Kylo Ren. After taking a blaster shot to the stomach, Kylo struggles to hold his own against a novice Force user. An unlikely hero coming out on top is quintessential Star Wars, so the fight earns a top-five spot.

3) Darth Vader vs. Luke Skywalker (Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back)

In terms of shock value, no fight will ever top the one that takes place in Cloud City. Vader shows up, hoping to draw Luke in to take out the only living Jedi. The two duke it out for a while until Luke is hanging on by a thread. At that point, Vader reveals that he’s Luke’s father and wants him to join the dark side. It’s the most iconic scene in Star Wars history, which earns it brownie points in this article.

2) Qui-Gon Jinn & Obi-Wan Kenobi vs. Darth Maul (Star Wars: The Phantom Menace)

The prequels don’t exactly start with a bang, as Star Wars: The Phantom Menace drags for most of its runtime. The movie doesn’t totally throw in the towel, though, as it delivers an incredible lightsaber fight when Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan face off against Darth Maul. In addition to stellar choreography, the battle also features John Williams’ “Duel of the Fates” track, which starts playing in every Star Wars fan’s head when they pick up their trusty colored weapon.

1) Obi-Wan Kenobi vs. Darth Vader (Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith)

The first six movies in the Skywalker Saga build to one moment: Obi-Wan’s fight with the newly dubbed Darth Vader. After losing his apprentice to the dark side, the Jedi travels to Mustafar to put an end to the war. A massive battle breaks out as the former brothers try to kill each other on the lava planet. Obi-Wan’s heartbreaking announcement that he loved Anakin only twists the knife as the franchise’s greatest villain is truly born.

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