Ranking the Lightsaber Duels
Probably gonna be controversial again, but here's my list.
1. Luke vs Vader (RotJ) — The last segment in particular is by far the best sequence of any lightsaber duel. Some choppy fighting but it's better than in ESB and this is the one fight where OT fans can truly claim that the sheer emotion behind it all makes up for the deficiencies in choreography. Stakes were clear, plenty of emotion, and the atmosphere is the best of any fight.
2. Obi-Wan vs Anakin (RotS) — Definitely could've been the greatest fight ever but it's let down by some bad dialogue and being overextended. Otherwise, the stakes were clear, the atmosphere was strong, and the fighting itself was impressive. The emotional atmosphere is slightly let down by the general deficiencies of the PT.
3. Luke vs Vader (ESB) — Basically the RotJ one with lesser everything, bar choreography. A couple of nice scenes like Vader implementing TK, and I liked the progression from Vader toying with Luke to beginning to fight him like a true opponent. The setting and atmosphere in those early scenes is very good.
4. Sidious vs Yoda (RotS) — Very good atmosphere and setting, with very real stakes. The music complemented the fight very well but the fight never relied too much on it. The part with Palpatine and Yoda battling as the Chancellor's podium rises through all the floors, and the part with the Emperor hurling all of the pods are exceptionally good. Start of the fight was a bit lackluster, though.
5. Rey vs Kylo Ren (TFA) — Bit like TPM where the stakes didn't feel as high as the top three, but it was definitely a more emotional encounter with a good atmosphere. The choreography was a bit lackluster but they're moving away from the overchoreographed PT fights.
6. Maul vs Qui-Gon & Obi-Wan (TPM) — Overrated, IMO. Relied hugely on the music, had zero emotion until Qui-Gon's death, and the stakes didn't feel remotely as high as the final fights in other movies. Obviously it looked very good but there were also issues with the choreography at points, so it wasn't perfect there either.
7. Dooku vs Anakin & Obi-Wan (RotS) — The first part of the fight is pretty lackluster with some noticeable choreography issues. However, once they get up the stairs, it picks up dramatically, and everything from Obi-Wan getting choked onwards is very good IMO. Good atmosphere, some actual emotion, and some very impressive swordfighting between Anakin and Dooku at the end. For an opening duel that seemed more like an afterthought, this was very good. Not sure how to interpret Palpatine's facial expressions here since they're funny but kind of detract from the intensity of the fight.
8. Dooku vs Yoda (AotC) — Actually played some music that was sorely missing from Dooku's fight with Anakin and Obi-Wan. Far more impressive swordfighting here from Dooku than against those two. There's an atmosphere of awe more than anything else, but at least there is an atmosphere (again, improvement over the preceding fight). Somewhat lackluster ending, though.
9. Palpatine vs Jedi Masters (RotS) — Probably a case of "it's so bad it's good". Even at its best, the choreography is average, and most of the fighting looks pitiful. I know why they wanted more close-ups but it's more like a silly face contest than anything else here. It didn't feel like the Dark Lord of the Sith was fighting some of the greatest Jedi. For one, the deaths of the first three Masters were pretty unconvincing, but the fight between Sidious and Mace wasn't much better. Not sure why they had to feature Palpatine flipping up and down or make him look like he was struggling so much. The faces he kept pulling were highly entertaining though. The fight was also actually very well set-up, which is pretty much the only real compliment I can give here.
10. Maul vs Qui-Gon on Tatooine (TPM) — Very short fight, but it was actually executed well. The music worked harmoniously with the fighting, the choreography was a bit obscured but seemed pretty good (definitely not overchoreographed like the final fight) and it was shot well. For such a sudden fight that seemed to be an afterthought in the film, the stakes felt very real. It's too bad we lost so much time cutting to Anakin running and to the ship, which was a massive detractor.
11. Obi-Wan Kenobi vs Darth Vader (ANH) — By far the most lackluster swordfighting and choreography in the saga. There is some emotion and atmosphere, but not quite as much as some OT fans make it out to be. The dialogue is entertaining for me, though, and the stakes were very real, so I guess I'll put it right above Finn vs Kylo Ren.
12. Finn vs Kylo Ren (TFA) — Just so-so. Not outright bad, but I just didn't feel much during it. Nothing in particular stood out for better or worse.
13. Dooku vs Obi-Wan and Anakin (AotC) — No idea what the **** this was. I know they were trying to capture Dooku and end the war but it just felt like there was nothing at stake. Choreography was lackluster and the cut to Anakin and Dooku's faces during the fight was a big failure. It feels like there should be a noteworthy atmosphere here but there really isn't. A slight sense of emotion in Dooku vs Obi-Wan due to their connection with Qui-Gon, but it never really manifested in the movie. No emotion at all in Dooku vs Anakin, and the part where Dooku severs Anakin's arm looks unconvincing as ****. It's technically two separate fights but I'm grouping them together because they were both sh!t.
14. Obi-Wan vs General Grievous (RotS) — Bad. The stakes were set up relatively well but the fighting itself couldn't be less impressive. There's parts where it looks like Grievous is just flailing like some toddler. No emotion and the atmosphere was pretty lackluster. The one good scene is when Obi-Wan and Grievous lock eyes and then Obi-Wan Pushes him away, but that's not really part of the lightsaber fight.
Post your rankings on the all the film saber duels.