Luke vs. Vader, RotJ
Yoda vs. Sidious, RotS
Luke vs. Vader, ESB
Anakin vs. Obi Wan, RotS
Maul vs. Qui Gon and Obi Wan, TPM (for duel of the fates)
Are the best in the PT/OT, though it largely depends on my mood. I didn't include TCW/Rebels or ST fights as I don't know how to place them, but feel free to.
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Registered: Jun 2016
Location: The Throne of the Sheevites
Tier 1:
-Luke vs Vader: RotJ
Tier 2:
-Luke vs Vader: ESB
-Sidious vs Zabraks: TCW S5
-Sidious vs Yoda: RotS
-Anakin vs Ventress: OCW
Tier 3:
-Vader vs Obi-Wan: RotS
-Anakin and Obi-Wan vs Dooku: TCW S6 (underrated imo)
-Anakin and Obi-Wan vs Dooku: RotS
-Obi-Wan vs Maul and Savage: TCW S5
-Grievous vs Jedi team: OCW
-Maul vs Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan: TPM
-Sidious vs Mace and B-team: RotS
Registered: Mar 2017
Location: Sith shrine below the Jedi Temple
I'll go with top 5:
1. Darth Vader vs Luke Skywalker [ROTJ]
2. Yoda vs Sidious [ROTS]
3. Anakin vs Obi-Wan [ROTS]
4. Sheev vs B-Team [ROTS]
5. Yoda vs Dooku [AOTC]
I've gotta say, the first duel with Jinn and Maul, while extremely short, is very thrilling to watch. The music and the fast paced combat is pretty great.
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1. Darth Vader vs. Ahsoka Tano (Star Wars Rebels): This fight was the culmination of years of speculation on my and many others part, and it succeeded in delivering a well-choreographed fight that was true to each character's abilities with an intense emotional weight emanating from it. Though I don't think this fight is the best choreographed among the rest of the duels, it has the most emotional impact for me, for probably obvious reasons.
2. Darth Vader vs. Luke Skywalker (The Empire Strikes Back): It contains one of the most iconic moments in Star Wars (and film) history, and is pretty well choreographed and visually interesting as well. The fight is intense and captivating, which in my opinion is kind of rare among Star Wars duels.
3. Kylo Ren and Rey vs. Elite Praetorian Guards (The Last Jedi): Despite The Last Jedi not having any actual lightsaber duels, this fight easily makes up for that by being exceedingly unique, well-choreographed and intense. I think the fight contains one of the coolest moments in a lightsaber fight, with [SPOILER - highlight to read]: Rey throwing her lightsaber to Ren and him igniting it in the guard's eye. The fact that both Rey and Ren were previously enemies adds to the weight of the duel as well, making it even more memorable because of the new character dynamics introduced between the two.
4. Darth Maul vs. Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi (The Phantom Menace): Definitely one of the best-choreographed duels in Star Wars. I love the consistent change in surroundings, ranging from the hangar to the now-iconic power generator room, and then to the pit. Even though the movie itself was dry and soulless, this fight actually adds something to really look forward to. There's some decent amount of emotional weight involved, but I'm not going to lie and say that it is anything impactful for me. The clear purpose and use of the fight is the incredible 2v1 factor with obvious demonstrations of skill and the only incorporation of the double-bladed lightsaber in live action. All in all, pretty neat.
5. Darth Vader vs. Luke Skywalker (Return of the Jedi): This fight is one of the most dramatic in Star Wars and creates so much depth with the characters involved. The preceding scene(s) to the fight are also some of the best and most memorable in Star Wars, so the fight being surrounded by the best doesn't hurt. I wish the fight was lengthier, but I think it serves its purpose while still providing some aesthetically pleasing dueling.
Honorable mentions: Yoda vs. Darth Sidious (Revenge of the Sith), Anakin Skywalker vs. Obi-Wan Kenobi (Revenge of the Sith), Darth Sidious vs. Darth Maul and Savage Opress (The Clone Wars), Count Dooku vs. Asajj Ventress and Savage Opress (The Clone Wars), Asajj Ventress vs. Luminara Unduli and Ahsoka Tano (The Clone Wars).
Not really. Not a single swing in the fight with an exception or two were actually directed at the opponent. Often, the attaks weren't evenin range of their opponent, and their was a plethora of unnecesary flips and doges which didn't actually serve a combative purpose.
The scene had the most cherography sure, but that doesn't mean it was good chereography.
Tier 1:
Luke vs Vader, RotJ
Sidious vs Maul and Savage, TCWS5
Tier 2:
Maul vs Kenobi and Jinn, TPM
Luke vs Vader, ESB
Dooku vs Anakin and Obi-Wan, TCWS6
Vader vs Ahsoka, Rebels
Anakin vs Obi-Wan, RotS
Tier 3
Grievous vs Ki Adi Mundi & co., CW
Anakin vs Ventress, CW
Kylo Ren and Rey vs Praetorian Guards, TLJ
Kenobi vs Maul and Savage, TCWS5
Anakin and Obi-Wan vs Dooku, RotS
I couldn’t care less about the practical, real-world effectiveness of the moves performed in lightsaber duels. If you analyzed every lightsaber fight, you’d most likely come to the conclusion that when faced with a skilled fencer from Earth, every Jedi and Sith would be horribly gutted (provided Force augmentation was revoked). Ahsoka Tano, for example, practices a reverse grip, a decision that would get her ****ing murdered if we want to start taking in consideration real-world dueling. The vast majority of lightsaber-wielding combatants uses spins and flips that would get them killed in the real world. So the criticism that Maul vs. Jinn and Kenobi doesn’t have good choreography because their moves don’t “serve a combative purpose” can likely be applied to literally every Star Wars fight ever. This is where suspension of disbelief comes in—something that I’m surprised you haven’t cultivated.
Regardless, my criteria for good choreography is the following: it looks cool and isn’t completely ridiculous in the context of Star Wars. The Duel of Fates doesn’t violate the latter for me, and excels in the former.
1. Kylo Ren and Rey vs PG:
2. Maul and Savage vs Sidious
3. Anakin vs Obi-Wan
4. Darth Maul vs Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon
5. Kylo Ren vs Rey
6. Grand Inquisitor vs Kanan and Ezra
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Darth Sidious vs Darth Maul & Savage Oppress
Darth Sidious vs Yoda
Obi Wan Kenobi vs Anakin Skywalker
Ahsoka Tano vs Darth Vader
Count Dooku vs TCW5 Obi Wan Kenobi & Anakin Skywalker
Rey & Kylo Ren vs Praetorian Guards
RoTJ Luke Skywalker vs Darth Vader
Obi Wan Kenobi & Adi Gallia vs Darth Maul & Savage Oppress
Qui Gon Jinn & Obi Wan Kenobi vs Darth Maul
Obi Wan Kenobi vs General Grevious
RotS Anakin Skywalker & Obi Wan Kenobi vs Count Dooku
Rey vs Kylo Ren
Kylo Ren vs Finn
Darth Vader vs ESB Luke Skywalker
Darth Vader vs Obi Wan Kenobi
Kanan & Ezra & Ahsoka Tano & Darth Maul vs Inquisitors
Kanan & Ezra vs Darth Maul
Registered: Jul 2015
Location: The Darkest Corner of your Mind
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Tier 1: best of the best
- RotS Anakin vs Obi Wan
- TCW Maul vs Sidious (ending portion)
- Vizsla vs TCW Maul
- Windu vs Sidious
(all of these fights are nail-bitingly intense with the combatants unleashing everything they have. Emotions are fierce; soundtracks and effects are spot on)
Tier 2: the best
- RotS Anakin vs Dooku
- TCW Dooku vs Anakin and Kenobi (Oba Diah)
- TCW Dooku vs Anakin and Kenobi (Naboo)
- Yoda vs Sidious
- AotC Dooku vs Yoda
- RotJ Vader vs Luke
- ESB Vader vs Luke
(all of these fights contain great aspects to them. Great soundtracks, emotions, and combat finesse make these top picks)
Tier 3: notables
- TPM Qui-Gon and Kenobi vs Maul
- TCW Dooku vs Savage and Ventress
- Ventress and Nightsisters vs Dooku
- Maul and Savage vs Obi-Wan and Ventress (turtle tanker)
- Maul and Savage vs Obi-Wan and Adi Gallia (Florum)
- Barriss Offee vs Anakin
- Rebels Ahsoka vs Vader
- Barriss Offee vs Ahsoka (S5 TCW)
- Anakin vs Ventress (OCW Yavin 4)
(these fights contain good elements to them though they are not extraordinary)
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1. Luke Skywalker vs Darth Vader[ESB]: This has one of the most iconic moments in film history. It's also visually interesting, the entire atmosphere feels almost like some sort of dream sequence, like we're back in the cave on Dagobah, but the environment this time is far more dangerous. It has a nice shift from being slowly paced and precise to fast-paced and aggressive as Vader hammers Luke in, just as he's about to deliver the twist that he's his father.
2. Darth Sidious vs Yoda/Anakin Skywalker vs Obi-Wan Kenobi: While I think the Anakin vs Obi-Wan fight was too long for my taste, it was definitely a fun watch. On the one hand you have Yoda and Sidious, the two most powerful beings in the galaxy, clashing as they wreck environmental havoc and draw out an intense stalemate. On the other hand you have a fight of emotional conflict, where the errupting lava and collapsing structures symbolize the raw emotions and mental instabilities of Obi-Wan and Anakin.
3. Rey and Kylo Ren vs the Praetorian Guards: One thing I really like about the ST so far is that their duels and fights are sort of a combination of the OT and PT fights. The duel is particularly enjoyable because of how unique the Praetorian guards are, in both fighting style and weaponry. The amount of teamwork that was required for Rey and Ben to win, despite them being polar opposites and 'til recently being enemies, just added to the tension. And given how the film kept you guessing on the fate of the characters, I was legitimately questioning if Rey and Kylo would get injured/captured/something else throughout the fight.
After that, it gets murky, as a lot of duels have their strengths and weaknesses. These three just left the biggest impression on me.
You didn't care when fighters aren't actually fighting?
I don't have an issue with their being stretches in how they fight with the star wars universe. But its plain terrible choreography to not have lightsaber attacks actually aimed at the person being attacked. And that's something only Duel of the Fates can claim to do throughout the entirety of the fight.
This has nothing to do with the suspension of disbelief. It doesn't mater what universe we're discussing. Fighters who attack should have attacks that could potentially harm their opponent, that's a principle in the star wars universe that every duel subscribes to save for the one which you consider the best duel in the saga.
Dec 24th, 2017 06:36 AM
