With the first installment of the latest Star Wars trilogy right around the corner, one thing fans can expect is plenty of memorable and visually stunning lightsaber battles between some of the biggest names in the Star Wars universe. Before stepping back into the story, let's take a look back at the 10 greatest lightsaber duels we've witnessed so far.
10. Anakin Skywalker vs Count Dooku - Revenge of the Sith
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What made their battle so important wasn't the actual fight, but rather the mind games being played by Palpatine to manipulate both Dooku and Anakin. Dooku continually pushes Anakin to tap into the dark side to give himself a boost of power. Finally, Anakin gives in and decapitates Dooku using both lightsabers and becomes the new apprentice to Palpatine.
9. Obi Wan Kenobi & Anakin Skywalker vs Count Dooku - Attack of the Clones
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It's amazing to see how much Anakin's power had grown from Attack of the Clones to Revenge of the Sith. In this battle Dooku makes quick work of Obi Wan and even when Anakin goes after Dooku with two lightsabers he still is no match and ends up losing his arm in the process.
8. Obi Wan Kenobi vs General Grievous - Revenge of the Sith
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Grievous didn't seem like much of a match until he revealed the four lightsabers he had taken from Jedi that he had killed. That's when you knew this wasn't just an ordinary opponent. Being the supreme fighter that he was, Obi Wan quickly disarms two of the lightsabers. Grievous tries to flee, which leads to a Obi Wan chasing down the cyborg and destroying him for good.
7. Luke Skywalker vs Darth Vader - Return of the Jedi
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The final battle between Luke and his father was more than just a duel; it was the ultimate showdown of light vs dark and a test to see if good was truly more powerful than evil. Luke goes nuts as he dabbles into the power of the dark side to show Palpatine he didn't have control over him. Finally Luke returns the favor and cuts off Vader's hand and eventually turns him back to the light. Vader kills Palpatine and finally redeems himself.
6. Obi Wan Kenobi vs Darth Vader - A New Hope
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This was the first onscreen lightsaber battle we ever got to see, so it wasn't a visual masterpiece, but it was one of the most important. At this point Obi Wan has been surpassed by his former padawan in strength and skills and we get to see how powerful Darth Vader has become. This is also the moment Obi Wan finally becomes one with the force; a huge moment in the Star Wars universe.
5. Mace Windu vs Darth Sidious - Revenge of the Sith
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We finally got to see how powerful Mace Windu was with a lightsaber as he took on Darth Sidious, who we knew was evil, but had no idea how strong of a fighter he was. Sidious quickly displays his skills as he wipes out multiple Jedi without blinking and comes face to face with Mace Windu, who quickly proves he's one of the greatest fighters the Jedi have. Sadly, the fight doesn't last long. Mace Windu is poised to destroy Sidious, when Anakin jumps in and costs Windu his life.
4. Anakin Skywalker vs Obi-Wan Kenobi - Revenge of the Sith
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This was the battle all three prequels had been leading up to and, unlike the prequels themselves, it did not disappoint. Obi Wan finally comes to the realization that Anakin has reached the point of no return and can't be brought back from the dark side. The two battle until Obi Wan leaves Anakin in pieces in a lava pit where death appears to be inevitable. Of course we know what happens to Anakin from there, but seeing the battle actually take place was satisfying for any fan of the franchise.
3. Yoda vs Count Dooku - Attack of the Clones
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A 900-year-old Yoda may not sound like the ultimate opponent for a Sith Lord so powerful that he could breeze through Obi Wan and Anakin, but we had been waiting on this moment for decades. Yoda did not disappoint as he deflected every attack Dooku threw at him and then turned into a tiny green whirlwind of fury. Despite being significantly smaller than Dooku he proved that he was second to none and only allowed him to escape after Dooku put Obi Wan and Anakin in danger.
2. Luke Skywalker vs Darth Vader - The Empire Strikes Back
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This is, without a doubt, the most popular and well-known battle that Star Wars has ever seen. All of Luke's training has led up to this duel, as his first fight will be his greatest. Vader goes nuts with the force and soon it feels like Luke is battling the entire room. Of course we all know the iconic ending with Luke losing his hand and then finding out the identity of his father.
1. Obi-Wan Kenobi & Qui Gon Jinn vs Darth Maul - The Phantom Menace
![obi wan qui gon darth maul phantom menace]()
By no means was this the duel with the biggest stakes or the most important outcome, but it was the most visually stunning and epic battle we witness in the first six movies. Granted, The Phantom Menace was completely awful; this amazing battle makes up for a lot of it. The score is absolutely amazing as the trio battle through the entire power core of Naboo with Darth Maul battling two of the most powerful Jedis with his dual lightsaber. Again, in the grand scheme of Star Wars, it didn't leave much of a lasting ripple, but boy was it intense and fun to watch.
10. Anakin Skywalker vs Count Dooku - Revenge of the Sith
What made their battle so important wasn't the actual fight, but rather the mind games being played by Palpatine to manipulate both Dooku and Anakin. Dooku continually pushes Anakin to tap into the dark side to give himself a boost of power. Finally, Anakin gives in and decapitates Dooku using both lightsabers and becomes the new apprentice to Palpatine.
9. Obi Wan Kenobi & Anakin Skywalker vs Count Dooku - Attack of the Clones
It's amazing to see how much Anakin's power had grown from Attack of the Clones to Revenge of the Sith. In this battle Dooku makes quick work of Obi Wan and even when Anakin goes after Dooku with two lightsabers he still is no match and ends up losing his arm in the process.
8. Obi Wan Kenobi vs General Grievous - Revenge of the Sith
Grievous didn't seem like much of a match until he revealed the four lightsabers he had taken from Jedi that he had killed. That's when you knew this wasn't just an ordinary opponent. Being the supreme fighter that he was, Obi Wan quickly disarms two of the lightsabers. Grievous tries to flee, which leads to a Obi Wan chasing down the cyborg and destroying him for good.
7. Luke Skywalker vs Darth Vader - Return of the Jedi
The final battle between Luke and his father was more than just a duel; it was the ultimate showdown of light vs dark and a test to see if good was truly more powerful than evil. Luke goes nuts as he dabbles into the power of the dark side to show Palpatine he didn't have control over him. Finally Luke returns the favor and cuts off Vader's hand and eventually turns him back to the light. Vader kills Palpatine and finally redeems himself.
6. Obi Wan Kenobi vs Darth Vader - A New Hope
This was the first onscreen lightsaber battle we ever got to see, so it wasn't a visual masterpiece, but it was one of the most important. At this point Obi Wan has been surpassed by his former padawan in strength and skills and we get to see how powerful Darth Vader has become. This is also the moment Obi Wan finally becomes one with the force; a huge moment in the Star Wars universe.
5. Mace Windu vs Darth Sidious - Revenge of the Sith
We finally got to see how powerful Mace Windu was with a lightsaber as he took on Darth Sidious, who we knew was evil, but had no idea how strong of a fighter he was. Sidious quickly displays his skills as he wipes out multiple Jedi without blinking and comes face to face with Mace Windu, who quickly proves he's one of the greatest fighters the Jedi have. Sadly, the fight doesn't last long. Mace Windu is poised to destroy Sidious, when Anakin jumps in and costs Windu his life.
4. Anakin Skywalker vs Obi-Wan Kenobi - Revenge of the Sith
This was the battle all three prequels had been leading up to and, unlike the prequels themselves, it did not disappoint. Obi Wan finally comes to the realization that Anakin has reached the point of no return and can't be brought back from the dark side. The two battle until Obi Wan leaves Anakin in pieces in a lava pit where death appears to be inevitable. Of course we know what happens to Anakin from there, but seeing the battle actually take place was satisfying for any fan of the franchise.
3. Yoda vs Count Dooku - Attack of the Clones
A 900-year-old Yoda may not sound like the ultimate opponent for a Sith Lord so powerful that he could breeze through Obi Wan and Anakin, but we had been waiting on this moment for decades. Yoda did not disappoint as he deflected every attack Dooku threw at him and then turned into a tiny green whirlwind of fury. Despite being significantly smaller than Dooku he proved that he was second to none and only allowed him to escape after Dooku put Obi Wan and Anakin in danger.
2. Luke Skywalker vs Darth Vader - The Empire Strikes Back
This is, without a doubt, the most popular and well-known battle that Star Wars has ever seen. All of Luke's training has led up to this duel, as his first fight will be his greatest. Vader goes nuts with the force and soon it feels like Luke is battling the entire room. Of course we all know the iconic ending with Luke losing his hand and then finding out the identity of his father.
1. Obi-Wan Kenobi & Qui Gon Jinn vs Darth Maul - The Phantom Menace
By no means was this the duel with the biggest stakes or the most important outcome, but it was the most visually stunning and epic battle we witness in the first six movies. Granted, The Phantom Menace was completely awful; this amazing battle makes up for a lot of it. The score is absolutely amazing as the trio battle through the entire power core of Naboo with Darth Maul battling two of the most powerful Jedis with his dual lightsaber. Again, in the grand scheme of Star Wars, it didn't leave much of a lasting ripple, but boy was it intense and fun to watch.