Since 1977, there’s beenso much to love aboutStar Wars:its famous characters, an entire galaxy of different planets and alien species, its many vehicles and aircraft, its epic battles in space. But one of the coolest things about anyStar Warsproduction, and a favorite among fans, are the lightsaber duels. It’s hard to contain your excitement when you see hear that iconic noise and the lightsaber extends from its hilt; you always know you’re in for a treat. We’ve had some epic lightsaber duels over the years, from the emotionally charged battles of the original trilogy to the more advanced and better choreographed duels of the prequels.
Since taking over thefranchise, Disney has churned out a ton ofStar Warscontent, from new movies to TV shows. And through all that, we’ve gotten some awesome lightsaber duels. Sometimes, it’s the choreography and moves that make these battles epic. Other times, it’s the emotional weight behind the swings of the lightsaber. To qualify for this list, both combatants must possess a lightsaber, not a similar weapon, and they must be fighting each other. From animation to live-action, from movies to TV, here are the coolest lightsaber duels to come out of the Disney era.
10Obi-Wan and Darth Vader’s First Duel - Obi-Wan Kenobi (Episode 3)
One of the most epic lightsaber duels inStar Warswas the emotionally charged fight between master Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor) and his apprentice Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen) inRevenge of the Sith. After slicing Anakin to pieces and leaving him to the flames of Mustafar, Obi-Wan goes into hiding on Tatooine to keep an eye on a young Luke Skywalker. Years later, Obi-Wan reemerges to aid a young Leia Organa (Vivien Lyra Blair) in Disney+‘sObi-Wan Kenobi– and we’re treated with the first of two duels between Obi-Wan and his old apprentice, now consumed by Darth Vader.
It’s not the most epic duel in terms of choreography; at this point, it’s been years since Obi-Wan has wielded a lightsaber, and he’s a little bit rusty. What makes this battle so cool is the emotion and meaning behind this highly anticipated confrontation. These characters hadn’t seen each other since their duel on Mustafar. It’s Obi-Wan’s first time coming face-to-face with the monstrous Darth Vader – his first time seeing with his own two eyes what the Dark Side, and what Obi-Wan himself, has done to Anakin Skywalker.
9Kylo Ren vs Rey and Finn - The Force Awakens (2015)
Surprisingly, theStar Warssequel trilogy doesn’t feature a ton of lightsaber duels. And the ones they do have don’t hold a candle tothe lightsaber battle of the originals and prequels. You have Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) vs Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) inThe Last Jedi,where Luke was merely a projection and didn’t actually fight (such a waste of Luke and not very cool in hindsight). Then you have a number of fights where only one combatant wields a lightsaber, such as Kylo vs the Knights of Ren inThe Rise of Skywalker. The sequel trilogy’s best lightsaber fight isn’t even a duel but a team-up, where Kylo and Rey (Daisy Riddley) take on Snoke’s Elite Praetorian Guard.
This basically leaves us with matches and rematches between Rey and Kylo. Their first duel, where Kylo Ren takes on Rey and Finn amidst a beautiful snow-covered forest, is one of their most memorable. The choreography isn’t mind-blowing, as neither Rey nor Finn are trained with lightsabers. And it’s a little ridiculous how an untrained Rey manages to beat down Kylo. But what makes this duel so cool is one specific moment: Kylo is trying to Force-grab Luke’s old lightsaber, his hand extended. The weapon goes zooming through the air – but flies right past him, into the outstretched hand of Rey. Regardless of your opinion on the sequel trilogy, this is an epicmoment inStar Wars.
8Sabine Wren vs Shin Hati - Ahsoka (Episode 1)
Disney+’s highly anticipated seriesAhsokakicked off with a stellar first episode that ended with an epic lightsaber duel. Here, we have Mandalorian warrior Sabine Wren (Natasha Liu Bordizzo) pitted against the mysterious Shin Hati. We don’t know much about Shin at this point, besides the fact that she’s a villain with a lightsaber. So it comes as a pleasant surprise when Shin proves that she’s got skills and can hold her own against Ahsoka’s former apprentice. The two engage in an epic duel, fanning the flames to a rivalry that would last the rest of the show. In a shocking twist, Sabine is stabbed with Shin’s blade and left for dead, a critical mistake thatStar Warscharacters make time and time again.
7Ezra and Kanan vs. The Grand Inquisitor - Rebels (Season 1, Episode 15)
Most people only consider the live-actioncontent when debating their favorite lightsaber duels. But the animated showsfeaturesome of the best lightsaber battlesin the Star Wars universe. The computer animated seriesRebelsappeared on the Disney XD channel and is considered canon. In fact, it’s the first Star Wars project to come out of the Disney era. One of the greatest lightsaber battles inRebelsoccurs in itsseason one finale “Fire Across the Galaxy.”
Here, Ezra and Kanan take on the Grand Inquisitor. It’s an epic two-on-one battle, until Ezra is knocked out of the fight, leaving Kanan to defeat the Grand Inquisitor alone. The coolest part of the duel, though, comes at the end when the Grand Inquisitor is holding onto a ledge, dangling above flames. “There are some things far more frightening than death,” he tells Kanan – just before letting go and plunging to a fiery demise.
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6Darth Vader vs Reva Sevander - Obi-Wan Kenobi (Episode 5)
Reva Sevander (Moses Ingram) is a former Jedi, who climbs the hierarchy of the Galactic Empire, so she can exact revenge on Darth Vader for the slaughter at the Jedi Temple. InObi-Wan Kenobi, she finally gets her chance – though she severely underestimates his power. Darth Vader effortlessly dodges Reva’s swings and uses the Force to keep her at bay. It’s always fun to watch Vader exhibit his power and destroy those around him.
But the best part comes he when takes her helicopter lightsaber and breaks it in two: one for him, the other for her. Vader tosses the weapon at her feet, challenging her to a duel. In the end, he overpowers her. And he doesn’t even use his own lightsaber to do it, making this one of Darth Vader’s coolest moments in the Disney era.
5Kylo Ren vs Rey - The Rise of Skywalker (2019)
InThe Rise of Skywalker, we’re given the final lightsaber duel between Kylo Ren and Rey. The two engage in a heated battle that’s reminiscent of Anakin and Obi-Wan’s duel on Mustafar inRevenge of the Sith.But instead of fiery lava, they’re surrounded by enormous, thrashing waves and bursts of water.
They fight in the wreckage of the second Death Star, an epic setting for a lightsaber duel, though the stage shifts and sinks throughout their match. Kylo has the upper hand for most of their fight (as he should), but he’s ultimately beaten thanks to some indirect help from his mother, Princess Leia. The moment where he drops his lightsaber, and Rey catches it and uses it to stab Kylo, is definitely cool – though J.J. Abrams and company undo it just a few seconds later. In moment that’s since polarized theStar Warsfanbase, characters can apparently use the Force to heal people.
4Ahsoka vs Baylan - Ahsoka (Episode 7)
This one has only been around for a few weeks, and fans are already calling it one of the greatest lightsaber duels ever. In the seventh episode ofAhsoka,the titular character goes toe-to-toe with Baylan Skoll (Ray Stevenson). It’s former Jedi Knight vs former Jedi Knight, two warriors of the same order who traveled vastly different paths. It’s one of the most epic, nail-biting fights to come out of the Disney era and reaffirms what we’ve known sinceThe Clone Wars:Ahsoka (Rosario Dawson) is a badass.And with just one more episode left inAhsoka,it’s very possible that we get another lightsaber duel that tops it.
3Darth Vader vs Ahsoka - Rebels (Season 2, Episode 22)
Rebelsdelivers one of its most iconic moments in the season two finale, “Twilight of the Apprentice: Part 2.” For the first time, Ahsoka sees what’s become of her former Jedi master, Anakin Skywalker – and vows to take revenge on his new identity, Darth Vader. “Revenge is not the Jedi way,” he tells her. “I am no Jedi," Ahsoka hits back. This line has become iconic in Star Wars and is a favorite among Ahsoka fans.
Wielding her two white lightsabers, Ahsoka leaps into action and takes on her former master. It’s an emotionally charged battle. And despite Vader’s tremendous power, Ahsoka holds her own and gives him a run for his money. By the end of the duel, both warriors are battered and exhausted but still alive. Forget the Disney era; animated or not, this is one of the best lightsaber battlesin Star Wars.
2Obi-Wan and Darth Vader’s Final Duel - Obi-Wan Kenobi (Episode 6)
Obi-Wan and Darth Vader’s second and final duel inObi-Wan Kenobiis what fans had been waiting for. At this point, Obi-Wan has gotten his skills back, and he’s able to give Vader an epic match in the Disney+ show’s sixth and final episode. Darth Vader is even forced to use both hands here. There’s so much to love about this battle: the emotion behind every swing of the lightsaber; the use of the Force sprinkled throughout the duel; the music blaring in the background; these two characters fighting on this dark and vast planet, with only their lightsabers to illuminate them. All of it makes for an iconic showdown.
The coolest part, though, comes when Obi-Wan slices off a piece of Vader’s helmet, unveiling the damaged Anakin underneath. Obi-Wan delivers a heartfelt apology for all that’s happened between them. “You didn’t kill Anakin Skywalker,” the Sith lord tells his old master, as his voice transitions between Anakin’s and Vader’s. “I did.” In the end, Obi-Wan’s victory supports the argument thathe just might be the galaxy’s greatest Jedi.
1Ahsoka vs Maul - The Clone Wars (Season 7, Ep 10)
One of the prequel trilogy’s biggest misses is that it didn’t show us much of the legendary Clone Wars that we’ve been hearing about since 1977.The Clone Warsrectifies that, showing us everything that happened in betweenEpisodes II and III. Much ofThe Clone Warspredates Disney’s takeover of Lucasfilm. However, the animated series is still considered canon. And it was Disney who revived this show and gave us its seventh and final season, which saw an improvement in its animation.
Season seven’s tenth episode, “The Phantom Apprentice”, gave us an epic showdown between Ahsoka and Maul, who got rid of the Darth in his name when he ditched Palpatine and the Sith. The choreography here is top-notch, especially since the filmmakers used real people and motion capture for the duel. And not just any people. They brought back Maul’s original actor Ray Park to play Maul and stunt performer Lauren Mary Kim to portray Ahsoka. The combination of performances and motion captures makes this one of the coolest and realistic duels in any of the animated shows. For some fans, it’s considered the greatest lightsaber duel in all of Star Wars.
