I'm limiting myself to duels from the canon movies. The aspects on which I'm grading aren't necessarily going to average into the overall ranking.
Of course there are
SPOILERS
SPOILERS
SPOILERS
Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker
Winner: N/A
A cheap knock-off of the cave scene from Empire. Instead of subtle forshadowing, it’s obvious messaging about Rey’s well-established doubts. It’s short-lived and features a silly, gimmicky lightsaber.
PLOT SIGNIFICANCE: C-
PASSION: C-
USE OF ENVIRONMENT: D
CHOREOGRAPHY: D
MUSIC: D-
SCENERY: B
EDITING/CINEMATOGRAPHY: D-
20. ANAKIN vs. DOOKU
Winner: Draw
Spoils the supposed gap between Round 1 and Round 2. Mostly seemed like filler.
PLOT SIGNIFICANCE: D-
PASSION: D
USE OF ENVIRONMENT: C-
CHOREOGRAPHY: C+
MUSIC: D
SCENERY: B
EDITING/CINEMATOGRAPHY: B
19. OBI-WAN AND ANAKIN vs. DOOKU, ROUND 1
Episode II: Attack of the Clones
Winner: Dooku
A mostly forgettable fight that didn’t do much other than establish that Anakin is rash and Dooku is powerful. At least it does provide our heroes with a setback and a setup for the rematch.
PLOT SIGNIFICANCE: C+
PASSION: D+
USE OF ENVIRONMENT: C
CHOREOGRAPHY: C-
MUSIC: C
SCENERY: B
EDITING/CINEMATOGRAPHY: B-
18. YODA vs. SHEEV
Episode III: Revenge of the Sith
Winner: Sheev
Despite an amusing moment at the beginning, it’s mostly pointless and overly gimmicky. I said before that Yoda’s appearance in the prequels spoiled his mystique, and it doesn’t make much sense for him to fare worse against Sheev than Mace does. The fight also divides our attention between itself and Obi-Wan vs. Vader, Round 1.
PLOT SIGNIFICANCE: C
PASSION: D+
USE OF ENVIRONMENT: B+
CHOREOGRAPHY: B
MUSIC: B-
SCENERY: B+
EDITING/CINEMATOGRAPHY: A
17. REY vs. KYLO REN
Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker
Winner: Kylo
The fight in TFA gave me unrealistically high hopes. This one is underwhelming, and the choreography isn’t much to write home about. In one notable moment Kylo starts using his lightsaber underhanded, but it’s not stylized like it is with Ahsoka, so it looks just as stupid as would look if someone tried that in real life. Surprisingly, he ends up getting the drop on Rey, who gives him a chair to the back when Leia distracts him from the entrance. This may reduce Rey’s Sue status, but these efforts to do so in TROS are too little, too late.
PLOT SIGNIFICANCE: C
PASSION: C
USE OF ENVIRONMENT: B-
CHOREOGRAPHY: C-
MUSIC: D
SCENERY: A
EDITING/CINEMATOGRAPHY: B
Winner: Draw
Decent choreography and scenery but completely pointless. There’s no investment and they pretty much call the fight off when the mission objective leaves the system. I wonder if that factored into Sheev's decision to eventually throw her under the bus.
PLOT SIGNIFICANCE: B
PASSION: F
USE OF ENVIRONMENT: A-
CHOREOGRAPHY: B+
MUSIC: D
SCENERY: A-
Winners: Rey and Kylo
After Ben gives Snoke a chair to the back, this ensues. The choreography is laughable from a conflict point of view, but this could have worked brilliantly as a cathartic action scene with appropriate music, and a plot that actually went somewhere afterward. The character significance is somewhat spoiled by the lack of cooperation between the two until Rey saves Ben's butt at the end. A frustrating and not-often criticized problem in modern movies is that filmmakers have forgotten how to score epic, cathartic action. They think that all you need for such scenes is a motif for the buildup before you downplay the music when the action starts. No, no, no. You keep that shit going. Watching heroes finally overcome evil after a grind is not satisfying without the sound. Still, the buildup is cool, and I like the blood red motif of the scenery.
PLOT SIGNIFICANCE: D-
PASSION: A-
USE OF ENVIRONMENT: C
CHOREOGRAPHY: C
MUSIC: F
SCENERY: A-
EDITING/CINEMATOGRAPHY: B+
Episode II: Attack of the Clones
Winner: Yoda
Pointless, but cool.
PLOT SIGNIFICANCE: F
PASSION: F
USE OF ENVIRONMENT: D
CHOREOGRAPHY: A
MUSIC: C
SCENERY: C
EDITING/CINEMATOGRAPHY: B+
13. REY vs KYLO REN
Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker
Winner: DRAW
Watching Rey and Kylo fight pointlessly was tedious considering that their relationship should have developed in a significant way at the end of TLJ. The use of scenery transitioning and mixing together looked cool, though.
PLOT SIGNIFICANCE: F
PASSION: B+
USE OF ENVIRONMENT: B-
CHOREOGRAPHY: B
MUSIC: B-
SCENERY: A
EDITING/CINEMATOGRAPHY: A+
Episode I: The Phantom Menace
Winner: Maul
In the first chronological lightsaber fight of the series, Qui-Gon faces off alone with Maul right before they leave Tatooine. After leaving Anakin in the heroically running ahead of Anakin while being pursued, he faild to beat the Sith apprentice because he’s Qui-Gon. He’s forced to flee like a punk as the Nubian flies away. It’s subtle foreshadowing of how the next fight goes. Editing’s a bit choppy, but the music is good.
PLOT SIGNIFICANCE: C+
PASSION: C
USE OF ENVIRONMENT: C-
CHOREOGRAPHY: C+
MUSIC: A-
SCENERY: C
EDITING/CINEMATOGRAPHY: D
11. OBI-WAN vs. GRIEVOUS
Episode III: Revenge of the Sith
Winner: Obi-Wan
The editing is incoherent, and Grievious doesn’t put up much of a fight, but his sense of style and leitmotif makes this one of the more memorable fights. Too bad Grievous isn't as badass as he is in Clone Wars.
PLOT SIGNIFICANCE: B-
PASSION: C-
USE OF ENVIRONMENT: D
CHOREOGRAPHY: D-
MUSIC: A
SCENERY: D+
EDITING/CINEMATOGRAPHY: F
10. QUI-GON AND OBI-WAN vs. MAUL
Episode I: The Phantom Menace
Winners: Maul, then Obi-Wan
A fun, highly choreographed fight that had a nice anyone-can-die element. Still it mostly lacked a raw emotionality til the end. The environment seemed a bit forced, especially those shields that serve no apparent purpose. Great score.
PLOT SIGNIFICANCE: B+
PASSION: C+
USE OF ENVIRONMENT: B
CHOREOGRAPHY: B+
MUSIC: A+
SCENERY: C
EDITING/CINEMATOGRAPHY: B+
Winner: Luke (kinda)
In this faceoff, the Kylo and Co. are strutting about the ring intimidating everyone when Finn comes up to challenge them, only to get a chair to the back from Rose. Kylo and Hux’s reveling at that is short lived as the stadium goes dark and Luke Skywalker appears with fireworks and rock music. Agitated, Kylo still reluctantly fights him but never lands a blow, only because Luke is playing with him.
It’s a fun scene even though it’s based on cheating the lore of the force. It’s enhanced by great cinematography from Steve Yedlin, and the binary sun is a nice touch at the end. Also has a good buildup theme.
PLOT SIGNIFICANCE: C-
PASSION: B-
USE OF ENVIRONMENT: C
CHOREOGRAPHY: B
MUSIC: A-
SCENERY: A+
EDITING/CINEMATOGRAPHY: A+
8. REY and FINN vs. KYLO REN
Episode VII: The Force Awakens
Winner: Rey
It seems JJ took notes during Mr. Plinkett’s videos, because this fight eschews choreography for visceral brutality while taking advantage of the surprisingly novel environment. As a result, it’s one of the more enjoyable duels from an action perspective. One nice touch is Kylo’s punching himself as a distraction from the pain of his bowcaster wound and using the quillons to torture Finn during the fight. Excellent sound design as well.
Unfortunately, the plot development here is atrocious. We were hyped up to see Finn, a former stormtrooper, become a Jedi, and instead, we got a female version of Luke. Even more egregiously, Rey manages to win despite the experience deficit between her and Ren.
PLOT SIGNIFICANCE: F
PASSION: B-
USE OF ENVIRONMENT: A-
CHOREOGRAPHY: A
MUSIC: D
SCENERY: A+
EDITING/CINEMATOGRAPHY: A+
7. OBI-WAN vs. VADER, ROUND 2
Episode IV: A New Hope
Winner: Vader
Although underwhelming from a choreography standpoint, it makes sense for both parties to be cautious. Obi-Wan’s death has significance for Luke, but the passion between to two foes wasn’t even properly established yet.
PLOT SIGNIFICANCE: A
PASSION: B-
USE OF ENVIRONMENT: B
CHOREOGRAPHY: D-
MUSIC: D
SCENERY: C+
EDITING/CINEMATOGRAPHY: A
6. OBI-WAN AND ANAKIN vs. DOOKU, ROUND 2
Episode III: Revenge of the Sith
Winner: Dooku, then Anakin
After Dooku defeats Obi-Wan, Anakin bests him then reluctantly executes him at Sheev’s behest. Dooku’s death is brutal, and Anakin’s deed mirrors the temptation that Luke resisted in ROTJ. The “too dangerous to be allowed to live” line came up later as proof of the Jedi’s hypocrisy in Anakin’s eyes.
PLOT SIGNIFICANCE: A
PASSION: B-
USE OF ENVIRONMENT: B-
CHOREOGRAPHY: B-
MUSIC: D
SCENERY: B+
EDITING/CINEMATOGRAPHY: C+
5. MACE WINDU et. al. vs. SHEEV
Episdode III: Revenge of the Sith
Winner: Mace
PLOT SIGNIFICANCE: A
PASSION: A-
USE OF ENVIRONMENT: B
CHOREOGRAPHY: B
MUSIC: D+
SCENERY: B
EDITING/CINEMATOGRAPHY: A
4. LUKE vs. HIMSELF
Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back
A horror scene in which Luke faces off against a vision he mistakes for Vader, but turns out to be a representation of himself. The scene foreshadows the twist and Luke’s lack of preparation for it and has great atmosphere to boot.
PLOT SIGNIFICANCE: A
PASSION: A
USE OF ENVIRONMENT: B+
CHOREOGRAPHY: B
MUSIC: A-
SCENERY: A
EDITING/CINEMATOGRAPHY: A
3. OBI-WAN vs VADER, ROUND 1
Episode III: Revenge of the Sith
Winner: Obi-Wan
While one of the best fights in parts, it’s brought down significantly by the cartoonish choreography when they take it outside. When they’re jumping on platforms and swinging on cables, I almost expected to hear cartoon music. However, before that point it has some of the best choreography. It’s brutal and visceral, with a sense of anger and hatred between the two, especially during the pre-fight buildup. Good music. It eventually ends with a shock.
PLOT SIGNIFICANCE: A+
PASSION: A+
USE OF ENVIRONMENT: B
CHOREOGRAPHY: A
MUSIC: A+
SCENERY: A+
EDITING/CINEMATOGRAPHY: B+
2. LUKE vs. VADER, ROUND 2
Episode VI: Return of the Jedi
Winner: Luke
The majority of the fight is a stalemate, with neither party wanting to hurt the other too much. It’s not until Vader pushes Luke too far emotionally that the latter comes at him with everything he’s got. Vader even manages a shocked expression when he realizes how screwed he is. No other fight in the series matches the finale for raw fury, and the score helps, too.
PLOT SIGNIFICANCE: A+
PASSION: A+
USE OF ENVIRONMENT: A
CHOREOGRAPHY: B-
MUSIC: A+
SCENERY: A+
EDITING/CINEMATOGR
1. LUKE vs. VADER, ROUND 1
Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back
Winner: Vader
Is there any lightsaber fight that can truly compete with this one? Great scenery combines a high-tech setting with fantasy atmosphere, perfectly edited. Unlike most of these, in which choreography is stylish, no action is without meaning in this cat-and-mouse game. It’s suspenseful with a shocking climax.
PLOT SIGNIFICANCE: A+
PASSION: A+
USE OF ENVIRONMENT: A+
CHOREOGRAPHY: A+
MUSIC: B-
SCENERY: A+
EDITING/CINEMATOGRAPHY: A+
WIN/LOSS
Qui-Gon - 0:2
Praetorian Guard - 0:2
Finn - 0:1
Agen - 0:1
Saisee - 0:1
Kit - 0:1
Grievous - 0:1
Dooku - 2:2
Luke - 2:2
Obi-Wan - 3:3
Anakin/Vader - 3:3
Yoda - 1:1
Kylo - 3:2
Maul - 2:1
Rey - 2:1
Sheev: 4:1
Mace: 1:0
AVERAGE RATING BASED ON RANK (LOWER NUMBER = BETTER)
Original Trilogy - 3.5
Prequel Trilogy - 10.9
Sequel Trilogy - 13.8
TCW - 18
Prequel +TCW - 12.2
