00:00 That lightsaber battle in the third episode of Obi-Wan Kenobi was insane!
00:04 But is it among the best? You might be surprised.
00:07 What have you become?
00:09 I am what you made me.
00:14 Hey guys, it's Sean O'Connell, the managing editor here at CinemaBlend,
00:22 and the moment that episode three of Obi-Wan Kenobi ended,
00:25 fans started to debate where that rematch between Obi-Wan Kenobi and Darth Vader
00:30 ranks among the all-time greatest lightsaber battles in franchise history.
00:34 We decided to put them into some type of order to also figure out for ourselves where it ranked,
00:39 and we decided we're gonna stick to live-action.
00:41 There's a lot of animated lightsaber battles that are significant in Star Wars history,
00:45 almost too many to really rank at this point.
00:47 So we focused on the films and the Disney+ television shows,
00:51 and came up with our seven best,
00:54 because, you know, it leaves out a few key ones.
00:56 I'll discuss them at the beginning of the video.
00:58 Needless to say, we're going to get into some spoilers,
01:00 not just for Obi-Wan Kenobi, but for the entire Star Wars saga.
01:04 So if for some reason you don't want to hear about Star Wars spoilers,
01:06 which potentially talks about the outcomes of some of these key battles,
01:09 you might want to leave the video now.
01:11 The rest of you guys...
01:12 You cannot run.
01:15 Let's start with just some of the honorable mentions,
01:17 because you can't actually build a list of all of the lightsaber battles in Star Wars.
01:21 There are a ton of them.
01:23 So, you know, as I went over my choices,
01:24 I had to leave out things like the Jedi taking on everyone
01:28 at the end of Star Wars Attack of the Clones,
01:30 or Yoda versus Count Dooku, also in Clones.
01:34 And some of the reasons why I left these battles off
01:37 is maybe the CGI wasn't quite as finished,
01:40 or the stakes weren't necessarily as high.
01:42 One that was tough to really leave off was Rey and Kylo Ren
01:46 taking on the Praetorian Guards in Star Wars The Last Jedi,
01:50 which looks amazing,
01:52 but there are some narrative decisions that led to that fight
01:55 that maybe take away some of the impact,
01:57 especially when you look at the seven that we focus on.
02:00 So, without further ado, if I leave out one of your battles,
02:03 let me know in the comments down below
02:05 of where you think it should have ranked in my overall list.
02:08 But these are my personal preferences
02:09 for the seven greatest lightsaber battles in Star Wars history,
02:13 and I am going to include the one from Obi-Wan Kenobi Episode 3.
02:16 Now you will suffer.
02:20 For number seven, I chose Luke versus Kylo Ren
02:23 in the conclusion of The Last Jedi.
02:25 This is Luke Skywalker's swan song.
02:27 It's the one-time teacher against the student
02:30 that he feels like he failed.
02:31 It is stylish as hell.
02:33 The white surface of Krait
02:36 just sets up this visually magnificent sequence,
02:39 and Rian Johnson's fight choreography,
02:42 calling back to Rey's lightsaber training on Ahch-To
02:45 is actually brilliant.
02:46 Okay, even though, okay, technically I know
02:50 that Luke and Kylo Ren's lightsabers
02:51 don't actually touch during this battle
02:54 because of the whole force projection thing,
02:56 but still, I'm counting it.
02:57 It's number seven, and stop sleeping on The Last Jedi, people.
03:00 Strike me down in anger, and I'll always be with you.
03:05 Number six is Obi-Wan Kenobi versus Darth Vader
03:09 in Star Wars A New Hope.
03:10 This might be considered sacrilege,
03:13 putting Obi-Wan's confrontation with Darth Vader
03:15 so low on this list, but just because you came first
03:19 doesn't necessarily mean that you are the best,
03:20 and plenty of lightsaber battles that followed A New Hope
03:24 took inspiration from this duel and actually raised the bar.
03:27 The historical significance of this fight
03:29 cannot be diminished,
03:31 but I stand by the actual battle's ranking on this list
03:34 because of the action that takes place in it
03:36 and just the way that other ones were able to improve on it
03:39 as the series continued.
03:41 Come on, R2, we're going.
03:43 Case in point for number five,
03:44 I'm actually gonna put the Obi-Wan versus Darth Vader
03:47 fight from Obi-Wan Kenobi
03:49 right above their initial confrontation.
03:52 It's just cooler than their inaugural battle
03:54 because we as fans at this point are far more invested
03:58 in their rivalry thanks to the events
04:00 of the prequel trilogy,
04:01 and specifically the finale of Revenge of the Sith.
04:04 The betrayal that we witnessed between these two
04:07 in that movie adds to the anger and the fear
04:10 that is conveyed in this battle
04:12 that we just saw in Obi-Wan Kenobi,
04:14 and Darth Vader dragging Ben Kenobi through flames
04:17 is such a sick burn, literally,
04:20 that that action instantly made this a classic
04:22 in Star Wars Legacy.
04:24 - Your pain has just begun.
04:28 - Coming in at number four, I picked Qui-Gon Jinn
04:32 and a young Obi-Wan Kenobi taking on Darth Maul
04:35 in Star Wars Episode I, The Phantom Menace.
04:38 Now, there are a couple of lightsaber battles
04:39 in Star Wars history that get bonus points
04:42 simply because they look incredibly cool
04:44 while also pushing the narrative points forward.
04:47 Rey and Kylo, like I talked about,
04:49 taking on the Praetorian Guards in The Last Jedi
04:52 is definitely one of those sequences,
04:53 and so is number four on this list,
04:55 Qui-Gon Jinn and young Obi-Wan taking on Sith Lord
04:58 Darth Maul and his double-bladed red lightsaber.
05:02 It's a great villain, it's a great weapon,
05:04 and of course, John Williams' Duel of the Fates
05:07 is an all-timer in terms of musical compositions
05:10 in Star Wars history.
05:11 (dramatic music)
05:14 The top three choices on this list are stone-cold classics.
05:18 You can't go wrong with any of them,
05:20 but at number three, I'm putting Luke versus Darth Vader
05:23 at the conclusion of The Empire Strikes Back.
05:26 By the time that Luke Skywalker faced Darth Vader
05:28 at the end of Empire, his rage had reached an all-time high,
05:32 which made it easier for Darth Vader
05:34 to emotionally manipulate his hot-headed foe.
05:37 The battle is menacing and it's terrifying
05:40 because really, at that point, we'd believed
05:42 that Darth Vader was an unstoppable force,
05:45 no pun intended, and Luke didn't really have
05:47 his full training yet, so we feared for his life.
05:49 Of course, the paternal reveal at the end of the scene
05:52 is legendary, but really, the entire sequence
05:54 is an all-timer.
05:55 - Search your feelings, you know it, you too.
05:58 (dramatic music)
06:00 - No!
06:00 - Number two for me is Obi-Wan versus Anakin Skywalker
06:05 in Star Wars, The Revenge of the Sith.
06:07 Part of the reason why I love a great lightsaber battle
06:10 is not just the visuals, but the emotional component,
06:12 and the prequel trilogy built all the way to
06:15 the confrontation between, again, student and teacher,
06:18 in this case, Obi-Wan feeling that he had failed Anakin,
06:22 believing that Anakin was gonna be the one
06:23 that brought balance to the force.
06:25 It's a lengthy battle.
06:26 Of course, the fact that it's set on a volcanic planet
06:30 with lava spewing all over the place
06:32 and our protagonists balancing on droids
06:36 and locking arms is fantastic,
06:38 and of course, the conclusion, which gets referenced back to
06:40 in Obi-Wan Kenobi episode three,
06:42 of Anakin just losing his limbs and catching on fire
06:46 is an image that we're never gonna forget
06:49 in the Star Wars franchise,
06:50 and so this battle between these guys,
06:52 it's the highlight of the prequel trilogy.
06:54 It's one of the best sequences in Star Wars,
06:56 and it is the number two best
06:58 Star Wars lightsaber battle that I've seen.
07:00 - You were the chosen one!
07:01 It was said that you would destroy the Sith,
07:05 not join them!
07:07 - I don't think this is controversial,
07:09 but I'm picking Luke versus Darth Vader
07:11 from "Return of the Jedi"
07:12 as the number one greatest lightsaber battle
07:15 in live action for Star Wars,
07:16 and again, it comes down to the emotional component of it.
07:19 Their first fight in "Empire" was fantastic
07:22 with Luke losing his hand
07:23 and the revelation that Darth is his father,
07:26 but the battle at the end of "Return of the Jedi"
07:27 is not just a fight for Luke's soul,
07:30 but it's also a fight for the soul of Darth Vader
07:33 and whether or not the son can bring his father back
07:35 from the dark side.
07:36 The transitions of Palpatine working on both of them
07:39 is fantastic over the course of the battle.
07:41 Luke's green lightsaber looks tremendous in the fight.
07:45 It's lengthy, it's paralleled with the other two fights
07:47 that are taking place on Andor and up in space.
07:50 Terrific editing that takes place
07:52 to build tension in all of those sequences,
07:54 but really, seeing father and son going at it
07:57 toe to toe for as long as they do
07:59 with the emotional stakes and all of that dramatic weight
08:02 being balanced right there
08:03 about whether good can finally triumph over evil
08:06 is exactly why we buy into "Star Wars."
08:09 These are not just showy fights
08:12 with flashy lightsaber battles.
08:13 These are emotional, significant things
08:17 that we invest in because we love the characters
08:19 and the conclusion of the original trilogy,
08:21 "Return of the Jedi,"
08:23 has the greatest lightsaber battle in "Star Wars" history.
08:27 - So be it, Jedi.
08:30 - Now, I know I left out some battle that you love,
08:33 so tell me about it in the comments down below.
08:35 It's "Star Wars."
08:36 We all have our opinions,
08:37 but I wanna hear from you guys,
08:38 especially 'cause I know, listen,
08:39 I didn't choose anything from "Rise of Skywalker,"
08:41 not a huge fan of that episode,
08:44 but it has a couple of really good battles
08:46 and they probably could have made their list,
08:47 their way into this list.
08:48 They'll probably make their way into yours.
08:50 Again, thank you for coming by,
08:51 checking out our "Star Wars" content.
08:53 We're gonna continue to cover Obi-Wan Kenobi
08:55 as the last three episodes of the series play out.
08:58 Hopefully we'll see another exciting battle
09:00 between Obi-Wan Kenobi and his former student,
09:03 Anakin Skywalker,
09:04 who we'll have to redo our list
09:05 by the time we see them confront each other again.
09:08 [BLANK_AUDIO]
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