Movies - TV
The 13 Best Lightsaber Duels Of All Time, Ranked
By BEN BEGLEY
13. Obi-Wan vs. Grievous
This fun and flashy duel quickly becomes an unnecessary display of showy flourish. Why didn't Obi-Wan just Force pull Grievous into his lightsaber and end it there? Because Lucas needs to set up a bonkers chase sequence. Overall, this is a quick fight, but it has enough unique elements to crack our top 13.
12. Anakin vs. Dooku
While Obi-Wan is present for the showdown, he is quickly subdued, and the fight becomes Anakin vs. Count Dooku as the captive Palpatine watches the duel in the background. The battle ends when Anakin chops off the hands of the Count before being encouraged by Palpatine to end Dooku’s life, thus marking a moment of no return for the Jedi Knight.
11. The Jedi Arrive
Though not technically a duel, you can’t help but love when Mace Windu sneaks up on Count Dooku and Jango Fett announcing, "This party's over," as dozens of Jedi reveal themselves and fight the droid army. The droids are sliced down like cardboard cutouts, Mace Windu chops off Jengo Fett's head, and nerd perfection is achieved.
10. Yoda vs. Sidious
This ultimate Sith versus Jedi showdown revels in prequel trilogy excess, topped with some glorious cheese. Ian McDiarmid, who plays Darth Sidious, chews the scenery so much that it's amazing that there's a single piece of the set left. In the end, the scene, intentional or not, is hilarious.
9. Obi-Wan vs. Vader
This one duel led to decades of lightsaber scuffles for fans to geek out over, and for that reason alone it deserves a place amongst the best. Between watching Obi-Wan give himself over to the Force and Lucas’ focus on the characters over the acrobatics, the duel becomes one of the most memorable moments of the entire original trilogy.