Author Topic: Best Lightsaber Duel In Your Personal Opinion? (Read 12937 times)

Lord Xizer · « **Reply #20 on:** July 29, 2014, 08:22:07 PM »

I liked the final battle in Mt Tantiss against C'baoth. Was very well written, emotional and showed us uses of the force that had not been glimpsed before.

Revanchist · « **Reply #21 on:** July 30, 2014, 01:35:40 AM »

In the movies I would have to say it is a tie between the final duel in Episode 6 and the Mustafar duel. The fight in Episode 6 had a lot of feeling in it, and was tense as the fate of the galaxy rested on the outcome. It wasn't anyone playing games or being fancy; just two men in a fight for their lives. It was raw and powerful. Mustafar was also full of feeling, only this time the battle was between two people who knew each other so well they could already predict each other's moves and counter. You get the feeling that even then Obi Wan was not willing to kill Anakin until that point where they are both on hovering platforms above the lava (when he says "then you are lost!"). I also like the fact that the trick Anakin tried to pull on Obi Wan at the very end is the same one that Obi Wan himself used to end Darth Maul. Then he leaves Anakin's fate to the Force, probably even then knowing in the back of his mind that by doing so he has sealed his own death sentence.

When it comes to EU battles, the Mt. Tantiss showdown is a personal favorite. The battles in Labyrinth of Evil and The Rise of Darth Vader are also very good. Probably some of the best are the cinematic TOR trailers though. I just could keep watching those over and over again.

Carnivore Jacques · « **Reply #22 on:** July 30, 2014, 10:50:21 PM »

Luke vs. Vader while the Emperor watches in RotJ.
That has the best piece of music ever written by John Williams in my opinion - probably the second best in the whole franchise.
I guess I like how the scene is laid out. Pan past the stairs onto the catwalk. It's a real short fight compared to most other duels. Probably thirty seconds before Luke starts wailing on the guy, and then it's all over.
As far as EU goes, Sion vs. Surik. Sion is such a cool character, and I love how every fight with him ties back to their respective relationships with Kreia.

Lord Xizer · « **Reply #23 on:** July 30, 2014, 11:06:47 PM »

While i didn't care for the series as a whole, I LOVED watching Sidious crush those fan beloved fools Oppress and Maul in CWs. The dual is so deliciously one sided it's evident that with just the motion of pinning them to the windows at the very start Sidious could have killed them without even trying. I just love how he sadistically toys with them until he decides to just crush them utterly leaving Oppress dead and Maul a begging pathetic wreck at his feet.

Vulcanus · « **Reply #24 on:** July 31, 2014, 12:04:18 AM »

Quote from: Lord Xizer on July 30, 2014, 11:06:47 PM

While i didn't care for the series as a whole, I LOVED watching Sidious crush those fan beloved fools Oppress and Maul in CWs. The dual is so deliciously one sided it's evident that with just the motion of pinning them to the windows at the very start Sidious could have killed them without even trying. I just love how he sadistically toys with them until he decides to just crush them utterly leaving Oppress dead and Maul a begging pathetic wreck at his feet.

Speaking of humiliating your opponent, Obi-Wan vs. Krayt was very similar. Kenobi let Krayt have his moments only to then switch up a gear and BAM! Down goes Krayt.

Since I've recently been re-reading the Legacy comics, gotta also give a shout to Emperor Roan Fel for bringing a gun to a sword fight in Legacy #13.

jordanthejq12 · « **Reply #25 on:** July 31, 2014, 12:20:22 AM »

Quote from: Carnivore Jacques on July 30, 2014, 10:50:21 PM

As far as EU goes, Sion vs. Surik. Sion is such a cool character, and I love how every fight with him ties back to their respective relationships with Kreia.

Oh God, yes. Also the fight with Kreia after. The best fights in videogames are those you have no trouble transplanting over to a movie, and the Old Republic era has so many of those: Revan/Bastila and Revan/Malak in KoTOR1, Surik/Sion and Surik/Kreia in 2, and TOR...oh, don't even get me started.

Revanchist · « **Reply #26 on:** July 31, 2014, 12:53:25 AM »

Quote from: jordanthejq12 on July 31, 2014, 12:20:22 AM

Oh God, yes. Also the fight with Kreia after. The best fights in videogames are those you have no trouble transplanting over to a movie, and the Old Republic era has so many of those: Revan/Bastila and Revan/Malak in KoTOR1, Surik/Sion and Surik/Kreia in 2, and TOR...oh, don't even get me started.

Yes. The Old Republic era battles are all very good. I do love Revan's battles, as he is a personal favorite (one of the few Force-users to see that there is more to the Force than the Jedi view and having the strength of will to tap into the Dark Sode without letting it consume him). Sion has also always been a personal favorite maybe because of how relatable he is: all of us at one point or another have internalized emotions, allowing us to keep going without "disintegrating" to the pressures of life for a short time only to find ourselves unable to let it go afterwards.

Another great fight is the one from the Crosscurrent novel between the old Jedi and his apprentice. Perhaps one of the best lines from the EU is in that fight. The Jedi has embraced the Dark Side in order to gain the mastery of the Sith Lord, realizing that by doing so he has violated everything he has ever lived for, but that the Sith MUST be defeated at any cost. He says: "I hate myself for what I have become. But I hate you more!" And proceeds to kill the Sith and destroy the ship so that neither of their stains will remain in the galaxy.

Carnivore Jacques · « **Reply #27 on:** July 31, 2014, 07:21:14 AM »

Some of KOTOR's fights weren't all that great.
On the Star Forge for example, I just cast Force Kill until everything died, got stuck in adhesive grenades, and healed every other turn. There wasn't much impact in fighting through dozens of dark side adepts.
On the flip side, Yuthura/Uthar/Revan was a great fight gamewise but wouldn't translate well into a movie.

jordanthejq12 · « **Reply #28 on:** July 31, 2014, 08:31:26 AM »

Maybe it might, but a moviemaker would have to leave time for Yuthura's redemption to be poignant, so probably the actual fighting would be quick. (Which reflects the in-game reality: cast Insanity, torpedo through Ulthar (especially with Scoundrel levels), rinse and repeat with Yuthura.)

Lord Xizer · « **Reply #29 on:** July 31, 2014, 11:10:07 AM »

The battle against Lord Nyax. That was on an epic scale, was decently written and had my favorite line from Luke, " I stand in your way. What you see...you will not accomplish. " to Nyax when he sees what Nyax wants to do to the galaxy.

Pali · « **Reply #30 on:** August 01, 2014, 05:08:16 AM »

Well, if we're counting everything... well, damn. Too much to choose from, and a lot of favorites already mentioned (Siddious vs Maul/Oppress, Nyax, Tantiss, Labyrinth of Evil all loves of mine).

But I have to mention Ganner Rhysode's last stand - I loved the way it was written as being a grand symphony playing out through the Force, the redemption and fulfillment of Ganner's character, and the epic setting: Ganner holding a doorway alone against thousands and beating them all, animating statues and shields of rubble swirling around him, and how the fight turns him into a mythological figure for the Vong ("None shall pass"). Very high on the list of my favorite fights.

Lord Xizer · « **Reply #31 on:** August 01, 2014, 09:39:48 AM »

Quote from: Pali on August 01, 2014, 05:08:16 AM

Well, if we're counting everything... well, damn. Too much to choose from, and a lot of favorites already mentioned (Siddious vs Maul/Oppress, Nyax, Tantiss, Labyrinth of Evil all loves of mine).

But I have to mention Ganner Rhysode's last stand - I loved the way it was written as being a grand symphony playing out through the Force, the redemption and fulfillment of Ganner's character, and the epic setting: Ganner holding a doorway alone against thousands and beating them all, animating statues and shields of rubble swirling around him, and how the fight turns him into a mythological figure for the Vong ("None shall pass"). Very high on the list of my favorite fights.

Best line in all EU, " Bring on your thousands. One at a time or all at once....none shall pass,"

Revanchist · « **Reply #32 on:** August 01, 2014, 01:40:15 PM »

Quote from: Lord Xizer on August 01, 2014, 09:39:48 AM

Best line in all EU, " Bring on your thousands. One at a time or all at once....none shall pass,"

Indeed. Right there, at that time, Ganner Rhysode embodied everything a Jedi was supposed to be and stand for. Couldn't ask for a more epic and moving way to go if you ask me.

tlmiller · « **Reply #33 on:** August 01, 2014, 02:19:33 PM »

Always just made me think of the black knight in monty python...

CaptainPogo · « **Reply #34 on:** August 01, 2014, 03:41:23 PM »

Whoa, that'll teach me to lose focus here while packing my bags to Vietnam.

I'll admit, the Novel version of Sidious's fight against Mace and crew is...Many times better since it made both sides were indeed strong (like those Jedi were not cannon fodder, just....Horribly outclassed which they never expected) and the made the duel itself into something completely off the rails of any duel we have seen.

Hell, Anakin was partially a witness and for a guy who can pull off reactions in a starfighter that normal pilots deemed impossible to do and as a kid participated in races that involves dodging obstacles in a rocket-powered car, he sure as Hell couldn't exactly see Sidious and Mace go at it, saying they were literally fading in and out of existence. Props to Mace as it gives details on how his Vaapad style actually allow him to duel evenly with Sidious.

jordanthejq12 · « **Reply #35 on:** August 01, 2014, 06:11:32 PM »

Some things just work better in a novel. That's one of them--especially since Kit Fisto is anything but cannon fodder, but in the film he's just a trivia answer: "Who was the only one of the Jedi arresting Palpatine, other than Windu, not to get immediately killed?"

CaptainPogo · « **Reply #36 on:** August 14, 2014, 07:28:23 AM »

So, rewatched Luke vs Vader at the Death Star II and I felt like fans of prequels were very unfair to downplay both combatants as a duelist, mainly due to lack of fast paced martial skill.

Because this duel was pretty damn intense.

And I love the slight reversal of roles compared to the Bespin duel, with Luke and Vader switching roles. It may not be as obvious but when you think about it, Luke wasn't trying to harm Vader and fought in defensive manner...And blocked every strike from a Vader who knew he has to succeed to kill his own son if it meant living another day so it meant none of that holding back he displayed in Bespin. The "unwise to lower your defenses" is a clear sign he's trying to kill Luke to avoid being replaced and yet Luke with little effort blocks his strikes. Many sources do say the two men were practically equals as duelists and since we're talking about a infamous Jedi killer and former war hero against a guy who has a few years of training on the side while fighting a war the moment he joined up...That's a lot to say about Luke.

And then once Luke showed he too can remove the kid gloves...Vader was overwhelmed by such a fury. It may look a tad ridiculous but if you were in Vader's shoes...You would be scared of the fact this person who wasn't even trying to fight you...Now wants you dead for personal reasons and threw all sense of reason and tact just to murder you.

Lord Xizer · « **Reply #37 on:** August 14, 2014, 01:56:32 PM »

I love the qoute from the RotJ book, " Luke attcked Vader with a fury he'd never known....nor had Vader!"
Luke did a lot of back and forth through his film and EU career, going from impotent ponderer to unrivaled badass when he pulled out the stops( his almost singlehandedly killing or incapacitating hundreds of elite yuuzhan vong then killing Shimrra, his operating of ALL the crew stations with perfection on the Falcon during the last part of tge battle of Dathomir, his last dual with Vader and his severing of reborn palps hand in later Dark Empire) All that was reflected in Luke's dual above Endor with Vader, his true opponent was never really Vader, but his desire NOT to become LIKE Vader.

jordanthejq12 · « **Reply #38 on:** August 14, 2014, 02:20:07 PM »

Couldn't have said it better myself.

StarLordX · « **Reply #39 on:** August 24, 2014, 01:15:25 PM »

My personal favorite would be the first fight between Kyle Katarn and Desann on Artus Prime in Jedi Outcast. Having god mode on and with a lightsaber equipped (through cheat codes) makes it more thrilling, adding to the fact that with God mode still on in Kyle's case, Desann can attack Kyle with his lightsaber, but only if the duel is dragged throughout the map, as in the landing platform, Desann only uses Force Push, Pull and Grip.