Star Wars: Every Lightsaber Duel Ranked Worst To Best
Who has the best duel in the Galaxy Far, Far Away?
The lightsaber duel is one of the Star Wars franchise's most iconic hallmarks. Ever since Alec Guinness and David Prowse clashed in 1977's A New Hope, the duel has grown and expanded into one of pop culture's most recognisable and beloved aspects of this universe, allowing good and evil to clash on an epic and personal scale.
And these days, the Star Wars universe is larger than ever. No longer just a series of ambitious and sweeping movies, it has since branched out in TV shows such as The Clone Wars, Rebels and Resistance, and whilst this has changed the landscape of the saga massively, the lightsaber duel is always there, exciting young and old fans alike and standing the test of time as one of cinema's greatest creations.
The following list will rank every lightsaber duel in the Star Wars movies, from the 1977 original to The Rise of Skywalker, looking at the nostalgic classics and seeing how they hold up with the more technologically advanced duels of the 21st century.
One thing is for certain, looking at the fights we've been graced with over the years: the duel will never lose its magic touch, and will never fail to offer up some serious excitement.
Major spoilers ahead.
17. Qui-Gon Jinn Vs Darth Maul - The Phantom Menace
Honestly, this moment was quite cool, giving audiences a chance to see both Qui-Gon and Maul in action and not-so-subtly teasing a re-match. With the desert planet acting as a vast and sweeping backdrop, the two clash with no real victor, as Qui-Gon finds himself picked up by Obi-Wan, leaving Maul stranded.
Unfortunately, the duel is all too brief, and is only really in place to make it clear that the Sith have returned to the Galaxy, and that Maul is the big bad our intrepid heroes will have to face down in the film's final act.
Also, Maul decides not to show fans his awesome double-ended lightsaber, instead leaving it for a big reveal in the final clash.