6. Luke Skywalker Vs. Darth Vader The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
Much darker than 1977's A New Hope, this superior follow-up largely abandons the prior flick's carnival ride spirit. The characters have more depth, the stakes are much higher, and the overall conflict - that of Luke Skywalker's journey from being soft-batch to heroically battling his evil dad, Darth Vader, resonates stronger thanks to Empire's serious nature. The initial showdown between father and son may not be the flashiest lightsaber duel, but its arguably the most emotionally powerful duel of the entire Star Wars franchise. The slow pacing, the haunting aesthetic, and the tangible reality of Lukes first duel with Vader all make for one of cinemas most memorable fight scenes. During the battle it's quite clear that Lukes training is incomplete, and he takes his licks by the duels end, hes battered and bloodied, having been slammed left and right with debris and machinery through Vaders dark side trickery. Theres a harsh beauty to this conflict. Its beautifully shot, its thrilling, and the ending, of course, is the stuff of legend. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C-DeI3ohVbY
Jesse Gumbarge is editor and chief blogger at JarvisCity.com - He loves old-school horror films and starting pointless debates. You can reach out at: JesseGumbarge@JarvisCity.com
