The Best Lightsaber Form
Hello everyone and welcome to Star Wars Fun facts and Opinions. Today we will be looking at the best lightsaber fighting forms according to my opinion, strictly this is my opinion based off of 15 year experience in swordsmanship. I will be talking about the pros and cons of each form. However as a side note, My say over what is best is in no way the "end all say all" of what style is best, swordsmanship has many types of forms and practices and to a practitioner a certain form is best suited for him or her. With that said lets begin!
We will be going from least to greatest. Technically there are 8 Lightsaber Forms
No. 8 Shii Cho
Shii-Cho is the basic lightsaber form, what it provides is the basics for each Jedi in the description labeled on the picture.
Strengths:
Shii-Cho covers the users basics of attack and defense, parrying. If mastered well a practitioner can take on multiple opponents in open field combat, the form provides enough variety to be considered lethal. The form mainly uses wider and heavier swings that can be more wild compared to a style that is more refined and elegant, the form has a basis for basic blaster deflection and parrying. The best person to use this form was Kit Fisto.
Weakness:
Shii-Cho as powerful and wild as the form is, it leaves the user open to counter attacks and more refined styles such as Makashi, the fencing form. In short imagine a Knight without armor using a bastard sword against a duelist with a smaller sword called a Rapier, as powerful as the Knight is, the fencing duelist would simply evade or counter strike the heavy swings of the Knight. Same could be said for Lightsaber combat.
No.7 Niman
On the picture on the Bottom is Niman, This is the jack of all trades form. What it does it take bits and pieces from each style and combines them together, its like the mixed martial arts of the lightsaber form.
Strengths:
Niman is a great form to use against opponents as it provides a variety of attacks and opportunities as well a good defense for the user. Not only does this form gather parts from other fighting forms, but it also incorporates the use of force attacks within the sequences. A great user could effectively combat multiple opponents at once while maintaining the upper hand. A swing here, a force push after followed up by another light saber strike. Noteable user is Jedi Battle Master Kao Cen Darach.
Weakness:
Although the form provides a variety of attacks and opportunities and a good defense, the form is highly exhausting on the practitioner, after using force powers on top of physical abilities the user will grow tired quicker than a user who uses mainly one form or another.
No. 6 Jar'Kai
Two is better than one right? That is what Jar'Kai provides, the practitioner uses sequences from Niman while duel blade fencing.
Strengths:
Much like Niman with the same strengths, the bigger difference is Jar'Kai practitioner uses two blades providing quicker and more aggressive fighting style. The user enhances their ability to output blade work and quick strikes that are well calculated.
Weakness:
Again much like Niman, the user can become effectively tired if engaged in a long fight due to the high energy needed to output for the form. Not only does the user get more tired, but the strikes are weaker considered the practitioner uses only one hand for each blade as well as if the style is interrupted it no longer flows the way it should. The duel blade fencing form is great against multiple opponents to keep at bay, but against a single opponent if the flow of blades is stopped it is like a dam stopping water.
No. 5 Ataru
Ataru is considered the acrobatic form, this is the form used by Yoda.
Strengths:
Ataru is a highly aggressive and offensive form providing little defensive capabilities. This form is similar to Niman, but it incorporates hand to hand combat strikes within the sequences of lightsaber attacks. The user who masters this form is extremely leathal and has a great offensive output to put most opponents on their back foot. This form is best used when done in small burst rather than longer extended fights.
Weakness:
The form is highly aggressive and offensive, but it leaves the user to be tired very fast if overextending ones self. This in turn leave the user open for counter strikes or to go on the defensive, which Ataru really has no defense at all, the user would have to go back to the basics of Shii-Cho if put on the defense.
No. 4 Shien/Djem So
The picture on the top shows what Shien/Djem-So is, this is the form that Darth Vader/ Anakin Skywalker use.
Strengths:
Shien/Djem-So is a great form of lightsaber combat, this form is the Samuari type style of Lightsaber fighting. This form is quick and powerful and provides great defensive capabilities and is considered the most balanced of the forms favoring attack and defense. The user could be on the attack and if a counter strike happens to the user, the user can counter the counter strike and continue their barrage of attack.
Weakness:
These is almost no weaknesses to this form, the only weakness is unbalance. This means that the practitioner has to be mindful of their movements, if they put too much focus on offensive attacks they are prone to counter attacks, but if too much on defense they do not get the opportunity for offense.
No. 3 Juyo/Vaapad
Juyo/Vaapad is the all out offensive form, this is the form that Mace Windu, Darth Sidious, Darth Maul use.
Strengths:
Juyo is highly aggressive with quick fierce strikes in the sequences, it may seem random, but it is controlled and well calculated imagine top tier duelist who have great offensive abilities, they are extremely deadly and only the best of the best can match the form. The form is made to overpower, overwhelm, and barrage the opponent.
Weakness:
Juyo has no defensive capabilities, this form is all powered through offensive tactics and attacks and if interrupted the user has to fall back on a rather weak defense, the best bet for a Juyo practitioner is to be stopped for a brief moment and counter strike to get back on the offense again. Because the Juyo attack is all attack, although the attacks could be well calculated and executed, the attacking side still has less time to react and always keep acting, this means they are prone to counter attacks if their attack fails.
No.2 Makashi
Makashi is the Fencing form, this form was made for lightsaber dueling with 1 vs 1 opponents in mind, but if mastered is able to easily contend with multiple opponents. Count Dooku Uses this form.
Stengths:
Very well balanced to offensive and defensive strikes, uses more counter strikes rather than offensive flourishes. This is a piercing form which means it looks for any opening and exploits it hard. The form is much faster than most forms and is just made for dueling. Imagine a fencing master specialized is dueling combat, any type of warrior whether it be Samurai or Knight or Viking would be a challenge, but the fencing master would be able to overcome them with pure skill and tactics. The form requires a sharp mind to use it, this means using leverage, counter striking, great foot work, and well placed blade strikes carries the day.
Weakness:
Although the form is elegant and refined the most, it lacks one thing. Strength. If a practitioner is against someone more powerful direct blade to blade combat is risky, this means the practitioner could be over powered if not using their tactics.
No.1 Soresu
The defensive form, this form when mastered is considered the best form with no weaknesses, but it has no offensive output. Obi Wan Kenobi uses this form and perfected it to be proclaimed THE Master of the form.
Strength:
This form is all defense which means anyone trying to output, overpower, onslaught, or overwhelm will simply be shut down by the form due to the failure of not having effective offensive attacks. In short, you cannot defeat someone if they stone wall your offensive, the attack becomes mute and useless and tires out the offensive opponent. Soresu masters are able to negotiate their way in a fight and out last anyone in a duel. The form is made for long engagements and attrition to tire out offensive users, once the offensive user is tired the Soresu master can either end the duel by taking an offense of their own, or implementing a counter strike once they read the offensive sides strikes. This form requires patience, tactics, and manipulation of the field and opponent. This form is the expression of tactic ingenuity on the defensive. This can lead opponents into false securities and later exploit them when comfortable.
Weakness:
As awesome as a stone wall defense is, it simply leaves no room for attacking if the user is a pure Soresu practitioner. It would be recommended to know another form for offensive abilities, but luckily most Soresu Masters have a knowledge of Shii-Cho as a basic. However Jedi Masters like Kenobi knew more than 3 forms of lightsaber combat: Soresu, Ataru, Shii-Cho, and Jar'Kai.
However again this just my opinion, but feel free to agree, disagree, or leave a comment! Hope you enjoyed
If you want to see more stuff like this check out these Youtube Channels
1. Geek Rank Ligthsaber Forms by Antonio Benedle
2. Find your Ligthsaber Form by Leia's Lair
3. 7 Lightsaber Forms by Men's Health Singapore
I would say that djem so/shien should be number 1 because it is balanced perfectly. Soresu mainly depends on defensive tactics but djem so is both offensive and defensive but thats just my opinion. So far the best djem so user was anakin from the movies. but imagine if anakin wasnt blinded by the dark side on his fight with obi wan, anakin wouldve won mainly because of his lightsaber form. Imagine someone who has perfected djem-so to its limit. They would be the best lightsaber duelist in my opinion.
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