• Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.

So where does the end duel of The Force Awakens rank within all SW duels? [SPOILERS]

Status
Not open for further replies.
Z

ZealousD

Makes world leading predictions like "The sun will rise tomorrow"
The OT lightsaber duels aren't particularly flashy, and the Vader vs Obi-Wan duel in particular is kind of weak these days. They get the job done and they captured our imaginations back in the day but it's not as if there wasn't room for improvement.

The PT lightsaber duels were basically coreographed dancing where the performers are whacking sticks together. Kind of cool in a dumb way. Makes for a fun watch in a popcorny kind-of-way but doesn't really have the gravitas of a real duel.

The lightsaber duel in TFA feels more visceral. Like the actors are actually going at it. Not as flashy as the PT but I think it carries the most weight. I like it.
 
cebri.one

cebri.one

Member
1. Anakin/Sidious vs ObiWan/Yoda
2. Vader vs Luke ROTJ
3. Darth Maul vs ObiWan/QuiGon
4. Vader vs Luke ESB
5. TFA

And the others are just too bad.
 
M

Meowster

Member
TFA was just really well choreographed, from the saber's being used with weight to kill, the dark snowy landscape illuminated by the lightsaber's, the manic and frenzied attacks by both Rey and Kylo Ren. It was beautiful in a dark manner.
 
E

Effect

Member
graffix13 said:
Near last for me.

My final duels rankings:

ESB
RotS
RotJ
TPM
TFA
AotC
ANH
Click to expand...

Pretty much how my list looks save a few changes.

ESB
ROTS
TPM
ROTJ
AOTC (Not going to lie. I enjoyed that Yoda vs Dooku fight and while not a true duel Obi-wan vs Jango was a good fight as well. It's also the first time we see dual sabers being used in the films via Anakin.)
TFA
ANH

This is looking at the fights overall. If there is a single exchange I feel is the most emotional that I've watched over and over again it has to that part in ROTJ where Vader threatens to turn Leia and Luke goes off on him. The part of the ROTS as fights goes that hurts it is the lightsaber twirl part which just looks stupid. The rest of the fight between Anakin and Obi-wan is pretty cool. Then there is Yoda vs Palp. Anakin vs Dooku and I even enjoyed Obi-wan vs Grievous.

I enjoyed The Force Awakens,I've seen it twice now, but it has nothing on the fights in the OT and PT save for that fight against Obi-Wan and Vader in A New Hope. That's the only fight I feel comfortably putting below it. The fight just doesn't hold up on repeat viewings for me compared to the other films. The only thing it really has going for it is the location. That was great.
 
R

Ray Down

Banned
Its good, but it doesn't top the two best fights Luke VS Vader in ROTJ and ESB.

Its probably my forth or fifth favorite one.
 
W

Wanderer5

Member
Not sure about best, with the Luke vs Vader from Ep 5 and 6, but at least it be third behind those two. Kind of felt like a nice mix of both OT and PT style really. It had the energy of the PT fights, but didn't go overboard with it and had the nice tense feel and weight that the OT has.
 
Kanhir

Kanhir

Member
The best thing about the TFA duel for me was that none of the three were really any good at sword fighting. It was very scrappy and unprofessional, and for that reason it must have been a bitch to choreograph.

(I suspect Kylo spent days in his room perfecting the sword spinning, though. It seems like the kind of thing he would do.)

Edit: Rey trying to stab him was also special. Who thrusts with a laser sword?
 
G

GiantEnemyGoomba

Member
It was a great combo of the OT's emotion and the PT's flair (without being over the top). It actually looked like they were trying to murder each other with every swing, which was great. Also, the cinematography with the snow, trees being cut down, and lighting all made the fight very visually appealing. That said, the emotion during the battle wasn't on the level of ESB and RotJ, so I'd probably put it third.
 
M

mdubs

Banned
TFA was cool, I liked it. Hit the nice middle ground between the prequels and the original trilogy.

Luke and Vader in ROTJ is garbage-tier though, Luke is just swinging and missing half the time https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_RFYoZ7H67A . Worst fight in the entire series, especially considering this is supposed to be the climax of the OT
 
C

Cranster

Banned
FZZpure said:
Lmfao

Shit on the PT all you want but they had by far the best lightsaber battles. OT can't hold a candle shit looks dated as fuck in comparison.
Click to expand...

Lightsaber+Battle.gif
 
G

gutter_trash

Banned
1. Luke vs. Vader in ESB
2. Luke vs. Vader in ROTJ
3. Kylo Ren vs. Rey/Finn in TFA
4. Vader vs. Obi-Wan in ANH

prequels are not Star Wars
 
E

Effect

Member
Cranster said:
Lightsaber+Battle.gif
Click to expand...

That is perhaps the single stupidest part of the PT fights. People will admit that. That's one moment out of several fights across several films. That does take away from the Obi-wan/Qui-gon vs Maul fight. It does not take away from the rest of the Anakin vs Obi-wan fight or the Yoda vs Palp fight or the others.

This is my problem with the prequel hate. One can have issues with many parts of prequels. The blanket hate that nothing about it is good is just beyond stupid.
 
G

GiantEnemyGoomba

Member
If they can match this fight's choreography and cinematography in VIII and IX we're in for such a treat considering the stakes are going to be so much higher.
 
S

Sojgat

Member
1. Return of the Jedi - Luke vs. Vader
2. Empire - Luke vs. Vader
3. Phantom Menace - Obi-Wan vs. Darth Maul (final fight)
4. Phantom Menace - Qui-Gon vs. Darth Maul (Tatooine fight)
5. Force Awakens - Finn/Rey vs. Kylo Ren

If we counted the animated shows, none of these would even rank in the top 10.
 
S

Slime

Banned
ROTJ > TESB > TFA >>>>>> ANH

I loved the pace and rawness of TFA's battle. Felt it faithfully recaptured the heft and deadliness of these weapons you saw in the OT, and demonstrated Rey's inexperience and Kylo's emotion in an interesting way. Like the originals, I love that it told a story and had feeling, as opposed to being pure spectacle.

Can't really distinguish between any of the PT's Jedi party glowstick dance battles, but they were all pretty flashy and dull.
 
J

jett

D-Member
1.- Jedi
return-of-the-jedi-duel.gif


2.- Empire
tumblr_lytn5rJrnt1qdkjypo1_500.gif


In classic Abrams ADHD fashion, he couldn't let a single shot breathe, and the choreography isn't that great (especially during the Rey portion), but I like the more brutal nature it has. It ranks third behind ROTJ and ESB, kind of by default to be honest. I don't care for the acrobatics and ridiculousness of the prequels.
 
C

commish

Jason Kidd murdered my dog in cold blood!
OT fights were pretty bad tbh, even if you factor in the emotional weight of the scenes. Just pretty boring fights in and of themselves. Prequels had better fights. TFA's fight is good but Kylo should have won easily.
 
E

Effect

Member
Crossing Eden said:
That's still canon.
Click to expand...

Nope. The CGI Clone Wars series is canon. The Tartakovsky cartoon unfortunately isn't. That got invalidated I think when the Clone Wars cartoon came out. I don't think it should have been. Don't think it ever really caused to many problems but it was.
 
A

aliengmr

Member
1. ESB Luke and Vader
2. TFA Kylo and Rey and ROTJ Luke and Vader

If we consider nothing else but the visual composition and editing, TFA drops to 3rd.
 
S

Starsailor

Banned
commish said:
OT fights were pretty bad tbh, even if you factor in the emotional weight of the scenes. Just pretty boring fights in and of themselves. Prequels had better fights. TFA's fight is good but Kylo should have won easily.
Click to expand...

how many time do we have to say this?
Kylo was injured by Chewbacca (with his monster weapon) AND little more by Finn AND he didn't want to kill Rey but to make her a Knight of Ren... AND he's just a Knight of Ren. It's like what..Padawan for the jedi?

We just saw something like Harry Potter VS Drago Malefoy in HP2.
 
C

Crossing Eden

Hello, my name is Yves Guillemot, Vivendi S.A.'s Employee of the Month!
FZZpure said:
Lmfao

Shit on the PT all you want but they had by far the best lightsaber battles. OT can't hold a candle shit looks dated as fuck in comparison.
Click to expand...
The prequel fights looked so choreographed and had very little tension because we couldn't give two shits about the characters, they were like the definition of flash with no substance. Meanwhile the OT fights, and the Rey fight, had a ton of tension and perfectly conveyed the story that was being told.

Effect said:
Nope. The CGI Clone Wars series is canon. The Tartakovsky cartoon unfortunately isn't. That got invalidated I think when the Clone Wars cartoon came out. I don't think it should have been. Don't think it ever really caused to many problems but it was.
Click to expand...
What? That makes no sense, the events don't contradict each other at all. ._.
 
S

Syf

Banned
Better than all of the awful prequel fights, not as good as the throne room. I'd put it about even with ESB.
 
S

Speely

Banned
I feel like ESB and RotJ had more dramatic weight (not that TFA had none by any means,) but the actual fighting itself in TFA was the most visceral and wonderfully-realized lightsaber battle I have ever seen in live action. It had weight and a sense of real motion like none other. The lighting and reactivity of the environment to the sabers added a LOT as well.

That, combined with Finn's heart and Kylo's amazing performance, makes TFA's duel my favorite in the series yet, overall.
 
S

shoreu

Member
FZZpure said:
Lmfao

Shit on the PT all you want but they had by far the best lightsaber battles. OT can't hold a candle shit looks dated as fuck in comparison.
Click to expand...

This... who the hell taps someone with at light saber limbs should have been lost. Also Rey should have lost as well.
 
S

Starsailor

Banned
Crossing Eden said:
The prequel fights looked so choreographed and had very little tension because we couldn't give two shits about the characters, they were like the definition of flash with no substance. Meanwhile the OT fights, and the Rey fight, had a ton of tension and perfectly conveyed the story that was being told.
Click to expand...

Because we feel in OT and NT (New Trilogy? :p) that they really have swords...not like in the PT where it's like sticks not heavy.
 
E

Effect

Member
Crossing Eden said:
The prequel fights looked so choreographed and had very little tension because we couldn't give two shits about the characters, they were like the definition of flash with no substance. Meanwhile the OT fights, and the Rey fight, had a ton of tension and perfectly conveyed the story that was being told.
Click to expand...

Kylo vs Finn had tension because you didn't know which way they were going to go because it was clear at that point he didn't have force powers and Kylo was a dead man walking after what Chewie did to him and was bleeding all over the place. As soon as Rey got the lightsaber there was no way she wasn't winning that fight. I don't see how anyone can honestly say they didn't expect that outcome. There was no tension at all in that fight. Had they not had the Finn fight first it might have been another story.

Crossing Eden said:
What? That makes no sense, the events don't contradict each other at all. ._.
Click to expand...

Agreed. Especially since the final episodes lead right into Revenge of the Sith. They said it was out though. It was such a damn good show as well.
 
TheMan

TheMan

Member
i wasn't impressed with it, but then again mary sue is a total neophyte and kylo is a poser, so i guess their totally meh fight was intended to be that way. still, i think the prequels had much cooler saber duels.
 
S

Starsailor

Banned
Effect said:
Kylo vs Finn had tension because you didn't know which way they were going to go because it was clear at that point he didn't have force powers and Kylo was a dead man walking after what Chewie did to him and was bleeding all over the place. As soon as Rey got the lightsaber there was no way she wasn't winning that fight. I don't see how anyone can honestly say they didn't expect that outcome. There was no tension at all in that fight. Had they not had the Finn fight first it might have been another story.
Click to expand...

Well the filmmaker made that point that Rey gonna win this fight when she picked up Anakin lighstaber. It was that king of heroic "Excalibur" moment.
 
G

gutter_trash

Banned
as much as the emotion runs highest in ROTJ when Luke whales on Vader, i find that that the overall confrontation in ESB to be more complete due to Vader toying with Luke on a curve that ramps up gradually when Vader decides at every step to show off a little bit more of his power bit by bit.
 
O

Ol No Bones

Banned
Empire
Jedi
Awakens
Phantom
Sith
Clones
Hope

The prequels are weird because I find them entertaining but they aren't meaningful. The whole Bespin sequence is so well thought out. From beginning to the end it takes many different tones.
 
S

Starsailor

Banned
The question is, how the futures Rey VS Kylo fight could rrank up?

Because there is obviously in this trilogy a "levelling" aspect. J.J.A told press that Rey and Kylo are going to evolve during the movies.

So what Rian Johnson need to do to make the next Rey VS Kylo (assuming they will fighting each other again in VIII) to make it "awesome" ?
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

ITT we rank the Star Wars Movies
2
68
5K
VenomousCoffee replied
20 Best Video Game Remakes of All Time, Ranked
Opinion News 2
71
7K
xrnzaaas replied
Helldivers II | Review Thread
Analysis Review 2 3
127
13K
DaleinCalgary replied
Saw Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker earlier SPOILERS
31
2K
#Phonepunk# replied
Lttp: Star Wars Episodes I-VIII + Rogue One
25
2K
ValiantTraveler replied
Top Bottom