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Star Wars: History Abridged Pt. 9- Great Sith Wars Epilogue

Hello, and welcome to the Revenge of the Fifth, my fellow Star Wars fans. Today we conclude my series on the Great Sith War Era of Star Wars, one of the best parts of the franchise and one that I think should be canon again. However, there are some secrets of the Sith that will change everything about what I have written about. If you want to learn the truth about the end of the Great Hyperspace War, the Mandalorian Wars, and Revan’s fall, then read on. Spoilers from the novel Star Wars the Old Republic: Revan ahead.

The Truth About Revan

Yesterday, I talked about how Revan had learned of a great evil that threatened the Galaxy. An evil that had used the Mandalorians as pawns in a game that would impress Darth Sidious. Now, let me take you back to the end of the Mandalorian Wars.

As Mandalore the Ultimate lay dying at Revan’s feet, he revealed a terrifying revelation: the Mandalorians had been manipulated to go to war by the Sith. Not the Brotherhood of the Sith or some cult, but the original Sith Empjre. Despite the belief that the Original Sith Empire had been destroyed, they survived beyond the reach of the Republic. Terrified, Revan took Malak and his forces into deep space, following the lead Mandalore the Ultimate gave him. There, he confirmed everything he heard to be true, and the existence of the being behind it.

The Sith Emperor

More than a century before the Great Hyperspace War, a young Sith Lord rose to power on a small world in the Sith Empire. This kid had no ability to feel anything aside from his desire for power. After killing his father, Marka Ragnos made him Lord of the planet.

Flash forward to the end of the Great Hyperspace War, and this Dark Lord saw opportunity. Gathering most of the surviving Sith Lords on his planet, he then bent them to his will. With their power, he then enacted a ritual unlike any the universe had ever seen. Drawing on the power of the Dark Side, the Lord proceeded to drain the life out of everything on the planet. Every being, plant, and animal had their life drained and absorbed by the Lord. As a result, he became a nigh-immortal being known only as the Sith Emperor. Afterwards, he took the remaining Sith beyond known space and re-established the Sith Empire far from the Republic’s eyes.

The Mandalorian Wars were simply a means to weaken/test the Republic’s defenses, but thanks to Revan, that plan was thwarted. Unfortunately, Revan’s solution to this ancient threat was to attack it head on. Already slipping to the Dark Side, the Emperor easily bent Revan and Malak to his will. It was he who sent them back to find the Star Forge and serve as the vanguard to his galactic conquest centuries ahead of schedule. Luckily, they overcame his brainwashing through sheer willpower, but failed to break free of the Dark Side. Malak never did, while the Jedi inadvertently helped Revan to do so.

Revan’s Quest

After the Jedi Civil War, Revan regained more of his lost memories, including the secrets of the Sith. As a result, he chose to resume his quest to take down the Sith Emperor, leaving his wife Bastila and unborn child behind. He was captured and imprisoned by the Sith for years, while his equivalent of Artoo, T3-M4, went to look for help. Help that he found in the form of the Jedi Exile, Meetra Surik. After returning to Republic space, Meetra proceeded to help stabilize the Republic and defeat the remnants of Revan’s Sith Empire.

After leaving Malachor V, Meetra went to Coruscant to find Bastila, who had survived the purge along with her son, Vaner. Teethree then told them the truth about everything, with Meetra leaving to save her old friend. She raided the estate where he was held captive, found Revan, and gave him a gift in the form of his mask. Bastila had recovered it from his ship and kept it hidden for years. When he held the mask that had compelled him to start his journey, all of Revan’s memories returned at last. He was neither a Jedi nor Sith. Instead, he was a pure badass.

The Final Confrontation

Here’s the reason why I love Revan so much: after regaining all of his memories, he reached a mastery of the Force that few in Star Wars have ever achieved. He could use both the Light and Dark sides to their full extent, finding a balance within the Force itself. In other words, he’s what Anakin Skywalker could have been. What’s more, Revan had gained a new ally, a young Sith Lord named Scourge, who realized how great an evil the Sith Emperor was.

The Emperor’s plan wasn’t to conquer the Galaxy. Instead, he wanted to repeat the ritual that made him immortal on a galactic scale, making himself into a god. If that happened, nothing in the universe could oppose him. Thus, the four set out to end the Emperor before his insane plans could be realized.

However, even with their combined power, the group stood no chance against the ancient Sith Lord. Their Sith ally realized that they stood no hope of winning; the one who would vanquish the Emperor had yet to be born. Thus, Scourge betrayed his allies, killed Meetra, and allowed Revan to be captured once more. As a reward, the Emperor made Scourge his personal enforcer and immortal, undying Wrath.

The Old Republic Continues

Revan did not die at this moment, though. Instead, the Emperor put him in stasis for centuries, using him as a Force conduit to the light. However, Revan resisted with all his might, and would continue to resist for centuries to come.

Despite his suffering, though, Revan did manage to do one thing: making sure that his friends would never face the horrors of the Sith in their lifetime. Bastila, Carth, his son and many others were able to live their lives. As for Meetra’s pupils, they went on to rebuild the Jedi. Within three hundred years, the Republic and Jedi had come back from the brink. Thus we bring our coverage of the Old Republic Era to an end.

If you want to learn what happened next to Revan and the Sith Empire, then go play Star Wars: The Old Republic online game. It’s been out for nine years, so it’s covered the fates of the Emperor, Revan and more.

If you stuck with me for the last week, then I thank you from the bottom of my heart. I could have just given you links to Wookiepedia and told you to read it for yourself. But I felt doing that would be a disservice to so much incredible content that deserves to be remembered.

Happy Revenge of the Fifth, people. May the Force be with you!

Click here to learn all there is about Star Wars with Wookiepedia, the Star Wars Wiki.

Click here to see more of my Star Wars Stuff.

Star Wars: History Abridged Pt. 8- The Dark Wars Pt. 2

Hello, everyone, and happy May the Fourth. Hopefully you’ll have already read my review for the final episode of Star Wars: The Clone Wars by now. There’s more, though. For the last week, I’ve been continuing my history abridged series for the Expanded Universe, covering the era of the Old Sith Wars. Today is the grand finale. If you’ve read my last posts, then you know the Galaxy’s in bad shape. The Jedi are on the brink of extinction, the Republic’s at death’s door, and the Sith are making it worse. However, there’s still one person left who can help. So, come with me and learn the story of the Jedi Exile.

If you haven’t played Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords, then major spoilers ahead. Just saying.

The Jedi Exile

The woman known to history as the Jedi Exile was born Meetra Surik, and she spent her youth trained as a Jedi Padawan. She was strong in the Force, far stronger than some teachers gave her credit for. In addition, she was to unconciosuly use the Force to create powerful bonds with others, making her a natural leader and compassionate person. When the Mandalorian Wars broke out, she was one of the Jedi who followed Revan and Malak into battle. Next to Malak, she became Revan’s most trusted follower.

At the final battle of Malachor V, Revan entrusted Meetra with the superweapon that would wreck the planet. As a result of, she saw many of the friends she made die in front of her. It broke her, and she became the only Jedi to return to the Council to face judgement. They chose to exile her for what she did. In addition, they also seemed to sever her connection to the Force. she spent the next ten years wandering the Outer Rim. That is, until Revan’s friend Carth found her and brought her back to the Republic.

Hunted by the Sith

In 3,951 BBY, Meetra, aka the Jedi Exile, returned to Republic space. Naturally, this attracted the attention of many factions, including the Sith. Darth Sion and his Sith Assassins infiltrated the Republic ship she was on and came close to capturing her. However, she would be saved by none other than Darth Traya. Her students had turned on her, stripped her of the Force, and threw her out. Now she wanted revenge on them and saw the Jedi Exile as the key to that, and more.

With her new companions, along with several she picked up while on the run, she narrowly escaped the Sith. After returning to the Republic, she then set out on a quest to reunite the remaining Jedi Masters, take down the Sith, learn why she was exiled and why she was starting to regain her connection with the Force.

Journey of the Jedi Exile

With her new companions, Meetra began to travel to multiple worlds touched by the Mandalorian Wars and the Jedi Civil War. While doing so, she ended up helping the locals out with a lot of problems that were keeping them from rebuilding. She also gained a few more companions in the process. Among them were Visas Marr, the lone survivor of Katarr and Nihilus’ apprentice, and Mandalore the Preserver. The latter was trying to rebuild his people after their defeat, and saw aiding the Republic as their best option.

After traveling to multiple planets and fending off Sith assassins and bounty hunters, events would reach a fever pitch on the familiar world of Onderon. It had been fifty years since the events surrounding Freedon Nadd and the Beast Riders. Now the planet was ruled by Oron Kira and Galia’s descendant, Talia. However, a growing force wanted Onderon to secede from the Republic. What no one knew was that these separatists were backed by the Sith.

Ulimately, Onderon became engulfed in a Civil War that the Exile and her companions found themselves caught in. On the moon of Dxun, the group worked with their Mandalorian allies to drive the Sith out of Nadd’s tomb, which they were using to bolster enemy with the Dark Side. Meetra herself led the counterattack that would save Talia and end the conflict in victory. As a bonus, she found the last Jedi Master she was looking for.

Revelations

With all the (still) living Jedi Masters found, Meetra returned to Dantooine to learn the truth about her exile and her regaining the Force. The revelations were pretty big.

As it turned out, the Council never took her connection to the Force. She did that herself at Malchor V. If she hadn’t, the backlash from feeling all her friends die would have killed her. As for how she could use it again, it was through her bonds with others. So the masters wanted to exile her again, for good. However, Kreia intervened.

Kreia had come to believe that the source of much of the Galaxy’s strife was the Force itself and sought to destroy it. And in the Exile, she saw a truth that the Jedi refused to believe: that people did not need to rely on the Force to survive. So, she slew the masters and abandoned the Exile before journeying to Malachor V.

Fall of the Triumvirate

After Kreia left her, Meetra learned what she was planning. The countless deaths at Malachor V had made it a wound in the Force. By expanding it, she could cut the Force off from the entire Galaxy. In other words, killing it. But doing so would probably kill countless beings in the process. So, they had to stop that. First, though, the Sith had to be dealt with.

Firstly, Meetra managed to slay Darth Nihilus when he came out of hiding to consume another planet. After that, the group traveled to what was left of Malachor V, took down the Sith assassins, and convinced Sion to let go of his hate and pass on. After that, she confronted and struck down Kreia/Darth Traya, and then reactivated the superweapon that destroyed Malachor V to destroy the planet, closing the wound in the Force.

The Jedi are Reborn

However, this is where the story of the Jedi Exile ends in Republic Space. with her dying breath, Kriea told Meetra the truth about what happened to Revan, why he became a Sith Lord, and why he had left after the Jedi Civil War. He had discovered that the Mandalorians were pawns for a much greater evil, lurking in depths of space. An evil so great, that Revan sought to prepare the Galaxy for it by any means necessary. It was this evil that he left to confront on his own, and now the Exile would follow in his footsteps.

Meetra didn’t leave the Republic unguarded, though. Many of her companions on this journey were Force-sensitive. She chose to pass on her knowledge and training to them before she left. These students of hers would rebuild the Jedi Order and the Republic in the decades to follow. Thus, the Old Sith Wars came to an end.

May the Fourth Be With You

I didn’t intend on making this post as detailed as it was. However, I found that the only way to give this story any credit was to dedicate a separate post to it. This isn’t the end of the story, though. There are some pretty crazy things left to tell you about the Mandalorian Wars, Revan, and the Exile. So, come back tomorrow for Revenge of the Fifth as I give you the epilogue to the Old Sith Wars.

May the Force be with you.

Click here to learn all there is about Star Wars with Wookiepedia, the Star Wars Wiki.

Click here to see more of my Star Wars Stuff.

Star Wars: History Abridged Pt. 7- The Dark Wars, Pt. 1

Any Star Wars fan worth his salt knows how Darth Sidious almost managed to wipe out the Jedi Order in the films. However, in the Star Wars Expanded Universe timeline, this wasn’t the first time this happened. That distinction belongs to the period of time following the end of the Jedi Civil War. Known as the First Jedi Purge, it’s what we’ll be talking about both today and on May the Fourth. And in some ways, it was worse than what Sidious ever did.

Republic and Jedi at Death’s Door

Thanks to the efforts of the redeemed Revan and his friends, the Jedi Civil War ended in victory for the Jedi and Republic. However, that brought no comfort. In less than fifty years, the Galaxy had gone through three major conflicts that had eaten away at the Jedi. Thousands of members had either died or fallen to the Dark Side. Some of their most important centers of knowledge had been lost. And since the latest incarnations of the Sith had been ex-Jedi, public confidence in them reached an all-time low.

When the Jedi Civil War ended in 3,956 BBY, the total number of Jedi left was around a hundred. A hundred; in a galaxy of trillions of people who needed help. Worse still, the Republic stood on the brink of total collapse. Their military and infrastructure were in shambles, and they could do nothing to help their protectors.

There was one person who could lead the Galaxy through this strife, though: Revan. However, after the war, he began to regain more of his memories. Suspecting there was a threat in the deep reaches of space, he left known space a year after the war ended. Thus, the Galaxy was deprived of a leader.

The Sith Triumvirate

Even though Revan’s Sith Empire was shattered, remnants of it clung to life in the dark corners of the Galaxy. For several years they continued to cause trouble for the Republic, but they also fought each other. After a while, though, the remnants united under the leadership of the Sith Triumvirate, three powerful Dark Lords of the Sith with badass titles.

There was Darth Sion, the Lord of Pain. He had been a part of the Brotherhood of Sith in the Great Sith War, where he discovered an unnatural power. By focusing on his pain/sheer willpower, he could use the Dark Side to bring himself back to life whenever he fell. In other words, he was immortal at the cost of his body becoming a patchwork of injuries held together by the Dark Side.

Then there was Darth Nihilus, the Lord of Hunger. scariest of the three. He fought in the Mandalorian Wars and was unlucky enough to be on Malachor V when Revan almost destroyed it. Even though he survived, he had to drain the Force Energy from others to survive. In other words, he was a Force vampire. When the Dark Side began to destroy his body, he got rid of it. He transferred his consciousness to his skull-like mask and armor, become a freak of nature.

Then there was Darth Traya, the Lord of Betrayal. Once a Jedi, she had been one of Revan’s teacher’s in his youth. When he became a Sith Lord, the Jedi kicked her out, and she vowed revenge. Journeying to Malachor V, she learned Revan had left something behind: the Trayus Academy and its students, the Sith Assassins. They used the Force to hide themselves and hunt down targets through it.

First Jedi Purge

Rather than conquer the Galaxy outright, the Triumvirate had a different strategy: take. out. The Jedi. They were smart enough to realize that if their attempts at Galactic Domination kept getting foiled by the Jedi Knights, they should get rid of them. After that, it wouldn’t who was in charge: the Dark Side would reign supreme. Thus, they got to work, starting the First Jedi Purge

Every time the Jedi tried to gather together, they began to disappear, hunted down by the Sith. No place seemed safe for them. To make matters worse, someone put out a bounty on the Jedi; now they had to worry about bounty hunters as well. Something had to be done. So, most of the remaining leaders called a meeting on the planet of Katarr in secret. However, one of them ratted on them in the hopes of drawing their attackers out of hiding. Big mistake.

Katarr was also home to a colony of Miraluka, a species of blind humanoids who used the Force to see. The whole planet was like a Force feast for Darth Nihilus. So he came to Katarr and… he ate them. He sucked the Force out of everything on planet, killing all but one person.

So, the remaining Jedi (who I could count with my fingers) went into hiding. The Order was publicly disbanded. It seemed like the Galaxy would fall into darkness.

One Last Hope

By the year 3,951 BBY, the Galaxy was sinking into darkness. The Jedi were gone, crime was rampant, and the Republic was on life support. It looked like the end of everything.

However, all was not lost. In the Outer Rim, the Republic found a Jedi; rather, a former Jedi. She had fought in the Mandalorian Wars as one of Revan’s top officers. She was the only one to return when the war ended and was exiled as a result. Now this Exile was the last hope for the Jedi and Republic.

Come back tomorrow as I cover the events of Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Wars and the end of the Old Sith Wars and the First Jedi Purge. Then come back on Revenge of the Fifth for an extra surprise. May the Force be with you!

Click here to learn all there is about Star Wars with Wookiepedia, the Star Wars Wiki.

Click here to see more of my Star Wars Stuff.

Star War: History Abridged Pt 6.

You wouldn’t believe how long I’ve waited to write about this, people. Of all the stories from the Star Wars Expanded Universe, few rival the Jedi Civil War. This conflict would see the Republic and Jedi face their fallen comrades in a war that came close to ending them. How the war started isn’t as interesting as how it ends, though. So, if you haven’t played Knights of the Old Republic, then major spoilers ahead.

All Hail Darth Revan

The year, 3,959 BBY, one year since the end of the Mandalorian Wars. After the Mandalorians defeat at Malachor V, Revan and Malak, the Jedi who led the Republic to victory, had vanished. They took their fleet beyond known space in search of the remnants of the Mandalorian armies. Most people presumed them to be dead. They weren’t; they returned from deep space, alive, but not the heroes everyone knew.

What happened to them is a story for another day. What you need to know is that beyond the reaches of the Republic, Revan and Malak gave in to the Dark Side. Taking the titles of Darth Revan and Darth Malak, the former heroes turned their forces on their former comrades. In a short time, Revan had carved out a new Sith Empire poised to lay waste to the Republic.

What made the Jedi Civil War so terrible was the effect it had on the Republic and Jedi’s strength. Many of the Republic’s finest soldiers defected to Revan’s side. Anyone that was a threat to his campaign would be taken out. In addition, any Jedi unlucky enough to be captured would get coerced or tortured into joining the Sith. Revan’s ranks swelled as the Republic’s dwindled.

Then there’s the fact that Revan was a military genius. He knew how to hit the enemy where it hurt the most, and they could do little to stop him. On top of all this, the Dark Lord seemed to have an endless supply of ships, weapons, and droids. He was pretty much unstoppable.

Revan’s “Death”

By the year 3,957 BBY, the Republic was on its last legs. It seemed like nothing could stop Revan. He had to be taken out if the Republic wanted to win. So, they set a trap.

Among the Jedi, there was a young Padawan named Bastila Shan. Despite her inexperience, Bastila had mastered the ability known as Battle Meditation. In essence, a lets someone use the Force to strengthen the morale and coordination of a group to their absolute peak. In other words, a Force cheat code. Using her as bait, they lured Revan and Malak into a skirmish with a Republic fleet. Bastila then led a boarding party onto Revan’s flagship to capture the Dark Lord. It didn’t go as planned. Malak figured out was happening, and, seeing a chance to seize power for himself, fired on Revan’s ship. To the galaxy at large, it looked like Darth Revan had died, making Malak the new Dark Lord.

Except his betrayal failed. Revan survived, along with Bastila, but the former was on the brink of death, with most of his memories gone. Whether out of compassion or a need to finish her mission, Bastila chose to use the Force to save him. She brought him to the Jedi Enclave on Dantooine, where the Council healed him. They decided to wipe his remaining memories and make him believe he was a soldier of the Republic, one that they could retrain as a Jedi. In time, they hoped that as his memories returned, he could lead them to the source of the Sith’s infinite army.

Knights of the Old Republic

The Council’s plan worked. The amnesiac Revan became a soldier of the Republic, whereupon he met Bastila once more. With the help of Carth Onasi, a veteran of the Mandalorian Wars, and many other companions, the group narrowly escaped the Sith’s destruction of the world of Taris. After relearning the ways of the Force, the Council sent them on a quest to find the source of the Sith’s army.

After traveling to several worlds and gaining more companions, things took a turn for the worse. Malak captured the group and revealed the truth to his former master and friend, while Bastila sacrificed herself to give everyone time to escape. Despite the world-shattering revelation, Revan chose to remain loyal to the Republic and continued his quest.

In 3,956 BBY, Revan’s group found what they were looking for: the Star Forge. A massive factory built by a long dead empire, the station drew resources from the very star that it orbited, letting create an infinite amount of weapons and ships for the Sith.

After a harrowing journey, Revan called the Republic to the Star Forge’s location, beginning the final battle of the war. Revan himself boarded the Star Forge and confronted Bastila, who had been broken to the Dark Side by Malak. Despite drawing on the Dark Side energy of the Star Forge itself, Bastila proved no match for the redeemed Revan. Using the feelings of love they had developed for each other, Revan brought Bastila back from the darkness.

Revan then confronted his former friend and apprentice in the heart of the station. Another epic battle ensued, and even with the power of the Star Forge at his disposal, Malak couldn’t withstand Revan’s might and was bested. Malak passed away as Revan looked on, and the Star Forge itself was destroyed. The Knights of the Old Republic had won, and the Jedi Civil War was over.

What Happened Next?

The Jedi Civil War was over, ended by the very man who had started it. Revan had redeemed himself in the eyes of the Galaxy and was once again a hero to the Republic. However, the damage to the Republic and Jedi was almost fatal.

The next five years were a period of chaos and strife as the Jedi and Republic were at death’s door. Meanwhile, remnants of the Sith continued to ravage the Galaxy. As for Revan, he disappeared back into the Unknown Regions. Those who knew him best thought he went in search of answers. Answers as to why he fell to the Dark Side and the truth about the Mandalorian Wars.

Make Revan Canon Again

In the next, we will cover the final portion of the Old Sith Wars, and I will touch upon what truly happened to Revan. If you want to learn more about him and his amazing story, though, play Knights of the Old Republic, available on Steam. I cannot reccommend it enough; he’s one of the best characters in Star Wars.

May the Force be with you.

Click here to learn all there is about Star Wars with Wookiepedia, the Star Wars Wiki.

Click here to see more of my Star Wars Stuff.

Star Wars: History Abridged Pt 5

Continuing our countdown to ‘May the Fourth’ and ‘Revenge of the Fifth,” I keep covering the Old Sith Wars era of Star Wars. My last three posts were about the Great Sith War that saw the return of the Sith and the Jedi put to the test. In the end, they won the won, but at a high cost. As they and the Republic looked to rebuild, though, a familiar threat emerged beyond their borders. That of the Mandalorians Wars.

Rise of Mandalore the Ultimate

In my last entry, I wrote how the Mandalorians got their butts kicked at Onderon in the last days of the Great Sith War. Now I wish to elaborate: after being pushed back, Mandalore the Indomitable had his warriors retreat to Dxun. However, he crashed far from help and got killed by the local predators. A scout out searching for him found his remains helmet. In accordance with his people’s customs, he claimed it for himself, becoming the new Mandalore, Mandalore the Ultimate.

As his first act, Mandalore the Ultimate sought to wipe away the stain of defeat from the Great Sith War. He united his scattered people and grew their ranks by recruiting warriors of all races and creeds. Beyond the borders of the Republic, he trained his new armies in the Mandalorian way. Then, around 3,976 BBY, he sicced them on the Outer Rim. 

For the next ten years, the Mandalorians took every world they could get their hands on. With each victory, they grew in size, strength, and skill. By 3,966 BBY, they had reached the borders of the Republic. Battles between the two sides broke out along the border world of Taris. It was only a matter of time before the Mandalorian Wars would escalate.

The Mandalorian Wars Proper

After several months of stalemate, the Mandalorians broke through Republic lines around Taris and forced the Republic into retreat. Multiple fronts were opened along Republic space as Mandalore’s warriors struck deep into Republic territory. Entire worlds were nuked, burned, and otherwise wrecked.

Now, you’re wondering where the Jedi are during all this? Protecting people is part of their job. Well, after the Great Sith War, they didn’t want to get involved in another war. They were still healing from the damage Exar Kun did. However, not all of them thought that way.

The Rise of Revan

One vocal critic of the Jedi’s neutrality was a young Jedi Knight whose name remains unknown. What’s known is that he was one of the most powerful of the Jedi, was very charismatic, and had a strong moral compass. And with his best friend, Alek, he began to draw other Jedi with similar feelings. 

This “Revanchist” as the media dubbed him, gained more and more traction as he spoke out against the Jedi Council. Frustrated, the Council confronted the Revanchist on the (abandoned) planet Cathar and told him to stand down. That’s when he found an old Mandalorian mask in the dirt, and when he picked it up, it triggered a mass Force vision.

In the Great Sith War, the feline-like Cathar had bested the Mandalorians, and they held a grudge for it. When they reached their planet, they proceeded to kill every last Cathar they could find; 90% of them, wiped out. That mask belonged to a Mandalorian warrior who objected to the genocide and was killed for it.

Outraged beyond all reason, this Jedi donned the mask, took on the name Revan, and vowed not to rest until the Mandalorians were stopped. 

The Tide Begins to Turn

Meanwhile, the Mandalorian Wars were not going well. Despite a few victories, nothing seemed to be able to stop them. By 3,962 BBY, they had gotten as far as the Core. That was as far as they’d get. Under the leadership of Revan and Alek (now called Malak), the Jedi joined the war effort and began to push the Mandalorians back.

As it turned out, Revan was a genius at the art of war, creating masterful strategies and meeting the invaders with such aggression, even the Mandalorians were left in awe. Under his leadership, the Republic began to push the enemy back, retaking the worlds they had lost before pushing the Mandalorians back into their own territory. 

These actions made Revan and Malak heroes to the Republic, but as the war dragged on, it began to change them. Every battle would harden their hearts, making them more ruthless. Eventually, they became almost as violent as the enemy they sought to defeat. Years later, this would cost the Galaxy in ways few could imagine.

Final Victory at Malachor V

By 3,960 BBY, Revan had thrust deep into Mandalorian territory. At the ancient Sith world of Malachor V, Mandalore the Ultimate and his people made their last stand. Revan personally boarded the Mandalorian leader’s flagship and slew him in single combat. Meanwhile, as the battle began to reach a stalemate, one of Revan’s generals activated a device that weaponized the planet’s own gravity. Thousands of ships were pulled down from the sky, driving themselves deep into the planet’s crust. Battered and beaten beyond measure, the Mandalorian people unconditionally surrendered. 

The Mandalorian Wars ended in victory for the Republic, with the Mandalorians being dealt a blow they’d never recover from. Their people scattered across the Galaxy to survive, with their descendants becoming the bounty hunters and warriors we know from the films.

As for Revan himself, he didn’t return from Malachor V. Instead, he took his fleet into deep space in search of remnants of the Mandalorians. For a time, they were not heard from, with many fearing the heroes of the Republic to be dead. They weren’t. A year later, they would return, but not as heroes. But that’s a story for another day.

Pretty amazing story, huh? I like this because it introduces my all time favorite Star Wars character Revan. Come back tomorrow to learn why he’s my favorite.

If you want to learn more about the start of the Mandalorian Wars, read the Knights of the Old Republic series by Dark Horse Comics.  

May the Force be with you!

Click here to learn all there is about Star Wars with Wookiepedia, the Star Wars Wiki.

Click here to see more of my Star Wars Stuff. Especially my posts on the Siege of Mandalore, the final arc of Star Wars the Clone Wars

Star Wars: History Abridged Pt. 5- The Great Sith War

Hello everyone, Jay here with the next installment of Star Wars: History Abridged. Where I take the lore of the Star Wars Expanded Universe and sum it up for your enjoyment. In the last two parts, I’ve covered the events leading up to the return of the Sith more than 4,000 years before the events of the films. First the galaxy was rocked by the Onderon Crisis and the revelation of the Sith cult that ruled the planet. Next, we had the rise of the Krath and their “Holy Crusade” against the Galaxy. In 3,996 BBY, everything came to a head when the ancient Sith Lords crowned two fallen Jedi, Exar Kun and Ulic Qel-Droma, as the new Dark Lords of the Sith. At last the Great Sith War begins!

New Allies Minions Join the Sith

Even with the combined forces of the Krath and Kun’s Massassi warriors, the the Sith remained outnumbered by the Jedi and Republic. They would need to gather more followers to help topple the Republic. Thus, Exar Kun and Ulic each sought out new recruits to bring about the Sith’s return to power.

Amidst the chaos, another power was on the march. The legendary Mandalorian warriors (yes, these guys) sought out new enemies to face, and began raiding Krath space. Angered, Ulic sent a message to their leader, Mandalore the Indomitable and demanded his surrender. However, Mandalore challenged him to a duel for control of the Mandalorian clans. In the end, Qel-Droma’s skill as a warrior proved too much for the leader of the Mandalorians. Thus, the Mandalorians joined the Sith forces.

Meanwhile, Exar Kun traveled to the Jedi library world of Ossus. There, he fooled many younger Jedi into following him to Yavin IV, promising to teach them Force techniques the Masters would not. Instead, he used the Dark Side to corrupt them, turn them into Sith acolytes, and set them loose on their former masters. Thus the Brotherhood of Sith was born.

The Great Sith War Engulfs the Galaxy

With their combined Mandalorian, Krath, and Dark Jedi, the Sith launched a brutal campaign of conquest. The Great Sith War spread throughout the Galaxy, with no region safe from the bloodshed. Even Coruscant itself became a battleground when Qel-Droma launched a brazen attack on it. However, due to the treachery of Aleema, Ulic was captured by his former allies. Subsequently, his trial was interrupted by Exar Kun himself. The halls of the Senate became a battlefield as the Dark Lord cut the Supreme Chancellor down in front of helpless onlookers before facing off against his former master. Exar Kun took the chance to show off his latest creation: a double-bladed lightsaber, the first ever created, and christened with the blood of Kun’s Jedi Master.

Following the raid on Coruscant, the two Sith dealt with the treacherous Aleema. On Yavin IV, Kun had discovered the ancient warship of Naga Sadow. Armed with Sith talismans brimming with Dark Side power, Kun gave it to Aleema. In a repeat of events from the Great Hyperspace War, Aleema used the ship to cause a cluster of stars to go supernova. However, they neglected to tell Aleema that this would kill everyone in reach, including herself. Worse, the shockwave would lay waste to every planet in the region. Among them was Ossus, one of the Jedi’s most important planets and home to an incalculable wealth of knowledge and artifacts.

The Fall of the Sith

The Jedi scrambled to evacuate Ossus, but still despaired. For they knew that there were too many artifacts for them to save. Which is what the Sith wanted. While the evacuation proceeded, the Sith raided the doomed planet to steal as much as they could. However, Ulic found himself confronted by a familiar face: Cay Qel-Droma, his younger brother. The two brothers dueled as the younger Qel-Droma made one final attempt to bring the elder back from darkness. Enraged, Ulic tore into his younger brother before finally slaying him, an act witnessed by two Jedi. One of which was Nomi Sunrider, Ulic’s former friend and lover. Giving into her grief, Nomi unleashed the full extent of the Light Side on Ulic, permanently cutting him off from the Force.

No longer under the Dark Side’s influence, Ulic’s long-dormant conscience finally made him realize how far he had fallen. Wracked with guilt over his crimes, he became undone. As a result, he turned himself into the Jedi and led them to Yavin IV, to put an end to the war he had helped start.

Facing the full might of the Republic and Jedi, Exar Kun knew he had no chance of winning. However, instead of surrendering or fighting to the death, the Dark Lord chose another option. Using an incredibly risky Sith technique, the Sith Lord would use the life force of most of the Massassi warriors to free his spirit from his body and flee the jungle moon. Not know what he was up to, the Jedi erected a light barrier around Yavin IV to contain the Dark Side. By doing so, they trapped Kun’s spirit on Yavin IV, but the resulting collision of raw Force energy set the moon ablaze. Yavin IV became a wasteland devoid of almost all life. Horrified, the Jedi left the system behind.

Elsewhere, the Republic was able to finally liberate the Empress Teta System, while the Mandalorians were routed in a failed invasion of Onderon. The survivors of the Brotherhood of Sith went into hiding, bringing the Great Sith War to an end.

Aftermath

The short but brutal Great Sith War had ended, but at great cost. Despite their best efforts, the Jedi failed to stop the return of the Sith. Many of their best and brightest were either dead or fell to the Dark Side, and one of their most important worlds was lost. It would take generations for them to recover.

As for Exar Kun, he remained trapped as a ghost on Yavin IV for millennia until Luke set up shop. Then he manipulated one of his students to the Dark Side, led to the “Sun Crusher Incident”, and tried to kill Luke. Fortunately, Luke’s students banished his spirit for all eternity.

Redemption of Ulic Qel-Droma

Those who survived would carry the scars of the war as they struggled to recover from the darkness. Nomi Sunrider would become a key leader in the rebuilding process, which led to her eventually being made Grand Master of the Order. Unfortunately, her new responsibilities led her to neglect her family.

See, before she became a Jedi, she had been married to one (he died) and they had a daughter, Vima. As Vima got older, Nomi tried to train her daughter herself, but was too busy to do so. As a result, by 3986 BBY, a now fourteen-year-old Vima became fed up with how busy her mom was. Thus, she went looking for the only other person she thought could teach her: Ulic Qel-Droma.

After the Great Sith War, for some reason, Ulic was allowed to walk away and spent a decade wandering the Galaxy, trying to find some semblance of peace. That’s when Vima dropped in on him and asked to become his student. In the end, her persistence won out, and he agreed to teach her. Despite the fact that he could no longer use the Force.

Despite his lack of Force-sensitivity, Ulic proved an effective teacher, and Vima an eager student who quickly excelled at her training. They got so close that the young Padawan saw Ulic as the father-figure she never had, while she helped him come to terms with his past. Sadly, Ulic was killed by a pilot seeking to gain fame from his death. Though before he died, he helped Nomi and Vima reconcile and made amends with his former lover before becoming one with the force.

Round Two, Jedi!

I wish I could say this was the end of the Old Sith Wars, but this was just round one. The next two rounds would see the Jedi and Republic be pushed to the brink. Come back tomorrow as I cover the next conflict of the Old Sith Wars Era, the Mandalorian Wars.

If you want to learn more about the Great Sith War, look up Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi comic book series by Dark Horse. It covers all the events that I’ve mentioned.

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Star Wars: History Abridged Pt. 4

Welcome back to another entry in Star Wars: History Abridged, the series where I take the best of the Star Wars Expanded Universe and break it down into bite-sized pieces. Yesterday, I started going over the Great Sith War with the crisis on Onderon. In 4,000 BBY, this Inner Rim planet was looking to join the Republic. When the Jedi came to stop its centuries-long civil war, though, they found the planet had a dark secret. For centuries, the planet had been ruled by the lineage of an ancient Sith Lord. With the help of the Jedi, the dark influence of the Sith was banished and peace brought to the planet. However, this was just the beginning of an even larger conflict. Today, we cover the rise of the Krath cult and the return of the Sith in full force.

The Krath Holy Crusade Begins

At the end of my last post, I mentioned two visitors came to Onderon as a cult of Sith worshippers threatened the planet. Their names were Aleema and Satal Keto, two aristocratic cousins from the Empress Teta System in the Deep Core. The cousins were spoiled brats with an interest in Sith lore and had founded a Dark Side cult called the Krath. Their visit caught the eye of the ghost of Freedon Nadd, whose bloodline had ruled Onderon for centuries. However, Nadd realized Onderon was a lost cause, so he gave the Keto’s a trove of Sith artifacts and texts. As a result of their Dark Side knowledge, the Krath overthrew the government and became the new rulers of the Empress Teta system.

Realizing the threat the Krath posed, a Republic-Jedi strike force, led by Ulic Qel-Droma and Nomi Sunrider, was sent to liberate the system. They promptly got their butts handed to them. As a result, close to ten thousand Jedi gathered in a conclave to figure out their next move. It’s there that Ulic came up with a dangerous plan. He would go undercover within the Krath and bring them down from the inside, saving lives that would be lost in a full blown war. Many Jedi told Ulic that that was a terrible idea; the Dark Side would corrupt him like so many others.

Before they could argue the matter further, the Krath struck first. They had snuck into the conclave and set an army of droids loose on the Jedi, killing many of them. Among the casualties was Arca Jeth, Ulic’s own master. Outraged, Ulic went through his plan to infiltrate the Krath, despite the concerns of his brother, Cay, and lover, Nomi. This would have terrible consequences for everyone.

Fall Rise of Exar Kun

In another part of the Galaxy, there lived a young Jedi Knight by the name of Exar Kun. He was powerful in the Force, but also an arrogant blowhard with serious anger issues. Throw in the fact that he was obsessed with learning about the Sith, and that’s a recipe for disaster. His curiosity led him to seek out the new tomb of Freedon Nadd on Dxun, wherein he met Nadd’s ghost. Seeing Kun’s strength in the Force, Nadd took the already wavering Jedi and led him down a path to darkness.

Kun would next travel to the ancient Sith home of Korriban before finally journeying to Yavin IV. There, at the mercy of the planet’s Massassi, Exar Kun fully embraced the Dark Side, much to Nadd’s delight. Seeing the former Jedi as his best chance to gain a new body, Nadd urged him to do just that. However, Kun had become fed up with Nadd’s meddling and, using his newfound power, banished his spirit to the afterlife for good.

Fall of Ulic Qel-Droma

Meanwhile, Ulic’s mission to infiltrate the Krath went as bad as everyone said it would. Satal was on to the Jedi from the start and tortured him for weeks. Meanwhile, Aleema used her charm to seduce him even further into the Dark Side. When Nomi and Cay came looking for him, he refused to leave with the pair. Instead, he killed Satal and took in the Krath leadership.

Seeing the red flags being waved, Nomi and Cay led an even larger strike force on a raid into the Krath’s stronghold. Although, by that point, Qel-Droma was too far into the Dark Side to come back of his own volition. Plus, attempts to bring him back by force failed as well. Ulic’s friends reluctantly accepted that he was now lost to them and retreated.

As the Krath celebrated, they found their victory party was crashed by an unexpected guest: Exar Kun.

The Sith, Reborn

Rather than remain on Yavin IV, Exar Kun had sought out Dark Side users that would be a threat to his power. Learning of the Krath’s existence and that they had also been taught by Freedon Nadd, the Dark Jedi sought to eliminate them. Upon arrival, Kun and Qel-Droma fought in an intense duel, yet neither could gain the upper hand on each other. Then, something unexpected happened. Both combatants wore an ancient Sith amulet, and as the two clashed, their amulets reacted to each other. Their reunion created a surge of Dark Side energy that summoned the spirit of the long-dead Sith Lord, Marka Ragnos.

Ragnos saw how strong Kun and Qel-Droma were in the Dark Side and had the strength to restore the Sith. Thus, he declared Exar Kun the new Dark Lord of the Sith, with Exar Kun as his apprentice. With the two Sith and Krath united under one banner, the Jedi’s worst fears came true: the Sith had been reborn.

To Be Concluded

Pretty epic story, huh? Well, that’s only the start. The return of the Sith would start the Great Sith War. With Ulic Qel-Droma and Exar Kun leading the Sith-Krath forces, the Jedi and Republic would face their greatest test in a thousand years. Next time, we’ll be covering the Great Sith War and its aftermath. May the Force be with you!

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Star Wars: History Abridged– The Origins of the Sith Lords

The Sith, the ancient order of Dark-Side users bent on galactic domination. For forty-three years, their members have been amongst the greatest villains in pop culture. Yet despite how recognizable they are, Disney’s failed to give them a proper origin story. Thankfully, the old Expanded Universe explained some of it, and today, I’m going to abridge it. Come with me back 7,000 years into the past as we look at the origins of the Jedi’s greatest enemies, the Sith

Simple Curiosity

Around 7,000 BBY (Before Battle of Yavin), a group of Jedi began to believe that the Order wasn’t using the Force to its greatest extent. Thus, to satisfy simple curiosity, they began testing how far they could take the Force. Their experiments bore fruit: these Jedi learned that they could use the Force to manipulate life. Given enough time, they could have used it to even restore or life.

These Jedi wanted their comrades to join them in advancing their knowledge. They hoped that they could eventually find a way to cheat death. However, most of the order saw what their comrades were doing as bad. So instead of trying to compromise or talk them out of it, the Order banned these practices. They feared what would happen if they delved into the darker recesses of the Force. Incensed, these Dark Jedi chose to flee into exile and continue their studies in peace. However, the Jedi would not let them go, and a philosophical debate gave wya to armed conflict. Thus began the period known as the Hundred Year Darkness.

The Hundred Year Darkness

During the war, the Dark Jedi found themselves heavily outnumbered by the Jedi. Thus, in order to turn the tide, they tapped as far into the Force as possible. In the end, the Jedi’s worst fears came true: they created new life. The resulting eldritch abominations sent soldiers running for the hills, and came close to turning to the tide in favor of the Dark Jedi. However, the Jedi Order rallied and, working with the Republic, they began to push back against their former comrades.

After decades of conflict, the sheer numbers of the Jedi and the Republic overwhelmed the Dark Jedi. These exiles made their last stand at the Battle of Corbos. Despite throwing all of their considerable assets against their enemies, though, it was no use. The combined Jedi-Republic assault broke them at long last, leaving only a handful of survivors.

Exiled and Finding a New Home

After their final defeat, many in the Republic wanted the Dark Jedi to be executed, saying they were too dangerous to be left alive. Had that happened, the Galaxy may have been a much different place. Instead, the Jedi chose to exile the survivors beyond known space in the hopes that they would learn the error of their ways. Big mistake.

The dozen or so surviving Dark Jedi didn’t travel blindly into the unknown. They had heard legends of an arid planet that was home to a species of red-skinned beings who were strong in the Dark Side. Eventually, these exiles found what they were looking for: Korriban, the homeworld of the Sith species.

Impressing the natives with their mastery of the Force and their technology, the Exiles were eventually hailed as gods and declared Lords of the Sith. From their new base on Korriban, the former Jedi built an interstellar empire far from the reach of the Republic. In addition, they proceeded to interbreed with the Sith, merging their bloodlines until the two were one and the same.

This is how the Sith came to be, and how they would help shape the Star Wars Galaxy.

A People Built on Revenge

Like much of Star Wars, the origins of the Sith and the Hundred Year Darkness got pushed to the side by Disney’s soft reset of the franchise. Which is a shame, as I think this whole thing provides a very interesting backstory to a group that’s given us some of the best villains in fiction. The Sith were born out of a desire to know more about the Force, something most Jedi were unable or unwilling to understand. As a result, they turned on each other, and their former comrades let their anger twist them into something that would cause untold suffering for thousands of years. The question I want to pose, though, is this: would these Dark Jedi have ended up where they did on their own, or did the Jedi force their hand?

Think about it: if the Jedi had been more open-minded, they could have come to an understanding with their counterparts. Their concerns were justified, as well: playing with power on that scale will eventually backfire. It’s important to be open-minded in order to allow progress, but it’s also important to know when to hold back. Had the Jedi, as a whole, figured this out, the Sith may never have existed. Instead, they did exist, and felt understandably mad over what happened to them.

Disney’s since re-integrated the Hundred Year Darkness into the canon. However, it’s far more vague about what happened. Considering how the Jedi-Sith conflict shapes Star Wars, I fail to see why Disney hasn’t tried harder to explain this. It’s a wasted opportunity.

Star Wars History Abridged

One last thing: this article’s the first in a series of articles I’ll be doing about Star Wars. I call them Star Wars: History Abridged, and as the title implies, I’ll be summing up stories and events from the Expanded Universe for people to read. I know there’s Wookiepedia to do that, but I want to see if it I can make it sound more interesting. It’s my hope that this will boost awareness of all the cool stories Disney abandoned so we can encourage them to bring them back. Star Wars can survive without the Skywalkers, and Disney should know that by now.

May the Force be with you!

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My Rankings for Every Lightsaber Duels in Star Wars

The moment you hear that hiss and the sight of the plasma beam coming out of the hilt, you know shit’s about to go down. Each of the main Star Wars movies has at least one lightsaber duel. With The Rise of Skywalker coming out soon, I’m taking a trip down memory lane. These are my rankings for worst to best lightsaber fights in Star Wars thus far.

For this, I will only be using the duels that occur in the main films. In other words, no Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Rebels, or other material. However, I will do them in separate posts, so don’t worry.

#12-Darth Vader vs. Obi-Wan Kenobi, Episode IV: A New Hope

This may have been the one that started it all, but it’s also the slowest one. In order to buy time for Luke and his friends to escape, Obi-Wan duels his fallen apprentice and friend one final time. However, the duel itself is very slow-paced and lacks excitement. In addition, while I’m not certain, I think Obi-Wan let Vader win.

Thankfully, some fans decided to remake the duel with more modern tech, and the results are cooler.

#11-Rey vs Kylo Ren, Episode VII: The Force Awakens

I had doubts about the sequel trilogy, but I held out hope that at least the lightsaber duel would be epic. After all, the fights in the Prequels were some of the best in the franchise. Those hopes were dashed when I actually saw Rey and Kylo Ren fight.

While I admit that seeing Rey call Anakin’s lightsaber to her was an epic moment that convinced me she was Luke’s daughter, that was the only cool thing about this fight. It lacked any of the elaborate acrobatics or techniques we saw in previous films. I understand that JJ Abrams wanted to return to Star Wars roots, but the lightsaber duels were some of the best things about the Prequels. This felt like a step back from what I was used to.

#10-Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi And Yoda VS Count Dooku, Episode II: Attack Of The Clones

In hindsight, I think its safe to say that Attack of the Clones is the weak link in Star Wars. The movie’s great when there’s actual action being shown, but then we have Anakin’s “I hate sand” speech. What was great, though, was the duel of Dooku vs. Obi-Wan, Anakin, and Yoda.

Despite putting up a valiant fight, Obi-Wan and Anakin are still no match for the more experienced Sith Lord, with the latter losing his arm to the Count’s blade. However, then Yoda shows up and turns the tables on his former Padawan. As a result, we got to see the legendary Jedi Master in action for the first time, and even in his advanced age, he’s a deadly opponent. The one problem is that he kept jumping all over the place like Kermit the Frog. Which I know is ironic since Yoda’s voice actor Frank Oz is part of the original cast of The Muppets.

#9-Anakin and Obi-Wan vs. Dooku, Episode III: Revenge of the Sith

Despite being the apparent big bad of the Clone Wars, Count Dooku barely does anything in Revenge of the Sith. While trying to “rescue” Chancellor Palpatine from General Grevious’ flagship over Coruscant, Anakin and Obi-Wan engage in their final duel with Count Dooku. Obi-Wan gets knocked out, and Anakin’s forced to duel the Sith Lord on his own. Ultimately, he ends up winning and straight up kills the Sith Lord.

In a movie with no less than five lightsaber duels, this one wound up being my least favorite. While Anakin’s victory shows how far he’s progressed since Geonosis, this fight lacks the savage brutality, high stakes or emotion of the other fights in the movie. In addition, Anakin’s victory is soured by the fact that it was a test by Sidious to see if he could be turned to the Dark Side.

#8-Obi-Wan Kenobi vs. General Grevious, Episode III: Revenge of the Sith

General Grevious hated the Jedi, but he hated Obi-Wan the most. As a result, when Obi-Wan confronted him on Utapau, the cyborg decided to fight him himself instead of siccing the entire army on him like any sane man would do. The result is a brutal and winding chase and battle which ends with Obi-Wan finally putting an end to the cyborg.

Going into the movie, we knew Obi-Wan would win due to plot armor. That still didn’t stop me from being impressed with their duel. Grevious was a terrifying opponent and one of the few non Force Users able to wield a lightsaber. Despite

#7-Kylo Ren and Rey vs Praetorian Guard, Episode VIII: The Last Jedi

After failing to convince Luke to join the fight against the First Order, Rey allows herself to be captured and brought to Snoke to try and redeem Kylo Ren. In an unexpected twist, Ren ends up saving her life by killing his master, doing what Grandpa Vader could never do. As a result, the two fight back-to-back against Snoke’s Praetorian Guard.

Firstly, I can’t remember the last time a Dark-Sider had the guts to kill their master, so when I saw Ren do it, I was impressed. Secondly, I think this fight was a huge step above the snoozefest that we got in The Force Awakens. While not at the same level of the Prequels, this lightsaber duel showed off how powerful both Rey and Kylo Ren were. On their own, they’re incredibly powerful, but together, the two are unstoppable. Too bad Ren decided to stay on the Dark Side.

#6-Yoda vs Darth Sidious, Episode III: Revenge of the Sith

This was the kind of lightsaber duel that would make fans drool. As Obi-Wan confronts Anakin on Mustafar, Yoda faces off against Darth Sidious in the Halls of the Senate. The resulting fight between the two masters of the Force, while brief, was very brutal with neither holding back. Seeing the two fight on almost even footing reinforced just how powerful each was. In the end, though, this duel resulted in a draw with neither side claiming victory. As a result, it gets placed halfway on this list.

#5-Mace Windu vs Darth Sidious

While Return of the Jedi showed us how powerful Darth Sidious was in the Dark Side, it was Revenge of the Sith that showed us how deadly he was with a lightsaber. Faced with a team of four Jedi led by Mace Windu, the Dark Lord of the Sith drops his facade at last and unleashes his full power as a Sith; and it was terrifying!

From the primordial howl he gives to the sight of him cutting down three Jedi Masters in seconds, this duel reminds us how dangerous Darth Sidious is. However, what I love about this fight was seeing Mace hold his own against the Sith Lord. In fact, some fans speculate that had Anakin not intervened, Master Windu would have won.

#4-Luke vs Darth Vader, Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back

The climax to what many consider to be the best Star Wars movie saw Luke recklessly head to Cloud City to rescue his friends. Too late, he realizes that its a trap as he faces off against Darth Vader. While he manages to put up a valiant fight, even briefly pushing the Dark Lord back, Luke proves no match.

Going into this lightsaber duel, we knew that Luke had little chance of defeating Vader. This only made it all the more painful to see Luke battered and dismembered by the end of the duel. However, the real trauma is more emotional. In this now legendary, Vader drops one of the biggest bombshells in the history of storytelling: that he’s Luke’s father. Not sorry if I spoiled it!

#3-Luke vs Darth Vader Round 2, Episode VI: Return of the Jedi

In an effort to redeem his father/protect his friends, Luke let himself be captured by the Empire. This leads to him being brought to the Emperor and forced to duel his father once more. Only this time, it’s a far more even duel. At least, until Luke refuses to fight his father anymore.

The film had already shown how far Luke had progressed in the year between Episode V and Episode VI, but this lightsaber duel drove that point home. Not only did Luke match Vader blow for blow, but once he finally snaps and lets his rage out, he completely overpowered him. Seeing the once invincible Vader be brought to his literal knees was a sobering moment. Thankfully, Luke had the common sense to refuse to give into his anger.

#2-Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan vs Darth Maul, Episode I: The Phantom Menace

Say what you will about The Phantom Menace, but it has three things that redeem it, and this lightsaber duel’s at the top. In the midst of helping to free Naboo from the Trade Federation, Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan engage in a ferocious duel against the Sith Lord Darth Maul. The end result was one of the most exciting displays of swordsmanship in the entire franchise.

In many ways, this fight came to exemplify what Star Wars could do with lightsaber duels for me. From the fast and furious clashing of lightsabers, to the acrobatics, the Duel of the Fates, this was leaps and bounds above what had come before. Also, it’s why I’m so critical about the fights in the Sequel Trilogy. If George Lucas could do this twenty years ago, then JJ Abrams has no excuse.

#1-Anakin vs Obi-Wan, Episode III: Revenge of the Sith

This was the fight that fans had been waiting for since Empire. Needless to say, what we got in Revenge of the Sith didn’t disappoint. Having learned of Anakin’s transformation into Darth Vader, Obi-Wan fights him in a terrifying duel that will shape the Galaxy for decades.

More than any other example, I consider this to be the definitive lightsaber duel in Star Wars. Considering its importance, it’s no surprise George Lucas’ team went all out. From the lava-strewn surface of Mustafar invoking an image of Hell, to John Williams’ masterful music, this fight screams epic! In addition, the fact that Ewan McGregor and Hayden Christensen spent weeks practicing so they could fight shows the level of dedication the cast had.

In the Star Wars films themselves, this fight manages to be both epic and heart-breaking all at once. On one hand, it’s the most amazing lightsaber duel in the films. On the other, it symbolizes the death of the brotherly bond that Anakin and Obi-Wan had. The final sight of Anakin burning alive beside that river of lava’s enough to bring tears to one’s eyes.

May the Force Be With You

Do you agree with my picks? What has your favorite lightsaber duel been from Star Wars? Let me know in the comments! Until then, may the Force be with you!

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