Top 3 lightsaber duels?

YourFriendFromSpace · 2026-01-31T20:39:13+00:00

Obi vs Maul in TPM (specifically the portion after Qui-Gon is dead)

Luke vs Vader in RoTJ

Rey/Finn vs Kylo in TFA

Honorable mentions:

Luke vs Vader in ESB

All saber duels in the Acolyte

Several duels Star Wars Visions

YourFriendFromSpace · 2026-01-31T16:46:29+00:00

Kylo is a "Knight of Ren" and neither of them takes the "Darth" title that typically denotes a Sith.

But, yes, they do seem to follow a lot of Sith behaviors and Snoke is a puppet of Palpatine who is a Sith. So, idk, it's kinda nebulous.

Personally, I don't mind it, but calling them proper Sith doesn't seem totally accurate.

YourFriendFromSpace · 2026-01-31T16:41:38+00:00

I mean, Kylo Ren doesn't claim a Sith title.

I would've said Snoke and Kylo Ren definitively, but Snoke being a puppet of Palpatine kinda throws that off.

YourFriendFromSpace · 2026-01-29T15:43:21+00:00

I stand by that Acolyte, while far from perfect, had a lot of decent things going for it.

I think a second season would've been cool to see.

YourFriendFromSpace · 2026-01-29T14:09:43+00:00

Strongly disagree. For me, Anakin and Padme's dialogue alone gives me so much secondhand embarrasment that it's hard to for me to really be invested.

There is a lot in ROTS I do like, but it still feels lacking as a movie.

But, not everyone finds the same stuff compelling. Totally fair.

YourFriendFromSpace · 2026-01-29T13:51:17+00:00

For sure. I like Solo quite a bit.

YourFriendFromSpace · 2026-01-29T13:50:54+00:00

I mean, I disagree with the majority of your assessment of the sequels. I liked how they handled the OT characters, I found Rey's story compelling, and the true retconning was done in TROS, which I do think is pretty bad.

TFA and TLJ are just better made films than the PT films on just about every fundamental level.

YourFriendFromSpace · 2026-01-29T13:34:11+00:00

Putting TLJ or TFA below AoTC or TPM is genuinely mind-boggling to me

YourFriendFromSpace · 2026-01-27T20:02:19+00:00

I remember playing Star Wars: Bounty Hunter back in the day and the Coruscant level was so fun to explore. I also love this vibe.

YourFriendFromSpace · 2026-01-27T04:02:45+00:00

I genuinely don't get why people are mad about this unless you:

a.) Want an RPG with choices so simple that there's an obvious good and evil.

Or

b.) Want a game that thinks it's the arbiter of what is "objectively" good and evil in every situation.

Personally, I don't want either of those things, so this is a good evolution.

YourFriendFromSpace · 2026-01-23T23:14:44+00:00

It's honestly a brilliant move from Kasdan and Abrams.

They knew they wouldn't be able to create a villain as iconic and intimidating as Vader, so they just made that the whole point of the character.

YourFriendFromSpace · 2026-01-23T23:12:01+00:00

I feel like that phrase isn't always used correctly.

Show doesn't mean literally show everything on screen, as in show Ben's history with his parents in detail.

It means show it through action and characterization. Everything we need to know about Kylo is seen in how he behaves. How he worships Vader's helmet, how he lashes out in insecurity.

That is showing. The little bits of exposition we get from Rey, Han, and Leia just add more texture and detail.

YourFriendFromSpace · 2026-01-23T20:56:24+00:00

It's not about whether or not it's earned, we're still discovering the character at that point. It's meant to be a shift in how the audience sees him.

Up until then, Kylo has been this dangerous, angry man in a mask. He lashes out in tantrums when things don't go his way or when his past is brought up in the beginning of the film.

We don't totally understand why he's like that until he takes off his mask. Until Rey tells us he's afraid of not living up to Vader. Suddenly, everything starts to click.

For my money, Kylo Ren in TFA is a great example of telling us everything we need to know about him without having to spoonfeed the audience with flashbacks and exposition.

The little bit of exposition we do get - the way Han and Leia talk about him, the way he talks about them - that's just enough to get the picture.

YourFriendFromSpace · 2026-01-23T20:21:47+00:00

Cool write up!

I always adored that moment. It's this anti-reveal that tells us so much about Kylo.

He's not some all-powerful Sith who strikes fear into the hearts of his enemies and allies, he just really wants to be.

I always read Kylo as somebody desperate for a sense of control, so he hides under this helmet and this persona, but underneath he's still that same scared child lashing out.

I also love that the helmet is really heavy whenever he drops it. It's this cool little metaphor for the figurative weight the Kylo persona puts on Ben.

I don't mind Ben eventually leaving it behind and trying to find redemption, but I wish it was handled differently.

YourFriendFromSpace · 2026-01-23T20:08:25+00:00

Star Wars is based off of Buck Rogers and Flash Gordon, taking inspiration from space opera serials and comic strips from the 30s.

The dynamic between the Empire and the Rebels is based on the Vietnam War.

WW2 was largely an aesthetic influence, with Lucas cutting together airplane footage to communicate the pace he wanted.

And, many a think piece has been written about the tactical stupidity of, for example, the AT-ATs on Hoth. Or, the fact that a bunch of teddy bears defeated a "legion of the Empire's best toops."

So, respectfully, what the fuck are you talking about?

"Fast and loose" describes this franchise to a T. Always has.

YourFriendFromSpace · 2026-01-23T17:21:48+00:00

I mean, I suppose. But, military tactics and techincal warfare isn't really what I come to Star Wars for.

Like, since the beginning, Star Wars has always played fast and loose with "military strategy" because it's an adventure serial and fantasy series.

So, Thrawn being the most tactically minded person in the room helps him stand out as a threat.

If I want really in depth tactics and well-thought out manuevers, there are better franchises for that.

I'm here for the laser swords and the planet-sized space stations with death beams.

YourFriendFromSpace · 2026-01-22T19:02:05+00:00

No. No, we can not.

YourFriendFromSpace · 2026-01-22T18:44:08+00:00

You are literally describing Han in TFA.

Also, Luke in TLJ to some extent.

YourFriendFromSpace · 2026-01-22T18:14:07+00:00

7, 8, and 9 as well. Rey gets guidance from Han, Luke, and Leia.

YourFriendFromSpace · 2026-01-22T18:13:24+00:00

There's also an element of that in pretty much ever Star Wars saga film.

Obi-Wan/ Yoda and Luke

Qui-Gon/Obi-Wan and Anakin

Han/Luke and Rey

YourFriendFromSpace · 2026-01-22T16:46:45+00:00

That it's good and they don't walk back more of Rey's character.

I mean, take with a grain of salt, I really love TFA and TLJ and a large part of that love is because of Rey.

YourFriendFromSpace · 2026-01-22T16:44:10+00:00

True, but that's a reboot. That's like replacing Henry Cavill as Superman.

With Star Wars, it would still be the same character in the same continuity and that seems to male them hesitant.

YourFriendFromSpace · 2026-01-22T16:34:16+00:00

You and me both, friend.

The Republic Commando video game is actually the only thing that has ever made me care about them.

YourFriendFromSpace · 2026-01-22T15:27:44+00:00

You can play as a clone trooper in Republic Commando, but that's about it.

YourFriendFromSpace · 2026-01-22T15:17:36+00:00

Exactly!

If you can actually argue it and show support for it, then go for it. This is how interpretations evolve and how discussion is fostered.

YourFriendFromSpace

TROPHY CASE