0

According to the Star Wars extended canon, there are 7 different lightsaber fighting techniques. A few of these are used by characters in the movies, such as style 2 by Count Dooku, or style 6 by General Grievous. However, none of the styles fluidly integrate an aggressive use of The Force and lightsaber dueling. What mechanics of the Force, or technicalities, prevent a true pinnacle fighting style, without an obvious lean towards defense or offense. (I am not counting style one, since it is the base technique for all other styles.)

5
  • It seems that you might be asking two different questions here, both of which have been answered here already. The first is why there are multiple lightsaber styles, and the second is why Jedi/Sith do not use the Force more in combat.
    – Adamant
    Dec 12, 2016 at 7:04
  • you are referring the 7 known styles of lightsaber combat. What you are asking is a bit unclear... if you have read the differences in the 7 styles how come yo cant deduce the answer? youtube.com/watch?v=_m5RnO8bc9Y
    – Cherubel
    Dec 12, 2016 at 7:57
  • I am asking why the styles all have an obvious disadvantage or weakness that could be exploited, rather than creating an eighth style that isn't nerfed. I could not find any technical reason why this is impossible, other than making an overpowered Jedi. Dec 13, 2016 at 2:38
  • 4
    @GarrickOllivander - perhaps because there are always tradeoffs in real-world fighting styles? For a style to be good at something, it has to be less good at something else - that is, it must make choices at what it would value and what it can defend against. I am not aware of any real fighting style that has only strengths and no weaknesses, so it would seem unrealistic to give the Jedi one.
    – Megha
    Dec 14, 2016 at 8:05
  • For that matter, the UFC, built to determine "the best fighting style", keeps proving this. The best fighting style is BJJ. No wait... it's Muay Thai... no, now it's some weird dancing Capoeira stuff. No, it's... well, you see. :)
    – FuzzyBoots
    Dec 15, 2016 at 4:41

1 Answer 1

8

The Force is VERY heavily used in lightsaber combat, just not in the obvious fling-stuff-around way. After all,

A Jedi uses the Force for knowledge and defense. Never for attack.

I think the best description of how the Force is used in lightsaber combat that I've seen comes from the novelisation of Revenge of the Sith:

Three MagnaGuards...were certainly beyond Obi-Wan's ability to defeat, but it was not Obi-Wan who would defeat them; Obi-Wan wasn't even fighting. He was only a vessel, emptied of self. The Force, shaped by his skill and guided by his clarity of mind, fought through him.

In the Force, he felt their destruction: it was somewhere above and behind him, and only seconds away.

He went to meet it with a backflipping leap that the Force used to lift him neatly to an empty droid socket in the ceiling hive. The MagnaGuards sprang after him but he was already gone by the time they arrived, leaping higher into the maze of girders and cables and room-sized cargo containers that was the control centers superstructure.

Here, said the Force within him, and Obi-Wan stopped...frowning back at the oncoming killer droids...Though he could feel its close approach, he had no idea from where their destruction might come...until the Force showed him a support beam within reach of his blade and whispered, Now.

His blade flicked out and the durasteel beam parted...and a great hulk of ship-sized cargo container that the beam had been supporting tore free of its other supports...and crashed down upon all three MagnaGuards with the finality of a meteor strike.

Oh, thought Obi-Wan with detached approval. That worked out rather well.

That was the true power of the Force in combat - not to throw things at people, but to know and perceive things faster and more completely than a brain - or even a computer - possibly could.

Your Answer

By clicking “Post Your Answer”, you agree to our terms of service and acknowledge that you have read and understand our privacy policy and code of conduct.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.