The Star Wars Philosopher's Guide to Every Single Lightsaber Technique [Form I - Form VII] 

Luke Skywalker was once asked "What technics lead to the dark side?" His answer was "All of them and none of them." As they all had the capability to be misused in anger. While none of them were inherently evil.

I just realized how terrifying these descriptions actually paint some of my favorite jedi/sith. Take obi wan and anakin's duel on mustafar, anakin was so familiar with obi wan's soresu techniques that the entire battle is basically a stalemate. Until obi wan takes the high ground and instead of using a soresu defense to block anakin when he jumps over him, he uses a completely different technique who's aim was solely dismemberment. So it stands to reason that many of the true masters of lightsaber combat would utilize a similar strategy when dealing with powerful opponents. Nutty. I bet anakin never forgot that final lesson from his master in not being too overconfident

I find it awesome Fisto beat Grievous, who learned how to kill Jedi from Dooku, with the simplest lightsaber form. He’s also the only Shi Cho user to use two lightsabers and honestly it was some of the most graceful dual wielding they ever showed in clone wars

It's so cool that fighting a true master of soresu is really just fighting the force itself. And while the force isn't all about killing, so you have pretty good odds of surviving the ordeal, you literally can't win.

Juyo makes me think of firebending while Vapaad is lightning. To quote Iroh "Remember, once you separate the energy, you do not command it. You are simply its humble guide. Breathe first."

I would pick Niiman as well, but calling it a jack-to-all-trades form is a misnomer since it is a finely elaborated synthesis of other forms intended to serve as the template from which an individual can develop his own style. Its full potential is only realized once you build upon it, so to the ten years needed to master its basic "template" nature, you should add a number of years fusing to it whatever other knowledge you managed to obtain.

The fact that Grevious isn’t force sensitive but still so deadly is just terrifying

I like both Makashi and Niman. On the one hand, I see Makashi as the most ideal Saber form with its emphasis on economy and emotional control. Cut your enemies down or dismantle with precision and grace, not sloppy flailing. On the other hand, Niman really does capture the mystical aesthetic of the Jedi.

Soresu fits me best. Meditation combined with combat with pure defense. To survive is the goal. Effective for blaster bolts and lightsabers. Energy efficiency. Guiding the fight to where you want it. Soresu also uses the force for precognition. Eye of the storm and inner peace in battle.

The need for patience in form 1 certainly fits the Jedi quite a lot. The most ideal to teach the ways of the Light Side.

Dude, I was literally just rewatching this series. I just started form five when you posted this 😁

There is one Lightsaber technique no one can beat...Plot Armor.

Gonna have to go with Niman, being more open to the force while being able to channel any of the forms with one or both of your sabers is just to good. Imagine a jedi who truly mastered forms 3,5 and 6.

I'd be interested in seeing a comparison between forms 1 and 7. It seems they both require an attunement to the flow of the Force in battle, but in distinct ways.

Form I: Helps you gain balance. Form II: Tests the balance you have gained. While these two have combat applications, they are best as training exercises. Form III: Embodies the center of your balance. Form IV: Embodies the boundaries of your balance. Quintessential defense and offensive forms, one for de-escalation, the other for threat removal. Form V: Unifies your balance, center and boundaries together. Form VI: Unifies your entire understanding of the Force. These are elevated forms, and demonstrate bringing your ability to new heights, by embodying the totality of your mastery. Form VII: Achieved through surrender to the Force. In this form, your balance is the Force's balance, and the Force is not in balance. I think Form VI is incomplete. It needs Forms II and VII to be added to it in order to properly be itself. So, I guess that's the answer of what I would seek. I would attempt to learn all forms, and embody them all in an improved Form VI.

Djem So is a good basis for actual swordsmanship in real-life. I've spent the last six years using it as the base for my own swordsmanship. Since my right leg was permanently injured due to chronic over-exertion from power lifting along with numerous accumulated injuries, I needed a style that wasn't highly mobile. And since I still had plenty of raw power from my days lifting, a power-oriented fighting style was what I needed. Additionally, the style has been excellent for my mental health, as I suffer from PTSD and often feel rooted in place by fear and anxiety. By practicing a form that allows for good defense while still pressing forward, the style has been a catalyst for my ability to push past my trauma while still allowing me to feel guarded and keeping my walls up when I need them. It's a very stamina-taxing style, as using it relies more heavily on the upper body than most sword techniques. Due to still possessing a good measure of my former strength, I don't need to build up my slashes with wide sweeps, thus allowing me a tighter defense while still generating the necessary momentum for attacks and counters. And since the style isn't very mobile, it doesn't agitate my injured leg. Hell, it's one of the few times where I can exert myself for long periods without needing my leg brace or requiring a long rest after.

I made up Form VIII, it requires alot of spinning. Its a good trick. 👍

First of all, I think this is probably the best video and resource bout lightsaber forms ever made. Bravo, be very proud! I've said it before and I'll say it forever, Niman is the ultimate form for me precisely because as you said, "It can be anything." To me, that's what a Jedi should strive for, to be what is needed. They should be what they have to be to protect the beings of the Galaxy. Whether it means a fighter, a diplomat, a healer, a teacher, Jedi should be what the Force guides them to be, and Niman is the bases of a fighting style to live up to that.

I feel like it is best to consider one's role in the Jedi Order first before chosing a form. I would likely choose Soresu, because I would rather take on diplomatic or educational missions than the tasks of a Guardian

Ataru is the perfect form for Yoda it helps him be agile despite his age and his use of the force just enhances his ability. Idk why people think it would be out of character for him

I would use shi Cho it was so simple yet effective easy to learn but hard to master also it can be seen when kit fisto duels general grievous and he actually wins also because it is more abstract

I love how the progression of the lightsaber forms were presented and it was a wonderful video altogether! Form 1 was conceived during the inception of weaponry being advanced past metal forms. Form 2 was an answer to Form 1's development and to counter its basic precepts as a dueling form. Form 3 was an answer to Form 2's blaster-deflecting weakness. Form 4 was a step away from Form 3's defensive mentality and more towards pure offense and fluidity. Form 5 (which was also developed alongside Form 4) aimed to strike a balance between Form 2's offensive focus and Form 3's defensive mentality without focusing excessively into either direction. Form 6 sought to bring forth a culmination of Form 1, 3, 4, and 5's basic concepts into a form that allows one to imprint their own flavor into it. Form 7 essentially takes the idea of giving one's self into the force to fuel their offense (proposed by Form 1 and subsequently explored by Form 4) and expands upon it even further.

I remember reading about different Kenjutsu styles at one point, and Shii-Cho reminds me a lot of how Jigen-Ryu was described. Taking from the idea that fine motor skills are the first thing to go in the stress and adrenaline of a real fight, it focused/focuses on one or two big swings, and the development of the trainee's stamina and strength to overpower and outlast the other guy.

Convenient to have the whole series put into one place for those who want to sit through all of it at once, without having to load seven videos.

I like both Soresu and Niman, but I'd most likely train more in form 6. I've always liked being a "jack-of-all-trades" kind of person.

Cool, a compilation video of several previous videos. I know other RU-vidrs have done that before, but this is the first time Geetsly has so awesome. :) Hey maybe we can get more of these, like a compilation of all the battles of the Clone Wars, or at least the Outer Rim Sieges.

Niman philosophy interests me because it's "personalized" so to speak. A fighting style that's allows some expression and creativity, a true artform. While I do adore Soresu, I imagine it can be very suffocating if you're feeling overwhelmed and doubt creeps in. Niman would actively engage my imagination, constantly thinking more creatively with a wider skillset of offensive and defensive training as well as incorporating more telekinetics.

Im drawn to Niman the most, a form that with time and diligence becomes a perfect expression of who the practitioner is on a fundamental level.

absolutely loving these long format videos. I hope they do well, because seeing more of these is awesome. ofc, take your time and rest when you need!! there's no long format geetsly's video if there's no geetsly's, and your good health is integral for quality. always take care of yourself!

Great work. And Soresu is still my favorite form.

I'd like to see you do a video on how the often unknown mechanics of lightsabers influenced and in particular cases necessitated the use of more controversial sword techniques (particularly the balancing of the blade that is responsible for so few lightsabers to ever see use in untrained hands, and the impact of improperly balancing the saber as seen in The Return of the Jedi when Luke deals his finishing blows to Vader and the saber bounces off the railing instead of cutting through it)... few people realize how incredibly difficult just wielding a lightsaber was without the force and forms guiding the practitioner.

I've gotta go with Form VII. It gives you furious speed without having to resort to the risky acrobatics of Form IV. More important, its quick staccato motions makes it very unpredictable in the hands of a skilled, and thinking, user. Unpredictability trumps everything in a lightsaber fight.

What're everyone's favorite lightsaber forms? Mine are probably (1) Shien/Djem So, (2) Niman, (3) Soresu. I love the balance Djem So has between Soresu and Ataru while being a very counter-based fighting technique equipped both to deal with ranged and melee combatants. Plus you have people like Anakin Skywalker who can overcome the mobility issues of the form and make a truly amazing fighting technique that even the likes of Count Dooku cannot stand up to. Niman's an interesting choice since it's in my experience considered the weak link of the forms. I like the jack-of-all-trades nature of it because if you're as dedicated as someone like Exar Kun, you can truly take the form's versatility to its peak and make a near-unstoppable fighting form. Soresu's efficiency and near-perfect defense makes for a perfect way to fight not to kill, waiting for your opponent to tire or make a mistake to be exploited. You can also even use this to conserve your own strength and learn more about your opponent or so much more

I really like Niman the most. For its jack of all trades in its most basic levels is something I like about it a lot. But further having it as a template form to customize it further without really taking away from its basics gives it a lot of utility. I'd combine its ability for high specialization for dual wielding with equipping both a lightsaber and a blaster pistol. In Rebels it was shown that lightsaber wielders, namely the Grand Inquisitor, was put on the wrong foot when Kanan uses Ezra's lightsaber's ranged attack, giving him some advantage during the following dual. I'd utilize standard lightsaber combat with unpredictable intervals with a blaster pistol. I'd also use Niman's unfocussed nature to randomize attack patterns of all other Forms to some degree, changing the way I fight whenever it doesn't work. (But I'm saying all of this but imagine getting cut down within a second because I never focused on anything, giving me a lot of weaknesses lmao) Also, Niman is written as Niman on the screen when it comes along

For peak obscurity, how about a breakdown of combat techniques beyond the 7 Jedi styles, such as the Jensaarai combat style Rek'dul?

Really happy to see another very long video from you! These are amazing and super detailed, keep it up!

An hour video didn’t expect that from geetsly

I would look to master Form II Makashi as my primary form. Lightsaber combat is where it is at and, as a fencer myself, it is the form that would come most naturally to me. I would also work to maintain a strong proficiency in Form V, the Shien varient, which I would fall back into against blaster wielding opponents.

I think there's some misunderstanding with Vaapad. Yes, it strays to the edge of the dark side, but it uses an opponent's aggression against them without harnessing your own. Yes, a practitioner feels the thrill of the fight, the glory in winning, but they don't directly use those emotions in their strikes. Instead, they reflect all of their enemy's darkness back at them. That's the danger with Vaapad, the temptation of indulging in your own primal rage, and apparently it is too much for Jedi to handle. Mace Windu only ever achieved "true Vaapad" once, and it was against Sidious, he completely let go and deflected all of the Sith's hate, but at the cost of his composure, and he attempted to kill Sidious in the end.

My favorites gotta be form 3 and 4. Sorisu because to me it matches the stance of the Jedi as defenders, and an impenetrable wall of defense can also be a show of great strength (also I'm a major Kenobi fan, fight me XD ). Ataru because Master Yoda probably has one of the most unique fighting styles, turning his small stature into an actual advantage. Smaller hitbox and moving hella fast

Shii Cho is my favorite for it's ability to be personalized. It's simplicity allowed for minor differences in technique to arise amongst its users. Shii Cho was usable for both strength and speed based swordsmen, meaning you weren't limited in it's usage by your body. Yoda could not properly utilize Djem So due to his size, while Ataru was poorly suited to species whose bodies weren't capable of acrobatics. Shii Cho could be customized to suite it's user, and could be bolstered by other forms. A Shii Cho base form combined with Soresu or Shine specialization would make a wielder almost invulnerable in a situation where they are outnumbered.

32:38 "All the ferocity of a coked up house cat fighting a raccoon." bro lmao

I always wondered about combining Makashi and Soresu. They would complete each other lol. One against lightsaber and single opponent, the other one against blaster and multiple opponent. And both are energy saving forms so you could save all your energy to use the force when necessary

Soresu and Shii Cho are my favorite, partially because of Obi-wan (for Soresu) partly because the original trilogy had very beautifully deliberate choreography and partly because of Shii Cho utilizing the will of the force and the defense of Soresu can tire out an enemy without needing to kill them

In the last 10 years I've started to really get into SW and I appreciate all the hard work channels like this do and how knowledgeable they are and the comments as well

I'd most definitely use a mix of form V, both Shien and Djem So, though mostly Djem So, mixed with Juyo. The combination of defense through offensive mixed with misdirection is an incredibly powerful and hard to master combination

I love that you used the Kreia quotes.

I’ve always thought that master form VI Niman with dual wield blades would be awesome! If adding a force ability, I’d choose Shatter Point. Being able to have an impenetrable defense and seeing an opponents weakness. Then using a precise counter strike to end the fight in one motion! Not to mention being able to focus more on force powers/alchemy such as thag of Zannah and Revan!

Form five and form seven. There both such aggressive forms, that they compliment each other so well.

FANTASTIC MAN ! In-depth and illuminates! MORE LIKE THIS PLEASE 🤓✌️🪐🛸

“All the ferocity of a coked up house cat battling a raccoon” metaphor of the year right there. Absolutely perfect description 👌

This was a fantastic video to watch and I'm grateful for it.

That video is what I need to see. Thank you, bro!!!

I love your description of yodas fighting style

It's cool that Dooku is a master of a form based on exploiting his opponent's passion, making him a perfect counter for Anakin and a good character foil. A Jedi Knight falling to the dark side, and a Sith Lord falling back on his Jedi training.

23:15- I love this Form for many reasons!!! And that is why I chose to learn Form 3 for myself and lightsaber/sword fighting!!! And for anyone wondering yes, the lightsabers you can buy for combat can take massive blows without breaking! And also yes, they hurt like hell when you get hit by one! And that’s if your opponent isn’t swinging for the fences!?! If they are, depending on where they hit you they could break bones!!!

I'd definitely shift between a Jar'kai-flavored Ataru, and either Shien or Soresu; I've done gymnastics, boxing, and Shotokan for a while now, and the idea of being mobile, having good defense, and knowing when to conserve energy and when to unload it fits my operating style. Although, avoiding fights above all else is the goal, so I'm not sure if that has to do with fighting form or just being a level-headed jedi 🤔

Love to see longer videos from Geetslys

The video I never knew i needed, what a great video to listen to for a work morning

Such an interesting video! Thank you for this knowledge! Such an interesting history with each style

It makes my heart happy that you quote Kreia throughout. ❤️

Fantastic and Informative video. I practice the Art of Kendo because of Star Wars.And these forms are very similar to Kendo . I became familiar with the lightsaber forms after reading Jedi Path.

Niman might be best summarized as the "strategist" form. Generals, leaders, politicians, anyone who values versatility will find use in Niman. If Sun Tzu had a lightsaber, he'd use Niman.

Excellent series. Great to see it in one place. I love the cold, cerebral precision of Form 2, but I would personally use Form 3. I like the idea of making myself basically untouchable, giving opportunity to reason with the opponent, or possibly talking them down. Or, that failing, simply lasting long enough for reinforcements, who would likely force a surrender.

Geetsly + jedi knowledge = entertaining video

Ik I'm late here but this is lovely. I love forms 1 and 4, I completely agree they are the most Jedi like but also how I feel the light side itself would want Jedi to fight. After all all things are one ine the force

Thanks for this series. Nicely done.

This was an absolute amazing video I loved this.

Ah Darth Kreia she really is one of the best star wars characters by sheer knowledge and understanding alone.

I like the flexibility of Niman. You could adjust to any opponent or multiple opponents. Its all about balance. Offense and defense in equal form. Like Revan said, it could be anything. It all depends on what you put in. Plus the fact that its hardest to identify it would be difficult for an opponent to pin down and counter.

The funny thing about reverse grip, is that is actually more dangerous to the user than the opponent, the only time it's actually an advantage is when you are already within super-close knife fighting distance, where grappling is just as important as the fact that you have a weapon, the only other instances where it is useful, is when your enemy is behind you, and even then, they need to be close. In all other instances, you are making your guard weaker, covering yourself less effectively, losing the vast majority of your reach, making it harder to get any kind of effective attacking motion, and allowing your opponent to hit your own weapon back into your arm. Skallagram and various practitioners of Bladework, including HEMA practitioners, have made many videos covering this. So, anyone out there wanting to copy XYZ movie, TV show, or videogame badass who uses reverse hand, please, practice with something that won't cut your arm up first, note every instance where someone manages to screw you over in combat because of anything listed above, and you'll soon realise it is an almost useless idea.

So solid! Fantastic work!!! 🔥⚔️🙏🏼

I feel that Ataru is the weakest of all forms, is the “spinning is a nice trick” form

I’d personally use Form VI Niman, elevating it to the degree of practitioners like Exar Kun and Darth Krayt. I firmly consider myself a jack-to-all-trades individual, not a true master of any one area, but sufficiently well versed in several. I would also back this up with training in traditional Jar’Kai, in the form of a standard lightsaber and a shoto. I wouldn’t specialize in Jar’Kai like Ahsoka Tano or Asajj Ventress, but would use if I fought multiple enemies or to catch a single foe off guard.

In the Star Wars Saga Edition campaigns I played, both my Jedi were mainly Double Lightsaber weilding Ataru practitioners that would also rely the on the Deflecting and Blocking techniques strengthened by Shii-cho. I try not to redo builds but the vastly different backstories of the characters and the strength and reliability of both styles made them hella useful. Awesome video btw!

6 is my jam. A purple full blade with curved hilt and a yellow shoto held backhanded, weaving, humming and flashing as however is needed

I would try to master them all, which would really make me a Niman practitioner, but I think if you mastered forms 2, 3, and 5, you'd have all your bases covered. Flips look great, but unless you're actually a competitive gymnast, they're usually inefficient in actual combat.

Literally been waiting for this video

Playing SWTOR right now, this was super interesting. Thanks for the video! :)

42:07 I think Luke wrote compassion is the key thing with Form 5 to avoid trouble with the dark side. 👍

A compilation? Awesome!

The reverse grip thing wouldn't create more powerful blows, that's simply not how leverage works, but it does look cool as heck... 😅

Picturing myself in the Star Wars universe, I see myself achieving the dream of being a pilot, a real speed freak. They're needed in Jedi circles, as the Delta and Eta series fighters would tell you. Pure performance, like a racer would want. So you'd think I'd be all Ataru and flying on the ground like in my fighter, right? Uh-uh. Djem So as hopefully a gateway to Niman would be my pick. A thing you learn when you study fighter combat is that the easiest kills are done by picking your fatal stroke in the middle of a high-speed pass or a massive enough burst when you're on target. Every hit must be a knockdown blow and you can't afford to waste a single spark of energy. Even missiles work best when you give them as much help kinetically as possible through positioning for maximum impact and minimal energy expenditure. Efficient, effective, ideally over in a few overwhelming strokes. Djem So. Niman? Well, it'd be a mark of mastery of the lightsaber, oneness with the Force...and there's nothing like channeling the Light like a sidearm in tight spaces, like getting in and out of a cockpit in tough spots like the _Invisible Hand_ raid.

Would like to see a video like this on improved styles like vaapad ect, I think I would pick ataru as my style as its quite aggressive and suits my style already

After listening to all 7 videos individually on multiple occasions and listening to this hour long summary dozens of times already, I think I think I'd either go with Duel-Weilding version of Niiman, a saber staffed version of Makashi, or (what I would prefer greatest) a Duel-Weilding version of Vapaad. Solely because of the fact that it allows you to enjoy a fight, which would be extremely high on my priority list

I enjoyed this philosophical breakdown of each of the seven forms! Any chance you would be interested in covering other fighting styles like Teras Kasi, Stava or the Echani martial arts? Also, what lightsaber form would you pick?

I have to say my favorite one is Niman, and I think it would work best with Jar’kai. A very balanced form in offence and defence that can as the situation calls for it lean somewhat more heavy in either direction like he explained Revan used to. Also being able to let your individuality flow through it would make it unique enough that I believe it would by hard to counter. A very good video that I enjoyed immensely

This I'm gonna have to return to several times cause it's so good

I've always been a fan of Makashi due to Count Dooku being my favorite duelist in the entire franchise but knowing my love of martial arts and the beauty of combat, I would probably look into specializing in Niman and to be able to understand all the languages of all the warriors that I had to face.

I like versatility and efficiency, so I think I'd pursue both 6 and 2. I'd also need two completely different sabers to do it right. Either that or a shield to go with the curved hilt 1-hander. However, since I want the main saber to have a built-in shield mode via redirecting the blade plasma through a tsuba, a backup shoto or light foil is probably a given.

Anyone else notice that a few of the form shifts or creation of styles seemed to be addition? Like form 5 mixing 2 and 3? Or 3 adding the defense of 1 and the finesse of 2? While 7 was kind of mix of 5 and 2? I did some quizzes on my lightsaber and specialized style. 6 was mine and my lightsaber was a yellow orange blade.

Soresu is my jam. Love it!

Whew that took awhile but I am glad I watched that. My form would be 6 or 7 something that Ryu Hyabusa from ninja gaiden would use

If used at its highest potential, Form 7 is undeniably the best form. Unpredictable maneuvers as the whole force is channeled through you. While a true Form 3 master cannot be defeated in combat, a true Form 7 master defeats all who stand against them.

31:19 the moment he said "tight spaces" while showing Qui-Gon getting parried, gave me old childhood trauma while "Say Something" played in my head 😭😭

Soresu is my favorite. I feel like if Kenobi was a master of any other form, he would not have bested Darth Vader in their first duel.

I like the idea of Shien as it seems like a more practical version of form 3 I’d go with that specifically and mix in some form 2 to combat its weakness against 1v1 dualists

Great video, thank you!

I think that since each form adopted various parts of some of the previous forms, I would ideally begin with Form I and proceed through each one afterwards. This is partly to emphasize the philosophy of each form and the different ways in which it can be used. In particular, by the time I reached Form VI, every fundamental it is built on would be very familiar. This would have three major downsides. Firstly, time. Even with Form VI being the longest to master, at ten years, seven combat forms is a lot of time investment. Somewhere in the neighborhood of 40 to 60 years. Maybe 30 for a prodigal student. Second, time management. Each form must still be practiced for the user to remain in optimal fighting form. Not just techniques, but philosophy too. Training and meditation will take increasingly lengthy amounts of time each day. Thirdly and lastly, each philosophical change will be difficult. It's not easy to resist years of training, especially if you wish not to suppress and destroy it completely. Changing your way of thinking on a significant level is also an intensive and lengthy introspective process. Each change in form would be an exhausting test of discipline. Plus, after mastering forms I and II, one would need to practice using them not only alone but also together; all without losing focus on learning the new form properly in both body and mind. Then do it again with Form III. And so on. However, each of these problems has a silver lining as well. First, time. You spend 60+ years learning how to control not only yourself in combat, but the combat itself, you're gonna be damned good at it. Secondly, time management. You spend 60+ years practicing lightsaber combat while also in the field, you're going to have require as much extra time as possible to study your arts, and you will operate more efficiently. Thirdly and lastly, learning and adopting the philosophy of the forms in order will decrease your chances of falling to the dark side with each new form, which will be helpful for forms V through VII. And each time you successfuly move on to and adapt to a new form, it will be easier than the last (though never without great effort; applying that effort will just be easier and more efficient). TL;DR: All of them, in order.

I'm a huge Shien / Djem-So fan, especially with the orthodox backwarda grip. Somehow the style really speaks to me.