One of the greatest duelists of all time in Star Wars lore was Anakin Skywalker, the Chosen One with the highest potential in the Force. Due to his innate talents, he progressed quickly as a lightsaber duelist, becoming one of the best young fighters in the Jedi Order during his teen years. He eventually became a duelist great enough to defeat Count Dooku, who was seen as one of the best lightsaber duelists of his era. So, what lightsaber form did Anakin use in his duels?
Anakin Skywalker was a master of Form V: Djem So, which is the variant of Form V that focuses more on lightsaber duels instead of blaster defense. The fundamentals of Djem So relied on defending with solid blocks before immediately countering with quick strikes before returning to a defensive position.
In short, Anakin’s Djem So was a demanding lightsaber form that required him to constantly move while switching from one stance to another. It was a difficult form for many Jedi to master, but not for someone as gifted as Anakin, especially because his potential was through the roof. Now, let’s look more into Anakin Skywalker’s lightsaber form.
Anakin Skywalker mastered Form V: Djem So
Arguably the most important character in the history of Star Wars, Anakin Skywalker was the man who launched the entire Skywalker Saga and was responsible for all of the drama during the nine mainline Star Wars movies. Of course, we know that Anakin was born the Chosen One because he had the highest potential in the Force due to his insane Midi-chlorian count. In that regard, he was trained to become a Jedi because it was believed that he was supposed to be the one to bring balance to the Force.
Training under Obi-Wan Kenobi, Anakin progressed quickly as a Jedi. But while he didn’t focus much on his Force skills, he became one of the best duelists in the Jedi Order even when he was still just a Padawan. Anakin’s lightsaber skills were incredibly impressive as he was able to fight with Count Dooku on par for a while at the age of 19.
Anakin’s lightsaber skills were so impressive that he became strong enough to eventually kill Dooku, who was known as one of the greatest duelists of his time. Of course, Anakin also defeated many other enemies, especially because his lightsaber style was geared toward offense and defense.
The lightsaber combat form he often used throughout his entire career as a Jedi Knight was Form V: Djem So. There are two Form V variants. The first is Shien, and the other is the aforementioned Djem So. While Shien focuses on blaster defense and redirection, Djem So is focused more on close-combat situations, especially against other lightsaber duelists.
Form V was created by those who favored Form III: Soresu, which is the lightsaber form that Obi-Wan Kenobi mastered. Soresu basically relied on using a defensive stance almost throughout the entire fight to force the enemy to burn out their stamina. At the same time, the user of Form III preserved their energy. Only when there is an opening or when the enemy has become unbalanced or tired does a Soresu fighter go for a counterattack.
The problem with Soresu was that it took too long for most Jedi who didn’t want to waste time staying on the defensive the entire time. As such, Form V was created to become a good mix of offense and defense.
Form V carries over the defensive mindset of Form III. That means that the priority of the duelist was to stay on the defensive to read the enemy’s movements and tendencies before going for a quick counterattack or riposte when there is a chance to do so. In that regard, the Shien variant worked well against blasters as the duelist needed to use an unconventional reverse grip to block and deflect blaster bolts. On the other hand, Djem So relied on the traditional grip because it was created to address lightsaber duels.
Djem So became a fluid style that required Anakin to move quickly from defense to offense and back again to defense. He needed the footwork, reflexes, and stamina to constantly change stances during a duel because he had to go on the offensive after a successful series of defensive stands against his opponent. And if he fails to end the duel with his offensive flurry, he has to return to his defensive stance to prepare for another attack from the enemy.
Djem So constantly required the user to switch from defense to offense, so this was often called the most demanding lightsaber combat form. It may not have the acrobatic style of Form IV: Ataru or the aggressiveness of Form VII: Juyo and Vaapad, but it burns through stamina quickly due to the constant switching and moving the user has to perform.
But Djem So became a good alternative to defensive fighters who also wanted to have a good set of offensive attacks. That’s why Anakin and the other practitioners of this combat form were more likely to end a fight quickly than Obi-Wan and the other practitioners of Form III.
Form V: Djem So reflected Anakin’s personality
While Obi-Wan Kenobi may have been Anakin Skywalker’s master, the thing is that Anakin didn’t adopt his master’s Form III. This reflected Anakin’s personality as a Jedi who wanted to follow his own path in life. On top of that, the fact that he chose Form V: Djem So also showcased his personality.
As mentioned, Soresu focused more on staying on the defensive almost the entire time before going on the offensive when the opportunity presented itself. On the other hand, Djem So is less patient in its approach because the user needed to go on the offensive after a few sets of defensive stands.
Anakin was always known for being impatient during his youth as he was more of a risk-taker who wanted to try his luck whenever he could. He was also known for being a courageous and brave Jedi Knight who loved charging head-first into a fight. And that is why Djem So reflected his personality.
His lightsaber form mirrors his personality, as Anakin didn’t have the patience and discipline of his master. Instead, he would rather go on the offensive whenever he saw an opening, and that is one of the principles of Djem So, which allows its practitioner to attack right away after a successful defensive stand.
Anakin’s risk-taking personality could also be seen in the fact that Djem So can be a bit risky due to how demanding it is and how it doesn’t always ensure an opening.
On top of that, Form V was created to ensure that the duelist gets to control the momentum of the battle because the opponent is also forced to defend themselves during certain points in the fight. Anakin was always known for following his own path in life instead of obeying orders, and that’s why Djem So’s ability to control the momentum of a fight fit in perfectly with his tendency to want to be the one in control of a situation.
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