
The only thing Star Wars fans seem to love more than Star Wars itself are the franchise’s lightsaber battles. A staple since 1977’s A New Hope, the Sith and the Jedi have used lightsabers to air their grievances and settle their issues—“daddy” or otherwise. The iconic weapon (and its combat usage) has become a cornerstone of the series, especially in the movies, where each film tries to one-up what’s come before.
Some of the live-action TV series on Disney+ have also turned to laser sword-centric set pieces to raise the narrative stakes; at times, they have even rivaled the movies in terms of pure scale and “holy sh**!” spectacle. With The Bad Batch season two arriving on Disney+ this week, here’s The A.V. Club’s ranking of the Star Wars saga’s most memorable live-action lightsaber battles.