Form V/Legends



Form V: Shien / Djem So or The Perseverance Form was the fifth form of the seven forms recognized as canon by the last Jedi Council for lightsaber combat.

Description
"I prefer more straightforward tactics." "Master of understatement."

- Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi

Form V or the Way of the Krayt Dragon was a powerful style developed by Form III practitioners that preferred a more offensive style, since the defensive nature of Form III often led to dangerously prolonged combat. Form V evolved into a combat style by combining the defensive maneuvers of Form III with the more aggressive philosophy and tactics of Form II.



The opening stance for Form V is the blade cocked high at the shoulder, angled upwards and to the back.

Form V has two distinct variations; Shien and Djem So. While Shien was better at deflecting and redirecting blaster bolts, Djem So on the other hand was better at lightsaber dueling, as it needed a higher level of physical strength and more aggressive moves. It is known that Anakin Skywalker mastered both styles.



As Darth Vader, Anakin Skywalker created his own variant of Form V, including elements of Form II, Form III and Form IV. He would strike and defend with only one hand whilst leaving the other hanging casually at his side. This was the case during his duel with his son on Bespin, and it was quite effective, both as a practical fighting style and psychological weapon.

Form V came into existence by taking the defensive skills derived from Form III and quickly channeling it into offense. A common example used to illustrate the difference was that that while Form III combatants effortlessly deflected blaster bolts, Form V practitioners excelled at redirecting the blaster fire back toward the opponent. This action simultaneously defended the user and efficiently injured the enemy. Form V emphasized strength and power over opponents. Many Jedi disapproved of this philosophy. Some in the Order may have felt that this lightsaber form led too quickly to violence, instead of diplomacy when dealing with disputes, because it appeared to call for the physical domination of an opponent, which was counter to Jedi beliefs.

Using a combination of blocks and parries derived from Soresu and Makashi, a Djem So user had a proper foundation in terms of defense against both blaster and melee attacks. However, while a Soresu user stayed on the defensive and only counterattacked when necessary and when an opening appeared in his opponents defense, a Djem So practitioner was not so measured or patient. After defending an attack by an opponent, a Djem So stylist would follow with an attack of their own. While Makashi relied on precise and small cuts of the blade, Djem So utilized series of flourishes and attacks that included wide two-handed swings and powerful overhead/over-shoulder slashes. Unlike Soresu, Djem So required the user to not only counterattack, but press the assault, combining Force-enhanced strength with powerful blade combinations, to overpower and overwhelm an opponent's defenses.



"The shining blue lightsaber whirled and spat and every overhand chop crashed against Dooku's defense with the unstoppable power of a meteor strike."

- Description of Anakin Skywalker's use of Djem So against Count Dooku during their second duel.

Djem So is best represented by Anakin Skywalker in his second battle with Count Dooku toward the end of the Clone Wars. During the duel, Count Dooku is surprised and shocked when he realizes that Anakin is now a Djem So practitioner. During the battle Anakin attacks Dooku, using his entire body including his arms, shoulders, legs and forward momentum to overwhelm Dooku with brute strength. In fact, when he blocks a blow from Skywalker the sheer kinetic power in Skywalker's blow shoved Dooku back, making him stumble so that he would not fall completely to the ground. During this duel as well as the duels between Luke Skywalker and his father Darth Vader, we can see that it was common for Djem So users to lock their swords and use their strength to drive their opponents back and corner them into a more vulnerable position.

Luke Skywalker is a very special practitioner of Form V. On Bespin, Luke revealed that he was an extraordinarily gifted duelist after only one brief session with Obi-Wan Kenobi three years before, and a short time of study with Yoda. Despite this lack of experience, Luke was able to hold his own against Darth Vader for a time. After that fateful duel, Luke studied some lightsaber skills from Kenobi's journal and greatly advanced in his abilities. Without a Master, it was Luke's unparalleled aptitude which contributed in such an impossible advancement. Onboard the second Death Star, Luke showed his true talent by mirroring Darth Vader's own Form V technique and responded with his own furious demonstration of Form V's raw power. Observing swordsmen such as Palpatine might be astonished at such instantaneous learning in a lightsaber duel. Finally, Luke was able to duel Vader on an even footing, and defeated the experienced Dark Lord of the Sith.



Djem So stylists are often moving towards their opponents, striking with each forward step. Since Djem So utilizes strength and power into each of its strikes, it requires the user to generate that power with their entire body, footwork, and forward motion. It also makes their movements predictable and fairly rigid, as they would constantly charge ahead towards their opponents. Another weakness in this form is that its aggressive style can also lead to carelessness or even recklessness, as they're so caught up in the attack that a user undermines his/her own defenses, as demonstrated by Darth Vader's defeat in his first duel with Obi-Wan Kenobi.



Despite its controversies, Djem So proved to be an effective combat style, utilizing the parries and defensive techniques of Form II and Form III, but with a ferocious style all its own.

The philosophy of Djem So not only emphasized strength and power in defeating an opponent, but more importantly on action. This made it a more favorable combat form for Jedi who wanted quick resolutions and favored "aggressive negotiations." Bold, powerful, fearless, and confident are also traits used to describe practitioners of Djem So.

Lightsabers belonging to Form V practitioners generally have a solid casing either as a whole or in multiple sections for maximum protection against power surge deterioration, and a heavily shrouded or beveled blade emitter to designate separate facets of the blade for either offensive or defensive purposes, as well as ridged, ocassionally thick, handgrips, because Djem So requires a good grip on the lightsaber hilt.

Behind the scenes

 * Some fans have speculated that Jedi Master Plo Koon may be a master of the powerful Form V technique of lightsaber combat, based on his abilities in Jedi Power Battles. However, this has never been explicitly stated in any canonical source.
 * Other fans speculated that Master Agen Kolar was also a possible candidate as he favored "aggressive negotiations." Likewise, this has never been stated in any canonical source.
 * It is also suggested by the ROTS Visual Dictionary, that Aayla Secura is also a practitioner of Djem So
 * Form V seems to be the exclusive form of combat of the Original Trilogy characters, with both Luke and Vader employing it. During filming, this style was based on Kendo.
 * Saesee Tiin may have been a practitioner of this form since he described his usage of his Force skills as a "broadsword."

Appearances

 * Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords
 * Darth Bane: Path of Destruction
 * Labyrinth of Evil
 * Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith novelization