Form IV/Legends

Form IV: Ataru was the forth form of the seven forms of lightsaber combat.

The master practitioners of the Way of the Hawk-Bat make extensive use of acrobatic maneuvers often thought not physically possible. This form was created during the last centuries of the Old Republic. Qui-Gon Jinn and Yoda were both masters of Form IV, as shown in their duels against Darth Maul and Count Dooku, respectively. Obi-Wan Kenobi, though already very advanced, abandoned his Ataru training in favor of Form III because he felt that his master's death demonstrated a fatal flaw in this form, but Kenobi used Ataru again to face Anakin Skywalker, now Darth Vader, in their ultimate battle on Mustafar in Revenge of the Sith. Aayla Secura is also a master of Ataru, according to Jan Duursema, who co-created the Twi'lek Jedi; Quinlan Vos had taught Aayla Form IV. Palpatine used a Sith variant of this form, which included stabs and wide swings.

In dire situations, Form IV practitioners use the Force to aid in their acrobatics. Spinning, jumping and running very fast and very high, masters of Form IV are sometimes only seen as a blur. In order to achieve the acrobatic prowess, amazing reflexes and physical punch of this form, a Jedi Master would focus on the Force, letting it flow deeply throughout his entire physicality, even allowing him to overcome the limitations of old age. Due to its aggressive nature, it is an effective form to use against single enemies.