Lightsaber combat

"Energy constantly flows through the crystal. You're not fighting with a simple blade as much as you are directing a current of power. Your thoughts, your actions, they become energy. They flow through the crystal as well and become a part of the blade."

- Kanan Jarrus, to Sabine Wren

Lightsaber combat occurred when two or more opponents using lightsabers or at least one of the combatants uses a different bladed weapon engages in a duel. Such opponents were often, though not always, Sith and Jedi. Though lightsaber combat decided the results of some important conflicts throughout the galaxy, often when two Force-sensitive opponents were nearly evenly matched, they had to resort to other means to settle the conflict, such as drawing on other Force powers.

There were seven known forms of lightsaber combat: Form I, Form II, Form III, Form IV, Form V, Form VI, and Form VII.

Fall of the Republic
"My powers have doubled since the last time we met, Count.''" "''Good. Twice the pride, double the fall."

- Anakin Skywalker and Count Dooku as they engage in lightsaber combat

Upon the advent of the Clone Wars, however, pushed by the militant stance of Supreme Chancellor Sheev Palpatine (secretly the Sith Lord Darth Sidious manipulating matters for his own ends), "aggressive negotiations" through lightsaber combat became commonplace.

Skilled duelists in lightsaber combat fighting on the side of the Jedi and the Galactic Republic included Agen Kolar, Plo Koon, Kit Fisto, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Anakin Skywalker, Ahsoka Tano, Shaak Ti, Saesee Tiin, Luminara Unduli, Mace Windu and Yoda. Those fighting against the Jedi, either for their own reasons or in support of the Sith and/or the Confederacy of Independent Systems included General Grievous, Darth Maul, Savage Opress, Darth Sidious, Count Dooku, and Asajj Ventress. Still others fought at one point for the Jedi, but later fell to the dark side of the Force. These included Pong Krell, Barriss Offee and Anakin Skywalker, who became the feared Sith Lord Darth Vader.

Age of the Empire
"You can't win, Darth. If you strike me down, I shall become more powerful than you can possibly imagine."

- Obi-Wan Kenobi, to Darth Vader, before the two engage in lightsaber combat

Following the destruction of the Jedi Order, Masters Yoda and Obi-Wan Kenobi were known to have survived. Kanan Jarrus, formerly Jedi Master Depa Billaba's Padawan (then under the name Caleb Dume) survived as well. Jarrus trained Ezra Bridger to use a lightsaber, and he later trained his fellow rebel the Mandalorian Sabine Wren in using Tarre Vizsla's darksaber.

Non-canon appearances

 * Revenge of the Sith: Episode III (LEGO Star Wars)
 * William Shakespeare's Tragedy of the Sith's Revenge: Star Wars Part the Third
 * Star Wars Epic Yarns: A New Hope
 * Star Wars Epic Yarns: The Empire Strikes Back