Form V/Legends

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

- Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi



Form V: Shien / Djem So, The Way of the Krayt Dragon, or The Perseverance Form was the fifth of seven forms recognized as canon by the last Jedi Council for lightsaber combat. It was developed by practitioners of Form III: Soresu, who felt that the defensively-minded form would unnecessarily extend time spent in combat by forcing its users to wait for an opportunity to strike, rather than creating their own openings.

Description
Form V was a powerful style created by Form III masters that preferred a more offensive style, since the defensive nature of Form III often led to dangerously prolonged combat. It evolved into an accepted style of combat by combining the defensive maneuvers of Form III with the more aggressive philosophy and tactics of Form II. Form V also required a higher level of physical strength than the other lightsaber forms, due to its focus on complete domination of opponents.

Form V has two distinct variations: Shien and Djem So. While Shien was better adapted to deflecting and redirecting blaster bolts, Djem So was more focused on lightsaber dueling, indicating its evolution from the Makashi form; the similarities to Form II end there, though, as Shien/Djem So included the aggressiveness that drove Makashi, but rejected its inherent finesse in favor of brute force. It is known that Anakin Skywalker mastered both styles, prior to becoming Darth Vader.



The opening stance for Form V is a high guard position, with the hilt held in a two-handed grip behind the dominant shoulder, and the blade angled upwards and to the rear.

Applications
Form V was the creation of a group of Form III masters who felt that Soresu was too passive, while Ataru was neither powerful nor aggressive enough to deal with dangerous adversaries. It addressed the shortcomings of both forms, in which a Jedi Master may have proved to be undefeatable but was likewise unable to overcome a skilled opponent. Among the many unique aspects of Form V was the development of techniques in which the lightsaber was used to deliberately deflect a blaster bolt at a specific target (i.e. whoever fired it), unlike Form III, which simply deflected the blaster bolt; the development of such techniques added to the offensive capabilities of the form, and gave it an element of ranged offense that other forms lacked.

Utilizing 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 ranged and melee attacks. While a Soresu user stayed on the defensive, however, and only counterattacked when necessary or when an opening appeared in his opponent's defense, a Djem So practitioner was not nearly so measured or patient. Immediately after defending against an opponent's strike, a Djem So stylist would follow with an attack of their own (the Flowing Water Cut, for example, seems to have been designed with the Form V philosophy in mind).

While Makashi relied on precise and small cuts of the blade, Djem So utilized flourishes and attacks that included wide two-handed swings and powerful overhead/over-shoulder slashes intended to harness the power of the user's natural physical strength. Many Form V techniques involved spinning the blade prior to striking in order to build up momentum and kinetic energy for the attack. 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.

Form V emphasized strength and power over opponents, and as such, it became a 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. The inherent aggression of the form caused many Jedi to disapprove of its philosophy, however; some in the Order may have felt that this lightsaber form led too quickly to violence, instead of requiring the Jedi to resort first to diplomacy when dealing with disputes. Furthermore, it appeared to call for the physical domination of an opponent, an idea which ran counter to Jedi beliefs.

Djem So stylists were often moving towards their opponents, striking with each forward step. Since Djem So utilized the wielder's natural strength and power in each of its strikes, it required the user to generate that power with their entire body, footwork, and forward motion. It also made their movements predictable and fairly rigid, as they would constantly charge ahead towards their opponents. Another weakness of this form is that its aggressive style could lead to carelessness or even recklessness on the part of the user, as they could become so caught up in the attack that they would undermine their own defenses, as demonstrated by Darth Vader's defeat in his first duel with Obi-Wan Kenobi.



The essential character of Djem So was best represented by Anakin Skywalker during his second battle with Count Dooku toward the end of the Second Battle of Coruscant. During the duel, Count Dooku was shocked to realize that Anakin's development as a Djem So practitioner, and an incredibly skilled one at that. During the battle, Anakin assaulted Dooku relentlessly, using his entire body, including his arms, shoulders, and legs, to overwhelm Dooku with brute strength. At one point, when Dooku blocked a strike from Skywalker, the sheer kinetic power in the young Jedi's blow shoved Dooku back, making him stumble so that he would not fall completely to the ground, and another blocked attack managed to injure the Sith Lord by driving his own blade into his shoulder. During this duel, as well as during the duels between Luke and Anakin Skywalker, we can see that it was common for Djem So users to lock their swords and use their strength to drive their opponents into a more vulnerable position or trap them in a corner.



Luke Skywalker was 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 previously and a short period of study with Yoda, the inexperienced youth was able to hold his own against Darth Vader for a time. After that fateful duel, Luke further studied lightsaber skills he'd found in a journal left to him by Obi-Wan Kenobi, and greatly advanced in his abilities. Without a Master, it was Luke's unparalleled aptitude which contributed to such an impossibly rapid advancement. Onboard the Death Star, Luke showed his talent by mirroring Darth Vader's own Form V technique and responded with his own furious demonstration of the forms unmatched raw power; an observing swordsman such as Palpatine was likely astonished at such instantaneous learning in a lightsaber duel. Luke was finally able to duel Vader on an even footing, and defeated the experienced Dark Lord of the Sith.

Vader's Form V Variation


Following his christening as Darth Vader and his subsequent disfiguration on Mustafar, Anakin Skywalker created his own variant of Form V, which included elements of Form II, Form III and Form IV. The limitations of his armored bodysuit forced Vader to give up the flashier strikes and techniques used by a Djem So master. He would strike and defend with only one hand, leaving the other hanging casually at his side, as evidenced during his duel with his son on Bespin. Vader's adapted style proved to be quite effective, both as a practical fighting style and as a tool of psychological domination, Dun Moch being a primary aim of Sith blademasters during combat.



Variations in Lightsaber Design
Lightsabers belonging to Form V practitioners generally had 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. The beveled emitter was designed to designate seperate facets of the blade for either offensive or defensive purposes. Their hilts also commonly included ridged, ocassionally thick, handgrips, as Djem So required its users to maintain a solid grip on the lightsaber hilt.

Behind the scenes

 * Much of Shien/Djem So's philosophy and style were apparently later incorporated into the "Strong style" used by the New Jedi Order.
 * 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 Episode II: Attack of the Clones
 * Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith
 * Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope
 * Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back
 * Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi
 * 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