Form IV/Legends

"Ataru is the name given to the movements of this form - though it is aggressive, it is focused, and its best use is in combat against a single opponent."

- Zez-Kai Ell to the Jedi Exile Form IV: Ataru, Way of the Hawk-Bat, or the Aggression form was the fourth of the seven forms of lightsaber combat. The history of Ataru stretched back through the Old Republic, at least as early as the Mandalorian Wars, where it was commonly employed by Jedi of that day. Ataru continued to be a common form among the Jedi until the Great Jedi Purge and the death of Yoda, though it was not formally used in the New Jedi Order.

An aggressive style, Form IV was fast-paced and effective against single opponents, though weaker in prolonged combat and confined spaces. Ataru was characterized by Force-assisted acrobatics, both for attack and defense, and fast, powerful strikes. Notable users of this combat form included Yoda and Qui-Gon Jinn.

Description
Ataru was an aggressive combat form relying on a combination of power, speed, and grace. Practitioners of Ataru were always on the offensive, attacking with wide, fast, and powerful swings. Form IV practitioners constantly called upon the Force to aid in their movements and attacks. By allowing the Force to flow throughout their body, they could overcome their physical limitations (including old age, as was the case with Master Yoda), and allowed them to perform amazing feats of acrobatics, such as somersaults and backflips, not only for attack, but also to evade the attacks and strikes of their opponents.

Those who used Form IV could move at amazing speeds and could rain strong blows, jumping and attacking through the air. Powerful and lightning-fast spinning attacks could be utilized from all angles, either from ground or air. A master in Ataru combat could appear like a blur to their opponents, attacking from all directions&mdash;from the front, the sides, overhead, or behind. The Force not only allowed them to perform amazing athletic feats, but it also helped guide their actions and movements in combat.

The opening stance for Ataru was a balanced two-handed guard: holding the lightsaber vertically with both palms, either on the right or left side of the body.

Users
Besides Yoda and Qui-Gon Jinn, other notable practitioners of Ataru were Zez-Kai Ell, Vrook Lamar, Kavar, Cin Drallig, Quinlan Vos, and his former Padawan, Aayla Secura. Obi-Wan Kenobi was also a practitioner of Ataru, but proceeded to study Soresu following the death of his Master, Qui-Gon Jinn, at Naboo. General Grievous and his IG-100 MagnaGuards also learned Ataru from Count Dooku.

As a Padawan, Anakin Skywalker studied Ataru briefly, as it fit his flashy, bold, and aggressive personality—he would later use those same traits to become a fine Form V practitioner. When Anakin applied Jar'Kai tactics against Count Dooku on Geonosis, his swordplay was actually based on Ataru moves. Because neither Jar'Kai nor Ataru was Skywalker's most effective style, Dooku broke through it easily with a masterful sun djem, forcing the young Padawan to switch back to his standard Form V.

During the Clone Wars, both Obi-Wan Kenobi, who had mastered Ataru in addition to his expertise in Soresu, and Anakin Skywalker often applied the useful Ataru acrobatic moves, despite their mastery of Soresu and Djem So, respectively. After his transformation and defeat on Mustafar, Darth Vader included elements of Form IV, along with Forms II and III, in his personalized variation of Form V.

Applications of Ataru
"This form is Ataru. Because it is such an aggressive fighting style, you should only use it against single opponents."

- Vrook Lamar to the Jedi Exile

Ataru proved to be an effective combat form when used properly, and was common among Jedi in the Mandalorian Wars. It was highly effective in close combat, particularly against single opponents.

Because it was such an aggressive style, Ataru did not work well against multiple opponents, and it was somewhat ineffective against blaster fire, particularly from multiple opponents. This form was also probably not effective for prolonged combat, as the nature of Ataru could greatly tax the body. Fatigue may have been the chief reason that Qui-Gon Jinn was defeated by Darth Maul, though his old age may have also played an important role in his fatigue. Another possible cause of Qui-Gon's death at the hands of Maul was the requirement of open space for the kinetic acrobatics of Ataru. Without ample space in the Theed Palace reactor core to move in, Qui-Gon was deprived of the key element in his defense, and thus could only attempt to block Maul's lightning fast barrage of Juyo strikes. This event had a profound effect on Kenobi&mdash;after his master's death, he decided to perfect his practice of Soresu, the most defensive of all forms.

Through the Force, Yoda mastered Form IV to its highest level. He used it in almost all of his battles, and his mastery of the style made him a virtually unstoppable whirlwind of destruction despite his small size and advanced age. His astonishing moves in his epic duel against Count Dooku may be revealed on close examination to be a masterful demonstration of the standard components of Form IV. His moves flowed from one to another in the smooth transitions characteristic of Form IV. In addition, three kinds of rotation, called su ma, figured prominently in his style: jung su ma (spinning), ton su ma (somersaults), and en su ma (cartwheels). These three moves represented the three possible axes of rotation in three-dimensional space. Together with Force-enhanced jumps, the rotational su ma moves composed most of his style, making the Grand Master the ultimate example of Form IV. Yoda also employed Ataru against the clone troopers on Kashyyyk and Coruscant. Despite its weaknesses to blaster fire and multiple opponents, Yoda's mastery of the form was such that he able to defeat the clones.

Dooku stated that he understood "every weakness of the Ataru form, with its ridiculous acrobatics." Dooku's Makashi would counter Ataru by launching a series of flashing thrusts toward the enemy's legs to draw the opponent into a flipping overhead leap, so that Dooku could burn through the enemy's spine from kidneys to shoulder blades with his Makashi attack. The Count applied this tactic against Obi-Wan Kenobi onboard the Invisible Hand, who blocked Dooku's blows with Soresu.

Possible Practitioners

 * Kas'im also used a Jar'Kai variation of Ataru

Behind the scenes

 * In the novelization of Revenge of the Sith, Labyrinth of Evil, and Dark Lord: The Rise of Darth Vader, Ataru is mis-spelled as Ataro.
 * The name Ataru may derive from the Japanese infinitive verb "Ataru," which means "to hit" or "to strike," which would be in keeping with the form of combat.
 * Due to their small size, Jedi Masters Tsui Choi, Even Piell, and Yaddle are widely believed to be Ataru practicioners by fans; however, these speculations have not been confirmed by any canonical sources.
 * The fast style practiced by New Jedi Order Jedi is believed to have connections with Form IV.
 * While Darth Sidious is believed to be a Form IV user, no source has confirmed his lightsaber form. Due to comments from Nick Gillard that Sidious has been shown to use several different forms proficiently, it is possible that he has mastered most of them.

Appearances

 * Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords
 * Darth Bane: Path of Destruction
 * Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace
 * Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones
 * Labyrinth of Evil
 * Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith novelization
 * Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith
 * Dark Lord: The Rise of Darth Vader