Lightsaber combat

"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

Lightsaber combat was a duel between two or more opponents using lightsabers. 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.

Combatants sometimes utilized specific forms of combat to aid them in battle. These forms included Shien, Jar'Kai, and Form III.

History
"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

The Jedi Order generally eschewed war, preferring to solve problems through peaceful negotiations whenever possible. 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 Kit Fisto, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Ahsoka Tano, Shaak Ti, Saesee Tiin, Quinlan Vos, 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, 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 Barriss Offee and Anakin Skywalker, who became the feared Sith Lord Darth Vader.