In The Rise of Skywalker, every duel—from Rey vs Kylo on Death Star ruins to Leia’s final spiritual act—explores legacy, redemption, and the Force’s delicate balance. Rey’s fight with her dark self, Ben Solo’s rebirth through combat, and Palpatine’s last stand weave together physical and symbolic confrontations, closing the saga with emotional resonance and mythic depth.
As the final chapter of the Skywalker saga, The Rise of Skywalker carries the weight of legacy, identity, and the ultimate fate of the Force in every frame.
The film’s storytelling pivots around intense duels—both physical and spiritual—that reveal deep emotional currents beneath the surface battles.
These confrontations are not mere displays of lightsaber skill but symbolic struggles shaping the destiny of characters and the galaxy itself. Through these fights, The Rise of Skywalker echoes the saga’s age-old themes of redemption, temptation, and the balance between light and dark.
This article unpacks the most significant duels of the film, spanning from classic lightsaber showdowns to the less tangible but equally powerful confrontations of will and spirit. Each encounter captures the complex journeys of Rey, Ben Solo, and their adversaries, weaving together legacy and new beginnings.
By analyzing the lightsaber choreography, symbolism, and character arcs embedded in these battles, we gain a richer appreciation of how The Rise of Skywalker closes the chapter on this epic story.
The duel between Rey and Kylo Ren atop the shattered remains of the second Death Star is rich in symbolism—fighting on ultraviolent ruins of the Empire’s past represents their personal and galactic reckoning.
The jagged debris, water-soaked wreckage, and looming wreckage mirror their fractured identities and the shattering of old orders.
Their lightsaber styles contrast vividly: Rey’s balanced, almost serene strikes with her blue saber grounded in her burgeoning Jedi training, versus Kylo’s desperate, fiery aggression fueled by conflict and rage, mirrored by his crossguard saber.
The choreography expresses their emotional states: Rey’s measured calm meeting Kylo’s volatility.
A pivotal moment comes when Leia’s Force intervention bolsters Rey’s resolve, turning the tide in her favor. The duel evolves beyond a contest of blades into a struggle for Ben Solo’s soul, culminating in Rey fatally wounding him.
Yet, in a defining moment of compassion, she heals him using the Force, marking the beginning of his redemption. This confrontation intertwines violence and mercy, encapsulating love’s transformative power amid chaos.
This psychologically charged duel unfolds within Rey’s mindscape at the ruins of the Death Star’s throne room, confronting an embodiment of her darkest fears and potential.
Dark Rey—a shadowy double wielding a unique folding, double-bladed red saber—symbolizes the seductive allure of the dark side, capturing Rey’s internal struggle with heritage and destiny. The saber’s mechanical fold-out design evokes menace and complexity, reinforcing the fight as a manifestation of twisting choices rather than mere physical combat.
This vision duel reveals more than combat skill; it exposes Rey’s profound anxiety about inheriting Palpatine’s darkness and losing herself.
The fight dramatizes the tension between light and shadow residing within her, posing the classic Star Wars question—what defines a person: birthright or choice? Ultimately, Rey’s victory over Dark Rey affirms her agency and resolve to forge her own path.
Emerging from shadows, Ben Solo’s confrontation with the Knights of Ren marks a critical step in his transformation from Kylo Ren to rightful heir of the Skywalker legacy.
Beginning without a lightsaber and appearing vulnerable, Ben’s combat relies on raw Force power and tactical skill, underscoring his rebirth as a new kind of Force user. When Rey passes to him the repaired Skywalker saber, the moment seals his reclaiming of his identity and purpose.
Ben’s fighting style during this battle is notably calm and confident, echoing the charming ease of his father Han Solo but infused with newfound balance and determination.
His graceful yet lethal dispatch of the Knights shifts the tone from chaos to controlled redemption, marking the end of Kylo Ren’s dark reign and the rise of a Skywalker ready to confront his destiny alongside Rey.
At the climax within the Sith Temple on Exegol, Rey and Ben stand united in a desperate, visually striking confrontation against the nearly omnipotent Emperor Palpatine.
Palpatine’s overwhelming dark power drenches the setting in menace, contrasting sharply with the fragile vulnerability and hopeful unity of Rey and Ben. As they face seemingly insurmountable odds, their bond fosters a rare harmony, blending light and dark forces into a single, determined front.
The climax introduces the resonant chorus of myriad Jedi voices rebounding through the Force—an ancestral amplification of hope and resistance—bolstering Rey’s strength and symbolizing the Order’s continuity.
Her yellow lightsaber, forged in this battle, becomes a potent emblem of rebirth and balance, rekindling the Jedi legacy and embodying the saga’s enduring message that light and dark are aspects of the same whole.
The Force dyad connection between Rey and Kylo Ren gives rise to groundbreaking duels that transcend physical proximity, occurring simultaneously on the high-speed vessel on Kijimi and the desertscape of Pasaana.
These remote confrontations are finely choreographed ballets of energy and motion, with the environment playing a crucial role—such as a shattered Vader helmet erupting to reveal their hidden location.
The duels cleverly exploit the Force bond, blurring the line between places and minds.
Throughout these cross-distance struggles, the evolution of their connection—from rivalry to tentative understanding—is underscored by escalating intensity and shared history. The dynamic use of terrain, Force abilities, and emotional interplay elevates these duels beyond mere combat, highlighting the growing complexity of their intertwined fates and the power dynamics inherent in their unique bond.
Perhaps the most profound duel Rey faces is internal—a constant struggle between her bloodline as Palpatine’s granddaughter and her conscious choice to adopt the Skywalker name and legacy.
Visually and metaphorically, this conflict is reflected in the film’s duels and visions, where light clashes incessantly with shadow.
Each fight becomes an external manifestation of her emotional and moral battles, underscoring the saga’s central theme that destiny is shaped by choice rather than lineage.
Rey’s journey wrestles with the fear of darkness inherited through birth, yet emphasizes empowerment through self-determination.
Her refusal to succumb to her grandfather’s legacy and her crafting of a new legacy through actions and intentions illustrate a deep narrative about identity and redemption.
This duel of heritage versus choice is the heart of her character’s evolution and the saga’s resolution.
Though devoid of physical combat, Leia’s final moments represent an intensely poignant duel of spirit and will.
Stricken and fading, Leia’s ultimate act is to reach across the Force, summoning and awakening Ben Solo’s true self to help confront Palpatine’s evil.
Her silent sacrifice transcends violence, embodying hope, maternal love, and the power of belief to change even the darkest hearts.
Leia’s dying struggle against darkness is both intimate and cosmic—a quiet battle that tips the scales in the galaxy’s balance.
Her intervention is a powerful reminder that the greatest duels and victories are not always fought with blades, but through compassion and determination. This spiritual duel cements her legacy as a guardian of light and a pivotal catalyst for salvation.
Parallel to the ground and Force duels, Lando Calrissian and Poe Dameron lead a desperately won starfighter battle over the sinister skies of Exegol.
Engaging Thrawn’s advanced fleet, their dogfight is a high-stakes duel of numbers, tactics, and sheer willpower—a battle that underscores the Rebels’ resilience against overwhelming Imperial might.
The surprise cameo of Wedge Antilles and the Falcon’s daring re-entry add layers of legacy and continuity.
This aerial combat encapsulates hope in the face of despair—the Rebels, outmatched but undeterred, symbolizing the enduring fight for freedom.
Their coordinated assault culminates in the destruction of the Final Order’s flagship, ensuring victory for the light side. This duel of spacecraft complements the personal lightsaber battles, illustrating that the fate of the galaxy depends on many fronts and forms of courage.
Each duel in The Rise of Skywalker pays homage to the past while forging new paths for the Star Wars saga.
The repaired Skywalker lightsaber, passed between Rey and Ben, embodies the weight of legacy and the continuity of the Jedi Order. The final forging of Rey’s yellow blade symbolizes renewal, balance, and the creation of a new chapter, synthesizing light and shadow into harmony.
Lightsabers remain more than weapons—they are storytelling devices, crafted to convey lineage, inner conflict, and redemption.
Through choreography, symbolism, and character development, the duels in The Rise of Skywalker deepen the narrative and emotional resonance, affirming the lightsaber’s place as the saga’s iconic mark of destiny and transformation.
The Rise of Skywalker reminds us that the greatest battles are fought not only for survival but for identity, legacy, and the eternal balance of the Force. Every duel—from intimate confrontations to epic space dogfights—reflects the characters’ struggles to define themselves and shape their futures.
These confrontations are interwoven with history and hope, making dueling a profound expression of destiny in the Star Wars universe.
As fans, the duels invite us to reflect on what defines heroism and redemption, asking us to consider which moments moved us most deeply and why.
Share your favorite duel and the reasons it resonates with you—because in Star Wars, every fight tells a story, and every story shapes the galaxy’s soul.
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