Lightsaber Forms

Below is all seven Lightsaber forms listed as well as shown in practice. All Lightsaber forms are valid in duels and combat. For more information on dueling rules, please look at the The Grand Jedi Order Main Codex.

Form I: Shii Cho

The most basic form, usually the first learned by a Jedi. It is the most ancient, and involves swinging in wide berths and minimal blocking. It is easy to fight this form, as it was developed in the transition from swords to lightsabers.

Best against Ataru, Niman, and Makashi users.

Weakest to, Soresu, Djem So, and Vaapad users.

Shii-Cho shown below

Notice my lack of direction. This form works against opponents by lulling them into a sense of security and its tendency to use wild movements. If you don't know what you're doing, how can they?

Form II: Makashi

It is a very elegant form with simple footwork and precision, much like a dance. It most commonly uses only one hand and involves elegant blocks with nimble strikes, particularly dashing strikes.

Best against, Ataru and Niman users.

Weakest to, Shii-Cho, Djem So, and Soresu users.

Makashi shown below

Notice how I curved my dashing strike as I came in and then immediately tapped my block for a feint. This is the gist of Makashi.

FORM III: SORESU

Soresu is a symbol of calmness and non-aggression. The Jedi uses the saber more as a defensive weapon with efficient and effective blocks that shield them. Any strikes made are always close to the body so as to return to blocks if needed. Soresu is used to keep up with an opponent, and so it involves a small degree of acrobatics.

Best against, Makashi, Shii-Cho, Vaapad, and Djem So users.

Weakest to, Vaapad, Ataru, and Niman users.

Soresu shown below

Notice my acrobatics and how I always land blocking. The point of Soresu is to force your opponent to wear themselves down by stunning them as much as possible.

FORM IV: ATARU

This is a highly acrobatic and dangerously aggressive form. It could lead to an opening for the enemy to win if the Jedi uses too many attacks at once and drains their Force powers.

Best against, Soresu and Djem So users.

Weakest to, Shii-Cho and Makashi users.

Ataru shown below

It's hard to do Ataru justice, but I showed flip hits, rapid movements, and small dashes and jumps. Ataru is the most mobile form and if you stop moving while using it you're likely to die.

FORM V: SHIEN/DJEM SO

Shien, the first variation, deflects blaster fire and is primarily defensive at range. Djem So is basically Shien, with the difference that deflected bolts can be aimed. Djem So in lightsaber duels can also result in stuns through the return of energy via strikes.

Best against, Shii-Cho, Makashi, and Vaapad users.

Weakest to, Soresu and Ataru users.

Shien / Djem So shown below

Even harder to demonstrate is a form that is meant to deflect blaster bolts when we have no blasters that work with the saber system. Djem So utilizes kinetic energy from saber strikes and relies on parrying though, so I can at least show that attack pattern here. Notice my slow advancing blocks in a zig-zag before I dash, strike, and retreat.

FORM VI: NIMAN

It is used to combine the previous 5 forms. It is useful to Jedi who don’t devote much time to combat, because it is very unfocused. Some call it inferior for this very reason, but it actually helps Jedi remain variable. Niman originated as a dual-wielding form. Some Jedi continue this tradition.

Best against, Soresu and Vaapad users.

Weakest to, Shii-Cho and Makashi users.

Niman shown below

For Niman, you really do just mix the best parts of each form together. My Niman relies on the speed of Vaapad, low flips from Ataru, parrying from Djem So, and the energy-matching qualities of Soresu.

FORM VII: JUYO/VAAPAd

Juyo is a dangerous form very close to the dark side, so it is banned by the Jedi Order. An alternative form of Juyo called Vaapad was created inside the Order and is not banned. Vaapad is noted as being highly unpredictable, and perhaps even reckless to the untrained eye. Both Juyo and Vaapad channel dangerous emotions, giving them their strengths.

Best against, Shii-Cho and Soresu users.

Weakest to, Djem So and Niman users.

Juyo / Vaapad shown to the left

The points mentioned above won’t win your duel for you, especially if your opponent decides to abuse glitched saber mechanics to try to gain the upper hand. In our order, these saber mechanics are considered illegal. This does not stop hostiles from attempting to use them, nor does it stop accidental occurrences. Below is a list of glitches, how they’re caused, and their status.

Banned Moves: Spamming: Landing four+ hits in one attack (Overclock double-hits)

Stun Glitching = Stunning or attacking while being stunned yourself = (Spam blocking)

Allowed Moves: Low Flip: “Feature” that is actually a control glitch (Spacebar + Ctrl)

Flip Hit: “Feature” that is actually a control glitch (Attack before flipping)

Weaknesses in the System

These are the weakest points, based on hit detection, on your opponent. These are also your weakest points, so cover them well. We will be discussing the mentioned saber forms in chapter six.

Point one is weakest to Shii-Cho, Makashi, and Niman. This is because it is the arm opposite of the opponent’s lightsaber. If you strike it from the side or the back, you will almost always land a hit whether they’re blocking or not.

Point two is weakest to Ataru, Niman, and Vaapad. This is because all three forms utilize rapid attacks involving flips or dashes. The key is striking the lower head or upper back, where the hitbox doesn’t register as regularly as it does elsewhere. Sometimes you’ll land a hit, other times you won’t. The best attack here is a low flip hit that circles around your opponent.

Point three is perhaps the trickiest to pull off, but its effects are quite devastating. It is weakest to Soresu, Ataru, Djem So, and Vaapad. Notice that it is the weakest of the three points. When someone blocks with the sabers, there is a slim gap between their body and their blade. If you can manage to get in there, you can land multiple rapid hits on their torso, but because you are so far into their personal space, their saber’s hitbox malfunctions and either only hits you once or misses you entirely. If you can time a flip right, you can slip right into this spot when your opponent blocks. They literally pull you into the kill zone themselves.

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