The Star Wars galaxy is full of exciting conflicts and battles. Across the entire scope of the franchise, there are plenty of major ground assaults, starfighter battles, lightsaber duels, and everything in between. As such, it's fun to look through them all and determine the best of the best.
It's pretty remarkable to think about how expansive the Star Wars franchise truly is. Spanning millennia from the days of the Old Republic to the era of the sequel trilogy, there are so many different action-packed stories and tales set in the galaxy far, far away, and the Star Wars timeline just keeps expanding. To that end, here are 15 Star Wars stories featuring some of the best action scenes (in chronological order).
15 The Stranger vs Jedi Knights
The Acolyte
Regardless of how divisive The Acolyte was, few Star Wars fans will disagree that the show has some of the franchise's best lightsaber choreography. This is particularly true of The Acolyte episode 5, when The Stranger aka Qimir takes on multiple Jedi Knights at the same time. Armed with a cortosis helmet and gauntlet capable of deactivating lightsabers, it's quite remarkable to see The Stranger headbutting sabers along with some impressive acrobatics.
14 Duel of the Fates
The Phantom Menace
1999's The Phantom Menace is still cited as having one of the best lightsaber duels of all time with "The Duel of the Fates". Featured at the end of the movie, Darth Maul duels Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi, the fate of the galaxy (and Anakin Skywalker) hanging in the balance. Ending with Qui-Gon's death and Maul's defeat after Obi-Wan cuts him in half, it's common knowledge in the Star Wars fandom that actor Ewan McGregor once claimed that the choreography was so well-rehearsed that the sequences had to be slowed down as he and Maul's Ray Park were trading strikes so fast.
13 Battle of Geonosis
Attack of the Clones
The end of Attack of the Clones marks the beginning of the Clone Wars with the Battle of Geonosis. Beginning in an arena where Anakin, Obi-Wan, and Pé Amidala were marked for execution by large beasts, the trio were rescued by Mace Windu and a contingent of Jedi Knights, who themselves were subsequently backed up by Grandmaster Yoda and the Republic's new clone army to face the droid legions of the Seperatist Alliance. Likewise, the historic Battle of Geonosis ended with Anakin and Obi-Wan dueling Count Dooku, and they were then saved by Master Yoda.
12 Battle of Umbara
The Clone Wars
While the Clone Wars are full of major conflicts and impressive engagements, one of the most fascinating was the Republic's invasion of Umbara, specifically when Anakin was called back to Coruscant and Jedi Master Pong Krell took command of the 501st Legion. In truth, Krell was a rogue Jedi corrupted by the dark side, secretly pitting clones against each other in the darkness of the world and seeking to gain Count Dooku's favor. This resulted in a scenario where the clones of the 501st actually had cause to turn against their Jedi commander, well before the events of Order 66.
The 10 Most Exciting Clone Wars Battles In Star Wars, Ranked
The Clone Wars featured several exciting conflicts and campaigns, many of which saw the Jedi fighting on various fronts across the Star Wars galaxy.
11 Siege of Mandalore
The Clone Wars
One of the final engagements of the Clone Wars, the Siege of Mandalore took place during the events of Revenge of the Sith. Led by Clone Commander Rex alongside the former Jedi Ahsoka Tano, the 332nd Company aided in the liberation of Mandalore, which had been taken over by Maul and his loyalists. Not only did the Siege of Mandalore feature an impressive duel between Ahsoka and Maul using motion capture with The Phantom Menace's Ray Park, but the Siege of Mandalore itself would later be depicted in live-action via flashbacks in 2023's Ahsoka series.
10 Battle of Coruscant
Revenge of the Sith
The opening scene of Revenge of the Sith, the Battle of Coruscant began when the Separatists launched a major assault on the Republic's capital core world and General Grievous kidnapped Chancellor Palpatine. Leaving Mandalore to Rex and Ahsoka, Anakin and Obi-Wan were tasked with Palpatine's rescue. As such, the two Jedi Knights piloting their starfighters and entering the fray in Coruscant's orbit is one of the best and most action-packed Star Wars openings of all time.
9 Anakin vs Obi-Wan
Revenge of the Sith
At the end of Revenge of the Sith, Anakin Skywalker was corrupted to the dark side by Palpatine aka Darth Sidious. Facing his former apprentice on the lava world of Mustafar, Obi-Wan and Anakin's duel resulted in the critical wounds that led to Anakin's cybernetic mask and armor as Darth Vader. Spanning approximately 12 minutes, Anakin and Obi-Wan's duel is one of the longest lightsaber duels in Star Wars, and one of the longest sword fights in cinema overall.
8 Obi-Wan vs Darth Vader
Obi-Wan Kenobi
In 2022's Obi-Wan Kenobi series set 10 years after Revenge of the Sith, Darth Vader and Obi-Wan encounter each other following the kidnapping of young Princess Leia. After Kenobi saves Leia and works to get her safely back home to Alderaan, Obi-Wan chooses to face Darth Vader directly on a remote moon, reconnecting with the Force after years of guilt and grief. Incapacitating Vader's armor and seeing the man within the cracked mask, this rematch is incredibly iconic. It also echoes the similarly impressive duel between Ahsoka and Darth Vader in Star Wars Rebels season 2.
7 Ghorman Massacre
Andor
In the years just before the official start of the Galactic Civil War, the Empire needed to strip-mine the rare deposits of kalkite on the planet Ghorman for their highly-classified Death Star project. To that end, they intentionally stoked anti-Imperial sentiments on the planet. Planting moles and creating false galaxy-wide narratives to justify the eventual Ghorman Massacre, the Empire made it seem as though the protesting Ghorman people had been driven to violence by outside agitators.
Wiping out countless Ghormans in a mass genocide, the Empire was then able to easily mine and destabilize the entire planet in the aftermath. As such, the Ghorman Massacre is one of the best (and most tragic) action scenes in Star Wars, especially with the titular Cassian Andor caught right in the middle of it all.
6 Battle of Scarif
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
Seen in 2016's Rogue One, the Battle of Scarif took place right before the events of A New Hope. A major hub for all classified Imperial data and projects, the Rebellion infiltrated Scarif to steal the Death Star plans, which they then sent to the Rebel fleet fighting above in the planet's orbit. As such, the entire conflict was incredibly large in scope, culminating with the Rebels barely getting the plans to Princess Leia's ship, as Darth Vader himself was shown slaughtering soldiers at the Battle of Scarif's end.
