Star Wars: What Lightsaber Combat Form Does Ahsoka Use?
The Star Wars fandom has learned to love Ahsoka Tano after she was initially written off as an annoying and immature character. She has become a mature Jedi full of wisdom and capable of imparting wisdom to others. Of course, Ahsoka also became one of the best combatants among all the surviving Jedi during the Imperial era and after the fall of the Empire. So, what lightsaber combat form does Ahsoka use?
Ahsoka Tano specialized in using Form V: Shien and Djem So. However, she preferred the Jar’Kai fighting style, which employed two lightsabers. With her two lightsabers, Ahsoka could use Shien and Djem So in combat proficiently without having to switch between the variants.
The thing about Form V is that it is one of the few forms that have multiple variants that the Jedi can switch between on the fly. In that regard, Ahsoka was a master of the two forms of Form V and regularly employed both variants in her battles because she was a master of Jar’Kai. Now, let’s look at what we know about Ahsoka’s combat form.
Ahsoka’s Form V Explained
Different Jedi in Star Wars specialize in different styles of combat. Of course, the Jedi are trained in the fundamentals of lightsaber combat and are knowledgeable in the use of all of the six forms allowed for the Jedi to practice. In that regard, Ahsoka Tano is a capable Jedi who learned the use of all of the six fundamental lightsaber combat forms.
However, like her master, Anakin Skywalker, Ahsoka Tano was one of the few Jedi Knights during the Clone Wars to specialize in the physically demanding combat form called Form V, which has two variants in Shien and Djem So. But while Anakin preferred to use Djem So more, Ahsoka regularly switched between both forms, even though she may have preferred Shien.
Form V was the fifth lightsaber combat form that was created by the Jedi a long time ago. This lightsaber form was created to address the defensive weaknesses of Form IV: Ataru, which focused more on all-out offense. As powerful as Ataru was, it left the Jedi open many times because it didn’t emphasize defense.
Of course, Form V also returned to the basics of defensive lightsaber combat by looking at Form III. However, the problem with Form III: Soresu was that it wasted a lot of time because the Jedi had to wait for an opening while continuously defending. In some cases, a Jedi needed to go on the offensive to finish a fight quickly, which was one thing that Form V addressed.
Shien, the first variant of Form V, emphasized the ability of the Jedi to block and parry attacks and then used quick counterattacks. However, Shien was more focused on defending ranged blaster attacks by teaching the Jedi to block and deflect blaster bolts before going on the offensive quickly. And because Shien focused on deflecting blaster bolts, the Jedi was allowed to use a reverse grip.
To address the melee weaknesses of Shien, Djem So was created. This time, the Jedi was more focused on parrying and blocking melee weapons or lightsabers before going for a quick flurry of counterattacks. Basically, the principles of Djem So are similar to Shien, but the applications are different.
Both Shien and Djem So are physically taxing variants of Form V because the Jedi needs to be able to respond quickly to opposing attacks by blocking, deflecting, and parrying before going on the offensive with quick flurries. In comparison, Form III focused almost entirely on defense to wear the opponent out and leave them open for weak spots. Meanwhile, Form IV focused more on all-out flurries of attacks that overwhelmed opponents quickly. Form V: Shien and Djem So combine both forms into a form that allows a Jedi to take advantage of both offense and defense in certain fight stretches.
Ahsoka often used Shien during the Clone Wars because the Jedi were often up against droids that used blasters. However, she could also use Djem So in lightsaber fights, especially against the likes of Asajj Ventress and Barriss Offee. We also saw Ahsoka using her Form V against Darth Vader in the events of Star Wars: Rebels.
Why Did Ahsoka Wield Two Lightsabers?
While Ahsoka uses the basics of Form V: Shien and Djem So, she also favors using two lightsabers. Ahsoka uses a shorter shoto lightsaber with her standard-length lightsaber when employing her Jar’Kai fighting style, which is the Jedi fighting style that focuses on dual lightsaber wielding.
The fact that Ahsoka wields two lightsabers allows her to effectively employ the basics of both Shien and Djem So. Ahsoka’s stance often allows her to use her shoto lightsaber in a reverse grip for the purposes of defense, especially when up against blasters. Meanwhile, she uses her longer lightsaber for offensive purposes. In that regard, she can use both Shien and Djem So effectively due to her two lightsabers, as she can use the fundamentals of both Form V variants in either or both of those sabers, depending on what the fight demands.
In addition to that, Ahsoka’s Jar’Kai fighting style also allows her to fluidly use the block/parry-and-attack basics of Form V effectively. That’s because she can use her shorter lightsaber for defensive purposes while using the other one to mount her own offensive counterattack after a successful defensive stand.
Of course, the fact that she uses two lightsabers also reduces the power of her strikes, as she cannot employ the same kind of force with one hand as opposed to using two hands. There’s also the fact that using two sabers further increases the physical demands of Form V. Still, the fact that she can use Form V on her Jar’Kai allows Ahsoka to have more options in a fight. This means that she is quite flexible in terms of her combat style.
