Lightsaber Forms
The lightsaber is only as good as the discipline behind it. Over thousands of years the Jedi and Sith codified seven classic lightsaber forms — each a complete philosophy of combat, from the patient wall of Soresu to the storm of Juyo. Here's what each form is, who mastered it, and exactly how it plays at the table in SWURPG, the free Star Wars tabletop RPG, where every form is a Force power you can actually learn and wield.
A note on sources: the films and series name and show the forms, but the formal seven-form numbering, the “Way of the…” titles, and the form nicknames come largely from Star Wars Legends. We've blended canon and Legends here for the complete picture.
Form I — Shii-Cho
The Way of the Sarlacc · the Determination Form
The oldest and most fundamental form, born when the Jedi first set aside metal swords for the lightsaber. Every youngling learns Shii-Cho first: wide, sweeping strokes, simple zones of attack and defense, and an emphasis on disarming rather than killing. It is wild and improvisational — strong against several opponents at once and a reliable fallback when a duel falls apart, but it lacks the refinement to out-fence a dedicated master.
Notable masters: Taught to every initiate; favored by Kit Fisto and used as the Order's common tongue of the blade.
- Shii-Cho – Momentum FlowLv 1 · 1 FP
When you hit a target with a melee lightsaber attack, you may immediately make a second attack against a different creature within 5 ft. This second attack is made with Disadvantage.
Form II — Makashi
The Way of the Ysalamiri · the Contention Form
Developed for lightsaber-against-lightsaber dueling in an age when Sith and dark-siders were a constant threat. Makashi is elegant and economical — precise footwork, tight one-handed bladework, and minimal wasted motion, closer to fencing than brawling. In single combat it is devastating; against blaster fire or a crowd it is exposed. It faded as the Sith were driven into hiding, surviving as the art of the purist duelist.
Notable masters: Count Dooku, its greatest modern master, who wielded it with a curved hilt built for the style.
- Makashi – Dueling FocusLv 7 · 2 FP
As a Bonus Action, mark one target within 5 ft. Until the start of your next turn, you gain +2 AC against that target and Advantage on your next attack against them.
Form III — Soresu
The Way of the Mynock · the Resilience Form
The ultimate defensive form, refined as the blaster replaced the blade as the galaxy's weapon of choice. Soresu keeps the blade tight to the body in small, efficient movements that turn aside bolt after bolt and can be sustained almost indefinitely. A Soresu master doesn't try to win — they refuse to lose, weathering an assault until the attacker tires, overextends, or makes the one mistake that ends it.
Notable masters: Obi-Wan Kenobi, who survived duels no one else walked away from by outlasting his opponents.
- Soresu – Defensive SpiralLv 1 · 1 FP
As an Action, enter a defensive stance until the start of your next turn. You gain +2 AC and Advantage on Dexterity saving throws against area effects such as grenades or explosives. You cannot make attacks this turn.
Form IV — Ataru
The Way of the Hawk-Bat · the Aggression Form
An acrobatic, overwhelmingly offensive form that leans on the Force for explosive leaps, flips, and spinning strikes from every angle. Ataru is fast and beautiful, ending fights quickly in open ground — but it is exhausting, demands room to move, and leaves openings a patient defender can exploit. It is the form of the duelist who decides the fight will be short.
Notable masters: Yoda, whose size vanished into a blur of motion, and Qui-Gon Jinn.
- Ataru – Flowing AssaultLv 1 · 1 FP
When you move at least 10 ft before making a lightsaber attack, you may gain Advantage on that attack. If it hits, you can immediately move 10 ft without provoking opportunity attacks.
Form V — Shien & Djem So
The Way of the Krayt Dragon · the Perseverance Form
Form V grew out of Soresu, created by masters who wanted defense to answer back — peace through superior firepower. It has two faces. Shien specializes in deflecting blaster fire and redirecting it into the people who fired it. Djem So is its melee twin: a powerful, dominating counterattacking style that meets an opponent's strength head-on and turns it back against them. Both are about control through overwhelming force.
Notable masters: Anakin Skywalker (Djem So) and Ahsoka Tano (a reverse-grip Shien).
- Shien – Rebounding DefenseLv 10 · 2 FP
When you successfully Deflect a ranged energy attack, you may enhance the redirection with precise Shien technique as part of the same reaction. Choose one of the following benefits: (1) Increase the redirected attack's range to 60 ft and ignore half-cover when choosing your target; (2) Make the redirected attack with Advantage; (3) After making the redirected attack, you may immediately redirect a second beam toward a different target within 30 ft — this second redirection uses the same attack roll but deals half damage. Shien does not reduce the cumulative penalty to Deflect checks and may only be used once per reaction.
- Djem So – Counterstrike FormLv 12 · 4 FP
When a melee attack hits you, you may make an immediate lightsaber counterattack with Advantage. If it hits, deal +2d8 Force damage, and the attacker is pushed back 10 ft. At level 17+, your counterattack no longer provokes reactions and deals +3d8 instead.
Form VI — Niman
The Way of the Rancor · the Moderation Form
The "diplomat's form" — a balanced synthesis of everything that came before, moderate in every area and exceptional in none. Because it makes light demands on a duelist's focus, Niman leaves room to weave in Force powers and keep a clear head for negotiation, which made it the everyday form of Jedi who were not combat specialists. It is also the home of two-blade fighting. Its very balance was its weakness: many Niman-trained Jedi fell at Geonosis to opponents who had specialized.
Notable masters: A generation of Council-era Jedi and peacekeepers; often paired with Jar'Kai dual-blade work.
- Niman – Harmonized StrikeLv 1 · 1 FP
Your next lightsaber attack this turn is made with Advantage and deals an additional 1d4 Force damage. Until the start of your next turn, the first attack made against you is made with Disadvantage.
Form VII — Juyo & Vaapad
The Way of the Vornskr · the Ferocity Form
The most aggressive, demanding, and dangerous form — a barely-restrained ferocity that channels raw emotion into the blade. Juyo is its ancient, savage root, long shadowed by its closeness to the dark side. Vaapad is the modern path developed by Mace Windu (with the Jedi Sora Bulq): it turns the practitioner's own inner darkness and the opponent's fury into a weapon. Only a true master can ride that edge without falling — in lesser hands it is a trap, and Bulq himself was ultimately consumed by it.
Notable masters: Mace Windu, who perfected Vaapad, and his apprentice Depa Billaba; its co-developer Sora Bulq fell to the dark side.
- Juyo – Ferocity UnleashedLv 12 · 3 FP
Before making a lightsaber attack, declare Juyo. On a hit, deal +3d6 Force damage, but take 1d6 damage yourself. If you score a critical hit, add +3d6 more Force damage. The cost of victory is the fury itself.
- Vaapad – Channel the StormLv 12 · 5 FP
As an Action, make two lightsaber attacks. If both hit the same target, regain 1 Force Point and deal +2d6 Force damage per hit. If either attack is a critical hit, you instead regain 2 Force Points. While using Vaapad, you have Advantage on melee attacks against Dark Side-aligned foes.
Beyond the seven: expanded techniques
The seven forms aren't the whole story. A handful of specialized techniques sit alongside them — and SWURPG models these too.
Jar'Kai — Two-saber fighting
The art of fighting with two lightsabers (or a saber and a shorter shoto). Jar'Kai trades the focus of a single blade for an overwhelming offense and a wall of defense — at the cost of dividing the wielder's attention between two weapons.
- Jar'Kai – Dual Saber FlurryLv 7 · 2 FP
While dual-wielding lightsabers, you double your Dexterity or Strength modifier to your attack's damage.
Sokan — Terrain & mobility
A technique built on agility and the battlefield itself — using terrain, distance, and constant repositioning to control a fight rather than trading blows in place.
- Sokan – Tactical FootworkLv 7 · 2 FP
As a Bonus Action, Disengage and move up to 15 ft without provoking opportunity attacks. If you end your movement adjacent to an enemy, you gain Advantage on your next attack against them.
Tràkata — Deception
A rare and almost dishonorable trick: switching a lightsaber off and back on mid-strike to slip past a block or bait a parry. Effective precisely because a lit blade is assumed to be lit.
- Tràkata – Deceptive StrikeLv 12 · 3 FP
When you make a melee lightsaber attack, you may extinguish and reignite your blade mid-strike. On a hit, deal +2d6 Force damage, and the target has Disadvantage on its next attack. On a critical hit, triple the damage.
How lightsaber forms work in SWURPG
In SWURPG, lightsaber forms aren't just flavor — they're a category of Force powers you spend Force Points to activate, each a combat stance that sharpens your attacks, defense, or mobility. A Jedi Padawan's Lightsaber Form Basics trait lets you learn one Core Form — Shii-Cho, Soresu, Ataru, or Niman — and later Lightsaber Form Mastery teaches two more and refunds a Force Point whenever a Form power hits or succeeds (once per turn), so a seasoned Jedi flows between stances as the fight demands.
Your subclass shapes which forms fit best. A Jedi Guardian leans into the defensive forms (Soresu, Shien) and tanks the front line; a Jedi Sentinel often carries two blades (Niman / Jar'Kai); a Jedi Consular keeps a balanced form so there's focus to spare for the Force.
Frequently asked questions
▸How many lightsaber forms are there?
There are seven classic forms — Shii-Cho (I), Makashi (II), Soresu (III), Ataru (IV), Shien/Djem So (V), Niman (VI), and Juyo/Vaapad (VII) — plus expanded techniques like Jar'Kai (dual-blade), Sokan (footwork), and Tràkata (the deactivated-blade feint).
▸What is the best lightsaber form?
There's no single best form — each answers a different problem. Soresu is the strongest pure defense, Ataru and Djem So hit hardest, Makashi rules single duels, and Niman is the flexible all-rounder. In SWURPG that's literal: each form is a Force power with its own niche, and a Jedi can master several and switch between them.
▸Which form did Obi-Wan, Yoda, and Mace Windu use?
Obi-Wan Kenobi is the definitive Soresu (Form III) master; Yoda fought with Ataru (Form IV); and Mace Windu created Vaapad, the modern path through Form VII (Juyo).
▸Can I use lightsaber forms in the SWURPG tabletop RPG?
Yes — they're a real, playable mechanic. A Jedi Padawan's Lightsaber Form Basics lets you learn a Core Form (Shii-Cho, Soresu, Ataru, or Niman), and Lightsaber Form Mastery adds more and refunds a Force Point when a Form power lands. Each form is a Force power you spend FP to use; browse them all in the Force Powers catalog.
Wield a form yourself
- Build a Jedi — pick a form and take it to the table, free, in the Character Builder.
- Force Powers catalog — every form's exact cost, level, and effect (filter by “Lightsaber Form”).
- The Force rules — Force Points, how powers work, and where forms fit.