May the fourth be with you: 20 of our favorite moments from the Star Wars franchise

Episode III: Yoda takes on Palpatine

At the end of Revenge of the Sith, viewers get two back-to-back battle scenes. And both are nothing short of magnificent. One of these is between Yoda and Emperor Palpatine, a well-matched pair if we’ve ever seen one. After the majority of the Jedi Council are murdered at the hands of the Sith, Yoda is angered enough to face Palpatine on his own.

During the original Star Wars trilogy, viewers only saw Yoda in his old age — and even then, he was a force to be reckoned with. But his fight with the Emperor shows fans exactly why Yoda is one of the most respected Jedi to ever live. For one, he knocks out two of Palpatine’s men with the wave of a hand. But he also holds his own against the most powerful Sith in existence, and while he doesn’t win the fight, he puts on a damn good show.

Episode III: Anakin’s lightsaber battle with Obi-Wan

The second lightsaber battle that tops off Revenge of the Sith is between Obi-Wan and Anakin. At this point, Anakin has fully turned to the dark side and nearly kills Padmé in his anger. Obi-Wan arrives in time to prevent her from dying on the spot, but this only enrages Anakin further. He accuses his former mentor of turning her against him, and the two begin to have it out.

Not only is this scene epic in terms of choreography and imagery, but it’s packed with emotion as well. By this point in the films, we’ve witnessed the bonds of friendship between Obi-Wan and Anakin. And this makes it that much harder to watch Obi-Wan attempt to kill the boy he once saved from a life of slavery.