Star Wars fans always dream of becoming master lightsaber duelists. I do, anyway. Still, to this day, as a fully-grown (?) adult, I have a foam and PVC pipe laser sword leaning against my desk, ready for use at a moment’s notice. It’s also great for shutting off the smoke detector when I’m cooking! Well, some fencing enthusiasts took that dream to an extreme and planned an insanely elaborate routine and, on top of memorizing the amazing choreography, performed it live, without a hitch, in front of a packed auditorium.
During a Star Wars Live concert in Russia, two members of the School of Saberfighting, an organization dedicated to recreating Star Wars’ iconic lightsaber duels for live, public viewings, were in attendance. As the orchestra geared up to play their rendition of John Williams’ “Battle of the Heroes” from everybody’s favorite prequel Star Wars :Episode III – Revenge of the Sith, two School of Saberfighting pros appeared on opposite ends of the stage, dressed as Anakin and Obi-Wan, respectively.
Over the course of the four minute video, the fighters recreate iconic moments from that fateful duel, while mixing it up with their own, non-force-fueled moves. They even nail Obi-Wan’s force grunts. But, by gosh, you wouldn’t be able to tell these weren’t real Jedi from the looks of it; the speed and voracity these two duelists have looks almost inhuman.
As we’re lacking a trailer or any solid information (aside from a leaked promotional poster) about J.J. Abrams’ hotly anticipated conclusion of the Skywalker Saga, this new take on an old classic will have to fill the Star Wars shaped hole in our cultural bellies for now.
