Form III / Legends Form III , also known as Soresu , the Way of the Mynock , or the Resilience Form , was the third of the seven classic forms of lightsaber combat that was recognized by the Jedi Council prior to and during the Clone Wars . Soresu was developed during the widespread emergence of blasters as an offensive weapon . Essentially a development on Form I blast - deflect training , Soresu relied on tight bladework and subtle dodges to provide maximum defensive coverage , minimizing exposure to ranged weaponry . Over time , Soresu transcended this basic origin , and came to be considered the ultimate expression of non - aggressive Jedi philosophy . Like Makashi , Soresu relied on economy of motion and energy efficiency , keeping up constant blade - movement to build up momentum and minimize energy - expenditure . Form III focused on strong defensive technique to essentially outlast an opponent , waiting until he / she began making mistakes due to frustration or fatigue , before taking advantage of these lapses and countering . However , despite its effectiveness , Soresu would receive heavy criticism due to its lack of offensive capabilities , as it facilitated survival rather than victory . As an answer to these weaknesses , the highly aggressive Ataru and Shien forms would be developed side - by - side . Description . The Soresu form was devised to counter the wide - spread emergence of blasters , a weapon that the previous Makashi form wasn ' t equipped to combat . The pragmatic Form III became the most defensive of the seven forms , and utilized tight moves , consisting of subtle dodges and efficient parries , intended to provide maximum defensive coverage , and minimize exposure to ranged fire . Over time , Form III came to transcend this basic and pragmatic origin , and became an expression of non - aggressive Jedi philosophy . Soresu utilized tight motions , lightsaber moving every second in an attempt to achieve near - total protection , and expend as little energy in the process as possible . Form III stressed quick reflexes and fast positional transition , in order to overcome the rapidity with which a blaster could be fired . This technique minimized the body ' s exposure , making a well - trained practitioner practically invincible , which allowed Soresu to be effective against both single enemies and multiple opponents , as well as blasters and lightsabers . Form III involved preparation for prolonged battles where the user observed and learned as much as possible about their adversary ' s technique while engaged in combat . Also , being more optimized for lengthy battles , a Soresu user had the ability to gain control of a combat situation , creating multiple options for the Jedi employing the form . A Form III user could choose to kill , disarm , or even reason with their opponent . The core tenets of Soresu encouraged duelists to place themselves " within the eye of the storm : " to maintain a calm center , undistracted and undisturbed by the conflict around them . In keeping with this idea , Soresu incorporated powerful defensive techniques that were flexible enough to adapt to almost any circumstance , at the cost of never reaching past the figurative " eye of the storm . " In other words , Soresu focused almost entirely on self - defense , often at the expense of offensive capabilities . The tactics encouraged by the style involved the reliance on pure defense while essentially waiting out the opponent , holding back until his frustration or fatigue inevitably caused his defense to lapse , then employing an alternate , more aggressive attack to take advantage of this . Overall , the whole point of Soresu was to deflect blaster fire out of harm ' s way and safely prolong a lightsaber fight in hopes of wearing an opponent down . Truly focused masters of Soresu were extremely formidable due to their strong defensive technique , as well as the well - rounded nature of the form itself , effective against both blasters and lightsabers . However , it should be noted that Form III facilitated survival rather than victory , as Soresu possessed no dedicated offensive sequences of its own . Form III initiates were more than capable of defending themselves from attack , but they needed a considerable amount of experience to learn how to effectively counter - attack and entrap opponents . Masters had to maintain an incredibly strong focus on the center of the combat circle , since the defensive tactics of the form included guards and parries that engaged very close to the body . Jedi with small lapses in their otherwise strong defense left little room to avoid injury . As a result of this defensive mindset , Soresu practitioners often had a great deal of difficulty in seizing the offensive initiative in combat situations . Also , the goal of many Soresu practitioners was to prolong the fight , the idea being to cause the enemy to become fatigued or frustrated as they attempted to keep up their offense . However , this tactic ran the risk of fatiguing the user if said user was to face an adversary who could maintain an aggressive but cautious offense . Known Moves and Maneuvers . For the Soresu opening stance , the duelist held the blade back in a one - handed grip , angled forwards with the blade arm held parallel , the off - hand held up in a challenge . The dominant foot was positioned back . The brace - ready stance had much in common with the " Ataru guard , " with the hilt held at waist height on the dominant side in a two - handed grip for greater control , extended vertically upwards . The dominant foot was placed back while the other was extended forwards and to the side in a brace - position . A variation on this stance featured the blade held high in a drop - parry position , though the foot positions were the same . Against individual shooters , Form III duelists were encouraged to apply the " deflecting slash " . This move served the dual purposes of allowing a Jedi to redirect the momentum generated by deflecting an enemy projectile into a slashing attack at an adjacent target , and allowing the Jedi to advance and close the distance before the attacker could fire off another shot . A careful application can allow a Jedi to redirect the shot back at the attacker , though this skill is more commonly applied by Shien practitioners . Against multiple blaster - wielding attackers , the " circle of shelter " was advised . This technique could allow a Soresu practitioner to hold off as many as twenty shooters by dropping into a moving meditation , relying on the Force to perceive the various positions of the attackers and the necessary movements to evade or deflect their shots . As this maneuver was executed while in a meditative state , prolonged use may open a Force - adepts mind to visions of the future . Applications . When Darth Bane first began training Zannah as his apprentice , he pragmatically judged that her small size and light build removed the more aggressive lightsaber forms from her potential repertoire . Teaching her to wield a saberstaff , he trained her to redirect an opponent ' s attacks rather than directly blocking in order to maintain her own energy . She took to twirling her weapon in order to maintain momentum and to set up a defensive shield against enemy attacks . In combat , Zannah also relied just as much on tactical know - how as lightsaber skills . As evidenced during the Duel on Tython , Zannah sought out strategically advantageous positions on the field , able to make do with a simple room corner , using the two walls to cover her flanks . Also , she was skilled at playing her opponents against one another , allowing lesser combatants to continue fighting in order to inadvertently hinder their fighting partners , as when she played Johun Othone against Sarro Xaj . However , Zannah was not without her weaknesses ; her defense was designed to counter against all - out assaults , a method devised from her experience sparring with Darth Bane . Sarro Xaj ' s powerful attacks were tempered by caution , and Zannah was forced to expend huge amounts of energy to fend him off without finding any openings for her to exploit . She only succeeded in killing her opponent because he was momentarily distracted . Obi - Wan Kenobi originally specialized in Form IV , trained in the form by Qui - Gon Jinn . However , upon witnessing his master ' s death due to Ataru ' s lack of defensive capabilities , Kenobi decided to switch his focus to Soresu in order to eliminate this weakness in his own technique . Kenobi ' s resulting skill in Form III stood him in good stead against masterful gunslingers such as Jango Fett , or during the chaotic firefight on Geonosis . His tight defense and energy - efficient moves enabled him to pull through and survive where most of the Jedi strike team could not . However , when confronting Dooku , Kenobi ' s skill in Soresu was insufficient to effectively counter Dooku ' s mastery of Form II lightsaber combat . Though Kenobi was a skilled Soresu practitioner , he was unable to match Dooku ' s precision and economy of motion . During their duel , many of Kenobi ' s cutting parries outright missed Dooku ' s blade , forcing Kenobi into numerous scramble situations and rapidly fatiguing him . Kenobi was ultimately brought down by light , incapacitating cuts across his left arm and leg . Over the course of the Clone Wars , Kenobi continued to develop his skills . His blast - deflection technique advanced to the point where Kenobi could walk " unscathed through hornet - swarms of blasterfire . " Kenobi ' s skill as a lightsaber duelist also improved considerably , developed by thousands of hours in lightsaber sparring with Anakin Skywalker and others , and hardened by numerous engagements with enemy duelists , such as General Grievous , Asajj Ventress , and even Dooku himself . Even unarmed , Kenobi was a formidable opponent , evading enemy attacks and working his way inside an opponent ' s defense to physically assault them , demonstrating this tactic against the likes of Ventress and Pre Vizsla . By the end of the war , Kenobi ' s mastery of Soresu had developed to the point where he could compete with Dooku . In their final duel with Dooku aboard the " Invisible Hand " , Kenobi and Skywalker both initially utilized basic lightsaber techniques and strategies , aiming to lull Dooku into a false sense of confidence . When they suddenly shifted to the advanced fighting methods they had practiced and developed during the interim , Kenobi displayed his full mastery of Soresu . Dooku was astounded by the simplicity and efficiency of his bladework , but also his bewildering speed and precision . Caught off - guard and forced to retreat , Dooku only succeeded in defeating Kenobi thanks to his superior mastery of the Force . In his final duel with Grievous , Kenobi provided one of his purest demonstrations of Soresu . His blade ' s intricate pattern of blocks and parries moved just fast enough to subtly interfere with Grievous ' multiple strikes , while his slight dodges and shifts of stance facilitated his evasion of the rest . As a frustrated Grievous ramped up the intensity of his assault , Kenobi countered by altering the angle of his parries , clipping off two of Grievous ' mechanical wrists . However , it should be noted that Grievous had been badly injured by Mace Windu during the Battle of Coruscant and had had virtually no time to recuperate before facing Kenobi , which may have contributed to Kenobi ' s victory . Kenobi proved to be one of the only Jedi able to engage Darth Vader and emerge victorious , as his Soresu mastery perfectly countered Vader ' s angry Form V . Kenobi simply deflected and blocked Darth Vader ' s relentless rain of blows , returning counter - blows himself to disrupt Vader ' s onslaught , all the while guiding the battle to a location of his choice , before finally dismembering the hapless and enraged Sith Lord when his defense lapsed . However , during to his long isolation on Tatooine , Kenobi ' s skills as a swordsman atrophied , as he engaged in only one lightsaber duel during his entire period of exile . Despite this , he remained a formidable Form III practitioner , and he was able to hold off Darth Vader for a short time during their rematch aboard the Death Star . However , unlike their bout on Mustafar , Vader maintained a cautious , controlled offense instead of a reckless onslaught , and Kenobi was unable to find any openings to exploit . As a result of Vader ' s alterations to his technique and his own advanced age , Kenobi tired rapidly , and ultimately chose to sacrifice himself in order to distract Vader from his fleeing compatriots . The key to truly mastering Soresu seemed to come from grasping the concepts and philosophy of the form rather than adhering to its tactics and maneuvers . While Kenobi displayed a strong preference for Soresu , he continued to apply elements of the relentlessly dogged Form I as well as the erratic strokes and acrobatics of Ataru . At one point just before the conclusion of the Clone Wars , Mace Windu acknowledged Obi - Wan Kenobi as " " the " master of Soresu . " Practitioners . Developed to combat blasters , Form III was in existence for thousands of years . One of the older practitioners of the form was Meetra Surik . Her tutor during her rehabilitation , Kreia , also possessed knowledge of Soresu . By the time of the New Sith Wars , the Sith Blademaster Kas ' im had mastered Form III as well as the six other forms . Kas ' im trained several apprentices in the style , including Fohargh , who used it against Bane ' s Form V . Bane himself possessed considerable skill in the Form , training his apprentice , Darth Zannah , in it . Almost a millennium later , Soresu was mastered by the Jedi Battlemaster Cin Drallig , who in turn trained many in its use . Grand Master Yoda was also a master of its usage , as he was said to have achieved full mastery over every single form of lightsaber combat and their techniques and stances . It can be presumed he used his skill in Soresu to defend himself against blaster - wielding opponents , as Ataru was weak against such adversaries . Swordmaster Mace Windu / Legends was also a master of Soresu , as he like Yoda , had fully mastered all forms of lightsaber combat , even though he never displayed his usage of it . In fact , towards the end of the Clone Wars , Soresu was the most common lightsaber form in the Jedi Order , with notables such as Luminara Unduli and Barriss Offee studying it . Jedi Master Ki - Adi - Mundi was also proficient in Soresu , as was Council member Coleman Trebor , whose focus on the purely defensive form ironically proved to be his undoing when pitted against the gunslinging skills of Jango Fett . Dooku maintained an impressive amount knowledge of Soresu , sufficient to train Grievous and his IG - 100 MagnaGuards in it . During this period , one of the highest masters of Soresu was Obi - Wan Kenobi . After his defeat and mutilation , Darth Vader included Form III elements in his personal variant of Form V . Vader ' s apprentice , Galen Marek , was also familiar and highly skilled with Soresu and used it on numerous occasions against highly aggressive opponents , allowing him to tire them out by repeatedly blocking their blows skillfully while maintaining enough stamina to overwhelm the exhausted opponent . Marek ' s lightsaber - training holodroid , PROXY , replicated Soresu with his Obi - Wan Kenobi combat module , doing so with such accuracy that Marek used it as reference when he studied the form . Luke Skywalker was known to possess some skill in Form III , using it to deflect blaster bolts . Behind the scenes . Sora Bulq is theorized to have practiced Soresu , based on statements in the official Databank . Soresu has also been included in several Star Wars games of various types . Examples include " Star Wars Galaxies " ; as part of moves and techniques employable by Jedi characters , though this has not definitively been clarified to be canonical ; or the Star Wars Miniature game ; where a player with a Soresu Style Mastery can roll to block all attacks that hit the character , though a character with the Makashi Style Mastery can avoid having their attacks blocked by this ability .