Form V: Shien / Djem So, also known as The Way of the Krayt Dragon, or The Perseverance Form, was the fifth of seven forms recognized as canon by the last Jedi Council for lightsaber combat. It was developed by practitioners of Form III: Soresu, who felt that the defensively-minded form would unnecessarily extend combat by forcing its users to wait for opportunities to strike, rather than creating their own openings.^[1]

Shien, considered the classical Form V, was more adept at blocking blaster bolts, whereas Djem So, developed later, was designed for lightsaber combat. Both Shien and Djem So were designed to use the opponent's attack against them, as evidenced by Shien's focus on returning blaster bolts to their origin.^[9]

Contents 1 Description 1.1 Shien 1.2 Djem So 1.3 Known moves and maneuvers 1.4 Form V weapon specifications 2 Applications 3 Practitioners 4 Behind the scenes 5 References

DescriptionEdit

Form V was created by Form III masters who desired a more offensive style, since the defensive nature of Form III could lead to prolonged combat, sometimes dangerously so. It evolved into an accepted style by combining the defensive maneuvers of Form III with the more aggressive philosophy and tactics of Form II. Form V also required a higher level of physical strength than the other lightsaber forms, due to its focus on complete domination of opponents.^[1] The form was developed alongside Form IV at a time when the Jedi were increasingly called upon to actively keep the peace.^[9]

Some Jedi, noting its dedication to domination and strength, felt that Form V encouraged an inappropriate focus on controlling others. Others, including noted lightsaber combat instructor Cin Drallig, were cautiously neutral about the form. However, its proponents maintained that Form V was an effective and powerful tool for the Jedi Order. In general, in the waning years of the Old Republic, Padawans would spend a year or two studying each Form from II to V.^[9]

Form V had two distinct variations: Shien and Djem So.^[9]

ShienEdit

Classic Form V, Shien was developed first. Known as the "Perseverance Form", Shien was designed to protect against enemy blaster fire and strikes without compromising one's ability to launch powerful counterattacks. With its focus against blaster fire, Shien kept in mind that Jedi were often outnumbered by their opponents and needed to defend themselves while retaining offensive capability. However, it lacked effectiveness against single opponents.^[2] Shien practitioners were known to favor, or at least regularly utilize, reversed grips.^[10]

Additionally, there was an ancient Sith variant of this classic lightsaber form called Sith Shien. Sith Shien was known to focus on quick and aggressive attacks against the user's opponent.^[11]

Djem SoEdit

Like Shien, Djem So was created by Form III masters whe felt that Soresu was too passive. However, where as Shien specialized in blast-deflection, the more advanced Djem So focused on lightsaber dueling.^[6] Utilizing a combination of blocks and parries, a Djem So user maintained a proper foundation in terms of defense against both ranged and melee attacks, but rather than counter only when necessary as per Soresu training regimens, Djem So actively pressed the offense.^[1] Immediately after defending against an opponent's strike, a Djem So stylist would follow with an attack of their own, bringing the force of the opponent's own blow against them and seeking to dominate the duel, combining Force-enhanced strength with powerful blade combinations to overpower and overwhelm an opponent's defenses. Djem So placed a heavy focus on brute strength and pure power, with wide, powerful strikes and parries. Power attacks from a Djem So user could even knock an opponent back just through sheer kinetic force, throwing them off balance and leaving them vulnerable to further brute force strikes and power blows that sought not just to penetrate an opponent's defense, but drive them back and leave them unable to counter.^[4]

Djem So's sheer power, when combined with physical and Force-imbued strength, was capable of defeating a user of Makashi, a lightsaber form focused on dueling, finesse, and elegance, when employed by a skilled practitioner. However, Djem So was not devoid of weaknesses, a notable being a lack of mobility.^[12]

Known moves and maneuversEdit

Shien Opening Stance

This stance was a high guard position, with the hilt held in a two-handed grip above the user's head, and the blade angled upwards and behind the user. The dominant leg would be back, enabling powerful step-through strikes to be utilized.^[12]

Horizontal Stance

An unorthodox horizontal attack stance which was used to perform long, sweeping strikes to take down several enemies at a time.^[13]

Barrier of Blades

A move than involved whirling the blade to deflect blasterfire and redirect some of the incoming shots.^[8]

Shien Deflection

Another technique familiar to users of that Form V variant, allowing practitioners to simultaneously deflect weapons fire and leap towards an opponent.^[8]

Djem So Attack Stance

This position consisted of holding the lightsaber above the head, angled back and down at an approximately forty-five degree angle.^[5]

Falling Avalanche

The characteristic Djem So attack, this maneuver was a crushing two-handed, overhand blow that slammed down on the opponent with incredible force.^[8][14]

Fluid Riposte

A tactic that involved smooth transition from defense to counterattack.^[8]

Form V weapon specificationsEdit

Lightsabers built to Form V specifications utilized solid casings, either in a whole or in multiple sections for maximum protection against power surge deterioration, and shrouded or beveled blade emitters to designate seperate facets of the blade for either offensive or defensive purposes. Their hilts also commonly included ridged, occasionally thick, hand grips, as Djem So required its users to maintain a solid grip on the lightsaber hilt.^[15]

However, Form V could be effectively utilized with many weapon types. Darth Bane favored a curve-hilted lightsaber, as the handle fit better into the palm, allowing superior blade control without costing power, while altering the angle of his attacks ever so slightly, giving Bane a unique advantage that most opponents were unprepared for.^[4] Other weapon types wielded by Form V practitioners include lightsaber pikes, as shown by the Shien practitioner Kazdan Paratus,^[16] or saberstaffs, as shown by the Jedi Master Zez-Kai Ell.^[2]

ApplicationsEdit

One of the earliest Form V specialists was Darth Bane. During his training at the Korriban Sith academy under Kas'im, he was encouraged to study the Form as it's aggressive and strength-oriented nature perfectly complimented his large and heavily built physic. Bane advanced quickly, moving beyond the training sequences Kas'im taught him and coming to rely on the Force to guide his blade. Bane's skill eventually reached the point where he was able to fend off and drive back Kas'im, very nearly defeating the Sith duelist. However, Bane lacked effectiveness against dual-blades, Kas'im having never trained him with or against them, and this edge forced Bane to use his superior grasp of the Force to best Kas'im.^[4]

During his time in the Orbalisk armor, Bane reconfigured his style to take advantage of the abilities offered by the durable crustacean shells. As they provided almost complete invulnerability against almost all energy based weapons - including lightsabers - he no longer required a defense of any sort, instead focusing on all-out offense. His fighting method became based around an unrestrained, savage assault, and he would aggressively charge his enemies, relying on the orbalisks to protect him as he simply plowed into opponents. Backing up his wild combat style with vicious physical attacks, Bane was almost unstoppable, his only defensive weakness being gaps in the orbalisk shells at his face and wrists. During his confrontation with Bane on Tython, Valenthyne Farfalla described fighting the Sith Lord as being like trying to fight a force of nature.^[17] When he lost the armor, Bane was quick to adapt, utilizing more defensive moves and careful, probing attacks.^[18] In combat, Bane favored a curve-hilted lightsaber, the weapon fitting better into his palm and allowing for superior power and blade control. It also altered the angle of his attacks ever so slightly, giving him an unpredictable edge in lightsaber combat.^[4]

Both Form V varients became the favored fighting styles of Anakin Skywalker, as their aggressive and strength-oriented fighting methods fit well with his arrogant, confrontational personality type. Due to his natural talent for lightsaber combat, he advanced quickly, an achievement which fed his ego, and he came to consider himself a match for Yoda himself. His specialty in the the Shien form stood him in good stead during heated engagements with blaster-wielding foes, such as the Battle of Geonosis, and he became a formidable lightsaber duelist.^[1][19] However, Skywalker was given a sobering reminder of how much he still had to learn when he confronted Count Dooku. Initially wielding a dual-bladed varient of Ataru against the Count, Skywalker was forced to revert to his standard Form V practices when Dooku destroyed the extra blade.^[19] His skill was enough for Anakin to stand toe-to-toe with Dooku for many long minutes, actually impressing the masterful Count with his skills, but he was forced to draw heavily on his Force-abilities to match Dooku speed and precision and tired quickly. Dooku's far more energy effecient Makashi style won the day, and Skywalker lost his arm when he opened himself up.^[20]

As the Clone War progressed, Anakin spends the following years of the conflict developing his skills in the many pitched battles. Delving into the more advanced Djem So, Skywalker became a formidable power duelist. Evidence of his prowess included confrontations with the Dooku-trained Asajj Ventress or Grievous' IG-100 MagnaGuards, as well as numerous sparring matches with Obi-Wan Kenobi.^[12] Relying on both strength and agility, Skywalker proved able to adequately fend off or evade enemy attacks while immediately offering counters.^[21] By the time of the Battle of Teth, Skywalker was able to effectively hold his own against Dooku, as shown by their confrontation on Tatooine.^[22] However, as the aggressive Form V encouraged practitioners to actively attempt to dominate their foes, Skywalker drew more and more on his anger and rage, sliding ever closer to the Dark side of the Force.^[12] When confronting Dooku for the last time, Skywalker relied heavily on these emotions to fuel his offense, bashing through Dooku's precision defense and slicing off both of the Count's hands before brutally executing him.^[23] Before his death, Dooku acknowledged Skywalker as the finest Djem So stylist that he had ever seen.^[12]

Falling to the Dark side and apprenticing himself to Palpatine, Anakin Skywalker became Darth Vader. As Vader, he retained his mastery of Djem So, but wielded it far more brutally, interlacing it with Dun Möch while drawing on his now unrestrained rage and anger to do battle with fierce abandon. His skill proved enough for him to cut down some of the finest Jedi swordmasters and duelists, such as Cin Drallig and Serra Keto.^[24] However, when he confronted Obi-Wan Kenobi on Mustafar, his purely offensive Djem So proved unable to penetrate Kenobi's masterful Soresu, while Kenobi simply held out until Vader's frustration and rage provided an opening. Darth Vader was dismembered when he foolhardily leapt at Kenobi, despite the Jedi's superior position.^[23]

With his cumbersome prosthesis and heavy life-support armor hampering his mobility, Vader was forced to reconfigure his fighting method completely, with his early attempts at dueling being awkward and clumsy.^[15] Vader continues to favor Form V, as the brute force-oriented nature of the style put his cybernetically-enhanced strength to good use,^[10] but he also started including elements of multiple fighting forms in his own method. By the time of the subjugation of Kashyyyk, Vader had largely overcome the limitations of his suit, regaining a measure of his old agility, but also relying on more simplistic moves and power blows to combat the elaborate fighting forms favored by surviving Jedi of the era. Olee Starstone observed that Vader borrowed elements from all combat techniques, even the most advanced, while his moves themselves demonstrated crispness and unpredictability.^[15] While Vader still drew on his anger to a certain extent, he kept a much better handle on his emotions, not wishing to be blinded by rage run amok again. Ultimately, Darth Vader's practice of Form V lacked polish, but he wielded it masterfully and with utter confidence, prevailing against many of the greatest Jedi duelists.^[1]

Luke Skywalker proves to be a highly adept duelist, largely self-taught after only brief training sessions with Obi-Wan Kenobi and Yoda. Instinctively mirroring Vader's Form V method, Luke actually was able to hold his own against Vader, a masterful Sith duelist at the height of his prowess, during their Duel on Bespin, even gaining ground on the Sith Lord. However, due to his lack of experience, he was left unable to hold his own against Vader's unrestrained aggression, barely able to fend off Vader's power strokes while his own counters were simply shunted aside. Giving ground and left cornered, Luke loses his hand. Spending the next year advancing in skill through practice and adoption of techniques specified in Obi-Wan Kenobi's journal, Luke develops advanced lightsaber skills and highly refined abilities at blast-deflection. In his rematch with Vader, Luke stands toe-to-toe with the Sith Lord, even managing to overcome his experienced opponent through a powerful offensive frenzy, a remarkable achievement considering his lack of formal training. However, in an even greater display of self-control, Luke ceases his attack immediately upon rendering his foe helpless.^[1]

PractitionersEdit

Form V had been in existance for millenia, with Shien being practiced by Kavar, Zez-Kai Ell, and Vrook Lamar during the Jedi Civil War,^[2] while Jedi Knight Ulic Qel-Droma favored Djem So.^[3] During the New Sith Wars, Form V was mastered by the Sith Blademaster Kas'im, who instructed numerous apprentices and acolytes in it's use, including Darth Bane.^[4]

To the Jedi of the Clone Wars era, the most prominant Form V practitioner was Anakin Skywalker, who mastered both varients.^[12] Other advanced practitioners included Cin Drallig,^[25] Adi Gallia,^[26] Plo Koon,^[27], Luminara Unduli,^[28] Even Piell,^[29] and Sora Bulq.^[30] Ahsoka Tano originally specialized in the reverse-grip varient of Shien,^[27] though her master, Anakin Skywalker, began providing her with training in Djem So.^[31] Obi-Wan Kenobi also possessed knowledge of Shien, as evidenced by his precise blast-deflection skills and his occasional preference for the reversed grip during the Naboo Crisis.^[10] The Anzati Jedi Nikkos Tyris also practiced this style,^[32] and trained his Jensaarai followers in it before his death.^[33] Other Form V duelists include Khaat Qiyn,^[34] Aayla Secura^[5] and Zelice Sturm.^[35] Dooku provided Grievous and his IG-100 MagnaGuards with training in Form V, along with the other six classic forms.^[36]

During the Dark Times, Darth Vader continued to specialize in Form V, providing his secret apprentice, Starkiller with training in the form. Starkiller came to favor the reversed-grip varient of Shien in combat.^[6] Kazdan Paratus also favored the Shien style.^[16] Luke Skywalker instinctively mirrored Vader's practice of Djem So in combat,^[1] training it to students of his New Jedi Order. Records of Form V would also be recovered, and practitioners of the form during this time would include the Jedi Battlemaster Kyle Katarn^[7]

Behind the scenesEdit

Form V, along with the other 6 classical saber forms, was invented by David West Reynolds and fencer Jack "Stelen" Bobo for the Fightsaber part of Star Wars Insider 62.^[1]

Form V (Shien and Djem So), along with the other lightsaber forms, appears in Star Wars: Galaxies as part of moves and techniques employable by Jedi characters. This has not definitively been clarified to be canonical.^[37][38][39] Form V also had a non-canonical appearance as part of Darth Vader's role in the fighting game Soulcalibur IV, where it comprises part of Vader's fighting style.^[40][10]

While Darth Sidious is sometimes believed to be a Form IV user, no source has confirmed his lightsaber form. Due to comments from Nick Gillard that Sidious has been shown to use several different forms proficiently, it is possible that he has mastered most of them.^[41] It is possible that the Jedi Exile was trained in the use of Form V after her return from exile. However, it is also possible that she was a Jedi Consular and learned the Force forms instead.^[2]

ReferencesEdit