Summary

• There are five distinct lightsaber stances to use in Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, three of which must be unlocked through main story progression.
• There are no outright bad lightsaber stances, but some are more effective and intersting than others.
• Each lightsaber stance offers a distinct playstyle, as well as their own sets of unlockable skills.

Since the very first teases were released for Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, fans were excited about new lightsaber combat with different stances. The game certainly delivers, as Jedi: Survivor's stances do not disappoint, with each bringing something different to combat, giving Survivor a significant amount of evolution from its predecessor, Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order. Each lightsaber stance in Survivor will appeal to a different playstyle, which can make multiple playthroughs more rewarding when focusing on different skill trees.

Being only able to have two equipped at a time means that players will have to carefully consider each of the stances, and should experiment with each to find the one that fits them the best. Each of the five stances in Star Wars Jedi: Survivor has its own strengths and weaknesses, with some being better suited to defense while others excel at damage. While none of the stances are truly the worst and should be avoided, some have more potential than others.

5 Double-Bladed

Quick & Defensive, But Deals Low Damage

Double-Bladed is one of two stances players will start Star Wars Jedi: Survivor with. While familiar to those who have played Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, the mechanics of the Double-Bladed stance have changed slightly from the first game. The movement when using the stance is much better than in Fallen Order, making Cal more mobile and more fluid. This is part of a general improvement in animation across all of Survivor, likely in response to stilted animations being a common critique of the first game.

The Double-Bladed stance is less powerful and has less range than the classic Single Blade, but offers greater defense and speed. Just like in Jedi: Fallen Order, Cal’s rare double-bladed lightsaber is fantastic for taking out groups of enemies and works best as a crowd-control stance. When upgraded, Cal will be able to throw the lightsaber at groups of enemies, with the blade continuing to spin, and players can control where it flies using Cal's Force meter.

One of the most fun upgrades for the Double-Bladed stance is called Vortex Dive, costing only one skill point. This is a flying attack just like Darth Maul's in Star Wars Battlefront 2. With this, Cal leaps forward with the blade spinning at enemies, looking amazing. The Double-Bladed stance is useful for clearing groups of simple mobs throughout Survivor (and looks really cool while doing it), but it may feel as though it's only doing chip damage against more challenging foes.

4 Single Blade

The Most Balanced Lightsaber Stance

The Single Blade stance is a classic both in the Star Wars Jedi series and other Star Wars games. It is the middle ground, offering average power, speed, defense, and range. This is the stance most Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order players will be familiar with, and Cal starts out Star Wars Jedi: Survivor using this stance.

There is nothing too special or amazing about this stance, and it is the one to which all others are compared in-game. Lunging and dash attacks return, and the Aerial Dash Strike is a fun get if a player wants to stick with the familiar. One of the more powerful upgrades to get later is the Charged Throw, which can one-shot some mid-level enemies, making dealing with stormtroopers a breeze.

As a solid middle-of-the-road stance, the Single Blade is a good choice against bosses who can often throw new attacks at players. The Single Blade stance is an effective way to figure out their move set without being at a disadvantage. The Single Blade is a reliable choice for a first playthrough when focusing on the story, then switch to other stances in the Jedi: Survivor version of new game plus, called New Journey +.

3 Dual Wield

Jedi: Survivor's Glass Cannon Stance

The Dual Wield stance is the third stance unlocked in Star Wars Jedi: Survivor and is the fastest of all the lightsaber stances. This is one of the most fun stances in the game but one that will require a more careful approach to combat. The Dual Wield stance offers high damage but at the cost of range and defense, making this very much a glass cannon stance.

With all other stances, once an attack is made, Cal is locked into that attack animation, but Dual Wield offers a little more flexibility. The Dual Wield stance is the only stance where players can cancel the attack animation, effectively backing out of the attack. This works well when a player has overextended themselves and might be a little vulnerable. This adds an extra wrinkle to the game's combat, and mastering Dual Wield attack canceling may be extremely beneficial to those playing Survivor on its hardest difficulties.

When fully upgraded, Cal will have the skill Dancing Blades, where players will be able to charge up the throw ability to hurl both sabers at enemies. When Cal throws both sabers out, they will then bounce off multiple enemies. This looks and feels incredible and is a perfect final skill for this purely offensive stance. Dual Wield has a legitimate claim to the most visually impressive stance in Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, leveraging the Jar'Kai lightsaber form that made characters like Ahsoka Tano and Asajj Ventress famous.

Jar'Kai is one of seven lightsaber combat forms in Star Wars, each of which has distinct techniques and dedicated practicioners.

2 Crossguard

Very Powerful, But Very Slow

Crossguard is one of two new stances introduced in Star Wars Jedi: Survivor and the last one that players unlock. This is as close to playing as a tank as Cal gets with this Kylo Ren-inspired lightsaber. The Crossguard is easily comparable to a broadsword with slow, heavy strikes instead of quick acrobatic combat.

Kylo Ren's crossguard lightsaber, which brought the variant its popularity, used the two smaller blades as vents to balance the weapon's unstable kyber crystal. In-universe, crossguard lightsabers have been in use for thousands of years.

The Crossguard stance is the most powerful, with some brutal attacks. It offers the best defense at the cost of speed, but moving slower isn't always a negative. Although it takes some getting used to after the quick, nimble attacks of the previous stances, using the Crossguard stance feels more deliberate and almost calm. Even with the variety in each stance, Crossguard feels like an outlier, trading the characteristic speed of lightsaber combat for attacks far more deliberate.

There are some great skills in Jedi: Survivor to unlock with this stance too, such as the Shockwave ability that will stun enemies, knocking them prone and allowing Cal to close the gap. Charged Reflection is a fun upgrade that charges deflected blaster bolts so when they hit the enemy, extra damage is dealt. The Crossguard stance also has the most powerful lightsaber throw in Star Wars Jedi: Survivor and can take out multiple enemies if Cal can get them in a line.

1 Blaster

Unique & Incredibly Powerful

The Blaster stance is a new and unique lightsaber stance not only to Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, but Star Wars games in general. With this stance, Cal will use a single lightsaber, allowing him to strike and parry as normal, alongside a blaster for ranged attacks. When he is given a blaster by Bode Akuna, it is the fourth stance Cal learns, and it opens up a wealth of options for combat. The Blaster stance is a truly novel experience, marrying the two iconic Star Wars weapons into one combat style.

As expected, this stance has the greatest range of all five, with players able to pick off weaker enemies easily from a distance. However, when combined with certain new Force powers in Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, such as Soaring Lift, the Blaster stance becomes really fun and overpowered. There is no throw option with this stance as the range element comes from the blaster, but by holding down the special attack button, Cal can charge a blaster bolt for an extra bit of damage.

An upgraded blaster makes many encounters in Jedi: Survivor trivial, since whole squads of enemies can be taken out before they're even aware of Cal's presence.

The blaster's ammo refills when Cal damages enemies with his lightsaber, but there are perks and skills that expand the magazine and allow for more efficient charging. Quick Draw is definitely an ability players using this stance will want to grab, which acts like Red Dead's Dead Eye: the action slows, and players can target multiple enemies at the same time, which can feel incredibly satisfying.

The stance overall feels like a mixture of elegant fencing with the sci-fi twist of a blaster. It feels special and unique to Cal, and its implementation is an exciting development for Star Wars games at large. While the best lightsaber stance in Star Wars Jedi: Survivor is personal to each player, the Blaster stance is different enough from anything that has come before it to help it earn the top spot.