The Star Wars lightsaber-esque faceoff in The Flash season 7 finale was ridiculous for a number of reasons, but it still ended up working wonderfully for the series. Though the fight scene has been criticized by some for not making sense, others have given it considerable praise. Still, all things considered, it was the right choice to do things that way.
Instead of taking the route of a high-speed foot race across Central City to end the Godspeed conflict, the show went in an unexpected direction when it came time to conclude its latest storyline. In The Flash season 7 finale, titled “Heart of the Matter, Part 2”, Godspeed (Karan Oberoi) whipped out a speedster lightning bolt and began wielding it like a sword. To the surprise of viewers, Barry (Grant Gustin) proved that he could do it too. Joined by Reverse-Flash (Tom Cavanagh), Barry engaged Godspeed in a heated two-on-one sword fight, with each of their lightning blades representing their respective colors. In the end, Godspeed was defeated by a backstabbing move from Thawne.
It’s worth noting that The Flash season 7’s final battle going down this way had a couple of story-related issues. First of all, turning lightning bolts into swords is a brand-new super power for Barry, but it was treated in the show like something he’s either been able to do for a while, or was able to instantly replicate just by watching Godspeed do it. Regardless, Barry typically takes entire episodes to learn new speedster abilities, whether it be throwing lightning or creating wind vortexes with his arms. So rather than give Barry time to learn this power, The Flash delivered this big moment without any kind of setup. As a result, the scene as a whole felt like it came out of nowhere.
Despite its issues, the "lightsaber" fight scene still worked. It’s certainly true that it didn’t receive any proper buildup, but that’s a big part of what made it such a fun scene. Barry seeing Godspeed’s new weapon and effortless manifesting his own was a neat touch that demonstrated the depth of his capabilities as the Fastest Man Alive. It proved that as skilled as August Heart may be with speed, Barry is still better – as he should be. This aspect of Barry’s character is something he’s been missing throughout season 7, but the finale went a long way toward fixing that.
Furthermore, Barry, Godspeed, and Reverse-Flash duking it out in a clear homage to the Star Wars franchise’s lightsaber duels was an exciting spectacle for viewers to watch unfold. The ridiculousness of it all barely matters in light of how the intense fight between the three speedsters played out. On top of its impressive choreography, the uniqueness of the scene and how it stands apart from all other Arrowverse showdowns made it The Flash season 7’s most memorable moments and easily its best action sequence. Without question, it allowed the series to end its seventh season in spectacular fashion.