Although they were adversaries for most of the original Star Wars trilogy, Luke Skywalker used the same lightsaber fighting style as Darth Vader, and this same style was later used by Leia upon completing her Jedi training. In both canon and Legends (the original Star Wars timeline, formerly called the Expanded Universe), there are seven forms of lightsaber combat. Form V was the style of choice for Anakin Skywalker, who continued to use the form after becoming the Sith Lord Darth Vader. Luke Skywalker became one of the galaxy’s most skilled practitioners of Form V, as shown in Return of the Jedi and various Legends-era non-movie material. Princess Leia Organa’s preferred form is never specified, but her training in both continuities indicates that she also prefers Form V.
Form V, with its two sub-disciplines of Shien and Djem So, is a fast and aggressive lightsaber form, focusing on overwhelming and overpowering opponents. As Luke Skywalker demonstrates in Return of the Jedi, Form V is lethal against blaster-using opponents, redirecting blaster bolts back at attackers almost as proficiently as Form III (Obi-Wan’s preferred form). In Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith, Return of the Jedi, and Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, Form V’s devastating barrages against defending lightsaber-wielders is shown. Like Form VII (Mace Windu’s form), Form V’s inherent aggression forces Jedi to control their emotions rather than suppress them, lest they succumb to the dark side.
Having mastered Form V during his days as a Jedi, Darth Vader modified his technique to accommodate his slower yet stronger cybernetic body. He used Form V effortlessly against Luke in the original trilogy. Luke learned the basics of Forms I and III from Obi-Wan in Star Wars and had more in-depth combat training from Yoda during his month on Dagobah in The Empire Strikes Back. By the time Luke faced Vader in Cloud City, he’d chosen Form V as his preferred style, and honed his skills by their rematch aboard the Death Star II. In both canon and Legends, Leia becomes Luke’s first Jedi student. While Luke could have introduced her to any or all of the seven forms, it’s clear that Leia also prefers Form V.
Throughout Legends material, Leia fights aggressively but doesn’t use the same Force-enhanced moves found in Forms IV and VII. Moreover, Leia received additional lightsaber training from Jedi Master Saba Sebatyne, whose fighting style closely matches descriptions of Form V. In The Rise of Skywalker, Leia is shown overpowering Luke with an aggressive barrage (similar to how Anakin defeated Dooku and Luke defeated Vader) and employing kicks, similar to Luke in Return of the Jedi. Like Anakin, Leia fights with elaborate flourishes (switching between one and two-handed strikes) and far less footwork than Luke.
Form V’s aggression and a mixture of speed and strength make it a fitting style for Leia, Luke, and their father. Anakin favored dominance and straightforward fighting tactics. As Vader, his enhanced strength made him even deadlier with the form. Luke got a crash course in Jedi training Star Wars original trilogy, so naturally, he ended up preferring the style with the most decisive techniques. As the technical first student of Luke’s New Jedi Order, Leia fittingly uses such an aggressive lightsaber fighting style. Luke’s Jedi philosophy fixed most of the issues found in the prequel-era Jedi Order, such as controlling emotions instead of suppressing them. Like Darth Vader before them, Luke and Leia mastered the fifth lightsaber fighting style, becoming the first of a new generation of Jedi.
