Any user is allowed to contribute to or elaborate on this article.
Additions to this article may be given by any user, but if you wish to modify a previous addition to better fit your ideas, you should ask about it on this article's talk page.
This form is the Dark Side, only a Sith can master it fully, and the Jedi only prove their arrogance and foolishness by attempting to delve into it.
—Ancient Sith Blademaster
Darth Maul utilizing Juyo against Qui-Gon Jinn.
Form VII: Juyo / Vaapad, the Way of the Vornskr, or the Ferocity Form was the seventh form of the seven forms of lightsaber combat.
Description[]
How many blades do you see?
—Ancient Sith Blademaster
Dubbed the Way of the Vornskr, or The Ferocity Form, Juyo, a term from High Galactic, was originally considered an incomplete form for millennia. Developed as an answer to the weakness of Form VI: Niman, whose broad balance left practitioners with no strengths to capitalize on, Juyo had a focus on attack, the type being user-preference. However, Form VII's focus on attack led to a dangerous mindset that tread along the border of the Dark Side. Due to this, it was rarely practiced by Jedi and elements of it were lost. Thanks to this, Juyo was not one of the common forms for generations of Jedi for generations, although it was still formally the sevenths. Then a new Form VII variant was developed, which was nicknamed Vaapad after a creature from Sarapin which moved with speed similar to the bladework utilized by the variant. The nickname, Vaapad, came from students likening it to a predator, the vaapad, which used its tentacles in lightning-fast whipping attacks. It was said to be impossible to tell how many tentacles a vaapad had until it was dead.
The most challenging and demanding of all forms, Form VII required intense focus, a high degree of skill, and mastery of other forms. Only few Jedi have ever mastered Vaapad fully, and most who have fell to the Dark Side despite this.
Application[]
Juyo is the definition of utilitarianism, I respect that.
—Ancient Jedi Battlemaster
Intrepid, somewhat direct movements were used in combination with advanced techniques involving Force-powered jumps and very fast motions. Form VII did not appear quite as fancy as Form IV, as there were not as many moves like twirling and flipping, but the technical requirements were much higher. Vaapad used seemingly free-wheeling and open movements, but with utter control on the part of the wielder. The end result, if practiced correctly, was a very unpredictable lightsaber style. The staccato swings and flow of the form made it seem as if the attacks were not linked—but in reality, it was merely confusing the opponent.
Form VII demanded the emotional and physical intensity of Form V, but it much more effectively controlled it—if mastered. Form VII, when fully mastered, resulted in extraordinary power.
Mental requirements[]
Vaapad is as aggressive and powerful as its namesake: immersion in Vaapad opens the gates that restrain one's inner darkness, to cut loose, to set one's self free. To use Vaapad, a Sith must allow himself to enjoy the fight; he must give himself over to the thrill of battle, be free and wild. The rush of winning. The knowledge in the certainty of one's victory. Vaapad is a path that leads to the power of the dark side.
—Ancient Sith Blademaster
Vaapad bordered on the edge of falling to the dark side, as it channeled one's enjoyment of fighting into the attack, which is why Vaapad was rarely practiced by Jedi and considered very dangerous. Thus the style became a Sith favorite, many of the practitioners desiring a pure physical victory, opposed to the "higher" Sith tradition of Dun Möch, which could dominate the opponent's spirit through taunts that expose inner doubts and weaknesses.
With that said, Vaapad was not just a fighting style. It was a state of mind and a power.
Vaapad was also described as "a superconducting loop," with the user on one end and the opponent on the other. It was able to take the powers of the opponent and reflect it back at them. Juyo stylists often used their opponent's own speed and hatred against them, reflecting it back against the enemy and using it as his own power. However, the Sith variant of Juyo allows the user to feed their the power of Force lightning with their own pain, thus intensifying the energetic attack with their suffering.
The power of Vaapad was quite incredible: it was at once a form of lightsaber combat, a state of mind, and an actual tangible power. To use it required great mastery, discipline and, above all else, purity of heart and spirit. Vaapad users were intense, focused and introverted. There were even signs of pent-up hostility in them.
Practitioners[]
- Darth Kyor
- Scott Borek
- Darth Vatrir
- Exxer Lazz
- Darth Maxah
- Kundun
- Mace Windu
- Jake Starkiller
- Delta Fett
- Raian Keldabe
- Galen Marek
- Jac-Al Deatl
- Jacen Cirred
- Lord Damnice
- Solei Levantis
Strength and weakness ratings[]
Form VII is essentially the epitome of lightsaber combat, but being more a state of mind than an actual tangible combat style, its area of focus in combat depended on the users preferences. Thus, it cannot be easily applied to the strength/ weakness chart.
| Action | Standard | Speed | Power | Precision |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Attack | Excellent | Excellent | Moderate | Moderate |
| Defense | Weak | Weak | "Weak | Weak" |
See also[]