Form VII: Juyo / Vaapad

"I created Vaapad to answer my weakness: it channels my own darkness into a weapon of the light."

- Mace Windu to Obi-Wan Kenobi

Form VII: Juyo / Vaapad, the Way of the Vornskr, or the Ferocity Form, was the last of the seven classic forms of lightsaber combat. The most challenging and demanding of all the classic forms, Form VII required intense focus, a high degree of skill, and mastery of other forms.

Around the time of the Jedi Civil War, Juyo was already the lightsaber form relied upon by the greatest of the Jedi. Contrary to belief, Juyo was indeed a complete and effective form for millennia before Jedi Master Mace Windu created his version of Form VII, Vaapad. However, as Juyo masters and their skills became the casualties of war, the form fell into heavy disuse.

Juyo Form VII did not appear as fancy as Form IV, as there were not moves like twirling and flipping, but the technical requirements were much higher. Form VII also demanded the emotional and physical intensity of Form V, but it much more effectively controlled it.

Juyo used seemingly free-wheeling and open movements, but with utter control on the part of the wielder. Intrepid, somewhat direct movements were used in combination with advanced techniques involving Force-powered jumps and motions. 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.

Darth Maul, who mastered Juyo, was so immersed in the Dark Side, yet so much in control of his anger that he could employ his own deadly variant of Juyo without fear. However, Darth Maul only devoted to the form's physical focus, thus he remained silent during the duels on Tatooine and Naboo. Maul desired pure physical victory, rather than the "higher" Sith tradition of Dun Möch.

When Mace Windu developed Vaapad, he used the basics tenets of Juyo and then expanded upon them. His style is named after the vaapad, an aquatic predator from Sarapin. It was said to be impossible to tell how many tentacles a vaapad had until it was dead, which was a good description of the style.

Vaapad was not just a fighting style. It was a state of mind and a power. The state of mind required that a user of Vaapad allow himself to enjoy the fight. He had to give himself over to the thrill of battle, the rush of winning. Vaapad was a path that led through the penumbra of the dark side. The power of Vaapad was simple: it was a channel for one's inner darkness; and it was a reflecting device. With strict control, a Jedi's own emotions and inner darkness could be changed into a weapon of the light.

Vaapad bordered on the edge of falling to the dark side, as it channeled one's enjoyment of fighting into the attack. Only Windu's mastery and concentration on the light side prevented him from succumbing to his own anger, which is why Vaapad was rarely practiced and very dangerous.

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.

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.

Form VII, when fully mastered, resulted in extraordinary power.

Masters

 * Tulsar Leidias

Users

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Canon information courtesy of Wookieepedia. Please visit the provided link for the canonical Juyo / Vaapad.