- "I created Vaapad to answer my weakness: it channels my own darkness into a weapon of the light."
- ―Mace Windu to Obi-Wan Kenobi[src]
Form VII: Juyo / Vaapad was the seventh form of the seven forms of lightsaber combat.
Description
- "How many arms do you see?"
- ―Mace Windu[src]
Dubbed the Way of the Vornskr or The Ferocity Form, Juyo, a term from High Galactic, was originally considered an incomplete form for millennia[1]. Generally viewed as undeveloped and rarely used by the Jedi and the Sith, Juyo was not seen as one of the main forms for generations of Jedi. Jedi Master Mace Windu developed his own Form VII, which was nicknamed Vaapad after a creature from Sarapin which moved with speed similar to Windu[1]. In 22 BBY, Palpatine stated that he had only ever heard of six forms; Yoda said there were only 6 forms for generations of Jedi, and Mace indicated that he invented Vaapad[1] (It should be noted that Darth Maul, Palpatine's apprentice, was a Juyo practitioner[2]. ) 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 two Jedi ever mastered Vaapad fully: Mace Windu and Depa Billaba[1]. Sora Bulq helped Windu develop Vaapad, but Bulq proved unable to master the flow of the light and dark sides of the Force generated by the use of the technique, and fell to the dark side. Sora instructed Quinlan Vos in a few of its basics. Mace Windu noted that Vaapad mastered Bulq, not the other way around. Depa Billaba, Windu's Padawan, similarly fell to the dark side when the Vaapad mindset, combined with the horrors of the war, drove her insane. Before her fate was sealed, Mace noted that Depa's bladework had already surpassed his Vaapad. General Grievous used his technical prowess to copy Vaapad to a degree when he fought Mace Windu on Coruscant, though due to his lack of Force sensitivity, he could not truly master it[3]. But it was possible that Grievous had already learned the moves of Juyo, as Dooku noted that Grievous and his guards mastered all the seven classic combat forms[3]
[edit] Application
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.
[edit] Mental Requirements
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. As noted above, the only other known practitioners of Vaapad, Sora Bulq and Depa Billaba both fell to the dark side of the Force. Darth Maul, a Sith Lord who appeared to have 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. Coupled with his martial prowess, Darth Maul used this variant to defeat several skilled Jedi, including Master Qui-Gon Jinn. 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, 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 is as aggressive and powerful as its namesake, but its power comes at great risk: immersion in Vaapad opens the gates that restrain one's inner darkness. To use Vaapad, a Jedi must allow himself to enjoy the fight; he must give himself over to the thrill of battle. The rush of winning. Vaapad is a path that leads through the penumbra of the dark side… This was Vaapad's ultimate test."
- ―Mace Windu on Vaapad[src]
The state of mind required that a user of Vaapad allow themselves to gather thrill from a battle. 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[4].
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. In his fight with Palpatine, Mace Windu used the Chancellor's own speed and hatred against him, reflecting it back against the Sith Lord and using it as his own power. Also, when Palpatine unleashed his Force lightning on Mace, the Jedi was able to use his lightsaber, with the power of Vaapad, to reflect the lightning back at him. However, because Palpatine was possibly a master of the Sith variant of Juyo as well, he fed the power of Force lightning with his own pain, thus intensifying the energetic attack with his suffering[4]
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.
[edit] History
For thousands of years before Mace Windu developed Vaapad, around the time of the Jedi Civil War, Form VII was utilized by such notable figures as Zez-Kai Ell, Vrook Lamar and Kavar, who possibly trained the Jedi Exile in Juyo[5]. During the New Sith Wars, the Sith Blademaster Kas'im also mastered the style, training it to Sith apprentices such as Sirak, and possibly Sirak's friends, Llokay and Yevra[6]. However, over the next thousand years, Juyo deteriorated into an incomplete form, possibly because many of its masters and practitioners died, as its practice was already rare.
However, Juyo did not appear completely lost to the Sith, as Darth Sidious trained his apprentice Darth Maul in the style[7]. Dooku also seemed to know enough of the style to train General Grievous and his IG-100 MagnaGuards in the form[3]
Eventually, Mace Windu developed Vaapad from Juyo[1]. He was aided in the form's development by Sora Bulq and taught the style to his apprentice, Depa Billaba. Bulq later taught elements of Vaapad to Quinlan Vos during his retraining. Unfortunately, neither Bulq[8] nor Billaba[1] were able to withstand the mental demands of Form VII and went insane, turning to the dark side.
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