The “least flashy” lightsaber duel takes place in A New Hope between Obi-Wan Kenobi and Darth Vader.  
 
George Lucas wanted a more epic fight, but due to production and budget limitations he created the best option available.  
 
For The Empire Strikes Back, he wanted a more powerful visual impact for the duel between Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader. Lucas held a back story conference with the writers to outline the necessary concept developments.  
 
At this conference, Lucas said that while there was not much physically occurring on screen in A New Hope, the true fight was a struggle of wills inside the Force.  
 
At one point he said Ben can tell Luke, “Vader couldn’t use his supernatural powers against me, because I was too strong; he had to rely on brute force, which wasn’t of any value, because I was too advanced for that, so everything he did to me was useless.”  
 
Lucas then assigned a “power level” number, stating at that time Vader was a 4 and Obi-Wan was a 6.  
 
Vader did not need to hurl objects at Obi-Wan or employ any other Force abilities. Only his mechanically enhanced strength could have overpowered his former master.  
 
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