This is the first half of my respect thread for Count Dooku, featuring his physical abilities and lightsaber prowess. You can read part 2 here.
Although this thread will include Legends showings, some of you may only be interested in Dooku's Canon showings. Everything from sources in the canon timeline will be distinguished accordingly.
Respect Count Dooku A.K.A. Darth Tyranus
Force Augmentation
Canon: Sir Christopher Lee claims Dooku is a man of immense physical power:
"I play a character called Count Dooku, a battle-scarred Jedi. He's obviously a man of immense power — mental power, and physical power."
Source: https://youtu.be/5z35FU-J1I8?t=375
In spite of his eighty-three years, Dooku is remarkably fit:
"And he's remarkably fit for his mature years."
Source: Insider #122
Dooku is fitter than most humans half his age:
Physically, the Count's age was rarely a handicap. Deft as he had become with the Force-unimaginably more subtle than the boy who had watched water-skeeters in the Jedi gardens all those years ago-he wore his eighty-three standard years better than most humans half his age. He was still in superb physical shape, senses keen, health undiminished by even the memory of a cold.
Source: Yoda: Dark Rendezvous
Dooku is paranormally strong and quick in ways that the Jedi are not:
The Sith saw no need to take on only young disciples, though they often did. Sometimes the training went smoother with disciples who had lived long enough to grow disillusioned or angry or vengeful. The Jedi, by contrast, were shackled by compassion. Their penchant for showing mercy, for granting forgiveness, for heeding the dictates of conscience, prevented them from giving themselves over to the dark side. From becoming as a force of nature itself, paranormally strong and quick, capable of conjuring Sith lightning, of exteriorizing rage, all without the need for the magic hand passes the Jedi were so fond of employing.
Source: Labyrinth of Evil
Strength
Canon: Dooku possesses inhuman strength:
The count twisted the arm with which Vos still clutched his humming lightsaber, squeezing down with inhuman strength on the webbing between thumb and forefinger.
Source: Dark Disciple
Canon: Obi-Wan finds it difficult to hold against the dark side-augmented strength of Count Dooku:
He found himself hard-pressed to hold against the dark side-augmented strength of his opponent, even though his own abilities with the Force were far from slight.
Source: The Official Star Wars Fact File #49 (Relaunched)
Canon: Dooku overpowers Obi-Wan in a bladelock:
Canon: Dooku holds strong against the Force-enhanced blows of Yoda:
With a sudden burst of sheer power, Master Yoda flew forward, his blade working so mightily that its residual glow outshone even those of both of Anakin’s lightsabers when he was at the peak of his dance. Dooku held strong, though, his red blade parrying brilliantly, each block backed by the power of the Force, or else Yoda’s strikes would have driven right through.
Source: Attack of the Clones
Canon: Dooku engages in a saberlock with Yoda, holding strong against him for over ten seconds, in spite of Dooku simultaneously using the Force to crush a steel column at the same time. When he disengages, Dooku pushes Yoda back:
Yoda’s green blade caught the blow, holding the red lightsaber at bay, locking the two in a contest of strength, physical and of the Force. “
Fought well, you have, my old Padawan,” Yoda congratulated, and his lightsaber began to move out, just a bit, forcing Dooku back.
“The battle is far from over!” Dooku stubbornly argued. “This is just the beginning!” Reaching into the Force, he took hold of one of the huge cranes within the hangar and threw it down at Obi-Wan and Anakin.
“Anakin!” Obi-Wan cried. He grabbed at the plummeting crane with the Force, and Anakin, startled awake, did so, as well. Even working together, they hadn’t the strength left to stop its crushing descent.
But Yoda did.
Yoda grabbed the crane and held it fast, but in doing so, he had to release Dooku. The Count wasted no time, sprinting away, leaping up the ramp to his sail ship.
Source: Attack of the Clones
Canon: Dooku controls the motion of Asajj Ventress' lightsabers against her will, then floors her with a kick:
Canon: Dooku overpowers Ventress in a brief saberlock:
Canon: Dooku kicks Ventress across a room:
Canon: Dooku overpowers Asajj Ventress in a saberlock:
Canon: While drugged, Dooku manages to push Asajj Ventress back and stun her for several seconds:
Canon: While drugged, Dooku kicks a Nightsister out of a hallway and off a ledge to the level below, stunning her for several seconds:
Canon: While drugged, the force of Dooku's strikes and parries force Asajj Ventress and her Nightsister allies to take several steps back.
Canon: Dooku easily slaps aside several of Savage Opress' strikes:
Canon: Dooku overpowers Anakin Skywalker in a saberlock:
Canon: Dooku physically stomps Obi-Wan, and also lands some blows on Anakin, causing Skywalker to stagger:
Canon: Despite Quinlan Vos being enraged and striking with unprecedented strength, Dooku appears to have no difficulty in repelling them:
For a heartbeat he stood frozen. Then, with a roar, he attacked. Never had his blows been as strong as now, when he was fueled with white-hot fury. His lightsaber was a blur as he struck. Dooku retreated under the assault, but to Vos it seemed as though the Count didn't have much trouble parrying the blows.
Source: Dark Disciple
Canon: Dooku lifts Ventress up and slams her down before she can catch herself in time, sending her sprawling on the ground:
Just as Ventress realized she had overextended, Dooku's left hand clamped down on her right wrist and he brought up his own lightsaber. It was Ventress's turn to seize his arm and hold the scarlet blade at bay. For an instant, the two, their faces only centimeters apart, stared into each other's eyes in a mockery of lovers. Then Dooku heaved her up and sent her sprawling. Unable to catch herself in time, Ventress landed heavily with a grunt.
Source: Dark Disciple
Canon: Dooku pulls Quinlan Vos, sending him sprawling onto the ground, then pins him there with a knee whilst twisting Vos' arm to disarm him:
He should've been prepared for Dooku's next move, but he wasn't. The man who had a second before been cowering now seized Vos's wrist as the green lightsaber descended. A sharp tug, and the roles were reversed. Now it was Vos who sprawled on the ground. Dooku had a knee planted firmly in Vos's back, using the Force to augment his own not-inconsiderable strength. Vos couldn't move. The count twisted the arm with which Vos still clutched his humming lightsaber, squeezing down with inhuman strength on the webbing between thumb and forefinger. Vos willed his hand to obey, but it was useless. The lightsaber fell, and the green glow vanished.
Source: Dark Disciple
Canon: Dooku folds Anakin in half with a kick and then proceeds to transform it into a wheel-kick that knocks Obi-Wan back down the stairs, generating a cracking sound as if Obi-Wan had broken his neck:
Before their pieces could even hit the floor Dooku was in motion, landing a spinning side-stamp that folded Skywalker in half; he used his last burst of dark power to continue his spin into a blindingly fast wheel-kick that brought his heel against the point of Kenobi's chin with a crack like the report of a huge-bore slugthrower, knocking the Jedi Master back down the stairs. Sounded like he'd broken his neck. Wouldn't that be lovely?
Source: Revenge of the Sith
Canon: After locking sabers with him, Dooku drags Obi-Wan's blade arm upwards against the latter's will will, causing a three-way bladelock between himself, Anakin, and Obi-Wan:
Canon: Tyranus intercepts the simultaneous attacks of Anakin and Obi-Wan, then breaks the saberlock with enough force to stagger Anakin backwards. After this, he kicks Anakin into an archway whilst Choking Obi-Wan:
Canon: Dooku knocks out Obi-Wan Kenobi with a single kick:
Canon: Dooku engages Anakin Skywalker in a bladelock for thirteen seconds. With the aid of Dun Moch, the Count holds the advantage in the saberlock, which Anakin only breaks upon becoming enraged:
Speed & Agility
Dooku moves his lightsaber fast enough to become a blur at the age of twelve:
There was a flash of surprise on Lorian's face when he noted the coldness in Dooku's gaze. He stumbled backward as Dooku came at him furiously, his lightsaber a blur of color and motion.
Source: Legacy of the Jedi
Canon: Tyranus moves impossibly fast:
Obi-Wan understood immediately, even before he noted Anakin’s blue blade coming up and over the other way-the green blade would push the Count’s lightsaber out of the way, clearing the path for the victorious strike!
But Dooku retracted impossibly fast, and Anakin’s down-cutting green blade hit nothing but air.
Source: Attack of the Clones
Canon: He fills Obi-Wan's entire line of vision with the light of his blade, making it appear to be everywhere at once:
As Obi-Wan gave ground, Dooku quickened the pace. His every move was economical and elegant; his lightsaber seemed to be everywhere. Obi-Wan remembered Jocasta Nu telling him, With a lightsaber, in the old style of fencing, he had no match. Now he could see what she meant. Unfortunately.
Source: Attack of the Clones Junior Novelization
Canon: His blade flickers almost too fast for an injured Obi-Wan to see:
The Count smiled slightly - Obi-Wan was not sure at whom - and his blade flicked out almost too fast to see. Anakin screamed as his right arm dropped to the floor, cut off at the elbow.
Source: Attack of the Clones Junior Novelization
Canon: Dooku contends with Yoda in a duel, responding to all his strikes and showing comparable speed:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PLV-Vpy1gqQ
Dooku, along with Yoda, moves in a blurring tangle of speed and light:
The Jedi Master Yoda confronted Dooku. The two engaged in a titanic struggle of Force powers, neither besting the other. It came down to a contest of lightsabers. In a blurring tangle of speed and light, the two masters of the Force dueled.
Source: The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia
Canon: Dooku easily dodges an enraged Quinlan Vos' strike:
He lashed out with a blow that should have removed Dooku's head, but the count dodged the lightsaber easily.
Source: Dark Disciple
Canon: Dooku lifts Asajj Ventress up and throws her down before she can react:
For an instant, the two, their faces only centimeters apart, stared into each other's eyes in a mockery of lovers. Then Dooku heaved her up and sent her sprawling. Unable to catch herself in time, Ventress landed heavily with a grunt.
Source: Dark Disciple
Canon: Dooku quickly disarms Quinlan Vos with unarmed strikes before he can react:
He should've been prepared for Dooku's next move, but he wasn't. The man who had a second before been cowering now seized Vos's wrist as the green lightsaber descended. A sharp tug, and the roles were reversed. Now it was Vos who sprawled on the ground. Dooku had a knee planted firmly in Vos's back, using the Force to augment his own not-inconsiderable strength. Vos couldn't move. The count twisted the arm with which Vos still clutched his humming lightsaber, squeezing down with inhuman strength on the webbing between thumb and forefinger. Vos willed his hand to obey, but it was useless. The lightsaber fell, and the green glow vanished.
Source: Dark Disciple
Canon: Dooku kicks Anakin before dismantled pieces of Super Battle Droid could even hit the floor, then transitions it into a blindingly fast spinning kick that hits Obi-Wan with a crack as if he had broken Obi-Wan's neck:
Kenobi reached the top of the stairs and a single slash of his lightsaber dismantled both droids. Before their pieces could even hit the floor Dooku was in motion, landing a spinning side-stamp that folded Skywalker in half; he used his last burst of dark power to continue his spin into a blindingly fast wheel-kick that brought his heel against the point of Kenobi's chin with a crack like the report of a huge-bore slugthrower, knocking the Jedi Master back down the stairs. Sounded like he'd broken his neck. Wouldn't that be lovely?
Source: Revenge of the Sith
He moves faster than Obi-Wan:
The two droids fired at Obi-Wan, but he batted their fired energy bolts back at them and cut them down as he moved fast for Dooku. Unfortunately, Dooku moved faster, extending his left hand toward Obi-Wan as he used the Force to lift the Jedi off his feet while at the same time constricting his throat.
Source: The Rise and Fall of Darth Vader
Canon: The Count easily avoids several of Savage Opress's blows:
Canon: Dooku dodges attacks from Ventress and Savage:
Dooku easily deflects a number of strikes from the incredibly fast and strong General Grievous:
Dooku dodges attacks from Grievous, and displays a number of acrobatic jumps and backflips:
Dooku easily dodges two of Obi-Wan's strikes before grabbing and throwing him:
Canon: Dooku generates 8 afterimages with his blade:
Canon: Dooku fights imperceptibly fast:
Skywalker leapt for him again, and this time Dooku met the boy's charge easily. They stood nearly toe-to-toe, blades flashing faster than the eye could see, but Skywalker had lost his edge: a simple taunt was all that had been required to shift the focus of his attention from winning the fight to controlling his own emotions.
Source: Revenge of the Sith
On Vjun, Dooku strikes with his lightsaber with the speed of a viper:
The Count's blade was quick as a viper striking.
Source: Yoda: Dark Rendezvous
On Vjun, Dooku moves his blade fast enough to generate a blinding scarlet blur and then a lace of red fire:
The blinding scarlet blur of Dooku's lightsaber split the air, slashing a burning line along Yoda's side before chopping his desk in half.
Then their blades clashed together in a lace of fire, green and red: but the green burned hotter. Slowly, slowly, Dooku gave way: and in the dark, drunken Vjun air, Yoda was terrible to behold.
Source: Yoda: Dark Rendezvous
Dooku was the temple's most agile swordsmaster and instructor:
He had toed the Jedi line; become the Temple's most agile swordmaster and instructor.
Source: Labyrinth of Evil
Durability
Dooku is completely unharmed by a fall from a tremendous height:
Canon: Dooku shrugs off a kick from an enraged Quinlan Vos:
Vos dived and leapt, darted and struck — like a snake — leaping onto the railings and kicking Dooku square in the face with his boot. The count's head snapped backward, and for one wild, glorious instant Vos thought had broken Dooku's neck. But then Dooku rallied and pressed the attack. He was smiling broadly, his eyes gleaming with approval.
Source: Dark Disciple
Canon: After being injured by a ship crash and then a blaster bolt, Dooku survives his own Lightning (which was capable of killing Asajj Ventress) being turned on him:
Another blaster bolt, and this time, it hit. Dooku had just made it to the threshold when he suddenly arched in pain and collapsed.
--
Vos inspected the wound, then rolled Dooku’s limp form over. “There’s nothing we can do now about the blaster burn, but this injury from the crash has reopened.” Gently, Vos picked Ventress up and laid her down beside the unconscious Dooku. He took her good arm and placed it on Dooku’s injury. “Keep pressure on it,” he said.
--
Vos saw Ventress’s eyes open wide. Her body went taut and she seemed to be staring at something he couldn’t see. Fear exploded in him, quivering in the pit of his belly, and he shook her, gently.
“Asajj?”
“No,” she whispered, her eyes still unfocused, frighteningly blank. Then, “No!”
Violently, she shoved Vos away, putting the Force into the movement so powerfully that he was hurled across the room. As he struck the wall, he heard a terrifyingly familiar sound: the sizzle and crackle of Force lightning.
Dooku stood, his teeth bared in a savage snarl of victory. Ventress was caught in the most violent bolts of Force lightning Vos had ever seen. They danced and crackled about her hungrily, almost like living creatures. Her body spasmed and her face contorted into a mask of absolute agony. Blood trickled from her ears, eyes, and nose.
“Asajj!” Vos cried, leaping between Ventress and Dooku. He activated his lightsaber, deflecting the Force lightning back onto Dooku. The count’s eyes widened in comprehension a split second before his own weapon turned on him, disloyal, as things of the dark always were. Dooku was flung back and lay on the ground, screaming and trembling, then lying still as the bolts faded.
--
Three strides brought Vos to Count Dooku. He pressed the humming blade close to Dooku’s neck.
“Do…it,” rasped Dooku. Impossibly, he was smiling. “The lightning wasn’t…for her. It was for you. She just…got in the way. Go on. Take…your revenge!”
Vos’s heart shook his body with its pounding, its aching, its demands. His gaze flickered to Ventress, lying so terrifyingly motionless. His vision blurred. It took him a moment to realize that tears were falling down his face in a river of pain. The dark, rage-filled tide inside him receded, leaving in his heart only the truth of the tears. The count still smiled, still anticipated the final step that would turn Vos irrevocably to the dark side.
Source: Dark Disciple
Canon: Dooku is completely unharmed by a kick from Anakin Skywalker:
Stamina
Dooku can use the Dark Side to sustain himself indefinitely:
He's old, Anakin thought. Maybe I can just outlast him. But the power of the dark side flowed around him, denying that possibility. The dark side would keep Dooku going for as long as he needed.
Source: Revenge of the Sith Junior Novelization
Dooku can wash away his fatigue:
He pushed this aside, drawing once more upon the certain knowledge of his personal invincibility to open a channel to the Force. Power flowed into him, and the weight of his years dropped away.
Source: Revenge of the Sith
Dueling
Accolades
As a Jedi, Dooku was probably the greatest swordsmen in the Jedi Order:
Count Dooku was probably the greatest swordsman at the Jedi Temple.
Source: The Official Figurine Collection #12
He was a remarkable teacher and, of all those in the Temple, arguably the most skilled with a lightsaber.
Source: The Official Figurine Collection #12
His progress was exceptional, and many thought he was the deadliest of all the Jedi in combat.
Source: The Official Figurine Collection #12
In adolescence, Dooku became the Padawan learner of Thame Cerulian, a Jedi scholar on the Council who called Dooku the finest swordsman he had ever seen.
Source: Insider #113
As a Jedi, Dooku's skills were regarded by other Jedi to be only be matched by Masters Yoda and Mace Windu.
Yoda took a keen interest in the young Dooku. He assisted in Dooku's combat training and as a result, the Padawan became especially proficient with a lightsaber. Only Masters Yoda and Mace Windu were considered to be on equal terms with him.
Source: Insider #109
Only Mace himself ever mastered it, and it was reckoned that only Master Yoda and Dooku were ever able to match Windu with a lightsaber.
Source: The Official Starships & Vehicles Collection #25
Dooku had been reckoned one of the foremost duellists in the Jedi Order, second only to Master Yoda.
Source: The Official Star Wars Fact File #60
Moreover, Dooku was said to be one of the only Jedi capable of defeating Mace Windu in a duel:
His skills with his purple-bladed lightsaber were the stuff of legend, and it was said that he could be defeated in combat only by Master Yoda and the great swordsman Count Dooku.
Source: The Official Figurine Collection #33
It is said that only his one-time friend Dooku and the venerable Grand Master Yoda could outspar Mace Windu.
Source: The Clone Wars: Lightsaber Duels Prima Official Game Guide
After Dooku left the Order, Yoda and Mace surpassed his Jedi self with a blade, but remained the only Jedi in the Order's history up to that time to do so:
Under Yoda's tutelage, Dooku became one of the greatest sword masters the Order had produced - eclipsed only by Mace Windu and Yoda himself.
Source: The Official Starships & Vehicles Collection #48
Yoda taught many pupils throughout his years, including Dooku, who became one of the finest sword masters the Order ever produced - eclipsed only by Mace Windu and Yoda himself.
Source: The Official Starships & Vehicles Collection #48
He was known by reputation to be one of the greatest lightsaber duelists in the Order:
Dooku was said to be one of the Order's finest lightsaber masters, and he had earned a reputation as a skilled diplomat, as well.
Source: Darth Plagueis
His slightly curved lightsaber hilt, too, might have been a prop, though he was known to be one of the Order's most skilled duelists.
Source: Darth Plagueis
Once a legend even among his fellow Jedi, Count Dooku's desire to be the best in every aspect of his training led him to become one of the finest duellists in the Jedi Temple.
Source: The Official Star Wars Fact File #68
His prowess was both exceptional and deadly, and many regarded him as one of the greatest warriors in the history of the Order.
Source: The Official Star Wars Fact File #68
Dooku was a master duelist among Jedi:
But Dooku had been a master duelist, even among Jedi, and Anakin forgot that for a pain-blinded moment.
Source: The Clone Wars
With two such powerful Masters, Dooku quickly grew to become a most powerful and respected Jedi, and an acknowledged master lightsaber duelist.
Source: The Official Starships & Vehicles Collection #34
Jocasta Nu stated that he was peerless in the old style of fencing (Makashi). This would suggest his mastery of the Makashi form likely exceeded that of Yoda's as well:
Obi-Wan remembered Jocasta Nu telling him, With a lightsaber, in the old style of fencing, he had no match. Now he could see what she meant. Unfortunately.
Source: Attack of the Clones Junior Novelization
Sidious' selection of Dooku to join the Sith was highly influenced by the Count's mastery of Form II, which Palpatine believed to be a tremendous advantage:
It was Dooku's experience with the Form II fighting style that was a major consideration for Sidious when selecting the former Jedi to be his next student.
Source: The Official Star Wars Fact File #68
He was fully aware that his apprentice would eventually engage in duels against other Jedi, and believed Dooku's emphasis on pure lightsabre combat to be a tremendous advantage.
Source: The Official Star Wars Fact File #68
Dooku's skills with a lightsaber became even more formidable after leaving the Order and joining the Sith:
However, once Dooku left the Jedi Order to become an apprentice to the Sith Lord Darth Sidious, his skills became even more formidable.
Source: The Official Star Wars Fact File #68
For ten long years, Count Dooku lived in hiding, honing his Jedi skills and crafting his vision of the galaxy's future.Source: Unleashed Collectibles
As a result, Yoda now considers Mace Windu (as of Yoda: Dark Rendezvous) among all the other Jedi to possibly be Dooku's only equal on neutral ground:
The Count's blade was quick as a viper striking. Among the other Jedi, perhaps only Mace Windu would have been his equal on neutral ground: but here on Vjun, steeped in the dark side, his bladework was malice made visible—wickedness cut in red light.
Source: Yoda: Dark Rendezvous
Another source claims that Dooku's skill is unmatched save for Yoda:
[Dooku's] skill with a lightsaber is matched only by Master Yoda.
Source: Force Collection
Canon: Dooku can outclass almost any duelist other than Yoda:
Dooku carried a lightsaber with a curved handle and practiced an elegant fighting style; he could outclass nearly any opponent except for Yoda.
Source: Insider #113
Dooku carried a lightsaber with a curved handle and practiced an elegant fencing style; he could outclass nearly any opponent except for Yoda.
Source: Insider: Lords of the Sith
Dooku has an unmatched mastery of Makashi, and it is said that all but the most skilled Jedi would fall against him in combat:
His mastery of the Makashi Lightsaber form is unmatched, and all but the most skilled Jedi would fall against him in combat.
Source: The Clone Wars: Lightsaber Duels
Obi-Wan remembered Jocasta Nu telling him, With a lightsaber, in the old style of fencing, he had no match. Now he could see what she meant. Unfortunately.
Source: Attack of the Clones Junior Novelization
Qui-Gon notes that leverage, position and advantage are all as natural to Dooku as breathing:
He is a fencer, Qui-Gon agreed. Leverage, position, advantage—they are as natural to him as breathing.
Source: Yoda: Dark Rendezvous
Dooku possessed formidable dueling skills, which in conjunction with his near-unrivalled Force knowledge made him virtually indomitable:
With a near unrivalled knowledge of the Force combined with formidable skill with a lightsaber, Dooku was virtually indomitable.
Source: Insider #109
Count Dooku's fighting technique was a throwback to an earlier time, but he was nevertheless a formidable swordsman.
Source: The Official Star Wars Fact File #68
The Count is a consummate duelist:
It must have been difficult for him to have served under a methodical master such as Dooku, consummate planner, consummate duelist.
Source: Labyrinth of Evil
Fighting with the skill of a consummate warrior and master of the Force - the Dark Lord battles his foes with both hands - wielding his scimitar-handled lightsaber with grace and precision while simultaneously leveling powerful bursts of Force lightning at those who challenge him.
Source: Darth Tyranus - Geonosian Escape (Star Wars SAGA Series, 2003)
Count Dooku is a disillusioned former Jedi Knight who lost faith in the Republic and abandoned the Jedi Order. Dooku spent ten years in seclusion honing his Force abilities - and - as a master of the old style of fencing - wields his scimitar-handled lightsaber with consummate grace.
Source: Count Dooku - Dark Lord (Star Wars SAGA Series, 2002)
Dooku was one of the greatest duelists that the galaxy has ever seen:
Some of the greatest dueling masters the galaxy has ever seen fought in the Form II style.
Source: Star Wars Adventures Magazine #3
Dooku wields a lightsaber to devastating effect:
Form II is the chosen discipline of the Separatist Count Dooku, who wields a lightsaber to devastating effect.
Source: Star Wars Adventures Magazine #3
Form II is the chosen discipline of the machiavellian Separatist Count Dooku, who wields it to devastating effect.
Source: Insider #62: Fightsaber
Canon: Dooku's lightsaber skills are better than anything seen in The Phantom Menace, including those of Darth Maul, Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi. Upon clarification, Nick Gillard also reveals that there is a huge difference between Dooku and Maul:
"We're trying to go much more classical for some characters," says Gillard, "Some of the characters are real master swordsmen, better than anything we've seen so far. So we're using an old, classical European style for a couple of the characters.
Source: Homing Beacon #57
"Dooku & Maul are 8, but there is a huge difference inside the numbers themselves. It's not about how well they fight, it's about how well they learned."
Source: https://i37.servimg.com/u/f37/17/73/92/12/ng10.png
Canon: Dooku was a superior swordsman to Anakin and Obi-Wan on Geonosis:
“One of the problems in writing the Dooku fights,” Nick Gillard noted, “was that both Obi-Wan and Anakin had to be master swordsmen - but Dooku had to be even better!”
Source: Mythmaking: Behind the Scenes of Attack of the Clones
Gillard’s challenge was creating a Dooku more powerful than even Anakin and Obi-Wan. After Dooku severs Anakin’s arm, however, audiences were left in no doubt.
Source: Mythmaking: Behind the Scenes of Attack of the Clones
Obi-Wan believes that Dooku deserved his reputation as a master of the classical fencing style:
Count Dooku deserved his reputation as a master of the old style of lightsaber fencing.
Source: Revenge of the Sith Junior Novelization
Obi-Wan remarks that he has never met combative power on a par with Dooku's, including that of Darth Maul's:
"Count Dooku's fall has troubled us all," Obi-Wan acknowledged. "Now we have a great and powerful enemy." His thoughts turned to his battle with Dooku. He had never met such power in battle before. He had never come up against something that had completely overpowered him. Even meeting the Sith Lord who had killed Qui-Gon had not been the same.
Source: Legacy of the Jedi
Dooku is more skillful than Darth Maul:
At the risk of getting a slew of Maul-loving mail, the short answer is that Count Dooku is more skillful than Maul. Think of Maul as a bulldog of a Jedi-killer. He attacks at full speed, full tilt, holding nothing back. That approach has its merits, but it doesn't always apply. Dooku was much more restrained and sophisticated, and he had a much better grasp of Jedi techniques and tactics. Maul was an impressive flurry of fury, barely giving his opponent time to think. Dooku, on the other hand, countered Kenobi's moves almost effortlessly because he knew precisely where to block. This left Dooku with the energy to deliver the surprise blows when his opponent dropped his guard.
Source: Insider #69
More sophisticated, more calculating, and if anything deadlier than Maul, Count Dooku (a.k.a. Darth Tyranus) proved himself more than a match for the combined skills of Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker in Attack of the Clones.
Source: Panel-to-Panel Volume 1
Darth Vader recalls that Dooku was one of the only duelists skilled enough to injure him in battle:
Only Dooku, Asajj Ventress, and Obi-Wan had been good enough with a blade to injure him, so how had an undistinguished Jedi Knight been able to do so?
Source: Dark Lord: The Rise of Darth Vader
Dooku has never been fully bested in lightsaber combat during the Clone Wars:
While Dooku only fought occasionally with his lightsaber during the Clone Wars, he was never fully bested.
Source: The Official Star Wars Fact File #18 (Relaunched)
Canon: Darth Sidious claims that Dooku is infinitely more skilled than Mother Talzin:
“You control Dooku's body, but you possess none of his skill."
Source: Son of Dathomir #4
Feats
As a Jedi, Dooku is one of only two in history to have beaten Mace Windu in sparring contests:
Master Windu himself remained perfectly balanced and centered. In the history of the Jedi Order, only two opponents ever overcame him in battle. One was Master Yoda, who some said was the Order's true master of lightsaber combat. The other was former Master Dooku, whose own fighting style was archaic, yet stunningly effective.
Source: Power of the Jedi Sourcebook
In the history of the Jedi Order, only two opponents have ever overcome Master Windu in battle. One was Master Yoda himself, whom some say is the Jedi Order's true master of lightsaber combat. The other was Master Dooku.
Source: Star Wars Miniatures: Revenge of the Sith Preview 1 Mace Windu, Jedi Master
In his day, Mace was one of the best lightsaber fighters of the Jedi order. It was said only two opponents ever bested him; Yoda, and Dooku.
Source: Mace Windu Databank (old)
By contrast, Dooku claims to have never lost a duel to Mace in their many spars at the Jedi Temple:
“You were never able to defeat me at the Jedi Temple, and you won’t defeat me now.”
Source: The Clone Wars — Lightsaber Duels
Canon: Dooku easily defeats Obi-Wan Kenobi, who is said to be "fighting for life". Kenobi later recalls that he was "completely overpowered", something which nobody, not even Darth Maul in The Phantom Menace, had done to him before:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mFWEBm0TC00
"Count Dooku's fall has troubled us all," Obi-Wan acknowledged. "Now we have a great and powerful enemy." His thoughts turned to his battle with Dooku. He had never met such power in battle before. He had never come up against something that had completely overpowered him. Even meeting the Sith Lord who had killed Qui-Gon had not been the same.
Source: Legacy of the Jedi
Anakin's impulsive attack gives Count Dooku the chance to overpower him and Obi-Wan easily.
Source: Mysteries of the Jedi
The two Jedi challenged Dooku to a lightsaber duel, but Dooku's masterful skills in old-style lightsaber combat made short work of the younger combatants.
Source: The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia
Though Obi-Wan instructed Anakin to join him in a coordinated attack against Dooku, the headstrong Padawan rushed in — only to be incapacitated by Dooku's surprising dark side attack. Kenobi moved in for the attack, but Dooku proved far too powerful. The rogue Jedi's lightsaber skills outpaced Kenobi's parries, and Obi-Wan fell to the ground, wounded in the arm and leg from glancing saber strikes.
Source: The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia
Anakin and Obi-Wan pursue Dooku to a secret hangar, where he defeats them easily, cutting off Anakin's hand.
Source: The Making of Revenge of the Sith
It was Count Dooku's combination of finesse and superior craftsmanship that enabled him to best both Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker, as well as hold his own against Jedi Master Yoda, during the Battle of Geonosis.
Source: The Official Star Wars Fact File #68
He was spotted by Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker, who followed Dooku, attacking him in the hanger. They were easily defeated by the Sith Lord but before he could finish them off, Dooku was surprised by the arrival of Yoda.
Source: The Official Starships & Vehicles Collection #34
Anakin and Obi-Wan dueled the former Jedi in a hangar, but were no match; Dooku defeated both and severed Anakin’s arm.
Source: http://www.starwars.com/databank/anakin-skywalker
Using the force - Obi-Wan Kenobi flips into battle against the evil Sith Darth Tyranus. The courageous and disciplined Jedi Knight fights for his life as the master swordsman Darth Tyranus prepares to strike the final blow.
Source: Obi-Wan Kenobi with Force-Flipping Attack! (Star Wars SAGA Series, 2002)
Canon: Dooku then proceeds to defeat Anakin easily, even though he toyed with him. Obi-Wan also muses that Anakin was no match for the Count:
https://youtu.be/mFWEBm0TC00?t=89
But Dooku is right, Obi-Wan thought through the haze of pain and exhaustion. Anakin is no match for him… Unless Anakin does something unexpected.
Source: Attack of the Clones Junior Novelization
Anakin caught the weapon in his free hand and attacked again. But even with two lightsabers, he could not hold back Count Dooku for long. The Count smiled and began to toy with him, knocking the extra lightsaber out of Anakin’s hand.
Retreat, Obi-Wan thought. Stall him. But Anakin was not retreating; he was being driven back. The combat had almost come full circle, back to where Obi-Wan lay. The Count smiled slightly — Obi-Wan was not sure at whom — and his blade flicked out almost too fast to see. Anakin screamed as his right arm dropped to the floor, cut off at the elbow.
Source: Attack of the Clones Junior Novelization
Anakin and Obi-Wan pursue Dooku to a secret hangar, where he defeats them easily, cutting off Anakin's hand.
Source: The Making of Revenge of the Sith
Dooku, far superior in the art of the duel, severed the young man's arm, which would later be replaced with a crude metal one.
Source: The New Essential Guide to Characters
He was spotted by Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker, who followed Dooku, attacking him in the hanger. They were easily defeated by the Sith Lord but before he could finish them off, Dooku was surprised by the arrival of Yoda.
Source: The Official Starships & Vehicles Collection #34
Skywalker and Dooku dueled, but again the Count proved his superiority. Anakin was maimed and collapsed in an exhausted heap, joining the helpless Obi-Wan.
Source: The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia
The two Jedi challenged Dooku to a lightsaber duel, but Dooku's masterful skills in old-style lightsaber combat made short work of the younger combatants.
Source: The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia
Anakin's impulsive attack gives Count Dooku the chance to overpower him and Obi-Wan easily. Anakin's haste also costs him his arm when Dooku's lightsaber slices it off.
Source: Mysteries of the Jedi
It was Count Dooku's combination of finesse and superior craftsmanship that enabled him to best both Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker, as well as hold his own against Jedi Master Yoda, during the Battle of Geonosis.
Source: The Official Star Wars Fact File #68
Anakin and Obi-Wan dueled the former Jedi in a hangar, but were no match; Dooku defeated both and severed Anakin’s arm.
Source: http://www.starwars.com/databank/anakin-skywalker
Canon: Sources even suggest that Dooku could easily defeat both Anakin and Obi-Wan together:
On Geonosis, Count Dooku showed why he had been known as one of the best duelists in the entire Jedi Order. He easily beat both Anakin and Obi-Wan together, and would have killed them had Jedi Master Yoda not arrived to join the fight at the last minute.
Source: Insider #34 (Relaunched)
Another source reiterates Dooku's superiority over the combined skills of Anakin and Obi-Wan, as well as claiming that he is deadlier than Darth Maul:
More sophisticated, more calculating, and if anything deadlier than Maul, Count Dooku (a.k.a. Darth Tyranus) proved himself more than a match for the combined skills of Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker in Attack of the Clones.
Source: Panel-to-Panel Volume 1
Canon: Dooku holds his own against MasterYoda, forcing a stalemate before departing the battle. Yoda himself congratulates Dooku for fighting well, and later claims that his bout with Dooku was sufficient practice to keep his skills honed:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PLV-Vpy1gqQ
"Fought well you have, my old Padawan."
Source: Attack of the Clones
With Form II, Dooku holds his own even against Master Yoda.
Source: Insider #62: Fightsaber
With Form II, Dooku holds his own even against Master Yoda in Attack of the Clones.
Source: Star Wars Adventures Magazine #3
It was Count Dooku's combination of finesse and superior craftsmanship that enabled him to best both Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker, as well as hold his own against Jedi Master Yoda, during the Battle of Geonosis.
Source: The Official Star Wars Fact File #68
Here, his decades of lightsabre training gave him the ability to parry and riposte against Yoda's frenzied Form IV fighting style. Although the match ended in a stalemate, many Jedi believed Dooku would return for another confrontation with the Jedi.
Source: The Official Star Wars Fact File #68
Forced to cross sabers with Dooku, Yoda falls back on his knowledge of Form IV, an acrobatic style that lets him overcome the natural limitations of his size and reach. He lacks the stamina of youth, but calls on the Force to fight the Sith Lord to a draw.
Source: Attack of the Clones: The Expanded Visual Dictionary
Yoda and Dooku were almost equals, with the little Jedi Master having perhaps a slight edge over his former padawan.
Source: The Official Star Wars Fact File #34 (Relaunched)
Dooku humbles both Sora Bulq and Tholme. He deprives Sora of one of his two blades before incapacitating him with Lightning, then duels Tholme and disarms him, also landing a blow on his shoulder and taking his eye:
The Count easily outduels a pre-prime Quinlan Vos:
Dooku easily defeats an enraged Asajj Ventress:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4sq9xM_NVWs
When she claimed to be Sith, Dooku laughed in her face before shocking her into unconsciousness with Force Lightning. Later, when she had recovered, Ventress launched an attack on Dooku. The Count easily defeated the woman and destroyed her lightsabers.
Source: The Official Star Wars Fact File #116
Tyranus's weaker doppelganger, created through the Force, defeats Obi-Wan in an off-screen duel, wounding the latter:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BbZcA6SmG3U
"Where is Master Kenobi?"
"Wounded in the fight against Dooku. The Force will mend his wounds in time."
Source: The New Droid Army
Canon: Dooku stalemates Asajj Ventress and the two most skilled swordsmen amongst the Nightsisters, even while drugged:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l6s6lHLJBvE
"Karis and Naa'leth are the greatest warriors of our coven."
Source: The Clone Wars: Nightsisters
Canon: Tyranus swiftly disarms an untrained Savage Opress:
Canon: Count Dooku fends off Asajj Ventress and Savage Opress together. When Ventress is alone Dooku proceeds to humble her:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PUclUEMosm0
Canon: He stalemates/contends with Anakin Skywalker numerous times:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q6zGXR32dNE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W8ycYOpltqM
Canon: Dooku casually outduels Anakin Skywalker using an electro-whip:
Dooku duels evenly with Mace Windu for a period of time before his Magnaguards intervene and throw Mace off a cliff:
Tyranus quickly disarms a pair of Magnaguards and flicks his blade precisely a millimeter away from Grievous' mask:
He flicked his blade quickly, ridding two of the guards of their staffs, then placing the glowing tip a millimeter from Grievous's death-helmeted visage.
Source: Labyrinth of Evil
The Count has repeatedly outsparred General Grievous. Tyranus notes that he has been challenged by the General on rare occasions, suggesting that the Count wins handily in most of their training sessions:
Grievous had been a delight to train, as well. No need to coax him to release his anger and rage, as Dooku had been forced to do during the training of his so-called Dark Jedi disciples. The Geonosians had arranged for Grievous to be nothing but anger and rage. And as to the general's combat skills, few, if any, Jedi would be capable of defeating him. There had been moments during the extensive combat sessions when even Dooku had been hard-pressed to outduel the cyborg.
Source: Labyrinth of Evil
Dooku defeats General Grievous during a spar by means of disarming. Dooku never seems particularly hard-pressed throughout the duel, being able to identify flaws in Grievous' technique and reprimand him for them while dueling:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OEPqwHuioRA
Canon: Dooku duels Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker together evenly. Though no blows are landed by the duel's conclusion, Kenobi was saved twice by Skywalker:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4_4jp0GdtyE
Dooku duels Yoda on the dark side nexus of Vjun, holding his own once again. After taking advantage of a distraction to tag Yoda, then penetrating his defenses to tag him again (a "near-impossible feat" according to The Official Star Wars Fact File), the Count holds his own against Yoda in fair combat, being driven back "slowly, slowly":
Dooku battled his former tutor Yoda on Geonosis, then again on Vjun. On both occasions, Dooku fled before the outcome was clear; although he penetrated Yoda's defenses enough to wound him on the second occasion.
Source: The Official Star Wars Fact File #18 (Relaunched)
While Dooku only fought occasionally with his lightsaber during the Clone Wars, he was never fully bested. He achieved the near impossible by wounding Master Yoda during a fight on Vjun, before making a tactical withdrawal.
Source: The Official Star Wars Fact File #18 (Relaunched)
Dooku defeats Yoda, appearing weaker than he is to lure his former Master into a false sense of security before incapacitating him with Lightning:
Canon: Dooku duels Anakin Skywalker evenly, with the edge constantly shifting between the two combatants:
Skywalker, however, wasted no time in banter. He leapt at once for Dooku. Blue and red lightsabers clashed and sizzled.
...
She spared a glance for Dooku, one level down. The fight between him and Anakin was close and constantly shifting. Ventress felt a brief flash of amusement as she realized that for the first time, she was actually rooting for Skywalker.
...
"You two go on!" called Anakin. He dodged a strike from Dooku's red lightsaber that whizzed past the top of his head and brought his own blade up for a counterstrike. "I'll take care of him!"
"Insolent whelp," snapped Dooku, parrying Skywalker's strike.
Source: Dark Disciple
Canon: Dooku proves a formidable foe for both Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi together aboard the Invisible Hand. He appears at ease even with the two of the Jedi attacking him simultaneously, and though they use every trick they know and strike at him from every angle, he blocks all of their strikes, forces their blades into each other, and occasionally lands hits on them:
Infiltrating General Grievous' flagship, the Jedi found the Chancellor bound to a chair in the spacious observation deck. Waiting for them was Count Dooku. Obi-Wan and Anakin challenged the Sith Lord as a team. Dooku proved a formidable opponent.
Source: http://www.starwars.com/databank/obi-wan-kenobi-biography-gallery
Waiting for them was Count Dooku, and unlike the impulsive and disorganized attack that had marked their last confrontation with Dooku, Obi-Wan and Anakin challenged Dooku as a team. Dooku proved a formidable opponent. He Force-pushed Obi-Wan with terrible strength, tossing the Jedi Master like a rag doll against the walls of the quarters. Kenobi was knocked unconscious.
Source: The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia
Count Dooku deserved his reputation as a master of the old style of lightsaber fencing. Even with both Anakin and Obi-Wan pressing him, he seemed at ease. The Jedi used every trick they knew, leaping and striking from unexpected directions. Dooku blocked them all.
Source: Revenge of the Sith Junior Novelization
Dooku handily defeats both Obi-Wan and Anakin on Geonosis and holds his own for much of the duel aboard the Capital starship Invisible Hand, proving alongside Master Yoda that for a Force user, age is only a number.
Source: Age of Republic — Count Dooku: A Sith for a More Civilized Age
Canon: Dooku fights evenly with Anakin Skywalker, with neither combatant able to gain an advantage:
All of the super battle droids had been cut down; only Anakin and Dooku were left. Down the long length of the room they fought, neither one able to gain an advantage.
Source: Revenge of the Sith Junior Novelization
Canon: Dooku holds his own against an enraged Anakin Skywalker, who is a level 9 duelist (placing him in league with the likes of Yoda and Darth Sidious), even though Dooku had not anticipated Anakin's newfound strength:
Dooku appeared, engaging both Jedi at the same time. He first defeated Obi-Wan, Force choking him and nearly crushing the Jedi Master with a heavy railing. An enraged Anakin continued the fight, unleashing a strength Dooku had not anticipated. The young Jedi cut off the Sith Lord’s hands, drew Dooku’s lightsaber to him, and the Separatist leader fell to his knees.
Source: http://www.starwars.com/databank/count-dooku
"The level is not necessarily an indication of the performer's talent, but it takes a truly gifted and physically skilled actor to play a powerful Jedi combatant. 'Hayden Christensen is one of the best there is,' says Gillard. 'I've seen hundreds of sword fighters, people who do it for a living, and he leaves them all in his wake. His style has changed a bit since Episode II, when he was only a level seven. On this he's a level nine.' For the curious, Gillard does not reveal any Jedi who has achieved level ten. The highest is nine, occupied by a small number of capable sword masters, including Yoda and Darth Sidious. At so high a ranking, it comes down to individual fighting styles as well as the circumstances of the surroundings that make a difference."
Source: http://web.archive.org/web/20051202222123/http://starwars.com/episode-iii/bts/production/beacon126.html
In the Jedi levels of lightsaber fighting, Obi-Wan is an eight, while Anakin, Yoda and Darth Sidious are nines.
Source: http://www.theforce.net/episode3/jtf/palpatine.asp
"When I started, I figured that a youngling is a level one. And somebody like Kit Fisto - seven. I did take it to eight and nine, but not many people know that. Eight and nine is cheat. So Obi-Wan is eight. Yoda is nine. Mace is eight, bordering on nine. Anakin is nine."
Source: https://youtu.be/Z2-iZNQrFBA?t=908
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