Combat in LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga is more dynamic, engaging, and surprisingly deep compared to its predecessors. Gone are the days of simple button mashing — the revamped mechanics now borrow heavily from major Star Wars games like Jedi: Fallen Order and Battlefront II. If you’re looking to maximize your damage, style, and efficiency in battle, here are eight essential combat tips that will change how you fight across the galaxy.

1. Master the Quick Get-Up
When you’re hit by an area-of-effect (AOE) attack, you’ll get knocked down. Normally, your character takes a few moments to stand up on their own, but if you press the jump button at the precise moment you hit the ground, your character springs back to their feet instantly. This is directly inspired by Jedi: Fallen Order and gives you a critical advantage in recovering quickly to continue your assault or defense.

2. Use the Lunge Attack to Close the Gap
Another mechanic borrowed from Battlefront II, the lunge attack allows your character to cover distance fast while striking. When you initiate an attack at mid-range, your character will leap forward and land a hit. It’s perfect for starting combos or closing in on retreating enemies. It also sets you up beautifully for a quick string of hits before the enemy can respond.

3. Time Your Parries for Tactical Advantage
Yes, parrying is possible in LEGO Star Wars. If you block right as an enemy’s attack is about to connect, you’ll execute a parry that knocks the opponent backward. While there’s no stamina bar like in Fallen Order, the parry opens a brief window where you can counterattack. And when combined with the lunge mechanic, it creates a smooth and aggressive flow — parry, lunge, and combo. It’s flashy, effective, and helps you stay in control.

4. Learn the Throw Combo (Light + Light + Heavy)
One of the most satisfying combos in the game involves grabbing your opponent and slamming them into the ground. This is usually performed with two light attacks followed by a heavy attack (Square, Square, Circle on PlayStation; X, X, B on Xbox). Each character has a unique animation for this throw, and it’s especially effective for one-on-one engagements. Use this to disorient enemies and follow up with a finisher while they’re down. General Grievous is a great example — his throw sets up perfect blaster shots.

5. Lightsaber Multi-Target Throw
Characters who can throw lightsabers also have the ability to lock onto multiple enemies before releasing the attack. This allows your saber to arc through all selected targets in a single throw — making it a powerful crowd control tool. It’s also excellent for quickly destroying multiple objects in an area to collect studs. Damage per hit is modest, but occasionally you’ll get a double return hit for a significant boost. It’s clean, cinematic, and super efficient.

6. Bounty Hunters Are Overpowered — Use Them
Among the many class types in the game, Bounty Hunters are absolutely dominant. Their class-specific upgrades include Scattershot for AoE damage, Enemy Scanner for seeing through walls, Shock Grenades for stunning groups, and Hidden Bounties that award extra studs on every kill. When fully upgraded, a Bounty Hunter becomes a self-sufficient wrecking crew. If you want an easy time in Free Play or are trying to blast through objectives quickly, bring a bounty hunter — you’ll thank yourself later.

7. Abuse the Heavy Attack (Especially as Grievous)
Heavy attacks might feel slower, but their damage and crowd control potential are huge. Many characters have unique heavy chains. Palpatine and Snoke, for example, unleash a stream of Sith lightning. But General Grievous truly stands out. With his spinning sabers, Grievous becomes a storm of destruction. Spam heavy attacks, and you’ll be able to wipe out groups of enemies while looking terrifyingly awesome. It’s reminiscent of his Unrelenting Advance move from Battlefront II — but here, it’s endless.

8. Use Combat Slides for Burst Damage
Scoundrel and Astromech classes can perform a combat slide — a fast-moving attack that can be upgraded to deal major damage. When maxed out, a clean hit can deal upwards of 40 damage, enough to one-shot weaker enemies like B1 battle droids. Scoundrels also benefit from follow-ups, like chaining a slide into a ranged shot or melee combo. The move is also great for quickly destroying objects in the environment for extra studs. And yes, slide-canceling is a thing — not entirely useful here like in shooters, but fun to mess with nonetheless.

Final Thoughts
The Skywalker Saga’s combat may not be brutally difficult, but it’s packed with potential for creative play. By learning how mechanics like parrying, lunging, and class-based attacks work together, you can chain together some seriously stylish takedowns. The game borrows from the best parts of modern Star Wars titles, which makes its battles feel familiar yet fresh. So if you’re coming from games like Fallen Order or Battlefront, you’ll feel right at home — just with more bricks. Try out these combat tips and bring balance (and mayhem) to the Force.