Form V, also known by its two primary disciplines of Shien and Djem So, as well as The Way of the Krayt Dragon or The Perseverance Form, was the fifth of seven forms recognized as canon by the last Jedi Council for lightsaber combat. It was developed by practitioners of Form III who felt that the defensively minded form unnecessarily extended time spent in combat by forcing its users to wait for an opportunity to strike rather than create their own openings. Form V combat was characterized by power attacks and defense immediately followed by a counterstrike.

Shien, considered the classical variant of Form V, was more adept at blocking blaster bolts than for blade-to-blade combat, whereas Djem So was developed later and was specifically intended for use in lightsaber combat. Both Shien and Djem So were designed to use an opponent’s attack against them, as evidenced by Shien’s focus on returning blaster bolts to their origin and Djem So’s emphasis on immediate counterattacks. Although some Jedi felt that Form V encouraged aggression and domination, that sentiment did not stop many Jedi from practicing the form.

Form V was developed sometime prior to the Great Sith War, which began in 3996 BBY, and it continued to be used for millennia, during the Jedi Civil War, New Sith Wars, Clone Wars, and beyond. Like the other lightsaber forms, it saw use among both the Sith and Jedi. Knowledge of the form survived the Great Jedi Purge initiated in 19 BBY and into the era of the New Jedi Order. Practitioners of Form V included Jedi Masters Aayla Secura, Adi Gallia, Plo Koon and Luke Skywalker, Jedi Knights Anakin Skywalker and Ulic Qel-Droma, and Dark Lord of the Sith Darth Bane.