- "'Peace through superior firepower."
- ―Cristo
Form V, also known by its two primary disciplines Shien and Djem So, as well as The Way of the Krayt Dragon or The Perseverance Form, was the fifth of the seven forms of lightsaber combat. It was developed by practitioners of Form III who felt that the defensively-minded form would unnecessarily extend 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 counter-strike.
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 counter-attacks. Although some Jedi felt that Form V encouraged aggression and domination, that sentiment did not stop many Jedi from practicing the form.