This Is the Best Star Wars Lightsaber Fight Ever (original) (raw)

Published Apr 26, 2023, 6:15 PM EDT

Collier Jennings is an entertainment journalist with a substantial amount of experience under his belt. Collier, or "CJ" to his friends and family, is a dedicated fan of genre films - particularly science fiction, fantasy and comic book adaptations, not to mention all forms of animation animation. This stems from a close bond with his father, who introduced him to these genres via copies of X-Men comics and reruns of the original Ultraman series. Using his near-encyclopedic knowledge and bottomless love of genre, he's been able to tackle a wide variety of articles.

The Star Wars universe is known for many things: extremely cool spaceships (with most of them named after letters in the alphabet) and alien races, a blend of science fiction and fantasy, and the Skywalkers causing chaos with their family drama. But the element that most fans remember are the lightsaber battles. From the original trilogy to the television shows - most notably Obi-Wan Kenobi and the upcoming Ahsoka - most of the action has focused on the battles that Force users have utilized with their signature glowing blades. Fans have debated which one of these fights is the greatest, but for my money it's the one that takes place in the Star Wars: Rebels episode "Twin Suns."

Obi-Wan and Darth Maul Face Off in "Twin Suns"

"Twin Suns" finds Ezra Bridger (Taylor Gray) traveling to the planet of Tatooine after a vision he received when touching a Sith Holocron. That vision caused him to exclaim: "It ends where it begins...on a planet with twin suns!" Unfortunately, Darth Maul (Sam Witwer) touched the holocron and learned that Obi-Wan Kenobi (Stephen Stanton) has taken up residence on the planet. Star Wars fans know that Obi-Wan isn't just residing there for his health, but to keep an eye on future Jedi Knight Luke Skywalker.

Ezra ends up wandering the sands of Tatooine and passing out, but is saved by Obi-Wan. Shortly after, Maul arrives, hell bent on revenge. Obi-Wan sends Ezra on his way and faces off against his former foe. When Maul threatens Luke, Obi-Wan ignites his lightsaber...and the two face off in one last duel. In a matter of three moves, Obi-Wan cuts Maul's double-bladed lightsaber in half and deals the former Sith Lord a fatal blow.

Obi-Wan and Darth Maul's Final Fight Underscores Their Characters

Lightsaber fight in Star Wars: Rebels, Twin Suns

Image via Disney

In the years since "Twin Suns" aired, most Star Wars fans have argued about its merits. Many feel that Obi-Wan and Maul's final battle lacked the epic scale that such a confrontation required, particularly as Maul was responsible for killing the two people closest to Obi-Wan: his Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn and the Duchess of Mandalore, Satine Kryze. That's quite the opposite, as there's a wealth of emotion packed into every minute of the two's confrontation.

Take their opening dialogue. Maul sneers, "Look what has become of you. A rat in the desert." Kenobi retorts, "Look what I have risen above." He's referring to how Maul has been consumed by hatred and revenge, shackled by the past. Obi-Wan, on the other hand, is focused on the future - namely, protecting Luke. It isn't until Maul catches on to the fact that Obi-Wan is protecting someone that he steps into a fighting stance.

Even their fighting stances underscore how they've changed...or haven't changed. When Obi-Wan gets into fighting position, he assumes the Soresu stance. This is the same defensive position he's used against multiple foes, from General Grevious to Darth Vader. Maul, on the other hand, shifts into a more aggressive stance...which causes Obi-Wan to lift his saber in a double-handed position.

Once again there's more to Obi-Wan's stance that meets the eye. Fans will notice that his posture is similar to the stance that Qui-Gon assumed during his lightsaber combat. Considering that Obi-Wan used his master's lightsaber to defeat Maul in Star Wars: The Phantom Menace, it's only fitting that he'd use his master's stance to finally defeat his old enemy. Rebels showrunner Dave Filoni also revealed that Akira Kurosawa's Seven Samurai influenced the final fight - which wouldn't be the first time the action epic helped shape a galaxy far, far away.

Maul's Final & Tragic Last Words

Darth Maul about to face Kenobi in Star Wars: Rebels

Image via Disney

However, the real emotional meat of the fight lies in Maul's final words. As he lies dying, he asks Obi-Wan if he's protecting the "Chosen One". When Obi-Wan replies yes, Maul utters his final words: "He will...avenge us." That single sentence underlines the tragedy that shaped the Sith Lord's life. All he knew in his life was revenge. Revenge against the Jedi for usurping the Sith, revenge on Emperor Palpatine for casting him aside and killing his brother Savage Oppress (Clancy Brown) and revenge against Obi-Wan for cutting him in half. Even his dying words are dedicated to revenge.

In contrast, Obi-Wan merely has a saddened look on his face. It speaks volumes to the Jedi Master's strength of character that he is able to "rise above" the past and show some sympathy for his enemy. Case in point: he reaches forward and closes Maul's eyes, and it's even impied that he gives the Sith Lord a proper burial in the sands of Tatooine. That is far more compelling than a exquisitely choreographed battle.

The Battle in "Twin Suns" Bears Similiarities To Another Battle

Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker in Star Wars: The Last Jedi

Image via LucasFilm

"Twin Suns" wouldn't be the first time a Jedi participated in an unorthodox lightsaber battle. In Star Wars: The Last Jedi, an aged Luke (Mark Hamill) faces off against his nephew Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) in order to give the Resistance a chance to escape. Instead of meeting Ren head on, Luke dodges and evades the younger man's blazing lightsaber. In the end, it turns out that Luke isn't even on the mineral planet of Crait - he's projected an image of himself using the Force, and this effort ends up killing him.

Like his old master Obi-Wan, Luke managed to rise above the guilt of his past actions and fight for something bigger than himself. He even takes Obi-Wan's first lesson to heart: "A Jedi uses the Force for defense, not attack." While fans may have had sequences like The Last Jedi's throne room battle or Obi-Wan, Qui-Gon and Maul's battle in The Phantom Menace, "Twin Suns" is a reminder that not every fight in the world of Star Wars needs to be flashy to have an impact. Hopefully Filoni took this lesson to heart when he was working on Ahsoka.

Star Wars: Rebels is available to stream on Disney+.