The final showdown between Obi-Wan Kenobi and Maul is one of Star Wars Rebels‘ most memorable scenes – so, what episode is it in?
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What Star Wars Rebels Episode Is Obi-Wan vs. Maul In?
Obi-Wan vs. Maul is in Star Wars Rebels Season 3, Episode 20, “Twin Suns.” You’ll have to sit through a decent chunk of the episode’s 21-minute runtime to get to the duel itself, though. Indeed, most of “Twin Suns” is spent building up anticipation for its climactic fight, with Maul manipulating Ezra Bridger into leading him to Kenobi’s doorstep on Tatooine. Ezra ultimately does just that, although Obi-Wan – now older and wiser than when he last faced Maul – is reluctant to trade blows with his long-time rival. But when Maul implicitly threatens Luke Skywalker’s life, Obi-Wan ignites his lightsaber and it’s go time.
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The pair trade a flurry of blows, before Maul attempts to bash Kenobi’s chin with the hilt of his double-bladed lightsaber. Obi-Wan – having previously seen Maul pull this move on his late master, Qui-Gon Jinn – isn’t suckered in, though. Instead, he slices through Maul’s weapon – and the former Sith Lord himself! Maul collapses, and Obi-Wan stoops down to cradle his oldest enemy. As he dies, Maul asks Kenobi if Luke is destined to destroy the Sith. The aged Jedi Master responds in the affirmative. And with that, Maul dies content in the knowledge that his former master, Darth Sidious, will eventually get what’s coming to him.
Twin Suns Director Breaks Down Obi-Wan vs. Maul
A key talking point around Star Wars Rebels‘ Obi-Wan/Maul duel is its brevity, especially compared to the prequel trilogy’s epic dust-ups. “Twin Suns” co-writer/director (and Star Wars Rebels co-creator) Dave Filoni unpacked this bold creative choice in a 2017 Gizmodo interview. “The instinct would be, and probably, I admit, the expectation, is for some kind of prolonged lightsaber battle,” Filoni said. “But I’ve done a lot of prolonged lightsaber battles over the years and I think what’s most important about any kind of confrontation is what’s riding on it. What’s the tension going into it? It starts to matter less and less how you swing a sword or how creatively you do it if there’s not a lot riding on it.”
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Filoni also argued that Obi-Wan’s swift takedown of Maul speaks to the wider themes of the Star Wars franchise. “It really is to express the difference between the Jedi and the Sith,” he explained. “Which is the Jedi become selfless and the Sith remain selfish. When pressed, because Obi-Wan is protecting someone else in the end, he does fight. But because he is so true and knows who he is in that moment, you can’t defeat that. So Obi-Wan is going to strike down Maul because Maul is such a broken and lost person, which I think is why in the end you see Maul being cradled by Obi-Wan.”
Star Wars Rebels is currently streaming on Disney+, as part of the platform’s Star Wars collection.
