Go Behind the Scenes of Epic Obi-Wan vs. Maul Showdown in 'Star Wars Rebels'

One of the most exciting, and to some fans, most disappointing, moments in the last season of Star [...]

By Patrick Cavanaugh

One of the most exciting, and to some fans, most disappointing, moments in the last season of Star Wars Rebels was the rematch between Obi-Wan Kenobi and Maul. To celebrate the upcoming Blu-ray release on August 29, Disney released a new featurette to explore what made the duel so compelling.

The last time the two characters met, Obi-Wan was far younger, unpredictable, and untrained. Maul was ruthless and cocky, which led to his supposed demise.

Time has been hard on the former adversaries, with Obi-Wan growing older and wiser in his years while Maul has grown more desperate and erratic. These traits manifest in the duel, which was far more mundane than the last time we saw them confront one another, but their motives were much more deliberate.

Star Wars Rebels creator Dave Filoni cites a showdown from The Last Samurai as his inspiration for the sequence. Additionally, Filoni notes not only the similar motivations of the characters from the classic film, but how he even modeled their physical behaviors after the sequence.

Another interesting detail the director explores is how Obi-Wan was clearly influenced by Qui-Gon Jinn in the showdown, after having witnessed his master's death at the hands of Maul.

While Maul might be out of the picture once again, we won't be surprised to see Obi-Wan appear in the upcoming final season of the series.

The final season of Star Wars Rebels premieres this fall.

This animated entry in the "Star Wars" franchise fills the gap between the events of "Episode III" and "Episode IV." Imperial forces occupy a remote planet and are ruling -- and ruining -- its inhabitants' lives with an iron fist. A clever, disparate crew aboard the starship Ghost takes a stand against the Empire, facing new villains and colorful adversaries. The rebels on the Ghost include leader Kanan, ace pilot Hera, feisty heroine Sabine, tough guy Zeb and 14-year-old con artist Ezra.

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