Every movie in Star Wars‘ Skywalker Saga features a lightsaber battle. It all starts with Obi-Wan Kenobi and Darth Vader on the Death Star in Star Wars: A New Hope, duking it out for the fate of Luke Skywalker and Co. The original trilogy kicks things up a notch after that, pitting Luke against Vader in two emotional duels. But lightsaber fights really get wild in the prequel trilogy. There are more Jedi than the movies know what to do with, and a good chunk of them get to show off their skills. The Sith steal the show, though, with Darth Maul giving Obi-Wan and his master, Qui-Gon Jinn, a run for their money with his double-bladed lightsaber.
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Despite knocking it out of the park in his first appearance, Maul shines just as much, if not more, in animation as in live-action. Star Wars: The Clone Wars, in particular, fleshes out his character, showing his quest for revenge against Obi-Wan and his master, who both stopped him from achieving his ultimate goal. However, Maul’s best lightsaber fight on the show, which is also the best in franchise history, doesn’t pit him against either of those powerful Force-users.
Maul Puts All His Cards on the Table in The Clone Wars Season 7
The clock is ticking in The Clone Wars‘ final season because the show is catching up to the events of Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith. The Jedi are spread thin, so they call in a former member of the Order, Ahsoka Tano, to assist them in dealing with the threat on Mandalore. Maul is the one running the planet, and he threatens to destabilize the region if he continues down his dark path. Ahsoka agrees to bring him in, but she realizes there’s more going on than meets the eye when she arrives. While the Republic forces are able to gain an edge in the battle, Maul doesn’t seem all that broken up about it. He reveals that he orchestrated the conflict to lure Obi-Wan and his former apprentice, Anakin Skywalker, to Mandalore, intending to kill them both. Ahsoka doesn’t like what she hears, so despite Maul making her a pretty good offer, she draws her lightsabers and picks a fight with the former Sith Lord.
What makes the duel special from the jump is the weight of it. Ahsoka is fighting to protect her master, who she doesn’t realize is about to turn to the dark side. She uses all of the knowledge Anakin gave her to push Maul to his limits. However, on the other hand, Maul knows that he can’t afford to lose, as ending up a prisoner of the Republic means certain death. With so much at stake, Lucasfilm pulls out all the stops, bringing in original Maul actor, Ray Park, to do the motion-capture for the character. Lauren Mary Kim is the one helping bring Ahsoka to life, and along with Park, they deliver incredible choreography, the likes of which have never been seen in Star Wars animation. The lightsaber battle ends with Ahsoka victorious, and the ripple effects it has only add to its legend.
Ahsoka & Maul Could’ve Changed Everything
It’s always hard to watch Revenge of the Sith because the outcome never changes. Anakin falls to the dark side, kills younglings, and fights his old master in an epic duel. The Clone Wars Season 7 is one of the first times that Star Wars reveals that things almost ended up very differently. Had Ahsoka and Maul teamed up, they could’ve gotten the jump on Palpatine and potentially recruited a few surviving Jedi to their side. All of that power may have been too much for the Emperor to handle, especially with his new apprentice burned to a crisp on Mustafar. Instead, Ahsoka chooses not to trust Maul, which is easy to understand in the moment.
But watching the two fight instead of talking only adds to the pain. Of course, the Obi-Wan and Anakin fight in Revenge of the Sith is more epic, but there’s never a sliver of hope. A New Hope already reveals that Obi-Wan is going to win and leave his former apprentice behind. Ahsoka and Maul going at it truly had the potential to change things, but it ends up as just another tragic moment in Star Wars history.
Star Wars: The Clone Wars is streaming on Disney+.
Do you think Maul versus Ahsoka is the best lightsaber fight in Star Wars history? Does it make you view Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith differently? Let us know in the comments below!
