Kind of Crazy How Maul Hadn’t Used a Double-Bladed Lightsaber in a Duel for 13 Years When He Fought Ahsoka in S7. No Wonder He Was Rusty

Before facing Ahsoka in The Clone Wars Season 7, the last time Maul wielded his double-bladed lightsaber in a major duel was during his iconic battle with Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon Jinn in The Phantom Menace. 

But after being defeated and left for dead, Maul’s life took a drastic turn. 

By the time he resurfaced in The Clone Wars series, he had moved away from his signature weapon.

This shift away from his double-bladed lightsaber could be one reason why Maul struggled against Ahsoka during the Siege of Mandalore. 

But there’s more to it than just that. The deeper reasons behind Maul’s loss to Ahsoka reveal a lot about both characters and why Maul never stood a chance. 

Let’s dive into why.

What Maul Was Using Instead

After his return, Maul didn’t often wield the double-bladed lightsaber. Instead, we saw him using the Darksaber and other standard single-bladed lightsabers. 

In The Clone Wars Season 4, for example, when Maul first reappeared, he was using a makeshift saber created from parts of a fallen Sith Inquisitor’s lightsaber.

In the years following, Maul’s focus shifted from being purely a combatant to a mastermind behind the Shadow Collective, positioning himself more as a manipulator of events rather than directly engaging in combat. 

So, by the time of The Clone Wars Season 7, it had been a full 13 years since Maul last wielded his double-bladed lightsaber in a serious duel.

His rusty handling of the weapon when facing Ahsoka may have been the result of his long absence from its use. 

Maul, while still formidable, hadn’t practiced with the dual blade in years, which may have made his strikes less precise compared to his earlier encounters. 

During the fight with Ahsoka, the stakes were high, and yet you can see he wasn’t as fluid with his weapon as he was in his youth.

The Fight with Ahsoka

You can tell right away that Maul hadn’t used his double-bladed lightsaber in a serious fight for a long time by the time he went up against Ahsoka. 

Before this, the last time he truly relied on it was way back during his duel with Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon. Even Ahsoka picked up on how rusty he was. 

She straight up tells him, “You’re lucky Anakin didn’t show up. The way you’re fighting, you wouldn’t have lasted long.” 

And she’s not wrong. After just a few clashes, she could see right through Maul’s technique.

That wasn’t just a casual comment from Ahsoka—it was part of her tactic. She knew that by pointing out Maul’s weakness, she’d rattle him. And a frustrated Maul is more likely to slip up, giving Ahsoka the opening she needs to turn the fight in her favor.

Ahsoka was being strategic. Get Maul angry enough, throw him off his game, and he’ll start making mistakes. And when he does, she’s ready to take advantage.

Maybe Maul Didn’t Go All Out Against Ahsoka

You can tell from the very beginning of Maul’s fight with Ahsoka that he wasn’t just focused on defeating her, Maul was actually looking for a new apprentice. 

Losing his brother, Savage Opress, to Palpatine wasn’t just a personal loss for Maul; it was also the loss of the apprentice he was grooming to help take down Sidious. 

But here’s the thing—Maul’s ambition to rule as a Sith Lord didn’t die with Savage. 

If anything, it made him more desperate to find someone who could help him achieve that goal.

And who does Maul set his eyes on? Ahsoka. He saw in her the potential to be the perfect apprentice. 

Before their duel even kicked off, Maul was already trying to convince her to join him. He told her that together, they could take down Sidious. 

You can almost see Maul thinking, “This could work.” He tried to connect with her by pointing out how both of them had been betrayed—Ahsoka by the Jedi Council, and Maul by Sidious.

Right before the final moments of their duel, Maul made one last attempt to sway Ahsoka to his side. He knew how powerful she was and believed she could help him take down Sidious. 

But Ahsoka stood her ground, refusing his offer with a firm “Never!” Maul, thrown off by her defiance, miscalculated his final strike, nearly falling to his death. 

Yet, in true Ahsoka fashion, she saved him instead of letting him die, handing him over to the 501st Legion.

Even After Ahsoka’s Refusal, Maul’s Hunt for an Apprentice Doesn’t Stop

When Ahsoka rejects Maul’s offer to join him in overthrowing Sidious during their duel on Mandalore, Maul’s quest for an apprentice doesn’t stop there. 

Not long after Ahsoka turned him down, Maul set his sights on someone else: Ezra Bridger. 

In Star Wars Rebels, Maul encountered Ezra on Malachor and quickly recognized the boy’s potential. 

Unlike Ahsoka, who had been trained by the Jedi and was deeply rooted in the light side, Ezra was still searching for his place in the galaxy, unsure of which path to follow.

For Maul, this was an opportunity too good to pass up. 

Much like how Sidious had once manipulated Anakin, Maul tried to lure Ezra with promises of unlocking his full potential. 

He dangled the idea of power in front of Ezra, suggesting that with his help, Ezra could protect the people he cared about and grow stronger. 

By presenting himself as a mentor and guide, Maul hoped to mold Ezra into his apprentice, continuing his relentless quest for power and vengeance against the Sith.

But Ezra, after learning from his experiences and understanding Maul’s true intentions, ultimately refused to follow Maul. 

Maul’s plan began to crumble when he manipulated Ezra into believing that Obi-Wan Kenobi held the key to defeating the Sith. 

Trusting in Maul’s vision, Ezra journeyed to Tatooine, only to find himself alone and pursued by Maul.

In a twist of fate, Ezra encountered Obi-Wan, who revealed that the vision had been nothing more than a trap set by Maul. 

In this final moment, Obi-Wan once again faced his old enemy. The battle between Maul and Obi-Wan unfolded swiftly, with Maul wielding his iconic double-bladed lightsaber, a weapon he hadn’t used in a serious duel for years. 

His rustiness was apparent, and though Maul was still dangerous, he was not at the height of his prowess. 

Obi-Wan, calm and focused, quickly read through Maul’s predictable attacks, bringing their long-standing rivalry to a definitive and final end.