In Season 3 of Rebels, did we witness a climactic duel between Obi-Wan and Maul? Yes and no. The final fight brought their rivalry and character clashes to an end, but the fight was so quick that it was over before it began. Why did Maul lose so quickly to Obi-Wan? The short-term reason is related to Obi-Wan’s strategy, but the long-term one has more to do with their mental states.
Why Maul Lost So Quickly, Part 1
We can get a quick answer for why Maul lost so quickly from this video. In their final duel, Obi-Wan initially posed as Qui-Gon did when he had faced Maul and lost. Obi-Wan purposely did this move to throw Maul off and make him think he was going to repeat what Qui-Gon had done. But Obi-Wan didn’t, and his “trick” worked quite quickly.
We get a further breakdown of Obi-Wan’s move here, providing a more step-by-step analysis. Coinciding with the actual scene, we saw Obi-Wan at first take his “traditional lightsaber pose” that indicated he was ready to fight. Then, he positioned himself into a defensive position that aligned with his Form III style of combat and indicated that Kenobi meant to “outlast” his opponent.
Third, Obi-Wan shifted to a position that very much resembled Qui-Gon’s side-holding move. He did this exactly to lure in Maul, who responded by trying to replicate his kill move against Qui-Gon. As Maul attempted to thrust his hilt up at Obi-Wan’s chin, however, Kenobi countered by striking through Maul’s hilt and into him.
This synopsis reflects Obi-Wan’s short-term strategy and how we can explain the short duration in terms of Kenobi outsmarting Maul. Yet, there is also a deeper story behind this trick move.
Why Maul Lost So Quickly, Part 2
In the long term, Obi-Wan drew on his knowledge of lightsaber fighting and Maul’s style to prepare him for this moment. He also utilized his built-up wisdom.
Obi-Wan’s mental training had taught him, as a fan has stated, that “Maul was an arrogant fool.” While Kenobi had learned patience and a deep connection to the Force, he knew that Maul had not. In the 18 years between Obi-Wan’s duel in The Phantom Menace and the final one in the “Twin Suns” episode, Obi-Wan had truly become a wiser Jedi, while Maul ran counter to that.
Initially, Kenobi had likewise festered in the hatred and rivalry, as Maul did. But Obi-Wan matured and was now protecting Luke on Tatooine after the fall of the Jedi. As we headed into their final confrontation, the two were in quite different psychological states of mind.
We get a sense of Maul’s state of mind right from the beginning of the episode. As Maul said, “Lost. I am lost. And yet…I can feel his presence.” Maul was festering in his revenge and ultimately delivered his trademark, “KENOBI!!!!!!!” Audiences felt Maul’s “exasperation and rage” as he called out in the desert.
As Dave Filoni commented about the duel, the intention was to express “the difference between the Jedi and the Sith.” That is, it reflects the selfless nature of Obi-Wan by that point in time and how the Sith, including Maul, “remain selfish.” Moreover, Maul had evolved into “such a broken and lost person” by their final fight.
Maul was resourceful and resilient, from surviving his first behalving to building Crimson Dawn. Yet, for all that character development, he still was mired in anger and obsessing about revenge. Since he didn’t progress much in maturity, Obi-Wan knew that his choice of maneuvers would be predictable.
In the long run, as Obi-Wan became a true Jedi Master, he also “had a lot of time to think about that duel” that had taken Qui-Gon’s life. In reverse, Maul fixated on how he was stronger than Obi-Wan and lusted to kill him. Kenobi demonstrated his state of mind by being compassionate toward Maul after striking him down.
On a more practical level, Maul’s dueling skills had also deteriorated since his first fight with Obi-Wan. In The Phantom Menace, Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon engaged with Maul, a tribute to the latter’s formidability. But, in the final duel, Maul was “no longer the agile fighter he once was.” Obi-Wan wasn’t as agile either, but coinciding with his mental state, he made up for it by being “a smarter fighter.”
Maul Lost Quickly
The final duel between Obi-Wan and Maul is both climactic and brief. It completed the encompassing story about these two characters. Even with the fight’s swift conclusion, long-term developments were embedded in the choices each made in their final moments together. Obi-Wan drew on wisdom and intelligence, while Maul was stuck in his hatred and arrogance.