Darth Maulvoice actor Sam Witwer has perfectly explained the final showdown between Maul andObi-Wan KenobiinStar Wars Rebels, and it has me seeing their epic duel in a completely new light. Darth Maul’sStar Warsstory has only become more interesting asStar Warsmovies and TV showshave expanded. Initially, it seemed as though Maul died inStar Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace.
Star Wars: The Clone Warsthen shocked audiences by revealing Darth Maul lived after all, and he was then given a more fleshed out arc that expanded into otherStar Warsprojects, includingRebelsandSolo: A Star Wars Story. It was inRebelsthat Darth Maul met his true end, fittingly at the hands of Obi-Wan Kenobi, on Tatooine.Sam Witwer’s insights into the details of this final face-off between the two long-time foes has me seeing this duel in a brand-new light, though, and I can’t believe how meaningful it is.
According To Witwer, There’s One Reason Obi-Wan Won This Last Darth Maul Duel
This Explanation Completely Changed My View On This Duel
Sam Witwer has now voiced Darth Maul in multipleStar Warsprojects, and he is returning as the character once again in a newly-announcedStar Warsshow,Maul: Shadow Lord. With decades of playing Darth Maul now under his belt, it’s clear that Witwer has come to deeply understand the character—perhaps better than anyone. This is clear in a video posted on TikTok bystarwarsvision, in which Witwer explains the meaning behind Obi-Wan and Darth Maul’s duel inRebels.
In Witwer’s explanation, he provides significantly more context for the decisions Obi-Wan Kenobi makes in this episode ofRebels. As Witwer explains,this moment is really a transformative one for Obi-Wan,who takes a clear step away from the Obi-Wan of the Clone Wars era, who was a soldier, and towards a new version of himself that has moved beyond this need for violence. It is ultimately this change that allows Obi-Wan to defeat Darth Maul.
Obi-Wan’s victory in this duel therefore came down to one fact: Obi-Wan had changed, while Darth Maul hadn’t. Rather, Darth Maul saw Obi-Wan’s move, recognized it as similar to Qui-Gon Jinn’s inThe Phantom Menace, and believed he knew exactly how to defeat Obi-Wan because of it. What he didn’t account for, though, was that Obi-Wan had changed, grown, and become more powerful and in control than he was all those years ago, and for that reason, he anticipated Maul’s move and was able to defeat him.
There’s So Much Symbolism In This Rebels Scene
This Was As Important To Obi-Wan’s Journey As It Was To Maul’s
Hearing Witwer explain the choices Obi-Wan and Darth Maul made in this scene really did open my eyes to just how symbolic it was. Of course, some elements of this were obvious. After all, this was the final showdown between Obi-Wan Kenobi and Darth Maul, happening on Tatooine, where Maul had first encountered Qui-Gon Jinn and Anakin Skywalker.In many ways, this was the location that started it all. It was also visibly meaningful for Obi-Wan to essentially hold Darth Maul as he died, showing how much he had grown.
Yet, I hadn’t noticed just how intentional Obi-Wan’s lightsaber moves were in this scene, specifically regarding how Obi-Wan’s lightsaber positions reflected the different versions of Obi-Wan. There have been manyactors who have played Obi-Wan Kenobi, andStar Warshas certainly done a great job of creating continuity between those different portrayals. Yet, thinking about thisRebelsscene in terms of Obi-Wan transitioning from Ewan McGregor’s Obi-Wan to Alec Guinness' was incredibly powerful.
This Really Is One Of Star Wars' Best Duels
The Thought That Went Into This Duel Is Evident, Especially With This Explanation
Ultimately, these details only confirm that this battle between Obi-Wan Kenobi and Darth Maul inRebelsis one ofStar Wars’best lightsaber duels. While there have been duels inStar Warsthat have been more impressive in terms of the choreography, the Duel of the Fates battle between Obi-Wan Kenobi, Qui-Gon Jinn, and Darth Maul being one of them,the symbolism and significance of this duel makes it one of the best. This is also the (actual) end of Maul’s life, so that alone makes it profound.
In addition to the powerful nature of the duel itself, this explanation provided by Witwer just proves how great he is in the role of Darth Maul. Despite coming into the role after Ray Park played him in live-action inThe Phantom Menace, Witwer has made the character his own, and it’s evident that he knows Maul on a deep level. Not only does this make me so much more invested in this final fight betweenDarth Mauland Obi-Wan Kenobi inRebels, but it also makes me so much more excited about Maul’s upcoming show,Maul: Shadow Lord.
