Obi-Wan Kenobi and Darth Maul are two of the most iconic characters in Star Wars, and each of their duels are some of the best moments in the franchise. First introduced in Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace, Maul quickly became a fan-favorite villain for his memorable design, intimidating presence, and superb skill with a lightsaber, making him the ultimate rival for Obi-Wan. However, Obi-Wan cutting Maul in half at the end of the movie seemed to have ended his story just as it began.
Thankfully, Star Wars: The Clone Wars recognized that Maul still had potential and revived the character in season 4, equipped with a pair of robot legs and unyielding hatred for Obi-Wan. This gave the two a rematch fans could only have dreamed of and created a long-term rivalry that would push Obi-Wan to his limit and shape Maul into an even greater villain. Obi-Wan and Maul have had six duels since 1999, some underwhelming and others the best fights in the Star Wars movies and TV shows.
Following Darth Maul’s return in The Clone Wars season 4, the season 5 premiere promised another epic rematch between Obi-Wan and the resurrected Sith Lord. Their showdown on Florrum amidst a war between pirate factions is appropriately epic, highlighted by Kevin Kiner’s score and the lightsaber choreography. Obi-Wan’s reaction to Adi Gallia’s death is heartbreaking, but seeing him come within an inch of killing Savage Opress before Maul stops him offers a rare glimpse of Obi-Wan’s fury.
However, Obi-Wan and Maul’s duel is somewhat overshadowed by Adi Gallia’s more exciting duel with Savage Opress, who gets to wield a double lightsaber and use his own horns to stab his opponent. Kiner’s score also feels like it could have been saved for a fight with higher stakes in a more interesting setting, making it feel like the music is attempting to compensate for a relatively average duel. Obi-Wan and Maul are still at their best, but their other duels are more engaging.
While Obi-Wan and Maul’s second Clone Wars duel may have left something to be desired, their first fight in the season 4 finale was everything fans could have hoped for. The dark lighting with all four opponents wielding red lightsabers is a visual treat, and unlike the duel in season 5, the characters are much more in sync as they fight each other. When the characters split off, it’s much more engaging because of their histories, and the choreography is incredible, with Maul showcasing impressive spins and using his new robot legs to send Obi-Wan flying.
Of course, Maul’s biggest advantage in this duel is using words to unbalance Obi-Wan, something he never did in Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace. Fighting out of anger and hatred was something viewers had never seen from Obi-Wan in The Clone Wars, revealing another aspect of his character and proving he had met his match in Maul. It’s the perfect setup for a rivalry that would last throughout The Clone Wars and beyond.
Obi-Wan’s final duel with Maul in Star Wars Rebels is difficult to rank because it contains the best and worst aspects of a lightsaber duel. The scene is a visual masterpiece with perfect lighting that sets the tone while allowing the lightsabers to illuminate the characters’ faces, and it has some of Kevin Kiner’s best music that perfectly builds tension as each opponent prepares to strike. Having characters anticipate each other’s moves before attacking is a brilliant departure from the typical formula of a lightsaber duel, culminating in Obi-Wan defeating Maul in only three moves.
Unfortunately, this means the final showdown between these iconic Star Wars characters is far too short. When the episode premiered in 2017, Star Wars Rebels had been building to this moment for a full season, it had been five years since Maul’s return in The Clone Wars, and it had been 18 years since these characters first fought in The Phantom Menace. The final conversation and standoff are amazing, but after years of waiting to see how their rivalry would end, audiences deserved a final Obi-Wan and Maul duel that was at least a little longer.
Star Wars Rebels was only the second version of Obi-Wan and Maul’s final duel, as they originally fought on Tatooine in the short comic “Old Wounds” by Aaron McBride. The first story in Star Wars: Visionaries, which gave concept artists from Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith a chance to write their own stories, “Old Wounds” inspired the version of Maul that would later be used for his return in The Clone Wars. Even though the story was never considered canon, it’s a fascinating alternate version of Obi-Wan and Maul’s final showdown.
McBride accomplishes a great deal in only 13 pages, showing Maul’s obsession with Obi-Wan and perfectly capturing their impressive lightsaber movies in every frame. While this version of their duel is short, it feels a bit more satisfying because they’re given a chance to fight, and Obi-Wan nearly unleashing the anger he feels toward Maul and himself by activating his lightsaber is a chilling image. Because the “Old Wounds” version of Maul hasn’t seen Obi-Wan since The Phantom Menace, they don’t have as much history as they did in Rebels, but the fight itself is engaging and gorgeously illustrated.
The Clone Wars season 5 premiere gave Obi-Wan a second duel with Maul and Savage Opress, resulting in one of the show’s best duels and one of Obi-Wan’s most exciting fights in the Star Wars franchise. Normally, two Jedi fight one Sith, so it was a delightful surprise to see Obi-Wan fearlessly face two Sith while masterfully wielding two lightsabers. Obi-Wan’s acrobatic dodges and dynamic attacks with a lightsaber highlight the advantages of The Clone Wars being an animated series, and the shot of him deflecting Maul and Savage’s blade is one of the most gorgeous shots in the show.
After several duels of Maul using others against Obi-Wan, it’s interesting to see Obi-Wan use Savage against Maul. In a moment of poetic justice, Obi-Wan cuts off Savage’s arm with the lightsaber of the Jedi Master he killed, throwing Maul off balance and forcing him to end the duel to help his brother. Although Obi-Wan and Maul would meet again in The Clone Wars, this would be their last real duel for many years, and Obi-Wan’s victory makes it all the more satisfying.
Even after 25 years, Obi-Wan’s first duel with Darth Maul in The Phantom Menace is still their best, and arguably the greatest lightsaber duel in Star Wars. Every character has a chance to shine in this fight, especially Ray Park as Maul, showing audiences how epic lightsaber duels could be. The brief pause in the duel brilliantly conveys each character not with words, but through action: Qui-Gon Jinn is calm and patient, Maul paces like a predator, and Obi-Wan stands impatiently, eager to rush to his master’s side.
Once Qui-Gon is killed, Obi-Wan and Maul can show the full range of their ability, attacking and deflecting with lightning speed. Obi-Wan leaping out of the shaft and slicing Maul in half became an iconic Star Wars moment and, unbeknownst to audiences at the time, set up a rivalry that would last for decades. Topped off by John Williams’ phenomenal “Duel of the Fates,” Obi-Wan and Kenobi’s first Star Wars duel is undoubtedly the best.