The latest episode of Star Wars Rebels had Obi-Wan battling Darth Maul one last time, and though fans were expecting a huge all out duel, what they got was a five-second clash which ended [SPOILER] in Maul's death. Showrunner Dave Filoni is quite aware that the scene is rather short, but he explains why they decided to have it that way.
Speaking to io9, Filoni reveals that they shortened the battle to show how Obi-Wan and Maul have grown over the years since they first fought. He says:
"I've done a lot of prolonged lightsaber battles over the years and I think what's most important about any kind of confrontation is what's riding on it.
"I felt strongly Obi-Wan, if he could help it, would really rather not kill Darth Maul. Obi-Wan is at a point, in my mind, where he's become rather enlightened. He's been in the desert discovering who he is, really evolving as a character. He's not that young brash kid that went into a fight with Maul out of anger for the fact his master was killed. It can't be that same situation this is so many years later. Maul, for his part, is pretty much hung up on that exact moment. That's where his life went wrong. He can't let it go."
Filoni also explains that the show was trying to imply the difference between the Jedi and the Sith. Obi-Wan grows and becomes selfless, while Maul is still selfish after all these years — such is the way of the Sith.
Maul's life also ended with him being cradled by Obi-Wan in his arms, and Filoni says the reason for this was because:
"So Obi-Wan is going to strike down Maul because Maul is such a broken and lost person, which I think is why in the end you see Maul being cradled by Obi-Wan. This idea is that Obi-Wan is willing to forgive this person who is so cruel and terrible because he feels pity for him. To his dying breath Maul is hoping there will be some revenge exacted upon his enemies. And in my mind, Obi-Wan expresses sadness there because that means that Maul has never grown and will never be released from his suffering. So I felt that moment had to be beyond a lightsaber fight and had to be more an expression of their characters."
Reactions to the episode have become pretty divisive online, with a lot of fans expecting a final all out duel between the two. Some have went to defend the fight, saying that it's very reminiscent of old samurai movies — something that Star Wars drew inspiration from.
The third season of Star Wars Rebels ends this Saturday at 8:30 pm ET/PT on Disney XD.
See Also: Maul Voice Actor Promises "Unrestrained" Star Wars Rebels Season 3 Finale
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