For all of you who have been asking for more cheese in videos: you're welcome? For those of you interested in today's sponsor, head to www.bespokepost.com/bearup20 and use code BEARUP20 to get 20% off your first box. And regardless, hope you enjoyed the Star Wars and the cheese making.
9:20 Obi-Wan had to get himself together because he had little Leia to deal with. I had to learn these things dealing with my daughter. Thankfully I followed his teachings. Lol 🤣 🐶 🐕
@@WhimsicalEloquence I fear it may just be for the North Americans on account of sometimes they send oysters and food. The perils of being sponsored by a company that sends physical things!
Something I love about your Obi-wan analysis is your knowledge that his whole style revolves around "an opportune moment". Even back in A New Hope, Obi-wan waits for Luke to be watching before he lets Vader win. Unlike Anakin/Vader, Obi-wan has always been situationally aware. He was never blinded by the same focus on victory.
Which is entertaining as "be mindful of the living Force, Obi-wan" was one of Quigon's last teachings to him. Also that Yoda tells tales about Obi-wan to Luke "Never his mind on where he was, what he was doin'!" Obiwas learned this lesson very well indeed!
@@adedow1333 Well Ankin's problem might be that his mind is too much in the moment... Ahsoka has a similar problem too where she has to learn to slow down and look around instead of just acting but she learns the lesson.
Interestingly about the Ep 3 fight as well is that Vader is far more cautious of Obi-wan than he is here, here he assumes Obi-wan is old and weak, and even later on when Obi-wan is older and weaker, he's still incredibly paranoid, and Obi-wan plays into that, making verbal jabs at him, and then when, as you said, the opportune moment comes, not only does he inspire Luke, but he robs Vader of his victory, leaving him truly with nothing
@@PrincessOzaline I think the main difference between Ashoka and Anakin can be boiled down to that where they both have many of the same flaws, Anakin was able to compensate by being ~Palpatine's specialist boy~ the Chosen One, as well as his insane power in the force, Ahsoka was instead forced to grow as a person. Anakin used his power as a crutch, and Palpatine manipulated events so he never got advice he trusted as to how to stop- killing Qui-Gon, plunging the Galaxy into war, etc, even just being unpleasant enough so that the Jedi council never wanted to work with him and always tried to undercut his influence (which looked to Anakin like Palpatine appreciated him but the Jedi didn't). The Clone Wars could've made that super irritating in any number of ways- accidentally having Anakin learn too many good lessons which undermine his canon appearance, imply Ahsoka was just wiser than her master, have one or both of them just become boring caricatures of their ability and inability to learn from setbacks, or anything else- but they really threaded the needle. When Ahsoka failed she would reflect on it and try something new and it would work, whereas at nearly every stage where Anakin hits a roadblock, being more violent and ruthless solves it for him ("he was going to blow up the ship", "I don't have such weaknesses", "is it possible to learn this power?", etc). Even them leaving the Order is very much an Ahsoka Response vs an Anakin Response. "I need some space to deal with everything and I don't think it can be here" vs "screw everything they ever wrought and the space-horse they road in on, I'm all in on Palpatine".
"Be mindful of your surroundings." "Be mindful of your feelings." Obi-Wan is aware of both and therefore is happy to play a waiting game. He also knows the one time he didn't, it almost cost him dearly which was when he fought Darth Maul the first time. If Maul hadn't indulged his arrogance and forgotten that Qui-Gon still had a Lightsaber, Obi-Wan would have been dead. So he's learned you have to be patient, bide your time and see what's going on around you.
A little detail about that final fight that i loved, though it's not really about the fighting itself, is Vader telling Obiwan that he didn't kill Anakin, Vader did. If you watch the lighting it's blue when he says "I am not your fault Obiwan, you didn't kill Anakin Skywalker" and then it turns red after he says "I did" and smiles like a serial killer. Hayden Christensen has said in interviews that that was deliberate, and the first part was the little bit of Anakin that was still in there that Luke eventually reaches trying to absolve Obiwan of guilt and pain. Just beautiful, and yet really subtle.
My daughter and I discussed, at length, the wonderful use of lighting in both the first and last fight. It was brilliant, and really informed the watcher in ways that many weren't even aware of. That fade from blue to red washed away his final gift, as Anakin to his former master, the knowledge that it wasn't Obi-wan's fault that Anakin became Vader, that it was a deliberate act on his part (even if it wasn't).
I'm rather annoyed at the oversight regarding his turn. Basically that is not an objective truth, where Vader is actually a different person. Vader was merely the dissociation with the atrocities when they happened super close together. Anakin had always had the capacity for that, and the only good we EVER see out of him is for very specific individuals. Then comes episode 3 and he progressively loses them one by one either through going off on her own(Ahsoka), death(Padme), and betrayal(Obi-wan, Palpatine). After the final blow comes with the death of Padme, he finally breaks and dissociates from his true identity. This results in the traits that led to his fall becoming the ruling personality traits.
I really wish I could appreciate this scene more, but it feels too similar to the Ahsoka/Vader encounter we got in Rebels. This scene felt like a copycat to me.
I love the back to back stuff because usually that's indicative of allies, not adversaries. Which in the RotS novel they are constantly referred to as two-halves of one warrior.
It's kind of galling how very good the novelisation is to me when I find the film... not so, but also I love that there's a version of RotS I can unabashedly vibe with. It's up there in my top tier of Star Wars, any medium. (outside of the films that also takes in Charles Soule's comics Lando and Fortress Vader, Victory's Price by Alexander Freed, the Phasma novel, Dooku: Jedi Lost, Plagueis, the first Darth Bane book, and James Luceno's Labyrinth of Evil)
Hopefully these fights show that directors, producers, and studios are starting to realize that hitting your glowsticks together isn't enough and you should trust your choreographers, and stunt performers when they tell you things like your fights need to flow and make sense.
What I liked about the first Anakin/Ben fight in Kenobi was that little beat in there where Anakin bops Ben’s lightsaber twice almost in frustration, like this was supposed to be a reckoning and Ben was letting him down by already being beaten.
Oh absolutely there was massive a massive vibe from Vader of "I've been waiting for this day for 10 years to prove I can beat you and THIS is what you bring to the fight? You fucker!"
The thing I like most about your fight analyses is that you point out how the combat displays character, and how the best fights engage our emotions and not just”oooo woweee”. Not that “ooo woweee” is bad, but I definitely think the spectacle of a fight is like cotton candy if you don’t illuminate character and demonstrate emotional conflict. It’s the best when you break our hearts (as here) or invoke joyful and triumphant elation (as in Marvel’s Avengers Endgame). It took me a long time to realize that making combat move the plot AND illustrate character is what the best Marvel movies do, and it’s what makes them more than just popcorn blockbusters. I love every fight analysis video you make-outstanding job.
{{ how the combat displays character, and how the best fights engage our emotions and not just”oooo woweee”. Not that “ooo woweee” is bad, but I definitely think the spectacle of a fight is like cotton candy if you don’t illuminate character and demonstrate emotional conflict. }} Yeah that's what made the Vader-Luke fights in both Empire and Jedi so good too.
@@Statalyzer Also the Kenobi-Maul fight in Rebels. The actual fight is all of 2 seconds long (if that), but it's absolutely dripping with character and meaning.
Yeah... the final fight in the Kenobi series reminded me a lot of the Last Agni Kai in Avatar. It was solemn, visceral, poignant. I still feel that fight.
I WANT to see Jill break down the Last Agni Kai. But not sure she would considering the shear amount of "magic" that happens in that fight. It would also require her to binge one of the best ANIME (yes its an anime damn it!) ever made.
I got strong Aang vs. Ozai vibes, hero does some amazing things against opponent in a maze of rocky spires, but is still rather outmatched. Hero is buried in rock, while villain thinks it's in the bag at that point, something clicks for hero, and he renews the fight while leveling up. He defeats the opponent but does not kill him. I loved both fights quite a lot, and the latter felt like an homage, not a rip-off!
Obi Wan's first strike against General Grievous on Utapau in Episode III was a thrust forward although he did it to stop the spinning blades rather than necessarily to attack. Love the video, Jill. I did really enjoy this series, mainly as it felt like catching up with an old friend.
I believe he first uses a straight thrust in his duel with Greivous in the prequel trilogy. I seem to remember he uses it to stop Greivous' whirly bird spinning.
He does! I rewatched that bit just now, and there's a lot of the beats mentioned actually in there - Obi-Wan goes into his defensive Soresu stance TWICE but leaves it almost immediately both times to do something else: first time to toss a bit of the ceiling on Grievous's Guards (off-hand force use), second time to go into Langer Ort when Grievous starts spinning sabres... then Obi-Wan carefully retreats and waits for the right moment. Love the progression of that duel, all the way to fist fight!
He uses straight thrusts a number of times in the Clone Wars animated series. Usually only when he is alone though. Actually throughout the Clone Wars animated series I noticed that when he is with others he does just enough to allow those he is with to win the fight/get away. Alone he changes gears and you realize that he is far more skilled/competent than he lets on.
I genuinely had tears in my eyes when Obi-Wan said he was sorry. It was just so obviously MISSING before. Also, it's interesting that rather than the Jedi self-denial, what saves him is *the power of love*. The attachment to Luke and Leia saves him, rather than making him weak.
@@seanheath4492 Hah, you're very lucky I'm one of the few people on Earth who doesn't think you just said something obscene! But yeah, combined with the moment about him not remembering his family, it seems to be leaning into the idea that the Jedi were themselves a toxic idea, which nicely reinforces the sentiment in TLJ when they burn the old books.
@@khyron42prime40 Luke thought the books were burned, but didn't they show that Rei actually had them on the Falcon in the very next scene? That's what I remember, anyway.
I feel like it's a reocurring theme in the prequel trilogy how twisted and out of touch with reality the Jedi order had become, and their emotionally unhealthy ideas about relationships exemplify that. Heck, the whole second and third movies (by chronology, not release) were about how a new messiah was dropped into their lap and they handled him so poorly that he ended up with Palpatine and made everything horrible until the end of the sixth.
That was THE best review of Kenobi vs Maul I’ve ever seen. And you’re so right. It should way, way more often come down to empathic chess in sword scenes.
Not the most visually stunning fight, but so impactful. Probably my favourite duel in the franchise, though the Duel of the Fates and Maul vs Asoka during the siege of Mandalore are up there.
When I watched the climactic fight, what it kept reminding me of was the two final fights in _Avatar: The Last Airbender._ Both of them, in different ways. It _looked_ like the showdown between Aang and Ozai, with the hero getting buried under rocks and bouncing back to throw said rocks at the villain. But it _felt_ like the Last Agni Kai, where you desperately root for Zuko to beat Azula but all you can feel for Azula, at the end, is pity.
Great analysis! I never noticed that Obi-Wan and Darth Vader were holding hands to prevent the other from using force pushing before (@ 10:25) What a great detail to highlight.
one of the things i really enjoyed about the fight was there's a part where Obi-Wan performs a block behind his back, very similar to a block that Anakin used during the mustifar fight, Vader, being very familiar with the block just punches him in the face
Ooohhhh yes I’m incredibly excited for this one. Edit: Jill saying ‘whee’ as Obi Wan and Anakin fly across the room was utterly hilarious. Also my chosen simile would be a suffocating pigeon. Oh and finally: CHEESE! :D Sorry for how much of a mess this comment is…
Two things that I learned about Jill from this particular video. One is that Jill knows a hell of a lot about the seven forms of lightsaber combat even more so than I would have figured given her breakdowns in the past( I know that Jill was looking at these fights from an analysis as someone who is adept at stage combat, which is why I'm kind of surprised at her knowledge of the seven forms of lightsaber combat). And to that Jill has kept up on the Star Wars content over the last 8 years or so meaning she has definitely watched clone wars and Rebels and I am so happy about this( considering that she alludes to both the parallels with the Asoka fight and Twilight of the apprentice and also the Maul fight in Twin Suns( also I absolutely loved her delivery on the "I think not" as I'm pretty sure that she was channeling somewhat Oscar Isaacs who as we all know played the grand Inquisitor in Rebels). In terms of the content of the video I am definitely somebody who was a fan of the prequels from their initial release. Unlike most people I didn't hate the things that were done in the prequels what I have noticed especially in the last few years is the overwhelming love for the prequel actors as people have realized that dialogue is not George's strong suit, therefore the dialogue during the classic era of Star Wars(from 1977 to 2005) when George was in the position of being a prominent writer on the Star Wars franchise was not always the greatest. And I must say that I definitely appreciate people coming to that realization especially now as the prequel fans have started to grow up and have children of their own who are the lovers of the current Era. Additionally Jill does bring up a very good point about the narrative through line of the evolution of Obi-Wan from prequel young Brash Jedi Obi-Wan up to sophisticated going to beat your ass by out thinking you Alec Guinness Obi-Wan. And I just have to say it kills me to no end to see people come to that realization in videos such as this. Especially when you consider all the hate that this particular Series has received that is very much undeserved against Deborah Chow Moses Ingram and others within the series
I have watched maybe two episodes of Clone Wars and half a season of Rebels, but everyone and their granny pointed me at the Maul/Kenobi fight and the Asohka/Vader fight 😁
@@JillBearup I'm not surprised. Those were the 2 standout fights in Rebels. CW had a few truly memorable fights(2 leap to my mind) but it terms of narrative punch, I give it to Rebels
I have been a Star Wars Fan for longer than you have been alive, and as a dyed in the wool fan, I have to say that you have done a very good job with the fight breakdowns in this video. I also love your earrings and the Granny Weatherwax reference. Then to make things even better you ended the video with cheese!
10:06 That behind-the-back-spin actually is a move originally from Anakin from Revenge which Ewan McGregor learned just to use it against him here, and before he couldn't really do it.
According to Lucas Darth Vader was no match for Obi-wan in A New Hope but Obi-wan knew he needed to guide Luke and allowed himself to be defeated. That's a short 9 years later. You go Obi-wan
@@kevinslater4126 George has a way of retconning his 'intent' later. But, if he said that in an interview back in 77, or in a making of type clip, cool.
@@avi8r66 To be fair, Obi-Wan outright says right there and then "Strike me down now, and I shall become more powerful than you could ever imagine." He then doesn't even try to block Vader's attack. I'd argue it's pretty clear the intent was there from the start.
Seriously, I don't know how, but you make all of these shows/movies BETTER when watching your recaps. I feel much more emotionally impacted by them with your commentary than when I'm watching them, myself. Well done!!!!
Jill you should look up the obi-wan fight against Durge in 2003 Star Wars clone wars series he does get frustrated in the fight and just strait up stabs durge through where he thinks the heart is.
Still salty about that. Grievious in the 2003 series was terrifying. 12 year old me literally cried because of the fear of Grievious. Then the movie and the 2008 series came along, and he became just a robot with bronchitis.
@Cecil Mcadder Got to disagree there. Grevious ran away from Kenobi and Anakin, on the bridge of his flagship, while surrounded by battle droid reinforcements. In his fight against Kenobi, I timed it, Obi-Wan cuts 2 of his hands off within the first 40 seconds of their fight. It was very clear from the start that Kenobi had his number, which is why he ran away yet again. And he killed Shaak Ti while she was just kneeling on the floor. She also had like 8 different deaths in deleted scenes. I remember Anakin also killed her while she was meditating at the Jedi Temple. In the Clone Wars, you're right. They did ruin him too, but so did the movie. He is 'the Jedi killer', yet his entire canon, on screen Jedi kill count is one Padawan during The Clone Wars anime.
@Cecil Mcadder There's only 1 thing I like about canon Grievious. It's how the 3 Prequel villains foreshadow Vader. Maul, the skilled lightsaber duellist. Dooku, the powerful Force wielder. Grievious, the mechanical man. Put them all together, and you have Darth Vader. It's like poetry, it rhymes.
@@Pro_Butcher_Amateur_Human I'm not sure how Maul and Dooku are doing different work in this. Maul: Also a Force wielder. Dooku: Also a lightsaber fighter.
Jill accurately describing Soresu is everything :3 I'm actually still wondering exactly what Form, if any, Obi-wan used in that final duel. He "graduated' from Padaawan status knowing Form IV: Ataru, since that's what Qui-gon preferred and EU sources state most young Jedi of the Clone Wars/Late Old Republic era preferred it for being... flashy. Which is why Anakin studied it first, before settling on Form V's Djem So variant. But Obi-wan couldn't be using Djem So. Anakin Skywalker is THE Master of Djem So. Using a Form your opponent practically embodies should be asking for trouble, right? The lack of Force jumping around means this isn't Ataru either. The Shien variant of Form V? That's what Ashoka uses, and it's just as aggressive as Djem So, only, apparently, less on the power strikes. Form VI: Niman? Because of all the Force combat? But "Force-powers-backed-smorgasbord" From doesn't seem to be something you murder a Sith Lord with... until you remember that Exar Kun, the guy who made double-bladed lightsabers (and very famous Sith Lord) was a Niman practitioner. And we all know the second Master that lasted longest against Palps in that "arrest" scene in Ep 3 was a, haha, Form I: Shii-cho specialist :D So that really leaves you with Form II: Makashi (Dooku's fave) and... Form VII, and which one of its two variants. And it can't be Makashi because there's no... elegance in this fight. It's a BRAWL. But the Jedi variant of Form VII, Mace Windu's Vaapad, was demonstrated to Masters and duelists of the Jedi but only very few were allowed to really learn it due to its "skate close to the Dark Side" thingy. Then again, Kenobi probably just mixed and matched, since he already choose to abandon a purely Soresu style of fighting. Masters of his level and experience in lightsaber dueling often do that, anyway (like how Anakin peppers his Djem So with Ataru flips)
I do not know enough to comment on the choreography, but I want to leave a comment; besides being another great episode, I *love* how you kept me engaged for the sponsor ad.
I truly love that you explain the subtext of these fights, before you I only saw them as "shake the glowstick until someone looses a hand" So thank you, so much!!!
Soon after watching the series I had an argument with someone who thought all the fights were pointless and bad because they had no stakes, since you already know everyone survives. While I think that's more true where the show relies on peril for narrative tension, I did feel like it managed to be great despite that (obviously there's a very long history of drama telling you from the start where it's going to end up) but I was having a hard time putting my finger on why and what exactly it was doing well. This has definitely helped clarify that!
Your Maul/Obi lightsaber fight narration was hilarious- more please!! You made this fight so much more meaningful for me, thank you! Having the technical details pointed out makes a huge difference since most of the time I'm either "cool fight" or "less cool fight" which is like spending your life thinking cheese is either muenster or monteray jack when suddenly the muenster turns into manchego.
I come back to this analysis every few weeks, it's just so compelling. As you've said on-screen/stage fights are more than just an opportunity for flashiness and spectacle, they're an underused platform for more storytelling. These fights do that extremely well - not just with the spoken exposition but you highlight how much they add to the story, instead of merely punctuating it.
I really really liked this video as well as the Obi Wan fights. I'm honestly really excited to see Star Wars make more fights that just make sense. The stabbing, the force, the long point, the strategy, I want more. Please Disney
More like these fights would be welcome. Better than the silly throne scene with disappearing weapons and spinning baddies that they lazily serve us up most of the time, anyway.
His fighting style in the last fight is pretty similar to the one used by Count Dooku during the prequels and TCW (including the frequent use of off-hand force use to unbalance and tie-up opponents). Of note here is that Count Dooku repeatedly defeated/fended them off both and was the one who cut off Anakin's hand originally.
I love your take on stuff like this, you have an ability to see the underlying story and emotions and you stay positive rather the story is great, awful, or meh, and a woman who can do that can plan my castle onslaught... Sorry review my sword fights anytime
I have to say it is refreshing to see your video. A lot of times there are Star Wars videos on TH-cam that just nit pick plot holes and every little thing. It's nice to see a video of something appreciating Star Wars and pointing out the things that make Star Wars what it is. Thank you so very much.
I want you to know that I've already watched this one three or four times since you posted it. I resonate with what you were saying about needing that Bridging Scene between III and IV so badly, and of course this series does so much of that, but the your articulation of how much work this fight scene does towards that end is *chef's kiss* Thanks for making this one!
I liked the stylistic change of the fight as well. Previously (IIRC!) the only time we saw the point of a lightsaber used was when Maul killed Qui-Gonn, but it wasn't something I picked up on until I read all of Bernard Cornwell's Sharpe novels, where the oft repeated mantra of Sharpe anytime he's in a fight is that the point always beats the edge. They did also (mostly!) manage to explain Obi-Wan's "certain point of view" from the original trilogy that Vader killed Anakin.
I adore how Obi-Wan and Ahsoka each cut away half of Vader's mask while failing to really "unmask" the man behind it. They get emotionally painful glimpses of Anakin, but always cut off by the resurgence of Vader. Anakin loved both of them very fiercely, but not as much as he loved Padmé and, by extension, her children. It takes Luke to end what these two begin.
Yea. One of the revelations from the prequels for me was that Vader probably had no problem killing Anakin's son. He hated Anakin anyways. But killing Padme's son would have been like killing her all over again. And watching Palpatine was like seeing the hateful old man murdering her right in front of him. So... yeet.
I have... complex thoughts about a lot of Star Wars, and the Kenobi series is no different. But, the fights had me the most emotionally invested and edge-of-my-seat anxious for the characters. It's almost cathartic to have the words to understand why. I am, and have been, a diehard Star Wars fan since I was eight. I love it, but I'm more in love with the universe's /potential/, what it could have been, what the possibilities are had the creators not shied away from the controversial, uncomfortable underlying themes.
I thought the Kenobi series, specifically this episode, made the final showdown between Maul and Kenobi more impactful. It highlights Ben's growth and return to the light
2:46 I feel a quote from OSP’s You Must Be The Belmont is appropriate to the emotional weight of Obi-Wan vs Vader. “We are basically watching a father and son fist fighting in their living room….it is heavy.”
With all franchises we look for something old and known yet also to teach us something new. This fight delivered that in spades.. I also cried ugly snotty tears at the end. Thanks Jill.
There is definitely a bridge now to the fighting style, but also an emotional one. With the Kenobi series we now understand how he goes from heartbroken at the end of ROTS to a pretty chill guy in A New Hope. And I loooove the series for that (and several other reasons).
Your style is great, i love how you make it look like you are talking off the top of your head with no script. If you, in fact, have no script, that's even more amazing.
I've watched this video a few times now. This is the perfect example of Jill's talents and expertise. It is such a great distillation of what these fights mean. As a die hard fan of both Obi-Wan and Anakin's arcs, it is beautiful to hear Jill put into words what I (and probably most of us) were feeling.
I'd need to rewatch The Clone Wars series for Kenobi fights. The only person I could recall making thrusting with the tip of the lightsaber blade move was Sheev Palpatine himself during his fight with Mace Windu. Palp's base stance is VII but blends lightsaber forms masterfully. An argument could be made that Obi-Wan was using Vaapad developed by Mace Windu, which is the more Jedi-friendly variant of form VII. But I'm really no expert.
I love how the final duel in the series shows the huge difference between the two. Obi-Wan is still an elegant duelist, Vader has lost so much of his agility with the armor and the prosthetics, he's way more choppy-choppy.
I really enjoyed the detail regarding the evolution of the fight scenes in this video. I am old enough to remember watching Sir Alec Guiness in the original movie back in the theatre in 1977. Now I can relate to the line. "Oh, my aching everything" line. From a different perspective. I love your channel. Your rating of armor outfits is something I really enjoy. I also appreciate how your share with what you learn from these movies as well. Keep up the good work.
your earrings 😍 love this video, i always watch - and rewatch - your SW breakdowns. some of the most enjoyable fan SW content around! i loved what you said about this fight letting us “harmonize” all the iterations of Kenobi, you said what i had felt but wasn’t able to find the words for. big fan of your work, please keep it coming! :)
This is simply the best analysis I've watched so far about any SW series. And yes, I loved the Kenobi series too. But now I know exactly why. Thank you!
Cheesemaking! I've been doing some of that over the past year (a recipe called "30 minute mozzarella" was what I made first) and can highly recommend the activity. It's no more difficult than following a regular recipe, just has different steps and sometimes specialized equipment. Oh yeah, and the fight analysis was v interesting. Obi Wan was by far my favorite character in the prequels, so I'm always happy to hear/see more of him.
I love your fight analysis and totally agree that the best choreography conveys character. I found it immensely satisfying to hear the genuine pleasure in Vader's voice when he said "Your strength has returned." And how from that point forward, it feels like he allows himself to become more emotionally invested in the fight because he finally has the outlet that he wants. It conveys that for Vader its not just about satisfying his rage against some already broken old man, it's about winning the fight he lost (on Mustafar). In Vader's mind, winning this 'continuation' will finally prove to Obi-wan and himself) that Vader was right.
One of the things I liked best about the Obi-wan series was its portrayal of PTSD. I have PTSD myself and found a lot of his symptoms relatable (especially the less commonly portrayed ones like being incredibly tired of everything in the outside world because the other symptoms are so much work to live with). While Obi-wan doesn't go to therapy or get on medication, a lot of what he does in the series parallels activities that support recovery in patients with PTSD. (Just...think of Little Leia as a dog and you'll probably see it pretty quickly.) Thanks for explaining how the fights express that! I hadn't picked up the details as it's not my area, but I kind of got the feeling that the fights were choreographed well to support the psychological arc of the series. You're awesome. * hands you cheese *
One of the things I've really enjoyed with in the Filoni stories is the looking-back-oh-so-obvious-heavy-handedness... Ahsoka took off half of Vader's mask but couldn't redeem Anakin, Obi-Wan took off the other half but couldn't redeem him. Luke redeemed Anakin and took of his whole mask.
Oh heck yes. This is the brilliant, funny, quality content that we are here for, with bonus points for how wide-ranging the references were! Thank you for all the great work you put into this.
In a previous video you mentioned how real sword fights were tactical and over with quickly once sword play began. That's why the Obi-Wan/Maul dual in Rebels is probably my favorite in all of Star Wars. It reminds me of duals in Japanese samurai movies such as the one in Seven Samurai. The Maul dual closely reflects the one in Seven with the slow study of the opponent and the change in sword stance. Sanjuro is another example of similar sword fighting.
Quite an enjoyable video, well-written and insightful. Fun fact: To sneak up on people, as Vader did in the earlier episode, he actually turns off his own life support. It's a trick he uses in the comics as well, which made it a delight to see here. At least, I hope that's what they were getting at, as it really speaks to Vader's "win at all costs" attitude, and even to Obi-Wan's advice that his focus on victory blinds him. He kills himself by degrees for even the smallest advantage.
Oh, so Pirates references are OK, but we can’t make _Princess Bride_ jokes? I find this situation absolutely, totally, and in all other ways inconceivable!
So the thing I wanted to see was when Vader threw ObiWan into the hole, he should have looked down at him and said "Who has the high ground now B**ch" ;)
There was an interview I saw where McGregor said the fear in that scene was real. They went to start shooting, lowered the lights and then the Vader breathing started and the red saber ignited and he says he felt like he was an 8 year old seeing the movies and terrified of vader.
Thank you for the vid, it was enjoyable as ever! I was wondering what your opinion would be on the Reeva VS Vader "fight" (or as I like to call i "Vader's cathartic therapy session") if ever you find the time. I am intrigued.
What I love about Obi-Wan Kenobi is that the show is the much needed middle act of Kenobi's arc in the 20 years "Rise of the Empire" era. But then my two all time favorite characters in Star Wars is Obi-Wan Kenobi and Asoka Tanno. Also I love your take on the Lightsaber duels. And lastly, bring on the cheese😊
Vader makes a sound like a puppy learning the doggy door is closed This video actually got me to finally get to watching Obi Wan (which i did before i watched this) this had so much more and it’s awesome I don’t know how people are just so analytical about movies my brain seems to turn off so it’s rare i see the endings coming Anyway using mustafar obi wan and new hope to tell a larger story is brilliant and does actually make sense Thanks also for the stuff on mustafar as well
THANK YOU for echoing my exact feelings on that series. It was what we desperately needed in the timeline. It was so good and I am so happy they brought it home damn near perfectly.
Thank you for this analysis, I never thought of many things you described. With your analysis a new perspective is open for myself. Please keep up your hard work, I really appreciate it and please forgive myself for my language, I am no native speaker.
Headology! :D I think this may be one of your best scripts. The analysis is great, as usual, but the choice of words is brilliant. I shall have to play to video again and just listen to catch all the gems.
I would love to hear such an in depth breakdown of some of the lightsaber fights in the Clone Wars series. Most of the fights are a bit stiff due to the limits of the animation, but I think there are two that might make for interesting video fodder, if you weren't planning to already. The first is Maul vs Ahsoka in 7x10 "The Phantom Apprentice" since there seems like a lot of character beats in it, plus the pleasure of the mo-capped choreography. The second is the Maul and Savage vs Sideous fight from 5x16 "The Lawless". This is a fight that doesn't look as technically realistic, but the total power play from Sideous and his frankly demented moves and creepy laughter the whole time lend it a very different feel from most lightsaber fights. Just a suggestion, and I love your thoughtful analyses of fights, especially opening it up and exploring beyond the fight itself to introduce context from across a work.
The hammering repeatedly on your opponent's lightsaber is an element Djem-so, a sub-form of Form V, which focuses on dominating your opponent in close combat, over powering them. It is also seen in the Anakin v Dooku fight in Episode III, when Dooku blocks, and Anakin hits so hard that it drives into Dooku, wounding the Count with his own saber.
The moment Obi-Wan sees Anakin's face in this fight is the first time I ever felt any kind of emotional connection between Obi Wan and Anakin. It's done so well that it retroactively made RotS slightly more watchable.
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To answer your question about the thrust from Obi-Wan, I believe he did so during his duel against grievous.
Vader sounded like an impotent TIE fighter.
9:20 Obi-Wan had to get himself together because he had little Leia to deal with. I had to learn these things dealing with my daughter. Thankfully I followed his teachings. Lol 🤣 🐶 🐕
@@WhimsicalEloquence I fear it may just be for the North Americans on account of sometimes they send oysters and food. The perils of being sponsored by a company that sends physical things!
I'd go for "Vader makes a sound like a filing cabinet dragged across the floor"
I was going for anglegrinder motorfailure! Don´t ask me.....
@@klasandersson7522 He let the blue smoke out.
@@kilianortmann9979 Exactly! 😄
I was thinking "The final inhale of a terminally broken accordion"
@@zergon13 😂
Something I love about your Obi-wan analysis is your knowledge that his whole style revolves around "an opportune moment". Even back in A New Hope, Obi-wan waits for Luke to be watching before he lets Vader win. Unlike Anakin/Vader, Obi-wan has always been situationally aware. He was never blinded by the same focus on victory.
Which is entertaining as "be mindful of the living Force, Obi-wan" was one of Quigon's last teachings to him. Also that Yoda tells tales about Obi-wan to Luke "Never his mind on where he was, what he was doin'!" Obiwas learned this lesson very well indeed!
@@adedow1333 Well Ankin's problem might be that his mind is too much in the moment... Ahsoka has a similar problem too where she has to learn to slow down and look around instead of just acting but she learns the lesson.
Interestingly about the Ep 3 fight as well is that Vader is far more cautious of Obi-wan than he is here, here he assumes Obi-wan is old and weak, and even later on when Obi-wan is older and weaker, he's still incredibly paranoid, and Obi-wan plays into that, making verbal jabs at him, and then when, as you said, the opportune moment comes, not only does he inspire Luke, but he robs Vader of his victory, leaving him truly with nothing
@@PrincessOzaline I think the main difference between Ashoka and Anakin can be boiled down to that where they both have many of the same flaws, Anakin was able to compensate by being ~Palpatine's specialist boy~ the Chosen One, as well as his insane power in the force, Ahsoka was instead forced to grow as a person. Anakin used his power as a crutch, and Palpatine manipulated events so he never got advice he trusted as to how to stop- killing Qui-Gon, plunging the Galaxy into war, etc, even just being unpleasant enough so that the Jedi council never wanted to work with him and always tried to undercut his influence (which looked to Anakin like Palpatine appreciated him but the Jedi didn't).
The Clone Wars could've made that super irritating in any number of ways- accidentally having Anakin learn too many good lessons which undermine his canon appearance, imply Ahsoka was just wiser than her master, have one or both of them just become boring caricatures of their ability and inability to learn from setbacks, or anything else- but they really threaded the needle. When Ahsoka failed she would reflect on it and try something new and it would work, whereas at nearly every stage where Anakin hits a roadblock, being more violent and ruthless solves it for him ("he was going to blow up the ship", "I don't have such weaknesses", "is it possible to learn this power?", etc).
Even them leaving the Order is very much an Ahsoka Response vs an Anakin Response. "I need some space to deal with everything and I don't think it can be here" vs "screw everything they ever wrought and the space-horse they road in on, I'm all in on Palpatine".
"Be mindful of your surroundings."
"Be mindful of your feelings."
Obi-Wan is aware of both and therefore is happy to play a waiting game.
He also knows the one time he didn't, it almost cost him dearly which was when he fought Darth Maul the first time. If Maul hadn't indulged his arrogance and forgotten that Qui-Gon still had a Lightsaber, Obi-Wan would have been dead. So he's learned you have to be patient, bide your time and see what's going on around you.
A little detail about that final fight that i loved, though it's not really about the fighting itself, is Vader telling Obiwan that he didn't kill Anakin, Vader did. If you watch the lighting it's blue when he says "I am not your fault Obiwan, you didn't kill Anakin Skywalker" and then it turns red after he says "I did" and smiles like a serial killer. Hayden Christensen has said in interviews that that was deliberate, and the first part was the little bit of Anakin that was still in there that Luke eventually reaches trying to absolve Obiwan of guilt and pain. Just beautiful, and yet really subtle.
My daughter and I discussed, at length, the wonderful use of lighting in both the first and last fight. It was brilliant, and really informed the watcher in ways that many weren't even aware of. That fade from blue to red washed away his final gift, as Anakin to his former master, the knowledge that it wasn't Obi-wan's fault that Anakin became Vader, that it was a deliberate act on his part (even if it wasn't).
I'm rather annoyed at the oversight regarding his turn. Basically that is not an objective truth, where Vader is actually a different person. Vader was merely the dissociation with the atrocities when they happened super close together. Anakin had always had the capacity for that, and the only good we EVER see out of him is for very specific individuals. Then comes episode 3 and he progressively loses them one by one either through going off on her own(Ahsoka), death(Padme), and betrayal(Obi-wan, Palpatine). After the final blow comes with the death of Padme, he finally breaks and dissociates from his true identity. This results in the traits that led to his fall becoming the ruling personality traits.
I really wish I could appreciate this scene more, but it feels too similar to the Ahsoka/Vader encounter we got in Rebels. This scene felt like a copycat to me.
And with that people say he can't act.... lol 💁🏾♂🤦🏾♂
"Stay away from me or imma stab you with my glow stick" is an absolutely brilliant line in a brilliant video. More fight analysis please!
I love the back to back stuff because usually that's indicative of allies, not adversaries. Which in the RotS novel they are constantly referred to as two-halves of one warrior.
It's kind of galling how very good the novelisation is to me when I find the film... not so, but also I love that there's a version of RotS I can unabashedly vibe with. It's up there in my top tier of Star Wars, any medium.
(outside of the films that also takes in Charles Soule's comics Lando and Fortress Vader, Victory's Price by Alexander Freed, the Phasma novel, Dooku: Jedi Lost, Plagueis, the first Darth Bane book, and James Luceno's Labyrinth of Evil)
Hopefully these fights show that directors, producers, and studios are starting to realize that hitting your glowsticks together isn't enough and you should trust your choreographers, and stunt performers when they tell you things like your fights need to flow and make sense.
What I liked about the first Anakin/Ben fight in Kenobi was that little beat in there where Anakin bops Ben’s lightsaber twice almost in frustration, like this was supposed to be a reckoning and Ben was letting him down by already being beaten.
I like how it echoed (is echoed by?) Luke's strikes after he bests Vader in RotJ.
Oh absolutely there was massive a massive vibe from Vader of "I've been waiting for this day for 10 years to prove I can beat you and THIS is what you bring to the fight? You fucker!"
The thing I like most about your fight analyses is that you point out how the combat displays character, and how the best fights engage our emotions and not just”oooo woweee”. Not that “ooo woweee” is bad, but I definitely think the spectacle of a fight is like cotton candy if you don’t illuminate character and demonstrate emotional conflict. It’s the best when you break our hearts (as here) or invoke joyful and triumphant elation (as in Marvel’s Avengers Endgame). It took me a long time to realize that making combat move the plot AND illustrate character is what the best Marvel movies do, and it’s what makes them more than just popcorn blockbusters. I love every fight analysis video you make-outstanding job.
{{ how the combat displays character, and how the best fights engage our emotions and not just”oooo woweee”. Not that “ooo woweee” is bad, but I definitely think the spectacle of a fight is like cotton candy if you don’t illuminate character and demonstrate emotional conflict. }}
Yeah that's what made the Vader-Luke fights in both Empire and Jedi so good too.
@@Statalyzer Also the Kenobi-Maul fight in Rebels. The actual fight is all of 2 seconds long (if that), but it's absolutely dripping with character and meaning.
Yeah... the final fight in the Kenobi series reminded me a lot of the Last Agni Kai in Avatar. It was solemn, visceral, poignant. I still feel that fight.
I WANT to see Jill break down the Last Agni Kai. But not sure she would considering the shear amount of "magic" that happens in that fight. It would also require her to binge one of the best ANIME (yes its an anime damn it!) ever made.
@@ag7898 She already did. Go back and look for it. Great video.
I got strong Aang vs. Ozai vibes, hero does some amazing things against opponent in a maze of rocky spires, but is still rather outmatched. Hero is buried in rock, while villain thinks it's in the bag at that point, something clicks for hero, and he renews the fight while leveling up. He defeats the opponent but does not kill him.
I loved both fights quite a lot, and the latter felt like an homage, not a rip-off!
Obi-Wan learns. Obi-Wan adapts. No wonder he was able to surpass multiple Sith in both trilogies.
Obi Wan's first strike against General Grievous on Utapau in Episode III was a thrust forward although he did it to stop the spinning blades rather than necessarily to attack.
Love the video, Jill. I did really enjoy this series, mainly as it felt like catching up with an old friend.
I believe he first uses a straight thrust in his duel with Greivous in the prequel trilogy. I seem to remember he uses it to stop Greivous' whirly bird spinning.
He does! I rewatched that bit just now, and there's a lot of the beats mentioned actually in there - Obi-Wan goes into his defensive Soresu stance TWICE but leaves it almost immediately both times to do something else: first time to toss a bit of the ceiling on Grievous's Guards (off-hand force use), second time to go into Langer Ort when Grievous starts spinning sabres... then Obi-Wan carefully retreats and waits for the right moment. Love the progression of that duel, all the way to fist fight!
He uses straight thrusts a number of times in the Clone Wars animated series. Usually only when he is alone though.
Actually throughout the Clone Wars animated series I noticed that when he is with others he does just enough to allow those he is with to win the fight/get away. Alone he changes gears and you realize that he is far more skilled/competent than he lets on.
I genuinely had tears in my eyes when Obi-Wan said he was sorry. It was just so obviously MISSING before. Also, it's interesting that rather than the Jedi self-denial, what saves him is *the power of love*. The attachment to Luke and Leia saves him, rather than making him weak.
So you're saying he kind of pulled a Bindo?
@@seanheath4492 Hah, you're very lucky I'm one of the few people on Earth who doesn't think you just said something obscene!
But yeah, combined with the moment about him not remembering his family, it seems to be leaning into the idea that the Jedi were themselves a toxic idea, which nicely reinforces the sentiment in TLJ when they burn the old books.
@@seanheath4492 I dont' get to hear that reference very often hehe.
@@khyron42prime40 Luke thought the books were burned, but didn't they show that Rei actually had them on the Falcon in the very next scene? That's what I remember, anyway.
I feel like it's a reocurring theme in the prequel trilogy how twisted and out of touch with reality the Jedi order had become, and their emotionally unhealthy ideas about relationships exemplify that. Heck, the whole second and third movies (by chronology, not release) were about how a new messiah was dropped into their lap and they handled him so poorly that he ended up with Palpatine and made everything horrible until the end of the sixth.
That was THE best review of Kenobi vs Maul I’ve ever seen. And you’re so right.
It should way, way more often come down to empathic chess in sword scenes.
Jill's Narration was also timed to perfection. well executed :)
Not the most visually stunning fight, but so impactful. Probably my favourite duel in the franchise, though the Duel of the Fates and Maul vs Asoka during the siege of Mandalore are up there.
I'm so thrilled you referred to the Obi-Wan vs Maul fight as "Headology".
Ah! A person of culture!
I read that book not even a fortnight ago and, man, it was just in time.
When I watched the climactic fight, what it kept reminding me of was the two final fights in _Avatar: The Last Airbender._ Both of them, in different ways. It _looked_ like the showdown between Aang and Ozai, with the hero getting buried under rocks and bouncing back to throw said rocks at the villain. But it _felt_ like the Last Agni Kai, where you desperately root for Zuko to beat Azula but all you can feel for Azula, at the end, is pity.
Great analysis! I never noticed that Obi-Wan and Darth Vader were holding hands to prevent the other from using force pushing before (@ 10:25)
What a great detail to highlight.
one of the things i really enjoyed about the fight was there's a part where Obi-Wan performs a block behind his back, very similar to a block that Anakin used during the mustifar fight, Vader, being very familiar with the block just punches him in the face
Now I'm going to go look for that, thank you!
Ooohhhh yes I’m incredibly excited for this one.
Edit: Jill saying ‘whee’ as Obi Wan and Anakin fly across the room was utterly hilarious. Also my chosen simile would be a suffocating pigeon. Oh and finally: CHEESE! :D
Sorry for how much of a mess this comment is…
"Whee!" - I got to that point in the vid and went "OH! So That's what they meant.." Yup, Whee!
@@russellholmes3187 She missed the "abada" before though.
Two things that I learned about Jill from this particular video. One is that Jill knows a hell of a lot about the seven forms of lightsaber combat even more so than I would have figured given her breakdowns in the past( I know that Jill was looking at these fights from an analysis as someone who is adept at stage combat, which is why I'm kind of surprised at her knowledge of the seven forms of lightsaber combat). And to that Jill has kept up on the Star Wars content over the last 8 years or so meaning she has definitely watched clone wars and Rebels and I am so happy about this( considering that she alludes to both the parallels with the Asoka fight and Twilight of the apprentice and also the Maul fight in Twin Suns( also I absolutely loved her delivery on the "I think not" as I'm pretty sure that she was channeling somewhat Oscar Isaacs who as we all know played the grand Inquisitor in Rebels). In terms of the content of the video I am definitely somebody who was a fan of the prequels from their initial release. Unlike most people I didn't hate the things that were done in the prequels what I have noticed especially in the last few years is the overwhelming love for the prequel actors as people have realized that dialogue is not George's strong suit, therefore the dialogue during the classic era of Star Wars(from 1977 to 2005) when George was in the position of being a prominent writer on the Star Wars franchise was not always the greatest. And I must say that I definitely appreciate people coming to that realization especially now as the prequel fans have started to grow up and have children of their own who are the lovers of the current Era. Additionally Jill does bring up a very good point about the narrative through line of the evolution of Obi-Wan from prequel young Brash Jedi Obi-Wan up to sophisticated going to beat your ass by out thinking you Alec Guinness Obi-Wan. And I just have to say it kills me to no end to see people come to that realization in videos such as this. Especially when you consider all the hate that this particular Series has received that is very much undeserved against Deborah Chow Moses Ingram and others within the series
I have watched maybe two episodes of Clone Wars and half a season of Rebels, but everyone and their granny pointed me at the Maul/Kenobi fight and the Asohka/Vader fight 😁
@@JillBearup I'm not surprised. Those were the 2 standout fights in Rebels. CW had a few truly memorable fights(2 leap to my mind) but it terms of narrative punch, I give it to Rebels
Having these step-by-step reviews of fights has really made me appreciate fights in movies more.
Jedi Master using the Force...
Jill: wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!
I have been a Star Wars Fan for longer than you have been alive, and as a dyed in the wool fan, I have to say that you have done a very good job with the fight breakdowns in this video. I also love your earrings and the Granny Weatherwax reference.
Then to make things even better you ended the video with cheese!
Absolutely brilliant and wonderful breakdown of all these fights and how they're connected. Thank you immensely for this video.
10:06 That behind-the-back-spin actually is a move originally from Anakin from Revenge which Ewan McGregor learned just to use it against him here, and before he couldn't really do it.
"stabby Shenanigans" is now my new favorite phrase.
According to Lucas Darth Vader was no match for Obi-wan in A New Hope but Obi-wan knew he needed to guide Luke and allowed himself to be defeated. That's a short 9 years later. You go Obi-wan
Wonder how long it took George to come up with that apologetic...
@@avi8r66 Apparently it was the original intent of the scene.
@@kevinslater4126 George has a way of retconning his 'intent' later. But, if he said that in an interview back in 77, or in a making of type clip, cool.
Um... Then why not kill Vader himself? He didn't think he could be redeemed at that point
@@avi8r66 To be fair, Obi-Wan outright says right there and then "Strike me down now, and I shall become more powerful than you could ever imagine." He then doesn't even try to block Vader's attack. I'd argue it's pretty clear the intent was there from the start.
I think this series really enriches the rest of the star wars franchise. You can really feel Obi-Wan's pain
Exactly, I think that was more of what this was about than anything.
Seriously, I don't know how, but you make all of these shows/movies BETTER when watching your recaps. I feel much more emotionally impacted by them with your commentary than when I'm watching them, myself.
Well done!!!!
Jill you should look up the obi-wan fight against Durge in 2003 Star Wars clone wars series he does get frustrated in the fight and just strait up stabs durge through where he thinks the heart is.
Right, but 2003 Clone Wars is... shall we say, apocryphal at this point. I'm not sure it really counts.
Still salty about that. Grievious in the 2003 series was terrifying. 12 year old me literally cried because of the fear of Grievious.
Then the movie and the 2008 series came along, and he became just a robot with bronchitis.
@Cecil Mcadder Got to disagree there.
Grevious ran away from Kenobi and Anakin, on the bridge of his flagship, while surrounded by battle droid reinforcements.
In his fight against Kenobi, I timed it, Obi-Wan cuts 2 of his hands off within the first 40 seconds of their fight. It was very clear from the start that Kenobi had his number, which is why he ran away yet again.
And he killed Shaak Ti while she was just kneeling on the floor. She also had like 8 different deaths in deleted scenes. I remember Anakin also killed her while she was meditating at the Jedi Temple.
In the Clone Wars, you're right. They did ruin him too, but so did the movie.
He is 'the Jedi killer', yet his entire canon, on screen Jedi kill count is one Padawan during The Clone Wars anime.
@Cecil Mcadder There's only 1 thing I like about canon Grievious.
It's how the 3 Prequel villains foreshadow Vader.
Maul, the skilled lightsaber duellist.
Dooku, the powerful Force wielder.
Grievious, the mechanical man.
Put them all together, and you have Darth Vader.
It's like poetry, it rhymes.
@@Pro_Butcher_Amateur_Human I'm not sure how Maul and Dooku are doing different work in this. Maul: Also a Force wielder. Dooku: Also a lightsaber fighter.
Jill accurately describing Soresu is everything :3
I'm actually still wondering exactly what Form, if any, Obi-wan used in that final duel. He "graduated' from Padaawan status knowing Form IV: Ataru, since that's what Qui-gon preferred and EU sources state most young Jedi of the Clone Wars/Late Old Republic era preferred it for being... flashy. Which is why Anakin studied it first, before settling on Form V's Djem So variant.
But Obi-wan couldn't be using Djem So. Anakin Skywalker is THE Master of Djem So. Using a Form your opponent practically embodies should be asking for trouble, right? The lack of Force jumping around means this isn't Ataru either. The Shien variant of Form V? That's what Ashoka uses, and it's just as aggressive as Djem So, only, apparently, less on the power strikes.
Form VI: Niman? Because of all the Force combat? But "Force-powers-backed-smorgasbord" From doesn't seem to be something you murder a Sith Lord with... until you remember that Exar Kun, the guy who made double-bladed lightsabers (and very famous Sith Lord) was a Niman practitioner.
And we all know the second Master that lasted longest against Palps in that "arrest" scene in Ep 3 was a, haha, Form I: Shii-cho specialist :D
So that really leaves you with Form II: Makashi (Dooku's fave) and... Form VII, and which one of its two variants.
And it can't be Makashi because there's no... elegance in this fight. It's a BRAWL.
But the Jedi variant of Form VII, Mace Windu's Vaapad, was demonstrated to Masters and duelists of the Jedi but only very few were allowed to really learn it due to its "skate close to the Dark Side" thingy.
Then again, Kenobi probably just mixed and matched, since he already choose to abandon a purely Soresu style of fighting. Masters of his level and experience in lightsaber dueling often do that, anyway (like how Anakin peppers his Djem So with Ataru flips)
I do not know enough to comment on the choreography, but I want to leave a comment; besides being another great episode, I *love* how you kept me engaged for the sponsor ad.
I truly love that you explain the subtext of these fights, before you I only saw them as "shake the glowstick until someone looses a hand"
So thank you, so much!!!
Very cool to see these fights broken down by someone who knows what they're talking about; it really upgrades my appreciation of this series.
I can appreciate how well researched this video is. Better than many lore videos out there. Jill you are definitely such a massive nerd. Much respect
A million and one bonus points for "headology" LOL. Looking fabulous in red!
Soon after watching the series I had an argument with someone who thought all the fights were pointless and bad because they had no stakes, since you already know everyone survives. While I think that's more true where the show relies on peril for narrative tension, I did feel like it managed to be great despite that (obviously there's a very long history of drama telling you from the start where it's going to end up) but I was having a hard time putting my finger on why and what exactly it was doing well. This has definitely helped clarify that!
Your Maul/Obi lightsaber fight narration was hilarious- more please!!
You made this fight so much more meaningful for me, thank you! Having the technical details pointed out makes a huge difference since most of the time I'm either "cool fight" or "less cool fight" which is like spending your life thinking cheese is either muenster or monteray jack when suddenly the muenster turns into manchego.
I come back to this analysis every few weeks, it's just so compelling. As you've said on-screen/stage fights are more than just an opportunity for flashiness and spectacle, they're an underused platform for more storytelling. These fights do that extremely well - not just with the spoken exposition but you highlight how much they add to the story, instead of merely punctuating it.
I really really liked this video as well as the Obi Wan fights. I'm honestly really excited to see Star Wars make more fights that just make sense. The stabbing, the force, the long point, the strategy, I want more. Please Disney
More like these fights would be welcome. Better than the silly throne scene with disappearing weapons and spinning baddies that they lazily serve us up most of the time, anyway.
His fighting style in the last fight is pretty similar to the one used by Count Dooku during the prequels and TCW (including the frequent use of off-hand force use to unbalance and tie-up opponents). Of note here is that Count Dooku repeatedly defeated/fended them off both and was the one who cut off Anakin's hand originally.
I love your take on stuff like this, you have an ability to see the underlying story and emotions and you stay positive rather the story is great, awful, or meh, and a woman who can do that can plan my castle onslaught... Sorry review my sword fights anytime
I have to say it is refreshing to see your video. A lot of times there are Star Wars videos on TH-cam that just nit pick plot holes and every little thing. It's nice to see a video of something appreciating Star Wars and pointing out the things that make Star Wars what it is. Thank you so very much.
I want you to know that I've already watched this one three or four times since you posted it. I resonate with what you were saying about needing that Bridging Scene between III and IV so badly, and of course this series does so much of that, but the your articulation of how much work this fight scene does towards that end is *chef's kiss*
Thanks for making this one!
I liked the stylistic change of the fight as well. Previously (IIRC!) the only time we saw the point of a lightsaber used was when Maul killed Qui-Gonn, but it wasn't something I picked up on until I read all of Bernard Cornwell's Sharpe novels, where the oft repeated mantra of Sharpe anytime he's in a fight is that the point always beats the edge.
They did also (mostly!) manage to explain Obi-Wan's "certain point of view" from the original trilogy that Vader killed Anakin.
I adore how Obi-Wan and Ahsoka each cut away half of Vader's mask while failing to really "unmask" the man behind it. They get emotionally painful glimpses of Anakin, but always cut off by the resurgence of Vader. Anakin loved both of them very fiercely, but not as much as he loved Padmé and, by extension, her children. It takes Luke to end what these two begin.
Yea. One of the revelations from the prequels for me was that Vader probably had no problem killing Anakin's son. He hated Anakin anyways. But killing Padme's son would have been like killing her all over again. And watching Palpatine was like seeing the hateful old man murdering her right in front of him. So... yeet.
Making Luke completely and gently removing the helmet and mask even more poignant.
I have... complex thoughts about a lot of Star Wars, and the Kenobi series is no different. But, the fights had me the most emotionally invested and edge-of-my-seat anxious for the characters. It's almost cathartic to have the words to understand why.
I am, and have been, a diehard Star Wars fan since I was eight. I love it, but I'm more in love with the universe's /potential/, what it could have been, what the possibilities are had the creators not shied away from the controversial, uncomfortable underlying themes.
I thought the Kenobi series, specifically this episode, made the final showdown between Maul and Kenobi more impactful. It highlights Ben's growth and return to the light
2:46
I feel a quote from OSP’s You Must Be The Belmont is appropriate to the emotional weight of Obi-Wan vs Vader.
“We are basically watching a father and son fist fighting in their living room….it is heavy.”
Me: sees Jill posted
Me: doesn’t even like Star Wars
Also Me: watches anyway
Same for me, most definitely.
Yeah, just add another +1 to this from me.
With all franchises we look for something old and known yet also to teach us something new. This fight delivered that in spades.. I also cried ugly snotty tears at the end. Thanks Jill.
There is definitely a bridge now to the fighting style, but also an emotional one. With the Kenobi series we now understand how he goes from heartbroken at the end of ROTS to a pretty chill guy in A New Hope. And I loooove the series for that (and several other reasons).
Your style is great, i love how you make it look like you are talking off the top of your head with no script. If you, in fact, have no script, that's even more amazing.
I've watched this video a few times now. This is the perfect example of Jill's talents and expertise. It is such a great distillation of what these fights mean. As a die hard fan of both Obi-Wan and Anakin's arcs, it is beautiful to hear Jill put into words what I (and probably most of us) were feeling.
I'd need to rewatch The Clone Wars series for Kenobi fights. The only person I could recall making thrusting with the tip of the lightsaber blade move was Sheev Palpatine himself during his fight with Mace Windu. Palp's base stance is VII but blends lightsaber forms masterfully. An argument could be made that Obi-Wan was using Vaapad developed by Mace Windu, which is the more Jedi-friendly variant of form VII. But I'm really no expert.
100% agree, Jill. This was a nearly perfect way to tie the Obi-Wan/Anakin arc together.
living for this analysis here.. love the accent and the content, definitely subbing
I love how the final duel in the series shows the huge difference between the two. Obi-Wan is still an elegant duelist, Vader has lost so much of his agility with the armor and the prosthetics, he's way more choppy-choppy.
I like your way of testing the axe
I really enjoyed the detail regarding the evolution of the fight scenes in this video. I am old enough to remember watching Sir Alec Guiness in the original movie back in the theatre in 1977. Now I can relate to the line. "Oh, my aching everything" line. From a different perspective. I love your channel. Your rating of armor outfits is something I really enjoy. I also appreciate how your share with what you learn from these movies as well. Keep up the good work.
your earrings 😍 love this video, i always watch - and rewatch - your SW breakdowns. some of the most enjoyable fan SW content around! i loved what you said about this fight letting us “harmonize” all the iterations of Kenobi, you said what i had felt but wasn’t able to find the words for. big fan of your work, please keep it coming! :)
I should be sleeping but Jill posted a video!
It will still be here in the morning… 😁
@@JillBearup nooooooooooo. Must have Now. My brain is refusing to sleep anyway so I might as well have fun. 🤗🤗
In the fight on the original Death Star, Obi-wan(Alec Guinness) makes 2 small stabs with the saber.
Your comedic timing, detailed commentary, and (this is also a compliment) unapologetic nerdiness make this channel an endless delight. Thank you.
Just when I was needing help writing combat scenes, she returns!
10:52 like a industrial strength hair dryer that you CAN’T LiVE WITHOUT!
Came for the fight analysis. Stayed for the cheese making. 👍
The:" Stay away from me or I'll stab you with my glow stick" got me
This is simply the best analysis I've watched so far about any SW series. And yes, I loved the Kenobi series too. But now I know exactly why. Thank you!
Cheesemaking! I've been doing some of that over the past year (a recipe called "30 minute mozzarella" was what I made first) and can highly recommend the activity. It's no more difficult than following a regular recipe, just has different steps and sometimes specialized equipment.
Oh yeah, and the fight analysis was v interesting. Obi Wan was by far my favorite character in the prequels, so I'm always happy to hear/see more of him.
I love your fight analysis and totally agree that the best choreography conveys character. I found it immensely satisfying to hear the genuine pleasure in Vader's voice when he said "Your strength has returned." And how from that point forward, it feels like he allows himself to become more emotionally invested in the fight because he finally has the outlet that he wants. It conveys that for Vader its not just about satisfying his rage against some already broken old man, it's about winning the fight he lost (on Mustafar). In Vader's mind, winning this 'continuation' will finally prove to Obi-wan and himself) that Vader was right.
One of the things I liked best about the Obi-wan series was its portrayal of PTSD. I have PTSD myself and found a lot of his symptoms relatable (especially the less commonly portrayed ones like being incredibly tired of everything in the outside world because the other symptoms are so much work to live with). While Obi-wan doesn't go to therapy or get on medication, a lot of what he does in the series parallels activities that support recovery in patients with PTSD. (Just...think of Little Leia as a dog and you'll probably see it pretty quickly.) Thanks for explaining how the fights express that! I hadn't picked up the details as it's not my area, but I kind of got the feeling that the fights were choreographed well to support the psychological arc of the series. You're awesome. * hands you cheese *
One of the things I've really enjoyed with in the Filoni stories is the looking-back-oh-so-obvious-heavy-handedness...
Ahsoka took off half of Vader's mask but couldn't redeem Anakin, Obi-Wan took off the other half but couldn't redeem him. Luke redeemed Anakin and took of his whole mask.
"One, two, three, what are we fighting for."
I didn't expect a Country Joe and the Fish reference here. Well done!
Oh heck yes. This is the brilliant, funny, quality content that we are here for, with bonus points for how wide-ranging the references were!
Thank you for all the great work you put into this.
Gotta say, the "Weeee", got me good. Couldn't breathe for a minute there. 🤣🤣
I've shared this video with some of my dorkiest friends and it has sparked quite the conversation
In a previous video you mentioned how real sword fights were tactical and over with quickly once sword play began. That's why the Obi-Wan/Maul dual in Rebels is probably my favorite in all of Star Wars. It reminds me of duals in Japanese samurai movies such as the one in Seven Samurai. The Maul dual closely reflects the one in Seven with the slow study of the opponent and the change in sword stance. Sanjuro is another example of similar sword fighting.
"obi-wan doesn't have to do that because he's *not really noisy* "got me good
That little smile when Vader says that *he* killed Anakin Skywalker. The voice was perfect.
Quite an enjoyable video, well-written and insightful.
Fun fact: To sneak up on people, as Vader did in the earlier episode, he actually turns off his own life support. It's a trick he uses in the comics as well, which made it a delight to see here. At least, I hope that's what they were getting at, as it really speaks to Vader's "win at all costs" attitude, and even to Obi-Wan's advice that his focus on victory blinds him. He kills himself by degrees for even the smallest advantage.
Waiting for the opportune moment?
You really can't help yourself with these Pirates references, can you?
Oh, so Pirates references are OK, but we can’t make _Princess Bride_ jokes? I find this situation absolutely, totally, and in all other ways inconceivable!
So the thing I wanted to see was when Vader threw ObiWan into the hole, he should have looked down at him and said "Who has the high ground now B**ch" ;)
There was an interview I saw where McGregor said the fear in that scene was real. They went to start shooting, lowered the lights and then the Vader breathing started and the red saber ignited and he says he felt like he was an 8 year old seeing the movies and terrified of vader.
Thank you for the vid, it was enjoyable as ever!
I was wondering what your opinion would be on the Reeva VS Vader "fight" (or as I like to call i "Vader's cathartic therapy session") if ever you find the time. I am intrigued.
What I love about Obi-Wan Kenobi is that the show is the much needed middle act of Kenobi's arc in the 20 years "Rise of the Empire" era. But then my two all time favorite characters in Star Wars is Obi-Wan Kenobi and Asoka Tanno.
Also I love your take on the Lightsaber duels.
And lastly, bring on the cheese😊
Vader makes a sound like a puppy learning the doggy door is closed
This video actually got me to finally get to watching Obi Wan (which i did before i watched this) this had so much more and it’s awesome
I don’t know how people are just so analytical about movies my brain seems to turn off so it’s rare i see the endings coming
Anyway using mustafar obi wan and new hope to tell a larger story is brilliant and does actually make sense
Thanks also for the stuff on mustafar as well
"Or possibly headology?" Making a Pratchett reference Jill? Granny would approve
THANK YOU for echoing my exact feelings on that series. It was what we desperately needed in the timeline. It was so good and I am so happy they brought it home damn near perfectly.
Thank you for this analysis, I never thought of many things you described. With your analysis a new perspective is open for myself. Please keep up your hard work, I really appreciate it and please forgive myself for my language, I am no native speaker.
Thanks!
Thank you!
"Remember when Obi-Wan beat darth Maul with the power of psychology? Or headology?"
Love the Discworld reference ^^
This is stuff I never notice in these scenes, but knowing it makes me appreciate it more!
6:50
Maul: You ruin my life, KENOBI!
Also Maul: O No My Life.. 😵
Unexpectedly, your insane chuckle during the cheese making turned out to be my favourite bit of this video. The Star Wars stuff was cool, too.
Headology! :D
I think this may be one of your best scripts. The analysis is great, as usual, but the choice of words is brilliant. I shall have to play to video again and just listen to catch all the gems.
I would love to hear such an in depth breakdown of some of the lightsaber fights in the Clone Wars series. Most of the fights are a bit stiff due to the limits of the animation, but I think there are two that might make for interesting video fodder, if you weren't planning to already. The first is Maul vs Ahsoka in 7x10 "The Phantom Apprentice" since there seems like a lot of character beats in it, plus the pleasure of the mo-capped choreography. The second is the Maul and Savage vs Sideous fight from 5x16 "The Lawless". This is a fight that doesn't look as technically realistic, but the total power play from Sideous and his frankly demented moves and creepy laughter the whole time lend it a very different feel from most lightsaber fights. Just a suggestion, and I love your thoughtful analyses of fights, especially opening it up and exploring beyond the fight itself to introduce context from across a work.
The hammering repeatedly on your opponent's lightsaber is an element Djem-so, a sub-form of Form V, which focuses on dominating your opponent in close combat, over powering them. It is also seen in the Anakin v Dooku fight in Episode III, when Dooku blocks, and Anakin hits so hard that it drives into Dooku, wounding the Count with his own saber.
The moment Obi-Wan sees Anakin's face in this fight is the first time I ever felt any kind of emotional connection between Obi Wan and Anakin. It's done so well that it retroactively made RotS slightly more watchable.