What it thematically represented to me is a large gap between the present Kenobi and Maul. One that can be satiated with Kenobi getting stronger or Maul getting weaker. And based off prior Maul antics within the show, I'm saying it's the latter. Filoni's explanation doesn't satisfy me because
- I'm not an authorial intent proponent : the interpretation of the reader is more important than the intentions of the author
- His explanation doesn't make sense from an in-universe perspective : where all the really good people don't have anti-climactic fights that fit into a single .gif
- I don't trust his sincerity : trying to give meaning to something that's lazy in execution, taking a note from the book of all post-modern artists in the new age
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So what your saying is, that their intention was to not make money and to not give what the fans what they wanted. You're truly the gift that keeps on giving. No. They already have the marketing clout of brand name to sell whatever they please. If they can cut corners while doing so, even better. Maul's death being one of those corners.
Hey guys, I know the direction of Maul in Rebels isn't what many of you expected, but don't you worry, we've reconciled the situation by giving him a chance to show just how much he's grown as a fighter and a character!!!
Your Truly
Dave
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__________________
“We defeated the wrong enemy” - General George S. Patton, Berlin 1945
That's not a prerequisite though. Take Sidious vs Mace, Sidious vs Yoda, etc.
Further, Witwer explicitly noted Ben's style in Rebels / ANH cut off the finesse and flash and became straight-forward, designed for the sole purpose to end conflict.
I don't take this as combat development, but rather character development of Obi-Wan's part.
After all, recall Witwer's interview where he went in-detail explaining how Obi-Wan's change in perspective after ROTS altered his fighting style.
__________________ "There is only Revan. Only he can shape this galaxy as it is meant to be shaped."
Ben is more experienced and wiser, that's it, which shows when he ended Maul. I mean he's still powerful, but old men can still be powerful yet not as a great as they were physically when they were younger.
Exceptions of course are in SW cause The Force, but Ben clearly isn't one given the SW comics he's noted himself even after he started training, that he wasn't what he once was and this was long before Rebels.
I've mentioned that his explanation doesn't make sense from an in-universe perspective twice here. He can equivocate real life sword-fighting to lightsabers all he wants, but the notion is oblivious to elements which make up saber duelling : precognition and danger-sense. Two little constituents that explain why the duelling is much longer than it should be.
Makes perfect sense. Then we can infer that Maul, who not only degraded in skill, was suckered by expecting the defensive-Kenobi we're use to seeing. Old Ben Kenobi being better or worse has yet to be seen in the context of Canon.
You can interpret the fight however you want. However, what he said in that interview specifically seems to allude to their growth as duelists. That is the most logical explanation based on the transcript - Really good guys don't have long fights - a long fight would mean the characters don't have growth. Now as I've mentioned, I actively ignore his elucidation because :
- I don't care about Author Intent
- It doesn't make sense (as we've both established)
- I think he's bullshitting
Perhaps if your ideas were more flexible on the subject of authorial intent, this wouldn't really be an issue.
FFS, you're making me argue in favour of stance I'm not even taking up with this point :
1) This doesn't preclude the notion of Kenobi simply being better at fighting, in fact, it might support it.
2) Works that have multiple creators, actors and producers often have people giving conflicting statements regarding the story. It happens very often. It's also commonplace to see one creator make a statement that pertains to something, only to make another statement to the contrary on a later date. I can give you countless examples of this.
3) It's entirely possible that this is Witwer's personal opinion, in spite of his closeness to the Story Group. In which case, I'm not even sure if it counts as author intent.
__________________
“We defeated the wrong enemy” - General George S. Patton, Berlin 1945
The ongoing Star Wars series, specifically issue 20 when he has a fight against Krrsantan. Also in issue 15 he hurt his back after fighting a group of Sand People and saying he needed an easier way to deal with them.
Yea, I was just talking about what it meant for the story with my last two replies. When I watched the episode, I liked the different approach they took and the subtle symbolism they utilized. Be it Kenobi shifting from soresu to ataru, Maul attempting the same move he attempted vs Qui-Gon, Kenobi adapting to show he's moved on while Maul hasn't. I think the fight worked well for the thematic direction they took.
Though, on the topic of combat, Maul's contention with Ahsoka still put's him in Vader's range. Vader off course being a force user who several years pre-rebels has the feats to ragdoll the crap out of SOD Maul.
That's fine. If you don't consider holistic intent, then fair enough.
The authorial intent here only applies to this fight. And there were multiple additional reasons for the short fight which were unique to this specific duel. Like Maul and Kenobi knowing each other's moves, for example
Well, that's too bad
Well, yes, the fans wanted another prolonged fight, and giving what the fans wanted tends to correlate with higher ratings and more money.
Well regardless of what you suppose the motivation, the simplicity of the fight and the episode as a whole worked well with the story being told.
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Well, yes, as a whole, they could have handled Maul better.
Yea, I was just talking about what it meant for the story with my last two replies. When I watched the episode, I liked the different approach they took and the subtle symbolism they utilized. Be it Kenobi shifting from soresu to ataru, Maul attempting the same move he attempted vs Qui-Gon, Kenobi adapting to show he's moved on while Maul hasn't. I think the fight worked well for the thematic direction they took.
Though, on the topic of combat, Maul's contention with Ahsoka still put's him in Vader's range. Vader off course being a force user who several years pre-rebels has the feats to ragdoll the crap out of SOD Maul.
That's fine. If you don't consider holistic intent, then fair enough.
The authorial intent here only applies to this fight. And there were multiple additional reasons for the short fight which were unique to this specific duel. Like Maul and Kenobi knowing each other's moves, for example
Well, that's too bad
Well, yes, the fans wanted another prolonged fight, and giving what the fans wanted tends to correlate with higher ratings and more money.
Well regardless of what you suppose the motivation, the simplicity of the fight and the episode as a whole worked well with the story being told.
Well, yes, as a whole, they could have handled Maul better.
Yea, I was just talking about what it meant for the story with my last two replies. When I watched the episode, I liked the different approach they took and the subtle symbolism they utilized. Be it Kenobi shifting from soresu to ataru, Maul attempting the same move he attempted vs Qui-Gon, Kenobi adapting to show he's moved on while Maul hasn't. I think the fight worked well for the thematic direction they took.
Though, on the topic of combat, Maul's contention with Ahsoka still put's him in Vader's range. Vader off course being a force user who several years pre-rebels has the feats to ragdoll the crap out of SOD Maul.
That's fine. If you don't consider holistic intent, then fair enough.
The authorial intent here only applies to this fight. And there were multiple additional reasons for the short fight which were unique to this specific duel. Like Maul and Kenobi having already fought multiple times, for example.
Well, that's too bad
Well, yes, the fans wanted another prolonged fight, and giving what the fans wanted tends to correlate with higher ratings and more money.
Well regardless of what you suppose the motivation, the simplicity of the fight and the episode as a whole worked well with the story being told.
Well, yes, as a whole, they could have handled Maul better.
Well if you put his statement together with Gilroy's the "growth" he alludes to seems to be both combatants having simply learned from their previous battles, and Filoni's comments about "very good swordsmen" having short fights is simply an added justification for the lazily put together ending for Maul.
But if you want to insist he means what Rocky's arguing he means then Filoni is simply contradicting established Canon, so should simply be ignored.
However even if we accept the notion of taking on board authorial intent and statements, (which I know you're against), personally I think his comments are too vague to take as any kind of Canon fact. If he said "these combatants are both more powerful than they've ever been now", then that would be a lot less vague and a lot more specific, and would therefore have more standing for those who want to take Filoni's words as Canon. As it stands however, taking these specific comments as Canon (which would require many assumptions on his meaning and intent) is a foolish and rather desperate stand to take IMO.
Last edited by Darth Thor on Sep 22nd, 2017 at 07:51 AM
Sure, but that was only like a few years post ROTS, so he may have improved again since then.
But you're right it certainly alludes to him already being past his prime. And let's not just completely forget Vader's line in ANH "your powers are weak old man". Sure that may have been Dun Moch, but it seems a bit random for Dun Moch as well.
I mean maybe rework his fighting style sure to compensate for his physicals would make sense and add up, just like Vader had to. Since he started training again before the Sand People and the BH.