yes, i preffer maul to Obi Wan. faaaaar better character. The movie doesn't show much of him unfortunatley. And in that fight, Maul was the best swordsman, admit that! He killed Qui Gon ( wich i liked very much ) and he would've killed Obi if it wasn't for that silly jump... 😠
And about the saber....he couldn't injure the enemy with a broken saber because those are tested before actual combat...so, only the owner dies in case of a mistake...
well, certain events change the course of the movie, ofcourse! But think about it...maybe if Maul would be alive, Sidious wouldn't need an apprentice....so....no more Vader. Ofcourse, only if he would've taken him only 'cause of his talents. But Maul was perfectly trained, discipline, loyalty.....a man's best friend 😄 ( unless for his savurating and delaying the kill, wich led to his death.)
Because the extinction of the Jedi was made very clear, and in any case both GL and SLJ have talked about Mace's impending death.
In any case, do you really see Mace as the sort who would flee and abandon the Republic? The people in LOTR go out west once all the danger is gone, not in the middle of the War of the Ring!