Kenobi vs Maul: How Did It Happen?
As much as I loved the episode, I found Kenobi besting Maul so quickly... shocking.
Was it referencing the old Western gunfights, Maul's arrogance completely consuming him, or had Kenobi truly evolved to a combatant well beyond Vader and instead opted not to defeat him in ANH?
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yHqdESArkqU
It seems that Maul was employing the same three strikes he did before banging Jinn's head with his staff.
Maul's stuck in the old ways whereas Kenobi has moved on.
Yeah, I'd argue that Kenobi was more focused here than even when he dismantled Grievous. And Soresu is a style that focuses on exploiting openings in close quarters combat. Maul bull rushed him angry and arrogant, left himself open, and was cut him down.
Comparatively, Vader fought a far more cautiously and controlled, and gave Kenobi no openings to exploit.
I don't think the fight can be accurately used to powerscale for Ben or Maul for several reasons. The biggest thing is the fact that Maul used the same old tricks *exactly*; moves that Kenobi has already seen and is familiar with. Kenobi is a more transformative and progressive fighter than Maul is, and that transformation is seen pretty evidently when Ben shifts from his PT opening stance to a simpler one, as Ares has mentioned. Maul thought he was facing an old, crippled hermit and nothing more, so I don't think he really expected anything impressive skill-wise from Kenobi.
The fight is more symbolic of Maul's stagnation and how he clings to the past, while Kenobi has moved on, both mentally and in a dueling-sense. Ben and Maul's face-off is more exclusive to them and their past and growth (or lack thereof) as characters. Using it to start saying "ya lol maul is fodder even ___ can beat him" or "ben can stomp malgus now" is really just ridiculous.