Dooku was told to kill Kenobi to test Anakin to see if he'd turn to the Darkside and that if things started to go wrong he'd help him. The endgame was for Dooku to be captured and arrested only to be released after Order 66.
Dooku also mentioned before the battle that the war was taking its toll on him.
So you decide.
Originally posted by ares834This👆
In the novel, Dooku initially is holding back and the plan is for him to be “defeated” and captured. However, once the duel becomes one on one he realizes Anakin’s potential as a Sith he begins to suspect the truth and fights desperately for his survival.
The fight in ROTS was initially meant to test Anakin to see if he was ready to be turned. This was a test that Dooku arrogantly thought he'd have no problem with. But after Anakin started using his rage and genuinely getting the better of Dooku., he [Dooku] was fighting for his life and was very much taking the fight seriously. He was straight up outmatched, as both novels note. Dooku's only "surprise" came at the very end of the battle when Sidious didn't interject before Anakin beheaded him. No indication whatsoever in either novel that Dooku was tired or holding back at the end.
I recommend not listening to anything juggernaut74 has to say here. His bias greatly outweighs his logic.
You say that Dooku started to go for the kill which he did but you neglect to mention that Dooku got control of things again and started to slip back into his "playful" mode and that is when Sidious decided to intervene and goad Anakin into using his rage and fury. That confused Dooku to the point if he thought Sidious had lost his mind and that is when Anakin get the upperhand. Do you understand context?
It's pretty clear had Sidious not been there to aid Anakin into getting a rage boner he would have lost.
Oh and as I said earlier before the fight even started Dooku clearly stated the war was taking it's toll on him and he was ready to take it easy. So there's that.
Just read the duel from the novel. I think you both are right. If Sidious wasn’t there, Anakin wouldn’t have been able to beat Dooku. But Sidious got Anakin to tap into his rage. Once he did so, Dooku realized that he was fighting for his life. Anakin beat him fair and square once Sidious told him to use his rage.
Originally posted by xPRIMExRead the last page of the fight. It says that:
But I don’t really agree with what juggernaut was saying about Dooku being confused when Sidious started to goad Anakin. It’s pretty clear that Dooku knew what was happening and knew that he was fighting for his life at that point.
"Dooku thought blankly, kill me?"
It says after:
"Dooku found himself in bewildered astonishment if Sidious had suddenly lost his mind"
So yes Dooku was confused.
Dooku didn't even know he was fighting for his life until it was too late he was unprepared for the treachery of Sidious. The novel makes it clear and the Visual Guides and Ultimate Star Wars Guides confirm this as well.
facepalm
Dooku was just surprised that Sidious was ordering Anakin to kill him, as he was hoping that his master would help him. That doesn't mean Dooku was holding back before that when Anakin unleashed his fury. The novel implies the exact opposite ffs.
This is what I mean. You misinterpret the hell out of the context, twist it to try and fit into your little headcanon bubble, then try to sell it as fact. Pure cringe.
Originally posted by juggernaut74
Read the last page of the fight. It says that:"Dooku thought blankly, kill me?"
It says after:
"Dooku found himself in bewildered astonishment if Sidious had suddenly lost his mind"
So yes Dooku was confused.
Dooku didn't even know he was fighting for his life until it was too late he was unprepared for the treachery of Sidious. The novel makes it clear and the Visual Guides and Ultimate Star Wars Guides confirm this as well.
Then Anakin unleashes his rage. So Dooku KNEW that his master had deceived him BEFORE Anakin uses his rage. Dooku was definitely not holding back at that point.
Originally posted by xPRIMExThat means he figured it out after the fact. Happens in real life all the time.
Right after that it says
“He felt a sickening presentment that he already knew the answer to that question. Treachery is the way of the sith”Then Anakin unleashes his rage. So Dooku KNEW that his master had deceived him BEFORE Anakin uses his rage. Dooku was definitely not holding back at that point.