History Recap / StarWarsRebelsS3E18TwinSuns

* BookEnds: A duel with Darth Maul ends with the loser dying slowly of his wounds and talking about how a Skywalker will make things right. [[Film/ThePhantomMenace This is exactly how it played out at the end of the Battle of Naboo.]] Not only that, the move right before the loser is killed is Maul attempting to bash the opponent in the face with his lightsaber hilt, just with a reversed outcome.

** Ezra and Maul are presented as such; they both come to Tatooine in search of Obi-Wan, but struggle to find him amongst the endless desert. While they eventually find him, the results are opposite, but have similar conclusions: Ezra is assured that, while Obi-Wan isn't the key to destroying the Sith, the greater Rebellion still matters, and leaves peacefully; Maul is half-mad from ([[TraumaCongaLine amongst other things]]) his time in the desert, attacks Obi-Wan, and is cut down, but is comforted by the belief that the Chosen One will bring about the end of the Sith, dying at peace.

* ForegoneConclusion: Kenobi obviously has to survive his encounter with Maul intact to be in place for ''Film/ANewHope''. Maul, on the other hand, isn't so lucky. Also, Kenobi will join the rebellion, but it's just not yet his time.

* OneDialogueTwoConversations: It's subtle, but when Obi-Wan and Ezra talk Obi-Wan is talking about the Chosen One and Ezra is talking about the key to destroying the Sith, neither realizing that they're two different people.

-->'''Maul:''' Look at what you have become; a rat in the desert.\\

* BaitAndSwitch: In the episode that wraps up the Maul arc, Ezra interpreted "the key to destroying the Sith" as being the Jedi Master, Obi-Wan Kenobi. This episode reveals that he's wrong -- it's Luke Skywalker, as a dying Maul discovers. (But long-time fans [[Film/ReturnOfTheJedi already know that]].)

** Hera claims that if Kenobi were alive, he wouldn't be hiding in some desert backwater...which is exactly what he's doing.

* FaceDeathWithDignity: As he's dying, Maul is reassured by Obi-Wan that the Chosen One does exist, and takes comfort in the fact that he will eventually avenge him by destroying the Sith that have ruined his life. It's especially noticeable seeing how most other villains Maul interacted with -- Grievous, Palpatine, Dooku, the Nightsisters -- end up ''not'' finding any sense of peace at the time of their death, despite their more composed nature compared to [[AxCrazy Maul]].

* ForegoneConclusion: Kenobi obviously has to survive his encounter with Maul intact to be in place for ''Film/ANewHope''. Maul, on the other hand, wasn't so lucky. Also, Kenobi will join the rebellion, but it's just not yet his time.
* {{Foreshadowing}}:

** Obi-Wan tells Ezra that he has all he needs, and Ezra returns home with a newfound determination to free his home. In the series finale, ''[[Recap/StarWarsRebelsS4E13FamilyReunionAndFarewell "Family Reunion and Farewell"]], all the major actors that contribute to the finale have already been put into place by this episode, with the only piece missing being Ezra's decision ignore his own needs and wants to help Lothal.

* HistoryRepeats: Maul is once more tracking someone down on Tatooine, nearly thirty years after the first instance -- though he's having more trouble finding his target this time round.

-->'''Maul''': Look at what you have become; a rat in the desert.\\
'''Obi-Wan''': [[HowTheMightyHaveFallen Look what I have risen above]].\\
'''Maul''': I have come to kill you, [[NotWorthKilling but perhaps it's]] ''[[NotWorthKilling worse]]'' [[NotWorthKilling to leave you here]], festering in your squalor.\\
'''Obi-Wan''': [[BloodKnight If you define yourself by your power to take life]], [[ItsAllAboutMe your desire to dominate, to possess]], [[WasItReallyWorthIt then you have nothing.]] ''([[BerserkButton Maul growls angrily]])''

** [[HereWeGoAgain Picking up where they left off]] during the Clone Wars (Form VI for Maul with a single blade held in front of him, Form III for Obi-Wan);
** [[WhereItAllBegan Going back to the very start]], the duel on Naboo (Maul holding the saber horizontally, igniting the second blade, Obi-Wan in Form I);

* LeaningOnTheFourthWall: Obi-Wan tells Ezra that he shouldn't be on Tatooine, and that Maul's interference has altered events. Both lampshade the fact that the show is adding bits to the established canon of the films.

* SecretKeeper: Ezra and Chopper become two of the few aware Obi-Wan is alive, but keep this from the rest of the rebellion in compliance with Obi-Wan's wishes. It's also indirectly stated that Bail Organa is one as well, since he told Rex that Obi-Wan was dead in spite of being one of the last people in contact with him before he exiled himself to Tatooine [[note]](and the fact that [[Film/ANewHope his daughter knows Kenobi is alive)]][[/note]].

* UnderestimatingBadassery: [[https://youtu.be/HrkFj6iepMs According to Maul's VA]] and visible in his attitude towards Obi-Wan, Maul believed Obi-Wan was a washed up failure in hiding. It wasn't until he was mortally wounded in a flash he realized he was completely wrong.

* WrongGenreSavvy: Obi-Wan tells a dying Maul that Luke is TheChosenOne. However, he's incorrect -- Anakin was always the Chosen One. Obi-Wan presumed that [[ProphecyTwist the Prophecy was misread]] and that Anakin's son would fulfill his role, but this is ultimately a result of his judgment being clouded, since he had long since given up on Anakin.

* WhereItAllBegan: The episode takes place on Tatooine, where the entire franchise began back in ''Film/ANewHope''. It's also the place where Maul first encountered Qui-Gon and, by association, Obi-Wan.
** Their battle stances before Maul attacks reflect their final duel on Naboo, after Maul killed Qui-Gon and before Obi-Wan cut him in half.

* BatmanGambit: Obi-Wan assumes Qui-Gon's lightsaber stance, resulting in Maul trying to kill him the same way he killed Qui-Gon, at which point Obi-Wan kills him in seconds. Maul's voice actor confirmed during an interview this was exactly what Obi-Wan was intentionally goading him into this mistake.

* VillainForgotToLevelGrind: Maul confronts Obi-Wan for the first time since the Clone Wars. Unfortunately for Maul, he's not only ''weaker'' than he was back then due to multiple factors, Obi-Wan is much ''stronger'' due to age and experience. The end result is Obi-Wan killing him rather quickly with a slash to the chest.

** The duel itself. Actual sword fights tended to last only a few seconds, not extended, choreographed battles. While some fans decried the duel ended too swiftly and anti-climatically, it is probably the most realistic depiction of a sword (or lightsaber) fight in the whole of ''Star Wars''.

* BaitAndSwitch: In the episode that wraps up the Maul arc, Ezra interpreted "the key to destroying the Sith" as being the Jedi Master, Obi-Wan Kenobi. This episode reveals that he's wrong -- it's Luke Skywalker, as a dying Maul discovers.

* DramaticIrony: Rex says that he also wishes that Obi-Wan was alive, but [[SecretKeeper Senator Organa]] confirmed his death for the Rebellion when asked. Even though Ezra knows, he still cannot tell anyone.

** By the time Maul and Obi-Wan duel, Maul has been mentally and physically deteriorating for months in the desert. On the other hand, Obi-Wan is ''far'' more experienced than he ''or'' Qui-Gon were during any of their previous duels. As such, Obi-Wan is able to kill him rather easily.

* SecretKeeper: Ezra and Chopper become two of the few aware Obi-Wan is alive, but keep this from the rest of the rebellion in compliance with Obi-Wan's wishes. It's also indirectly stated that Bail Organa is one as well, since he told Rex that Obi-Wan was dead in spite of being one of the last people in contact with him before he exiled himself to Tatooine.

* {{Foreshadowing}}: A dying Maul asks Obi-Wan if Luke really is the Chosen One. When Obi-Wan seemingly answers in the affirmative, Maul contently notes "He will avenge us". This refers to Luke's role in Vader's redemption back to the Light Side, since Anakin is the real Chosen One, but both Luke and Anakin play a role in the downfall of Palpatine and the Empire in ''Film/ReturnOfTheJedi''.

* SwordCane: Maul once again disguises his lightsaber as a cane, but this time, he actually needs a walking stick due crossing the desert for days.

* LetsFightLikeGentlemen: Maul and Obi-Wan cycle through the three stances used in their fights during the Clone Wars (Form VI for Maul with a single blade held in front of him, Form III for Obi-Wan), the start of the duel on Naboo (Maul holding the saber horizontally, igniting the second blade, Obi-Wan in Form I) and then the duel of only two of them after Qui-Gon was killed (Maul with the lightsaber behind his back, Obi-Wan using his master's Form IV stance). It's like they cycle through their shared history, pinpointing the moment they both seek reckoning for.

** {{Wuxia}}: In keeping with ''Star Wars'' tradition, the episode features two feuding seasoned warriors finally finding closure in a duel which is symbolic of all that happened during their life-long grudge.

** By the time Maul and Obi-Wan duel, Maul has been mentally and physically deteriorating for months in the desert. As such, Obi-Wan is able to kill him rather easily.

** {{Wuxia}}: In keeping with ''Star Wars'' tradition, the episode features two feuding seasoned warriors finally finding closure in a duel.

* LetThemDieHappy: Despite killing two people dear to him, Old Ben allows Maul to be at peace in his final moments by informing him that he is protecting the Chosen One]].

* WoundedGazelleGambit: Maul tricks Ezra into going into the desert alone, knowing Obi-Wan won't be able to resist helping him when he starts to succumb.

* CoolOldGuy: Obi-Wan, as always. Both wise enough to advise Ezra on the correct path and badass enough to take on Maul.

* AmbiguousSyntax: Maul's last words are "He will avenge us." Us as in himself and the ones he's lost, or us as in [[NotSoDifferent him and Obi-Wan]]?

* TalkingIsAFreeAction: Maul is about to move in to fight Obi-Wan, but the latter is able to still give a sound conversation towards Ezra without any time pressure whatsoever. This is rather justified; Maul was actually waiting for Ezra to leave.

* PetTheDog: Maul actually waits for Obi-Wan and Ezra to finish parting ways before he goes in for the kill.