Star Wars Rebels

[z3filus]

Since the day Episode 3 premiered, the prophecy of the chosen one, as a subject, has been open to interpretation. The latest episode in the Rebels doesn't change anything. "The One Who Will Bring Balance to The Force " could have also been Qui-Gon Jinn, for bringing Anakin to the Temple, or it could have been Yoda, for training Luke to defeat the Emperor and Vader. 

 

Then there's the subject of, whether the Chosen One is born once every thousand years, or whenever the Force is not in balance. Reincarnation.

[Circa]

Can someone explain to me what even happened? It didn't look like Obi-Wan even hit him? How did he die?

[JediBantha]

Could somebody fucking explain the logic of this?
 

[Barricade24]

Could somebody fucking explain the logic of this?

 

There isn't any.

[JediBantha]

There isn't any.

 

Good to know I'm not alone in this.

[Mand'alor]

Can someone explain to me what even happened? It didn't look like Obi-Wan even hit him? How did he die?

I tell you...

 

Maul wanted to finish off Kenobi as fast as possible because he noticed Obi-Wan took the same stance that Qui-Gon used during their duel in episode 1. So he tried the same trick he killed Qui-Gon with which involved him punching Kenobi with the hilt of his lightsaber but Kenobi was aware of this as he fooled Maul by taking Qui-Gon's stance and when Maul was about to punch him with his hilt Obi sliced through Mauls saber and thus cutting through his body as well. Well and then... he died.

 

[Circa]

Welp. It didn't look like the saber even touched his body. If it had, his face and chest would have been cut open.

[Mand'alor]

Well it's Disney or he survived again

[swegmaster]

 

If you look closely at Maul's body after the fight is over, you can see a little smoke coming from his chest, from where Ben's saber hit.

 

[swegmaster]

Could somebody fucking explain the logic of this?

 

Disney Logic

[NumberWan]

My guess was, that they wanted to combine the stylistics of the Rebels (which gains much from TCW and the prequels) with more from A New Hope – the film didn't show some effects or details, which are now quite common in Star Wars, like a bright cut from a ligthsaber. In Episode IV there wasn't anything like that. I also believe, that this saber cut effect is in many ways close to the adventurous Jedi, as well as brutal kills on their part. Obi Wan Kenobi here is an old hermit, which no longer needs his lightsaber to defeat an enemy.

 

So we see no cuts, as Obi Wan makes a very gentle attack, which was just one move, which kills Maul. While in Episode III and Episode VII there are intense fights, which is a series of failed mortal blows, which in the end are seen quite obviously, when finally hit. It's not a matter of realism, rather the symbolism.

 

I am simply glad, that Maul is finally dead. I still believe, it was a very foolish move to make him return in The Clone Wars. I might have swallowed this bitter pill, but if we count how many times he managed to survive?... Episode I - 1, The Clone Wars - about 2-3 times, Rebels - 1-2 times again. Isn't that a ridiculous fortune? I can't remember anyone being so lucky, except perhaps for Grievous, who had that in his nature - always to run. I feel, that Maul wasn't actually the one hiding in the shadows even if he had survived on Naboo, but rather he would attack Obi Wan immediately even without his legs.

 

His current death is already rising silly jokes, that he will return in the new stories/TV series/movies as two twins, which were cut in half vertically, with the reconstructed left/right sides of their bodies.

 

 

 

The problem Maul creates – is about him being too overused in Star Wars. He might have lacked more appearance in Episode I, but I prefer quality over quantity. And over the years some sort of Maul homage was present in so many games and stories even after Episode I! They included these Maul-alike warriors in Star Wars Kinect, I think. And Darth Maul hologram, as well as Maulkiller in The Force Unleashed...

 

[Noodle]

Kinda bothers me that so many people here have no notion of film history that they don't recognize the duel was styled as a kurosawa-like samurai duel. It was brilliantly done.

 

 

 

There was no need to do it in a long flashy way, it was a final conforontation between aged characters, not a duel like in the golden age of force users. 

[Mand'alor]

I would have prefered it if Maul and Obi-Wan fought for about 10-15 seconds being evenly matched and in the end Obi-Wan tricks Maul with the Qui-Gon stance and kills him. But well I guess that's just me.

[dark_apprentice]

Amazing episode for me, very emotional somehow even mature in some ways for the grown up audience and at the same time have a powerful logical meaning. At the end Kenobi showed he is no longer the Jedi from the prequel trilogy, but a wise old man who managed to control his emotions, the Force and many other things during his long exile. Something not everyone can do, forgive your biggest enemy everything he did and close his eyes like for an old friend of yours. While Maul as the exiled loaner messed up figure no longer part of the Sith nor the Jedi seeks his own redemption and understands, that actually the child of Anakin is the key to bring back the Chosen One and restore the balance, since Anakin is assumed by most dead after he turns to the Dark Side and becomes Vader, however only his son Luke does accept that there is still Anakin inside Vader. For me both Anakin and Luke have the Chosen one in them, but personally i think it's Anakin the Chosen One. After it's all about the point of view.

[z3filus]

For me both Anakin and Luke have the Chosen one in them

[Archangel35757]

@@JediBantha - @@Mand'alor got it right.  If you play it a few times in slow motion you can see it.  Although, it also reveals their very poor staccato animation style... better than some of their past duels, but not much better than this:

 

[the_raven]

to (...) restore the balance

the whole balance concept is still shady to me

[Noodle]

Amazing episode for me, very emotional somehow even mature in some ways for the grown up audience and at the same time have a powerful logical meaning. At the end Kenobi showed he is no longer the Jedi from the prequel trilogy, but a wise old man who managed to control his emotions, the Force and many other things during his long exile. Something not everyone can do, forgive your biggest enemy everything he did and close his eyes like for an old friend of yours. While Maul as the exiled loaner messed up figure no longer part of the Sith nor the Jedi seeks his own redemption and understands, that actually the child of Anakin is the key to bring back the Chosen One and restore the balance, since Anakin is assumed by most dead after he turns to the Dark Side and becomes Vader, however only his son Luke does accept that there is still Anakin inside Vader. For me both Anakin and Luke have the Chosen one in them, but personally i think it's Anakin the Chosen One. After it's all about the point of view.

 

I agree with most of what you said. But I think Obi-wan didn't believe Anakin could be redeemed, so it makes sense he thinks Luke is the chosen one. Even though at the end it was Anakin the one who destroyed the Sith and brought balance to the force.

[Archangel35757]

I thought the episode "Twin Suns" was good... BUT they missed a huge opportunity of having Obi-Wan giving Ezra some bit of jedi training-- I mean show him a new form (or ask him to demo the forms he knows... and give instruction), instruct him in some new force power-- force healing, etc. Come on throw the poor kid a bone-- he flew across the galaxy to find & warn Kenobi and all he gets is a gentle scolding??? ...so a huge opportunity blown by Disney imo.

[NumberWan]

@@Archangel35757

To tell the truth, this is where this episode has a lot in common with The Force Unleashed II – when Starkiller travels to Dagobah, he meets Yoda, who simply shows him the way. That's all. But in the game it is not known, that Yoda is a Jedi master, even if Starkiller had his suspicions.

 

As for the Chosen One – well, the concept works in a peculiar way for Star Wars. Even though it wasn't invented per se by G.Lucas at the time of filming Episode VI, it still in there, if we look back from a 1999 perspective. So here in Rebels, the devlopers had to follow a similar pattern – almost nobody truly mentions the Chosen One during this era (as if Rebels were made during 1970-1980s), and only a character from Episode I begins a talk. So it's like, that some characters know it, but unless someone suitable mentions the prophecy, they wouldn't talk about it to characters of the Rebellion era (e.g. Luke knows nothing of the prophecy at least in the films, as Obi Wan doesn't mention it).

 

I also think, that the idea works just fine, because Obi Wan might have been disillusioned with the Chosen One prophecy, thus not paying much attention to it, being on Tatooine. And of course it doesn't mean much for Leia, Chewie, Han, etc. Even if nobody knows – it still works in an unexpected way. The same now is (possibly) done in Rebels.

[Archangel35757]

@@NumberWan - what does any of that long rambling have to do with my perceived missed opportunity of Obi-Wan throwing Ezra a jedi-training bone???

[NumberWan]

@@Archangel35757

There is only one line, which I connect to your idea – that Obi Wan could train Ezra, but he didn't. A similar concept was in The Force Unleashed II, as I described above.

 

If you didn't like the other thoughts, which I expressed in my message, well, that's not my problem.

[Barricade24]

Well the Rebels finale was probably the best episodes this season!

 

Rebels has had a lot of ups this season only to be downed by not willing to go the extra mile. Examples of Saw having instant change of heart regarding tactics. This has been a problem with Rebels as that people seem to change their mind way too quickly for the common good and realistically life is not like that and finally they have a character who sticks with his convictions. I won't even mention the episodes of Iron Squadron and Double Agent Droid.

 

Enough of that though let's get on to the finale itself.

 

This has been the most costly episode to the Rebellion in all of Rebels. Finally! For far too long have the Rebels seemed to always get the leg up over an incompetent Empire, now the tide finally turns and the Empire absolutely devastated the Rebels!

 

I cannot count how many ships the Rebels lost in that battle, but it was a good chunk of their fleet. THIS is what Rebels has been needing to do what Clone Wars did all to well: the cost of war. Having lost so many ships to the highly competent Grand Admiral Thrawn really is what this show needed.

 

Speaking of Thrawn I am absolutely thrilled he survived. I would have been highly disappointed if they killed him off, but thankfully they did not!

 

Speaking of who was killed off, I loved how they did it. Commander Sato...I could tell almost immediately by the look in his eyes what he was going to do and I was right. He plowed the escort carrier straight into the Interdictor (which I am also happy to see being used again) and take Admiral Konstantine with him. I am so glad they got rid of this character he has been so useless from the beginning and his reckless attitude toward Thrawn's command proved to be his undoing, so I'm glad they got rid of him though. A shame the escort carrier was lost, I really liked that ship.

 

That aside we also have Bendu who like I said above has been of the few characters so far to stick with his convictions not to take a side. Though he did engage the Empire he engaged the Rebels as well, so I'm glad they made him stick with his convictions.

 

A really minor note, but I loved seeing different colored Y-wings, it brings me back to games like TIE-Fighter and X-Wing that had ships like this.

 

 

All in all this has been the most costly episodes for the Rebels and that is exactly what the show needed and I look forward to where they will take this show next.

[the_raven]

Oye, oye!

Rebels S04 confirmed!

 

As to my impressions on the last two episodes of S03, here goes: (spoilers(!!!), obviously)

I'm glad they finally got the Rebels off that lame planet. Maybe it's those spiders, but I really hated it.

Have no strong opinion on Thrawn not dying, never cared for the character, no matter how well-written he is (yeah, yeah, I missed the pre-Ep1 time when he basically held Star Wars lore continuity all by himself), but his moment of weakness, when Bendu mocked him with that prediction, I considered it uncalled for. Speaking of Bendu, I was really glad when the Imps shot the arrogant asshole out of the sky, but was likewise disappointed when he survived (though it's unclear if he Obi-Wan'd on Thrawn, or escaped). The Rebels loosing the battle was good. Really good - we finally see the Empire as it should be - a professional, totalitarian war-machine!

The music was well chosen, the bombardment scene was just beautiful! I actually still can't believe Sato died, I mean, I thought he lived at least to the end of A new hope? Eh, anyway.

What else to say? Um, oh yeah - Interdictors, Mandalorians, Death Troopers, Konstantine dying (finally!).

And I really hope S04 will deal with the Mandalorians' civil war, and will have more Rogue One related content.

[NumberWan]

As for Season 4, there are rumours, that:

 

.

*New characters, as well as the return of the very-very old heroes

*Liberation of Lothal from the Empire

*More from the Rebel Alliance

*There will be a further connection with Rogue One and Episode IV

*More about Mon Mothma and Saw Gerrera (how they parted ways)

*More about Mandalore (obviously)

*There will be a new Inquisitor next season

*Ezra and Kanan will travel to Malachor again

*Ahsoka was supposed to appear in Season 3, but perhaps will return in Season 4 (see Malachor)

*Some characters from The Clone Wars will have their stories complete in Season 4 (Rex?)

*Papatine will appear in one of the new episodes

 

 

Personally the Rebels as a whole had a lot of good episodes, but they still need to polish the style of the show, I believe. I would definitely watch the new episodes, but it's not that I am too enthusiastic about the Ghost team. Season 1 captivated me a lot more But I would like to see Season 4.