Fight Scene Autopsy: Obi-Wan Vs Anakin, Duel on Mustafar, STAR WARS

In this episode of Fight Scene Autopsy - the most pedantic overly detailed analysis of movie fight scenes on KZbin where I review fight scenes for how realistic they are in respect to historical combat - I analyze the Duel on Mustafar from Star Wars Revenge of the Sith where Anakin Skywalker fights Obi-Wan Kenobi.
Skallagrim's high ground analysis: • The High Ground: REALL...
My novel, Shadow of the Conqueror Audio Book affiliate links:
US: www.audible.com/shadbrooks
UK: www.audible.co.uk/shadbrooks
CA: www.audible.ca/shadbrooks
AU: www.audible.com.au/shadbrooks
Ebook, Paperback and Hardcover available from most major book retailers, here are a few of the main ones:
Amazon affiliate link (be sure to navigate to your country's amazon site):
amzn.to/2XErUaR
Barnes and Noble:
www.barnesandnoble.com/w/shad...
Kobo:
www.kobo.com/au/en/ebook/shad...
My official website: www.shadmbrooks.com/
Shadiversity on Patreon: / shadiversity
Awesome shadiversity T-shirts: teespring.com/stores/shadiver...

[@lydeart]

I am 15 minutes in and I really enjoy this. I think it is really cool that you reenact the moves. It is very refreshing to look at and gives me a more clear view in what you are referring to. Please keep doing these videos!

[@jamesesparza6893]

If u havent seen the episode 8 breakdown u should its pretty great.

[@jerichamesclammay3107]

@DeimS I strongly agree

[@Bam_Bizzler]

@Aint Jack i keep seeing you everywhere

[@kelmirosue3251]

@Aint Jack agreed. If you make anything educational fun then people pay more attention

[@profepik7525]

Please next Fight Scene Autopsy : black mamba vs oren ishii (kill bill) ! Looks pretty poor to me but I'd really enjoy your comments. kzbin.info/www/bejne/q4TNhJKiaNx6q5o

[@Zahnpuppy]

I noticed a pattern in your complaints: Anakin is too reckless and Obiwan isnt trying to kill him... narratively that makes perfect sense.

[@emillerner6362]

no Obi-Wan definitely wanted to kill Anakin, he just was extremely careful because he knew Anakin was much stronger.

[@sataoborao6444]

Emil Lerner obi wan isn’t trying to kill anakin until the second half of the fight, where they have a little exchange and he says “well then you are truly lost!”. Until then obi wan was simply trying to disarm anakin. But he realizes that the only way to stop him is to kill him.

[@yeetwchybaban]

@@emillerner6362 no

[@cosmicmaster1006]

@@emillerner6362 "i will not kill Anakin" - Obi wan to Yoda Did u forget about that

[@Sidiron]

Another pattern I am picking up on is that the spins that Obi Wan uses are also allowing him to pivot between his feet while moving backwards during the high guards, I don't know if there is a better way to retreat while maintaining momentum and your guard especially against heavy/impassioned blows such as the ones that Anakin is using.

[@vanslatery941]

Look at Hayden and Ewan sweating bullets during the training footage... It's like they actually cared about choreography. Imagine that!

[@Trisjack20]

I agree. People can critisize many things but I don't think anyone can realistically say Hayden and Ewan did not care about their performances or the characters. They clearly did and worked to extreme levels to bring what they could to the screen.

[@skaionex]

And poor Hayden gets so much flak... I absolutely love his anakin. Sure, the dialog isnt perfect but he did what he could with it. His emotional and physical performances were really really great though.

[@TheStraightestWhitest]

@@skaionex Yeah he reminds me of Keanu Reeves. He's a very good physical actor, very strong in presence without any dialogue.

[@sanitarycockroach9038]

@@skaionex Sadly, all the acting skill in the world can't save garbage dialogue. But that turd was polished to the extreme!

[@apollohateshisdayjob9606]

Also why later in the fight the pauses make logical sense, and why there are a bit more frequent of mistakes (both in story and the actors themselves.) They are simply getting worn out

[@AzguardMike]

Shad near the start "a fight would realistically last 2 or 3 moves" Star Wars Rebels - Maul vs Kenobi.

[@thanatosstorm]

Showing the difference between a master going for a kill versus two having an argument and wanting to wear the other out.

[@zzodysseuszz]

@@thanatosstorm it’s too bad the rebels maul vs Kenobi was horrible bc mauls swings were awkward and made no sense

[@atharvoak3445]

@@zzodysseuszz I disagree with this part, what maul wanted to do was hit Obi wan with the hilt of his double lightsaber, just like how he defeated Qui Gon, but Obi wan deliberately took his master's stance so as to lure him in and finish him off with one blow

[@ramiel7666]

Best part of that show....

[@briggsbughouses6291]

But the autopsy video would still be about 2 or 3 hours.

[@rainmanslim4611]

Shad watching Obi Wan and Anakin fight with laser swords while speeding along a river of lava on a flying robot and flying platform: "... I'm not entirely sure this is historically accurate"

[@calenhoover1124]

watching two extremely powerful and extrasensory space wizards fight with a weapon from a more civilized time " well that guard didn't really make sense "

[@MakAlexMosc]

This video - 79 minutes Revenge of the Sith - 140 minutes This is more then half length of movie! Glorious.

[@Guderian2]

10/10 would watch again ^^

[@russellharrell2747]

To be fair The fight scene was like 3 hrs long.

[@Jfk2Mr]

Don't worry, we still have a half of movie

[@myth5588]

@@Jfk2Mr another happy landing

[@michaelshepherd8545]

I don't know how to feel about that.

[@wraith1371]

I know from a technical perspective Obi-Wan makes mistakes not striking when he has an open opportunity but from a lore perspective it actually makes sense. For a majority of the fight Obi-Wan is intentionally not taking these opportunities as he doesn't actually want to kill Anakin instead defending himself and trying to find an opening to disarm Anakin and end the fight without having to take his life. Only later in the fight realizing that due to Anakin's skill and the fact that they are so familiar with each others fighting styles, as they have been fighting along side one another for years, the only way Obi-Wan can end the fight is by killing Anakin.

[@TetsuRiken]

I think the one opertunity he could have used was when Anikin hit the console he could have cliped the tip of the saber and cut off the balde

[@wraith1371]

@@TetsuRiken Yeah that was a pretty big opening for him to take advantage of that was definitely missed.

[@albertschoise8091]

@Wraith 13 eh no one's perfect... Xept ray... Edit: holy shit that’s a lot of likes!

[@phoenixwyvern355]

@@albertschoise8091 *chokes with the force* You dissapoint me.

[@h0m3st4r]

...or at least horribly maiming him.

[@MrTubeStuck]

I was a dumb highschool student when I first watched this fight and all I took home from this was it was a cool flashy fight. Seeing it frame by frame seeing Hayden's face during the whole fight, my goodness Hayden is a terrific actor. Through all the physical exertion he is still conveying all the anger Anakin has. Its kinda sad that he received a crap ton of flack due to the garbage dialogue. Ewan isnt really half bad as well, he looks like he is in pain during this fight.

[@joshuaroberts1287]

Ewan acted circles around Hayden. Hayden was good with aggressive, brooding emotions but the lighter dialogue where vulnerability required he was awful. His scenes with Natalie were some of the worst delivered lines in cinema and made him seem robotic and very 2 dimensional.

[@TheUsurperKing]

@@joshuaroberts1287 hayden was trying to portray james earl jones robotic voice because they are the same person

[@Hadaron]

@Cow Lupin In that case don’t go to 36:47 or you’ll be scarred for life

[@SommerSen]

@Cow Lupin as a neurodivergent who talked with neurodivergent people wat

[@diegoxavier9107]

@Cow Lupin That has to be the *dumbest* shit I've ever heard in my entire life

[@sinfjotlisghost465]

I'm only about halfway through, but I just want to point out something really cool that I noticed. These actors, while facing each other, have not broken eye-contact once. They haven't even glanced at their props. Really subtle way of conveying both the emotion of the scene and their skill with the choreography, and it's a testament to both of of their abilities.

[@Thor-Orion]

They worked incredibly hard for this duel, it's definitively the greatest lightsaber duel in the entirety of Star Wars.

[@James35142]

@@Thor-Orion That's debatable, but it's definitely one of my favorites.

[@connormcmurphy4276]

@@James35142 what lightsaber fight would u rank above this particular one?

[@reagan1197]

@@James35142which one is better?

[@Mojo1356]

@@reagan1197there are some that would argue Luke vs Vader both rounds for the best

[@alansmithee419]

The real reason anakin spins so much? "I'll try spinning, that's a good trick"

[@el_mr6439]

Palpatine is his master

[@renz4369]

@@morgothable Do beyblades also backflip on a regular basis?

[@MarginalSC]

@@renz4369 No, but they do have trouble advancing onto higher ground.

[@RainOn2SunnyDay]

Renz yes actually, they summon tornadoes sometimes too

[@sauloinaciobraga6949]

@@MarginalSC in the Burst anime there is a Beyblade that can get in the high ground

[@joebenzz]

Fun fact: This entire scene was done in normal speed. Previous ones had to be done slower so that the actors could better anticipate their opponent's moves and then in post prod they would accelerate the fights. But in this one, Ewan and Hayden had so much training from the previous movies that they instinctively did all their moves in normal speed.

[@Lightfire398]

I believe for 'Duel of Fates' (Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan vs Maul) they had to actually ask the actors to *slow down* cause the cameras couldn't keep up.

[@vksasdgaming9472]

@@Lightfire398 Bruce Lee was THAT fast and strong as hell. That can be expected from perhaps fittest man in recorded history.

[@lexi9956]

I also remember somebody in production saying something about them wanting to bring as much intensity as they could to it since it was the big defining fight between them.

[@thepewplace1370]

it wasnt instinct: they trained several hours a day for months

[@benjaminkliewer5425]

@@thepewplace1370 And there is the difference the recent actors and these two, it isn't the actors they just don't have training which MAY be the directors fault or the relatively small time frame given to make the film. Not making excuses but just thinking. After all when watching Kylo fight I thought "hmm, he leaves himself open so much its no wonder Ray beats actually I could beat him."

[@justinsmith2102]

Let me say something about the, "I have the high ground" scene; I genuinely don't believe Obi Wan believes he has the advantage. I think it's a taunt, a challenge. He is trying to provoke Anikan and he falls for it exactly as Obi Wan expects because he knows Anikan believes himself to be superior. It's just a mind game.

[@theastroguy7417]

True! He had beaten general grievous and maul from a lower position too!

[@GrapeCheckerBoard]

Looking at that terrain, could Anakin have realistically fought his way uphill? After all, he did slip down the bank to where he caught fire.

[@fightingdreamer123]

Actually, it is because he knows Anakin will try to do the same move on him that he did on Maul: the jump and flip over him. The jump obi wan does on maul and the one anakin does on obi wan are identical, except in the latter situation, obi wan knows exactly whats up and...yea

[@cerealdig]

Obi Wan: _waves hand_ You *will* jump at me Anakin: Are you trying to do a mind trick? Obi Wan: _waves hand more insistently_ You *will* jump at me. You *will*-blast it, why is Master Qui Gonn’s training failing me?! Anakin: I’m still gonna jump though. *AAAAHHHH*

[@wojak-sensei6424]

It's a corny pun characteristic of a Prequel film. I never thought it was that deep.

[@Blackname51230]

I've heard that the "flourish off" at 50:00 is meant to represent them being in perfect sync with eachother in the force. As in all fights with force users, they are at all times using the force to try and predict the other fighters next move, but here, the two fighting know eachother so well that the force guided them to this. It may be that we're writing the movie after the fact, but personally I can accept that as being the reason.

[@Thingpng]

It would make sense since they fight together all the time so they know that they're not going to strike each other for a while.

[@Caysari]

yeah i thought they basicly feinted each other but like several times in a row

[@antonvagen8206]

Yes exactly. I came to a similar conclusion myself. They begin a strike, but in the middle of it they already see the other one reacting to it so they switch to something else, and that repeats several times in a sequence.

[@zion5375]

@@antonvagen8206 that doesn’t make any sense. There were points where their lightsabers could’ve just cut each other’s feet while the other had their lightsaber behind their back. It’s just bad choreography

[@nophoria]

This is the case, it’s the same reason a kid could even pod race (and win). It’s like having amazing reflexes using the force, using it to sense what’s coming to a degree. Otherwise using a lightsaber without the use of the force is incredibly dangerous.

[@lowkeyarki7091]

I thought this was going to destroy the Anakin vd Obiwan fight scene, but it just destroyed the last jedi throne room even more lol.

[@ChillyCharizard006]

Lowkey Arki what?

[@Shin_FTW]

As it should. Hayden and Ewan worked hard to perform this.

[@lowkeyarki7091]

@@ChillyCharizard006 when someone criticizes something normally you'd expect it to realize how horrible something is. But this showed how much effort they put in to the fight scene compared to the last jedi throne room

[@ChillyCharizard006]

Lowkey Arki OHHHH... for some reason my mind wasn't processing TLJ throneroom fight, even though that's LITERALLY what you said... And after the mentions it multiple times in the video. I feel stupid now lol. Yes totally agree.

[@razorburn645]

@@revbladez5773 It seems like quite a bit. You can watch the actors go through the drills on KZbin if you like. It looks really neat to know they could do all the moves.

[@sparklepawz1185]

“A higher guard position is preferable to a lower one” “This spin Anakin did wasn’t horrible since it kinda made sense” *smiles in High Ground and Good Trick*

[@noahsnyder6123]

Sparkle Pawz *laughs in hello there*

[@cinemagoose]

*is relieved in happy landing*

[@smormannen]

*enjoying the fun begins*

[@nitsuagaming6121]

yes obi wan had the high ground but thats not why anakin lost anakin was fueled by hatred and anger he wasnt thinking clearly which is why he lost

[@ajohndaeal-asad6731]

Them references tho!!!

[@_Shay_]

I love how they basically made that backwards flourish Anakin’s signature move. Of course other Jedi have done it once or twice, but Anakin constantly does it all through the prequels and Clone Wars.

[@TruetoCaesar]

ROTS: A modest person doing the best with what he has. TLJ: A poor man wearing supreme and a walking jewllery store

[@Seamus.Harper]

53:26 "...you can't redirect your momentum. Once you are in the air, you are in the air. Granted, they are Force-users, maybe Force-users can redirect their momentum... that's _up in the air."_ - Shad, Master of Swords and Words

[@ButtersTheGreat1]

I believe the "Canon" reason for the fight becoming more unconventional later, is both Obi-Wan and Anakin realizing they're to familiar with each other and start to make false openings to bait the other.

[@arbiterprime2145]

plus theyre both getting tired and just plain desperate (Obi-Wan) and even more mentally unhinged (Anakin)

[@jamsquirrel7996]

i think that's why they did that thing where they are just spinning and nobody is hitting, the point was that they were both doing the exact same move

[@shin_eightysix]

The high ground scene. Obi-Wan was baiting Anakin to take the high ground, that's the whole point. Obi-Wan even said to not try it.But Anakin did it anyway and took the bait and got maimed.

[@AEWYU]

ALSO they were both getting tired because this fight would be very energy draining even with the force

[@jamsquirrel7996]

@@AEWYU yeah you can tell by the end they are slower and more predictable because theyre tired

[@gatitoplatanito270]

37:36 earlier in the movie, Anakin cut off Dookus hands by doing this move, and he was trying to do the same to Obi-Wan, but Obi-Wan was countering it. Also, it helps to keep in mind throughout the fight that it was designed to show that Anakin was in control, and that Obi-Wan didn’t want to kill Anakin. So it would make sense that any advantage he saw he would’ve ignored, hence why he was on the defensive the whole time, while Anakin was on the attack the whole fight.

[@Archedgar]

Ooh, nice. I never caught that.

[@Thor-Orion]

Obi-wan was trying to wear him out into submission.

[@PatoChu]

No its not the same move at all. Not even the same side, they’re just dragging their sabers in a circular motion

[@davari9032]

@@PatoChuit’s literally the same exact move lmao😭

[@PatoChu]

​@@davari9032 No it is not. It's not even remotely close. I've learned both choreographies and they just look similar, but they are completely different. In this Mustafar shot, Anakin comes out of a right-spin to attack Obi-Wan from his left while Obi-Wan had his lightsaber blocking his upper body with the tip pointing upwards. Kenobi parries this attack with a weird circular motion by dragging Anakin's left attack downwards, then to the right. (from Anakin's POV) After this, he takes the opportunity and tries to stab Anakin but he parries his attack away by continuing the circular motion Obi-Wan set him in. In this fight scene, Anakin never "tried" to disarm Kenobi, in fact it was actually Obi-Wan who was trying to cut Anakin's legs... it can be confusing for the viewers tho... In the Invisible Hand however, it's completely different. Anakin does come out of a right spin to slice Dooku but when he gets blocked, he does a left 180 spin instead and blocks Dooku's upper swing with his own tip pointing to the right in an awkward position. Dooku tries to take advantage of this and pushes Anakin's lightsaber forward but Anakin outsmarts him and before it's too late, he holds and gains control over Dooku's lightsaber, repositions his blade and effortlessly defeats Dooku. Basically, in this scene, Anakin simply outsmarts Dooku for trying to take advantage of him, which ironically fits the context PERFECTLY. It's really hard to explain and visualize on text, so I'd recommend you try to watch a tutorial on these choreographies instead of watching the film because from the angles the scenes were shot from, they can appear very similar. Note: These swings mostly happen in fractions of a second so it might be a little confusing.

[@PastLifeVillian]

The point of the “high ground” line is to lure Anakin into jumping over to him. He isnt saying hes actually in the advantageous striking position, especially since they arent even within striking distance due to Anakin being on the platform in the lava. He’s using Anakins arrogance against him. This has been pretty frequently talked about. Also, their flourish towards eachother is them testing eachother. Also been talked about often.

[@Leekle2ManE]

Exactly my thoughts too. As Shad points out when commenting on the lines/writing, Anakin's responses didn't match up with what Obiwan was saying. It shows he's unhinged in his thinking. Obiwan took advantage of this by claiming he had the high ground. A rational Anakin would have used the Force to move the droid close enough to just step off onto solid ground, but he isn't rational, so instead he he tries to prove his abilities and take the high ground for himself and plays right into Obiwan's trap. This also leads into the argument that Obiwan probably intentionally or subconciously missed all his opportunities, because even after winning the fight, he still can't bring himself to actually kill Anakin, just as he told Yoda he would not be able to.

[@Dragonpuncher123]

Exactly. And having by having “The High Ground” Obi-Wan is also saying that he has the moral high ground. This pisses Anakin off even more since this whole fight is as much about fighting with ideals as fighting with swords. The way I see it, Obi-Wan is deliberate taunting Anakin and saying “You are just a sith, you can’t beat me like Maul couldn’t beat me”. In his arrogance and rage Anakin refuses to believe this and to prove his point (about how powerful he is) he tries to beat Obi-Wan with the exact move he used to kill Maul. Of course this is what Obi-Wan was expecting and he does what Maul should have done back in episode 1. I also like how this is right comes after Obi-Wan say “Then you are lost”. I think that is where he realized he had to stop Anakin by any means necessary. That Obi-Wan (who claims to have the moral high ground), wins the fight by basically luring Anakin into a trap, is a good reflection on the double standards of the jedi throughout the prequels and especially Clone Wars.

[@xxHazzardousxx]

It also mirrors each other, the spinny flourish. It shows that these two people have trained and fought together for years and years

[@merlith4650]

@@Dragonpuncher123 i mean it doesn't reflect any double standards. it's an ongoing battle, it's not a "trap" just because Anakin chose to be stupid. the whole point of a duel is to attempt to trick an opponent into making a mistake in the first place. i am afraid this is one of those instances of fans trying to apply deeper reasoning and validation for something silly, because we already know the origin of why "i have the high ground" was incuded in the script, and it had absolutely nothing to do with a deeper meta-message. fight choreographer Nick GIlliard straight up confirmed in an interview that his idea of the high ground came from the fact that Hayden Christensen hates walking up slopes. there was nothing significant about it, Obi-wan winning the fight because he was physically higher up than anakin was very much the intention by the movie makers.

[@anoon-]

I believe Anakin, as a Padawan, tried to replicate the jump move Obi Wan did against Maul to impress his master. Obi Wan acknowledged what Anakin was about to do and genuinely warned him not to, Anakin's arrogance got the best of him and he tried Kenobi's trick against Kenobi.

[@doggowantssauce]

Obi-wan: "It's over Anakin! I have the high ground!" Also Obi-wan: *Tries to lure Anakin into thinking that higher ground is an advantage* Anakin: *falls for obi-wan's trick* Now everything makes sense!

[@catholic_ninja1710]

I'm not the only one who thought this!

[@zebjensen4251]

The reason why the high ground works here has nothing to do with tricks. If they where in a slop or some other surface than sure anikan would be at an advantage. But the reason in Cannon why this works is because obi wan knew that anikan would have to jump exposing himself to a free attack to get behind him, or jump in front of him to just keep doing the same song and dance they had be doing the whole time. So the high ground works because anikan had to jump to obi wan on a higher plan leaving himself vunerable.

[@JackalLab]

Am I the only one that thinks Obi-wan could of just force pushed Anakin into the lava when he is mid jump either way jumping forward or over him

[@solojackson6371]

@@JackalLab No ,but you have to remember Obi didn't want to kill Ani or fight him. Also the simple answer "plot".

[@shortyboio]

@@JackalLab Obi-wan knew what Anakin was doing, if you look closely he does the same thing Obi-wan does in episode 1 do defeat Maul.

[@SkyStrikeZ]

The reason why this was so good was cause Ewan and Hayden were having an argument and the film crew just happened to be there

[@MasquedJustice]

They just bust out the saber props for every argument they have

[@austinsmith4716]

​@@MasquedJustice would there be any other way to settle an argument on a star wars set?

[@superpaytonmars8852]

Might I suggest Anakin's rematch with Dooku? I especially love the bit where Anakin runs his lightsaber down and right through Dooku's wrists. Completely impractical for a regular sword, but totally works with a lightsaber.

[@Kale13000]

regardless of any minor issues, I think we can all agree that as a cinematic fight scene this is extremely epic

[@RedThorn]

I love this breakdown, but I think one thing you're disregarding is that as the fight goes on, their moves deliberately get more sloppy and telegraphed because they're getting TIRED. As an ex-fencer myself, the longer the matches wore on, the sloppier my opponent and myself got because our legs were aching from our guard position and our arms felt like lead from holding it outward. It's really impossible to contend with.

[@RedThorn]

@Mk. 5II33II4N So? They're still human. It's not like they have unlimited stamina. If you watched the fight, you'd see that the moves get sloppier, slower and they're pausing more often to catch their breath.

[@bleack8701]

@Mk. 5II33II4N doesn't mean they have unlimited stamina. Look at Obi Wan at 1:08:50. Dude's out of breath

[@AhsokaJackson]

Agreed! I was actually waiting for him to comment on that myself-looking at both their facial expressions and their style of movement, they look increasingly desperate and worn out.

[@ThallanarRabidtooth]

@@bleack8701 To add to your comment, they're also fighting on a planet made of lava, and near the end of the fight are fighting literally just a couple feet from lava. Not just the possibility of heat stroke but I know from experience (having lived in Phoenix for the majority of my life) that breathing very hot air (from 120 fahrenheit and above) that it actually becomes painful to inhale because your lungs are being scorched, also, you seem to get less oxygen per breath when it's very hot out too. It would make total sense that both these people would be exhausted near the end of the fight.

[@gilgamesh8334]

Bystander They are not really human

[@NintendoCapriSun]

Breaking it down really brings out what great acting we got from Ewan and Hayden across this entire fight.

[@56mdk]

Lol sick

[@56mdk]

Tf you doing here

[@246al]

Where there is high culture there is caprisun

[@ttp1364]

whoa ain’t that a cool seeing you round these parts

[@sicknashty3837]

hayden perfectly portrays his lack of fondness for sand

[@datpieceofbread9570]

Very late. But the "I have the high ground!" and "Don't try it." is actually pretty valid. Obi Wan spent a lot of time meditating and thinking about that moment when he managed to leap over Darth Maul and mentally went through how it could've gone. And more than likely would've taught Ani what happened that day. So Obi could see that Ani was planning on pulling a similar move, hence the "Don't try it." which, Ani does and Obi Wan counters.

[@markstenquist2315]

I made that point. This whole fight scene starts and end thematic elements through the whole star wars story. I love it.

[@fransiscayulianita68]

​@How did I get subscribed to this channel? He did.

[@urbanundergroundracingleag4956]

I can't argue with the analysis of the choreography, narratively we have several things happening with the characters... A. Neither truly wants to kill the other at this point, Obi less so but that is my take he is B. showing Anikan that he is still the master, which echoes/foreshadows Vader vs. Luke in Empire but it is a more intense fight because C. this is master and highly trained student. It is more chess match than sword fight with each player knowing to near perfection each others moves, counter moves and favorite tricks I have many 30+ years of SCA fighting and one of the more combat heavy LARPs and I have seen and been in fights with closely matched opponents that train together and sometimes the follow through with a strike is stopped because one of them suspects a trick or has a moment of doubt...it seems odd but it is a human thing that happens. Quick edit for an after thought, advanced fighters, like chess masters, are setting moves far ahead of what the average and uninitiated can. thus the continuous action and seemingly missed opportunities. Again, all in story justification stuff...

[@bubblesofthecoast6393]

If there’s anything I got out of this, Anakin kept to his word that “spinning is a good trick”

[@PsilentMusicUK]

"I'll try spinning, that's a good trick" Anakin never changes.

[@jacobfeucht1405]

Was just going through the comments to make sure someone put that quote in here, otherwise I was going to do it. Well done 👍🏻😂

[@marilynschrepfer2923]

Hahahahahaha. Lol They grow up so fast

[@kinagrill]

you mean a jump spin that doesn't get cut (literally) in half, halfway through? :p

[@mckaymcvey8614]

@@jacobfeucht1405 You and me both!

[@princeofsomnia7664]

maybe he trained by a witcher secretly who knows.

[@kalebramirez7327]

15:51 I think the reason Obi-Wan does that spin is just so he could get a brief glimpse of where he's going. Remember, he hasn't been to Mustafar before, and he's fighting Anakin while being pushed back the entire time, for all he knows Anakin could be pushing him to the edge of the platform and end up throwing him off into the lava, so he does a quick spin to get a little glimpse of how much platform he has left and if there's no obstacles in the way before continuing the fight.

[@ThisCanBePronounced]

interesting thought!

[@obi-wankenobi7041]

You have to remember we have been fighting together for many years so we know how the other fights, and our different styles of lightsaber combat (Anakin uses form 5 and me form 3). Also, the force allows us to even better predict the movements of each other. BTW form 5 focuses on heavy large strikes to pressure your opponent while form 3 focuses on mainly defensive moves to wait for an opening to take advantage of. P.S. I was once called THE master of Soresu (form 3) by master Mace Windu Edit: This is one of the nerdiest comment sections I’ve ever seen and I love it Edit 2: Also I wasn’t trying to kill him until later I was simply trying to disarm him at first. And he was being reckless and letting his emotions take over, he wasn’t thinking as strategically as normal. Also (out of character here) some parts of this footage are actually slowed down so the music, Duel of the Fates, didn’t seem awkward and out of place.

[@samiuddin7051]

You're not obi wan. Stop pretending

[@kreigguardsman3355]

I believe he called you the undisputed master of Soresu

[@obi-wankenobi7041]

@@samiuddin7051 I’m not pretending that I am

[@xx_redwood_xx9737]

Battle of the Heroes not Duel of the Fates

[@realDarkPeterson]

@@samiuddin7051 From my point of view, he is Obi-Wan!

[@LightsCameraAwesome3]

Movie choreographers "I'll try spinning, that's a good trick"

[@HappyBeezerStudios]

Well it worked for Palpatine. Oh, and the jumping front flip against the high ground worked for Obi-Wan against Maul.

[@williamlennie]

Seems like the choreographers knew what a fight would look like, we're able to adapt that for Hollywood style, and we're only limited by the actor's abilities (which weren't bad tbh)

[@lordodysseus]

I'm pretty sure you meant were. We're is we are. Don't worry about it. I learned this when I was 6. I'm sure you'll get around to it.

[@williamlennie]

@@lordodysseus yep

[@TPKPatchy]

For Anakins telegraphs, considering he's enraged it seems reasonable he would overdo some swings.

[@MylesKillis]

He also hasn’t slept for weeks

[@ericgordon342]

Keep in mind, Obi Wan believed he could bring Anakin back to the light side, he didnt want to kill him or injure him, most of the fight was a defensive one, trying to prevent Anakin from getting off a killing blow. If Anakin had killed Obi Wan, he would have gone fully to the dark side because he would have had nothing left to bring him back to the light side.

[@Davidofthelost]

“The Sandman” vs. “Backflip Machine” instant like. 10/10 deserves a billion likes just for that.

[@spynix0718]

9/10 Should have been “High ground” vs “Not Jedi Master”

[@Rodrigokdo]

Beyblade kick Machine vs Backflip Machine

[@yamimayonnaise5378]

The sandman?

[@pandabear4565]

Anakin: kills younglings Shad: ... Anakin: makes a bad spin Shad: BAD ANAKIN, BADDD!!!!

[@piratekingthaszar7912]

Well minor execution is one thing, but poor swordsmanship can lead to you losing all your limbs...

[@leonardoferrari4852]

@@piratekingthaszar7912 meatbags can't understand

[@therandomnessnetwork1658]

Kek

[@nick7072]

I'll try spinning, that's a good trick.

[@astavas8341]

@@piratekingthaszar7912 umm, but this is lightsaber, it's way more like kendo, just a touching game

[@robinjegr266]

It feels like anakin is flexing with alot of spins while Obi doesnt rlly want to kill him and keeps trying to knock his lightsaber out of his hand, until he gets fed up with it and slices him in half.

[@JoelElRican]

The "Don't use the Force against a Force user who is as good as you" was established in Episode 2 with Yoda vs. Dooku. I think both Sith and Jedi take a lot of pride in sword fighting. They use the Force to augment their senses and physical strength in a fight, like in Yoda vs. Dooku.

[@polsebastiallusca3314]

Shad: Actually having the high ground is more of a disadvantage Obi-Wan: “Oh I don't think so”

[@randomlygeneratedname]

As we all know obi is the master of the low ground tho

[@MrLittlehicks]

Obi-Wan the master of the Lava Ground

[@ryanmeade1423]

I think Shad missed the fact they have the force when analyzing the high ground scene. I think the analysis was amazing, but Obi-Wan was right. He had a chance to use the force without it effecting him negatively. Rolling up a hill isn't really problematic compared to rolling into lava.

[@eddardstark6554]

Obi-Wan: “I have failed you, Shad. I have failed you.”

[@Squide250]

Obi-Wan *is* the high ground

[@histguy101]

I'm almost halfway through, and just wanted to point out that all five complaints about Obi-Wan so far are about him not taking the kill shot. This is intentional and actually written into the choreography (see script). Obi-Wan is desperately trying to not kill Anakin. It's his friend and he's looking to hold him off and find chances to reason with him. Finally at the end, he's pleaded with him, nothing is getting through to Anakin. If he continues any longer, he'll likely die. He has an opportunity to end the fight without killing Anakin and he takes it. So, this is so well done because the actors trained daily for months, filming it several times on green screen, and finally on set. So much work was put into it because this was supposed to be the Big Duel of the saga. The fight that was talked about since the Original trilogy was being made.

[@Arcexey]

Christus Regnet "So, this is so well done because the actors trained daily for months, filming it several times on green screen, and finally on set. So much work was put into it because this was supposed to be the Big Duel of the saga." you just described The Last Jedi though w/ snoke. rey. kylo, +imperial red guards fight at the end in the throne room.

[@histguy101]

@@Arcexey Snoke vs Rey was planned since the 70s?

[@animeproblem1070]

Arcexey not really because these actors actually trained well and mostly got to their timing mark

[@mattai075]

Arcexey At least in RoTS the choreography is good. TLJ is just bad choreography.

[@RhazOfRheos]

@@Arcexey Since when does Reys and Kylos fight was even close as the dual of the saga? Their fight doesnt matter like at all comparably. While Anakin and Obi wans fight was anticipated from the very fist time it was mentioned in the OT. Also seeing on how many mistakes TLJ did on their scene and how badly choreograph it is, I seriously doubt that they even put a quarter of the effort as this fight.

[@jacedoran2853]

The reason they do their fun little lightsaber spinning in the middle is because at this point it is showing how each of them understand how the other fights and are so in tuned with their saber form that it shows how truly connected they are

[@mr.nugget7237]

Finally someone who doesn't immediately discredit the entire scene just because of one spin

[@bravosix2960]

@user-bq5np8zb2rThere were nitpicks but he seemed to get over them pretty quickly, towards the end he just cringed so hard at the dialogue that if he couldn’t handle it.

[@andrewgalati3406]

You misunderstand. The high ground does not give Obi-Wan power from a swordsmanship perspective, it simply multiplies his power in general.

[@cheeseisjar3058]

Obi-wan+high ground > god

[@g.strobl4458]

Or it just sped up his brains so that this time he used the opportunity?

[@BeregondFirstCaptain]

Really obi wan is king of the low ground. He has won most of his fights by looking up at his opponent

[@g.strobl4458]

Well, the most simple solution would be: He lied, trying to intimidate his student.

[@fbdfngdfg5971]

Is it like passive buff in rpg ?

[@TrueMohax]

Obi-wan overhead block spin Shad: That is the coolest thing I’ve seen. Anakin: Really? Let me try. Spins Shad: NO! Why would you do that?!

[@silverroxas358]

Episode 1 Callback: "I'll try spinning! That's a good trick!"

[@firestorm165]

Context matters... oh no. "Hi there Matt Eastern here"

[@andrejissitt1635]

The best part about this dual is that all the mistakes make sense with the lore and chemistry between the two characters, so all around it’s perfect

[@BurrntPurp]

At around 8:40 or so when you analyzed Obi Wan's spin block, I like to think he used it as an opportunity to quickly scan behind him while maintaining guard against Anakin. He was being pushed back pretty hard. I know it was most likely added to be flashy but it's a pretty cool idea in my opinion. Love the content!

[@jonathandrown6615]

Anakin adding “from my point of view” is actually an admission he knows he’s on the wrong side, but he’s too selfish and enraged to see that.

[@overkill0284]

Yes

[@admiralsand]

*yes* Also, from his point of view, the Jedi *are* evil, because they’ve done nothing really for him except screw him over

[@admiralsand]

Shayan he was bullied as a padawan, and the council didn’t do anything, the council didn’t let him check on his mother every once in a while, and despite being the hero of the clone wars, was not made a Jedi master.

[@noahhathaway5065]

@@admiralsand i only have an issue with your second and third statement. 2. He was not allowed to see his mother as Jedi are taught to shun attachment. 3. He was not made master because if i remember correctly, palpatine put anakin on the council despite the council likely not believing he was ready.

[@feelmydecay]

@@admiralsand I don't like sand

[@arcanics1971]

"Remove the stupid is good." (Shad, 2019.)

[@henryhere]

9:30 I really like this part. It could've been done slightly differently, but the spin was still plausible so they went with that to make it look cooler. It wasn't just a pointless "speen cuz it looks cool" it was a plausible way to block Anakin's blow and looked cool as well.

[@Codrelan]

The high ground here actually is an advantage due to the ground being slippery with a bit of a slope and rocks and also due to the fact there is lava behind Anakin.

[@sebastianpijov8708]

And because the only move that Anakin could make to reposition himself, is a jump.

[@sayx]

"Shad, six is a number!" "From my point of view 6 is a letter!" "Well then you are lost!"

[@qui-gone]

Brilliant! LMAO :D

[@visionist7]

Only a Sith deals in numbers

[@ghosty918]

@@visionist7 Whole numbers are known as 'absolute values'...

[@CommanderBly5052]

Lord Tzeentch please stop I’m starting to get annoyed by math from homeschool

[@omnitroph1501]

@@ghosty918 I'm sorry sir, but as a calculus student I cannot allow that error to persist. Although the joke is good, "absolute value" refers to a number's distance from 0, disregarding negative numbers, and can be applied to all real numbers.

[@TheAntiTrope]

Obi-Wan, true master of Soresu, keeps a defensive stance going EVEN while doing flashy spins 🤣, what a boss.

[@audiosword7221]

TheAntiTrope troll master obi-wan man

[@reddeaddude2187]

I love how it's a deadlock throughout. These two are perfect reflections of each other.

[@TheOriginalMaxGForce]

It occurred to me while I was watching your breakdown that these lightsaber fights all have a fatal flaw: The blinding flashes. The flashes produced from the lightsabers striking each other would absolutely blind the fighters unless they closed their eyes for a split second. Temporary blindness would be a MAJOR obstacle when using these weapons, especially in a dark environment. They would need something like welding goggles to protect their eyes.

[@Griz1231]

Unfortunately they had to use dowels in the hilts as blades, natural ambient glows or flashes on the actors or terrain, but better effects than the original pre-CGI mattes from the original trilogy.

[@benjamindupaix6425]

I imagine that, considering how long they've had the lightsabers and they've used them against other lightsabers that they'd be more accustomed to the flashes. I could definitely be wrong, but if you're more used to bright flashes, youd be able to recover better from them.

[@TheOriginalMaxGForce]

@@benjamindupaix6425 Yes, you are definitely wrong. Over time, looking at the extremely bright flashes would cause you to become permanently blind.

[@pvtblu1613]

Perhaps this is why force users use it the most. The force protects their eyes. Heh.

[@thedark-lightangel5218]

Instead of goggles perhaps force perception AKA they litterally don't need their eyes they can sense what's happening

[@thespartanfox]

I feel like Obi Wan's "misses" and bad moves are because he didn't really want to kill Anakin.

[@ZachRduo]

Agreed! Most of the time it's Anakin who leaves himself open to attacks and Obi Wan seems to refuse these opportunities. He didn't want to kill Anakin! Although, whether this was the actual intent of the coreographers, I have no idea.

[@snipersclan22]

ZachRduo I think the directors told them something like “ok in this scene anakin wants to kill obi wan for betraying him, and obiwan just wants to stop anakin but hasn’t come to being able to kill him. Which story wise is what was going on and you can see it in the choreography

[@ephgm]

I came here at 19.5 minutes in to say just that exactly. It may be a bad move on Anakin's part, but he may be banking on Obi-Wan not killing him. He knows his best friend and mentor doesn't really want to kill him, and would rather have him turn back to the light side. He may have done stupid things like that to catch Obi-Wan off guard and try to get an advantage. It's probably uncharacteristic of his fighting style, which would be unexpected by Obi-Wan, hopefully leaving him open to attack from other angles. On the other hand, he has also had absolutely no time to process Padme's alleged betrayal and his disbelief that he actually brought himself to force choke her, as well as his loss of relationship with her and the potential loss of his unborn child, though he doesn't think he killed her. He's taking out all of his emotions on Obi-Wan because he thinks it's all his fault, and he probably isn't thinking clearly, causing him to make one bad decision after another. Lucky for him, Obi-Wan doesn't want to take the advantage and kill him. Either way, it would be completely understandable that his moves aren't perfect. Also keep in mind, at this point I haven't had any bad moves on Obi-Wan's part pointed out to me yet, but I would imagine that those could also be explained as his lack of desire to kill Anakin. The choreography could be exactly what was intended, mistakes and all.

[@Shedovv]

As was said by other before me. I absolutely agree. Obi-Wan isnt trying to kill Anakin, he's protecting himself and that early into the fight (what 10-14 seconds?) no wonder he passes up a clear killing blow.

[@DidWeMakeIt]

I have the same feeling, that Obi-Wan Kenobi did not want to kill Anakin. The whole point of the fight was for Obi-Wan to subdue and again, not defeat him. If we would have seen a fight where Obi-Wan wanted to destroy Anakin, we would have seen something similar to win Obi-Wan dispatched Darth Maul at the end of the Clone Wars animated series.

[@urthiaeirletherail7277]

I always saw Obi-wan's lack of aggression as the embodiment of the quote, "I can't kill Anakin." Minor hesitations that allow a more aggressive Anakin to make mistakes he normally wouldn't.

[@0predaking0]

Obi-Wan was the Máster of the defensive form Soresu. Mace windy even called him as such saying but to you Master Kenobi what Does soresu has to fill in any weakness?

[@Iwanwahid1969]

@@0predaking0 idk what you are trying to say but if you are asking what Soresu weakness is, it was force user. Soresu offensive style mainly involve counter attack against light saber and blaster. A force user will have a field day with passive defender who doesnt want to fight close and dirty. Anakin is a force user tho...but his recklessness is his undoing.

[@Fazeshyft]

That's something Shad doesn't really consider, but for the purposes of this video, he doesn't need to. There is so much psychology at play while everything is unfolding. Good call!

[@tucan9111]

Shad: **calls ahsoka dumb** Thus begins the fan wars

[@stonespicher2207]

The prequels had the best fights because it was so fast, well executed and also the music was epic, unlike the sequel trilogy.

[@schw4rztee502]

My headcanon for the flourish-off is that it was just a moment of competing double-vision where they had a moment to both engage their Jedi-Future-Vision but with them becoming concious of what their opponent was about to do the future was just a whirlind and they both tried to parry strikes that would never come, but I'm fully concious of the fact that I just pulled that explanation out of my arse so my own enjoyment doesn't get hampered by that scene.

[@fatbastard9147]

You know that would be an interesting explanation

[@dianabarnett6886]

That what I've always thought. You've got two combatants who each have precognitive powers each trying the sway the next moment of the future in their favor. They're basically in a precog bind there, seeing twelve moves ahead, and nothing works.

[@Kdlslwn2kd]

That’s exactly what I’ve always thought

[@jonathankoch8654]

Schw4rztee sort of like in Mistborn

[@genobreaker1054]

I actually had the same thought about that scene, and several other weird moments during this and other fights.

[@jonathanballmann7569]

Obi Wan's counter grapple at 40:00 really shows his fighting style of playing defense until he has an opportunity to make a strike. That blow would have been savage as heck had Anakin not been able to block it

[@aquilazyy1125]

1:10:36 This whole fight is meant to build Anakin’s hatred towards Obiwan, and finally leads to the famous “I hate you!’ line. I wonder if an how they have replaced these lines in the RotS novelization? “You and all Jedi are evil!” is always one of my head-canon for this line, in which Anakin blames the Jedi, and particularly Obiwan for everything he has suffered.

[@danieldavis5465]

I always imagined that the flourishes scene was a way for them to test each other. Kind of like playing Rock Paper Scissors and anticipating what their next move would’ve been.

[@thekingofcardboard]

There are pleanty of times during the fight where Anikin and Obiwan attacked or blocked with a flourish. So, I like to think the "flourish-off" was the lightsaber fight equivalent of two people trying to pass each other in a hallway, but they keep moving to the same side. Each of them was expecting the other to attack, but neither did, so they kept swinging long enough to go "oh, screw this".

[@jayrapley8638]

That's what I always figured most of the fight was. One had trained the other and both had fought side by side for years, so each were over predicting what the other was going to do

[@beardedbjorn5520]

Jay Rapley in the EU that’s exactly what it was.

[@FuddlyDud]

@Jay Rapley Thank you for again, explaining how good the prequels are (and why we should appreciate what we have) :)

[@ismaelsantos5378]

In the EU its amso explained that students often would practice "speeds" with their teacher or other padawan. They consisted of a series of strikes and blocks and they would repeat them at ever increasing speeduntil someone got hit (they used practice lightsabers for that) or yielded. So its possible that in the heat of the battle they reverted to the speeds they did in the past for a brief moment.

[@FuddlyDud]

@@ismaelsantos5378 Dang...the EU clearly got alot right :)

[@thatcrystalpie]

I always thought they flourished at each other because they were consistently predicting the other's move and both trying to work around it.

[@10dollarsteakneggs86]

That’s the in universe reason but like it’s just bad choreography

[@trickcyber]

@@10dollarsteakneggs86 thats not bad choreography

[@10dollarsteakneggs86]

@@trickcyber I just meant that infamous part where they just stood there swinging in the air

[@trickcyber]

@@10dollarsteakneggs86 yeah it's not bad choreography they're both just looking for an opening

[@10dollarsteakneggs86]

@@trickcyber yah I know that’s the in universe answer but shad goes over why it’s dumb in real life

[@Zorro33313]

1:15:09 - the type of a highground this video is discussing is not disruptive, while highground Obi-Wan has - is. Anakin can't attack Obi-Wan without closing the range, can't close the range without losing guard and being defenseless midair and can't get into a position before getting intercepted midair cuz riverbank is in Obi-Wan's reach already and the highground is super helpful for him to get an extended upper reach and adjust his relative height in general. Anakin can't jump to the riverbank cuz it guarantees failure so it's either _over_ or he can _try it_ and use force jump to leapfrog Obi-Wan, but since Obi has an extended upper reach due to the _highground_ it's most likely gonna end up with failure too. Both understand that and Obi-Wan points that out. Nevertheless, reckless Anakin tries to leapfrog Obi-Wan high and far enough to get into position without being intercepted, but _overestimates his power_ and pays 2 legs and an arm for this miscalculation.

[@Cybermeleon]

I love this analysis. I'm happy to see how technically sound most of the duel is. A little bit of Star Wars lore/speculation for anyone interested that could explain/excuse some of the poor choreography choices: 1) until the clone wars Era the Jedi had been about a millennium without having to duel another lightsaber user. Their duels were more ceremonial and performance based, so some of it would be for pure spectacle. 2) Obi-Wan is THE master of defensive lightsaber fighting and an orthodox Jedi. He will almost always move to disarm his opponent rather than kill them (we even see this with Grevious earlier in the movie; Obi-Wan only killed him when there was no other option).This goes double for Anakin, who he sees as a brother. For most of this duel, he is probably hoping he can disarm Anakin and turn him back to the light. Even at the end, Obi-Wan leaves Anakin to burn to death rather than kill him himself. 3) Anakin has just been through great emotional turmoil. He is not on top of his game so he probably defaults back to the more ceremonial fighting style he is used to, especially against Obi-Wan. In order to win he has to be more aggressive and fight dirty. Lucas actually had Haden change his style of fighting for this duel to reflect Anakins change in mindset during the story. I don't think Anakin truly wants to kill Obi-Wan until after this duel, so he isn't aiming for a kill either. 4) this is a long duel, and the kicks and extended blocks could serve as brief moments for both parties to recuperate a bit.

[@daruna3142]

it's important to note that this entire fight scene was performed in real time. there is no digital speedup to the actors, the speed you're seeing in the footage is the speed they were moving at on set during recording. god it's so impressive. really makes you appreciate stuff like 40:25 EVEN MORE

[@evildrhobbes5974]

Actually, this is incorrect They *slowed it down* for some parts because they were moving so fast it didn’t look human, which could also be why some of the mistakes seem more avoidable than they would’ve been

[@PhazonX]

I never noticed the level of anguish on Hayden's face during this fight scene, like gosh, there's was actually so much emotion to it.

[@Madasaur91]

It's actually a good example of how good an actor he is. He gets a lot of flak for his role as Anakin, but most of the criticism comes from the dialogue, which isn't up to him. Any scenes where he is just able to emote are really well done. When Windu heads to arrest Palaptine and Anakin is left in the Jedi Council chamber alone (With no dialogue) you can really see his turmoil.

[@freddybeer]

He stayed in character a few times on set between takes - so as not to lose the intensity. Natalie said, at one point, when she approached him, Hayden's 'warmth' was just 'gone.' I'll try and find the source.

[@MrJinglejanglejingle]

Hayden is a really good actor, honestly. Any time that he's left to his own devices, to act... When he's not restricted by the writing? He truly feels like the man that will become Darth Vader.

[@thepewplace1370]

Hayden was a perfect choice for Anakin at this stage: even thought George's dialogue was extremely poor and clunky, he still manages to convey a huge amount of emotion. Not just in this fight scene, but check out the difference in his character in Clones vs Sith. He portrays the fall into darkness and anger really well, and its not over the top.

[@skyslasher2297]

Something under appreciated about this move is that Obi wan is the one leading the fight taking a tunnel visioned Anakin to areas where he would have advantage tight corridors and catwalks to restrict his movements

[@SpFlash1523]

A master testing the skills of his apprentice.

[@joeybagofdoughnuts1732]

I really appreciate the time and effort you took to break down this fight for us. You are a true scholar and gentleman, you do amazing work Shad! Much love and respect

[@Maddog3060]

"We're only 9 seconds into this fight scene!" EFAP has taught you well, Shad.

[@Tronous117]

Let the pausing flow through you Shad

[@matthewmuir8884]

"In time, Shad, you will learn to trust your pauses. Then you will be invincible. I have said it many times. You are the most gifted long man I have ever met. I see you are becoming the greatest of all long men, Shad; even longer than Master MauLer."

[@lordofthepizzapie9319]

What would Shad's sith name be? My vote is on Darth Machilocations.

[@Maddog3060]

@@lordofthepizzapie9319 Darth Milquetoast. That way they think he's a pushover and next thing they know they have no arms or legs.

[@scottski02]

"My Length has doubled since the last time we met, Massives."

[@florkiler6242]

"now you may assume that there wosynt much to deconstruct here But" Shad is clearly a different level species

[@genobreaker1054]

Shad is a character built using the Epic Level Handbook.

[@RevanJJ]

This video is almost as long as the whole movie, but I’m here for it. Hayden & Ewan deserve it for the insane amount of wrk they into practicing and training for this duel.

[@0ttimo]

55:37 when obi wan counters anakin with the kick, it’s shown that anakin’s saber stabs into the monitor next to obi wan as he hits him (and the sparks indicating it was stabbed). the door then opens right after

[@michaelswitzer2121]

This must have taken 20 hours to make having to rewatch over and over in slow and take notes then go out and demonstrate in the yard all the moves and finally record all the commentary. Great job

[@slkjvlkfsvnlsdfhgdght5447]

I think the " I have failed you" line does make sense, because we see throughout the prequels that many time obi wan dismisses, or just doesn't really listen to Anakin and his struggles

[@ddy7323]

I think it's because he doesnt understand anakin's, inability to let go. While obi wan as every jedi feels emotions, through his education he has learned not to let himself be overwhelmed by them and understand that sometime there's just nothing you can do, like when satine died.

[@slkjvlkfsvnlsdfhgdght5447]

@@ddy7323 um ok, I'm not sure if you're trying to argue against me, reinforce my point, or just add to the discussion. in any case, what you said is interesting, but I don't really have anything to comment on it, plus I never watched the clone wars tv show, so I don't know much about satine.

[@ddy7323]

@@slkjvlkfsvnlsdfhgdght5447 Satine was a woman that obi wan loved that darth maul killed write in front of him out of spite. He didn't go to murderous rage, or went on a quest for revenge but he did grieve.

[@ddy7323]

@@slkjvlkfsvnlsdfhgdght5447 What i was trying to say is that it's not so much simple dismissal from obi wan so much as he didn't understand or couldn't comprehend why he was struggling so much.

[@slkjvlkfsvnlsdfhgdght5447]

@@ddy7323 I disagree, but ok

[@nycmotorider]

I've watched this review so many times, it's so brilliantly done. I love it.

[@vladhuziconschi406]

I think a big reason for these long time period lightsaber duels is that they can sense the attacks, making it easier to block them and continue the fight.

[@noeyedeer460]

I love how most of the flaws are Obi-Wan failing to take advantage of Anakin's openings because it actually makes a lot of sense. Obi-Wans entire method of lightsaber combat is to wear down his opponent with an impenetrable defense so he was likely holding out hope that the fight could be resolved without having to kill Anakin. Obi-Wan is also practically outright stated to be the better swordsman and even though he's backpedalling the whole time he's visibly more collected at the end of the fight. So to me it makes complete sense that Anakin would leave more openings and Obi-Wan wouldn't necessarily capatalise to the point where I barely consider them flaws. Thanks for the awesome video! It was really interesting to hear your take.

[@barrysky6277]

No Eye Deer someone else sees what I see

[@rafaellago172]

Adding to your comment: he decided to adapt Soresu (the defensive form) after witnessing Qui-Gon's death due to his form's lack of proper defense in closed quarters. Up to that point, both practiced Ataru. From Wookieepedia: "Fatigue was theorized to have been a contributing factor in Qui-Gon Jinn's defeat on Naboo at the hands of Sith Lord Darth Maul during the latter stages of the Battle of Naboo. In fact, ever since their brief fight on Tatooine, Maul knew that Ataru would be the Jedi Master's undoing. Another contributing factor in Jinn's death was the requirement of open space for the kinetic acrobatics of Ataru. Without ample space to move in the Theed Royal Palace reactor core, Jinn was deprived of the key element in his defense, and thus could only attempt to block Maul's incessant barrage of Form VII strikes. This event influenced Kenobi-after his Master's death, he changed his preferred form to Soresu, the most defensive of all forms."

[@kaiHYEON]

@@rafaellago172 this so much. What @shadiversity does not acknowledge is that Anakin and obi wan use different techniques. Also that this entire fight scene was done in one take and at the speed it is seen at in the actual movie, so yes, human error is a thing and obi wan has a far more defensive style than Anakin's.

[@ghosty918]

Technically Obi-Wan's fighting style is designed to wear down the opponent until they can end the fight with one blow. That blow being any of the openings Anakin offers.

[@arbiterprime2145]

Obi-wan is definitely the better defensive fighter, but Anakin is a better offensive fighter, using a more aggressive style, backed with the added power from the dark side and he is physically stronger. So this is literally Immovable object (Obi-wan) vs Irresistible force (Anakin).

[@flippedturtle4739]

You could make an argument that every time Obi-wan struck at Anakin’s lightsaber, he’s trying to disarm him.

[@spaceonisorceress4406]

The statistical trend of disarmament in Star Wars supports your hypothesis oh you meant THAT kind of disarm oh

[@canzuk4673]

@@spaceonisorceress4406 Lmao

[@blazefa.]

@@spaceonisorceress4406 haha

[@aidengray3998]

@@spaceonisorceress4406 A comedic giant in the flesh. A true honor.

[@trapperofthecentury5438]

@@tyrellwilson9334 I believe Obi Wan was hesitant to kill Anakin. He wanted to still save him or at least just incapacitate him not kill him.

[@asdf9C]

one of my favorite light saber duels; I really appreciated your analysis.

[@sorvinastardust9004]

Honestly really loved this video, I loved this fight scene more than any other in Star Wars and you have enhanced it further. I was surprised how many of the early engagements were repeated from just a different angle, I hadn't noticed before. In response to your comments about force powers, Jedi & Sith vary in their skill with the saber or force powers and few are able to master using both at the same time. There are a few key differences to normal swordmanship, Sabers are drawn to each other, force users sense the future and their opponents moves more than just predicting or leading the fight and force powers take a considerable amount of concentration. As a result many whom attempt to use force powers during a saber fight end up losing the saber fight from being distracted in the concentration of trying to use force powers. Even the most powerful Jedi & Sith tend to use either one or the other or swap outright between them in attempt to catch their opponent off guard. In regards to lightsabers being used in one hand, you are right they aren't too heavy, in fact more recently in SW Rebels we learn that the more a force user trains with and connects to their lightsaber the lighter it actually feels. Also, there were seven forms of lightsaber combat, typically a force user was expected to learn all of them but everyone tends to favour one over another. Anakin and Obiwan tend to use the same form until Anakin becomes Vader and changes his form to better suit his suit. But in my own little head canon I've realised in most cases the one handed user at the time drastically over powers their opponent such as Vader vs Luke in episode V but then when Luke is further trained by episode VI Vader adopts a two handed grip more. Lastly, Anakin loses his human hand along with his legs, interestingly though, it appears as though it's his mechanical hand that has his lightsaber during the jump and then drops it in between losing his hand and his legs.

[@weebtrash1400]

Confirmed: The prequels are unironically AND ironically better than the sequels

[@tamarren6575]

Of course they are, have you seen the latest trailer for the last sequel film? Cringy as hell! 😔

[@TetsuRiken]

Yup there is plenty to like although there ia also plenty of issues but at this point is kinda part of the charm like the line about sand

[@weebtrash1400]

@@tamarren6575 I haven't I refuse

[@tamarren6575]

@@weebtrash1400 Yeah, you don't miss out on anything. I just say this: riding horses in space... 😔

[@AtelierGod]

Kuuryo from the gameplay demo Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order seems quite promising, it feels like a old school God of War game in the Star Wars universe.

[@johnathongay2593]

“I’ll try spinning, that’s a good trick!"

[@lilithhekatedaimonia]

Before I forget: I love this! Your perspective as always is wonderful to hear!

[@olliehaynes2058]

me: how can you stretch a 10 minute fight into an hour of talk? Shad: haha slowmo go burrr

[@napalmblaziken]

The fact that McGregor and Christensen moved at that speed is impressive.

[@TheMeta141]

1 of the things i really liked about the Clone Wars was how it allowed hte characters to move at a supernatural speed and do impossible things but this came pretty close

[@zaffarismail1508]

this really does show just how good they were, not as actors but more of like dancers... sounds silly i know but this is more of an art form than acting. it takes real skill to be in perfect sync with someone else especially in these types of scenes

[@mikeyguest6596]

They had to slow it down a bit aswell because George Lucas thought Hayden and ewan were going to quick to be believed by the viewer.

[@TheMeta141]

@@mikeyguest6596 that's 1 of my main problems with the Autopsy is that it acts as if these mistakes could be taken advantage of, at the speed they're going there isn't enough time AND ObiWan isn't TRYING to kill Anakin, and Anakin is a show off

[@AJkingwing]

@@zaffarismail1508 All fights are like dances after all, and they do an amazing job at this! So nah dude, you don't sound silly, you sound right :>

[@tlsgrz6194]

I think the “I failed you” line is one of the best lines in Star Wars. For me, Star Wars and especially the prequels are not about “good Jedi” against “evil Sith” but about the dangers of, in lack of a better word, extremism on both sides. Anakin looses his mother because the Jedi forbade him to rescue her, and afterwards he’s told to “control his emotion” (so basically “Calm down”), he expects to lose the love of his life because the Jedi teachings don’t allow him to seek help for her. And still he told Windu about Palpatine (the one who promised him to help Padme and his best father figure) being a Sith Lord, basically sacrificing his love for the Jedi. And then Windu tries to ignore the Jedi code, the one Anakin sacrificed everything for. That’s the moment he becomes Darth Vader, that’s the point of no return. And it’s the failings of the Jedi and by extension Obi Wan that brought him there. Obi Wan failed him because as a close friend and mentor he should have seen it coming. He should have been someone Anakin can talk to, and I think he knows that. I think that’s why Obi Wan (and Yoda) went on to become hermits, because they knew that it were the Jedi whose failings created Darth Vader.

[@mousermind]

*loses

[@TheStraightestWhitest]

Spot, fucking, on! I've explained this in similar fashion to many, yet they still persist in their mindset that Anakin's downfall was badly written. The prequels did not deserve the hate they got.

[@michaelstark8720]

Lucas did everything as he should. Some fans simply would never accept different story from OT. Lucas went too far with Jar Jar in ep1 and kid Anakin shouldn't destroyed Droid ship but everything else was good paced movie with lot of locations and showed universe in state of decay and rise of Sith though corrupt system. next two episodes build on that state of universe till showdown in ep3 prequels have such huge scope of universe and no other franchise came close. Actions taken on Coruscant were felt across galaxy and Anakin journey into darkness step by step was awesome He was kid who looked on Jedi as heroes, wanted to become jedi to save his mother and others from slavery. after time he becomed arrogant because he was better than other students, tortured by dreams about his mother, want to see what is happening with her and Obi Wan tell him dreams pass in times, When he got his first assignment still is tortured by dreams but he put duty first until he cant take anymore and went to see what is wrong with his mother, try to save her, she died and he killed her captors, swear that he won't fail again on grave of his mother, arrogant again and was fried by lighting and lost an arm from duel with Dooku, prideful my power are doubled since we met, use anger and kill Dooku, still save Obi wan, he learn that will become father which is problem for Jedi, tortured by dreams of his wife death, ask jedi about visions and they tell him to be happy that others die miss them do not mourn them do not. Palpatine masterfully control Anakin and make that Jedi humiliate him by not giving him rank of master, Anakin and Jedi council are moving far from each other. Jedi Council ask that he spy Palpatine before they even knew he was Sith which make Jedi bad and power hungry that want to control and are no different then Siths. Palpatine reveal himself to Anakin and promise him that he can help him save his wife Padme. Anakin in shock that his fatherfigure is sith went to seek Jedi but realize that they are no different and when came into Palpatine office, Windu wants to kill Palpatine and only Anakin say that's not Jedi way and Windu answer same as palpatine did after Dooku died which confirmed for Anakin that Jedi are no different from Siths so he cut windu hand and Palpatine fried windu. After being part of killing leaading member of jedi council, life he knew was over and only side he have is with Palpatine. To become more powerful to learn dark side to use it like Plageous, he must do dark deeds so he Purged Jedi from temple. After that he went to destroy separatists and he brought peace to the galaxy. After that he had time to reflect on his actions but he has gone too far and choice he made is permanent. Padme hears what happened and want check for herself so she went on mustafar and Obi Wan secretly boarded and after Anakin saw her, she wanted to leave but he wanted to stay because they don't have to run anymore and he still didn't learn what he need to save her, After that Obi Wan appear, he thought that Padme brought Obi Wan to kill him so he force choke her feeling betrayed and only because of arrogance he lost against Obi Wan. Awesome and unique story of Anakin Skywalker. And that was mostly two movies because TPM was mostly Qui Gon and obi Wan movie.

[@oteila6151]

@@michaelstark8720 good points but holy fuck pls learn english before you write another essay like that. It actually hurt me physically to read this

[@michaelstark8720]

@@oteila6151 If you can understand it, then its good enough. Anyway you want more essays? Here we go.....

[@sebastianaruizserrano8191]

Love how you flawlessly replicate their moves for us to understand. I came here looking for copper and struck GOLD.

[@ianparks5457]

*1 second goes by* "okay so lets analyze all 7 different things that just happened"

[@XFanmarX]

I like to think that when Obi misses it's because in the story he actually doesn't want to kill Anakin. He's testing Anakin's willpower and hoping he can discourage Ani from fighting further.

[@legendsfromtherims3708]

My thoughts exactly. That explains perfectly Obiwan's misses and that knowledge makes Anakin more daring in his attacks following his increasing anger.

[@scraftyme]

He is also attempting to disarm rather than kill which is why most of his strikes are towards the arm, hand or hilt of anakins lightsaber.

[@MacrossFaltenmeyer]

Yes,Jedi generally want to avoid killing and Ani is his padawan and friend,so yeah

[@MechaShadowV2]

heck Obi even told Yoda he couldn't do it. He should have brought Obi with him and defeated Palpy, then deal with Anakin.

[@iphito7539]

“Anakin, you lost your legs. It’s over now” Anakin: “Tis but a scratch.”

[@theolodger]

*tis but a scratch

[@chasecraley8659]

A scratch

[@snowgrave2475]

Lets call it a draw!

[@theloganshow3602]

It's just a flesh wound

[@hooyooshorts5201]

Vader 30 years later: *It was a scratch*...

[@loganjackson675]

Sick video! It’s crazy how technically realistic this fight can be while still being wildly entertaining, I feel like it’s about as perfect of a mix of the two that you can get. One thing I’ve always wondered though is if many of the discrepancies in “technical” or strategic realism could be explained by the nature of SW and the weapons. For example, maybe certain extra spins and blocks wouldn’t be ideal IRL, but make more sense given the weightlessness of lightsabers and the speed and anticipation at which Jedis move with the force. I remember the first time I watched the prequels, especially the Duel of the Fates and this fight, I was blown away by how much it matched up to what I would imagined a fight would look like between fully trained Jedi masters. The speed, the flair, constant chess match and the volume of attacks, plus adding in the force aspects. It’s just absolutely sick entertainment

[@TomtheUNseen16]

I loved the way that you made this already amazing fight seem better to me. I just had the thought that these two have two more duels in the Kenobi show which I'm aware aren't perfect but it would be cool to see you do this to their reuniting fight scenes

[@bluesphere4860]

I don't want you to be limited to just star wars with these vids, but I'm dying for a qui gon & obi wan vs maul breakdown.

[@visionist7]

A guy on IMDB forums did one over fourteen years ago, CoryTheLoveGod he was called. It was a really good, long analysis. Showing how Obi-Wan and Qui Gon fight together and how Maul is a very good match for them, but is so aggressive that he gets cocky. Really good analysis, wish I'd saved it.

[@shin_eightysix]

@@visionist7 I agree. Especially when Maul did the spark thing, he became so cocky that he expected that Obi-Wan will not be able to jump back up. Obi-Wan did take note of that cockiness and managed to pull the trick of catching Darth Maul in surprise and cutting him in half.

[@AEWYU]

YES

[@Niskirin]

Ah, I see, this is the TRUE Every Frame A Pause. It seems you have the high ground now, Shad.

[@MetroplexAsylum]

this is exactly the video i was looking for , thank you for making it :)