Sword Expert Reacts To Obi-Wan Kenobi Series | Lightsaber Fight Scenes

[@IGN]

What other Star Wars or sword combat media do you want Matt to look at next? - Jesse

[@TheeFazee]

Definitely the clone wars!

[@austinschroeter5978]

Star Wars Rebels

[@sc8143]

He shouldn't

[@ogerpinata1703]

You should react to the fights from the Old Republic trailers. There you can see raw strength especially from Darth Malgus.

[@I_Jakob_I]

Do the fights in the old republic trailers! (the best fights in my opinion)

[@LordSerion]

Matt: What's the Force in the real world? *pulls out a gun* Obi-Wan: So uncivilized...

[@Ganon999]

Doesn't Obi-Wan use a blaster in the series?

[@SeeAndDreamify]

@@Ganon999 He does, but he doesn't like it. He tries to hide that he is a jedi.

[@Ganon999]

@@SeeAndDreamify Ah gotcha.

[@jdonald7047]

Look kkip

[@Freakymonify]

Parry this you filthy casual

[@benjaminliew4508]

Absolutely love that Matt is as much a star wars fan as he is a sword fighting expert. He understands the emotional weight and narrative meaning behind the choreography, instead of simply critiquing the technical aspects like a lot of other experts. Adds so much to the analysis

[@a.m928]

Yup the man is the reaö deal.

[@darthuchiha9870]

What’s his channel name?

[@plebbers8799]

You should watch Shadiversity

[@Riceball01]

@@darthuchiha9870 It's Scholagladiatoria.

[@darthuchiha9870]

@@Riceball01 thank u sir

[@ostensiblyaverage5576]

One of my favorite things about this fight is the part where Obi Wan breaks Vader's mask. Not only because it explains the scar he has in episode 6, but because of the narrative meaning behind it. He broke the left side of the mask and Ahsoka broke the right side. His master and apprentice were both able to break the façade of Vader and reveal what little remains of Anakin, but only just, still covered by Vader. It isn't until Luke unmasks him at the end of episode 6 that the façade breaks and Vader fully gives way to Anakin.

[@jonumine6250]

^Don't know why this doesn't have more likes

[@MaximumCrash]

It is also similar to Episode three, when Anakins last action was a jump on Obi-Wan, only this time Obi-Wan jumped, but from the "high ground". He is still the master of the two, teaching him a lesson.

[@Milk88488]

It doesn't explain the scar, Vader had that in ep 3 at the end

[@VideoGameLova1]

@@Milk88488 Can be explained further that it was shallow enough to heal a bit over time through Vader's bacta immersions, only for Obi-Wan to reopen the gash to the point of it remaining a deep scar. The wound doesn't look to be quite as severe in RotS as it does in RotJ, at least not to me.

[@o0Evo0o]

It's a bit further than that- Luke doesn't really unmask him, *Anakin* asks Luke to unmask him. It was always down to him to make that choice.

[@TailorBlaze]

They do have training lightsabers in star wars, they give the kids (the padawans, aka "the younglings") watered down (usually yellow or white/blue) lightsabers that have a low energy output to only sting and lightly burn instead of handing out real "sharp" lightsabers that can cut and melt through several layers of the strongest spaceship blast doors that would ofc cut off limbs in a blink of the eye to kids in training, Luke was seen on the Millennium Falcon training with a training droid that had it's energy outputs lowered while he was training deflecring blaster shots with a lightsaber while blindfolded, got shot a couple times but didn't die, same principle, it's just training for the real stuff

[@adamleblanc5294]

Some sources also say that Jedi built their sabers with different power settings. Both for training and if they wanted a non-lethal option in a fight.

[@michaelnguyen940]

@@adamleblanc5294 Like the Anakin vs Obi Wan flashback fight. Obi Wan rested the tip of his blade on the floor

[@valandil7454]

Cool that's a great idea 🙂

[@t123a698]

@@michaelnguyen940 also when their blades met during the training scene, there was not as much sparks flying and the light appeared to be have more white than deep blue and was a bit dimmer.

[@TheNapoleonicPotato]

For the record, the kids are Jedi Initiates, more commonly referred to as "Younglings". After they complete these first stages of training, they will have the opportunity to go to Ilum and create their own lightsaber and then become a Padawan.

[@ProducerX21]

There’s a moment where It shows Vader tightening his grip on the hilt. Like he was realizing he was going to have to put in his full effort if he was going to beat his old master. Just epic

[@bemasaberwyn55]

It's when he goes to 2 hand in that final fight. To me that's a sign that he's not "dicking" with Obi-Wan.

[@willdavis3802]

One of two actual decent moments in this tragedy of a show.

[@jakekreeger1556]

Interestingly enough, the Vader focusing on domination goes back to his Jedi day. Anakin's master of Form V made him one of the greatest duelist in the Order. Form V, Djem So, focuses on dominating the opponent, cutting off their angles, limiting their space and mobility, and even forcing their own blade back onto themselves. The focus on domination caused the style to be highly discouraged by both the Council and Jedi at large. That being said, Anakin began focusing on it after his first duel with Count Dooku, and easily allowed him to overpower the aging swordmaster in their final duel. Mace Windu also noted that the style allowed Anakin to vent his emotions, something he had always struggled with, but unfortunately, also fed into his desire for greater power and more complete control.

[@foulplay99]

Seems a bit of a Star Wars "thing" for the Sith to use Form V.

[@jakekreeger1556]

@@foulplay99 Only the duelist variant. Form V is actually divided into two variants; one for dealing with blaster wielding opponents known as Shien, and another for dealing with lightsaber combatants which is Djem So. Most Jedi master Shien from a young age. In Qui-Gon's time, Shien was the most popular form of lightsaber combat.

[@kailuun]

@@jakekreeger1556 Those who mastered both Shien and Djem So were some of the most proficient combatants in the order. Anakin Skywalker being a notable example of this fact.

[@matthewwhite4564]

you're right about your breakdown of what the form focuses on, but it was Form VII that the Council discouraged practice of, not Form V

[@jakekreeger1556]

@@matthewwhite4564 The Council encourage the practice of Shien, but many Jedi looked down on Djem So--as relayed in Jedi vs. Sith: The Essential Guide to the Force. Cin Drallig even says as much in a lecture, recorded in the book. Form VII--either Juyo or Vaapad--was outright forbidden unless the Jedi in question had the permission of a Jedi Battlemaster and/or the Council.

[@Running_7th]

“What is the force in the real world” “A gun”

[@sattymike0155]

That got a laugh from me. 👍

[@alrenobenjamin6566]

Definitely American

[@warnerbrosstudios1799]

nah that’s a real world blaster

[@thomasthorburn2751]

@@alrenobenjamin6566 the guy reviewing the fights is British.

[@LordSerion]

"So uncivilized..."

[@natedrawsthings]

You might just be the first sword expert I've Sen who actually understands that lightsabers are not just swords, and that the powers and abilities that the Star Wars universe grants allow its characters more enhanced movements and such. And you even know what cortosis is. Very nice.

[@newspaper-senpai8022]

I've seen so many sword experts be like "yeah, star wars is fiction and we can only make limited comparisons between this and real sword fighting" and half way through the video they're like "yeah, this doesnt work in real life" like bro... come on...

[@MrBottlecapBill]

@@newspaper-senpai8022 It doesn't work in real life. The Force isn't real lol. Almost everything they do is what you wouldn't do for real and honestly what you wouldn't do fighting with a light saber either. We forgive it in the movies because "space magic" but most of the bad habits you see them doing in these duels in movies will get you killed quickly in reality.

[@mrcraggle]

Go and watch Corridor Digital. They had a sword expert come in and did their own video on what they feel a fight should look like.

[@General_Arcturus506]

@@MrBottlecapBill thank you Sherlock very cool

[@PasteurizedLettuce]

@@MrBottlecapBill the point is that we are looking for someone who can tow the line between suspension of disbelief and a knowledge of the internal logic of the thing being fictionalized. Like, bringing biologists on to debunk species would be annoying if they just went 'oh that's not a thing'

[@ClearlyInPeril]

Little fun fact regarding "practice sabers," every Lightsaber has a tuning function that can reduce the power emitted, giving what's akin to a sunburn instead of actually severing anything. This was often used in sparring after becoming a Knight as Padawans usually weren't permitted to use the saber in sparring

[@tigerlancer]

Cool. Learning something new everyday.

[@bemasaberwyn55]

This is seen in Rebels

[@willdavis3802]

No, some few lightsabers had that option, mostly used in the jedi training. The majority didnt.

[@thisIsFunnyLolz]

One of my favorite parts of the show is how it seems to combine the fighting styles of the prequels and OT to make it feel more real and in context. It truly does feel like a transition period in their lives to their final OT forms and speed

[@stevenweber7793]

for anyone not aware, the primary reason vader only ever used his right arm for the lightsaber was due to his new cybernetic limbs having a bit of a delay or a sort of lag from his thoughts as compared to his right hand which was replaced 20 years earlier that he was far more used to and was made with better tech, as palpatine purposely used outdated tech that kept him limited and in pain as punishment for losing to Obi-wan. the suit also prevented him from lifting his arms over his shoulders, drastically altering his fighting style and relying slightly more on his force abilities, the final fight with obi wan would’ve been the hardest and most painful thing he’s done physically in those 10 years, and with his conflicting emotions it makes perfect sense he was defeated relatively easily.

[@Jezee213]

yea Palpatine actually gave hime worse tech than even his first cybernetic hand. He had to be one step ahead due to the lag and use the force to overcome more, after he lost his limbs he could only be like 80% as powerful as Palpatine or something.

[@JeremyCoolDude]

@@Jezee213 Perfectly said. I've seen a lot of people complain about Vader's skills in this series, but neglect to think about the fact that Palpatine was intentionally crippling Vader to keep him exactly at a level that's convenient for him. Sure, maybe Anakin/Vader could have been the strongest jedi/sith living, but his extreme emotional manipulation took him down more than a few notches. In terms of eradicating jedi, it probably would have been beneficial for Palpatine to allow Vader to hunt down & kill Obi-Wan, but Vader was of more use as an emotionless weapon of fear. If he would have been able to kill Obi-Wan, there was a chance he would have been able to move past his trauma in a way, which would pose a great threat to Palpatine's rule

[@Jezee213]

@@JeremyCoolDude exactly.

[@xthax9718]

so basically his suit except his right arm is playing on 1000 ping

[@shawnwolf5961]

This is legends, not canon

[@ChimaeraTom]

My favourite part of Reva and Obi-Wan fighting vader that no one else picked up on. A couple of times they both try and get behind him to attack. Makes perfect sense against someone in a mask with limited vision.

[@ilikeheavymuzic135]

Vaders force senses are so strong and keen that he probably doesn’t need to see to know when someone is behind him

[@andybanan1992]

@@ilikeheavymuzic135 but its still an easy instinct to go for, so its a nice attention to detail

[@williamjosephburns1504]

They both messed up either way. Reva fricking screaming and wide-swinging revealing her whole side and position (instead of ignite-stabbing). Obiwan did the same thing without screaming. Still bad fights either way. Anyway, Thanks lots.

[@guciowitomski3825]

@@williamjosephburns1504 they’re not bad fights lol

[@awesomness36]

@@williamjosephburns1504 you’re under the impression that humans fighting are perfect which is absolute horseshit. They have emotions, imperfections, and you’re looking in hindsight

[@ukiyoideas2215]

When Obi-Wan passed the lightsaber with his hands on his back was so cool and acrobatic from him!

[@remor698]

Also the flurry into a heavy attack he then does with that hand is a really cool move.

[@davidlima90]

Sick move! Loved it!

[@hdhshdhxnndnfbf4123]

Pretty sure its the same move anakin did in the flashback

[@clairemadeinheaven]

LOL

[@CaptainArn]

@@hdhshdhxnndnfbf4123 It is and it's also the same move Anakin did in Revenge of the Sith.

[@alextrill5829]

On a serious note, I'm surprised you didn't mention Obi-Wan attacking Vader's suit control with lightsaber hilt, since hilt-bashing is such an underappreciated move in movies and games.

[@smoadia85]

Gotta end him rightly eh?

[@MetalFreak187]

Nah I a sat there like, Should of used the pointy end.

[@jonathancullis9155]

@@MetalFreak187 exactly.

[@Compucles]

@korrok While this is somewhat true, Obi-Wan will make a killing blow when needed. It's just that he still can't bring himself to kill the man who used to be Anakin.

[@meateaw]

@korrok honestly he THOUGHT he already killed him. Probably hated himself for doing it. To learn that Anakin was alive, was like getting a reprieve from all the guilt you had for killing him. He couldn't kill him after that, because he knew how bad he would feel since he had spent the last 10 years regretting it.

[@MrSpannners]

Fun fact: Vader can actually turn off his respirator for a time, allowing him (with the aid of the force) to move stealthily without his trademark breathing giving him away.

[@cris2k_270]

obviously like what who doesn’t know that

[@thornbush8]

probably around 99.9% of the population :) you overestimate the average person's knowledge of niche stuff :)

[@alexisborden3191]

Ok just checked, yeah Darth Vader 2017 issue 18 by Charles Soule, among others. And it wasn't just bounty hunters, it was Tarkin hunting him aswell. Some of the bounty hunters were chosen for augmented hearing to listen for the screeches and hums of his suit, which he exploited to catch them by surprise.

[@rudebodega]

Did not expect a cut to Matt Easton holding a revolver, that killed me lmao

[@wilfred_ho]

Maybe that will get memed as much as Skalligrim and "Ending him rightly"

[@c.ladimore1237]

these lightsabers have a variable energy output when training, so they probably wouldn't be lethal but enough to actually be scared of being hit, as kenobi is. like younglings' versions but a little more amped up. but agreed this was the best LS combat choreography ever. really liked how obi wan abandoned his preferred defense to totally shock vader with his offense.

[@BeStillVoiceWorks]

Can’t believe he didn’t know this

[@rmcgowa1987]

Actually training sabers have a different crystal type it produces a far weaker beam which does not cut but is more like being hit by a stick it still hurts it just doesn't sever limbs or kill

[@tomtruyens9804]

@@BeStillVoiceWorks because it is never mentioned in the movies at all? :p

[@jaytheblerd2331]

@@tomtruyens9804 The man knows about cortosis. Which isn't explained during the movies ever. His information about SW isn't is fully completed. Clearly seen the shows, just has not explored the knowledge.

[@mrcraggle]

@@rmcgowa1987 ah yes fully expecting someone to know something that was never in the movies. Just like how you had to play Fortnite to find out how Palpatene was alive.

[@FuzorFishbug]

Surprised to see no mention of when Obi-Wan bashed the crap out of Vader's chest controls with the pommel of his saber.

[@cptsteele91]

and it's the most obvious move, I'm surprised we've not seen anyone else try it for so long

[@XxTavoRxX]

@@cptsteele91 you gotta get close enough to him to do it and powerful enough to get by his force defense.

[@allenniumfalcon]

It was brilliant

[@Compucles]

@@cptsteele91 Obi-Wan is also more familiar than most at how Vader is "more machine than man." Some of Vader's opponents may not have even realized that his scary breathing is due to a medically necessary respirator.

[@tomasmugicamoreno8499]

Hello there! Just wanted to mention that younglings had training sabers that only gave light burns, and didn’t chop hands off. Love the vid!

[@ddos87]

yeah that last battle between Obi and Vader was the juiciest one ive ever seen. crushed it.

[@kolosmenus]

6:30 Training sabers are a thing, they just look the same. The intensity of the blade is just lowered enough that it leaves just burn marks, instead of disintegrating everything in its path.

[@NickWarlordGR]

Excellent point. Notice how when Obi Wan does a downward thrust on the ground to defend against Anakin's strike, there is no hole on the ground, just a few sparks.

[@inthefade]

Seems like a dangerous way to practice if you can't tell whether it is set to "safer" mode or not 😅

[@iapetusmccool]

@@inthefade I've long thought the same about Star Trek phasers - the same weapon having a "harmlessly stun" and "irreversibly disintegrate" setting sounds like a recipe for disaster.

[@realname8362]

@@inthefade I'd assume they have practice sabers to use in the temple, but tbh assuming the settings lock in place somehow it's not really that threatening. Just a single thing you check before sparring, shouldn't be an issue. Honestly if a fully trained jedi knight gets maimed because they took zero safety precautions the galaxy/order is probably better off without them.

[@Agherosh]

@@inthefade Is no difference than gun having safety, it works if you know how weapons work.

[@cjputasso]

he actually talking about the goals of the characters in each fight is essential to understanding the technical aspects of it. Best analysis ever !!

[@paul.ignacio]

When you mentioned Beskar, and most especially, Cortosis, you made me a fan of your commentary. Kudos for knowing your stuff, both swords and Star Wars.

[@jasoncaldwell5627]

HUGE RESPECT for being such a Star Wars fan and mentioning Cortosis and Beskar

[@j.a.george9229]

Seconded. My guy did his homework. :)

[@ScathingMobile]

The Mandalorian series has made beskar's light saber resisting properties reasonably well known, but cortosis hasn't gotten the same coverage.

[@infinitesheldon5710]

In response to Matt's question at 6:32, lightsabers actually have a training setting! It's most clearly demonstrated in Season 2 of Star Wars Rebels, a couple episodes before the finale. But yes, the intensity of a lightsaber can be adjusted down so they don't cleave through everything, and instead just sting when a combatant is struck.

[@Moricant]

There’s a brief scene near the end of the Jedi: Fallen Order game where you watch a character who has voluntarily cut themselves off from the Force clear a room with a lightsabre in one hand and a blaster in the other, so the Force ~= firearms comparison has an in-universe precedent.

[@randlebrowne2048]

In the Expanded Universe, Mara Jade was frequently known to use both blasters and lightsabers.

[@mikhailkalashnikov7886]

@@randlebrowne2048 And, in the Coruscant Nights trilogy, we see a Grey Paladin that uses a pair of blaster (with no lightsaber).

[@highspeedstrongstyle9061]

Vader holds his breath. He did it in Rogue One as well as in a fairly recent comic when he and Tarkin (with a full mercenary company) were hunting each other

[@CaptainArn]

He also did it in Empire Strikes Back twice

[@Justanotherconsumer]

Given how extra Anakin is, the breathing may simply be sound for the sake of intimidation that is completely unnecessary.

[@CaptainArn]

@@Justanotherconsumer Palpatine designed the suit

[@fish5645]

@@Justanotherconsumer funny how the customer is always wrong, fitting for your name. Palp had Vaders suit made heavy and the respirator was less than ideal so he could kill Vader with a jolt of his lightning if Vader tried to overthrow him. Read a bit ay?

[@Justanotherconsumer]

@@fish5645 aww, someone got to flex their geek cred with something that… was that part even canon anymore? Not sure on the source, but a lot of the non-movie fluff is no longer “correct.” Regardless, it was a joke mocking Anakin the drama queen, the “well ackshually” is just kind of annoying.

[@williamzebub3252]

Two subtle elements from the fights you didn't touch on. Regarding Vader's intimidation tactics, during his fight with Reva, he never even draws his own lightsabre. He thinks so little of her ability that he basically showboats and uses her own weapon against her. And in the Vader vs Kenobi rematch. Contrasting to Vader not even trying against Reva, there's a point in the fight where you can see Vader moving his fingers to adjust his grip. Once Kenobi got his groove back, Vader finally had to put in effort for the fight.

[@bemasaberwyn55]

My read is you can see this in the first fight where Obi-Wan was out of sorts( he was genuinely shocked that Anakin followed him) during the first fight as well as he was attempting it to draw Anakin away from Leia. However in the second fight he was more self-assured and very much similar to the Jedi Master that he had been at the end of the Clone Wars which was something that Vader had wanted. Because in his mind he couldn't truly be considered a master until he bested his former master and maimed him in a similar fashion to how he got maimed on Mustafar. However despite the fact that he had learned quite a bit in the ten years since that fight on Mustafar she hadn't learned the lesson that his master had attempted to teach him all the way back on Coruscant. Which is why he was never able to fully best his former master. And once Obi-Wan escaped from that sinkhole that Vader had put him in if he was fighting with a renewed purpose as a result he stopped playing around with Anakin and actually pulled out the full ability in which he held

[@ToastyNova]

Vader was his strongest during Rebels and before A New Hope because he was 100% Vader. This series showed him give up on Obi-Wan, therefore Anakin, and A New Hope shows him killing his former master which causes conflict in Anakin and later finding out about Luke. Vader is at his strongest when Anakin is at his weakest

[@yooooo8600]

All of the promotional material for this series stated that Vader was in his prime

[@TheSSBBfan666]

@@yooooo8600 SWT points out that the reason Vader is conflicted here, he wants to torment Obi Wan and everything, but Anakin is still in there, plus the whole obsession is getting in his way and even Palpatine points it out to have Vader chill out and focus on their grand empire. Vader fighting with no emotional attachment to his prey is stronger than someone he's got ties to. Hence his job of hunting Jedi is so successful, he doesn't care about any of them and wants them all dead as per his and Sidious's goals.

[@david3077]

During Rebels Vader wasn’t 100% Vader. During his fight with ahsoka he screamed her name and that was Anakin. Vader is strongest during this time and Rebels because he’s still young. He’s an old man when Luke fights him.

[@stephentrayner3870]

You realise he didn't kill Obi wan in a New Hope!?

[@donthaveaname4879]

@@david3077 hes only 45 when he dies

[@sinfjotlisghost465]

"Only one of them's a Master" Shots fired!

[@ktoth29]

Kudos to Matt Easton, by educating the public about swordplay he has almost singlehandedly raised the bar for Hollywood stunt coordinators

[@Churro_Flaminguez]

Great video, but one thing stood out to me. Force usage as shown in Star Wars media is not free and unlimited. They show in various movies, and even in the Obi-Wan series, that a big act of "Force magic" if you will, wears out its user in proportion to the task. The bigger the Force expenditure, the more worn out the Jedi or Sith.

[@allenniumfalcon]

Kenobi must've been knackered from closing that closet door to hide in on Padme's ship

[@maybeyourbaby6486]

Does that explain why Obi-Wan is so old by the time of A New Hope? 😅 He aged really fast because he was pushing himself with The Force to keep himself and Luke safe and hidden?

[@wren7195]

Matt's always such a class act, I've loved his channel for as long as it's been on youtube as a HEMA student. INVALUABLE resource he and his school is.

[@Bowcaster26]

The fact this guy can appreciate the SW elements as well as the general swordplay is a joy to listen to

[@Dillon_Calhoun]

The Darksaber's hilt is actually made of Beskar and has a handguard. But the only reason we don't see more of them is because shaping Beskar to be basically indestructible is probably the most guarded Mandalorian secret and that's only taught to a select few people. I'm also going to just assume the secret isn't passed along until the blacksmith is on their deathbed.

[@TheTaratsu]

Funny enough, another little detail you seem to have missed is in the Training sequence, they are using training lightsabers. Obiwan's emitter is a much smaller hole than his normal saber(Pencil sized Hole, vs his normal quater sized one), which to me suggests they were using training sabers.

[@stephanwatson7902]

Scholagladiatoria has been one of my favorite channels for years now, glad to see Matt doing these pro breakdown things; the guy knows what he's talking about

[@jeramy77m]

One of Vader's disadvantage is that he can't put his arms above his head. It's why you never see him do that.

[@Antonqaz]

So the high ground is truly his weakness 😂

[@arnarmagnusson8201]

He actually can reach above his head that was apart of legends that said he couldn’t

[@JohnnyReech]

Pretty sure the Emperor would have a hard disagree with that statement.

[@CDMaccles]

We see him do that, when he chucks Palpatine down the hole

[@captainjefferies9047]

He does it on Cloud City when he jumps down the stairs.

[@alexpyin]

This analysis has given me so much more respect for the choreography! While we recognize how badass these fights are, it sometimes goes over our heads how much consideration and calculation these choreographers have when making these scenes

[@talleywa5772]

A few things of note. >Force affinity grants several superhuman advantages ranging from minor precognition to enhanced reflexes and enhanced combat speed. Fights in the prequels were so flashy directly because this was a period in time when powerful force users would clash with other powerful force users, with spins and twirls as almost constant feints against the aforementioned minor precognition. >Canonically speaking Vader and Obi-Wan were both at their strongest when they fought on Mustafar. The following on screen confrontations would amount to two former fighting champions squaring off again 10 and 18 years after their prime.

[@ryanli8728]

Kenobi was a great show on this level, but when it came to story pacing and tone consistency, that's where it fell short. I'm really excited for some of the Kenobi reworks that fans are doing. The passion Ewan and Hayden put into these characters needs to be shown properly.

[@caterinavega4228]

blink and you might miss it, but as he mentioned, a handguard made out of beskar would be a game changing evolution for lightsaber dueling.

[@Noiseheads]

Makes me appreciate the series even more. Also, props for the Soundgarden shirt ;)

[@Artisan1979]

8:20 And I'm certain that was deliberate on both Vader and the emperors part. Sith Lords do not want to be surpassed. The rule of two; a master and apprentice and nothing more. Siths are all about power and absolutes. In order become a full Sith Lord is to kill your master. Inquisitors, therefore, are stuck in the middle between Jedi and Sith so that the empire can control them and more or less keep them under their thumb.

[@KenjiMapes]

Such a great analysis & take. The brilliance of his analysis is his deconstruction of everything. He really explains how brilliant the choreography is & the nuance they obviously painstakingly incorporated into this scene really delivered in so many levels. It wasn’t just a pretty & stylistic duel that lacked substance but really hammers home the obvious motivations & nuance to the fight. It’s absolutely brilliant.

[@mattias1191]

This fight was perfect both in choreography, lighting, and emotion. Chef's kiss on this one

[@tryomama]

So you are telling me, to win against Vader is to jump and get yourself the high ground? That seems logical.

[@Euripides_Panz]

There was a time where Luke is beginning to learn the Force where he uses Anakin's saber and his own blaster. Kyle Katarn and Mara Jade carried both weapon types, as well.

[@bairdrew]

Absolutely agree. Lightsaber fights have always been fun in a flashy sort of way, but this is the one occasion that you feel you're looking at two masters of their art going at it. Like - obviously its choreographed. But there's serious verisimilitude to it that there isn't to the other duels in SW.

[@aesir1ases64]

The prequels felt even more, this one was a continuation, it actually resembles a lot their fight in mustafar, of course given their new characteristics

[@EBBDPD]

Love the breakdown! It was fun watching you talk about two things you obviously know well and love.

[@curtisbme]

@0:13 - He wasn't breaking a sweat but only because all his sweat glands were destroyed by his 4th degree burns.

[@robertwalker7454]

When it comes to lightsaber training the lightsabers actually have a I believe it was a button or knob that adjusts for when you're training that's how they can do that with the younglings

[@Shalekitty]

Training sabers: In Rebels, they show (not tell) that Lightsabers can be tuned to a non-lethal training setting. In Rebels, there's a distinct difference in the hum that the saber makes. They didn't change the sound design, but it's safe to assume that this is what's happening for the training scene. Rebels has some of the best saber work in all of Star Wars, including my all-time favorite fight: Maul vs Obi Wan (Final)

[@nickwatkins7724]

Hell yeah, keep bringing Matt back for future Star Wars duels

[@MCUHQ]

Shoutout to this dude for actually understanding Star Wars and looking at the story reason for the fights and why characters act certain ways instead of just critiquing the fight from a visual standpoint

[@TheDefectiveThobe]

“It’s one of THESE” 😂😂😂 I love this guy

[@Daniel-Strain]

Ok when he mentioned cortosis that told me he knows SW lol. Btw, the limiting factor on Force powers is fatigue.

[@chewy99.]

Yeah same lol

[@Bilalmbs09]

6:34 there is training lightsabers when you are a youngling you given that type of lightsaber and practice using the force to know where the training bots are going to shoot. We saw that in episode 2 Attack of the clones when obi-wan was asking yoda for help.

[@KrazyKobold]

I'd still love to have Matt Easton react to various fights in Rebels too!

[@vordt4139]

This dude is awesome, master of knowledge in sword fighting and an avid Star Wars fan, he blew me away when he mentioned Beskar being resistant to Lightsabers.

[@Luca-VA]

Can we just talk about how cool this guy's room is 😄

[@agrippa2012]

he has another room with even more weapons, its usually the setting in which he records most of his videos on his own channel

[@jedimaster8103]

6:25 Obviously he won't see this but for anyone who's interested, they actually do have training lightsabers. It's actually a setting on the lightsaber that adjusts the power setting. Younglings lightsabers are locked into a low power mode until they go to a gathering ceremony and build their own lightsabers. Those younglings never even stood a chance against Vader.

[@adamleblanc5294]

Quick bit of info for the training fight. Some sources say that Jedi Sabers had a safety mode where they could be turned down for training and or if you were in a fight where you wanted a non-lethal option. Not saying that's what was going on here, but they very well could have turned their sabers into a sort of non-lethal mode for training.

[@SnekZ._.]

Not really a non-lethal mode but more of a low power mode were atleast in star wars legends (idk about canon) were the lightsaber only would give you minor burns and one could even grab onto the blade for a short duration and only getting minor burns and thus not loosing limbs during training Edit: spelling error

[@kbob9625]

The fights Hayden and Ewen have are always spectacular. Episode 3 fight was epic. These guys really dedicate the time and it shows.

[@raider3167]

Lightsabers in Legends have power settings that turn it from a cutting weapon into a shock baton. Also cortosis and beskar were extremely rare in the SWverse, and given how sabers stick rather than sliding, how fast Jedi/Sith reflexes are, and how most saber forms have been a thing for thousands of years, there was never really a need for hand guards.

[@jacobwalsh1888]

It's not a cutting weapon. It's a thermal weapon. They do not cut, penetrate, or lacerate. They burn, melt, and vaporize.

[@raider3167]

@@jacobwalsh1888 A cutting torch doesn’t cut either, but we still call it that.

[@RJMazz47]

Hand guards would still be useful even if to ensure your hand doesn't have the danger of slipping into the blade. They could be tsuba-shaped as katanas.

[@raider3167]

@@RJMazz47 They could, yeah. And some lightsabers have handguards, or even crossguards made out of lightsaber-blade. However, Star Wars has a really big problem: Everyone's using tech based on an empire that the Sith overthrew with the Jedaii were still a thing, and tradition has largely overwhelmed such trifling things as common sense.

[@Mikerille]

A fun note for training scene: all lightsabers have a training mode, which decrease their power

[@leonwoodford]

This made me appreciate this fight even more.

[@eds1942]

Matt Easton has his own KZbin channel called Scholagladiatoria if anyone is wondering.

[@illsley0202]

Brilliant this is 👏

[@MechaVsKaijuRPG]

LOVE the Cortosis reference at 7:30. The mark of a true Legends reader!

[@chadcondit6360]

Vader literally CANNOT break a sweat. He has to be an effortless badass or he will die.

[@Taltosmaster]

What an absolute legend... Matt is the best!

[@erickruckenberg8716]

Just one really quick thing about Han Solo: When they saw Darth Vader in Cloud City he didn’t even hesitate. He drew his blaster and open fire. No stare down. No snappy quip and dialogue. Just action. More people should be like Han Solo and just do.

[@Bovine_Intervention]

"Shoot first, think never." - Ash Williams

[@olgak.1139]

In the streets of Corellia and ever after, Han followed Yoda's principle without knowing him; "Do or do not. There is no try." Action based on instinct and reflection.

[@Gary_Lawingie]

Anyone else notice the lightsaber switch at 5:00 while watching ROTS

[@snakeplissken6649]

Most lightsabers have an adjustable power setting so that they can be made "safe" to practice with. We also see when Obi-wan cuts into Vader's helmet in the final fight that this is how Vader gets the scar on the top of his head we see at the end of Return Of The Jedi when Luke takes off his helmet.

[@christianfrederikklausen6228]

That cut has been on his head since the RotS Mustafar fight.

[@snakeplissken6649]

@@christianfrederikklausen6228 Nope if you go back & check the first bacta tank reveal of Vader at the end of episode 2 there is a very small scar in a slightly different place on that side of his head. Probably from being set on fire as Kenobi doesn't hit his head during the fight. The scarring after Kenobi cuts open the helmet is much more extensive.

[@gamingmonkey3619]

@@snakeplissken6649 idk its pretty inconsistent, if u see the behind the scenes of anakins burn suit in rots u can see the injury u speak of

[@AgentXv2]

@@snakeplissken6649 The scarring from ROTJ is the same as the scarring at the end of ROTS. A lot of people hopped onto this idea but its not accurate.

[@chadbailey7038]

Obi Won is one of the best bits of Star Wars I’ve seen. Great breakdown 👏🏾!

[@cap1gaming]

7:43 yeeted his saber

[@tomasmugicamoreno8499]

Choreography was great this show!

[@visitor55555]

THANK YOU! I've said for years on so many of these fight videos that th lightsabers won't slide against eachother but noone else has ever mentioned it.

[@augustleo8368]

So a couple of things, lightsabers in the novels seem to have a “low power mode” or training sabers, Vader is said to have a hard time raising his arms above his head (basically impossible for him), and Vader had a hard time with Obi-Wan because he expected his old master to you Soresu fighting form, not the Ataru Ben began using.

[@chrishowe2935]

Totally agree Matt. The final fight is what I’ve always wanted light sabre combat to be.

[@Maybachdemon]

4:48 "Grab the opponents weapon".....just what kinda weapon is the guy in purple grabbing?

[@Justanotherconsumer]

Colonial Marine Standard Issue Harsh Language. You can find it in the armory next to the flamers.

[@runningsuperska]

Rocking a Soundgarden shirt too. Top stuff.

[@flyboymike111357]

In the books that came out after phantom menace it was said that lightsabers can be tuned to a low power mode that will just stun like a blaster but less painful and more survivable. Which begs the question why jedi and blaster users don't have the stun setting as the default since it can end the fight just as immediately without the moral, psychological, and legal aftermath of taking a life. I'm sure modern police would give their pensions to have that ability.

[@vbs1992]

An interesting question would be what happens if a saber on training setting is used against one on full power?

[@thejmeister]

Great video! Thankyou for giving me more to appreciate about this show!

[@dannybaker3661]

So, lightsaber do actually have a power setting for training where they lower its energy and it makes it less able to cut but rather sting instead. That training scene they probably had their beams at a low energy usage so that it would only sting of they got hit as opposed to cutting

[@chloefletcher9612]

I'm so glad you did this one - this is not just the best lightsaber fight, it's the most emotional.

[@guciowitomski3825]

I’d say that Obi-Wan vs Anakin in ROTS and Vader vs Luke in ROTJ are more emotional actually

[@DanFarrell98]

The fights in this series really combined the best parts of the saber fights from the prequel, sequel and original trilogy

[@yorathdavies4278]

What a great video! Definitely going to watch more of the "Sword Expert Analysis" series.

[@KageStelhman]

They don't need to have "Training Sabres" since almost all Light Sabers have a blade intensity adjuster, which the intensity goes from a mild tingle to you can Cut Through Anything

[@sashaleigh6655]

Yeah, that's true, but training sabers were a thing, they were used by younglings in trainings, a lightsaber on low power still hurts a lot, a training saber is like a bee sting

[@manuelcastillero5024]

for your question on the lightsaber minute 6:30 there are different type of crystal that made the lightsaber and some crystal stun instead of cutting so yeah they do have practice lightsaber they look the same as regular lightsaber.

[@gaboh296]

Still think the Mustafar fight was better. Obi Wan never had the high ground in this series yet still won. Totally unbelievable

[@SuntoryKick]

Doesn't he have the high ground when he leaps from the rock at the end? 😂

[@k--music]

They also never stood in place twirling their lightsabers around 2 feet from each other. 0/10 fight.

[@Macintosh1001]

This fight is awful. There's no windshield-wiping technique!

[@ianherd5377]

Bc it’s in the script

[@r.c.c.10]

Mustafar better and by far.

[@sampatterson2434]

Glad this amazing fight that was epic and emotional also was brilliantly done from a technical side too. Thank you so much for this video.

[@kevinc9065]

While the show had many flaws the final lightsaber scene is a perfect mesh of the old and new. In my opinion it is pure perfection and clearly a tremendous amount of love went into making it reality.

[@Cestariarts]

The worst flaws were the easiest avoidable. Better VFX. Ridiculous

[@ChrisEllorris]

@@Cestariarts None of this show's flaws were related to VFX.

[@glasshalfempty1984]

1:20 THAT IS WHAT I'M ALWAYS SAYING when people try to talk about how "unrealistic" some fight scenes in movies are. A lot of times the fight scene is between people or beings with abilities that far exceed what is actually possible so a lot of things can be excused away because of that. You are the first person I've seen to acknowledge that. :D

[@astradala1845]

Great video. Every time we see Ewan and Hayden on a Star Wars scene it’s magic pure magic. Vader is more powerful then OBI but has less control over his emotions then obi wan does and becomes overly aggressive arrogant and like you said brilliantly tries to dominate his foes. That’s his downfall. Really brilliant fight scene.

[@K_J_Coleman_Composer]

Underrated, thank you for for pointing that out

[@lavatun]

Whenever vader and kenobi fight it's always a tragic fight.. More so for kenobi than vader obviously.. Every time they fight kenobi is reminded of what he did to anakin and what they were to each other.. Brothers once but now bitter enemies..

[@sapphyrus]

Bravo Matt, I've been watching you for years and I'd also say you're at the height of your game here as Obi-Wan and Vader was on EP6. Just beautifully explained.