Why Ahsoka STILL Can't Beat Baylan [Anakin is the Key] - Star Wars Explained

[@roberterlandson8234]

I don't think Ahsoka was trying to kill Baylan & it looked to me that her change in form & the wide open terrain gave her an advantage this time around

[@T-sm1bs]

This is exactly how i saw it. Looked that way based on his expressions after her departure.

[@andromeda5414]

She was just trying to get past him to reach Sabine and Ezra.

[@shadowcatcherfox5186]

@@andromeda5414 That's the curious thing, she didn't need to get past Baylon to reach Sabine and Ezra. She was coming in on a starship, you can't get more higher ground then that! Baylon was obviously very out of position with respect to that battle, so it was obvious he was going somewhere else and was not going to get involved in it at all. She saw that, and opted to inflict as much delay as she could on his timetable, which by stealing his ride, she did just that. Ahsoka effectively won the encounter, victory doesn't mean killing or subduing your opponent, but by achieving your goal.

[@WandererJester]

All and this. That and that half-hearted hand punch at the very end showed how interested she was in actually harming him.@@shadowcatcherfox5186

[@DarthNox66]

@@shadowcatcherfox5186 She won a fight, but still lost her duel. Besides, whe she attacked him?

[@kespos2100]

“Your need for victory blinds you, Anakin”

[@spaceghostcqc2137]

I don't think she's very interested in killing Baylen. They seem to have mutual respect and curiosity about each other.

[@TuskenTribe]

Agree 100 percent with you. Plus they both wanted to move on with their missions, not fight.

[@tristanlee6936]

She killed Marrok because she could and was more skilled. She’s training because Baylen is formidable and she’s struggling…

[@RicanAggie]

Exactly!!!

[@highlanderc]

neither does baylen. He doesn't want to kill ashoka... why? He could have killed her in the first duel.

[@DaNewWaveLee]

@@tristanlee6936she’s not struggling at all.

[@brettmanus7904]

There's a point where she steps up and elbows Baylan. Her left sabre is free to stab or slice and she CHOOSES not to kill him. Its around the 8:25 mark. If you watch it is clear as day. There is another moment, don't remember the time mark where she has an open shot at his head that she doesn't take. She is toying with him, waiting for Huyang to do his thing.

[@herrmannelig5091]

you are dreaming

[@christinearmington]

Ahsoka’s downfall on Seatos was also due to her emotions thinking Sabine had fallen and the injury to her hand from picking up the map orb.

[@feplazas]

She didn't lose. She didn't win. Se wasn't even trying to defeat him, she just wanted to get past him in order to reach Sabine asap.

[@babytoshiro7014]

This. It was clear when she said I don't have time for this. She's not interested in fighting Baylan

[@tammykolu1242]

Its funny how people call shin coward for fleeing in ghe forrest fight vs sabine but if a good guy does it its ok

[@babytoshiro7014]

If you see the comments ppl are calling ahsoka a coward, which tells me its just internet trolls who never been in a real fight lol@@tammykolu1242

[@CountryLifestyle2023]

​@tammykolu1242 Dark side users are often there to kill. To defeat their enemies. Light side users only do that if no other option available

[@Phantom-ph6xg]

@@CountryLifestyle2023 Depends on the dark side user and what their current objectives are

[@Lanwarder]

I'm not sure why people insist that she lost badly the second duel. She knew that she didn't have the time or the obligation to win said duel so she moved on, prioritizing what really mattered at that specific time. Did she win? No, absolutely not. Did she lose? Not really.

[@tammykolu1242]

She ran away and she only could beat him with a distraction which means she cant take him 1 on 1

[@adamdunne6645]

​@@tammykolu1242She used the distraction because she didn't have the time for it. She had another priority. She literally says this before the fight.

[@Lanwarder]

@@tammykolu1242 Well, did he manage to take her one on one?

[@wkdxcrimex]

@@tammykolu1242baylan also hasn’t shown he can beat her 1-1 unless she is injured

[@matreese8525]

I agree with this. I think she entertained the fight until such time as she could find an opening to move on and get to her friends. This wasn't a dedicated fight like the first one.

[@toddblankenship7164]

Ashoka looked like she was in NO Danger at all and simply didn't have time for the fight(which she proclaimed at the very start). Baylen says you cant defeat me and she says possibly and then uses the distraction to go back her friends up. There was no clear winner or loser in that encounter if anything it hinted to Ashoka being much more balanced.

[@ronaldsaintrose9254]

Thank you!!! The whole SW Community called it a defeat for Ahsoka when I don’t see a real clear winner or loser.

[@toddblankenship7164]

they obviously weren't paying attention its clear as can be. I bias view could skew it though.@@ronaldsaintrose9254

[@shadowcatcherfox5186]

@@ronaldsaintrose9254 As I said elsewhere, Ahsoka chose to engage Baylon, when there was no real reason to, he wasn't involved in the battle with Ezra and Sabine and he was on his way out, so it was clear he wouldn't be involved in that battle at all. She could have just dropped into the battle directly from her ship, or from the opposite direction of Baylon if they were that concerned. So she had a different goal in mind with that encounter than simply getting to Sabine and Ezra. She meant to inflict delays on Baylon, if she couldn't outright outduel him, and she did just that. She achieved her goal, Baylon suffered a setback, and that makes it her win effectively. Wins and losses don't have to mean death and dismemberment.

[@UnifiedEntity]

Way I see it Ahsoka got the most hits at the very beginning. That's why that line about "you cant defeat me" annoyed the shit outta me.

[@Hungary_0987]

@@ronaldsaintrose9254exactly, like ahsoke held balen off, utulisi g her strenhths, she def. didnt lose

[@jager-fett]

Perhaps she didn’t lose, maybe the lesson Anakin taught her was that she doesn’t need to kill to win.

[@eminoryay8591]

ur a goof

[@xancuda]

@@eminoryay8591ur cringe

[@SophiaAphrodite]

That was the point. Winning does not mean killing your opponent like she was taught to do during wartime.

[@forcecalibration924]

😂 quite the opposite fella. 🤡

[@coryv5679]

That is what I was thinking. In the latest episode she was clearly just trying to steal his ride and maybe firgure out what he's doing at the same time.

[@thebeardedgm5963]

After her training in the wbw the idea of victory and defeat has changed for Ashoka. She did defeat Baylan. She got what she wanted. Killing Baylan was never her objective.

[@randyphillips6506]

Jedi love loose ends

[@spicefactor9604]

Idk I still think she couldn't have actually killed him. She just accepted that and moved on

[@Mormegilcz]

Wrong, she cant or could defeat him. She just flee from him.

[@SmoughTown]

Yeh, except she didnt. She lost once and correctly, chose to misdirect him the second time given she isn't strong enought to defeat him.

[@olgak.1139]

Although she is struggling,she is buying time too.

[@lyleabrahams]

Just because Baylan (who I Love) said she cant beat him doesnt mean hes correct... Just like with the first fight she had an objective and it wasnt to kill Baylan. 1st fight was all about leaving a hand open to grab the Map (hence why I feel only one saber was used). 2nd fight she had his technique measured and stayed in close not allowing him to strike her from a distance... one great move she utilized when he swung at her was move in instead out... he ended up hitting her with his forearm instead of saber... it happened quick but was exceptional. She could of killed him in the first fight after kicking him to the ground with a quick strike (seeing how shes known for her speed she could of ended him there), but she chose to go for the map instead injuring her hand and then giving him the upper hand.

[@SmoughTown]

Well seems like she keeps making mistakes that cost her the fight then. Not sure how Ahsoka making a dumb decision re the map in the first fight, is somehow a defence of her fighting prowess. He walked away, she didn't. Simple as that

[@docroc1172]

Both of u are right. She isn't focused kn the right things in the first fight which made her lose. Also in the second fight her objective was not to kill Baylan.

[@lyleabrahams]

@@SmoughTown Not sure what youre watching.... but in my eyes youre wrong.

[@lyleabrahams]

@@docroc1172 her goal was to get the map at any cost... then to get to Ezra and Sabine at any cost.

[@cwhit0110]

@@SmoughTownshe’s a Jedi not a contract killer. She’s not going to kill unless it’s absolutely necessary. To kill him for the map is definitely a dark side behavior.

[@ke8975]

I couldn't disagree more. On Seatos, her primary objective was to destroy the key. She had the upper hand until she grabbed the key with her bare hand which severely handicapped her. On peridea, she is focused on getting to Sabine and Ezra, and didn't even bother to poncho off. She even stated that she doesn't have time for it. Baylan would have probably been killed if that was her objective on Seatos.

[@DarthNox66]

Sure, stop looking for exuces for Ahsoka failure, she lost horiblly, same with Peridia, if she could beat him on Peridia she could just tell Huiang to not inerfere. Baylan is a bit superior then her, get over with it.

[@JayHelms]

Exactly.

[@garystroup5285]

Yea I agree. I’m not sure why everyone is overlooking the fact that she was in control before Shin came to the scene.

[@DarthNox66]

@@garystroup5285 IDK, it was looking, that he had all good carts, in this fight.

[@michaelacevedo9404]

​@DarthNox66 Anakin said himself, you loss bad lol. The second time I think she is trying harder but they are canceling each other out. I don't think he is superior I think it's a matter of styles make matches and his just like Vaders is hard for her.

[@crazytrain03]

Watch the fight back...she had a kill shot on him several times and at one point, she had him dead to rights 110%. Look at the shot at 8:25 in your video, she has his blade locked with one saber, hitting it up and behind his head, then elbows him in the stomach, instead of shoving her open and free second saber through him. She very much could have killed him right there if she wanted to...if Ahsoka can stalemate a fight and still achieve her mission, she will. She's not really one of those "just murder everyone in her way" Jedi.

[@gothamgoon4237]

That's just bad choreography. Not the actual story that's been told. You see a lot of bad choreography from disney. Sequels were very bad. if you go along those lines you can say the same thing for Baylan. He could have had Ahsoka quite a few time too.

[@forcecalibration924]

🧢

[@JustSomeGuyFromEarth]

I think she succeeded with exactly what she’s wanted. I don’t think that she wants to kill or even harm him. She can sense the conflict within him, he doesn’t want to kill her unless necessary. And I think that she changed to one blade because she recognizes his fighting style with heavy blows. She has to use both hands on the blade to be able to parry, block and counter. The strength he has in his blows are too great to withstand sustainably with just one hand.

[@0001har0001]

She stated at the beginning of the fight she didn’t have time for this. Her objective was helping Sabine and Ezra. Ahsoka had no need to kill him at this time. She just chose to hold him off until she could find an opportunity to go help Ezra and Sabine because she knew they were in trouble. Killing him would have probably taken a longer fight than she had time for and Ahsoka *generally* prefers not killing adversaries anyway. She has killed a few inquisitors, but she’s left a bunch of other ones alive as well as all the clones who turned on her during order 66, plus Maul too. Ahsoka has learned the lesson that killing is not always equal to winning.

[@babytoshiro7014]

Agree. It's really that simple. I don't even think baylan was trying to kill her

[@0001har0001]

@@babytoshiro7014 Exactly. I don’t think either wanted to kill the other. Ahsoka had her goals (save Ezra and Sabine) and Baylan had his (find whatever he is looking for). Killing each other would not have served a purpose for either of their objectives.

[@babytoshiro7014]

Which is core of all jedis, former or current. If they have a goal, then so be it. But as you said neither had a goal to kill each other the 2nd duel.@@0001har0001

[@aleksazunjic9672]

Yep, she had to remind Ezra to use some kind of weapon in fights 😆

[@TheSwagger81]

Ahsoka had ulterior motives both times she fought him. Saying she lost is not genuine. 1st time she was trying to stop the download, then hurt her hand. 2nd time she was trying to get to Sabine and Ezra to help them.

[@SmoughTown]

she died bro. Usually considered a loss.

[@moxie2037]

Yeah she did lose first time, because she hurt her hand. She would have won. But Babylon pretty hot so I’m happy he did not die

[@cwhit0110]

Exactly I don’t think she has genuinely wanted to kill him. I don’t think he has want to either. They both have held back. Would be interesting to see them fight in a death match.

[@TheSwagger81]

@@SmoughTown she didn't die, bro

[@aleksazunjic9672]

Could not she just text Ezra and remind him to use weapons in combat 🤣

[@chadbrad8100]

0:35 You do realize Ashoka never died the first time she just fell of the cliff and went into the water unconscious. Anakin didn't save Ashoka , Ashoka woke up in the WbW because she has a connection to it probably via "Daughter" and because she has been there before. She never died she was unconscious you got that wrong Stupendous Wave

[@forcecalibration924]

I think the point is Anakin is such a beloved character everybody wants to believe it was him and now he’s all power. It will probably never be confirmed what really happened for people to have there own imagination and prospective.

[@Dwendele]

He told her, "you cannot kill me (or defeat me, I don't remember)", and she replied, "maybe I don't have to".

[@shazamcollins9756]

In the second fight baylen was struggling to break her defense she wasn’t trying in the second fight she said she didn’t have time for it so I feel like if she wanted to go all out she could beat him because she went up against so many stronger fighters like maul and Vader so I feel like if she wanted to she could beat him

[@scatteredstones]

I think so as well. I assumed she ditched Huyang to avoid bringing the fighters to Sabine and Ezra and faced off against Balin just to get his howler.

[@SmoughTown]

The copium among Ahsoka fans is unreal. She outright confirmed she couldn't beat him. Ahsoka has just met someone more powerful than her

[@toddblankenship7164]

ya that never happened, he proclaimed "you cant beat me" and she said "possibly" then used the distraction to get away as she needed to back up her friends. It was a very great moment and reminded me of Obi Wan and his training she would have picked up. Because lets be Honest Anakin would not have walked away regardless. "@@SmoughTown

[@SmoughTown]

If she could kill him, as Ahsoka fans claim - why hasn's she just carved through him? It would make both claiming the map and saving her friends so much easier We have 2 fights 1 he 'killed' her, 2 she struggled against him with her signature 2 sabres and then fled. Call me crazy, but I call that 2-0 @@toddblankenship7164

[@Itzkyr0]

@@SmoughTownwhere did she confirm that?! She litterally said “I don’t have time for this” and “Perhaps I don’t have to” when baylan said “you can’t defeat me” after failing to break her defense

[@prestonhoskins1672]

She said at the beginning of this fight , that she didn’t have time for this. Her plan was not to take down Baylen , but to get to Sabine. Think about it, she leaves after Baylen get distracted from the laser firing from her ship and take his ride to Sabine.

[@Hawkwood96]

My read on that fight was that they were evenly matched, whereas before he was ahead of her.

[@hdeodh]

the real answer is that Baylan is guarded by the most power force in the galaxy, plot armor... if Ahsoka kills him early then the writers will need to rewrite season 2

[@shadowbeast2276]

Agreed

[@davidmun1601]

Or maybe, Baylan is the better fighter

[@patrickfabsich2692]

he is very powerfull maybe as strong as Kenobi and Yoda. I think he use a similar stlye then Kenobi, also Baylan is wise. And Ahsoka fight to agrresiv against him.

[@SmoughTown]

exactly haha - the mental gymnastics by Ahsoka fans is staggering. When it comes to a fight, all that matters is who wins and Baylan is 2 for 0@@davidmun1601

[@eugenux]

this, 2000%

[@TheWxwookie]

I don’t she was trying to beat him, just get past him. Also, she almost took his head off.

[@garyharris5433]

Fighting an older Jedi (probably master) vs fighting random inquisitors who were probably ex padawans of unamed Jedi masters is probably entirely different skill levels

[@keithallver2450]

As the series progresses I like Bylan Skoll all the more. He is a very deep, complex, interesting character.

[@dominicbennett14]

Did anyone notice that baylon caught her sabers the same way anakin did in the WBW - when anakin disarmed her. Neat little highlight

[@will_the_toad]

I think ahsoka should concentrate on form 3. I remember Bane telling Zannah in the novels that because she'll be physically overmatched, form 3 is the key...stay in the duel and patiently wait for that opening.

[@MrEdium]

She was trying to steal his horse 🐎😂

[@extrojan22]

She wasn’t necessarily trying to kill him, it was more of a Your in my way and I need to get to the other fight

[@mauriceevans7775]

She never tried to kill Baylan. That was the lesson Skywalker was trying to teach her. If she fights like a jedi, she will never defeat Baylan. She has to move past the Jedi teachings to defeat a skilled dark jedi. The sith eyes of Ahsoka at the end of the Ahsoka and Skywalker battle in episode 6, I believe, is the evidence of my assertion. Skywalker wanted to teach Ahsoka to use her darker emotions and learn how to control them so that she could pull herself back from the dark side.

[@RobynLeSueur]

I don't think she was trying to beat him. She was just trying to get past him, and she did that successfully.

[@alcav54]

Ashoka wasn’t trying to win. She was just causing distraction so she can get back to Ezra and Sabine.

[@cineris2389]

The premise set up already kind of makes that a rather foolish tactic, considering Baylan wasn't going to interfere with Ezra and Sabine's entanglement to begin with. ALl she accomplished in the end was delaying herself more. IF she wasn't trying to face Baylon why jump out near him rather than her friends to begin with?

[@uhwaykin]

Ahsoka’s reluctance to fight stemmed from the death and destruction she witnessed and not wanting to be a part of that. Anakin’s lesson was that being unwilling to fight out of fear is not the same as choosing peace (“You lack conviction.”) Peace is not in the absence of fear/anger/hatred, but in the presence of love/compassion/forgiveness. It’s consistent with the fatal flaw of the Jedi Order’s detachment (which the show itself explores through Huyang), with Ahsoka’s choice to take a padawan that is weak in the Force but strong in heart, with Sabine’s choice to give the map to Baylon and seek Ezra, and with Luke’s redemption of Anakin. We then see this when she fights Baylon back just far enough to get past him and save Sabine and Ezra, and again when she spares Shin. By killing Baylon, she might have surrendered not only Shin’s soul to the dark side, but potentially Ezra and Sabine as well. Instead, now Baylon has to question his beliefs about Ahsoka and the lessons of her master, Shin can potentially be redeemed to the light, and Ezra and Sabine are reaffirmed the example of love before fury. To truly walk in peace is to have no enemies.

[@markfisher2683]

In a strange way, I feel as if Baylan is trying to TEACH Ashoka some things, and neither of them seem to hate or want to outright kill on another. I suppose I could just be projecting my overall hopes, as Baylan definitely does not seem evil, or completely selfish to me.

[@SophiaAphrodite]

Baylan has stated he was disappointed to have to kill her and even when they met again he said he was happy to see her alive. I think He knows she is a better fighter and understands her goal has never been to kill him. Every time she fights she almost smiles. We have to remember she grew up in war. Fighting as early as 14 in the Clone Wars. She might be the most skilled and experienced saber combatant alive at the time.

[@forcecalibration924]

He definitely wasn’t or wanted to kill her you can probably say the same for Asoka it’s seems like respect to me🤔

[@jeffagain7516]

A number of commentors are of the opinion that Ahsoka could have defeated Baylan had that been her only objective. I'd counter this with the proposal that Baylan had no desire to kill Ahsoka either. he wanted to stop her (wound her) but he stated much earlier, "Killing her would be a shame, there are so few Jedi left". Had it come down to brass tacks, I think Baylan would have killed her if he felt it the only way to stop her. He kept delaying that inevitability, with the hopes of just wounding her. I don't simp for either character but it's pretty evident when analyzing the fight (to me at least) that Baylan was holding back, simply hoping for the opportunity to wound her.

[@daniels7907]

Baylan also had a limitation on Seatos. He had to defend the star map and thus he couldn't move freely because he could let her reach the map. It is worth noting that Baylan was a Jedi General during the Clone Wars when Ahsoka was still only a Padawan. So he is more experienced as he would have trained against other Jedi Knights (and perhaps Masters) while he was still in the Order. Ahsoka needs to step outside the traditional forms if she wants to gain the upper hand, because Baylan knows them too and he has adapted his style to take advantage of things like his size and strength. Much like how Anakin retooled his own styles after becoming Vader, since he was no longer as athletic as he had been as Anakin.

[@SophiaAphrodite]

She was a commander in the Clone Wars as a teenager. You clearly never watched the Clone Wars. Baylan learned in peace time then went to war. Ashoka was raised in war. She was on the ground fighting. Generals do not fight.

[@daniels7907]

@@SophiaAphrodite - *You* clearly never watched the Clone Wars. Jedi of Knight rank or higher were *generals* in the Republic military. Yes, that includes Anakin and Baylan, as has been explicitly stated on this very show (which you clearly aren't watching either). So every single time you saw a Knight or Master onscreen fighting you were seeing a general fight. Padawans were given the rank of commander, but were still expected to report to their Master in addition to the regular military. A lot of this is just part of the long tradition of Star Wars playing it very loose with the military ranks. Kind of like how Han and Lando were just summarily given commissions as generals in RotJ. In Lando's case, he hadn't even served with the Rebel Alliance until then.

[@baki484]

​@@SophiaAphrodite So? Every padawan under a jedi knight became a commander automatically Barris, Caleb, Cal and Knox where commanders. If you watched the clone wars or read supplementary material like the last padawan comics you'd know that.

[@11superchelseafc]

My head canon is that Ahsoka was having some ptsd in the first duel with Baylan being that it was so similar to her fight against Vader on Malachor where she was just overpowered, it feels line she’s moved past that now and that she’s just more balanced and in tune with the force now and destroying her enemy is not her goal “a jedi uses the force for defense, never for attack” it reminds me of peak Ahsoka in the Clone Wars when she defeated Maul using just her agility then saved him from falling to his death in the same moment. Maybe a time is coming where she will have to do more than just survive against Baylan, but that wasn’t the case in this duel

[@backtoearth1983]

It was not PTSD, she was overconfident, then injured, then let her emotions get the better of her. She was destined to lose when she rage force threw Shin when she thought Sabine was dead. Anakin's lesson was to let go of the past. Baylan gets under her shin with the talk of legacy, she feels tainted by her and Anakin/Vader's legacy of death and needs absolution (much like a sin) When whole WBW and rise from the water is a baptism/rebirth metaphor

[@momoe79]

She didn't lose either fight in my opinion. She was injured in there first encounter and she the only one landed hits in either fight. That being said Baylan is a formidable adversary

[@dreadrath]

That and Baylan doesn't seem all that keen on killing Ahsoka either, he actually seemed rather glad she survived. Guy doesn't want to see anymore jedi die needlessly.

[@AsreiMurasame]

It does make sense though. Anakin was considered to be the best saber duelist ever, rivaled only by Yoda and Palpatine in levels of Saber skill. Obi Wan, nor Mace could really take Anakin. The only reason he lost to Obi Wan was because he got cocky, Anakin knew Obi Wan had zero chance against him in a prolonged fight. If he hadn't Obi Wan would have been destroyed, but Obi Wan always stays level headed and uses every advantage he can get and applies it to form 3. Not to mention Anakin only really lost once to Obi Wan even as a Padawan Obi Wan states this and this was before Anakins complete mastery of form 5 :x

[@h28custom84]

she wasnt looking fort Baylan,,, she was looking for Sabine and Kept him away from herand Ezra. maybe shes not trying to kill him at least not yet Maybe she wants to know what hes looking for

[@nerdwatch1017]

Man i wonder if Dave Filoni will bring in Timothy Zahn on the Thrawn movies

[@pelicanhill3251]

I don't think she 'lost' either fight. Remember, in the first duel Ahsoka got the better of Baylan, knocking him down. Then she tried to grab the map and burned her hand, so she ended up fighting the duel with one hand. In this second duel, she was more focused on getting it over with quickly so that she could help Sabine. Hopefully they will have one final duel in episode 8.

[@LegoJango586]

thats true, i think that neither duel had the objective of defeating baylan, i cant wait until a final duel

[@SmoughTown]

yeh, except she died in the first fight. Almost a universally accepted piece of evidence that one 'lost' The excuses you are making re her grabbing the map etc, dont really matter. What matters in a fight? Who wins. That simple, stop coping.

[@olgak.1139]

@@SmoughTown Anakin told her clearly that she lost.

[@SmoughTown]

@@olgak.1139 yup agreed. Just insane levels of cope in these comments

[@mitchellmobley7700]

The cope is not taking the situation into account. You have to have context to why things are happening. She wasn't using her second blade and her goal was the map, not Baylan. It's MUCH harder to win a fight when your goal isn't to hurt the other person the way they're willing to hurt you. Her goal was the map which is why she chose one saber in the first place, she nerfed herself because "winning" for Baylan was the duel, winning for Ahsoka was getting the map. Same thing in this duel. Winning for Baylan was the duel, winning for Ahsoka was getting to her friends. Different priorities. You're focused on the moment while she's focused on the end goal.

[@herrmannelig5091]

Why can't you accept that Ahsoka lost? There are ridiculous comments. She fought Baylan one on one, Baylan told her that you can't beat me and Ahsoka did not object to this. As Baylan said, Ahsoka could not beat him and had to run away. It's ridiculous to say that she was in a hurry to get to Sabine and that's why she left. Baylan is standing there alive and strong, and there is no reason why Baylan shouldn't come where Ahsoka goes. So Baylan is still a threat. If Ahsoka can go to Sabine, Baylan can too. We, the audience, know that Baylan broke up with Shin, but Ahsoka does not. This means that even though Ahsoka Baylan posed a threat, she did not destroy him because she did not have the power to do so. Instead she ran away. Admit it, Baylan is stronger and the winner.

[@Eimaj2012]

I reckon Baylen was Cin Drallig's Padawan. It would provide solid logic for why he's such a strong dualist!

[@baki484]

Maybe before Serra keto

[@robertrappaport3610]

She literally just started retraining to beat Baylan, and this match was more of a ‘here we are in each other’s way’ instead of trying to outright stop each other. As much as Ashoka didn’t beat Baylan, he didn’t do as hot during the second match either.

[@Saxgod]

I disagree. Her plan wasn’t defeating him but instead getting passed him because she needed to help Ahsoka. So she wasn’t trying to defeat him. She was trying to get passed him.

[@RanjunChauhan]

I agree with most here. He was trying to beat her, while she was just trying to save Sabine.

[@LordOptimus707]

I don't really think he was trying to beat her either tbh. He says he's not disappointed she survived and it seems like he just wants to focus on whatever his goal is as opposed to dueling anyone.

[@RanjunChauhan]

@@LordOptimus707 yeah…you’re probably right.

[@tmhunter7]

I hate to state the obvious, but if you can break someone's guard and kick them 3 times, then you easily have time to cut them with a light sabre.

[@adambachmann2633]

It's plot armor, Baylen is the new bad guy. So they nurf her to make him look like a better opponent. Who has he dueled or fought besides her of any note? Look at all the note worthy people she has gone up against. I think she lost the first fight because she injured her hand in a rush to get the key. Second fight, neither could out do the other, both having moments of success, but Baylen succeeded in his task, with was to slow her down. I like his character, but it seems to me like they are nurffing her. IDK

[@BlueDeath-r13]

There's nothing wrong with this duel. Baylan is kicking Ahsoka's ass, and I'm loving it.

[@jefebunga6148]

Nothing is gained, nothing is lost. Too much respect upon each other. They don't want to kill each other

[@OldHenryLee]

Beating Baylan wasn't her focus on this one. She was proving a point to him as well. Don't think as much was lost on Baylan either. ... Could even lead to him directing Shin to join Ahsoka in the next episode. ... If Shin seeks Baylan instead of going straight towards Thrawn's ship at least. Whatever happens I'm very much excited to find on out 🤠 And per usual, thanks for the entertaining & insightful upload 🙏👍

[@tammykolu1242]

She cant take him 1 on 1 that is clear

[@OldHenryLee]

@@tammykolu1242 Don't know if it is. ... IMO at least. .... 🤔, Mostly just because she's the star of the show, but whatever 😂🤣😂🤣. She's overmatched. ... Also seems like Baylan knows he's not coming back after finding whatever he's seeking

[@DarthNox66]

@@tammykolu1242 How? She lost both duels horribly and had to retreat.

[@cwhit0110]

@@DarthNox66she definitely didn’t lose the second duel. It was a draw. Neither person had an opportunity for a kill strike.

[@DarthNox66]

@@cwhit0110 Ok, maybe it was draw, but you must admit that Baylan is still supirior

[@sneakyblu3]

What I don’t get is how Ahsoka went toe to toe with Vader for several minutes at least and got the upper hand at least once, but this random Baylan guy is able to say “you can’t beat me”. I guess the show is suggesting she got rusty because she’s older or something, it’s still pretty upsetting.

[@baki484]

Baylan should be even more rusty. She was on the backfoot against Vader the hit she scored was a cheap shot (Vader was focused on getting the Holocron). Had it not been for Ezra she'd be dead.

[@aodhhanswtor7252]

Your lightsaber duel breakdowns are always spot on. I've enjoyed them all! With this duel, I don't believe Ahsoka was attempting to defeat Baylan, but rather to distract and more importantly deceive. Distraction in order to get into a position where she could position herself to move on and help Ezra and Sabine. This part is obvious. However, if you notice many of her offensive strikes, she seems to purposely over extend. Something she would never do in her practiced form without reason. She didn't do this each time, but enough to make it quite noticeable where she knew she'd have to immediately go defensive without an ability to press the attack. So let's move on to the deception a bit more. Anakin often fought many opponents more than once. It took him some time, but Obi-wan's lessons and losses on being over aggressive finally sunk in. Obi-wan won many training duels with Anakin through deception. They even used deception to finally take down Dooku. It's likely one of the training videos Anakin provided is on taking time to decipher your opponent. Learn what they do, their consistencies, etc. Pain close attention to their choices during feints and your own apparent weaknesses. You don't have to actually win the fight to gain an advantage. Now prepare for the next duel. Come up with ways for them to fall into a pattern which displays a weakness you can exploit. From what I saw, Baylan didn't change a lot. All pretty much form V. He kept his saber very tight to his core most of the time. Even so, he still got loose in movements allowing Ahsoka to get inside his defenses. Yet, she didn't immediately press the attack, she wasn't impatient. Yet she was able to get into the position she wanted to for the flyby assistance. I said before... I believe the fight Ahsoka will win, is one where she will wear him down with solid defense and maybe feints instead of pressing early on. Baylan's age, and refusal to move into any other form mixed with Ahsoka's training, form knowledge and relative youth will allow her to win outright, if she so chooses.

[@saltypepper8514]

Um well she was just tryna love and stall him so she could escape, she wasn’t tryna kill the guy

[@bigman6781]

I like that Baylan isn’t just some fodder to be defeated after the main character has a training montage/inner warrior buff. I’m also a huge fan of Baylan’s dueling style, it seems like he utilizes Qui Gon’s Ataru form mixed with Djem so basic attacks.

[@LordVader.66]

They seem to have no interring killing each other and seems more like sparring.

[@ericlantto7928]

I believe he said "You can't beat me" as in he has a mission to complete. To search out his calling to stop the Jedi/Sith chaos.

[@jhfoever]

Didn‘t she win the second dual? It seems obvious to me. And she intentionally didn’t finish him, the same for Shin. I guess Ashoka knows what they do and didn‘t stop them

[@forcecalibration924]

She was bout to lose and she agreed when he said you can’t defeat me.

[@sand5282]

Are you calling being locked by a stronger opponent and needing Huyang's help to run away winning?

[@johnhorton4436]

Balin Skull Is Older then Asoka so Perhaps His Experience Plays an Easy Role for Him

[@forcecalibration924]

💯

[@brettmanus7904]

I just get this fangirl reaction, "Ooh, Baylan is SOOO everything!" Ahsoka is almost certainly more skilled and powerful. Her background (And her creators) guarantee it. In this second duel she is smiling and appears to be toying with him until the moment she has him set up. That is a big part of that look on his face. He realizes that he was completely outclassed and played.

[@SophiaAphrodite]

Yes, tbh I think he knew all along she has been toying with him at that moment. He knows she grew up in war and who her master was. She might be the most skilled combatant alive at this point. He probably thought up until she showed up that he was the most skilled fighter. Even the witch early on said he seemed nervous and he said it was " experience". She rattled his confidence before they even met.

[@Dicko2909]

@@SophiaAphrodite Both of these comments are so ridiculous it's beyond belief. The fight ended with Baylan having obliterated her defence. If Baylan was fighting to the death he'd have broke her arm and dismembered her.

[@brett6239]

Ahsoka is simply outclassed. Is she beats him it will be a fluke. That's what he was saying. Baylan is high level like Yoda, Mace, or Sidious. Ahsoka is still not quite there yet.

[@deathangellink]

one thing i also saw on Baylan saber : the handle seem to be slightly longer which would give more leverage, which was already incredible by his stature.

[@mattheweaton9111]

Because despite all you ahsoka dumps saying Anikan and palpatine were the only ones on her level of skill. It couldn’t be farther from the truth.

[@chrisinstasis7986]

I think you briefly touched on the real answer. Focus. In the first she is split between the map, Sabine and her opponent. Second time round she wasn't really interested in stopping Skoll, her focus was on moving last him and getting to Sabine. She's not really where she wants to be. Whereas for Skoll, both times he knows his place and plans without doubt, leaving him free to concentrate on the moment.

[@JaKorsarz]

I second battle i can clearly see that Baylan is showing to Ahsoka his back. He should by dead by now. Why is he not dead? I dont know. She got plenty of time to cut him in half.

[@thepounder6059]

She only lost on seatos because she burnt her hand. Couldn’t hold her sabre 2 handed so he brutally battered her into a corner. In Peridia, she could have killed him 5 times. She doesn’t want too.

[@Dicko2909]

That's not even remotely true.

[@thegreatsociety2734]

She wasn't trying to beat him she was trying to get past him to save Sabine and Ezra.

[@newhybrid101]

He is lucky Anakin isn't around

[@UnifiedEntity]

"you can't defeat me" "I don't have to" those lines pissed me off. Alot

[@yurijai9801]

She wasn't trying to win just stall.

[@DIzzFOo]

She was late for a meeting bro ...this fight does not count. she was not trying to beat him this is a juke brotha.

[@tywilliams5521]

I think for her second fight she was just trying to get past him and hurry to Sabine I think she could’ve really dueled if she wanted to but had the focus on the task not the obstacle

[@kellygreenii]

Ahsoka is a Togruta. They are their world’s take on sentient antelopes. A species whose ancestors are herd animals known for their speed and agility. Ahsoka built her style around that speed and agility. It’s why she eventually opted for Shien and dual-wielding. Baylan defeated her because she injured her hand and was left without an answer to arguable the most dangerous Djem So user since Vader himself. Anakin’s final (?) lesson was about how to deal with an opponent who uses the Force to power his strikes with a lightsaber: Draw on her emotions. He was teaching her to let go of her old Jedi training to quiet and suppress her emotions. But to draw on her emotions…both positive and negative to fuel her own style. Essentially to blend elements of Juyo with her own style. But not to lose herself to the emotion. Which is essentially what Legends Luke Skywalker taught to his trainees.

[@reckszkingzactivitiesrkat.4134]

Great breakdown from the stupendous wave once again 🔥

[@marcusisgod2592]

Shes also a niman jarkai practitioner as anakin taught her so she could increase her skill with two blades as niman has more balance jarkai training than ataru as it incorporates bits of the original niman. This also aloud her to intergrate the more fluidly. Back to her fighting problem is that i actually think she forgotten how to fight with your life on the line. Im not saying she got worse if anything she improved her basic skills what im saying shes been too long from a true battle to death. What she needs to gain is her me or them mentality that is what i believe anakin was trying to teach her as he took her through the battles of her childhood and then forced to fight holding nothing back.

[@rhade61]

You guys are criminally overrating Ahsoka here. Both Ahsoka and Baylan use aggressive forms and specialize on offense. Snips got completely clapped on Seatos. She had a momentum only once, when she kicked Baylan in the chest, and that’s about it. He got her stumbling throughout the fight and not in a good way at all. She was in defense not because she chose it, but because she didn’t have a choice at all. After she burned her hand and especially after throwing Shin into the wall and angering Skoll (who was already overpowering her), her fate was sealed. In the second fight though, the momentum was almost even. Baylan states that she can’t defeat him not because he thinks himself superior, but because he understands that this fight will be much longer, and she will retreat in one way or another, as she doesn’t have time. If they’ve fought to the end, Ahsoka would’ve win with extreme diff because of plot armor. Without the plot though, Baylan would win with high diff imo.

[@baki484]

Immaculate assessment I agree

[@kevz2474]

Ashoka is doing what Baylan told Shin. That's why she said "perhaps"...Baylan thinks she can't beat him but she has in a sense. She is feeling him out and learning his technique where he is convinced he is better.

[@olgak.1139]

Yep, she's studying him,not only his strength and abilities but his psyche statement and arrogance too.🤔

[@pranc236]

Not a win, not a loss for either. Objective changed in episode 7.

[@KDthunder2009]

she literally has a saber to his face as he says he cant be beaten by Her. I don't get that statement at all lol she could have killed him right then & there. So, I'm wondering if he means that she WON'T Kill him as opposed to saying she can't best him in a duel. Also considering that she really only lost the first match due to Sabine. Ahsoka doesn't have the interest in killing Baylen, she just needs to get away from him quickly, take his ride & that's what she does.

[@Dicko2909]

He had hold of her hand, she attacks her arm is broken.

[@brynstarkiller7419]

Baylan may have just been a Jedi Knight when the order fell, but he’s a powerful Dark Jedi Master . If he’s really dark at all. He wants to put a stop to the cycle of war of empires and republics. He’s had to use the dark side and train Shin in it so they could literally survive in a galaxy full of people who want them exterminated . I hope Baylan’s character finds peace . As I hope Ray S does. I hope Shin turns. She has real potential.

[@eltoppdog]

Since she's hitting a wall with the saber, I'm hoping she learns from Ezra and adopts a more force-based combat style. It's always bothered me that jedi fight almost exclusively with sabers. Force moves are rare and meaningful, I want to see flurries of saber strikes and force moves.

[@patrickfabsich2692]

maybe thats the reason ezra,fight only with force but wtf he was very overpowerd. Grogu also did impressiv Force only moves. Maybe they want focus on Force so he got no light saber ..

[@sleeper.simulant7327]

I’m curious to see where they go with Ezra. Ezra is naturally very gifted in the force, his midiclorian count is estimated to be close to Yoda/Palpatines. While not Luke/Leia or Anakins level, he has quite a roof in terms of his potential with the force…

[@gabrielcarrasco9078]

​@@sleeper.simulant7327Where is this information from?

[@vatoloco1528]

Damn man! Every time I see Ray in this role I feel great sadness in the Force. He fills those boots in awesomely

[@TheKrostiman]

Interesting justifications aside the only reason she can’t or didn’t beat baylon yet is purely plot. She stood up more than decently to Vader and other more impressive opponents than Baylon in the past. If you can kick and elbow an opponent you can also easily stab them with the second blade.

[@rawleigh729]

Baylon is such a great character

[@aaronwalker4017]

Brilliant breakdown of forms 👌 No,can't believe it will be ahsoka who takes him down..she will duel him several times before Ezra eventually steps in somewhere and defeats him..winning Ezra a new fan/hero base with the younger and even older fan base following.!! If ahsoka can't beat him and Ezra does,it shows how powerful he has become in isolation for 10 years.!!

[@thoughtful1233]

Sorry, but Baylan's confident look and "you can't defeat me" as pictured in your thumbnail baffled and still baffles me. She has a free saber and there's no way he could move quickly enough to stop her cutting off half his head. I think this was a real directing slip-up. You can't say "You can't defeat me" when someone has a saber to your neck.

[@gothamgoon4237]

He grabbed her hand with his fist stopping the blow and in the other her and his blades were locked together in defensive blocks. Look closer. You can see her hand is trapped in his fist. She couldn't finish that strike to his neck if she wanted to.

[@thoughtful1233]

@@gothamgoon4237 Ah, okay.

[@gajavin563]

Baylan is a full blow Jedi knight a general during the clone wars, assoka was a child, and now a failed padawan, she will never beat this master Jedi.

[@Gyj-s1l9479]

I loved Ahsoka in this fight and seeing her after being revived. She was the warrior I enjoyed watching during the Clone Wars; fearless, wise, and confident. Im really enjoying how she is developing in this series. In Clone Wars we're watching her become a Jedi night, in Ahsoka we're watching her become a master.

[@nickdimartino7750]

I don’t think the idea was to defeat Baylon by killing him. I think she’s realized her wrongs. Her wrongs with everything, by leaving Ezra behind in the beginning to keep thrawn away. I think anakin coming to her was key in her new way of thinking. In clone wars they disobeyed orders and kept looking for plokoon while they were trapped in the escape pod. Anakin wouldn’t let a friend go without trying to save them. Her fear of thrawn coming back blinded her and we know what fear leads too. Baylon mentioned at one point that her and her master only brought death and destruction so her setting up the distraction with the duel to get away to save Ezra and Sabine was her way of proving Baylon wrong and going back to the ways anakin taught her.

[@forcecalibration924]

The point is she couldn’t beat him

[@williamkaplan6414]

Is it me or does Ahsoka look faster and more skilled against literally everyone else? I feel like her fight with Anakin was pretty faithful to the fast agility we see in animated Ahsoka, but the second she gets within a couple feet of Baylan she slows waaaay down.

[@SophiaAphrodite]

Likely has to do with fighting styles.

[@mkb4560]

I really think that you are looking to deep into things I think Ahsoka just wanted to get to Ezra and Sabine not wanting to defeat anyone

[@jaylc]

A force user who walks the line between the light and dark is very good indeed....

[@johncnorris]

There were a couple of factors in their first encounter with Baylan that need to be addressed: 1. Ahsoka hurt her hand when she removed the map from the console and it was a distraction (if not a side-effect from making contact with the magic that held it in place.) 2. Sabine arrived and it broke her concentration when she was telling her to destroy the map. If not for these two issues the first encounter may have gone differently.

[@OdieuxBarbare]

It's simple. The actress isn't physically able to perform as Ahsoka would. That's it.

[@uchinan_chiburu]

what are you smoking? baylan would've lost the first duel if ahsoka didn't burn her hand and that was with only 1 saber. the 2nd duel nearly resulted in baylan's head being chopped off. if ahsoka really wanted him dead he would have been dunzos in ep 4.

[@rl5158]

Everyone keeps saying she lost. If you’ve done any actual training with two “blades” - this was a stalemate. Baylen grabbed her right hand and she’s blocking with her left. Baylon could cut her right arm off, but as he moves his blade, she could simply block it again with her left hand, or slide it along his blade to continue the block. Also, the way he’s holding her right arm with fingers facing her, it’s easy to break the grip, and cut off his arms by dropping her right arm. Also, right before Huyang fired, she shoved him away. In the end, it was a stalemate

[@CvntyPrince]

Why are people acting like Ahsoka isn't capable of beating the fuck out of Baylon if she wanted. She's not even completely focused on fighting him in both fights. Baylan is NOT stronger than Ahsoka, They actually seem like complete counters to each other and look like they're on the same powerlevel.

[@HopePrevails4Life]

Just have to accept that Dave didn’t want backlash of “Mary Sue” comments about Ahsoka so he nerfed her massively since Mando intro. After everything we’ve seen and know shes experienced she should be just below Mando s2 Luke currently (he’s definitely more powerful) but Ahsoka should absolutely be more skilled, proficient in blade work and experienced in combat then current Luke especially when Ahsoka is stated to be before new hope coming close to Dooku’s level of blade work and the only force users in the galaxy that exceeds her is Vader and Palpatine. The fact that a random unknown Jedi is so powerful,skilled and dangerous roaming around since order66 and only now appearing (whilst also making Ahsoka look utterly weak) is rather insulting.

[@CvntyPrince]

@@HopePrevails4Life It's so insulting. Like seeing her struggle against him genuinely makes me cringe. Maybe Baylan is as powerful as Ahsoka but I feel like if they were gonna make him equal to her they should've introduced him earlier. It's confusing to see a new character be on the same level as AHSOKA TANO and we have absolutely no background information on the person. But the people calling her weaker than him are aching my soul 😭 like if Dave filoni says at the time of Rebels the only people we know that are capable of defeating her are Vader and Palatine and Ahsoka takes place a couple years (I think) after the battle of Endor I can't even imagine what level she's on now. Especially with her being even more balanced in the force due to dealing with her past trauma and seeing Anakin again. To even include weak and Ahsoka in the same sentence is insulting. (I'm so sorry for the rant ☠️)

[@gl0bal7474]

she didnt lose. she wasnt trying to win

[@SophiaAphrodite]

This has an incel take written all over it. The only reason Baylan is alive is because she did not want to kill him in either instance as she had other goals for both fights. She did not even use her saber to disarm Shin. Knowing her master is not her better.

[@Dicko2909]

Oh stop with that shit. Look at the fight again after three seconds Baylan could have decapitated her and he attacked with his hilt instead of his blade. She just met someone stronger and who had her number it happens in boxing all the time.