This article contains spoilers for Ahsoka episode 4.
Contents
Summary
- The lightsaber duel between Ahsoka and Baylan in Ahsoka episode 4 is a historic clash between two different fighting styles, with Ahsoka representing a samurai and Baylan embodying a knight.
- Baylan’s unique and heavy lightsaber gives him a significant advantage in the duel, allowing him to strike with tremendous force and wear down Ahsoka.
- The clash between Ahsoka and Baylan is one of the best lightsaber duels in Star Wars history, with stunning choreography and a sense of shock that mirrors Ahsoka’s own experience.
The duel between Ahsoka Tano and Baylan Skoll in Ahsoka episode 4 broke a Star Wars tradition that runs back 46 years – and that’s what makes it so great. Lightsaber duels have come a long way since the first Star Wars movie, where the final fateful between Obi-Wan Kenobi and Darth Vader pales in comparison to the stunning choreography that’s become commonplace since the prequels. Ahsoka episode 4 featured some of the most memorable lightsaber duels in Star Wars history.
The action-packed episode built to a climax at the hence, as Ahsoka desperately attempted to prevent Morgan Elsbeth acquiring the coordinates for the pathway to Peridea. Although she easily defeated the Inquisitor Marrok, Ahsoka soon found herself outclassed by Ray Stevenson’s Lord Baylan Skoll – a skillful opponent who kept her on the defensive through most of their duel, and ultimately sent her falling to (what seems to have been) her death. Fight choreographer Ming Qiu had put together a stunning action scene, one that subtly breaks Star Wars history but is nevertheless tremendously effective.
Baylan Is The First Jedi To Fight Like A Knight – & There’s A Reason
The duel between Ahsoka and Baylan is unique in the history of Star Wars, simply because Baylan is a remarkable opponent. Baylan’s new lightsaber isn’t just unique because it has an orange blade; it also seems to possess some very unusual attributes, because it clearly has a lot more weight than an ordinary lightsaber. This explains why the hilt of Baylan’s blade is so long, allowing him to grip the lightsaber with two hands and swing it with tremendous force. The weight also means Baylan has developed his own fighting style, handling it like a Medieval knight with a broadsword.
This likely means Baylan has developed a new lightsaber combat form, one allowing him to capitalize on the weight. Ahsoka is a skilled warrior, and she has learned a form that makes her ruthlessly effective against traditional duelists; she’s intimately familiar with all the seven forms. But she’s never had to face a lightsaber with such weight, and Baylan’s fighting style is completely unknown to her. She gradually starts to adapt, even using the environment to her advantage, but Baylan’s form gives him an edge right from the start of the duel. At the end, he uses the weight of his lightsaber to deadly effect, with the sheer force of his blow sending Ahsoka off a cliff edge.
Ahsoka Episode 4 Is The First Samural Vs. Knight Duel In Star Wars
The clash between these two combatants makes Star Wars history, because it’s a collision between two different fighting styles. Ahsoka is a traditional combatant, demonstrating the grace and elegance of a samurai – the inspiration for George Lucas’ Jedi. But Baylan is a traditional knight, with a form he’s created that capitalizes on his lightsaber’s weight. This is essentially a samurai versus a knight, the first time that particular combination has been seen in Star Wars.
It’s interesting to note that Shin’s lightsaber form is unusual, as well, and that too seems to be influenced by her distinctive orange lightsaber. Where Baylan’s blade is heavier than the norm, hers appears to be lighter, allowing Shin to attack with staggering speed that even experienced Jedi would have been shaken by. Sabine may doubt her skill, but it’s actually very impressive that she managed to hold Shin at bay for so long with this strange fighting style. The crystals that give Baylan and Shin their orange blades must have strange properties, ones that give lightsabers with attributes traditional Jedi are not used to.
Baylan’s Unique Lightsaber Made His Duel With Ahsoka Even More Effective
Ultimately, it is Baylan’s unique lightsaber and form that makes his duel with Ahsoka so very effective. Viewers are used to the traditional lightsaber duel, which is really a clash between two samurai, but the mismatch between Baylan and Ahsoka is jarring; there’s a sense of shock to it that mirrors Ahsoka’s own experience. Baylan swings his lightsaber like a broadsword, and the weight of it feels almost like a hammer as he strikes at Ahsoka, wearing her down. It almost feels as though the effort of deflecting Baylan’s orange lightsaber will break Ahsoka’s bones.
Any lightsaber duel is really a battle for control, with each combatant attempting to control the flow of the fight. Jedi learn sequences of blows, switching between the sequences with ease as they probe their opponents’ defenses, looking for a single mistake. Viewed through this lens, Ahsoka puts up a good fight and tries to exert control on several occasions – but Baylan pushes through her defenses. He only really loses control once, when Ahsoka has had time to figure out his form a little and manages to grasp the starmap; but she is injured doing so, an injury she cannot afford when going up against such a skilled enemy. Ahsoka episode 4 is truly one of the best lightsaber duels in the history of Star Wars.
Ahsoka releases new episodes Tuesdays at 6pm PT / 9pm ET on Disney+.