Originally published May 14, 2020. Updated July 19, 2024.
Dave Filoni, Lucasfilm producer, writer, director, and animator, has explained just how important Darth Maul vs Qui-Gon Jinn is in Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace.
One of the most beloved lightsaber duels in Star Wars history is the so-called ‘Duel of the Fates’ between Qui-Gon Jinn, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Darth Maul in Star Wars: The Phantom Menace.
The fight revealed Maul’s iconic doubled bladed lightsaber for the first time and the choreography combined with an epic John Williams score has cemented its place in history.
But Lucasfilm’s Dave Filoni – who is seen as George Lucas’s padawan in many respects – has revealed that this fight is far more important than just it’s cool aesthetics.
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Speaking on the Disney+ documentary Disney Gallery: The Mandalorian, Filoni went into a passionate speech about the scene and how it connects to Return of the Jedi. He says that the ‘duel of the fates’ actually refers to Anakin and how Qui-Gon Jinn and Maul are fighting over the fate of his very soul.
Qui-Gon, if he wins, will go on to be the father Anakin never had, and he would therefore never turn to the dark side and plunge the galaxy into chaos. Maul is meant to be seen as evil-incarnate and acts as a proxy for the Emperor who will go on to possess Anakin if Qui-Gon fails.
Filoni says this adds a whole different level of meaning to this already cool scene. He goes on to say that it is a direct link right to Return of the Jedi where Luke refuses to kill his father, Anakin, despite the Emperor’s insistence.
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Filoni says that by throwing his saber down and rejecting Palpatine, Luke is saying that he will always love his father no matter what. This is when Vader (Anakin) decides to be the father to his son he never had himself after Qui-Gon died, sacrificing his power to save Luke.
For Filoni, this brings things full circle right back to the duel in The Phantom Menace. This message of hope and family was integral to Lucas says Filoni and that George told him to always make sure Star Wars remains hopeful.
Below, you can see a clip of Filoni discussing The Phantom Menace in particular but you will need to head to Disney+ and watch the latest episode of Disney Gallery: The Mandalorian for the full breakdown with connections to Return of the Jedi.
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What are your thoughts on the Duel of the Fates? What do you make of Filoni’s assessment? Let us know in the comments below or on our social channels @FlickeringMyth…
