Obi specifically baited Ani into an attack he KNEW he'd go for. Any mirror moves that failed to connect, were probably just the both of them going for a feint.

I always thought the part where their blades didn't touch was the coolest part and a testament to how well done the choreography was.

Hayden and Ewan got to know the choreography so well that they had to be told to slow down 🤯

That was the best lighter saber fight ever.

There's also a good explanation from a more practical standpoint, Obi Wans form 3 is focused entirely on defense while Anakins form 5 is very aggressive. Anakin could have been trying to find a gap in Obi Wans defense by performing a number of feints and repositions, at the same time Obi Wan is moving his blade constantly so no opening can be exploited.

Obi wan and Anakin is when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object, pure offence vs pure defence

Anakin attempted that jump over Obi-Wan from the lava river because he was captivated by Obi-Wans defeat of Maul He had training droids created to look like Maul. He wanted to kill Obi-Wan the same way Obi-Wan defeated Maul. But, Obi-Wan knew this & sensed it therefore he said to Anakin "don't try it" So while he was trying to kill Obi-Wan, he was still trying to impress him. His ego got the best of him in this situation unfortunately. 🥺

I felt this on a subconscious & visceral level without ever having words for it. Neither saw a flaw in it nor felt it merited criticism; it's the same as when a romantic couple are so in sync that they mirror each other's behavioral patterns without even thinking about it.

General Grievous would be like "not enough spinning."

Even as a 10 year old I could understand that move meant they were evenly matched.

Always assumed the blades not touching were a mix of them falling back into muscle memory from sparring and performing feints

That part where their blades didn't touch had my whole house screaming in delight. The scene was perfect.

I don't know why people would say that's stupid...it was really cool!

Some might criticize George for his writing, but god damn can he create beautiful stories

Remember that when lightsaber blades contact, they stick to one another. Feinting multiple strikes quickly back to back and preventing your blade from being struck unless you have reason to deliver a blow would be common sparring knowledge to them.

They had been with each other for years. It wasn’t just flashy waving. They shared a moment that was the dueling equivalent of finishing each other’s paragraphs - countering and recounting from movement alone like a preconceived game of chess, already knowing what the other was going to do, simply getting through to a point the match would sway. I think even with everything they had been through emotionally before that moment, they were each finalized in their own decisions, completely opposite of the other and so completely balanced in opposition yet still in synch with each other’s tactics. Even their lightsaber forms were opposites. They’re literally Yin and Yang. They even had an entire war to completely hone their abilities. It was a perfect dual.

I always thought it was beautiful. The apprentice fighting the man who taught him that move, and the master knowing what his apprentice was going to do, mirroring it perfectly. That little part right there really showcases how much they’ve been through together and makes it all the more tragic

I saw it as the most powerful instance of the force’s weird instinctual precognition power in the saga. Each one seeing the other’s attack, changing their own move, then the other side sensing it and changing theirs, back and forth, over and over, so fast that they aren’t even so much defending as seeing the other will counter and so countering themselves.

Let's all agree that was such a badass scene!

Every new thing I learn about Anakin just makes his fall more tragic 😢

Funny, that's actually one of my favourite bits. It shows how well he trained him.

I always saw it as a rapid-fire exchange of feints and parrys, or the "anticipation of the anticipation of the anticipation..." several layers deep. They both knew each other so well that they were reacting to the others reaction before they did it, leading to a series of moves that were "abandoned" partway through to pivot to another attempted move that was also transitioned into another move, etc. They were trying to "out-guess" each other to the N'th degree.

Hayden looks so scarily serious here. Looks like he actually wanted to hurt Ewan and you can see the pain in Ewan's face having to fight him.

I've always loved this moment. They've spent 5 minutes absolutely trying to kill each other to no effect, and this is then psyching each other out, who blinks first and thrusts their saber forward

As a kid, i had concluded that jedi fights must be alot more in the head, like ysing the force to know opponents next move. Thats why jedi vs jedi fights have alot of unnecessary looking swings to intentionally make the real attack difficult to foresee using force. Adds a whole level of beauty and consistent with all theories here imo

I personal think that because they knew each other too well They spinning move is them trying to do something different and find an opening in each other movement resulting in them missing all the slashes

Translation: They both tried a counter at the same time and neither fell for it.

the reason for it is that jedi have the ability to see things in the future. this is why according to canon they’re able fight so quickly (along w their fast reflexes). them doing that spin is supposed to confuse their opponent bc from the opponent’s perspective, all they’ll see is a bunch of lights when they see the future, not where they specifically hit. them being nearly identical fighting wise also plays a big part in their fight as you mentioned.

Obi-Wan: *Precariously balances on a beam over lava.* That was a blunder. Let's see if Anakin finds the right move. Anakin: *Also precariously balances on a beam over lava.* That wasn't it.

That was the best lightsaber battle out of any Star Wars media. I understood as a kid that move meant they were evenly matched in skill.

What i love most about this explanation being cannon is this actually happened to Hayden And Ewan while they were sparring and prepping this scene. They would stay hours after everyone went home busting each other's knuckles up, well this happened where they didnt touch swords and they thought it was so legit that they've coordinated it into the scene. It actually happened to my brother and I. (We practice HEMA and Kali). And the fact that this isnt spead up and is exactly how theyve performed it just made it so much better

I loved this entire scene. The choreography was so well done.

I loved that part. It really showed how much they knew each other.

They were so in tune with their strikes that they could read eachothers moves. That’s cool.

I always liked this part of their duel. It made perfect sense to me, and obviously it showed the synchronicity of their styles of combat.

I specifically remember watching this in the theater on opening night and everyone cheering at that moment. The choreography in Episode 3 was mesmerizing.

I saw it as one possibly trying to knock the other's saber aside to make an opening. But when the other moved their weapon out of the way and tried to counter stroke, so did the first. And they just kept anticipating and reacting to each other in quick succession.

Meanwhile, in the sequels, Disney’s idea of good saber duel choreography is to have people literally just swing their lightsabers back and forth over and over like frickin baseball bats. It’s beyond sad

They were equally matched and were pressing the edge of their abilities, and exerted themselves to the point they pushed each-other into a very vulnerable position right before the back-and-forth in question. In the rush, they both opted to cover their own vulnerability instead of offensively pressing the momentary weakness of the other...but then found themselves in the same situation mirrored...which they repeated a handful of times before both had regained enough stamina to confidently break the indefinite stalemate. Really demonstrates how evenly matched they were...to the point they were both genuinely afraid of the other at the same moment to fully focus on protecting themselves, ignoring the weakness of the other.

It’s a feint man! They both feint to see who flinches cause you don’t know when the hit is really coming. Basic fighting stuff. I loved it

I mean, faints are a thing in almost every sword play. It's present in both Eastern and Western style swordsmanship. I always assumed they were fainting each other out. Anakin starts to move one way, then Obi-wan starts to move into a block for that. So Anakin tries to move to another and then Obi-wan keeps up.

Cool little side note, but anyone ever notice Obi- Wan uses 2 hands to lock blades while Anakin uses 1? Shows the power in Anakins strikes

I thought it was pretty obvious, and even appreciated the thought that went into that moment.

that just makes the battle more emotional imo. such a beautiful bittersweet touch to an already heartbreaking and badass fight

The twirling and rapid movement is to confuse your opponent. But Anakin and Obiwan being aware of one another’s moves it didn’t work

I didn't even know that there were people out there criticizing this amazing duel, specially this scene.

Agreed, I always saw it as them having spared each other probably thousands of times over the years, they could sense each others moves and predict if they even had an opening or if the other would clearly be in position to block. As they started moving faster and faster to try and get the upper hand, they inevitably stopped striking all together for a few seconds and instead just positioned the blade and moved on if the strike would clearly be countered. The fact that they were also keyed into the force and able to predict the others next move would only amplify this.

Low-key best fkn duel was perfect and still gives goosebumps

I always thought that it was a way to gain strength. Since both of them tried to hit the other with quick swings, they both decided to change strategy and to "charge" a heavy attack, like a tennisman is swinging his racket to serve with full strength. Then they try to repulse the other with the Force. Therefore, I think this sequence allows us to see that Anakin and Obi-Wan are equal in speed, strength and mastery of the Force, implying that Anakin's defeat is due to his ego.

One of the coolest moments to give a slight break to the fight

Just like when they tried to use the force on each other at the same time. They are brothers. That’s what George was reminding us about. The heart break. Brothers once, now enemies.

I always loved the choreography in the prequels, and all the new shows and movies that have come out since simply highlight how amazing Ewan and Hayden were, thanks to Nick Gillard!

I always thought of it like they were so immersed in combat; and as masters of their forms and strong force users, where the force can help you fight in combat, I thought the force was predicting so intensly that they kind of overpredicted here and ended up not even touching blades, which is why they eventually locked blades and used the force.

Love this explanation. I also heard that because they knew each other so damn well that this move was them countering each other’s counter parry and still clashed

Choreography was beautiful in the prequels. I don't care if the movement might be considered pointless. It was badass as hell and it gives me goosebumps whenever I see the whole EP.3 final duel.

One of the most badass moments in any duel

The most beautiful master-apprentice/friendship, in my opinion. It’s so sad that it had to end like it ended…

I always thought something similar, that they knew each other so well, and they were trying to feint each other out. But because they knew each other so well, it took several layers of feints and still they ended up in the same place

That was the highlight of the whole fight! Love that part!

That is why they block each other blade at the same time and then immediately attempted to force push each other. It is a testament to how identical in strength and connection to the force they actually are. If u notice Anakins eyes are not glowing the entire fight implicating he’s actually fighting connected to the light side. Even tho he is trying kill someone to continue on an dark path he’s drawing his strength from the side of the force he knows. The light side. He’s not totally corrupted by the dark side yet. He’s conflicted about what he’s doing. Truly poetic scene. It doesn’t get the praise as a great scene in a movie as it should. Well written and well portrayed. Even the background music is beautifully timed. One thing I want to point out is his eyes glowed red as he layed wounded. Defenseless and in pain. Embarrassed in defeat. He then became engulfed in hatred. Submerged in the dark side. Obi Wan defeating him turned him into Darth Vader. Anakin was no more.

i like to think they both we’re expecting an attack and went for the same redirection move

There's also a moment where you can tell they did a pickup when Anakin is choking Obi-Wan and bringing the saber closer to him, the saber hilt being use switches as the camera angle switches.

That’s one of the coolest parts

Every time the "fans" criticize, its always the most profound and meaningful moments that they. just. don't. get....

I’ve never heard anyone say that part of the duel was dumb, I’ve only ever seen people praise it.

I always interpreted it as the both of them rapidly swinging their blades in an attempt to attack any openings. Anakin trying to make enough movement in order to get Obi-Wan distracted and off guard and Obi-Wan doing so in order to be able to quickly defend any attack that came at him and to quickly be countered. Of course they known eachother's moves and so it turned into them wildly swinging until they both thought they had an opening

It’s true tho. They are unstoppable together and honed these skills with and from one another.

I loved this scene. You can see them using the force to anticipate each others moves. They knew eachother completely like you said

Yet Anakin was able to hold against Obi wans blade with one hand😂 I always thought that part was one of the sickest aspects of the fight because I honestly thought they where trying to psyche eachother out

They're not lightsaber dueling, they're playing chess. Each knows the others moves and what options they have to counter each other in a fight. One moves a certain way, they both know what options they have from that move. This means the opponent needs to move to be ready to counter a possible strike. When they make that silly looking maneuver, both are merely repositioning themselves in an attempt to get a favorable avenue of attack which the other can't counter while still maintaining their guard against whatever their opponent can dish out. Much like in a chess game, not every move needs to capture an enemy piece. Not every move of the lightsaber needs to connect with your opponents blade.

Anakin had the perfect attack but Obi had the perfect defense. Two parts of a perfect warrior true.

That move was one of my favorite moments of the fight...

You don’t strike to be met with matched equal force and mirror opposition. It was one savage warrior presenting as two!

It’s actually them simultaneously trying to stump the other with something different and trying to look for an opening for an attack

This damn choreography on the lightsaber duels was absolutely PEAK in Ep’s 1-3

When I saw this scene in the film for the first time, it made sense as to why they fought this way because they TRAINED together. So they know each other like the back of their hands. But people complained that it was too polished, which never made any sense. For me, the final fight is perfect because it conveys how well they know each other.

This is honestly my favourite part of the duel. I saw it as both of them charging their attacks up with the force and subsequently being equally matched, when unleashed.

It’s a real move in real sword fighting meant to help build momentum in the blade. What’s cool about this scene is that they both chose to do this move at the same time. THATS what’s highlighting the similarity and “kinship” between them.

they anticipated each others moves so well because of their knowledge of the force and seeing each other moves before it actually happened and they were trying to fake each other

I always thought they were just feinting each other during that part until they finally clashed since they both got fed up and just went for it.

It also could have also been to build up power in their individual lightsaber swings and to counter the respective strengths and weaknesses of both their individual forms with Form 3 Soresu The Defensive Form (Obi Wan) and Form 5 Djem So The Offensive Form (Anakin).

Jedi are precog. They are messing with the precog to either attack or defend. This is actually very well noticed in the recreation of SC38. You can't just stop and start moving as that is slower. So you move change directions and go back.

I saw respect for each other despite their current mindsets, I saw the move as momentum builder for a STRONG clash

That choreography was awesome!!!

The force also has the ability to try to feel and predict the next attack and where it will come from and use that in things like blocking shots. It is they know each other so well and are so evenly matched they kept reading each others movies and changing their next move to counter it back and forth that they ended up in a sort of holding stalemate.

Congrats on (almost) 50k subs! Love the content keep up the good work!

Whoever said that was dumb is crazy that was one of the coolest parts of the fight i always felt they were feeling each other out and trying to trip the other one up depending on who showed flaw first

god their choreography is incredible

We need more lightsaber choreography like this in new shows and movies

this scene always hits harder after watching the clone wars series

Best dual ever

Watching this scene front row at the movies when I was a kid is my favorite Star Wars memory ❤

I like it honestly and when they lock blades you can see that Anakin has taken a more defensive stance while obi wan is taking an attacking stance which is the complete opposite of their fighting styles

star wars youtubers always find an excuse for everything 😂

Vader must have been so relieved when he finally fought him again to learn he was nothing like this any longer.

This duel is the best one out of all the star wars movies.

I love that scene! Incredible fight choreography

hayden said he hopes to work on star wars more. so lets pray he gets a chance to have more badass moments like this

They were literally doing this because they were trying to predict the others next move and were redying formwhatever they threw at eachother. Its perfect.

I can definitely go with that explanation. They were moving in like a sort of synchronicity at that moment. That how much they have vibed together.