The Darth Maul had returned as a main villain in the latter two movies. As well as the central story of Anakin falling to the dark side and ing Palpatine, a second story would unfold as Obi-Wan Kenobi faced his own inner conflict, repeatedly facing the Sith Lord who killed his master. The story would test Obi-Wan’s resolve much more strongly, but also allow Obi-Wan and Anakin to share a much deeper friendship as they come to realize they share very similar inner conflicts.
Darth Maul was introduced in Solo: A Star Wars Story. However, he never returned to the core saga of Star Wars movies.
Darth Maul could have been a perfect Star Wars: Attack Of The Clones, the main antagonist is Count Dooku. He has a connection with Obi-Wan, as the former master of Obi-Wan’s master, Qui-Gon Jinn, but this fact is never really emphasized in the movie. As a villain, Maul would have been far more significant for both characters and viewers, after he killed Qui-Gon at the end of The Phantom Menace. Had he been the main villain of Attack Of The Clones, it would’ve given much more conflict to Obi-Wan, making for a more compelling story overall.
Darth Maul’s Grudge Against Obi-Wan Kenobi
The Star Wars prequel story would have unfurled quite differently if Darth Maul hadn’t met such a grisly defeat at the climax of The Phantom Menace. The way Obi-Wan defeated Maul, by cutting him in two was dramatic – but, at least in Star Wars Legends, this was considered a dishonorable way for a Jedi to take down an opponent. Had Obi-Wan defeated Maul in a more restrained way, by disarming him or causing a lesser injury, it would’ve even allowed the two to exchange words (Darth Maul has a distinct absence of spoken lines in The Phantom Menace).
Obi-Wan, as a dutiful Padawan, would have chosen to show mercy to Maul and spare his life. To a Dark Lord of the Sith, there is no greater insult. To be defeated by a Jedi Padawan would be an indignity in itself, but among the Sith, showing mercy is considered a sign of weakness. In one simple action, Obi-Wan would have shown his strength of character, and Darth Maul would have had an opportunity to escape, and a reason to bear a deep, burning grudge. What's more, Obi-Wan's act of restraint would come to haunt him as events drove him to have increasing difficulty maintaining control.
Darth Maul’s Assassination Attempt On Pe
Attack Of The Clones opens with two assassination attempts on Pe Amidala. The second of the two is orchestrated by a shapeshifting mercenary working for the bounty hunter, Jango Fett. In a story where Maul had returned as the main villain, as a more energetic fighter than Dooku or Palpatine, it would have been him who attempted directly to kill Pe.
For Obi-Wan, confronting his master’s killer for the first time in so many years would make it difficult to keep his composure. Obi-Wan and Anakin would fight Maul off and, realizing he’d missed his chance, Maul would try to escape. This would give Obi-Wan a much more compelling reason for recklessly diving out of a window in pursuit of Maul. The scene would play out very similarly, but with Jango Fett helping Maul to escape from the pursuing Jedi.
This would also add an extra layer to the dynamic between the two Jedi, as Obi-Wan simultaneously tries to teach Anakin to be more restrained while struggling to remain restrained himself. Anakin, sensing Obi-Wan’s emotions, would have more reason to question his master too, leading to conflict between them. Seeing Maul’s escape, Obi-Wan would then have to confront himself about how the encounter had made him feel.
Obi-Wan Would Learn To Empathise With Anakin’s Grudges
Much of Attack Of The Clones centers around Anakin being unable to let go of his emotions. He wears his old grudges on full display as he visits Tatooine with Pe, and takes his anger out on the Sand People who kidnap his mother. But if Obi-Wan was also having difficulty letting go of his feelings, it would give the two something greater to bond over, and give Obi-Wan much greater empathy towards his apprentice.
Obi-Wan and Anakin would have more chances to have heart-to-heart conversations about dealing with the past. Obi-Wan could try to reason with Anakin, explaining that he knows how it feels to be overwhelmed by emotions. Anakin might even lose his temper, accusing Obi-Wan of hypocrisy. As the two part ways during the story, they would both find time to reflect on their disagreement, eventually realizing that they need to forgive each other, making the reunion of Obi-Wan and Anakin on Geonosis more impactful as both share apologies even while in chains.
Obi-Wan Would Confront Maul on Geonosis
Near the end of Attack Of The Clones, a restrained Obi-Wan is confronted by Count Dooku. The scene would have been far tenser if it had been Darth Maul in this scene, rather than Dooku. Maul would taunt Obi-Wan, trying to shake his confidence, using the kind of emotional manipulation that the Sith relish. Eventually, Obi-Wan would start to lose his composure, telling Maul he’d pay for Qui-Gon's death.
As arch-nemeses, this would make the ending scene of Attack Of the Clones more impactful, as Obi-Wan and Anakin face Maul in combat. In Star Wars canon, Darth Maul never uses Force lightning, but his long-standing grudge against Obi-Wan might give him the strength to do so. Sith, after all, draw on strong emotions to get their power, and hate is by far the strongest. This would also make Maul’s defeat of Obi-Wan much more significant, as payback for his own defeat at the end of The Phantom Menace. For a moment, it would seem as if Obi-Wan is truly done for, before Yoda arrives at the last moment, to save his life.
Anakin Killing Maul Would Make Obi-Wan Feel Conflicted
Count Dooku and General Grievous. Had it been Maul in place of Dooku, this battle would have been far more heated. Instead of Obi-Wan reminding Anakin that they should fight him together, Anakin may have had to be the one reminding Obi-Wan – highlighting both how Anakin had grown and how the relationship between the two had evolved.
Confronting Maul for the fourth time, Obi-Wan would struggle to keep control, especially after their encounter on Geonosis. The camera would cut to Palpatine’s face, a frown of recognition as he realizes the anger Obi-Wan hides. This loss of control would offset Obi-Wan enough for Maul to knock him down, leading to Anakin being the one who duels him.
Playing out as before, Anakin would battle Maul before disarming him and then executing him at Palpatine’s command. A half-conscious Obi-Wan would look on, torn between his commitment to the Jedi Order and his desire for revenge against Darth Maul. And as Anakin takes Maul’s life, the camera would cut back to Obi-Wan just before he loses consciousness, showing a hint of his inner conflict at the fact that Anakin had defeated Maul when he could not.
Obi-Wan Would Face The Dark Side
The conflict with Darth Maul would leave Obi-Wan feeling unbalanced. He’d grapple with a tangle of emotions that he, as a Jedi, had never learned how to properly process. In conversation with Yoda, he’d confess that he was glad Maul was dead, but also that a part of him couldn’t help but wish he’d been the one to defeat him. Yoda would caution Obi-Wan about the importance of control, and that these feelings could lead him down a dark path. The events of Revenge Of The Sith would now be even more harrowing for Obi-Wan. He'd find himself struggling to remain calm in his later battle against General Grievous. As he faced defeat, Obi-Wan would slip, allowing himself to harness his anger as a way to defeat Grievous. The realization of what had happened would unsettle him, forcing him to reflect on Yoda’s advice.
The final sequence of Revenge Of The Sith would shake Obi-Wan even more, as the reality of Anakin's betrayal dawns on him, and as he considers how easily he could have been in the same position. For Obi-Wan, this would be the motivation needed to find new resolve and avoid straying from the light again. It would add an extra note of emotional impact as he confronts Anakin on Mustafar in the final scenes, assuring Anakin that he genuinely understands. It isn't too late. They still have a chance to end this and put things right. As Obi-Wan speaks, Anakin would notice Obi-Wan’s feelings. Sensing his turmoil, he'd try to persuade Obi-Wan to the dark side. Obi-Wan’s refusal would then be the spark that ignites their final cataclysmic lightsaber duel. In the moments before the two part ways, Obi-Wan’s final apology for failing Anakin would carry an added note of sadness with the realization that he’d failed them both.
With the Jedi Order defeated, an exhausted Obi-Wan Kenobi would have even more reason to go into self-imposed exile. Obi-Wan's own struggle with the dark side would allow him to better understand what had happened to Anakin, but he’d feel some shame, blaming himself for being unable to recognize Anakin’s struggles by being too preoccupied with his own. Obi-Wan would choose to reflect on this as he went into hiding on Tatooine, the guardian of baby Luke Skywalker, with newfound resolve not to allow Luke to follow the same path that had nearly claimed both Anakin and himself. The conflict between dark and light is a constant theme in Star Wars, and the internal conflict is always the most emotive aspect of this.
