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Continuity & Analysis

Star Wars: Rebels - Twilight of the Apprentice (2016) [S2E21-22]
Ezra, Kanan, and Ahsoka arrive at Malachor, a seemingly dead world and home to an ancient
Sith Temple, but they are not alone. Paths cross, destinies change, and fates are fulfilled.




CONTINUITY
These two episodes are a single story about the Battle of Malachor.
The planet Malachor is seen for the first time. Two worlds are seen in these episodes:

This two-part story takes place near the end of 7974 (3 BBY), and immediately after 'The Mystery
of Chopper Base' (S2E20). Ezra has now been Kanan's apprentice for more than two years.


Rex tells Ahsoka, "you know, I could have ordered you to take me along", to which Ahsoka replies "you don't exactly
outrank me anymore", leading Rex to respond "In my book, experience outranks everything." This is a call back to their
very first meeting 19 years earlier, seen in The Clone Wars film. The problem is that Rex never outranked Ahsoka,
which was the reason that Rex told her that experience outranks everything, similar to the way a Sergeant Major might
speak to a newly-minted Lieutenant with no experience who technically outranks them. In their very first conversation,
Ahsoka points out that since she is a Jedi, and Rex is a Captain, that means she outranks him. Jedi Padawans were
made Commanders in the Grand Army, making very few clones their equals in terms of rank. Ahsoka was Rex's superior
for more than two years, during which Ahsoka became as qualified as any Jedi Padawan as a Commander in military
situations. This issue may have been part of the reason Ahsoka was brought back as a military contractor reporting to
Rex for a couple days when 'Season 7' of that series was created 4 years after this episode was released. If that was
a deliberate attempt to fix this conversation by retcon, it did not succeed in making their dialogue make sense. In any
case, this is confusing dialogue which deviates from Lucas canon and should be ignored. Ahsoka was Rex's superior.


- Malachor has always been off-limits to Jedi, probably due to the Sith secrets which may lie there, and due to it being strong with the dark side.
The Jedi call these old legends, although the events surrounding the superweapon only took place 4000 years earlier. Ordinarily, this would
be more than enough time to become a legend rather than history, however in terms of galactic history that is not really very long ago.
It's relegation to legends probably has more to do with fear of the Sith and their planets, both among the Jedi and regular people. Lack of
visitors to Malachor has probably increased its mystique. These legends are mythohistorical, as indeed the Battle of Malachor was
a significant event in one of the great historical wars between the Jedi and the Sith.

- Malachor is an abandoned planet located in the Chorlian Sector, in the Trans-Hydian region of the Outer Rim, near to the outer edge of
the galaxy. The planet has two moons, a habitable climate, a breathable atmosphere, and some kind of water cycle. Its rocky surface
seems barren and lifeless, however that may not have always been the case, as the planet's current condition may be the result of
the major historical conflict which took place here just after the year 4000 (c. 4000 BBY). In legendary material the planet was
enveloped by a lethal weapon during that conflict. The planet still hosts a hidden Sith Temple, which is in fact also a superweapon,
which may or may not have devastated the ecosystem. It's range and proper function are not seen in these events.


- The writing at the Sith temple is ur-Kittat, the ancient Sith runic script first seen in The Clone Wars 'Sacrifice' (S6E13). The writing spells
words in Balc, the ancient Sith Language, which Ahsoka refers to as "the old tongue." She can "only make out a few words" due to this
being "a very old form," suggesting that if it were a more modern version of the Sith language, Ahsoka would be able to read more of
it. This is probably only true of educated Jedi and scholars, as this language is not known to be used anywhere in this era.

- The Sith Temple of Malachor typifies classical Sith construction in its design and function. It is pyramid-shaped, and while based on stone
is also a device, and therefore truly artificial, in keeping with Sith philosophy. This design element is so common that Ahsoka instantly
recognizes the structure as a Sith temple, despite not having actually known there was a temple on this planet or ever having seen this
particular one. This temple is not only a Sith place of power and repository of knowledge, but is primarily a kyber crystal-based
superweapon. Based on Maul's assertion of his plans, it is possible the station can be used to target other starsystems, although
it may also be the case that it requires luring one's enemies to the planet or into orbit to be effective. Based on its apparent function,
it is similar to but entirely distinct from the superweapon used here during the legends account of the ancient Battle of Malachor.
Main Article: Awareness of the Jedi and the Sith

- The remnants of the first Battle of Malachor can be found at the site of the Temple, including lightsabers and petrified combatants. According
to supplementary material, the Jedi Knights attacked the temple to stop Darth Tanis from using this superweapon in 4011 (3966 BBY).
The activation of the weapon appears to have devastated the region and turned those battling near the temple into stone. Whether
they were actually petrified is uncertain, as this could be some other condition with a similar appearance and effect. The strange rock-like
crust over the site of the temple seems to lend credence to this conception, as this is unlikely to be a natural formation.

- Ezra picks up an ancient lightsaber which has a "crossguard" design, where the hilt has two smaller lightsaber blades at a right angle to
the primary blade. This design has some drawbacks which offset its limited advantages, just like the spinning, double-edged sabers
used by the Inquisitors. This is the first and only appearance of a crossguard saber in canon. Its addition to this episode was likely
an attempt by the creators to tie this series to the non-canon disney "sequel" trilogy, for which these sabers were first imagined.

- Eighth Brother makes his first appearance in canon, which is also his final appearance chronologically as he is killed. He is the fourth Inquisitor
that Kanan and Ezra have encountered, and the highest numbered brother or sister thus far seen. He does not answer the question of
how many there are, which according to non-canon material is around a dozen in total, although some are already dead or gone.

- The spinning lightsabers used by the Inquisitors are shown being used to fly for the first time in these episodes. According to disney-Lucasfilm,
they contain repulsors which allow them to be used as projectiles and as a personal conveyance. There is no reason for this not to be
possible within canon, indeed such a device should work without the spinning lightsabers activated.

- Maul was last seen in Solo, 7 years before these events. He is often referred to as being old, even by himself, which could be considered
accurate, as he is 51 years old at this time. In his last appearance, Maul was still leading the Shadow Collective, or at the very least leading
Crimson Dawn. Maul eventually left in search of this temple, and was subsequently marooned on Malachor when his ship crashed.
This was "years" before these events, so Maul has been out of circulation for some time. There is apparently some life of some kind on
Malachor, as Maul was able to "scrounge and scrape to survive."


- The Sith use their emotions in connection with the Force, and thus tap into all aspects of the Force including the dark side. They teach
their students that "anger is a wellspring", and that passions give strength through which power is gained. Maul calls the Jedi
restraints on using their emotion a chain that must be broken, and teaches that "unless you take risks, do what must be done,
there will always be limits to your abilities." The Sith seek to seize knowledge and power, and fight without mercy or remorse.
While the Jedi teach that those who have power should restrain themselves from using it, the Sith teach that Force-sensitive
beings were given their "gift" from the Force in order that they should use it. Their power is fueled by their anger and pain.

- Sith holocrons are very similar to Jedi holocrons but are triangular in shape. Sith holocrons also use kyberc crystals and are technology
which can only be accessed using the Force. They contain information and even secrets, but they can only be opened by using
the dark side, just as the Sith are unable to open Jedi holocrons. Sith holocrons are also keys that can open many doors.

- Maul and Ahsoka already know each other, having met in events shown in The Clone Wars Season 7 which are set 16 years before
this meeting. Maul's taunt of "Running away again, Lady Tano?" is a reference to the final events of their last meeting.

- The Sith holocron which is the key to the Temple of Malachor contains the remnants of the mind of a Sith Lord who once commanded
this temple under Darth Tanis. This voice is identified in the credits as "Presence", and is the familiar voice of Nika Futterman who
voiced Asajj Ventress in The Clone Wars series.

- Darth Vader was last seen months earlier in 'Shroud of Darkness', when he arrived to survey the Inquisitors discovery of the Jedi Temple on
Lothal. Ahsoka and Vader finally meet, 16 years after Ahsoka last saw Anakin, as their conversation makes it clear they have not met in
interim. Ahsoka last saw Anakin shortly before her first meeting with Maul, and now first meets Vader just after her reunion with Maul.
Vader tempts her just as Maul did during those events 16 years earlier, offering to become allies rather than adversaries. Vader's
assertion that "the Emperor will show you mercy if you tell me where the remaining Jedi can be found" is probably true. The Emperor
is always eager to corrupt Jedi, and if she would not join him, she could be 'mercifully' imprisoned or simply killed and call it being
merciful. Ahsoka seems to have begun to actually accept that Vader is Anakin, however she regards his personality as so twisted that
she does not recognize her old friend. Vader seems committed to deluding himself with his Sith repression of his former personality,
telling Ahsoka that "Anakin Skywalker was weak. I destroyed him." Ahsoka says that she will avenge his metaphorical death by killing
Vader, and when Vader calls out her plan to take revenge as "not the Jedi way", she once again claims to not be a Jedi. Nevertheless,
Ahsoka is not actually confronting Vader to fulfill a selfish desire for revenge, but because she is doing her duty to the Force by trying
to confront and stop an agent of the dark side, because she is a true Jedi. Despite Ahsoka's skills and strength, all things being even
Vader is probably too powerful for her. Their duel reflected this, as Ahsoka performed well and thus was defeated but escaped with
her life and parts intact. In a moment of weakness, Anakin's caring self resurfaces for a moment, showing that Anakin still cares
about her, just not enough to overcome the hold which the dark side has on him. The final moments of their confrontation are not
shown until the end of the series, in 'A World Between Worlds' (S4E13).


- Vader tells Ahsoka "it was foretold that you would be here." That could be a very odd way of phrasing that he himself has seen a vision from
the Force which revealed this, however this prediction almost certainly came from Sidious. Just as Yoda is to the Jedi, Sidious is especially
adept at vision through the Force, a power which he uses to dominate others, including those like Vader who have greater raw power
than himself. His predictions are largely accurate, which is a huge part of his success and the reason why Vader has a great deal of
personal faith in his powers as an oracle. Sidious simply tells Vader what he has seen, and allows events to play out, turning this into
a trap which could net him some of the last Jedi, Maul, and a Sith superweapon.

- This episode is entitled 'Twilight of the Apprentice', which has multiple meanings in the tradition of other SW titles like 'Return of the Jedi' and
'The Phantom Menace'. In this case, everyone involved could qualify as the apprentice in question, other than Chopper. Certainly Ahsoka,
Ezra, Kanan, Maul, and the Inquisitors, and even Vader. Ahsoka was Anakin's apprentice, and she fades from the scene for two years after
these events. Ezra is taking his first steps into the larger world of the dark side, and these events are a large leap forward for him on that
path. Kanan is blinded during these events, a literal twilight, and in some ways Kanan has always been an apprentice level Jedi playing
the part of a master. Maul is like Ahsoka, rouge apprentices who feel alienated from their teachers but wish to surpass them in their
respective paths. Maul's plan here is a last ditch effort to defeat Vader and Sidious, the failure of which marks the twilight of his illustrious
career, as his last two years will be spent on a petty goal which leads to his death. The Inquisitors are ambitious dark side apprentices who
finally corner all of those they have been hunting, and yet their achievement leads to their deaths. Vader is of course the Jedi apprentice
who turned on his fellow Jedi to become the apprentice of a Sith Lord. He has been claiming the emotions which he briefly touched
during this meeting are part of a personality which no longer exists, making it harder to deny that to himself without staying hopped-up
on the dark side by staying angry. This could be considered the beginning of the twilight of the Sith Lord Vader, as this seed will eventually
grow when Vader is confronted with the existence of his son, eventually leading to Anakin destroying Vader.

- It has now been about two years since Ezra first made a connection to the dark side. Since that time, he is grown considerably as a Jedi,
but he has desires and emotional baggage which make him vulnerable to the dark side. His experience here significantly magnifies
this issue, and set Ezra on a path that seems constantly overshadowed by the dark side. Ezra's experience with Maul exposed him
to Sith teachings, and the Sith holocron he gains here will be his primary teacher and advisor while Kanan is recovering his spirit.

ANALYSIS
The Sith Temple of Malachor is a relic of an age when the Sith openly challenged the Jedi, and were usually found in far greater numbers.
It was buried after a fashion during the cataclysm which it produced during the ancient Battle of Malachor, thousands of years before these
events. Sith temples are in many ways the other side of the same coin as a Jedi temple, as both combine natural elements which kyber crystal
based mechanism to prevent those who cannot use the Force from accessing them and gaining access to their secrets. Jedi temples are
usually built to be harmonious with nature, in many cases minimally obstructing nature. Sith temples, on the other hand, reflect their
philosophical priorities, which favor the artificial over the natural. The Malachor Temple is essentially a machine formed out of huge monoliths
which have been highly milled and ingrained with circuitry and kyber crystal based mechanisms. Sith temples are places of power for them,
and do serve as a place of worship for some, however as was probably the case with some other Sith temples, this one was also a military
base with a powerful armament. This particular temple is a Sith superweapon, the realization of one of the most coveted goals of any Sith
Lord. Much like a Jedi temple, the Sith temple is actually run by the Force, only in this case it is very strong with the dark side of the Force.
The design of the temple is likewise a reflection of this sects philosophy, just as in a Jedi Temple. The mechanisms take two to operate,
often two Force wielders using the dark side, indicating that the importance of only two Sith Lords within their religion predates Darth Bane's
'Rule of Two' by millennia, and must have been a part of Sith philosophy all along. It seems there were always only two Sith Lords, with all
those serving them merely Acolytes and dark agents. Back in those times there were usually more than one set of Sith Lords with their own
Acolytes, sometimes many pairs of Sith Lords. Darth Bane's rule merely restricted this for strategic purposes, and to prevent the rise of
challengers, leading to there being only two Sith Lords in the galaxy, as is seen in the time period of SW films and shows. Sith philosophy is
also reflected in the leap of faith required to get the key to activate the temple, as "only someone with the courage to risk oblivion is worthy
to claim it." Darth Tanis apparently used this weapon much the same way that Sidious will later use the Death Star. Its completion made it
an irresistible target to the Jedi, leading them to amass large forces to assault it. In true Sith form, Tanis used his own warriors to hold off
the Jedi long enough to fire the main weapon, destroying all on the battlefield, Jedi and Sith alike. The loss of his forces was likely considered
worth the blow to the Jedi, and potentially eliminated potential threats from within his own ranks. Due to the devastation, this temple was
essentially buried, and became forgotten when that war ended, and the cursed planet became slowly relegated to legendary tales.

Sith philosophy is materialistic, fatalist, and egoist, and places value only on selfishness, power, knowledge, and emotionalism. Knowledge is
not valued in and of itself, but because it is power, and is a means to greater power, however this is not to say that Sith philosophy isn't
logical, reasoned, and intellectually developed. The Sith believe that the Jedi and those like them place artificial limits on their own actions
which goes against the will of the Force, which intends for them to use their power to the fullest, and to use every aspect of the Force,
including the dark side. The Jedi came to Malachor because they sought knowledge about the Sith, since they believe as Maul does that
"to defeat your enemy, you must know your enemy." The Sith believe that the Jedi's unwillingness to practice their enemy's beliefs is why
they are doomed to fail. Ezra is at a very vulnerable age to be exposed to these teachings, as young Jedi students are usually eager to gain
power beyond their current level, so that they can do more good. Maul teaching Ezra to break his chains of Jedi discipline and allow his
passions to give him strength is dangerous because the temptation to use the quick power-up gained by using emotion with the Force
can easily become too great if the need becomes urgent enough. The dark side is seductive because it presents the Jedi as the unnatural
ones, who refuse to "take risks" and "do what must be done", thus limiting the potential ceiling to their abilities with the Force. Once Maul
has used Ezra to gain access to the temple and gain the holocron key, he considers letting Ezra fall to his death, but decides to keep trying
to teach him instead, seeing his potential and knowing as always that a successful Sith Lord needs an apprentice to serve him. Ezra quickly
responds to Maul's faith in him and belief in what Ezra could become, which is a welcome difference in a teacher's attitude when contrasted
with Kanan's Jedi stoicism, restrictive discipline, and critical mentoring. This is very similar to how Sidious manipulated Anakin to his fall,
and like Anakin, Ezra has many unresolved issues with his attachment to his family and the emotions of his youth. Sith teachings offer
the possibility of continuing to wield the Force, while gaining power quickly, and providing emotional release for the anger and pain
that any person has within them. This is not a healthy way to deal with one's emotions, or with the Force, but it is easy and alluring.

Maul's plan to access the superweapon on Malachor is what he calls his "endgame", a last ditch, long shot opportunity to gain an advantage
which might have been significant enough to defeat Vader and Sidious. Maul does not wish to accept any limitation to his power, as any true
Sith Lord would, however he is intelligent enough to know he stands no chance against Sidious protected by Vader. His only hope would have
been to train a sufficiently powerful apprentice and take them on in favorable conditions, but even that would be unlikely to succeed. Maul
built his own power base using the criminal underworld, in Sith tradition, but the establishment of a Sith Empire under Sidious turned that
project into something of a dead end. If his organization becomes too powerful, it will be destroyed, so it is limited in usefulness in galactic
scale plans. Maul eventually left for Malachor to search for the lost, ancient Sith superweapon, and wound up marooned there. Once again
his efforts were stymied by a lack of an apprentice, as without Ezra's help he would not have ever been able to get the key and activate
the temple. If Maul had not been marooned, he could have left and returned with whoever was his Sith apprentice while he ran Crimson Dawn.
Eighth Brother had apparently been assigned Maul's case and had just succeeded in tracking him to the hidden temple when the Jedi arrived.
Maul's plans aren't just a pragmatic approach to the power structure in the galaxy, it is also personal for him, as he feels exploited and
betrayed by Sidious, who also killed his brother. Despite this, his primary reason for "wanting the Empire to fall" is that there is no way for him
to rule the galaxy as long as it exists, and the power vacuum would be the ideal grounds for forging an empire of his own in the classical
Sith mode. Maul intends to use the battlestation to exact his revenge on all his enemies, including Vader who took his place and stands in
his way, as well as the Jedi, who he has always hated. Nevertheless, the Jedi were always less threatening to Maul than the other Sith, and
in this era the Jedi are certainly last on his list of threats to be eliminated. He is therefore much more interested in enlisting their help in
holding off Vader, although it is likely that he intended to use them the way Darth Tanis used his soldiers, as a distraction to be sacrificed
when the weapon is fired, killing Vader and his Imperial dark side agents, as well as his Jedi allies. Maul is a true Sith and committed to
the dark side, and thus is entirely selfishly motivated, thus he betrays the Jedi at the first moment he feels it is in his best interest.

The Battle of Malachor in 7974 (3 BBY) involved less combatants than the ancient Battle of Malachor in 4011 (3966 BBY), however in ancient
times such battles occurred with some regularity, while this 'modern' age contest was probably the largest battle between Force wielders in
a thousand years. A battle between a Sith Lord and three of his Acolytes against two Jedi and a Jedi Padawan, while simultaneously fighting
a different Sith Lord represents a small-scale return to the ways of the late galactic middle ages and the later premodern period. Sidious and
Vader are responsible for preventing the rise of rivals such as Maul, as inheritors of Darth Bane's 'Rule of Two' based Sith Order, the very rule
which has kept scenes like this arising in the last millennium. The rising instability in the Empire heralds the possibility of a return to these classical
battles in the centuries to come. Sidious makes every effort to prevent any threat to his Order by the Jedi or rogue dark-siders like Maul, and
the Inquisitors proved effective in hunting, harassing, and locating Maul, the Jedi, a lost Jedi Temple, and a lost Sith Temple and superweapon.
The growth in power of the Inquisitors, as well as slowly reorganizing Jedi, seems to indicate the return of the old ways and battles such as
this, however this battle eliminates the Inquisitors in question and wounds this small group of Jedi significantly. Maul's arrogance and Yoda's
interference almost delivered a fully functioning Sith superweapon into the hands of the Emperor, who would have been able to accelerate
his plans, as the first Death Star would not be completed for a few years. The Sith would have seized the weapon when Eighth Brother found
Maul's location, so if Yoda had not sent Ahsoka and company to this world when he did, galactic history would have been quite different.


FURTHER ANALYSIS
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