@@WeezyOld That's fine. They already did that for much more major characters such as Anakin, Darth Vader, Yoda, Sabine, Hera... even Ahsoka herself. RIP to Ray tho of c. He is marvellous in the role.
@@DaxSchafferThe worst part is, he was a Star Wars voice actor before he was a live action actor and would have probably been totally down to reprise his role in animation. I just found out a few days ago that he voiced Gar Saxon in Rebels.
As Baylan started talking to Asoka I instantly thought back to hk-47 and that the best way to defeat a Jedi is to introduce self doubt and anger into them.
Dude I thought the exact same thing. I also thought about what count dooku said in the original cartoon Network clone wars shorts. "A lightsaber dual with a Jedi is determined before the lightsabers clash. You have to defeat them before you engage them."
This guy had a crisis of faith. It was a bit personal for him. But at the same time he didn’t want to kill her, not right off anyway. He wanted to give Ahsoka a chance first.
I haven't seen many people explore the other complex, dense and layered scene that comes right after this duel either. I'm talking about the scene between Baylan ans Sabine which is almost jaw-droppingly good. He carries that exact manipulative Sith attitude to "brainwashing" Sabine, but at the same time - as symbolised with his saber and general personality - he isn't fully turned to the Dark Side, and understands the value of the Jedi way, because his manipulation isn't achieved through fear, it is achieved through empathy. In a way, this makes Baylan smarter than every Jedi and Sith who tries to get what they want: he falls into some clever middle-ground. He feels Sabine's pain, empathetic like a Jedi, but he also knows how to use said pain to his advantage - to relate to her, to be tender, to make her feel wanted whilst also making her feel even more alone, only to offer her a solution which benefits them both. For a Jedi, it would benefit the greater good beyond individuals, but of all, absent from emotion; for a Sith, it would benefit solely them, the individual; for Baylan, it benefits both parties, *both *individuals,* at no cost to them both.
Ahsoka also definitely wanted one free hand to just grab the map when the time was right. Using two blades would’ve been tough to time in a heated fight
These were my thoughts exactly. She was trying very hard to save the map until that moment on the edge of the cliff when she knew they had no other choice.
Yeah and the simple fact that two blades makes sense when fighting multiple enemies, but against one skilled fighter it probably it more of a hindrance
@@Captain_Insano_nomercy I don't think so tbh, Ataru is all about never blocking but dodging or re-directing the attacks instead and getting inside the opponents defense as fast as possible. Keeping up offensive momentum so that the opponent is always busy until that opening is found is important as well. She was clearly outmatched in raw strength every time they locked. Definitely should have been approached differently on her end.
Also add that form V tries to gain ground... superiority over "space" and territory... Often advancing movements where form III usually is willing to give up space in defense but it's meant to hold ground. She could have simply destroyed the magic circle instead of the map but that would have been too easy and eliminated their ability to use it to find Ezra.
The one problem i saw (overlooking the typical star flair) was the time ahsokas blade was held up over her head and baylin was pushing her saber up when at any point he could have pulled his saber down into her head instead of pushing her blade up. Ill have to re watch just to be sure later
@@thebaron2277 Not liking the sequels doesn't mean you can make shit up to be mad at. Hate the writing all you want, at least the fights looked like fights.
Something overlooked in this video was Ahsoka giving into her emotions when Shin returns and Ahsoka believes Sabine is hurt/dead. She proceeds to throw Shin against a rock, which, along with her getting the upper hand and grabbing the map, was when Baylan switched his attitude towards the fight.
I don't think Baylan ramped up his attacks because Ahsoka touched the map, rather I think he got angry and scared when Ahsoka force-slammed Shin into the rock. He just knows how to use his own anger and fear, how to channel it, and thus his strikes remained controlled.
@@whaterverman479 Not really. He was still in defense mode, even after Ahsoka grabbed the map. He didn't need to go on the offense, as the fire of Morgan's Nightsister magick was enough to keep Ashoka from getting it. It wasn't until Ahsoka's choke-slam that he went full offense and totally crushed her defenses. Remember, he did not want to kill her, he didn't want to fight her at all. But after Shin was harmed, put in danger, that all changed. Watch his expression when they cut to him right after Shin hits the rock.
@@DaxSchaffer He didnt! If you watch him in the corridor he kills a couple of guys by deflecting bolts but one guy he takes down with a leg strike and Baylen steps over him, the target it down and no more problem. He's removing a threat not going out of his way to kill. Its shin that goes on a kill frenzy. Theres also no suggestion that they killed everyone, just waht was needed for the mission. Well alright the Captain but he was downright disrespectful!
@@DaxSchaffer There may be some distinction to be made between operational causalities and mass genocide. Yeah, Baylan has definitely killed some people, even some we certainly don't know about... Anakin (Vader) has been responsible either directly or indirectly through order for Billions of deaths. Entire planets wiped out on his orders, cities and towns burned on a whim, entire populations slaughtered. Yeah, killing bad, but there's some scaling to take into account lol
Or he’s using caution because of a potentially long connection with Ahsoka. He very well may have been Plo Koons padawan or a temple guard during the war. Guess we’ll see.
Presumably most of the Jedi survivors had a crisis of faith after Order 66. Baylan admitted that this episode. And of course he obviously knew that a Anakin had betrayed them, and that Ahsoka was his apprentice. I’m a bit divided though as to why he told Ahsoka this stuff though. It was obviously personal for him. But was he trying to break her resolve? Or maybe test her? Or convert her to his cause? Or maybe he feels that he was the good guy here and that she’s irredeemable by association?
@@alexanderjakubowski5673 I don't understand how she'd stand her ground against vader but be startled by a random guy who's weaker than most siths she faced sending two vague sentences her direction
I feel like a pretty major bit you missed in terms of Ahsoka tapping into the darkside was when she brutally slammed Shin against the rock, instantly knocking her out (and easily could have killed her). She was definitely hitting some dark chords in that fight
I'm really starting to love Baylan Skol. I never get the sense he is actually evil. The feeling I get from him is he has a regal sort of temple guard feeling to him, so I think your ambassador theory has a lot of merit. He moves like a chivalrous knight who blurs the line of "good" and "bad." Notice he didn't actually slash Ahsoka, but batted her off the cliff by striking her lightsaber. I think he and Thrawn could have some impressive achievements that could be morally blurry but not necessarily evil.
That would be cool, but I have a feeling they're gonna keep "young ani's" scenes brief just to minimize that whole uncanny valley thing. Personally I think they could have pulled off real Hayden w the right makeup and camera tricks.
@@blackc1479 Yeah. When it comes to CGI and computer alteration it seems they've forgotten the old adage of "Just because you can, doesn't mean you should."
I'm fairly certain she went with form 5 as a stance to try to inflict heavy blows to stun Baylan, giving her a window to grab the map. She wasn't trying to beat him, just stop the coordinate transfer, which she almost did until Shen showed up and Ahsoka assumed the worst, throwing her entirely off-balance for Baylan's resurgence. I agree with the symbolism, but I don't think Ahsoka was beyond rational thought.
I agree, it was part of her plan to attempt to grab the map. Hard to hold a spherical ball map whole holding two sabers. But she was already in trouble having separated from Sabine. "stick together" was the advice she was given and not following it allowed him to weaken her resolve when she thought Sabine might have been killed.
Ray Stevenson's acting was absolutely phenomenal in this duel. At first I felt as if his acting didn't necessarily come in equilibrium with his look as Baylan but then my mind was totally changed in this scene. From start to finish he held such a dominating and imposing demeanour, with great weight and dark prowess - *exactly* how you'd imagine a character of his stature and grandiosity to act. The way be stands up and takes off his cloak and cape so effortlessly and so nonchalantly as the camera pans around him is just simply badass but also, very indicative of his prowess. And this is all just BEFORE both him and Ahsoka duel; then, when they do duel, his acting is also fantastic as he progressively gets more and more agitated and angered by the fight. Those close-up shots of his piecering eyes and hardened face as he clashes with Ahsoka is enthralling. We then see his scene with Sabine which is almost jaw-droppingly good. He carries that exact manipulative Sith attitude to brainwashing Sabine, but at the same time - as symbolised with his saber and general personality - he isn't fully turned to the Dark Side, because his manipulation isn't achieved through fear, it is achieved through empathy. In a way, this makes Baylan smarter than every Jedi and Sith who tries to get what they want: he falls into some clever middle-ground. He feels Sabine's pain, empathetic like a Jedi, but he also knows how to use said pain to his advantage - to relate to her, to be tender, to make her feel wanted whilst also making her feel even more alone, only to offer her a solution which benefits them both. For a Jedi, it would benefit the greater good beyond individuals, but of all, absent from emotion; for a Sith, it would benefit solely them, the individual; for Baylan, it benefits both parties, *both *individuals,* at no cost to them both. There are so many dimensions to Stevenson's presence as Baylan. I absolutely adore this character. Ray Stevenson's last role as an actor seems to be, certainly, his absolutely best effort, which couldn't make me happier. He has given it his all and deserves all the love and praise. May God bless him.
Thanks for the fight scene analysis. I didn't realise that Ahsoka Tano was emotionally out of tune during her fight with Baylan Skoll. Baylan is not just a skilled Force user and lightsaber duelist but a manipulator. Ray Stevenson really nailed the role of Baylan. He reminds me of Christopher Lee's depictions of both Saruman and Count Dooku.
Something I noticed, is how the stances and moves are all very Samurai-like. I feel this is Filoni going right back to the well, with George Lucas' emphasis on Jedi being space samurai and of course the heavy inspiration Lucas took from Kurasowa movies. Asohka holds her sabre, in two hands like a Katana and takes the classic Samurai duelling pose
I would have expected you to explain Palpatines force scream a little better, some might think it was just a bellow in rage, not knowing that it’s actually a sith technique to scramble a jedis connection. Episode really pumped ya up! Lucky for us, that means more content! Thanks Allen!
As a kid, I didn’t understood that sound. In fact, I didn’t even realize it came from Palpatine. It took UA-cam videos and wookiepedia for me to understand what that unearthly sound was.
That’s such a ridiculous, “dumb” explanation, but silly as it is, it’s also fun and makes sense🙂 that’s part of the fun of being a fan and loving Star Wars…the amazing AND the silly😊
When I watched the dual between the two, all I could think of was how much it looked like a ronin and a classic knight throwing blows. Baylan's style is a lot like he was using a longsword, with very few special twirling movements, just to-the-point slices, and thrusts. Also, he has a fair bit of armor on, showing very little skin like a knight would. Ahsoka, however, was very quick and very agile. The way she used her saber was as if it was purpose-made for twirling strikes and acrobatics, it was almost as if it was a wakizashi, made to compliment her height and her style. Also, she is very lightly armored, like some depictions of a ronin. (Keep in mind I don't often read up on swords, so please yell at me if you think my mentions of the longsword and wakizashi were not generally correct)
My fencing Maestro always referred to a bout as "The conversation" because so much is said during the engagement, more than just blade lines, parries and attacks. It's a debate in blades.
The point of the duel between Dooku and Yoda was to demonstrate that two jedi of sufficient power and skill will simply both use the force to counter each other's use of the force. This is why lightsaber dueling between force users is even a thing. The reason she doesn't use the force to grab the map is because Balon would use the force to put it back. The reason she doesn't saber the map is she isn't quite at the point where she needs to give up on taking the map and fall back on destroying it.
Tbh him throwing her off balance was a genius move. He probably knew that he wouldn't be able to take her at 100% knowing how powerful she already was at 15/16. Great writing by Filoni
I remember when I visited my grandmother in our small town, she dropped some serious wisdom on me. She said “Grandson, one day some people will waste their time reading your comment.” Today is that day.
To be fair I think Sabines dinky little blaster would not have been able to destroy the orb. Look at how long it took his saber to be held within its center to just utterly destroy the thing. Her blaster stood no chance.
I'm loving balon skol. Characters like him and dooku, Characters who are not bad for the sake of it are the best. They come with an argument that actually compelled us to think and use our own morals on whom we side with.
What really stood out to me in this episode, was two concepts which Ive been thinking about as general themes that are coming to the fore in the show. The first being attachment / detatchment; Ahsoka is too detatched whilst Sabine is too attached. Ahsoka is too detatched because of Anakins attachments and all that occurred with his fall... whilst Sabine is too attached because of her losses, she wants to save the few things she has left. The second being "living in the present" / "being mindful of the future at the expense of the present". Ahsoka is thinking long term at the cost of the present. She was hyper focused on the map, to the detriment of everything else, she made plans assuming Sabine would accept / agree with them, without ever considering that shes already made promises to Ezra. When she defeated Marrock, she could have helped Sabine (stayed together as Huyang told them to). She went and fought Baylen one handed/with one lightsaber, so that she could grab the map... essentially costing her the fight. Regarding Sabine, I dont actually think she was manipulated into handing over the map. Sure Baylen might have made her think about it and put the on the spot, but its clear that she was already conflicted and IMO she genuinely decided to chose "saving Ezra", over "destroying the map". The Rebels show had the crew always going the extra mile to help one another. Think them rescueing Kanan at the end of season 1. Everyone said no dont go, cant be done etc, whilst they risked it all to save a member of their family. Sabines just continueing that trend / value set.
What I like about Baylan's stance and fighting style is that he resembles the image of a viking with a great axe, he stands tall, and his strikes have power behind them, it's a nice foil to Ahsoka's more fluidic style, Baylan reminds me of a mountain while Ahsoka reminds me of a river.
Really? A Viking? He very clearly resembles more of a medieval knight with his armor, and stance but to each their own, I just can’t see Viking when I look at him
I still think its more of respecting of the duel itself. Yes the map grabbing makes complete sense but shes facing a worthy advisary and he is using one saber and as a respected duelist she too will only use one saber. Its my take on it. Its kind of like dooku. He was a makashi practioner so he only favored one on one saber duels. Despised the use of jar-kai style. He only respected single bladed duelist. Funny thing is all his apprentices used more than one blade except quigon.
A great fight scene tells a story in a short, limited time that still has a plot, characters. and a three act structure all on its own. This is something Dave Filoni is an absolute master at.
Baylan seems like an ancient knight from the medieval era. He fights for his beliefs and shows no arrogance and seems to respect his opponents if they deserve it. In my opinion he is not evil but definitely an antihero. A perfect match for someone as cool and collective as Thrawn.
Skol seems like a faithless paladin. Watching the good guys fall and be replaced by the bad guys to be beaten and replaced by something no better than the two other things before it, it feels like he just seems the same thing repeating again and again with no hope of his romantic ideals coming back if they ever even existed in the first place. Maybe the perfect candidate for the grey path?
Second video about Episode 4, aah nevermind that which i saw earlier today is review video ^^ *Continues watching & wishes good friday tomorrow & weekend* 🤞
Is Shin more unstable as a force user (or I guess I should be saying, more prone to the Dark Side)? I feel like she's never actually looking AT someone but rather THROUGH them. That 1000 yard stare of psychoticness
I haven't seen many people explore the other complex, dense and layered scene that comes right after this duel either. I'm talking about the scene between Baylan ans Sabine which is almost jaw-droppingly good. He carries that exact manipulative Sith attitude to "brainwashing" Sabine, but at the same time - as symbolised with his saber and general personality - he isn't fully turned to the Dark Side, and understands the value of the Jedi way, because his manipulation isn't achieved through fear, it is achieved through empathy. In a way, this makes Baylan smarter than every Jedi and Sith who tries to get what they want: he falls into some clever middle-ground. He feels Sabine's pain, empathetic like a Jedi, but he also knows how to use said pain to his advantage - to relate to her, to be tender, to make her feel wanted whilst also making her feel even more alone, only to offer her a solution which benefits them both. For a Jedi, it would benefit the greater good beyond individuals, but of all, absent from emotion; for a Sith, it would benefit solely them, the individual; for Baylan, it benefits both parties, *both *individuals,* at no cost to them both.
@@nnnmmmable Yes, absolutely and well said mate; excellent addition - I should've written that! Baylan did not take advantage, nor make a sacrifice - he simply compromised.
@@Wackaz Yeah, what I noticed about Baylan is he's pretty neutral. He's reluctant to kill but will do so if he has to. Episode one and episode four reveal that about him. The way he searches Sabine's emotions to find a place of concord shows he's a tactful person.
Best star wars content creator on UA-cam and imo its not close. Not overly critical like Thor or SWT or stuck in his own head space like Lost acolyte or star war fanatic...just a thoughtful guy who talks about Sw with joy
Okay, I have this insane theory and it could actually explain a lot. Basically the biggest questions are how Ahsoka got in the world between worlds, how Anakin is there, and how she’s gonna get out. My theory makes sense and explains all three of these big questions. Firstly, how she got there. We’ve only ever seen living people in the world between worlds, so I doubt that she died. If she did, it would be impossible for her to escape, without undoing the past. I also don’t think she got pulled in, because only a living person can do that, and while Anakin looks real, we know he died and became a force ghost (more about Anakin later). This leads me to believe that she’s alive, but didn’t get pulled in, rather slipped through a pocket of the force, which somehow ascended her into the world between worlds. This would also explain why she doesn’t appear next to an opening to have been pulled through. Secondly, how can she escape. We’ve only seen Ezra access the world between worlds in the temple on Lothal, which collapsed when he escaped. However, there is one other place the temple, or at least a section of it, exists... that’s right, on Thrawns ship the Chimaera. What if Thrawn, with the help of night sister magic, was able to reassemble it in order to make an entree or gateway to the world between worlds? If Ahsoka did leave, and went through this exit, this would explain how she gets to the new galaxy. Thirdly, how or why is Anakin there? Assuming that Thrawn rebuilt the temple, what if Anakin is a vision, created by night sister magic? Note how Anakin is dressed... he’s not in his Jedi robes like we saw him in return of the Jedi... but instead wearing his clone wars outfit. Guys get ready for this... who partnered up with Anakin during the Clone Wars? That’s right, Thrawn. So if this is a vision created by night sister magic, it would make sense for Thrawn to create Anakin the last time he remembered him. Why would Thrawn create a vision of Anakin to appear to greet Ahsoka? What if he had access to the world between worlds, and saw that Ahsoka would be defeated by Baylan, and would appear in the world between worlds through the mysterious influences of the force? As for why he created a vision of Anakin, what if he’s trying to convert Ahsoka to join his side? What if Anakin tells Ahsoka about the greater evils in the galaxy, and how Thrawn is trying to reestablish a powerful empire to counter this? Obviously Ahsoka would be conflicted, as she would believe this is her old master telling her this. And guys, what if it works? What if Anakin shows Ahsoka the future, and how this new enemy will destroy their galaxy and the New Republic if they don’t do anything. We’ve been told this episode is gonna be crazy, so I could definitely see a plot twist like this happening
@@GenerationTech For real tho dude bro... I don't comment much, especially in the last few years.. but this episode has got me wanting to engage. I am so down for theories and lore right now.
Allen, have you ever considered making a history channel? I notice a lot of Star Wars fans are history nerds, and I think the political and economic videos do well. I think the jump from Star Wars to history would be fascinating and not too different.
When I first saw Baylan, I was sure I recognised the actor so I googled him - "Oh, he was in Thor... and he's dead?!" So awful. Touching that the first episode was in Ray's honour. I hope the character does get a fleshed out back story in the future.
The best UA-cam channel that focuses on Star Wars, in my opinion. You offer a profound and engaging perspective on Star Wars. Your breakdown of any content related to Star Wars is embedded with genuinely awesome and thought-provoking philosophical approaches, which, to my knowledge, no other Star Wars channel provides. You go above and beyond simply pointing out Easter eggs and callbacks to other lore in the most recent episode. You do more than just "theorize" and predict what's going to happen next. You, sir, create truly awesome content, and I genuinely appreciate what you do. You make Star Wars feel like more than just a show, a movie, or some series. To me, you make Star Wars real.
If you look at Balin’s stance which we know Dave Faloni loves he seems to use the same style as Qui-gon which is about making putting power into strikes
I'm not sure you're right, Ahsoka does know and sometimes use Form IV, but most of the time she's using Form V, with the reverse grip. The addition of a second lightsaber speeds her up and makes her style more aggressive, but it's still primarily Form V - which notably she learned from Anakin who was an expert in it. Form IV was Qui-gon's form, and its lack of defense is what ended up costing him his life against Maul, and was why Obi-wan also decided to learn and become an expert in III and V instead. IV is great against unskilled opponents that you can just overwhelm, but not so great against an opponent that can counter or redirect those strikes. Additionally I would argue part of the reason she was able to overwhelm Vader in Rebels is because she was so familiar with his fighting style even though she didn't realize it, having trained and fought with him for years. Ahsoka likely chose a single lightsaber because she was unsure of Baylan's own form, but his lack of openings and defensive posture plus deliberate goading, combined with the fact that he obviously knew a lot about her, meant he likely was expecting her to come at him aggressively with two sabers, so she adopts a different form (notably , very much what Anakin would have used) to negate that and to also temper her own aggression. I also felt like the abrupt shift Baylan has toward aggression and quickly defeating her, was not because of the map at all. He's been pushing her, saying she's just like Anakin and can only destroy etc and she's generally fairly collected. But then Shin appears, making Ahsoka feel like Sabine must have been defeated, which is what finally unbalances her and makes her throw Shin against the rocks. Baylan going on the offensive at that point is three-fold, first he realizes she's finally off balance, second is he's upset that she took his apprentice out, and did it in a very dishonorable way (surprise attack, shin was not expecting it and was not armed or threatening at that moment, and the throw was definitely intended to maim or kill) and also that she literally proved his point: her attachment to Sabine resulted in an emotional outburst that caused harm, she really is just like Anakin. And I think it's pretty obvious that Baylan has an enormous amount of resentment toward Anakin and his betrayal of the order, we can hear that in what he says in the duel. But we also know he was reluctant to kill her. I think that reluctance changed at that moment, when she proved in his eyes that she was a danger just like Anakin had been, and his reluctance is gone.
I truly believe Ahsoka is flirting too much with the dark side. Her anger and emotion were so apparent in this duel...but I suppose this happens to us all.
@@jiffypoo5029not in rebels and not in her brief live action appearances before this show either, it shows that shes losing her balance and its being reflected in her combat
@@johannesbowers7467 indeed, She does not even dress like jedi. Ahsoka is equally closer in style and thinking to Windu or Dooku and Anakin than most jedi.
Another thing to remember when considering Ashoka's age is she's only about a quarter into her life span as Troguta live for around 200 years, she isn't slowing down outside injury for some time to come.
Great analysis! I'd also like to throw in that Ahsoka starts off at a disadvantage. This isn't a regular duel since Ahsoka's on a clock, while Baylin just has to wait her out. Ashoka is put in a position where she has to attack and stop Morgan before she deciphers the coordinates - and we all know the Dark Side is faster, more expedient so it becomes a trap. Between that and Baylin stirring her emotions, (with Sabine being possibly hurt of killed pushing her over) Ahsoka was completely unbalanced and lost touch with the Light.
it has been a very long time since we saw the fantasy Paladin injected back into Star Wars. A jedi/Sith is just a fantasy Paladin with a laser sword and Baylan personifies that, almost a dark Obi-Wan
I started to notice something in Rosario Dawson's interpretation of Ahsoka a while back in The Mandalorian and it maintains up to this as well. It's that you often see her gritting her teeth, which is not the look of a perfectly composed Jedi. It bothered me at first but when you go back to look at some of her later animated appearances she absolutely does it there too. She gets angry during fights and seemingly always had a tiny bit of rage form the looks of it, so Baylan and his obvious empathic powers getting under her skin makes sense.
Those could well be qualities she learned from Anakin who also had trouble keeping his cool in duels, of course throughout the clone wars things wouldn't end badly for it so Ahsoka being his apprentice probably picked up having that raw nerve during a duel
These lightsaber duels in episode 4 revealed that both Hayden And Ewan were athletic and very skilled at their fight choreography and wielding their lightsabers. Seriously, actors who are going to play Jedi in Star Wars movies should be tested to see if they have any athletic ability.
Those duels were also over coreographed and more like a dance than an actual sword fight. What we are getting in this show is the sweet spot. Not overly crazy and frenetic, but not too slow and unskilled looking.
@@gandalfthewhite.5245 100% agree. I meant consistency. Ahsoka was trained by Anakin and Anakin and Obi Wan fought a certain way in the prequels which means she should probably fight that way as well. Wouldn’t she?
Am I only one who has noticed the start of duel is similar to some of the original and earlier samurai films. They take time to take measure and pace reading their opponent response. Nearly ritualistic. Remember use to describe the first film as Samurai monks in space. Someone has taken note. There is also others who are real sword masters that have noted the inspiration from actual swords and swords fighting in this section . It also can be seen before in other scenes
What I really love about Baylon is that even though he’s teetering on the dark side, he still a strong sense of honor. He hasn’t completely abandoned his Jedi ways.
I like how Baylan has been portrayed so far. He comes across as someone who really would prefer to avoid violence, and gives people a chance to back down. But cross a line and will do what he feels is necessary with ruthless efficiency.
I very much appreciate Baylan's character. He's a noble demon. A monster that will do monstrous acts to achieve he goals. Dude will slaughter a New Republic ship wholesale without thinking twice about it. But he's got principles, honour. He's a man of his word and I think he genuinely believes that Thrawn will make the galaxy a better place for him. Also love how he fights. He isn't an acrobat making backflips and stuff. He's a brute. Once he gets serious he just starts hitting Ahsoka like a truck. Makes that lightsabre look so incredibly heavy.
I don’t know what happened with your style of videos but since Ahsoka came out they seem more relaxed while still conveying the same detailed information like before. Love the content and have a great day 🫶
Palpy did a force scream and a force scream if you have a weaker will or weaker in the force you're dazed and confused by it. That's why mace and fish dude were the only ones that were able to focus to block his attacks.
I think that Ashoka is just waiting for the right “moment” to pull out her 2nd saber. It’s as if she’s watching to see if SHE can find a weakness in him without him knowing it. BUT, that’s just MY theory!
It's not that deep. She needed to lose this fight so that she could end up in the multiverse so that the fans could see Anakins terrible CGI face and get excited. Then she can fast travel to Sabine and save the day.
I do think it might have somewhat to with the limitations as to why she was using that style. Much harder to do get normal style in LA with an actual person and not someone who’s CGI, with a TV show budget. And also because it’s cinematic and very Japanese Samurai.
He has so much potential for a backstory, is he a jedi knight, diplomat or sentinel. One theory i have heard is he was a temple guard because of the orange blade being a mix of yellow and red and how the crystal changes colour with new lore.
I really liked how Balin reminds me of a SW:ToR Immortal Juggernaught. I don't know it if was intentional, but I really like it. Darkside form 3 users have been missing from any other SW media for too long.
So Baylen wasnt fighting in the same form as Vader? He was using so many power strikes that i thought he was going for the same fighting style as vader (except he is a bit more agile as he isnt half cyborg lol)
this is an awesome video, its great to see the quality of your content constantly rise, well done! i cant wait to see how the Ahsoka Show continues, ep4 was by far the most interesting!
They need to give Balin the animated backstory treatment. He's a perfect candidate for a Tales of the Jedi episode.
Would sadly have to be without Ray Stevenson though. RIP
@@DaxSchaffer We know Ashoka kills him . I think Ezra is probably dead.
@@jesusoftheapeshe means the actor passed away. If they did a orgins story it would need a different actor to play or voice the character.
@@WeezyOld That's fine. They already did that for much more major characters such as Anakin, Darth Vader, Yoda, Sabine, Hera... even Ahsoka herself. RIP to Ray tho of c. He is marvellous in the role.
@@DaxSchafferThe worst part is, he was a Star Wars voice actor before he was a live action actor and would have probably been totally down to reprise his role in animation. I just found out a few days ago that he voiced Gar Saxon in Rebels.
As Baylan started talking to Asoka I instantly thought back to hk-47 and that the best way to defeat a Jedi is to introduce self doubt and anger into them.
Dude I thought the exact same thing. I also thought about what count dooku said in the original cartoon Network clone wars shorts.
"A lightsaber dual with a Jedi is determined before the lightsabers clash. You have to defeat them before you engage them."
HK-47 also said that attack a jedi 1v1 with a blaster is rlly stupid. And centuries later they were STILL doing that
This guy had a crisis of faith. It was a bit personal for him. But at the same time he didn’t want to kill her, not right off anyway. He wanted to give Ahsoka a chance first.
@@richietribe9487 hk really was ahead of his time
I haven't seen many people explore the other complex, dense and layered scene that comes right after this duel either. I'm talking about the scene between Baylan ans Sabine which is almost jaw-droppingly good. He carries that exact manipulative Sith attitude to "brainwashing" Sabine, but at the same time - as symbolised with his saber and general personality - he isn't fully turned to the Dark Side, and understands the value of the Jedi way, because his manipulation isn't achieved through fear, it is achieved through empathy. In a way, this makes Baylan smarter than every Jedi and Sith who tries to get what they want: he falls into some clever middle-ground. He feels Sabine's pain, empathetic like a Jedi, but he also knows how to use said pain to his advantage - to relate to her, to be tender, to make her feel wanted whilst also making her feel even more alone, only to offer her a solution which benefits them both. For a Jedi, it would benefit the greater good beyond individuals, but of all, absent from emotion; for a Sith, it would benefit solely them, the individual; for Baylan, it benefits both parties, *both *individuals,* at no cost to them both.
Ahsoka also definitely wanted one free hand to just grab the map when the time was right. Using two blades would’ve been tough to time in a heated fight
Ooh, I hadn't thought of that angle. Interesting....
These were my thoughts exactly. She was trying very hard to save the map until that moment on the edge of the cliff when she knew they had no other choice.
Yeah and the simple fact that two blades makes sense when fighting multiple enemies, but against one skilled fighter it probably it more of a hindrance
@@Captain_Insano_nomercy I don't think so tbh, Ataru is all about never blocking but dodging or re-directing the attacks instead and getting inside the opponents defense as fast as possible. Keeping up offensive momentum so that the opponent is always busy until that opening is found is important as well. She was clearly outmatched in raw strength every time they locked. Definitely should have been approached differently on her end.
Also add that form V tries to gain ground... superiority over "space" and territory... Often advancing movements where form III usually is willing to give up space in defense but it's meant to hold ground.
She could have simply destroyed the magic circle instead of the map but that would have been too easy and eliminated their ability to use it to find Ezra.
What's nice about the dueling choreography in this is that each strike is aimed at the opponent, not the opponent's blade. Very well done.
Unlike the sequals
@@thebaron2277
Or the original trilogy.
@@thebaron2277unlike the prequels
The one problem i saw (overlooking the typical star flair) was the time ahsokas blade was held up over her head and baylin was pushing her saber up when at any point he could have pulled his saber down into her head instead of pushing her blade up.
Ill have to re watch just to be sure later
@@thebaron2277 Not liking the sequels doesn't mean you can make shit up to be mad at. Hate the writing all you want, at least the fights looked like fights.
Something overlooked in this video was Ahsoka giving into her emotions when Shin returns and Ahsoka believes Sabine is hurt/dead. She proceeds to throw Shin against a rock, which, along with her getting the upper hand and grabbing the map, was when Baylan switched his attitude towards the fight.
I don't think Baylan ramped up his attacks because Ahsoka touched the map, rather I think he got angry and scared when Ahsoka force-slammed Shin into the rock. He just knows how to use his own anger and fear, how to channel it, and thus his strikes remained controlled.
Yeah, He knows how to use his emotions whereas Ahsoka doesn't.
he ramped up his attacked before she slammed shin into the rock
@@whaterverman479 Not really. He was still in defense mode, even after Ahsoka grabbed the map. He didn't need to go on the offense, as the fire of Morgan's Nightsister magick was enough to keep Ashoka from getting it. It wasn't until Ahsoka's choke-slam that he went full offense and totally crushed her defenses. Remember, he did not want to kill her, he didn't want to fight her at all. But after Shin was harmed, put in danger, that all changed. Watch his expression when they cut to him right after Shin hits the rock.
when he said " your legacy like your masters is one of death and destruction" i was thinking ouch, that had to get under her skin.
Slow approach, huge power swings and trash talking. Love his style.
Says the guy who killed a ship of New Republic officers just to save one witch 🤔
@@DaxSchaffer He didnt!
If you watch him in the corridor he kills a couple of guys by deflecting bolts but one guy he takes down with a leg strike and Baylen steps over him, the target it down and no more problem. He's removing a threat not going out of his way to kill.
Its shin that goes on a kill frenzy.
Theres also no suggestion that they killed everyone, just waht was needed for the mission.
Well alright the Captain but he was downright disrespectful!
@@DaxSchaffer There may be some distinction to be made between operational causalities and mass genocide. Yeah, Baylan has definitely killed some people, even some we certainly don't know about... Anakin (Vader) has been responsible either directly or indirectly through order for Billions of deaths. Entire planets wiped out on his orders, cities and towns burned on a whim, entire populations slaughtered. Yeah, killing bad, but there's some scaling to take into account lol
Also notice the blast marks on the outside of the hull later when ahsoka arrives...the ship was attacked by someone else besides those two externally
Ahsoka vs Baylan Skoll: Duel between Space Samurai and Space Knight in a nutshell.
Thats exactly what I said.
Ronin vs Crusader
That's awesome 👌
Baylan really does put the “knight” in “Jedi Knight”
It's Anakin's favorite stance.
With her training Sabine she seems to be adapting a little bit of her Master's habits.
He's a great character and really well acted, shame he's no longer with us
Agreed.
The beginning of the duel, both changing their guard, countering and sizing each other up was superb and pretty fresh for Star Wars.
The 'mind' tactic approach that Baylan does to Ahsoka is somebody in fear. You do see it too when Baylan answers Morgan's question in the episode.
Or he’s using caution because of a potentially long connection with Ahsoka. He very well may have been Plo Koons padawan or a temple guard during the war. Guess we’ll see.
Presumably most of the Jedi survivors had a crisis of faith after Order 66. Baylan admitted that this episode. And of course he obviously knew that a Anakin had betrayed them, and that Ahsoka was his apprentice.
I’m a bit divided though as to why he told Ahsoka this stuff though. It was obviously personal for him. But was he trying to break her resolve? Or maybe test her? Or convert her to his cause? Or maybe he feels that he was the good guy here and that she’s irredeemable by association?
@eds1942 Sowing doubt and fear in order to weaken her no doubt
@@alexanderjakubowski5673 I don't understand how she'd stand her ground against vader but be startled by a random guy who's weaker than most siths she faced sending two vague sentences her direction
@@ant-onemusic444 Pointed sentences. He told her that she left Anakin behind. That is a sore spot
I feel like a pretty major bit you missed in terms of Ahsoka tapping into the darkside was when she brutally slammed Shin against the rock, instantly knocking her out (and easily could have killed her). She was definitely hitting some dark chords in that fight
She let Shin know today ain’t the day for that bullsh*t
I'm really starting to love Baylan Skol. I never get the sense he is actually evil. The feeling I get from him is he has a regal sort of temple guard feeling to him, so I think your ambassador theory has a lot of merit. He moves like a chivalrous knight who blurs the line of "good" and "bad." Notice he didn't actually slash Ahsoka, but batted her off the cliff by striking her lightsaber. I think he and Thrawn could have some impressive achievements that could be morally blurry but not necessarily evil.
It would be awesome to see a Clone Wars flashback of Anakin meeting with Baylan Skoll when they were Jedi in Ahsoka tv show.
That would be cool, but I have a feeling they're gonna keep "young ani's" scenes brief just to minimize that whole uncanny valley thing.
Personally I think they could have pulled off real Hayden w the right makeup and camera tricks.
@@blackc1479 Yeah. When it comes to CGI and computer alteration it seems they've forgotten the old adage of "Just because you can, doesn't mean you should."
I'm fairly certain she went with form 5 as a stance to try to inflict heavy blows to stun Baylan, giving her a window to grab the map. She wasn't trying to beat him, just stop the coordinate transfer, which she almost did until Shen showed up and Ahsoka assumed the worst, throwing her entirely off-balance for Baylan's resurgence. I agree with the symbolism, but I don't think Ahsoka was beyond rational thought.
I agree, it was part of her plan to attempt to grab the map. Hard to hold a spherical ball map whole holding two sabers. But she was already in trouble having separated from Sabine. "stick together" was the advice she was given and not following it allowed him to weaken her resolve when she thought Sabine might have been killed.
Ray Stevenson's acting was absolutely phenomenal in this duel. At first I felt as if his acting didn't necessarily come in equilibrium with his look as Baylan but then my mind was totally changed in this scene. From start to finish he held such a dominating and imposing demeanour, with great weight and dark prowess - *exactly* how you'd imagine a character of his stature and grandiosity to act. The way be stands up and takes off his cloak and cape so effortlessly and so nonchalantly as the camera pans around him is just simply badass but also, very indicative of his prowess.
And this is all just BEFORE both him and Ahsoka duel; then, when they do duel, his acting is also fantastic as he progressively gets more and more agitated and angered by the fight. Those close-up shots of his piecering eyes and hardened face as he clashes with Ahsoka is enthralling.
We then see his scene with Sabine which is almost jaw-droppingly good. He carries that exact manipulative Sith attitude to brainwashing Sabine, but at the same time - as symbolised with his saber and general personality - he isn't fully turned to the Dark Side, because his manipulation isn't achieved through fear, it is achieved through empathy. In a way, this makes Baylan smarter than every Jedi and Sith who tries to get what they want: he falls into some clever middle-ground. He feels Sabine's pain, empathetic like a Jedi, but he also knows how to use said pain to his advantage - to relate to her, to be tender, to make her feel wanted whilst also making her feel even more alone, only to offer her a solution which benefits them both. For a Jedi, it would benefit the greater good beyond individuals, but of all, absent from emotion; for a Sith, it would benefit solely them, the individual; for Baylan, it benefits both parties, *both *individuals,* at no cost to them both.
There are so many dimensions to Stevenson's presence as Baylan. I absolutely adore this character. Ray Stevenson's last role as an actor seems to be, certainly, his absolutely best effort, which couldn't make me happier. He has given it his all and deserves all the love and praise. May God bless him.
Thanks for the fight scene analysis. I didn't realise that Ahsoka Tano was emotionally out of tune during her fight with Baylan Skoll. Baylan is not just a skilled Force user and lightsaber duelist but a manipulator. Ray Stevenson really nailed the role of Baylan. He reminds me of Christopher Lee's depictions of both Saruman and Count Dooku.
Yeah very good call
Something I noticed, is how the stances and moves are all very Samurai-like. I feel this is Filoni going right back to the well, with George Lucas' emphasis on Jedi being space samurai and of course the heavy inspiration Lucas took from Kurasowa movies. Asohka holds her sabre, in two hands like a Katana and takes the classic Samurai duelling pose
Baylan has definitely become one of my favorite Star wars characters ever. He's like a modern Count Dooku.
I would have expected you to explain Palpatines force scream a little better, some might think it was just a bellow in rage, not knowing that it’s actually a sith technique to scramble a jedis connection. Episode really pumped ya up! Lucky for us, that means more content! Thanks Allen!
As a kid, I didn’t understood that sound. In fact, I didn’t even realize it came from Palpatine. It took UA-cam videos and wookiepedia for me to understand what that unearthly sound was.
That’s such a ridiculous, “dumb” explanation, but silly as it is, it’s also fun and makes sense🙂 that’s part of the fun of being a fan and loving Star Wars…the amazing AND the silly😊
This technique was used in the new novel "Rise Of The Red Blade". It's a pretty good book.
Nappa: "Hey, Vegeta! What does the Scouter say about this duel's Awesomeness Level?"
Vegeta: *"IT'S OVER 9000!!!"*
When I watched the dual between the two, all I could think of was how much it looked like a ronin and a classic knight throwing blows.
Baylan's style is a lot like he was using a longsword, with very few special twirling movements, just to-the-point slices, and thrusts. Also, he has a fair bit of armor on, showing very little skin like a knight would.
Ahsoka, however, was very quick and very agile. The way she used her saber was as if it was purpose-made for twirling strikes and acrobatics, it was almost as if it was a wakizashi, made to compliment her height and her style. Also, she is very lightly armored, like some depictions of a ronin.
(Keep in mind I don't often read up on swords, so please yell at me if you think my mentions of the longsword and wakizashi were not generally correct)
Failoni's lightsaber fights gave us the obi wan vs maul fight which was the most amazing lightsaber fight of all time
My fencing Maestro always referred to a bout as "The conversation" because so much is said during the engagement, more than just blade lines, parries and attacks. It's a debate in blades.
Very cool
This man's videos have continued to be the best thing coming out of Star Wars for years. You're a treasure Alan.
The point of the duel between Dooku and Yoda was to demonstrate that two jedi of sufficient power and skill will simply both use the force to counter each other's use of the force. This is why lightsaber dueling between force users is even a thing. The reason she doesn't use the force to grab the map is because Balon would use the force to put it back. The reason she doesn't saber the map is she isn't quite at the point where she needs to give up on taking the map and fall back on destroying it.
"A 'Heated' Conversation" 🤣🤣🤣
That was a good one 🙏
There aren't many power/heavy style fighters & Baylan's fighting style is a breath of fresh air.
Reason she only used one saber was probably bc her plan was always to go for the map, requiring a free hand.
Tbh him throwing her off balance was a genius move. He probably knew that he wouldn't be able to take her at 100% knowing how powerful she already was at 15/16. Great writing by Filoni
I remember when I visited my grandmother in our small town, she dropped some serious wisdom on me. She said “Grandson, one day some people will waste their time reading your comment.” Today is that day.
Damn, she was right….
Damn, she was right...
Damn, she was right…
Damn, she was right...
Damn, she was right....
To be fair I think Sabines dinky little blaster would not have been able to destroy the orb. Look at how long it took his saber to be held within its center to just utterly destroy the thing. Her blaster stood no chance.
I'm loving balon skol. Characters like him and dooku, Characters who are not bad for the sake of it are the best. They come with an argument that actually compelled us to think and use our own morals on whom we side with.
Incredible. "Like a chess match" is a good way to put it.
What really stood out to me in this episode, was two concepts which Ive been thinking about as general themes that are coming to the fore in the show.
The first being attachment / detatchment; Ahsoka is too detatched whilst Sabine is too attached. Ahsoka is too detatched because of Anakins attachments and all that occurred with his fall... whilst Sabine is too attached because of her losses, she wants to save the few things she has left.
The second being "living in the present" / "being mindful of the future at the expense of the present".
Ahsoka is thinking long term at the cost of the present. She was hyper focused on the map, to the detriment of everything else, she made plans assuming Sabine would accept / agree with them, without ever considering that shes already made promises to Ezra.
When she defeated Marrock, she could have helped Sabine (stayed together as Huyang told them to). She went and fought Baylen one handed/with one lightsaber, so that she could grab the map... essentially costing her the fight.
Regarding Sabine, I dont actually think she was manipulated into handing over the map. Sure Baylen might have made her think about it and put the on the spot, but its clear that she was already conflicted and IMO she genuinely decided to chose "saving Ezra", over "destroying the map".
The Rebels show had the crew always going the extra mile to help one another. Think them rescueing Kanan at the end of season 1. Everyone said no dont go, cant be done etc, whilst they risked it all to save a member of their family. Sabines just continueing that trend / value set.
What I like about Baylan's stance and fighting style is that he resembles the image of a viking with a great axe, he stands tall, and his strikes have power behind them, it's a nice foil to Ahsoka's more fluidic style, Baylan reminds me of a mountain while Ahsoka reminds me of a river.
The cinematography does an amazing job of reinforcing this idea, emphasizing his size to make him look immensely powerful.
Really? A Viking? He very clearly resembles more of a medieval knight with his armor, and stance but to each their own, I just can’t see Viking when I look at him
I think she used one blade because Baylan seems to know her inner doubts therefore she probably wants to do something he won’t except.
This
And to be able to grab the map.
I still think its more of respecting of the duel itself. Yes the map grabbing makes complete sense but shes facing a worthy advisary and he is using one saber and as a respected duelist she too will only use one saber. Its my take on it. Its kind of like dooku. He was a makashi practioner so he only favored one on one saber duels. Despised the use of jar-kai style. He only respected single bladed duelist. Funny thing is all his apprentices used more than one blade except quigon.
she is still padawan after all and she acts like that 😀
A great fight scene tells a story in a short, limited time that still has a plot, characters. and a three act structure all on its own. This is something Dave Filoni is an absolute master at.
Baylan seems like an ancient knight from the medieval era. He fights for his beliefs and shows no arrogance and seems to respect his opponents if they deserve it. In my opinion he is not evil but definitely an antihero. A perfect match for someone as cool and collective as Thrawn.
Skol seems like a faithless paladin. Watching the good guys fall and be replaced by the bad guys to be beaten and replaced by something no better than the two other things before it, it feels like he just seems the same thing repeating again and again with no hope of his romantic ideals coming back if they ever even existed in the first place. Maybe the perfect candidate for the grey path?
Second video about Episode 4, aah nevermind that which i saw earlier today is review video ^^ *Continues watching & wishes good friday tomorrow & weekend* 🤞
It also settled for good the debate of longsword versus katana.
I love the way they directed that duel. There was so much to read in the way they fought that the director didn't need to spell out for the audience.
I really hope that director gets to come back and direct more episodes in the future.
Is Shin more unstable as a force user (or I guess I should be saying, more prone to the Dark Side)? I feel like she's never actually looking AT someone but rather THROUGH them. That 1000 yard stare of psychoticness
She’s definitely one of the angriest Force wielders we’ve seen. I wonder what set her off that bad.
Bro I love how you broke this down! The conversation perspective is perfect! That’s so on point for every martial art!
I haven't seen many people explore the other complex, dense and layered scene that comes right after this duel either. I'm talking about the scene between Baylan ans Sabine which is almost jaw-droppingly good. He carries that exact manipulative Sith attitude to "brainwashing" Sabine, but at the same time - as symbolised with his saber and general personality - he isn't fully turned to the Dark Side, and understands the value of the Jedi way, because his manipulation isn't achieved through fear, it is achieved through empathy. In a way, this makes Baylan smarter than every Jedi and Sith who tries to get what they want: he falls into some clever middle-ground. He feels Sabine's pain, empathetic like a Jedi, but he also knows how to use said pain to his advantage - to relate to her, to be tender, to make her feel wanted whilst also making her feel even more alone, only to offer her a solution which benefits them both. For a Jedi, it would benefit the greater good beyond individuals, but of all, absent from emotion; for a Sith, it would benefit solely them, the individual; for Baylan, it benefits both parties, *both *individuals,* at no cost to them both.
The thing is, he wasn't manipulating Sabine at all. He was actually being truthful and told the truth since he stayed true to his word.
@@nnnmmmable Yes, absolutely and well said mate; excellent addition - I should've written that! Baylan did not take advantage, nor make a sacrifice - he simply compromised.
@@Wackaz Yeah, what I noticed about Baylan is he's pretty neutral. He's reluctant to kill but will do so if he has to. Episode one and episode four reveal that about him. The way he searches Sabine's emotions to find a place of concord shows he's a tactful person.
Best star wars content creator on UA-cam and imo its not close. Not overly critical like Thor or SWT or stuck in his own head space like Lost acolyte or star war fanatic...just a thoughtful guy who talks about Sw with joy
I wished Ahsoka could have taught Rey and Keylo how to use a light saber.
God I hope we never see either of them again to be honest.
Okay, I have this insane theory and it could actually explain a lot.
Basically the biggest questions are how Ahsoka got in the world between worlds, how Anakin is there, and how she’s gonna get out. My theory makes sense and explains all three of these big questions.
Firstly, how she got there. We’ve only ever seen living people in the world between worlds, so I doubt that she died. If she did, it would be impossible for her to escape, without undoing the past. I also don’t think she got pulled in, because only a living person can do that, and while Anakin looks real, we know he died and became a force ghost (more about Anakin later). This leads me to believe that she’s alive, but didn’t get pulled in, rather slipped through a pocket of the force, which somehow ascended her into the world between worlds. This would also explain why she doesn’t appear next to an opening to have been pulled through.
Secondly, how can she escape. We’ve only seen Ezra access the world between worlds in the temple on Lothal, which collapsed when he escaped. However, there is one other place the temple, or at least a section of it, exists... that’s right, on Thrawns ship the Chimaera. What if Thrawn, with the help of night sister magic, was able to reassemble it in order to make an entree or gateway to the world between worlds? If Ahsoka did leave, and went through this exit, this would explain how she gets to the new galaxy.
Thirdly, how or why is Anakin there? Assuming that Thrawn rebuilt the temple, what if Anakin is a vision, created by night sister magic? Note how Anakin is dressed... he’s not in his Jedi robes like we saw him in return of the Jedi... but instead wearing his clone wars outfit. Guys get ready for this... who partnered up with Anakin during the Clone Wars? That’s right, Thrawn. So if this is a vision created by night sister magic, it would make sense for Thrawn to create Anakin the last time he remembered him. Why would Thrawn create a vision of Anakin to appear to greet Ahsoka? What if he had access to the world between worlds, and saw that Ahsoka would be defeated by Baylan, and would appear in the world between worlds through the mysterious influences of the force? As for why he created a vision of Anakin, what if he’s trying to convert Ahsoka to join his side? What if Anakin tells Ahsoka about the greater evils in the galaxy, and how Thrawn is trying to reestablish a powerful empire to counter this? Obviously Ahsoka would be conflicted, as she would believe this is her old master telling her this. And guys, what if it works? What if Anakin shows Ahsoka the future, and how this new enemy will destroy their galaxy and the New Republic if they don’t do anything.
We’ve been told this episode is gonna be crazy, so I could definitely see a plot twist like this happening
Bro... that crack head analogy made me stop and think.
lol nooooo
@@GenerationTech For real tho dude bro... I don't comment much, especially in the last few years.. but this episode has got me wanting to engage. I am so down for theories and lore right now.
Allen, have you ever considered making a history channel? I notice a lot of Star Wars fans are history nerds, and I think the political and economic videos do well. I think the jump from Star Wars to history would be fascinating and not too different.
When I first saw Baylan, I was sure I recognised the actor so I googled him - "Oh, he was in Thor... and he's dead?!" So awful.
Touching that the first episode was in Ray's honour. I hope the character does get a fleshed out back story in the future.
The best UA-cam channel that focuses on Star Wars, in my opinion. You offer a profound and engaging perspective on Star Wars. Your breakdown of any content related to Star Wars is embedded with genuinely awesome and thought-provoking philosophical approaches, which, to my knowledge, no other Star Wars channel provides. You go above and beyond simply pointing out Easter eggs and callbacks to other lore in the most recent episode. You do more than just "theorize" and predict what's going to happen next. You, sir, create truly awesome content, and I genuinely appreciate what you do. You make Star Wars feel like more than just a show, a movie, or some series. To me, you make Star Wars real.
I love bailan because he just seems interesting. He isn't stupidly cartoonishly evil. He is reasonable, and can be reasoned with.
Allen the analysis of force and blade emotions in the Ashoka, Baylan duel is right on. Excellent writing that gave the seen much more meaning.
Your insights are constantly as comprehensive as they are profound. Thanks for your videos bro
I love Baylan, he has an imposing figure without needing stuff like masks or extreme acrobatics
Excellent analysis!!! Thank you!
If you look at Balin’s stance which we know Dave Faloni loves he seems to use the same style as Qui-gon which is about making putting power into strikes
I'm not sure you're right, Ahsoka does know and sometimes use Form IV, but most of the time she's using Form V, with the reverse grip. The addition of a second lightsaber speeds her up and makes her style more aggressive, but it's still primarily Form V - which notably she learned from Anakin who was an expert in it. Form IV was Qui-gon's form, and its lack of defense is what ended up costing him his life against Maul, and was why Obi-wan also decided to learn and become an expert in III and V instead. IV is great against unskilled opponents that you can just overwhelm, but not so great against an opponent that can counter or redirect those strikes. Additionally I would argue part of the reason she was able to overwhelm Vader in Rebels is because she was so familiar with his fighting style even though she didn't realize it, having trained and fought with him for years.
Ahsoka likely chose a single lightsaber because she was unsure of Baylan's own form, but his lack of openings and defensive posture plus deliberate goading, combined with the fact that he obviously knew a lot about her, meant he likely was expecting her to come at him aggressively with two sabers, so she adopts a different form (notably , very much what Anakin would have used) to negate that and to also temper her own aggression.
I also felt like the abrupt shift Baylan has toward aggression and quickly defeating her, was not because of the map at all. He's been pushing her, saying she's just like Anakin and can only destroy etc and she's generally fairly collected. But then Shin appears, making Ahsoka feel like Sabine must have been defeated, which is what finally unbalances her and makes her throw Shin against the rocks. Baylan going on the offensive at that point is three-fold, first he realizes she's finally off balance, second is he's upset that she took his apprentice out, and did it in a very dishonorable way (surprise attack, shin was not expecting it and was not armed or threatening at that moment, and the throw was definitely intended to maim or kill) and also that she literally proved his point: her attachment to Sabine resulted in an emotional outburst that caused harm, she really is just like Anakin. And I think it's pretty obvious that Baylan has an enormous amount of resentment toward Anakin and his betrayal of the order, we can hear that in what he says in the duel. But we also know he was reluctant to kill her. I think that reluctance changed at that moment, when she proved in his eyes that she was a danger just like Anakin had been, and his reluctance is gone.
The "EMOTIONAL DAMAGE" meme just kept playing at the back of my mind this whole ep
I truly believe Ahsoka is flirting too much with the dark side. Her anger and emotion were so apparent in this duel...but I suppose this happens to us all.
Go back and watch some Ahsoka fights in Clone Wars and Rebels... Ahsoka pretty much always fights angry.
@@jiffypoo5029not in rebels and not in her brief live action appearances before this show either, it shows that shes losing her balance and its being reflected in her combat
Like she keeps saying: "I am no Jedi".
@@johannesbowers7467 indeed, She does not even dress like jedi. Ahsoka is equally closer in style and thinking to Windu or Dooku and Anakin than most jedi.
Another thing to remember when considering Ashoka's age is she's only about a quarter into her life span as Troguta live for around 200 years, she isn't slowing down outside injury for some time to come.
Great analysis! I'd also like to throw in that Ahsoka starts off at a disadvantage. This isn't a regular duel since Ahsoka's on a clock, while Baylin just has to wait her out. Ashoka is put in a position where she has to attack and stop Morgan before she deciphers the coordinates - and we all know the Dark Side is faster, more expedient so it becomes a trap. Between that and Baylin stirring her emotions, (with Sabine being possibly hurt of killed pushing her over) Ahsoka was completely unbalanced and lost touch with the Light.
This helps me appreciate this duel a lot more thanks for making these videos!
it has been a very long time since we saw the fantasy Paladin injected back into Star Wars. A jedi/Sith is just a fantasy Paladin with a laser sword and Baylan personifies that, almost a dark Obi-Wan
I started to notice something in Rosario Dawson's interpretation of Ahsoka a while back in The Mandalorian and it maintains up to this as well. It's that you often see her gritting her teeth, which is not the look of a perfectly composed Jedi. It bothered me at first but when you go back to look at some of her later animated appearances she absolutely does it there too. She gets angry during fights and seemingly always had a tiny bit of rage form the looks of it, so Baylan and his obvious empathic powers getting under her skin makes sense.
Those could well be qualities she learned from Anakin who also had trouble keeping his cool in duels, of course throughout the clone wars things wouldn't end badly for it so Ahsoka being his apprentice probably picked up having that raw nerve during a duel
These lightsaber duels in episode 4 revealed that both Hayden And Ewan were athletic and very skilled at their fight choreography and wielding their lightsabers. Seriously, actors who are going to play Jedi in Star Wars movies should be tested to see if they have any athletic ability.
Those duels were also over coreographed and more like a dance than an actual sword fight. What we are getting in this show is the sweet spot. Not overly crazy and frenetic, but not too slow and unskilled looking.
What we get in the show is literal sword fighting that’s based on actual fighting, whereas the prequels were a choreographed dance.
@@gandalfthewhite.5245 100% agree. I meant consistency. Ahsoka was trained by Anakin and Anakin and Obi Wan fought a certain way in the prequels which means she should probably fight that way as well. Wouldn’t she?
This episode has cemented Baylan as one of my favourite non-movie villains. Right next to the likes of Thrawn and Marchion Ro.
Am I only one who has noticed the start of duel is similar to some of the original and earlier samurai films. They take time to take measure and pace reading their opponent response. Nearly ritualistic. Remember use to describe the first film as Samurai monks in space. Someone has taken note. There is also others who are real sword masters that have noted the inspiration from actual swords and swords fighting in this section . It also can be seen before in other scenes
What I really love about Baylon is that even though he’s teetering on the dark side, he still a strong sense of honor. He hasn’t completely abandoned his Jedi ways.
This is why your channel is underrated. Your the best Allen.
two videos in one day this is the highlight of my week thanks.
I like how Baylan has been portrayed so far. He comes across as someone who really would prefer to avoid violence, and gives people a chance to back down. But cross a line and will do what he feels is necessary with ruthless efficiency.
Ahsoka Tanos fighting style is hard to replicate in real life 1 to 1, but I want to see Disney try!
Just like in the Prequels and Clone Wars!
Noticing the sun setting in the background as you recorded this video. Pretty neat
I very much appreciate Baylan's character. He's a noble demon. A monster that will do monstrous acts to achieve he goals. Dude will slaughter a New Republic ship wholesale without thinking twice about it. But he's got principles, honour. He's a man of his word and I think he genuinely believes that Thrawn will make the galaxy a better place for him.
Also love how he fights. He isn't an acrobat making backflips and stuff. He's a brute. Once he gets serious he just starts hitting Ahsoka like a truck. Makes that lightsabre look so incredibly heavy.
Picturing lightsaber duels as a conversation actually makes sense. Now I understand what Anakin meant by saying he had aggressive negotiations.
I don’t know what happened with your style of videos but since Ahsoka came out they seem more relaxed while still conveying the same detailed information like before. Love the content and have a great day 🫶
17:02 "like an onion" there did it for you bud. 😂
I like how duels are more the style of twin suns but also still have the flashy feel of duels from the prequels.
"This is a conversation. A heated conversation." Ooooh yeeeaaaaaahh....
1:37 theres also settings on the saber to make the blade heavier if im not mistaken
10:37 so it would make a lot of sense that Ahsoka and Baylin are just testing each other, see what training they've been used to in the Jedi temple.
Palpy did a force scream and a force scream if you have a weaker will or weaker in the force you're dazed and confused by it. That's why mace and fish dude were the only ones that were able to focus to block his attacks.
he went beast mode once Ashoka threw his padawan, it was lights out for her!
Really enjoying these video. Really fills the time between Ahsoka episode 👌👏👍
I think that Ashoka is just waiting for the right “moment” to pull out her 2nd saber. It’s as if she’s watching to see if SHE can find a weakness in him without him knowing it. BUT, that’s just MY theory!
It's not that deep. She needed to lose this fight so that she could end up in the multiverse so that the fans could see Anakins terrible CGI face and get excited. Then she can fast travel to Sabine and save the day.
@@Biscuits645 maybe, but maybe not. Time WILL tell.
I love your humor dude. 😂😂
I do think it might have somewhat to with the limitations as to why she was using that style. Much harder to do get normal style in LA with an actual person and not someone who’s CGI, with a TV show budget. And also because it’s cinematic and very Japanese Samurai.
Great breakdown. It makes sense and I love how u put the pieces from other Star wars stories together
Your not the only one. There are many, many, many channels about star wars and star wars tech.
I really love your style of storytelling...its revived my interest in the SWU.
He has so much potential for a backstory, is he a jedi knight, diplomat or sentinel. One theory i have heard is he was a temple guard because of the orange blade being a mix of yellow and red and how the crystal changes colour with new lore.
Togrutas have a long lifespan pretty sure she is still agile as she used to be. Togrutas with the force can live up to 200
I really liked how Balin reminds me of a SW:ToR Immortal Juggernaught. I don't know it if was intentional, but I really like it. Darkside form 3 users have been missing from any other SW media for too long.
So Baylen wasnt fighting in the same form as Vader? He was using so many power strikes that i thought he was going for the same fighting style as vader (except he is a bit more agile as he isnt half cyborg lol)
Vader only uses one hand though.
It's like going to therapy, and the therapist breaks down.
this is an awesome video, its great to see the quality of your content constantly rise, well done! i cant wait to see how the Ahsoka Show continues, ep4 was by far the most interesting!