Darth Maul and Obi-Wan’s long-standing rivalry started in Episode 1 and lasted all the way until Star Wars: Rebels.
Throughout his lifetime, Maul seemed to hate Kenobi!
Here’s a full breakdown of this hatred that Maul had.
Why does Maul hate Kenobi?
Here are 3 main reasons why Maul hates Kenobi:
- Duel on Naboo
- Abandonment by the Sith
- Obi-Wan’s failed attempt at empathy
We’ll look at these reasons in detail, but first, let’s see how Obi-Wan Kenobi and Darth Maul met at Naboo.
The Trade Federation was invading Naboo, which was actually masterminded by the Sith Lord, Darth Sidious.
The 2 Jedi Knights, Obi-Wan and his master, Qui-Gon Jinn, helped to defend the planet, and Sidious sent his apprentice, Darth Maul to confront the Jedi and Queen Amidala of Naboo.
Duel on Naboo
After having killed Qui-Gon, Maul seemed to have the upper hand over his Padawan, Obi-Wan.
When Obi-Wan was left hanging on a latch, it seemed like his fate would be the same as his Master.
While Maul was impatiently slashing at Obi-Wan, he used the Force to calm himself as he eyed Qui-Gon’s lightsaber. He outsmarted Darth Maul with the help of the Force by leaping out of the reactor shaft, summoning the lightsaber, and taking a mid-air turn before landing behind the Sith Lord.
Obi-Wan executed a fast slash to bisect Maul, who fell backwards in two halves down the shaft. Darth Maul had his eyes wide open as he descended with pain and defeat. Obi-Wan had destroyed Maul’s chance of becoming a Sith Lord and would soon become a Jedi Master himself.
This was just the first encounter, and Maul already had a deep hatred towards Obi-Wan.
You can find out why a lightsaber turns off when dropped here.
Abandonment by the Sith
The Sith suffered a significant loss with the assumed death of Darth Maul, but he still managed to survived his defeat from Obi-Wan. As he continued to fall down the reactor shaft, Maul landed in the water, where he was transferred to a container. At last, he started losing consciousness while submerged in water but continued to curse Obi-Wan.
Maul lived in exile on Lotho Minor for ten years, where he went mad and amnesiac. Maul never forgot that Obi-Wan cut his legs and ruined his chance to become a Sith.
He hesitated in order to revel in his triumph … Maul did not have enough time to parry the blow that must have been the last, great surprise of his life. My worthy apprentice failed me in the end
Lord Sidious
Although aware of his presence, the Sith did not rescue him from exile. Lord Sidious proceeded to find a second apprentice to teach, Count Dooku. Mother Talzin restored his mind, he discovered Count Dooku had taken his place. This further fueled his hatred towards Obi-Wan as he was to blame for Maul’s fate.
If Maul was not cut in half by Kenobi, he could have gone on to be the next Sith lord! After getting his new legs, Maul was bent on getting revenge.
Obi-Wan’s failed attempt at empathy
After his coup of Mandalore, Maul learned about the relationship between Duchess Satine and Obi-Wan through Almec, the Prime Minister of Mandalore, and decided to use the Duchess as bait to draw his archnemesis.
As predicted, Obi-Wan did come to rescue Satine alone and escaped in their ailing ship Twilight. However, the Mandalorian Commandos used their rockets to bring it down and capture Obi-Wan.
In his throne room, Maul demanded that Obi-Wan give in to the dark side to save the princess under a force grip. Obi-Wan refused and said that only the weak would embrace the dark side.
Your noble flaw is a weakness shared by you and your duchess, you should have chosen the dark side Master Jedi.
Maul
General Kenobi attempted to empathise with Maul by telling him about the visit to his village and his decision regarding joining the dark side. He also mentioned the Nightsisters, who forced Maul into becoming a Sith Lord.
This move infuriated him, as Obi-Wan tried to tell Maul that he understood the pain and knew how he felt.
However, Maul always believed that Obi-Wan could never understand the suffering and disappointment. Both of them wanted to become a Master, but Obi-Wan took away Maul’s chance by defeating him in Naboo. Filled with anger, Maul finally got a chance to take his revenge and make Obi-Wan suffer.
Obi-Wan was also known to be skilled at negotiations, and you can find out why he was called The Negotiator by Grievous here.
Conclusion
Since that unfortunate day on Naboo, Maul hated Obi-Wan for sending him into a life of suffering and disappointment. Maul spent years plotting his revenge and was able to get a portion of it by killing Duchess Satine in front of Obi-Wan. This hatred came to an end when Obi-Wan killed Maul in a showdown at Tatooine.
“He… will… avenge us.” – Maul’s last words hinted toward the end of the Sith by Skywalker.
Apart from Maul, Kenobi was also hated by Grievous, which you can find out more here.
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