This Duel Reveals So Much...

They need to give Balin the animated backstory treatment. He's a perfect candidate for a Tales of the Jedi episode.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

It's Anakin's favorite stance. With her training Sabine she seems to be adapting a little bit of her Master's habits.

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.

Ahsoka vs Baylan Skoll: Duel between Space Samurai and Space Knight in a nutshell.

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

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.

He's a great character and really well acted, shame he's no longer with us

It would be awesome to see a Clone Wars flashback of Anakin meeting with Baylan Skoll when they were Jedi in Ahsoka tv show.

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.

The beginning of the duel, both changing their guard, countering and sizing each other up was superb and pretty fresh for Star Wars.

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.

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!

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

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.