The skirmish on Mapuzo, also known as the battle on Mapuzo, unfolded on the mining planet of Mapuzo, located within the Mid Rim Territories. This event occurred in 9 BBY during the Galactic Empire's relentless pursuit of Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi. Kenobi, accompanied by Leia Organa, whom he had recently rescued from Daiyu, arrived on Mapuzo seeking a contact provided by the criminal Haja Estree. Despite initial doubts, Kenobi discovered Estree's information to be accurate when he encountered Tala Durith, an Imperial officer who had abandoned the Empire to join the Path, an organization aiding Jedi in hiding. The arrival of Sith Lord Darth Vader on Mapuzo led to a confrontation with Kenobi. Vader triumphed in combat, but Durith and the loader droid NED-B intervened, saving Kenobi.
Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi, along with Princess Leia Organa, journeyed to the Mid Rim world Mapuzo aboard a TR-286 transport eight. Upon landing, they discreetly disembarked, aiming to connect with a contact affiliated with the [Hidden Path](/article/hidden_path]. Their initial search proved fruitless, leading them to encounter Freck, an Imperial sympathizer driving his speeder truck. Crafting a believable story, Kenobi and Leia persuaded Freck to transport them to a spaceport. En route, Freck picked up local stormtroopers, delivering them to a nearby Imperial facility before proceeding to an Imperial checkpoint.
Following an interrogation of Kenobi and Leia's identities, Kenobi initiated an attack on the stormtroopers, utilizing his blaster to eliminate several stormtroopers. Imperial officer Tala Durith then arrived in an Imperial ground troop transport with three additional stormtroopers, compelling Kenobi to surrender. However, Durith betrayed the Empire by fatally shooting the three troopers in the back. Subsequently, the trio escaped to a nearby village. The Inquisitorius, having received intelligence regarding Kenobi's presence on Mapuzo, commanded Imperial officers to mobilize their battalions and impose a complete lockdown on all spaceports.
Kenobi's flight led him to a nearby quarry, where Darth Vader confronted him. The Sith Lord ignited his lightsaber, prompting Kenobi to flee. Vader pursued, verbally tormenting the Jedi Master before Kenobi activated his lightsaber, setting the stage for a face-to-face confrontation. Kenobi questioned his former [apprentice](/article/padawan] about his transformation, to which Vader retorted that he had become what Kenobi created.
As Kenobi attempted to evade Vader within the quarry, the Sith Lord emerged from the shadows, striking at Kenobi with his lightsaber. Kenobi parried the blow with his own lightsaber, initiating a brief duel between the former comrades. Vader swiftly gained the upper hand, exploiting his former Master's diminished skills resulting from years of disuse of the Force.
Vader forced Kenobi into retreat, using the Force to topple a storage container filled with flammable materials. Igniting the spilled contents with his lightsaber, Vader engulfed Kenobi in flames, inflicting severe burns while declaring that his suffering had only just begun. Vader then commanded his stormtroopers to capture Kenobi. However, Durith intervened, reigniting the flammable materials with a blaster shot, thus isolating Kenobi from Vader and his [troops](/article/troop] and enabling the Jedi Master's rescue.
The initial glimpse of the Battle on Mapuzo was presented in the teaser trailer for the Obi-Wan Kenobi television series, which debuted on March 9, 2022. The battle was featured in the third episode of the series, directed by Deborah Chow and released on June 1, 2022.
Writer Joby Harold included the Kenobi-Vader duel in the series because he interpreted Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope as not explicitly prohibiting such an encounter. In crafting fight sequences like the Mapuzo duel, Harold prioritized conveying character through action. He developed the choreography from a character-centric perspective, which was then entrusted to stunt coordinator Jonathan Eusebio for refinement in collaboration with Chow. Harold emphasized that the sequence's core, particularly for Vader, lay in expressing the underlying range of emotions and anger. He also sought to emphasize the characters' rivalry and define the opportunities presented within the combat.