"Twin Suns," an episode within the Star Wars Rebels animated television series, marks the twentieth installment of its third season. As the fifty-seventh episode overall, it was originally broadcast on Disney XD on March 18, 2017.
The episode commences by depicting Maul, stranded amidst Tatooine's desolate landscapes. He can sense the presence of Obi-Wan Kenobi, yet his search across the planet for someone deliberately avoiding detection proves more challenging than anticipated. Overwhelmed by frustration and fury, Maul shouts Kenobi's name, the echo of which resonates through the desert. Resolved to avoid death in this arid place, Maul pledges to force Kenobi out of hiding. While deep in thought, Maul conceives a plan, slowly revealing a fragment of the Sith holocron he obtained from Malachor.
Concurrently, at Chopper Base situated on Atollon, Ezra Bridger is awakened from his sleep in his bunk above Garazeb Orrelios by a faint recording of Kenobi's voice emanating from Kanan Jarrus' holocron. Initially mistaking it for Zeb's snoring, Ezra realizes the holocron is speaking upon opening his eyes. The holocron continuously replays Kenobi's warning to the Jedi following Order 66. Ezra then proceeds to Kanan's quarters, where both Kanan's holocron and the Sith holocron are kept. He discovers Kanan's holocron repeating itself. Subsequently, the Sith holocron emits a red glow, and Ezra hears Maul's roar of Kenobi's name, causing him to stumble backward as red light emanates from the shattered holocron. Finding his master, Kanan Jarrus, standing behind him, Ezra informs him that Maul has returned.
A gathering takes place in the base's command center, where Ezra, Kanan, Hera Syndulla, Rex, Commander Jun Sato, and Chopper convene to discuss the recent revelation. Kanan remains uncertain about the holocrons' message, but Ezra is convinced that Master Kenobi's life is in danger due to Maul's pursuit. While sympathetic to Ezra's hope that Kenobi is still alive, Rex – a veteran of the Clone Wars who fought alongside the Jedi – informs Ezra that Senator Bail Organa had confirmed Kenobi's supposed death. Ezra disputes Senator Organa's information, fearing that Maul is closing in on Kenobi.
Hera suggests that Ezra merely heard a fragmented recording, but Ezra insists that he also heard Maul's voice. Kanan reminds Ezra of Maul's past deceptions, but Ezra remains determined to travel to Tatooine to investigate. Hera then pulls the young Jedi aside for a private conversation. She reminds him that the rebels are preparing for their assault on Lothal, and that his knowledge of the local area is essential for their success. Ezra counters by arguing that Kenobi is alive and could provide assistance to the Rebellion.
Hera dismisses the notion that Kenobi is alive, reasoning that he would be actively aiding the Rebellion rather than hiding on a remote planet. Although wishing the situation were different, Hera reiterates her need for him to stay for the Lothal mission. Ezra assures her of his commitment to assisting the rebels on the Lothal mission. Hera acknowledges his situation and grants him permission to leave. Kanan, followed by Chopper, approaches Hera, and they exchange a knowing glance as they watch Ezra depart.
The next morning, at the bustling landing field of Chopper Base, a rebel trooper greets Ezra as he moves several crates of munitions. Ezra claims that the munitions are for the A-wings. When the trooper states that he has not received such orders, Ezra attributes it to the inventory droid AP-5. The trooper jokes that the "calculator" must be malfunctioning and requests the manifest from Ezra. As Ezra hands it over, he inquires whether any of the fighters need loading.
The trooper informs him that the RZ-1T trainers require rearming due to recent use by new recruits. While the trooper verifies the manifest's authenticity, Ezra seizes the opportunity to slip away. Unbeknownst to Ezra, Chopper observes and follows him. Before the trooper can instruct Ezra to deliver the munitions to the trainers, Ezra enters the cockpit of an RZ-1T trainer and takes off, ignoring the trooper's commands, pretending not to hear. As he departs, Ezra expresses his hope that Hera will forgive him.
Ezra pilots the RZ-1T trainer into hyperspace and heads towards Tatooine. Upon arriving above the desert planet, Ezra is surprised by Chopper, who has secretly boarded the trainer. Startled, Ezra jerks the RZ-1T. Ezra demands to know how Chopper got on board, emphasizing that he did not want the other rebels to get involved. Chopper responds in Binary, and Ezra reluctantly accepts Chopper's presence on the mission. He then acknowledges that they do not know their destination.
Ezra activates Kanan's holocron and the Sith holocron, instructing Chopper to fly them into Tatooine's atmosphere, promising to guide him on course changes. The RZ-1T trainer enters Tatooine's atmosphere at night, with Ezra relying on the holocrons for guidance. Ezra directs Chopper to head north by north-west. Shortly before landing, the holocrons cease to function. After disembarking, Ezra instructs Chopper to stay with the ship. The holocrons lead him towards a glowing shard of the Malachor Sith holocron, which Maul had used to attract Ezra to the planet. Upon picking up the shard, Ezra hears Maul's voice saying "now you see" and realizes that they have fallen into a trap.
Ezra and Chopper soon find themselves under attack by several Tusken Raiders, who have been converging on the canyon. Under the cover of darkness, the Sandpeople assault the RZ-1T with gaderffii sticks and slugthrowers. Ezra retreats to the trainer fighter, where he uses the Force to throw away a Tusken Raider threatening Chopper. Chopper flees the ship using his rocket booster, dodging blaster bolts. Ezra instructs Chopper to find cover while he positions himself under the fighter.
Ezra is soon attacked by a Tusken Raider, but Chopper intervenes by spraying foam at the assailant. The other Tuskens focus their fire on the RZ-1T, causing it to explode. Ezra and Chopper narrowly escape the blast, with Ezra pushing Chopper to the ground to protect him. The jubilant Tusken Raiders raise their sticks and begin chanting. However, Maul arrives and slaughters them with his lightsaber. Meanwhile, Ezra gets to his feet and helps Chopper up. While the explosion dispersed the Tusken Raiders, the two rebels realize they are stranded with no means of returning home. Ezra and Chopper proceed through the canyon.
At daybreak, Ezra and Chopper emerge from the canyon to face an expansive desert. Ezra believes that traversing the sands is a perilous idea, particularly for droids. Chopper suggests traveling along the ridge. Ezra agrees to Chopper's suggestion, but then experiences a vision of Maul urging him to venture into the desert. Relying on the Jedi and Sith holocrons, Ezra believes that Maul is out there and that they must enter the desert to stop him.
Chopper grumbles, but Ezra insists on finding Master Kenobi. He tells Chopper that he is free to follow the ridge and locate a settlement, suggesting that Chopper can then contact Chopper Base. After some deliberation, a grumbling Chopper reluctantly follows Ezra into the desert. The two rebels soon find themselves caught in a sandstorm. Ezra uses the Jedi and Sith holocrons to guide them, but they are blinded by the sand. Amidst the sandstorm, Ezra hears Maul's voice urging him to lure Kenobi out. Maul tells Ezra that his pain and sorrow will draw Kenobi to him. Ezra instructs Chopper to keep moving.
The sandstorm eventually subsides, but the two rebels are exhausted. Chopper's battery is depleted, causing the droid to shut down. A despondent Ezra attempts to revive his rebel comrade. With Chopper immobile, Ezra blames himself for disregarding Hera's advice. While waiting under the scorching suns, Ezra is tormented by Maul's voice, claiming that Kenobi is dead because of his actions. An exhausted Ezra then hallucinates Maul looming over him and charges at him with his green lightsaber. However, Ezra realizes that he only saw a mirage, succumbing to exhaustion and heat stroke as Maul laughs. Later, a cloaked figure approaches the immobile Chopper and the delirious Ezra, who is fading into unconsciousness.
That night, Ezra awakens to find himself beside a campfire. He notices that Chopper has been connected to a power generator. Ezra also sees a dewback nearby. On the opposite side of the campfire, Ezra sees a cloaked figure who informs him that he is in the wrong place. The cloaked figure reveals himself to be Master Obi-Wan Kenobi, and offers to help Ezra return home once he has recovered his strength. Ezra protests, stating that he came to warn Kenobi about Maul.
However, Kenobi is already aware that Maul has been hunting him. He explains that his long survival is a testament to his caution. Kenobi describes Maul as an old and persistent adversary. When Ezra suggests that they fight him together, Kenobi states that he had no intention of fighting Maul, but acknowledges that it is now unavoidable.
When Ezra tells Kenobi that the holocrons indicated that Kenobi would be the one to help them destroy the Sith, Kenobi expresses surprise. Ezra adds that the Rebellion needs Kenobi's help to defeat the Empire. Kenobi responds that Ezra already possesses what he needs and warns the young Padawan that he is already losing sight of it. When Ezra questions why the holocrons would send him here, Kenobi explains that Maul manipulated Ezra's emotions through the holocrons, altering the course of events.
He warns Ezra that Maul is aware of his fears and has twisted the truth to lure him to a place he should never have been. When Ezra insists that the holocrons tell the truth, Kenobi clarifies that the holocrons only revealed what he wanted to hear and believe. Kenobi warns that Maul is the only one who has gained from this situation. At this point, Maul interrupts Kenobi's sentence, approaching the other side of the campfire.
Kenobi instructs Ezra to leave. When the boy objects, Kenobi emphasizes that it is not his responsibility, asserting that he will resolve the "old wound." Kenobi tells Ezra to ride the dewback north, where he will find his way home. Chopper uses his rocket booster to land on the dewback's saddle, and the two depart from the encampment.
After Ezra and Chopper have departed, Maul bids "his" apprentice farewell before turning his attention to Kenobi. Maul insults Kenobi by calling him a "rat in the desert." Kenobi retorts with "Look what I have risen above." Maul declares that he has come to kill him, but believes that leaving him to rot in squalor would be a worse fate. Kenobi responds that Maul has nothing, as he defines himself solely by his power to take life and dominate others. Maul ignites his double-bladed lightsaber and slashes at the sand, extinguishing the fire. He then cries out, "What do you have?"
Kenobi stands calmly as Maul questions his presence on Tatooine, suspecting that the Jedi Master would not hide away on a backwater planet without a purpose. He is able to sense the mind of his enemy and deduce that Kenobi is protecting someone. In response, Kenobi ignites his lightsaber and assumes his master Qui-Gon's stance, deceiving Maul into attacking him as he did the fallen Jedi Master. Kenobi parries his blade; Maul parries in response, and the two men assess each other. Maul then lunges at the Jedi Master, and their blades clash. Following a brief exchange, Kenobi bisects Maul's lightsaber and inflicts a fatal wound to his chest.
As Maul drops his bisected lightsabers and collapses to the ground, Kenobi catches him and supports his fallen adversary. In his final moments, Maul asks if Kenobi is protecting the Chosen One. Kenobi confirms this, implying that he believes Luke Skywalker, not his father Anakin Skywalker, is the Chosen One. Maul then declares that he [the Chosen One] will avenge them before passing away. Out of respect and pity, Kenobi closes Maul's eyes and sits beside his fallen adversary beneath two of Tatooine's three moons.
Later, Ezra and Chopper pilot Maul's ship, Nightbrother, back to Atollon. Upon entering the atmosphere, they are escorted to Chopper Base by two A-wings. Zeb is loading supplies, while Hera and Kanan observe the landing of the Nightbrother. After the two rebels disembark, Zeb asks Ezra "if this means what I want it to mean." Ezra assures his rebel comrades that they will not encounter Maul again. He apologizes to Hera and Kanan for his unauthorized departure, affirming that the Rebellion is where he belongs. Ezra adds that his fellow rebels are his family and that they are meant to return home. The Spectres embrace Ezra.
Back on Tatooine, Kenobi rides his dewback towards the Lars moisture farm. Over the horizon, he hears Beru Whitesun Lars calling out to her nephew Luke. Kenobi strokes his chin as he watches Luke head home, a tiny silhouette against the binary sunset.
- According to Pablo Hidalgo, the storyline for "Twin Suns" was "developed" around August 2015. [7] Hidalgo also revealed that Maul's death was finalized after the decision was made that, since the character was reintroduced through Star Wars animation via The Clone Wars: Season Four, his story should conclude in animation as well. [8]
- Kenobi transitions from his initial stance to his Alec Guinness stance from A New Hope, then to the same stance his master Qui-Gon Jinn used. Maul attempts to stun Kenobi with his lightsaber hilt, mirroring his earlier attempt on Qui-Gon Jinn in The Phantom Menace.
- Original concepts for the episode included Maul experiencing visions of Savage Opress and Satine Kryze. [9]
- This marks the second instance of a change in the Rebels credits music, the first being in "The Last Battle."