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"Twin Suns" is the twentieth episode of the third season of the American
3D animated Computer animation is the process used for digitally generating animations. The more general term computer-generated imagery (CGI) encompasses both static scenes (still images) and dynamic images (moving images), while computer animation refer ...
science fiction television series ''
Star Wars Rebels ''Star Wars Rebels'' is an American 3D animation, 3D animated science fiction on television, science fiction television series produced by Lucasfilm Animation and set in the ''Star Wars'' universe. It takes place over a decade after ''Episode ...
.'' The episode was written and directed by series creator
Dave Filoni David Filoni (born June 7, 1974) is an American director, producer, screenwriter, and voice actor. He has worked on ''Avatar: The Last Airbender'', ''The Mandalorian'', and on the theatrical film and television series of '' Star Wars: The Clone ...
, with co-executive producer
Henry Gilroy Henry Alan Gilroy (born November 1976) is an American film and television screenwriter and producer. He is best known for co-writing the animated series '' Star Wars: The Clone Wars''. Early life From an early age, Gilroy loved comic books and a ...
serving as co-writer. The episode originally aired in the United States on March 18, 2017, on
Disney XD Disney XD is an American pay television channel owned by the Disney Branded Television and Disney Media and Entertainment Distribution units of The Walt Disney Company. The channel is aimed primarily at older children ages six to eleven years ...
. The series takes place five years before the original ''Star Wars'' film, when the
Galactic Empire Galactic empires are a common trope used in science fantasy and science fiction, particularly in works known as 'space operas'. Many authors have either used a galaxy-spanning empire as background or written about the growth and/or decline of s ...
is hunting down the last of the
Jedi Jedi (), Jedi Knights, or collectively the Jedi Order are the main heroic protagonists of many works of the '' Star Wars'' franchise. Working symbiotically alongside the Old Galactic Republic, and later supporting the Rebel Alliance, the Jedi O ...
while a fledgling rebellion against the Empire is emerging. It follows a small band of Rebels who conduct covert operations on various imperial-controlled planets. In this episode,
Ezra Bridger Ezra Bridger is a fictional character in the ''Star Wars'' franchise, voiced by Taylor Gray. He is featured as the protagonist of the animated series ''Star Wars Rebels'' (2014–2018) and appears in related works. Ezra also appears in ''Star W ...
(voiced by
Taylor Gray Taylor Arthur Gray (born September 7, 1993) is an American actor, best known for playing Ezra Bridger on the animated television series ''Star Wars Rebels'', and Bucket in the Nickelodeon series ''Bucket & Skinner's Epic Adventures''. He also ...
) travels to the desert planet of Tatooine to find Obi-Wan "Ben" Kenobi (voiced by
Stephen Stanton Stephen Walter Stanton (born August 22, 1961) is an American voice actor and visual effects artist. His roles include Sasha Nein in ''Psychonauts'' and ''Psychonauts 2'', Grand Moff Tarkin in the ''Star Wars'' franchise, Admiral Raddus in ''Rogu ...
), who he believes is being hunted by
Maul A maul may refer to any number of large hammers, including: * War hammer, a medieval weapon * Post maul, a type of sledgehammer * Spike maul, railroad hand tool * Splitting maul, heavy wood-splitting tool resembling both axe and hammer People ...
(voiced by
Sam Witwer Sam Witwer (born October 20, 1977) is an American actor. He is known for his roles as Crashdown in ''Battlestar Galactica'', Davis Bloome in ''Smallville'', Aidan Waite in '' Being Human'', Mr. Hyde in ''Once Upon a Time'', Ben Lockwood in '' ...
). Maul eventually finds Kenobi, and the two face off in a
lightsaber A lightsaber is a fictional energy sword featured throughout the ''Star Wars'' franchise. A typical lightsaber is depicted as a luminescent plasma blade about in length emitted from a metal hilt around in length. First introduced in the or ...
duel. The episode concludes a storyline between Kenobi and Maul that was first introduced in '' Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace'' before being expanded upon in '' Star Wars: The Clone Wars'' and ''Star Wars Rebels''. The meeting between Kenobi and Maul was first shown in a mid-season trailer in January 2017. Filoni was heavily involved in the creation of the episode, believing it would have major implications for all characters involved. Stephen Stanton, who also voiced AP-5 and Tarkin in ''Rebels'', was cast to voice an older Ben Kenobi while Sam Witwer returned for his final performance as Maul on the show. In the United States, "Twin Suns" was viewed by approximately 400,000 viewers. The episode was well-received by critics, who praised its writing and Stanton's performance as Kenobi.


Plot

After receiving a holocron message,
Ezra Bridger Ezra Bridger is a fictional character in the ''Star Wars'' franchise, voiced by Taylor Gray. He is featured as the protagonist of the animated series ''Star Wars Rebels'' (2014–2018) and appears in related works. Ezra also appears in ''Star W ...
tells the ''Ghost'' crew that they must go to
Tatooine Tatooine () is a fictional desert planet that appears in the ''Star Wars'' franchise. It is a beige-colored, desolate world orbiting a pair of binary stars, and inhabited by human settlers and a variety of other life forms. The planet was first ...
to save
Obi-Wan Kenobi Obi-Wan Kenobi () is a fictional Character (arts), character in the ''Star Wars'' franchise. Within the Star Wars original trilogy, original trilogy, Obi-Wan is a Jedi Master as a supporting character and is portrayed by English actor Alec Guinn ...
from
Maul A maul may refer to any number of large hammers, including: * War hammer, a medieval weapon * Post maul, a type of sledgehammer * Spike maul, railroad hand tool * Splitting maul, heavy wood-splitting tool resembling both axe and hammer People ...
. The crew refuses, as they believe that Kenobi is dead from Order 66 and the message is a trap set by Maul. Ezra and Chopper sneak away and head to Tatooine, but things go wrong as their ship is destroyed by
Tusken Raiders Tusken Raiders (informally referred to as "Sand People") are fictional creatures in the ''Star Wars'' universe created by George Lucas. They are characterized as a nomadic race who live on the planet Tatooine. They first appeared in the 1977 film ...
. Guided by the holocron, Ezra and Chopper set off across the desert in search of Kenobi. After several hours of aimless wandering, Chopper runs out of power and shuts down. Ezra is then haunted by visions of Maul, telling him that he failed his loved ones. Shortly afterward, Ezra passes out. Upon awakening, he finds that Kenobi has rescued him and Chopper. Ezra tries to warn Kenobi that Maul is after him and asks him to help the
rebellion Rebellion, uprising, or insurrection is a refusal of obedience or order. It refers to the open resistance against the orders of an established authority. A rebellion originates from a sentiment of indignation and disapproval of a situation and ...
. However, Kenobi refuses, saying that the rebellion already has what it needs to fight the Empire. He also has no intention of fighting Maul, though he knows it is now inevitable. As Maul finds the pair, Kenobi sends Ezra and Chopper to safety and faces off with Maul in a
lightsaber A lightsaber is a fictional energy sword featured throughout the ''Star Wars'' franchise. A typical lightsaber is depicted as a luminescent plasma blade about in length emitted from a metal hilt around in length. First introduced in the or ...
duel; after a period of prolonged tension, Maul strikes first but is quickly countered and defeated by Kenobi. Before Maul dies, Kenobi stays by his side and reveals to him that he is watching over whom he believes is the Chosen One, with Maul's last words being, "He will avenge us". Ezra and Chopper return to base on Maul's ship. Ezra tells the rebels that Maul is gone, and apologizes for sneaking away. The episode ends with Kenobi watching a young
Luke Skywalker Luke Skywalker is a fictional character and the protagonist of the original film trilogy of the ''Star Wars'' franchise created by George Lucas. Portrayed by Mark Hamill, Luke first appeared in ''Star Wars'' (1977), and he returned in ''The ...
at the Lars moisture farm from a distance.


Production


Development and writing

"Twin Suns" was written and directed by series creator
Dave Filoni David Filoni (born June 7, 1974) is an American director, producer, screenwriter, and voice actor. He has worked on ''Avatar: The Last Airbender'', ''The Mandalorian'', and on the theatrical film and television series of '' Star Wars: The Clone ...
, with co-executive producer
Henry Gilroy Henry Alan Gilroy (born November 1976) is an American film and television screenwriter and producer. He is best known for co-writing the animated series '' Star Wars: The Clone Wars''. Early life From an early age, Gilroy loved comic books and a ...
serving as co-writer. Filoni was heavily involved in the creation of the episode, believing it would have major implications for all characters involved, including Ezra, the show's main protagonist. He personally storyboarded every scene beginning with Ezra's arrival on Tatooine, wanting to frame Ezra's quest to find Kenobi as a step along his path to becoming a
Jedi Jedi (), Jedi Knights, or collectively the Jedi Order are the main heroic protagonists of many works of the '' Star Wars'' franchise. Working symbiotically alongside the Old Galactic Republic, and later supporting the Rebel Alliance, the Jedi O ...
, which Filoni believes is "about selflessness and sacrificing to help others". Filoni had also directed the previous '' Star Wars: The Clone Wars'' animated series, and felt a responsibility to end Maul's story after bringing back the character in that series''.'' The ''Rebels'' production team consulted the Lucasfilm Story Group, which did not have any plans for Maul to appear in future Star Wars media. Maul's debut in the second season of ''Rebels'' was thus intended to be a one-off appearance; his death was to be at the hands of
Darth Vader Darth Vader is a fictional character in the ''Star Wars'' franchise. The character is the central antagonist of the original trilogy and, as Anakin Skywalker, is one of the main protagonists in the prequel trilogy. ''Star Wars'' creator George ...
, but the writers felt that the two characters lacked an emotional connection and that Maul's death would overcomplicate an already loaded episode. Maul continued to play a minor role in the third season, with Filoni ultimately settling on a meeting between Maul and Kenobi. The duel between Kenobi and Maul lasts for less than three seconds, ending with a decisive defeat for Maul. The writers knew the decision would be controversial but decided to go against the expectation of a protracted duel in favor of emphasizing the tension behind it, which they believed would better convey the characters' growth. Co-writer Henry Gilroy described the prolonged tension as the two characters "playing he duelout in their head" by drawing from their previous encounters. Furthermore, the episode drew inspiration from the 1954 film ''
Seven Samurai is a 1954 Japanese epic samurai drama film co-written, edited, and directed by Akira Kurosawa. The story takes place in 1586 during the Sengoku period of Japanese history. It follows the story of a village of desperate farmers who hire seven ...
'' by
Akira Kurosawa was a Japanese filmmaker and painter who directed thirty films in a career spanning over five decades. He is widely regarded as one of the most important and influential filmmakers in the history of cinema. Kurosawa displayed a bold, dyna ...
, whose films were cited as major inspirations by
George Lucas George Walton Lucas Jr. (born May 14, 1944) is an American filmmaker. Lucas is best known for creating the ''Star Wars'' and ''Indiana Jones'' franchises and founding Lucasfilm, LucasArts, Industrial Light & Magic and THX. He served as chairm ...
during the development of the original ''
Star Wars ''Star Wars'' is an American epic film, epic space opera multimedia franchise created by George Lucas, which began with the Star Wars (film), eponymous 1977 film and quickly became a worldwide popular culture, pop-culture Cultural impact of S ...
'' film (later known as ''Star Wars Episode IV – A New Hope''). Specifically, Filoni likened Kenobi to the ''Seven Samurai'' character Kyuzo, who avoids fighting, knowing the resulting battle would be swift. He also compared the episode's duel to one in the film, where the
samurai were the hereditary military nobility and officer caste of medieval and early-modern Japan from the late 12th century until their abolition in 1876. They were the well-paid retainers of the '' daimyo'' (the great feudal landholders). They h ...
"is moving with intention and grace," in contrast to his angry opponent, "who is moving his feet a lot and does not have a steady position." This contrast is seen between Kenobi and Maul, and is meant to highlight the former's evolution from a "young brash kid that went into a fight with Maul" to an enlightened master only fighting to protect others, while depicting Maul as a mostly
static character In fiction, a character (or speaker, in poetry) is a person or other being in a narrative (such as a novel, play, radio or television series, music, film, or video game). The character may be entirely fictional or based on a real-life person, ...
consumed by revenge. Attention was also given to Kenobi's movements in the lead up to the duel, which also symbolizes his evolution; he first takes up the pose of a young Obi-Wan, before switching to the one he uses against Darth Vader in ''A New Hope;'' reacting to Maul's movements, he shifts into his final pose, which is that of his former master,
Qui-Gon Jinn Qui-Gon Jinn () is a fictional character in the ''Star Wars'' franchise, played by Liam Neeson. He is a main character in the prequel film trilogy, serving as the protagonist of ''The Phantom Menace'' (1999). He appears briefly as a Force ghost ...
. This pose baits Maul into attacking Kenobi with the same move he used to kill Qui-Gon Jinn in ''
The Phantom Menace ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...
'', which Kenobi predicts and counters, resulting in Maul's defeat. Overall, Filoni hoped the duel could represent one of the most important conflicts in the ''Star Wars'' saga, which was "the difference between the Jedi and the Sith €¦the Jedi become selfless and the Sith remain selfish." In the final scene of the episode, the silhouette of a young Luke Skywalker is seen running around the Lars farm with Kenobi watching from a distance. Luke is depicted at the same age is Ezra, whose animation model was reused for the silhouette. According to Filoni, the scene was partly based on his philosophy of " ookingat every episode of ''Rebels'' as if you’ve never seen ''Star Wars'' before"; it would give new viewers some needed context as to who Kenobi was protecting while satisfying existing fans with a returning character to end off the story. The scene also features the voice of Aunt Beru, played by
Shelagh Fraser Sheila Mary Fraser (25 November 1920 – 29 August 2000) was an English actress. She is best known for her roles in the television serial ''A Family at War'' (1970–1971) and as Luke Skywalker's aunt Beru in ''Star Wars'' (1977). Early life She ...
in ''A New Hope'', from the film's archival footage. The original cut of "Twin Suns" was 35 minutes; many scenes were subsequently removed to keep the story focused and to fit the show's 21-minute runtime. The episode originally featured a variety of visions haunting Maul while on his journey, including the appearance of
Savage Opress This incomplete list of characters from the '' Star Wars'' franchise contains only those which are considered part of the official ''Star Wars'' canon, as of the changes made by Lucasfilm in April 2014. Following its acquisition by The Walt D ...
, Maul's brother who last appeared in ''The Clone Wars''. However, Filoni decided against it, as his appearance could confuse and alienate new ''Star Wars'' fans in an already lengthy episode.
Pablo Hidalgo Pablo Hidalgo is a Chilean-born creative executive based in California, currently working for Lucasfilm on the '' Star Wars'' franchise. Early work Hidalgo was born in Santiago, Chile and raised in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. In 1987 he became ...
, a member of the Lucasfilm Story Group, believed that the "stripped down" episode was able to strengthen the core story.


Casting

Stephen Stanton Stephen Walter Stanton (born August 22, 1961) is an American voice actor and visual effects artist. His roles include Sasha Nein in ''Psychonauts'' and ''Psychonauts 2'', Grand Moff Tarkin in the ''Star Wars'' franchise, Admiral Raddus in ''Rogu ...
, who also voiced AP-5 and Tarkin on the show, was cast to voice an older Ben Kenobi, mimicking the character's portrayal by
Alec Guinness Sir Alec Guinness (born Alec Guinness de Cuffe; 2 April 1914 â€“ 5 August 2000) was an English actor. After an early career on the stage, Guinness was featured in several of the Ealing comedies, including ''Kind Hearts and Coronets'' (194 ...
in the original trilogy. Stanton had previously voiced Kenobi for the 2005 video game ''Star Wars: Battlefront II'' and subsequent ''Star Wars'' video games. He was first considered for the role after a conversation with Filoni during a recording session. Stanton was discussing the possibility of Meebur Gascon, a character from ''The Clone Wars'', appearing in Disney Infinity 3.0; he wanted to voice the character in addition to his role as Kenobi in the game. Filoni asked for his Kenobi voice, and co-star
Vanessa Marshall Vanessa Marshall (born October 19, 1969 in Los Angeles, California, U.S.) is an American voice and television actress who is most active in films, cartoons and video games. She is the daughter of actress Joan Van Ark and reporter John Marshall. ...
prompted Stanton to say Kenobi's line from a ''A New Hope'' describing
Mos Eisley Mos Eisley is a spaceport town in the fictional ''Star Wars'' universe. Located on the planet Tatooine, it first appeared in the 1977 film ''Star Wars'', described by the character Obi-Wan Kenobi (played by Alec Guinness) as a "wretched hive of s ...
as a "wretched hive of scum and villainy". Filoni was impressed and invited Stanton to record test tracks for Kenobi, who was to appear in a yet to be approved ''Rebels'' episode. A few weeks later, the episode was approved, and Stanton accepted the offer to voice Kenobi. In preparation for the role, Stanton studied archival footage of Guinness, along with his performances from the original trilogy; he later noted the importance of studying the evolution of Guinness' character across the three films as opposed to only looking at ''A New Hope''. The voice of
James Arnold Taylor James Arnold Taylor (born July 22, 1969), also known by his initials JAT, is an American voice actor, writer, producer and podcaster. He is known for portraying Ratchet in the ''Ratchet & Clank'' franchise, the main character Tidus in '' Final Fa ...
, who voiced a younger version of Kenobi in ''The Clone Wars,'' is also heard in the holocron message played by Ezra at the beginning of the episode. "Twin Suns" marked
Sam Witwer Sam Witwer (born October 20, 1977) is an American actor. He is known for his roles as Crashdown in ''Battlestar Galactica'', Davis Bloome in ''Smallville'', Aidan Waite in '' Being Human'', Mr. Hyde in ''Once Upon a Time'', Ben Lockwood in '' ...
's final performance as Maul in ''Rebels'', a role he had voiced since Maul's return in ''The Clone Wars.'' Witwer was accepting of Maul's death, having been prepared for it ever since he was called back for ''Rebels''; he stated in an interview that his character "had more than his fair share at trying to make his mark on the Star Wars universe". With regards to Maul's future, Witwer described himself as only one of the character's "temporary caretakers", and believed that the episode would probably be his last as Maul. He was nonetheless proud of his contributions to the character and would be willing to return to the role if called upon. Witwer would indeed return as the voice of Maul in '' Solo: A Star Wars Story'' alongside
Ray Park Raymond Park (born 23 August 1974) is a Scottish actor and stuntman. He is best known for physically portraying Darth Maul in '' Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace'' and '' Solo: A Star Wars Story'', along with a motion capture performa ...
, who portrayed Maul in ''The Phantom Menace.'' Witwer also voiced Maul in seventh season of ''The Clone Wars'', released in 2020.


Music

Series composer
Kevin Kiner Kevin Kiner (born September 3, 1958) is an American film and television composer best known for scoring ''CSI: Miami'', '' Star Wars: The Clone Wars'', and ''Star Wars Rebels''. Kiner was nominated for multiple Primetime Emmy, Daytime Emmy and An ...
composed the score for "Twin Suns" by combining motifs from familiar Star Wars music with new compositions. The episode also features the "Force Theme" by
John Williams John Towner Williams (born February 8, 1932)Nylund, Rob (15 November 2022)Classic Connection review ''WBOI'' ("For the second time this year, the Fort Wayne Philharmonic honored American composer, conductor, and arranger John Williams, who wa ...
, which plays over the closing credits.


Promotion and release

Clips from the episode depicting Kenobi and Maul first appeared in a trailer promoting the second half of season 3. Released in January 2017, the trailer drew anticipation and speculation from fans. A brief preview of the episode was released a week before its airing. "Twin Suns" first aired in the United States on
Disney XD Disney XD is an American pay television channel owned by the Disney Branded Television and Disney Media and Entertainment Distribution units of The Walt Disney Company. The channel is aimed primarily at older children ages six to eleven years ...
on March 18, 2017, and was broadcast in the United Kingdom five days later, on March 23.


Reception

According to
Nielsen ratings Nielsen Media Research (NMR) is an American firm that measures media audiences, including television, radio, theatre, films (via the AMC Theatres MAP program), and newspapers. Headquartered in New York City, it is best known for the Nielsen rat ...
, the episode's initial broadcast in the United States was viewed by approximately 400 thousand viewers. "Twin Suns" was listed as one of the "10 Most Essential Episodes of Star Wars Rebels" by ''
/Film ''/Film'', also spelled ''Slashfilm'', is a blog that covers movie news, reviews, interviews, and trailers. It was founded by Peter Sciretta in August 2005. Podcasts Six podcasts have run on the site. ''The /Filmcast'', hosted by David Chen, De ...
''. In a review of the ''Star Wars Rebels'' season 3 disc set, the ''
New York Daily News The New York ''Daily News'', officially titled the ''Daily News'', is an American newspaper based in Jersey City, NJ. It was founded in 1919 by Joseph Medill Patterson as the ''Illustrated Daily News''. It was the first U.S. daily printed in ta ...
'' named the episode one of "the two best episodes of the season". The episode was generally well-received by critics, who praised the episode's characterization of Kenobi and Maul and its emotional conclusion of the two characters' storyline. They also felt Ezra was effectively incorporated into the storyline and further developed ahead of the season finale. Stanton and Witwer's vocal performances were also praised, being described as "bringing out both Maul's madness and Kenobi's weary resilience". Reviewers particularly noted the similarity of Stanton's voice to Alec Guinness in ''A New Hope''. Both Stanton's performance and the episode's writing were credited for showing Kenobi's transition leading up to the original trilogy and enriching its story. "Twin Suns" also received praise for its visuals, particularly its depiction of the desert planet of
Tatooine Tatooine () is a fictional desert planet that appears in the ''Star Wars'' franchise. It is a beige-colored, desolate world orbiting a pair of binary stars, and inhabited by human settlers and a variety of other life forms. The planet was first ...
. Fans had mixed reactions to the duel, though it was well-received by reviewers, who believed other aspects of the episode lessened the need for a protracted duel. In a review for
Den of Geek ''Den of Geek'' is a US and UK-based website covering entertainment with a focus on pop culture Pop or POP may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Music * Pop music, a musical genre Artists * POP, a Japanese idol group now known as Gan ...
, Megan Crouse gave the episode a 4 out of 5 star rating, finding "so much to unpack that I hardly mourn the loss of a fight scene". Kevin Johnson of ''
The A.V. Club ''The A.V. Club'' is an American online newspaper and entertainment website featuring reviews, interviews, and other articles that examine films, music, television, books, games, and other elements of pop-culture media. ''The A.V. Club'' was cre ...
'' gave an "A−" rating, focusing on Ezra's characterization in the episode; he described the final battle as "hilarious, bold, and humbly ironic" in upending the audience's expectations, believing it fittingly downplayed Maul's importance in the overall ''Star Wars'' story. While
IGN ''IGN'' (formerly ''Imagine Games Network'') is an American video game and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa distri ...
's Eric Goldman gave the episode an 8.8 out of 10 rating, he took issue with the episode's promotion, believing the duel was too heavily promoted given the outcome.


Notes


References


External links

*
Twin Suns Episode Guide
at StarWars.com * {{Star Wars Rebels Star Wars Rebels 2017 American television episodes Television shows directed by Dave Filoni