Duel on Tatooine (Naboo crisis)

"He was trained in the Jedi arts. My only conclusion can be that it was... a Sith Lord."

- Qui-Gon Jinn

The Duel on Tatooine was a minor duel during the Blockade of Naboo period that resulted in the escape of Queen Amidala from Tatooine, and the emergence of the Sith.

Prelude
After the Boonta Eve podrace and the acquisition of the hyperdrive parts for the Queen's starship, Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn and young Anakin Skywalker were making their way to the ship. Along the way, they encountered one of Darth Maul's probe droids, which Qui-Gon destroyed. Inspecting it, Qui-Gon realized they were being followed, and they began to hurry for the ship. Meanwhile, another of the surviving probes notified Maul of the Jedi's presence, and the Sith Lord hurried to intercept. What occurred next was the first recorded encounter between the Jedi Order and the Order of the Sith Lords in over a thousand years.

The Duel


As Anakin and Qui-Gon ran for the ship, mere yards away, Jinn sensed Darth Maul's approach. Turning around to encourage Anakin to pick up the pace, he saw Maul bearing down on them on his speeder bike. Anakin quickly obeyed Qui-Gon's command to drop, just in time to avoid being skewered by Maul's speeder. As the speeder closed in on Qui-Gon, Maul leapt off the bike at the Jedi, attacking before his feet had even touched the ground. Surprised by the Sith's speed and ferocity, Jinn barely managed to block attack. As Maul landed, he quickly followed up with an overhand, which Jinn deflected before attacking himself. As Maul blocked Qui-Gon's blow, Jinn ordered Anakin to get onboard the ship and tell them to take off.

As Anakin did so, Qui-Gon attempted to launch his own offensive, but Maul easily brushed off his overhand and unleashed his own frenzy of attacks. Jinn was viciously driven back, barely able to protect himself, as his own style possessed a weak defense, especially against Maul's furious lightsaber technique. Despite his own valiant efforts, Qui-Gon simply could not find an opening.

When Anakin boarded the ship and informed the crew of the situation, they attempted a rescue, flying low over towards the fight with the boarding ramp lowered. As Qui-Gon blocked a leaping slash from Maul and countered, he saw the ship approaching. Disengaging from the Sith, Qui-Gon quickly leapt aboard, getting inside just as the hatch closed and the ship accelerated. As the Nubian streaked for the heavens, Maul was left fuming on the desert floor.

Aftermath
Later, Qui-Gon told his apprentice, Obi-Wan Kenobi, that the mysterious stranger was definitely after the Queen. He also mentioned that the attacker was well trained in the Jedi arts, leading the Jedi Master to believe he was a Sith Lord. Qui-Gon later reported the incident to the Jedi Council, and after the Blockade of Naboo was over they realized that this warrior was no doubt a Sith.

The seeds for the revenge of the Sith were finally laid that day.

Behind the scenes


This is the first lightsaber duel in the prequel trilogy. Until the duel between Ahsoka Tano and Asajj Ventress in Star Wars: The Clone Wars was shown, this was the shortest duel featured in the films.

This lightsaber duel was also the first fight showing both the Jedi and Sith in their prime. One of George Lucas's major objectives for the prequel trilogy was to make the lightsaber fights "faster and more intense." This duel was shown early and was made short to give the viewer a small taste of what was to come.

Appearances

 * Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace
 * Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace comic
 * Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace novel
 * Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace game
 * Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace junior novelization
 * Episode I: Obi-Wan Kenobi

Notes and references
Duel sur Tatooine