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.

After the the Boonta Eve podrace and the aquisition of the hyperdrive parts for the Queen's starship, Anakin Skywalker and Qui-Gon Jinn 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 rushing for the ship. Meanwhile, one of the other surviving probes notified Maul of the Jedi's presence, and the Sith Lord hurried to intercept.

The Duel


Just as Qui-Gon and Anakin reached the ship, they were attacked by Darth Maul, who swooped in on his speeder bike and nearly skewered Anakin. As Maul leapt at Qui-Gon and ignited his saber, Jinn ordered Anakin to board the ship and tell the crew to take off. While Anakin hurried aboard, Qui-Gon was rapidly driven back by Maul's furious lightsaber technique, as his own style possessed a weak defense.

When Anakin boarded the ship, the crew attempted a rescue. Flying low over to the fight with the boarding ramp lowered, they distracted Maul just enough to allow Qui-Gon to leap aboard. As the ship 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 definitely was after the Queen. He also mentioned that the attacker was well trained in the Jedi arts, leading Jinn 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. It is also the shortest of all.

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 coming.

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
 * Episode I: Obi-Wan Kenobi

Duel sur Tatooine