Star Wars: Rebels, “Twilight of the Apprentice”, Review!
Jondee here at Malachor,
The Phantom is in hyperspace, piloted by Kanan with Ezra and Ahsoka talking via hologram to her old friend Captain Rex. He is worried, but signs off, “May the Force Be With You.” Kanan tells Ezra that Malachor was off limits to Jedi. They drop out of hyperspace and approach the planet. Chopper detects a ship. They approach a crater ringed with strange pillars. Ahsoka starts to read the Old Tongue writing on the pillar, Ezra touches it, his handprint glows red and they fall. On the bottom, Ahsoka recognizes a Sith temple! They start to walk towards the pyramid and Ezra gets a warning from Chopper. Reaching the temple, Ezra notes that the ground is scorched and finds lightsabers. He activates one, a tri-bladed lightsaber with green blades! There are shapes of statues in combat. Ezra senses something and locks his lightsaber with the lightsaber on an Inquisitor. The others bring their lightsabers into the battle. The Inquisitor flings his lighter which shatters the floor sending Ezra down. Kanan and Ahsoka chase after the Inquisitor (Robbie Daymond voicing the Eighth Brother). Ezra hears a voice answering his question, “I know where you are! You’re with me!” A hooded man hobbles out. Ezra brings out his lightsaber. The man with yellow eyes knows that Ezra is looking for knowledge and needs his help. The hooded man says, “Call me Old Master.” He is voiced by Sam Witwer, who also voiced the same character from the Clone Wars cartoon.
The chase continues. Chopper informs Kanan that he found the ship. Kanan sends Chopper after it. In the lower levels, Ezra walks on with Old Master. He explains that Inquisitors are his enemy. The Old Master explains that the Sith murdered his brother, Savage Opress, killed by Sidious in the Clone Wars episode “The Lawless.” He tells Ezra the knowledge inside the temple is the “key to destroying the Sith.” Chopper is flying into the temple to reach the TIE fighters used by the Inquisitors. He is nearly struck by the Inquisitor’s lightsaber, but Chopper enters the cockpit of the TIE Fighter when Kanan and Ahsoka arrive. Chopper takes control of the fighter’s blasters and knocks down the Inquisitior taken prisoner by Kanan. Ezra and the Old Master reach a wall, Ezra stretches out with the Force, but fails. The Old Master wants him to use his anger. Ezra snarls raising the wall with the Force as the Old Master goads him on, Darth Sidious-like. They combine their powers to enter further into the temple. The Old Master has lost his robes and it is clear that he is Darth Maul. The Old Master tries to remember his real name. He takes off his hood and says, “Now, I’m called Maul”!!! Kanan asks the Inquisitor how many more Inquisitors are there. Ahsoka figures out he is hunting someone else which the Inquisitor says, “A shadow.” Ezra wants the Old Master Maul to throw him across a chasm. He reaches the other side where there is a crystal. Ezra takes it and the temple begins to crumble.
The top of the pyramid opens and the Inquisitior deactivates the stun cuffs before they move on. Ezra is trapped in the moving pyramid. He leaps down and the Old master holds him with the Force. Ezra, Ahsoka, and the Inquisitior reach the wall. Chopper warsn about company, the Seventh Sister and the Fifth Brother. Old Master asks for the crystal, a Sith holocron, to be used only ba a Sith. The wall opens and Ezra runs up to see the battle. The Inquisitiors know that the shadow is Darth Maul. Maul activates his lightsaber and fights with the Inquisitors. All of the lightsabers are crossed and the Inquisitiors escape. Ahsoka knows Maul. Ezra shows Kanan the Sith holocron. Maul tells Ezra that the top of the pyramid will be activated by the holocron. Kanan tells Chopper they are in for a stay. They walk towards the pyramid when the Seventh Sister’s probe droid watches them. The Seventh Sister plays back the probe droid’s recording and knows they have the Sith holocron artifact. An elevator is revealed by Maul, he says the elevator only takes two. Kanan is knocked down by the Inquisitor and Ezra is about to fall when Maul and Ahsoka drive him off. Maul’s plan is to split up with Ezra and Ahsoka and Kanan on the other side. Mual and Ezra reach the top and have to fight the probe droids. The Seventh Sister is there and Maul charges after her. The Fifth Brother duels with Kanan and Ahsoka. Ezra duels with the Seventh Sister and Maul uses the Force to lift her up. Ezra refuses to kill her. Maul cuts her down with his lightsaber. Maul goes to help Kanan and Ahsoka while Ezra goes to place the holocron. Maul cuts down the Fifth Brother. Kanan shorts out the remaining Inquisitor, he tries to helicopter away, but his lightsaber is shorted and he falls to his death. Kanan is overcome by Maul who says Ezra is his apprentice and Ahsoka defends him.
Ahsoka has her dual lightsabers facing Maul who tells her that his apprentice is activating a battle station. Ezra gets to the top and holds out the holocron which floats to an obelisk. The holocron splits into pieces and activates into a female voice (Nika Futterman who voiced Asajj Ventress in the Clone Wars series) that questions Ezra. It says, “Knowledge is power” before bursting and sending a beam into the sky. Maul feels triumphant and continues the duel with Ahsoka. Kanan tries to recover and finds the helmet of a Temple Guard. Ahsoka leaves as Kanan is about to duel Darth Maul. He grabs Maul’s arm and throws him off of the pyramid. Chopper explains that there is a TIE fighter on the way. The voice continues promising “the power to destroy life.” Ezra runs and is blinded by Darth Vader on top of his TIE fighter as it lowers! Ezra activates his lightsaber and crosses it with Vader’s lightsaber. The Dark Lord shatters Ezra’s lightsaber. He is about to kill Ezra when Ahsoka taunts him. Ahoska says, “I’m no Jedi”! The most ultimate lightsaber duel begins with master vs. appretnice. Ezra tries to reach for the holocron, but is blasted back. Kanan appears in the Temple Guard helmet with Chopper. He says to combine their powers to get the holocron. Darth Vader uses the Force push to throw Ahsoka off of the pyramid. Kanan and Ezra struggle to disconnect the holocron. Chopper is ready with the Phantom. Vader Force pulls Ezra back, but Ahsoka appears and slices Vader! Anakin calls out to his apprentice, part of his face is revealed through the helmet. Vader says, “Then, you will die!” Ezra tries to race for them, but Ahsoka Force pushes him back and then crosses her blades to block Vader! The Phantom flies away as the pyramid writhes with energy and explodes! Kanan tells him, “It’s over.” The Phantom descends with a blond Kanan reuniting with Hera. Captain Rex knows that Ahsoka is gone. Maul flies away in a TIE fighter. Vader emerges wheezing, wounded, it is an incredible crescendo of music. Ezra has the Sith holocron. 10,000 lightsabers out of five!!!
