Another Thread motivated me to go back at AOTC and watch the duel at the end several times. Now I think, even if it is not one of the very memorable duels in the prequels, its very well done.

 

I'm talking about all three parts here, Obi-Wan vs Dooku, Anakin vs Dooku and Yoda vs Dooku.

 

If someone wants to watch, here's the

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Here are the things that make it good, in my opinion.

 

1. Realistic sword fight: They aim for each others body. (Exept Yoda) they don't try to fight especially fast because it looks cool (Darth Maul, I'm looking at you). They pause several times. From what I know about real one on one fights, this is normal procedure: You start an attack and if it fails you pull back and wait a few moments before you start another one.

 

2. Emotion: Strange thing, since the characters doesn't show much of them during the fight. But they are acting like professionals here. As if they would really concentrate on the battle. Anakin at the beginning does his job well, he seems genuinly angry and uncontrolled. And after he returns to the fight, he tries to concentrate and keep controlled.

Obi-Wan seems really worried or even afraid. Especially when Anakin attacks without him and when Dooku goes into offensive stance.

Dooku is arrogant at first. Most of the time he doesn't really show it, but look at his face before he incapacitates Obi-Wan. He enjoys being superior, but still remains calm like a professional dualist. Later, when he and Yoda test their strength, he has some "Oh crap!"-moments. But he tries to hide them from Yoda.

 

3. Dooku is still much of a Jedi. During the fight he doesn't aim to kill. He incapacitates his opponents and is very good at it. (Instead of Anakins arm, he could easily have cut off his head.) So probably as a Jedi dualist he learned it and practiced it for years. Now, as Sith, his fightingstyle is still that of a Jedi.

But of course it is only his fighting style and reflexes. After he has incapacitated Obi-Wan he tries to deliver the killing blow without hesitating.

 

4. The contest with Yoda seems to be a real show off. Dooku starts with weak force attacks, followed by stronger and stronger ones. Remember, Yoda was his former master. He wants to show him how powerful he has become and how powerful the dark side is.

And it's the reverse during the lightsaber-fight. Yoda has a huge disadvantage with his small lightsaber, but I guess he could Force-pwen Dooku every second. But he has hope for him and therefor tries to play according to Dooku's rules (who wants a lightsaber duel). He wants Dooku to acknowledge his defeat and surrender. (There is a scene where Yoda is awefully close to Dooku's head, but he doesn't chop it off.)

 

In the end of course Dooku finds a way out which isn't exactly fair. And at the end Yoda knows that he is responsible for letting Dooku go.

 

 

So on the surface it seems to be one of the more boring fights (except for Yoda), but there is so much going on below it. What do you think about it?

It wasn't boring at all and Dooku's escape was pivotal to Palpatine's plan. Dooku knew he had a bigger purpose to serve and that standing around fighting Yoda could hinder that.

It wasn't boring at all and Dooku's escape was pivotal to Palpatine's plan. Dooku knew he had a bigger purpose to serve and that standing around fighting Yoda could hinder that.

 

Yeah. When I watched it as a child or teen (not long ago), I thought it was boring compared to Maul's. Now I think differently