The Battle on Mustafar between Obi-Wan Kenobi and a wayward Anakin Skwalker is one of the most infamous and pivotal lightsaber duels in Star Wars history, containing one of Kenobi's most memorable lines: "It's over Anakin! I have the high ground!" Shortly after these words, Obi-Wan defeated Anakin.

The infamous quote and scene may be easy to overlook as just another piece of the storyline, but it may actually be much more than that. Reddit user u/SainttecWalker theoriezed how Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi learned about the high ground from his duel with the Sith assassin, Darth Maul in Star Wars: The Phantom MenaceAccording to the theory, Obi-Wan's high ground line was in reference to his defeat of Maul. In this battle, Maul had the high ground, and as Obi-Wan was hanging from a shaft overlooking an endless pit of darkness, he quietly gathered his strength and used the Force to leap out of the pit, shocking his adversary and defeating him. This duel would foreshadow the pivotal and emotional battle between the Jedi Master and his former Padawan turned Sith Lord, Anakin Skywalker.

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Obi-Wan's defeat over Maul was made all the more impressive, as Maul was the first Sith Lord the galaxy to have been seen in a thousand years. Thus, Obi-Wan cemented himself among the ranks of the Jedi Order's most skilled dualists. Obi-Wan was a practitioner of the Form III, or Soresu, form of lightsaber combat which focused on defense and resilience rather than offense. The combat style allowed the user to hold their ground and eventually tire out their opponent until they became overconfident and made a mistake. Throughout Star Wars franchise, this form of combat helped Obi-Wan defeat such enemies as Darth Maul, General Grievous, and in Revenge of the Sith, his apprentice Anakin Skywalker.

In their post, u/SainttecWalker wrote that throughout Obi-Wan's countless retellings of the battle to eager Jedi, Anakin listened with rapt attention while Obi-Wan himself couldn't help but think of all the different ways the battle could have ended. In his head, he carefully analyzed alternative outcomes of the battle such as Maul impaling the Jedi when he attempted his jump, or Obi-Wan losing the battle due to exhaustion from the jump and his use of Force conjuration. As Obi-Wan developed his skills in Form III, he would torment himself with all the ways Maul could have countered his attack. He realized the most horrifying outcome of the battle ended with Maul severing Obi-Wan's fighting hand and legs as he twisted in midair after making the jump from the pit.

Related: Star Wars: Darth Vader Confirms Why Anakin TRULY Hated Obi-Wan

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This realization became a reality during Obi-Wan's fierce battle with Anakin on the volcanic surfaces of the planet Mustafar, which began in the control of the small planet's facility and ended with the former Master and Apprentice dueling on a scrap of metal floating down a river of molten lava.  As the metal neared a lavafall, Obi-Wan leapt from the raft onto an embankment of gravel. He knew that Anakin would attempt to jump from the raft over Obi-Wan and perform the once successful tactic he used against Darth Maul. The Master insisted that he had the high ground, but Anakin, too angered and overconfident to forfeit the battle, ignored Obi-Wan's pleas. The enraged fallen Jedi leapt into the air, and as he somersaulted over the man he once called "brother," Obi-Wan activated his blade and severed Anakin's fighting hand and his legs. The horrifying conclusion of the duel eerily resembled Obi-Wan's battle with Maul years prior and what could have become of Obi-Wan had he not been as skilled.

The "high ground" is heavily memed in pop culture, but this theory suggests that it's more than just a throwaway line. Obi-Wan saw the tragic conclusion of the duel even before Anakin made the jump thanks to his battle against Maul.  The jump attack he performed in The Phantom Menace prepared Obi-Wan in ways he couldn't have imagined, and in the desperate and fierce battle against Anakin, Obi-Wan performed the move Maul should have on Naboo many years prior.

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