Full Series Darth Maul in Star Wars Rebels

Vader was not holding back at all - Filoni was crystal clear on that. Ahsoka was a living reminder of what he once was and lost - Vader was like the enraged OT fan smashing all his R2-D2 figures after being hit with [insert TPM/TLJ/[whatever other]]. He wanted her gone.

That's a long way from "newbie in experience" which is what I was responding to. Katooni and Petro in the Gathering Arc - those were newbies. Ahsoka and TPM Obi-Wan were not.

 

It makes sense to me that Ahsoka would be able to hold her own against Vader for a while, for the same reason I bought Obi-Wan being able to defeat Vader in ROTS. The Master-Apprentice dynamic allows them to learn and adapt to each others fighting styles in a way far surpassing any other Jedi or Sith they might face. It's not just a matter of skill, but how well you know your opponent and we have every reason to think both Obi-Wan and Ahsoka knows Vader very well (Granted the former would have the advantage of facing him as he was, and not after nearly two decades of refinement but its still the same principle).

Ahsoka can hold her own, but Vader still intended to, would have, could have (And in my own opinion should have), killed her.
It was a truly amazing fight, and I don't think for a second that Vader was holding back.

 

Maul Jordan. He may be old and rusty, but he was once one of the best in the universe.

 

Then he played golf and baseball and spent his days out of the public eye spending his eleventy-kazillion space credits.

 

Strange? not at all. Star Wars villains are very interesting.