*This story contains spoilers to “Maul: Shadow Lord”.* 

Each year, Disney cashes in on the galactic success of the Star Wars franchise, and this year, they counted down to Star Wars Day (May the fourth) with the weekly release of “Maul: Shadow Lord,” which concluded on the fateful day. 

“Maul: Shadow Lord” rose to nearly every expectation set for it. Upon its initial release, the show shot up on the charts, dethroning “Star Wars: Rebels” (2014) as the highest-rated Star Wars show. The hand-painted environments gave the entire show a personal, human touch, which is especially important in a time of AI-riddled animation. The additional layers added onto the sound design clued us into the true nature of the relationship between lightsaber and force-wielder. 

Maul’s character goes through as much development as the production did, in part from the team behind the character. Sam Witwer has been Maul’s voice actor since “The Clone Wars” (2008), creating a complex character out of the fleeting scenes from Darth Maul’s introduction into the series. Witwer has carried this character for nearly two decades, and now shines in his own spotlight as Shadow Lord. 

The sheer volume of content from this franchise creates pressure on viewers to have caught up on decades’ worth of shows before diving into anything new, yet “Maul: Shadow Lord” gives viewers all they need to understand this character and his purpose. 

Once a loyal apprentice, to an agent of revenge, and now the angry retribution of the Empire. 

Darth Maul’s first appearance in the franchise gave episode one its name, “The Phantom Menace,” and since his supposed severing on Naboo, he has haunted the galaxy from regime change to regime change. Fans of Darth Maul believed him to be dead until his survival was revealed in the Cartoon Network animated show, “The Clone Wars”. 

Though did Darth Maul really survive getting cut in half, being attached to a mechanical spider-body, driven mad, saved by his brother, and reborn by the witches of his home planet Dathomir, only for that brother and everyone on Dathomir to be killed by the Sith lord he had once sworn allegiance to? No, he did not. 

Which is why, in this new show, he is just Maul, no Darth. He has cast aside his Sith allegiance, retained his thirst for vengeance, and recognized the true scourge of his life is not Kenobi, who chopped off Maul’s legs in the first movie of the prequels, but Darth Sidious, the one who stole him from Dathomir, tortured him, killed his brothers, and destroyed his home. 

For full context, Maul’s appearance in “The Clone Wars” is important going into the show. Maul’s trusty second-in-command, Rook Kast, shows another side of the Mandalorian culture, as well as what it means that two Dathomirian brothers are a part of the crew. (It means Maul went back to Dathomir looking for more brothers of his own.)

“Maul: Shadow Lord” picks up on Janix, during the dark days of the Empire – before Luke Skywalker defeats the Death Star, when crime syndicates run the urban planets, and Inquisitors are puppets of the Sith. 

Maul is on his typical revenge journey, still ingrained in the traditional Sith teachings that call for a master and an apprentice. Maul’s been on this journey for power, bringing these galactic criminal networks into a single shadow collective, all the while looking for a worthy student to help him destroy his old master, Darth Sidious, or Supreme Emperor Palpatine. 

His brother, Savage, was killed. Ahsoka turned him down. Ezra didn’t work out. Maybe this time, he’ll find an ally in Devon Izara, a Twi’lek padawan learner in hiding with her master. Fans of the Legacies era are frothing at the mouth, waiting for Devon to end up as the shrouded Darth Talon, but Disney excludes these stories from canon. Are they setting up a revival of old content? It wouldn’t be the first time. 

Maul has shifted from his quest for revenge against Kenobi, setting his eyes on Emperor Palpatine. For Maul, that means he can find common ground with the Jedi. But it doesn’t work out easily for him. 

There’s a deeper motivation to Maul’s actions; a deeper purpose driven into him by all he’s been through. For this purpose, the anger he holds for all he’s been through is explained in this new show. No longer is Maul this agent of revenge, but of protection – protection for all those murdered by Darth Sidious, for the young force-wielders manipulated by ruling power bases, and for his younger self. 

Devon Izara is Maul’s next hope for an apprentice, and while her Jedi master preaches pacificity and patience, Devon cannot help but feel restless with the constant running and hiding, knowing that they have the power to defeat the Empire. All of this is naught, however, because we already know how the empire falls. 

As the season concluded, we’re left with surprising characters, mourning one of the best droids, and awaiting the seed of Maul’s deceit to destroy his own plan. As for character development, Devon Izara had the most to lose – and lose it she does – before fully realizing her choice. Maul’s own actions in brewing her rage will be their downfall.  

Star Wars month continues with new releases and anniversaries. “The Mandalorian and Grogu” is out May 22, and “Maul: Shadow Lord” has already been confirmed for a second season. Witwer confirmed to fans that we shouldn’t be waiting too long for that. 

**Mavrie has been serving as editor for the ThunderWord since 2024. She is also the founding president of Highline’s Non-fiction Writers Circle.**