Before ‘Maul: Shadow Lord’ Premieres, Make Sure To Watch This 10/10 Series That Elevated Star Wars

Everyone’s favorite Sith is returning to the small screen, thanks to Dave Filoni’s newest animated series, Star Wars: Maul — Shadow Lord. When Darth Maul first appeared in Star Wars: The Phantom Menace, he sparked some fascination until his apparent death. Maul eventually returned, voiced by Sam Witwer, and he took flight in the animated series of shows. Witwer will reprise his role as Maul in Shadow Lord, which takes place after the fall of the Empire. The Sith tries to make his way in the galaxy by returning to what he knows best — the criminal underworld.

Maul’s return is exciting, especially in light of the rumors that the new Twi’lek character will be the infamous Darth Talon, but this is far from the first time the Sith has made a splash. Maul rose to his potential in what is considered the best Star Wars venture of all time – Star Wars Rebels. A follow-up to the successful animated series The Clone Wars, Rebels features original characters that don’t fall under the Skywalker umbrella.

Before the rebellion became a full-fledged operation, the crew of the Ghost did what it could to support the cause. Led by pilot Hera (Vanessa Marshall) and Kanan Jarrus (Freddie Prinze Jr.), who escaped Order 66 when he was just a Padawan, the duo adopts wayward souls who end up being instrumental in the rebellion. At the center of it all is Ezra Bridger (Taylor Gray), an orphan on the planet Lothal who discovers his potential to be a Jedi Knight. These characters return in the live-action series Ahsoka, but no show can compare to the masterclass of storytelling in Rebels.

Maul Comes Full Circle in ‘Rebels’

When Obi-Wan (Ewan McGregor) first bisected Darth Maul in The Phantom Menace, it seemed unlikely that he would return, let alone become a fan favorite character in the world of Star Wars. Dave Filoni brought back the character and revealed his tragic origin on Dathomir, which led to him being Darth Sidious’ apprentice. His return at the end of Season 1 of Rebels further developed the character as he became tied to Ezra’s development as a Jedi.

Up until this point, Ezra had been directly under Kanan’s supervision, but the two had started to chafe. These two members of the Ghost crew and Ahsoka travel to Malachor at Yoda's instruction to find hidden knowledge. During their journey, they run into Maul, whose arrival was suspicious to say the least. He is driven by revenge against Darth Vader, which aligns him with the Jedi for a time. Even so, he uses the division between Ezra and Kanan to his advantage. Ezra becomes easily seduced by the concepts of the Sith and looks to Maul as a sort of mentor.

Separated from Kanan and Ahsoka, Ezra discovers that he and Maul share more similarities than he expects. Maul was a victim of the Empire, just like Ezra and other Jedi. The Empire killed Maul’s brother and manipulated Maul into becoming a weapon. He ultimately survived the battle on Naboo but was rejected by his Master. Ezra can understand this, as the Empire that had colonized his planet. The young Jedi ultimately accepts Kanan as his master and rejects the ways of the Sith, but Maul’s character development remains powerful.

Maul is a consistent character in the series, eventually understanding that he, unlike the rest of the Jedi, was used as a pawn in a centuries-long conflict. This character development makes Maul fascinating, and one that fans are excited about in his own series. Maul’s trials in Rebels are just one reason it is so highly regarded in the Star Wars universe.

Network Disney Channel

Franchise(s) Star Wars