Star Wars’ Risky New Era Just Crowned the Next Luke Skywalker

Disney recently teased and subsequently revealed the first trailer for Star Wars: Maul - Shadow Lord, a Disney+ animated series that will be releasing two episodes a week, beginning with its premiere on April 6 and ending with 10 total episodes on May 4. Star Wars: Maul - Shadow Lord has a lot riding on its shoulders; for instance, it has to follow Andor: A Star Wars Story’s climactic second season, and it’s also following Disney’s animated Clone Wars show, which is arguably one of the most beloved pieces of Star Wars content out there.

Likewise, it’s interesting that Star Wars would dedicate a 10-episode show to a legacy character like Maul, even if he’s certainly one of the most memorable and best Star Wars villains. This choice seemingly determines how influential Maul is as a character in Star Wars’ gargantuan mythology, and the art/animation style of Star Wars: Maul - Shadow Lord, enhanced as it may be, is further proof of how special The Clone Wars is. In this sense, it’s easy to see how Maul may have quietly become Star Wars’ next Luke Skywalker.

Luke Skywalker is Star Wars’ Cash Cow

Star Wars has been unable to divorce its storytelling from Luke and the Skywalker family since it was conceived in Episode 4 - A New Hope in 1977. Indeed, even the sequel trilogy relied wholly on a mystery involving siblings Luke and Leia in pivotal roles, and Luke has made multiple cameos in Disney+ shows taking place after Episode 6 - Return of the Jedi.

He’s the legacy character with whom the series started, and it was thrilling to watch him become a Jedi trained by Yoda on Dagobah and finally refuse to strike down his father, who had become the villainous, dark-side-fueled Darth Vader. However, several other legacy characters had far less screen time and have managed to persevere with a ton of popularity via fans’ love for them or a new movie or series that helped propel their character further than ever before.

If nothing else, Star Wars: Maul - Shadow Lord is proof that Star Wars is putting all its eggs in the double-bladed-lightsaber-wielding Dathomirian as he “plans to rebuild his criminal syndicate on the world of Janix.” Here, it will be neat to have a story told from Maul’s perspective, his appearances in projects that take place later in the timeline foreshadow how his efforts are rewarded in Star Wars: Maul - Shadow Lord.

​​​​​​​The Clone Wars Made Maul the Villain He is Today

Maul would arguably be nowhere near as iconic as he is today if it wasn’t for Star Wars: The Clone Wars, but the same can be said about many legacy characters who had brilliant designs and fleeting screen time in the original or prequel trilogy. Boba Fett, for example, made a massive impression in Star Wars: Episode 5 - The Empire Strikes Back and Star Wars: Episode 6 - Return of the Jedi, despite having few lines and seemingly being eaten by a sarlacc on Tatooine in the latter movie.

It wouldn’t be until Season 4 of Star Wars: The Clone Wars that Maul appears, when his brother, Savage Opress, discovers him and the robotic spider-like legs he’s fashioned for himself on the garbage planet, or ‘Junk World,’ of Lotho Minor. Part of what makes Maul’s portrayal so arresting in Star Wars: The Clone Wars is Sam Witwer’s incredible acting, though the thorough character development that Maul is given in the show is equally superb.

Shadow Lord is a Glimpse at Star Wars’ Future

Now, Star Wars: Maul - Shadow Lord is set one year after the events of Star Wars: The Clone Wars. This means it will preclude his surprising cameo appearance in Solo: A Star Wars Story, where Maul was leading Star Wars’ Crimson Dawn criminal syndicate, as well as Star Wars Rebels, obviously, as the series depicts his graceful, poignant death at the hands of Obi-Wan on Tatooine.

Star Wars: Maul - Shadow Lord will flesh out a compelling chapter in Maul’s life, not to mention Star Wars’ rich timeline, and the show itself is sure to make the character even more popular than he already is. Ironically, there might not be many more opportunities for Maul to make appearances in later Star Wars projects with what seems to be his complete timeline and saga mapped out.

Who knows? If Star Wars: Maul - Shadow Lord is received well enough, perhaps fans will see a prequel to Episode 1 - The Phantom Menace starring Maul that is pursued in order to explore the character further. Either way, all the pieces are in place for Star Wars: Maul - Shadow Lord to thrive in 2026, and this goes to show how adored Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels are, too.