In the Star Wars galaxy, the phrase ‘no one’s ever really gone’ applies more to some characters than others, particularly Maul (). This relentless antagonist continues to reappear and reinvent himself long after appearing to meet his demise. Despite being severed in half during , he miraculously endured (thanks to cybernetic spider legs) and returned to cause chaos in The Clone Wars. While he has flourished in Star Wars’ animated series, and even after meeting his ultimate end in Rebels, he made yet another brief appearance in the live-action prequel Solo: A Star Wars Story.
While Lucasfilm jumps around the Star Wars timeline to address various canonical gaps, Maul’s personal timeline becomes increasingly complex to track. However, this former Sith Lord offers an opportunity to explore certain underexamined periods, such as the Empire’s peak. Although series like The Bad Batch and Andor have helped illuminate this obscure historical period, we’ll soon experience this era from Maul’s perspective.
More than 25 years after his debut in The Phantom Menace, Maul is finally receiving his own standalone story. Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord was unveiled at last year’s Star Wars Celebration Japan, where attendees were treated to an exclusive preview. Based on early reports, the series takes place between The Clone Wars and Solo, the latter having established him as head of the Crimson Dawn crime syndicate.
Shadow Lord’s first official trailer, which depicts Maul’s emergence in the aftermath of Order 66, provides additional details. The series will not only explore his rise to leadership of Crimson Dawn and his efforts to unify a splintered galactic criminal network, but also introduce his new apprentice. The Twi’lek partner he recruits looks remarkably similar to , a Sith character from non-canonical comics. Though this character originally belonged to the New Republic era, Shadow Lord will reimagine her backstory for the Age of the Empire. This intriguing decision should prevent this interquel from merely repeating familiar aspects of Maul’s narrative.
Armed with a fresh mission and a new apprentice, Maul has once again found renewed purpose. While we know the ultimate conclusion of his story, there remains much to discover about this popular antagonist.