Although his status among the best Star Wars villains is already assured, Darth Maul getting his own series allows us to see more of his backstory, and will unquestionably add new dimensions to a character who’s been underserved by his all-too-brief tenure as a live-action antagonist. Maul – Shadow Lord will elevate this franchise icon to new heights.
The show will be the fourth time Star Wars resurrects Maul since his apparent death in the first prequel movie, The Phantom Menace, drawing inevitable comparisons with the slasher villains who prove themselves to be immortal across decades-long film franchises. In fact, there are two slasher villains in particular that form the basis for Maul’s return this time around.
Darth Maul Is Returning To Star Wars After 6 Years
As the latest Star Wars trailer for Maul – Shadow Lord illustrates, this animated series is going to be an especially dark affair, rooted in the traditions of neo-noir crime series, as well as previous depictions of its protagonist, and the franchise’s evil Galactic Empire. The show sees Darth Maul regrouping his forces on the planet Janix.
At the same time, he’ll be mentoring a young Jedi apprentice on the ways of the dark side. Devon Izara is the most important new Star Wars character to be introduced in Maul – Shadow Lord, but she won’t be the only one, as police detective Brander Lawson will serve as Maul’s principal antagonist.
This series is the first time we’ll have seen Darth Maul onscreen since season seven of The Clone Wars, when he was defeated by Ahsoka Tano. In some senses, his stewardship of Devon Izara will mirror his attempts to bring Ahsoka onside during their brief alliance.
Halloween’s Michael Myers & Friday The 13th’s Jason Voorhees Inspired Maul’s Return
The decision to resurrect Darth Maul as a villainous protagonist in Maul – Shadow Lord was directly inspired by arguably the two best slasher villains of all time. Halloween’s Michael Myers and Friday the 13th’s Jason Voorhees both somehow manage to return from the dead at least five times during their respective franchises.
In an interview with IGN last April, Lucasfilm’s vice-president Athena Portillo explained she discussed the ability of Myers and Voorhees to cheat death despite repeatedly sustaining seemingly fatal injuries with her company’s animation team, when outlining the brief for Maul’s revival. Portillo recounted these conversations as follows:
“My joke for the Lucasfilm Animation team is it’s kind of like Michael Meyers or like Jason Voorhees. Like you keep killing them, but they keep coming back. There is that threat that’s there, right? I mean, it’s Star Wars, right? So Darth Maul has passed away so many times, but he does keep coming back.”
For many Star Wars fans, Darth Maul has always felt like the ultimate horror villain. His striking facial features, horned head, and intimidating screen presence make him arguably the most terrifying character in the franchise. Athena Portillo drawing direct comparisons between Maul, Michael Myers, and Jason Voorhees feels like vindication for the characters after years of underappreciation.
Maul Needs More Live-Action Appearances To Become An All-Time Great Horror Villain
Incredibly, Darth Maul will break Luke Skywalker’s Star Wars record for total franchise screentime during the course of Maul – Shadow Lord. Yet, unlike Luke, most of his minutes onscreen have come in animated form.
If Michael Myers and Jason Voorhees had appeared in their respective franchises primarily as cartoons – albeit beautifully crafted CGI cartoons – they wouldn’t strike nearly as much fear into horror audiences as they do today. For Maul to become a truly iconic horror villain, we need to see him in the flesh beyond his appearance in The Phantom Menace.
As his fleeting holographic cameo in Solo: A Star Wars Story demonstrated, there is further potential for bringing Darth Maul back in live-action movies and series. Since Maul – Shadow Lord will put his significance to the Star Wars franchise beyond doubt, the show will surely put the question of Maul’s live-action return at the forefront of fan conversations.
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- Created by
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George Lucas
- First Film
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Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope
- Cast
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Mark Hamill, James Earl Jones, David Prowse, Carrie Fisher, Harrison Ford, Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, Ian McDiarmid, Ewan McGregor, Rosario Dawson, Lars Mikkelsen, Rupert Friend, Moses Ingram, Frank Oz, Pedro Pascal
- TV Show(s)
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The Mandalorian, Andor, Obi-Wan Kenobi, The Book of Boba Fett, Ahsoka, The Acolyte, Star Wars: Skeleton Crew, Lando, Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Star Wars Rebels, Star Wars: The Bad Batch, Star Wars: Resistance, Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures, Star Wars: Visions
- Movie(s)
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Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace, Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones, Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith, Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope, Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back, Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi, Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens, Star Wars: Episode VIII – The Last Jedi, Star Wars: Episode IX- The Rise of Skywalker, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Solo: A Star Wars Story, Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Star Wars: Dawn of the Jedi, Star Wars: New Jedi Order
- Character(s)
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Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, Rey Skywalker, Emperor Palpatine / Darth Sidious, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Ahsoka Tano, Grand Admiral Thrawn, Grand Inquisitor, Reva (The Third Sister), The Fifth Brother, The Seventh Sister, The Eighth Brother, Yoda, Din Djarin, Grogu, Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader, Leia Organa, Ben Solo/Kylo Ren
Star Wars is a multimedia franchise that started in 1977 by creator George Lucas. After the release of Star Wars: Episode IV- A New Hope (originally just titled Star Wars), the franchise quickly exploded, spawning multiple sequels, prequels, TV shows, video games, comics, and much more. After Disney acquired the rights to the franchise, they quickly expanded the universe on Disney+, starting with The Mandalorian.
