Star Wars Officially Confirms Maul's Status After 27 Years

Although appearing only briefly in the Star Wars movies, Maul, with his visually striking red skin, black tattoos, and horns, alongside an acrobatic fighting style using a double-bladed lightsaber, has certainly never been considered forgettable. His battle with Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi was one of the most talked-about moments of The Phantom Menace, but many viewers believed him to be dead after being sliced in half. To be fair, that's a tough injury for anyone to recover from (near-impossible, some would say), but fans of the franchise who have seen the television shows knew that Maul still had a part to play.

However, although more of his life is explored in these shows (namely Rebels and The Clone Wars), he remained a somewhat removed figure for fans. Undeniably a villain, and one with a tragic past at that, but he was someone who didn't feel as important to the story despite how deeply involved he was in multiple aspects of the galactic underworld. This changed with the release of Star Wars: Maul - Shadow Lord, which confirms his cleverness and danger while also highlighting surprising emotional complexity. The show made him more sympathetic, and that is the genius of it. This intricacy, paired with the manipulation tactics that paid off in the final episode, makes him one of the most underrated villains in the Star Wars universe.

Maul's Tragic Past Fuels His Strength and Battle Prowess

Taken by Darth Sidious as a child, Maul was trained and tortured to be the perfect tool. He did everything his master asked of him, and yet, it still wasn't enough. He was just a pawn to be discarded when someone stronger came along. Maul has been betrayed, maimed, and gone mad, and those he cared for (his mother and brother) were murdered. As multiple shows portray, revenge is everything to him.

Due to this, he cannot escape his suffering because pain and rage fuel his power, and power is needed for revenge. This is the way of the dark side, using anger as ammunition for power. Maul says as much in Maul - Shadow Lord, when he tries to convince Devon Izara that she needs to rely on anger in order to be strong enough to achieve her goals.

To Maul, aggression and physical strength are core to his fighting style, but his skills are often underrated when it comes to great duelists in Star Wars. Proficient in multiple fighting forms, Maul mainly uses Juyo, a violent, chaotic form designed to overwhelm opponents quickly, prioritizing offense over defense. He also uses Teräs Käsi, a technique originally developed to fight Jedi, in which complete mastery over one's body can lead to powerful strikes in close or hand-to-hand combat (often seen in his kicks).

Additionally, Maul is extremely clever, using the Force to manipulate the land around him to his advantage and having an intense focus that allows him to read his opponents. This is what allowed him to escape Darth Vader in the final episode of Maul - Shadow Lord, despite his previous injuries.

His past might have scarred him beyond measure, but it also showed him how to observe people, withstand pain, and gain control of situations, rather than let himself be controlled again.

Maul's Emotional Complexity Fascinates Star Wars Fans

It has already been made clear in previous shows that Maul is intelligent and mentally strong enough to survive seemingly insurmountable events. But his storylines felt a bit one-note, since there wasn't much to know about Maul beyond his backstory, strength, and desire for revenge. However, Maul - Shadow Lord showed fans that there's more to how he thinks and what he believes.

In particular, two large insights into Maul's mind stand out. One is the revelation that he actually understands where Devon is coming from regarding her reluctance to accept the dark side. During a discussion, he points out that they have more in common than she thinks, as they've both been controlled and betrayed by institutions designed to keep certain people in power.

Maul believes less that the battle is between light and dark, and more that it is between the Jedi and the Sith. To him, both are organizations to take revenge on, and he uses the dark side to do so, believing it is the stronger force. He's aware of the pitfalls and how the dark side has caused pain for him and others, but views it as a necessary evil.

The other insight into his mind is a bit misleading. It features a scene in which appalling moments from his past are shown, and he tearfully tries to comfort the young version of himself. In this moment, he claims that he won't let Sidious hurt anyone else. This statement is fascinating because, at face value, it's easy to interpret it as a moment where Maul transitions from a villain to an anti-hero.

But, based on his manipulative actions in the final episode (as well as a very long list of previous misdeeds), this doesn't seem to be the case. It is more likely that Maul is specifically talking about the people in his life that he cares about, rather than the universe as a whole. In either case, the scene shows fans that the depth of Maul's emotions is much more profound than previously believed.

There Are Ironic Similarities Between Maul and Darth Sidious

For as much as Maul curses Sidious and vows revenge on him, it's clear that the former master shaped Maul in his image. Both are powerful and clever, knowing how to use politics to sway opinions and get what they want. They also both insist that one can only be at their strongest when fueled by rage — although, as said, Maul views the dark side as more of a means to an end, rather than a strong system of belief.

The most ironic similarity is how they treat their apprentices. Maul, a former apprentice of Sidious, believes that he was manipulated, used, and abandoned by his master. But, Maul - Shadow Lord shows that Maul himself uses similar manipulation tactics in order to ensnare a new apprentice in Devon Izara. He pretends to leave the choice up to her, but slowly puts doubt into her mind while showing her the power of the dark side.

Then, his actions lead to her Jedi Masters' death (although she isn't aware of this), which pushes Devon into Maul's orbit as an apprentice in need of a new master. Maul achieves exactly what he wants — a powerful pawn that he can use in his own quest for vengeance. Does any of this sound familiar? It should, because Sidious employed similar tactics to turn Anakin Skywalker into Darth Vader.

Maul does show more remorse than Sidious when his followers perish, but these feelings have little bearing on his actions. They do, however, make him vastly more fascinating as a character and as a villain than formerly believed.

Both Darth Vader and Sidious, as Emperor Palpatine, are two of the most famous villains in media history. Maul, while one of the more visually striking villains in film and television, has never ranked amongst the top. Based on prior television shows and movies, it's easy to see why this would be the case.

But Star Wars: Maul - Shadow Lord shows viewers how strong and layered Maul's character and journey truly are. Although some fans might try to make a case that he's more of an anti-hero than a villain due to his tragic past, his actions in the show (in addition to previous show and movie appearances) prove that Maul is undoubtedly an antagonist. But he's not just a "bad guy," he's actually one of the most underrated villains in all of Star Wars.