Darth Maul’s true motivations will be revealed in the newStar Warsanimated show,Maul: Shadow Lord. The show was announced atStar Wars Celebration 2025, as Dave Filoni outlined a series of upcoming shows and movies that will continue to flesh out this expansive universe. In his own series, Maul (Sam Witwer) will star at the head of a gang of criminals, as he works to undermine the Empire in the years following thetragedy of Order 66. All that will come while Maul trains a Sith apprentice of his own in the art of the Dark Side.
AtStar WarsCelebration, whereScreenRant’s Ash Crossan interviewed Witwer, he discussed exactly what would set this show apart from other Maul appearances. Rather than featuring him as a side character or as a secondary villain, the show will detailjust how much Maul’s life changedafter the rise of the Empire. Having lived in a time of Jedi Knights and magic, Maul is forced to adjust to a world in which the Jedi “are gone,” along with all the “magic and the life and the color” of the galaxy. Check out his quote below:
But Maul is a classically trained force user who came from a time of knights and dragons and magic, and now he’s seeing an empire that is sucking the magic and the life and the color out of the galaxy. Maul knew that Empire was coming and he was working for it for a while with Palpatine. Now that he sees it, how does he feel about it and how does he feel about a world where his sworn enemy, the Jedi Knights, are gone?How does he feel about the Jedi now?How does he feel about his whole life? That is basically where we start the series.
What This Means For Maul’s Character
Maul May Begin To Reconsider His Legacy
Unfortunately, many of the questions about Maul’s perspective on the Jedi have already been answered, given his appearances inStar Wars: Rebels. As a devoted servant to theDark Side of the Force, Maul always felt the need to fuel himself with his vengeance, hatred, and the passionate fury that the Dark Side encourages. After the destruction of the Jedi, however, the loss of his sworn enemy left little room for Maul to continue to explore that deep-seated hatred. He sought to kill Obi-Wan Kenobi inStar Wars: Rebels, but his dying moments saw himseeking vengeance against Palpatineinstead.
Maul is the son of a Nightsisters leader, which meant that he was exposed to magic at a young age.
The desire to kill Palpatine andother Sith Lords, rather than the Jedi, representsa shift in Maul’s motivations, and it was never fully explored inRebels. He certainly disliked Palpatine for abandoning him to recruit another apprentice, but the story never detailed his long-term reaction to the initial destruction of the Jedi. This new series can offer a detailed look at Maul’s personality, motives, and desires, which can help to further flesh out his character. His apprentice should also reveal a new side of his character, though he did attempt to train Ezra Bridger inRebels.
Our Take On Maul: Shadow Lord’s Premise
Many Questions Have Already Been Answered
Maul’s full story has not been explored in depth, but many of these questions have been implied, even if not fully answered. Maul witnessed the destruction of the Jedi and continually worked against Palpatine’s interests, while seeking vengeance against his old master. To fuel himself, Maul apparently redirected his hatred at the Sith, which likely helped to keep him alive and alight with the Dark Side’s power.Maul: Shadow Lordis a fun premise for a story, but the questions are not necessarily difficult to answer. Fortunately, his popularity should ensure that it remains successful even without difficult questions.
