Darth Sidious' former apprentice,Darth Maul, has led a turbulent life in theStar Warsfranchise. Despite his seemingly premature death inStar Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace, Maul has had a major impact onStar Wars’Skywalker saga era storytelling, influencing not only Anakin Skywalker’s life but the lives of several prominent Jedi – including Obi-Wan Kenobi, Ahsoka Tano, Ezra Bridger, and Kanan Jarrus – as well as the Jedi Order as a whole and the entirety of Mandalore. He was never far from the action, hidden in the shadows.
Maul was always driven by his rage; it helped him survive and facilitate his dastardly plans, making him a formidable adversary not just for the Jedi, but Darth Sidious, too. Maul’s jealousy, anger, and lust for vengeance affected everyone.If not for Darth Maul, the galaxy might have turned out very differently.
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Darth Maul’s Dathomiri Origin Explained
Darth Maul is a Zabrak male fromthe planet Dathomir. Dathomir is a Force-rich planet, populated by the Zabrak and the Nightsisters, a coven of Force-sensitive witches.Maul’s mother was Mother Talzin, the leader and most powerful ofthe Dathomirian Nightsisters. At some point, Sidious took Maul as his young apprentice, betraying Talzin in the process. Maul left two brothers behind. One was named Feral, and the other was Savage Oppress, who had a significant role in Maul’s Clone Wars era story.
Though not much is known about Maul’s childhood on Dathomir in canon, James Luceno’sStar WarsLegends novelDarth Plagueisrevealed that Maul was essentially given to Palpatine by his mother – not Talzin – as a small child, as his power with the Force and the dark side was clear from an early age. In Legends, Palpatine sends Maul to Mustafar to immerse him fully in the dark side.
Darth Maul’s Apprenticeship To Sidious
Very little has been revealed about the early years of Maul’s apprenticeship with Darth Sidious in canon, buthe was raised to hate the Jedi and eagerly awaited the destruction of the Jedi Order at the hands of his Master.When the time finally came to reveal the presence of the Sith, as depicted inThe Phantom Menace, Sidious sent Maul out to assassinate Naboo’s Queen Amidala, trailing Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi while they were protecting her. Though Maul was unable to defeat Qui-Gon in the deserts of Tatooine, he would later succeed during the invasion of Naboo.
In what is probably one of the most celebrated lightsaber duels inStar Warshistory, Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan, and Darth Maul fought one another valiantly, until Maul eventually killed Qui-Gon Jinn.Obi-Wan, fueled by his grief, managed to slice Maul in half in returnand push him down the planet’s core, never to be seen again – or so the Jedi thought.
How Darth Maul Came Back From The Dead
The Clone Wars were a dangerous time for the Jedi, made all the more dangerous by the re-emergence of Maul (formerly Darth). The Nightsisters, including Asajj Ventress and Mother Talzin, were determined to get revenge against Count Dooku, Sidious’ new apprentice. Talzin commanded Maul’s brother, Savage, to locate Maul, which he eventually did, finding him buried beneath a trash heap on the junk planet Lotho Minor.
Darth Maul’s Death & Resurrection Foreshadowed Palpatine’s In The Best Possible Way
Palpatine’s return was controversial, but seeing as it hinges on a key Phantom Menace parallel, Maul’s return actually foreshadows it perfectly.
Maul had survived all that time, fueled solely by his anger towards Obi-Wan Kenobi and a diet of refuse and vermin. During his isolation, Maul had seemingly lost his mind, having built spider legs for himself from the surrounding garbage. When Savage brought Maul back to Dathomir, Talzin gave him new legs and restored his mind, and Maul vowed to take revenge against Kenobi, Sidious, and the rest of the galaxy, taking Savage on as his own Sith apprentice.
Darth Maul’s Clone Wars & Dark Times Career
As a duo, Maul and Savage were prolific, targeting and allying with Separatist-affiliated groups and criminal organizations like Mandalore’s Death Watch, Black Sun, and the Pyke Syndicate,creating a new crime ring called the Shadow Collective. With the backing of the Shadow Collective, they took over Mandalore; Maul’s match with Death Watch leader Pre Vizsla resulted in total control of the warrior planet. As Maul steadily built his power, he encountered and fought against Obi-Wan Kenobi multiple times, though he could never truly gain the upper hand.
In a fit of rage, Maul killed the love of Obi-Wan’s life, the Mandalorian Duchess Satine Kryze. In light of everything he had done, this was probably Maul’s cruelest act yet.
This frustrated Maul to no end, and in a fit of rage,Maul killed the love of Obi-Wan’s life, the Mandalorian Duchess Satine Kryze. In light of everything he had done, this was probably Maul’s cruelest act yet. Little did Maul know, though, that killing Satine would alert Sidious to his former apprentice’s presence. The Sith Lord arrived on Mandalore, engaged Maul and Savage in a duel and killed Savage without mercy and tortured Maul, eventually taking him captive.
Though it’s unclear how Maul escaped Palpatine’s clutches,he eventually returned to Mandalore, kickstarting the siege of Mandalore with the hope of luring in Obi-Wan and Anakin Skywalker. By this point, Maul somehow knew what Palpatine’s plans were for Anakin, and Maul hoped to deprive the Sith Lord of his new apprentice, still fueled by his rage and rejection at Palpatine’s hands. Unfortunately for Maul, however, neither Obi-Wan nor Anakin showed up – instead, Satine’s sister, Bo-Katan Kryze, was aided during the siege by Anakin’s ex-Padawan, Ahsoka Tano.
Maul was still searching for a new apprentice after the loss of his brother, and offered to join forces with Ahsoka, pleading with her as a fellow former apprentice tossed aside by those who were supposed to teach them. Ahsoka refused, of course, and after an incredibly tense (and beautiful) duel, Ahsoka captured Maul for the Republic. The galaxy was about to change, though. Palpatine enacted Order 66 soon after.
The most recent comic series to feature Darth Maul isStar Wars: Darth Maul - Black, White & Red(2024).
Ahsoka released Maul as a diversion, allowing Maul and herself to escape. Though, as a Force-user, Maul was also in danger of being hunted by Vader’s Inquisitors and the clone troopers, he managed to survive during the early days of the Empire’s reign, andeventually re-built his criminal empire, renaming it Crimson Dawn. As revealed inSolo: A Star Wars Story, Maul operated his crime syndicate from Dathomir, commanding his enforcer Dryden Vos to do his dirty work. After Vos’ death, Maul continued to run Crimson Dawn with Vos’ right-hand woman, Qi’ra, as his new enforcer.
Darth Maul’s Star Wars Rebels Plan
Between the events ofSolo: A Star Wars StoryandStar Wars Rebels, Maul absconded to the planet Malachor. Though he was stranded there for years, he was eventually “rescued” by the young Jedi Padawan Ezra Bridger, whom Maul wanted to take on as his apprentice. Ezra was accompanied by Ahsoka Tano and Kanan Jarrus – who were surprised to see the former Sith, to say the least – and though Maul temporarily allied with them to fight off the Inquisitors, he soon turned on them to reveal his real plan.
Malachor was a former Sith planet, and it hid an ancient and incredibly powerful battle station, which Maul wanted to use to kill his enemies once and for all. He was thwarted by a newly blinded Kanan, Ezra, and Ahsoka, though, as Ezra took the Sith Holocron needed to activate the weapon. Maul fled when Darth Vader arrived on Malachor, stealing an Inquisitor’s ship. That wasn’t the end of Maul and Ezra’s manipulative dynamic, though. Far from it.
Darth Maul Essential Viewing List: All The Most Important Star Wars Movies & Episodes
Darth Maul is an iconic Star Wars antagonist, and his story now pans several movies and TV shows after returning from an early demise.
Soon after, Maul tracked down Ezra and the rest of the Ghost Crew. He took them hostage and forced Ezra to combine the Sith Holocron with a Jedi Holocron. This ritual was meant to provide them with answers, and they each caught a glimpse of a planet with twin suns. Later, Maul took Ezra to Dathomir to understand their shared vision, and what they discovered sent Maul spiraling.Obi-Wan Kenobi was still alive, safe and well on Tatooine, and he could finally get revenge.
After days of searching fruitlessly, Maul used his psychic connection with Ezra to lure him to Tatooine, hoping to draw Kenobi out of hiding. It worked, as Ezra believed Obi-Wan was supposed to be the one to destroy the Sith, and he was desperate to find him. Kenobi saved Ezra’s life and told him to go back to his friends, leaving him alone with a weakened yet no less angry Maul.
Darth Maul’s Death Shows He Never Moved Beyond His Past
Maul and Obi-Wan’s final duel on Tatooine is perhaps one of the most meaningful and symbolic duels in all ofStar Wars. Short and powerful, Maul even tried to use the same move he’d used to kill Qui-Gon against Obi-Wan, but by this point, Obi-Wan knew Maul better than anyone. He anticipated the move and struck a single killing blow against Maul instead, holding him in his arms as his old rival slowly slipped away.
Maul and Obi-Wan’s final duel on Tatooine is perhaps one of the most meaningful and symbolic duels in all ofStar Wars.
In his final moments, Maul asked if the person Kenobi was protecting on Tatooine was the Chosen One, and if he would bring an end to the Sith. Obi-Wan assured him he would, giving Maul a final moment of peace before he passed away. He’d hated Obi-Wan, but he hated Palpatine more, and knowing his old Sith Master would one day be destroyed was enough. All in all,Darth Maul’sStar Warsstoryis one of violence, rejection, hatred, and tragedy, but it makes him an all the more compelling character.
Darth Maul
Palpatine’s apprentice, Darth Maul was nothing more than a tool to winnow down the ranks of the Jedi ahead of Darth Sidious' true plans. Discarded after he was defeated by Obi-Wan Kenobi on Naboo, Darth Maul swore revenge against all those he blamed for his past struggles - Jedi and Sith alike. Maul tended to operate within the shadows, running various syndicates, and even established himself as a true rival for Palpatine on at least one occasion. He was eventually killed by Obi-Wan in a duel on Tatooine.
