A brand-newStar Warsbook has shed new light uponDarth Maul, revealing that he was much more dangerous than he seemed to be inStar Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace. Darth Maul has become a very popular character throughout his recurring roles inStar Warsmovies and TV shows. Although he initially seemed to have died inThe Phantom Menace, Maul returned inStar Wars: The Clone Wars,Star Wars Rebels, andSolo: A Star Wars Story.
Despite his frequent appearances acrosstheStar Warstimeline, Darth Maul has never seemed high on the list ofStar Wars’most powerful Sith, butoneStar Warsbook may change that. InStar Wars Encyclopedia: The Comprehensive Guide to the Star Wars Galaxy, written by Dan Brooks, Megan Crouse, Amy Richau, Amy Ratcliffe, Brandon Wainerdi, Dan Zehr, and Kelly Knox, it explains:
“One of the deadliest, most efficiently trained Sith in the Order’s history, Darth Maul’s tattooed face is as symbolic of his utter devotion to the dark side, as it is marking his hatred of the Jedi.”
The notion that Darth Maul was one of the deadliest and most efficient Sith inStar Warsis certainly new, and it has interesting implications not only for his own story but also for Obi-Wan’s.
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What Darth Maul’s Power & Skill Means For Star Wars
This New Insight Into Darth Maul Completely Rewrites The Phantom Menace
Obi-Wan’s defeat of Darth Maul inThe Phantom Menacewas truly remarkable, as it meant thatObi-Wan defeated a Sith Lord long before he ever became a Jedi Master. This is a feat few Jedi can say they accomplished, and even in light of Darth Maul surviving in the end, Obi-Wan clearly won in this fight.Star Wars Encyclopedia’sdescription of Darth Maul calls this into question to a certain extent, though.
InThe Phantom Menace, it seemed Obi-Wan won based on his superior intelligence and skill, and while Obi-Wan certainly is one ofStar Wars’most powerful Jedi, it isn’t entirely the case that Obi-Wan outmatched Darth Maul. The insight that Darth Maul was one of the deadliest Sith inStar Warssuggests that this fight between Obi-Wan and Maul also came down to luck, at least partially. This would also explain why Obi-Wan became so obsessed with the battle in the years that followed; he knew that he was lucky to have walked away from that encounter with his life.
When Obi-Wan Kenobi and Darth Maul had their final battle inStar Wars Rebels, Obi-Wan revealed how far he had come, anticipating the move Maul had used to defeat Qui-Gon Jinn inThe Phantom Menaceand finally (truly) killing Darth Maul.
Our Take On Darth Maul’s Power & Skill
This Book Truly Sheds A New Light On Darth Maul
AlthoughStar Wars Encyclopedia’sdescription of Darth Maul is brief, it does make a major difference. Darth Maul has always been a brilliantStar Warscharacter, and he was a particularly exciting addition inThe Phantom Menacebecause, prior to that movie, only Darth Sidious and Darth Vader had been Sith on theStar Warsscreen. Even so, he never really felt like one of the most dangerous Sith.To know that, canonically, Maul is one of the deadliest Sith in the franchise really does rewrite his character.
All 39 Sith Lords In Star Wars Canon
The greatest villains of Star Wars, the Sith are the Jedi’s most fearsome enemies. Here are all 36 Dark Lords of the Sith revealed to date.
It’s unclear to what extent this new perspective on Darth Maul will be explored inStar Warsmoving forward. Given Maul’s death inStar Wars Rebels, it’s possible his final appearance on theStar Warsscreen has already passed. Nevertheless, the notion thatDarth Maulwas one ofStar Wars’deadliest Sith is a massive update to his character and to Obi-Wan Kenobi’s impressive victory.
Source:Star Wars Encyclopedia: The Comprehensive Guide to the Star Wars Galaxy
