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Spoilers forward for “Star Wars: Maul — Shadow Lord” Season 1, Episodes 7 and eight.
The newest episodes of “Star Wars: Maul — Shadow Lord” present Maul (Sam Witwer) at his lowest on this collection to this point. With Marrok/the First Brother (A. J. LoCascio) calling in backup and them laying waste to Maul’s escape plans, the latter’s in a reasonably unhealthy spot. As Maul focuses his rage, his ideas flip to the particular person he blames for the best way his life has gone: his former grasp Darth Sidious, who now has his boot on the neck of all the galaxy as Emperor Palpatine (regardless of what Maul is aware of about him).
Maul shifting the blame for his failures to others is nothing new. However this time, we are given a contemporary method of it, as Maul thinks again to his earlier days and we’re in a position to glimpse them with him, seeing the tragedy of his childhood for the primary time on display.
Maul – Shadow Lord reveals the merciless method Sidious made Maul his apprentice
There was a lot hypothesis as to when Darth Sidious took Maul to coach as his apprentice. The e-book “Star Wars Timelines” estimates it to be someday in Maul’s early teen years. Assorted “Star Wars” paintings and comics have portrayed Maul as being both a toddler or toddler on the time, however the story implications of such a factor have all the time felt a little bit absurd. It stands to cause, although, that if the Jedi take apprentices as toddlers, why not the Sith? Alternatively, the Jedi usually refused to coach people after a sure age due to the hazards of them turning to the darkish aspect, so maybe taking older kids and preying on the emotional impression of that loss makes a sure kind of sense.
Within the eighth episode of “Maul — Shadow Lord,” nevertheless, we lastly get to witness the second when Sidious first took on Maul as his pupil. It seems that Maul and his brother, Savage Opress, have been nonetheless collectively on the time, they usually appear to be within the 9-12 yr previous age vary (assuming Nightbrothers age equally to people). We watch as Sidious actually wrenches Maul from his brother because the pair cry out for one another. It is painfully heartbreaking to observe these two ripped from each other like a pair of bonded kittens.
On reflection, this does make Maul and Savage’s reunion within the animated collection “Star Wars: The Clone Wars” way more heartfelt. In fact, it additionally makes the second when Sidious slays Savage in entrance of Maul on that present all of the extra distressing.
And right here we’re, having sophisticated feelings for one of many largest evil-doers in all the “Star Wars” franchise.
Maul’s efforts to cease Palpatine may not play out precisely the best way we count on
This episode actually acquired to the emotional core of Maul’s inside injury and peeled again a layer of his psyche to point out us why he does what he does. And it makes excellent sense. Make no mistake, these usually are not excuses for Maul; he’s a grown grownup and chargeable for his personal horrible selections and the abuse he perpetrates. Now, abruptly, we will perceive why he is making these selections a little bit bit — not that we would discover ourselves in his footwear making those self same selections (like some may discover themselves in Anakin Skywalker’s as he struggles to save lots of his spouse, Padmé Amidala), however Maul has change into a bit simpler to grasp.
As Maul on this episode, Sam Witwer delivers probably the most heartbreaking and haunting traces the character has ever uttered. “I will not let him do that to anybody else,” he says with respect to his previous grasp, vowing to cease Sidious/Palpatine as soon as and for all. We all know that he is finally unsuccessful in his try, however the “Star Wars” franchise has a method of re-contextualizing beforehand advised tales. So, maybe there is a method that Maul’s struggling and mission to foil Palpatine might nonetheless profit people who want assist in ending the reign of the Sith.
The ultimate two episodes of “Star Wars: Maul — Shadow Lord” Season 1 launch on Monday, Might 4, 2026, on Disney+. Season 2 has been introduced, nevertheless it has but to obtain a premiere date.
