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| “ | At last we will reveal ourselves to the Jedi. At last, we will have revenge. | „ |
| ~ Darth Maul |
| “ | Formerly Darth, now just Maul | „ |
| ~ Maul who is no longer a Sith. |
Darth Maul, later known as Maul, is one of the main antagonists in the Star Wars franchise. He is a Sith warrior and the first apprentice of Emperor Palpatine. Maul first appeared in The Phantom Menace, the first movie of the prequel trilogy, where he was the main antagonist. He was later one of the main recurring antagonists of the 2008-2014 television series Star Wars: The Clone Wars: serving as the final antagonist in Season 4 and as one of the main antagonists of Season 5. He also appeared as an antagonist in the new series Star Wars: Rebels appearing as one of the two main antagonists of the 2-part Season 2 finale (along with Darth Vader), and the secondary antagonist in Season 3.
In Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace, he was portrayed by Ray Park (who also played Toad and Snake Eyes). In Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Star Wars: Rebels, he was voiced by Sam Witwer.
History
Early Life and Training (Legends)
Maul in his young ages.
The Zabrak who would become Darth Maul was born on Iridonia to Kycina, is a member of the Nightsisters, and his father was killed after his birth as per tradition. Maul was subjected to the coven’s initiation ritual, covering him in black and red tattoos. He would become a blood brother of Feral and Savage Opress and less than a year after he was born, Kycina met Darth Sidious, at the time the apprentice of Darth Plagueis. She managed to persuade the reluctant Sith to take and train Maul, so as to prevent him from becoming a Nightbrother, thanks to his natural connection to the Force. The Zabrak was cared for during the first few years of his life by droids on Mustafar and after a year, Sidious gained permission to train him.
Maul training under Sidious.
However Plagueis commanded his apprentice not to teach Maul the most secret arts of the Sith, to mold him into an assassin, not a Sith Lord.
As the Zabrak was trained, he never knew anything about his master other than his name, not that he was a Dark Lord of the Sith. Maul’s training was hard, with him receiving harsh punishment for any mistake or act of mercy. On one occasion, the Zabrak was brought to an icy planet for his exercise, where he ran up and down a mountain with great skill. But instead of being praised, Maul was tossed into a huge, freezing lake by Sidious, who watched and ignored his cries for help. Finally, he learned to turn his fear into rage, using this to give him the energy to swim to shore. When he turned 10, Maul was sent to the Orsis Academy to be trained as an assassin, ordered by Sidious not to use any Force abilities outside of his enhanced senses.
Upon arriving at Orsis, the Sith Lord pretended to be a blind businessman, wanting to make Maul his future bodyguard. Trezza, the headmaster of the Academy who could identify Force users, showed Maul around. Upon being introduced to the other students, the Zabrak challenged Dalok, a top student, to a fight and brutally won, even biting Dalok on the nose. After around three years, Maul befriended Kilindi Matako, who showed him great compassion for the first time in his life and told him how to fight some of Trezza’s chargwrecks, which he would soon fight. Maul then lied to Trezza about how he’d managed it. Two years later, the Zabrak gained a rivalry with Fretch and Hubnutz, a pair of Rodians, during a sniping class.
Upon arriving at Orsis, the Sith Lord pretended to be a blind businessman, wanting to make Maul his future bodyguard. Trezza, the headmaster of the Academy who could identify Force users, showed Maul around. Upon being introduced to the other students, the Zabrak challenged Dalok, a top student, to a fight and brutally won, even biting Dalok on the nose. After around three years, Maul befriended Kilindi Matako, who showed him great compassion for the first time in his life and told him how to fight some of Trezza’s chargwrecks, which he would soon fight. Maul then lied to Trezza about how he’d managed it. Two years later, the Zabrak gained a rivalry with Fretch and Hubnutz, a pair of Rodians, during a sniping class.
Afterwards, Maul and Kilindi were put under the tutelage of Meltch Krakko, a Mandalorian Jedi hunter. During the training, the Zabrak was forced to continually be hit with blaster shots to avoid being suspected of being a Force-user. Later, Maul was being prepared for the Orsis’ rite of passage with Fretch and Hubnutz under Krakko. At first, he tried to win their respect, but decided that they were attempting to kill him. Enraged, Maul forgot Sidious’ orders and attacked Krakko and the Rodians by launching himself through the air with the Force. He wounded Fretch and Hubnutz, before trying to tear Krakko to shreds, only to be stopped by Trezza. Sidious was enraged at Maul’s failure to follow his commands, but said that it was not totally his fault as the dark side could push the Sith to use their abilities at inopportune times.
Maul asked how long it would take for him to control these impulses and what the plan was now. Sidious said he might make the Zabrak his apprentice eventually, before giving him a lightsaber, igniting his own, and sparring and wounding with him. Soon afterwards, Maul was ordered by Sidious to destroy the Orsis Academy and everyone in it, which he did. Soon all of the teachers and cadets were dead, including Kilindi. By 17, Maul was a being of hatred, loyal to his master and with a sense of honor towards worthy opponents.
However, the time came for his ultimate test, where Maul was left on the isolated planet of Hypori, forced to survive and be hunted by assassin droids. After a month, Sidious returned to challenge the Zabrak to a duel and Maul quickly lost in his weakened state. The Sith Lord told him that he’d lost and that he’d been training a replacement apprentice. Enraged, Maul attacked Sidious, biting his hand and spitting the blood into his face, before preparing himself to die. However, the Sith Lord didn’t kill the Zabrak, revealing that he’d passed his final test by showing the desire to kill his master and there hadn’t been any other apprentice. Sidious named his apprentice Darth Maul, Sith Lord, and brought him to Coruscant for medical attention.
Missions for Darth Sidious (Legends)
Maul creating his double bladed lightsaber.
Maul was sent on numerous assassination missions for Sidious until his very appearance brought fear to the Sith’s enemies. But despite this, the Sith Lord sought to crush the Jedi completely. One of Maul’s earliest targets was Siolo’urmanka, one of the greatest Jedi warriors, who had retired into seclusion on Jentares. The Sith Lord managed to find Manka as he was meditating and went for an easy kill. However the Jedi counterattacked with his wooden staff and Maul was overwhelmed and disarmed. Manka let the Sith Lord retreat, but he refused to give up, knowing that he would face death for his failure. Thus, Maul created a new double bladed lightsaber for himself, inspired by the Zabrak’s Zhaboka weapon. When he challenged Manka for a second time, Maul kept the second blade hidden at first, but when he was disarmed, he caught his lightsaber and rushed Manka, pressing the other end against the Jedi’s back and activated it, impaling him. On another mission, Maul went to Chryya so as to make the spice merchants there sign an agreement with the Trade Federation. While things went well at first, one merchant formed a protest, which led to a rebellion that destroyed all the spices. Not able to take on the entire population of Chryya, Maul was forced to tell Sidious he had failed, earning him a force choke until he was unconscious. Later, during the Yinchorri uprising instigated by Plagueis and Sidious, Maul was sent to secure Vilmarh “Villie” Grahk, a petty smuggler who could be useful in instigating the crisis.
Maul watching the Yinchorri attack the Jedi
The Sith Lord found him in the slums of Coruscant and activated a holocomm that transmitted an image of Sidious, who made Grahrk his offer to lead the Yinchorri. The smuggler was skeptical and asked why Maul couldn't do the job, calling him a “bad boy,” which made the Sith force choke him briefly. Grahrk agreed to do as Sidious asked and went to Yinchorri while the Sith secretly kept an eye on him. Maul asked his master what the Jedi would do in response to the uprising and Sidious told him they would have to fight the Yinchorri, meaning they would either be defeated or some of the Jedi would be killed.
As the Yinchorri attacked the Jedi Temple, Maul, having wanted to attack it himself, joined in on the attack. He then received an order from Sidious to bring Grahrk to him and he did so, though he asked his master to reconsider putting him in command of the Yinchorri. Sidious agreed with Maul, as leaving it to Grahrk was a poor choice, but told him to wait and bide his time, since they had to make sure their underlings were truly under their control. Secretly, Sidious was observing Maul, watching his pride and desire to prove himself grow. Much later, Maul was sent to Dorvalla to unite the Lommite Limited and InterGalactic Ore companies so the Trade Federation could control all the ore shipments. Maul arrive as they were fighting the Toom clan, killing the survivors of the battle, and leading to the two company leaders joining together.
Soon afterwards, Maul was ordered to throw the Black Sun organization into chaos by killing its leaders so Sidious could use it for his own goals.
Maul bringing down the Black Sun.
The Sith Lord was given a specific order to kill them in, warned of what challenges he might face, and provided with a Sith Infiltrator, the Scimitar. Maul arrived at Vigo Darnada’s hideout, where he pretended to be an assassin looking to join the Black Sun. He was allowed in, before slaying everyone in Darnada’s private chamber, except Asa Naga, who Maul wanted to use to spread word that the Black Sun was fighting with itself.
Maul's thoughts killing one of the bodyguards.
The Sith Lord’s next target was Vigo Morn, who tried to beg for his life by revealing all the Black Sun leaders would be meeting on Raaltiir, but Maul slew him. He headed to Raaltiir, where he sent his Dark Eye probe droids to investigate the Black Sun Fortress, while he watched via electrobinoculars. Maul found that all the remaining leaders of the Black Sun were inside, along with their bodyguards and a large number of the Black Sun’s best soldiers. Sidious ordered Maul to attack and kill everyone inside and he cut a blood swath through all of the Black Sun soldiers, before heading to the grand chamber. He killed most of their bodyguards when they engaged him, before one of them managed to train a blaster on him and demanded to know who sent him. Maul said nothing and the bodyguard, an Iktotchi, tried to telepathically extract answers from him.
However, he saw only images of horror and darkness, killing him instantly and Maul headed into the grand chamber of the Black Sun leaders, slaying them all. Later, Maul was sent to deal with Silus, a Force-sensitive Drovian, whom Sidious said was a threat to their plans. Maul found him and showed him a holo-message of Sidious offering Silus to chance to replace Maul as his apprentice if he could defeat him. The two battled each other and Maul was forced to fight without his lightsaber due to a nullifier field around the arena they were in.
Maul killing Silus.
The Sith Lord had also been unnerved by Sidious’ offer to Silus, unfocusing him to the point that the Drovian took the advantage. However Maul channeled his rage to overload the nullifier field and cut down Silus with his lightsaber. Afterwards, Sidious told him it had simply been a test for him. Maul was also sent to kill Hath Monchar and anyone he may have told of the trade embargo about to put on Naboo. He found out that Monchar was going to sell a holocron with the information to a Corellian information broker. Maul was forced to fight Jedi master, Anoon Bondara, and his Padawan, Darsha Assant, who came across and chose to protect Pavan.
Maul dueling with Assant.
Maul slew Bondara, barely surviving his speeder bike being destroyed by the Jedi before following Assant and Pavan. He dueled the Padawan, until she blew up the warehouse they were in, but Maul escaped so he could track down Pavan later.
The Corellian followed him to the space station he was sleeping on and found himself with an opportunity to shoot him. Only able to fire one kill shot or three stun shots from his blaster and worried about missing, Pavan tried shooting Maul with a stun shot, before taking his lightsaber to kill him. However the shot did not affect the Sith Lord and he cut off the Corellian’s hand, before chasing him until he escaped. Maul finally managed to ambush Pavan outside his hotel room, granting him a quick death for his ability to survive.
Early Life (Canon)
Young Maul before becoming a Sith
The boy who would become known as Darth Maul was born the son of Mother Talzin on Dathomir. As a Dathomirian Zabrak male, he was a Nightbrother and had two blood brothers, Feral and Savage Opress. Before his first birthday, Talzin gave Maul and his brother Opress their first tattoos. When Maul was a child, Mother Talzin became an ally of Darth Sidious, the Dark Lord of the Sith, and the two exchanged wisdom and power. Sidious eventually abandoned Talzin, despite promising to make her his apprentice, and instead took Maul once he realized the boy's potential. Once under Sidious' tutelage, Maul began training as his Sith apprentice.
For years, Maul was trained to become a weapon of the Sith. He became an acrobatic warrior, one trained to be relentless against his enemies, and learned to use a dual-bladedlightsaber. His Sith training made Maul long for revenge against the Jedi Order, which had defeated the Sith a millennium earlier. With his master, Maul hoped to destroy the Jedi and restore the Sith to galactic power.
Invasion of Naboo
Maul dueling Qui-Gon.
Maul waited in secrecy next to his master, as Sidious spoke about the trade embargo on Naboo with the Neimoidians. He was excited when he learned two Jedi had been sent to bring peace and Sidious ordered the Neimoidians to deal with them. Maul asked if they had any chance of actually killing the Jedi, knowing it was impossible for them to succeed. Sidious said they did not have the skill to do so, but they might get lucky. After learning that the Queen had escaped the blockade, Maul was introduced to the Neimoidians and was sent to retrieve her. Maul discovered the Queen was hiding on Tatooine, the home planet of Anakin Skywalker. He encountered and ambushed Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn when he and Anakin were on their way back to the Naboo Starship. He made Qui-Gon fight him in a lightsaber duel, launching quick attacks after swings.
Maul killing Qui-Gon.
After all the people on the starship had arrived at Coruscant, the Jedi were surpised that the Sith had returned, believed to be nonexistent for more than 2,000 years. Shortly after the Queen had planned and started an attack on the droid armies of the Trade Federation, Qui-Gon and his apprentice Obi-Wan Kenobi entered the ship hangar where Nute Gunray was hiding. After the Jedi, Queen, and Republic officers had taken out the droids, Maul stood behind the blast door and drew out his double-bladed lightsaber, before engaing the two Jedi. Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon fought him in a long battle. He chased them into the reactor room, and after Obi-Wan was separated from his master by one of the laser walls in the security hallway, he quickly killed Qui-Gon. Obi-Wan was overwhelmed with despair and anger by the loss of his master, and let anger grow inside him. He delivered several vicious attacks on Maul, catching him off guard and slicing his saber in two.
Maul's defeat in The Phantom Menace.
With only one functional lightsaber blade, Maul fought back and knocked Obi-Wan into the shaft, and kicked the Padawan's weapon into the pit. While Obi-Wan was hanging on for his life, he remembered what his master had told him: "Be mindful of the living Force." At that moment, the Force flowed within Obi-Wan, and he jumped up, called his master's lightsaber to his hand, and struck Maul. The Sith stood still, groaned weakly, and fell backwards into the pit, splitting in two at the waist as he fell.
Maul during his isolation on Lotho Minor.
However, Maul survived, using his hatred and will to survive to grab onto an air vent, landing in water. He ended up in a container that brought him to Lotho Minor and he managed to use the Force to get together a six-legged cybernetic attachment to replace his missing lower body. Maul spent the next 12 years in the caves of Lotho Minor, where he deteriorated into a state of near-madness, losing all of his memories except Obi-Wan taking his legs. Maul’s only companion was an Anacondan named Morley, who helped him find shelter and food.
Reunion with a Brother and Quest for Revenge
Maul revealing himself to Obi-Wan.
| “ | Your master, Qui-Gon Jinn; I gutted him while you stood helpless and watched. How did that make you feel, Obi-Wan? | „ |
| ~ Darth Maul taunting Obi-Wan Kenobi. |
However Savage Opress was eventually guided to Maul, who attacked him and at first, the fallen Sith Lord didn’t recognize him, not knowing of his having a brother. When Opress showed him a talisman from the Nightsister witch Mother Talzin, Maul started to regain some of his memories. He was brought to Dathomir and treated by Talzin, who restored his mind to normal and made his spider-like replacement legs more humanoid. Maul awoke and felt the Force was out of balance, before Opress told him of the Clone Wars. The Sith Lord expressed his regret that the war had started without him and told his brother of his life and his hatred for Obi-Wan. Opress gave Maul a half of his severed lightsaber and he said they would “start” with vengeance.
Maul fighting Obi-Wan for the second time.
Maul and Opress killed people on Raydonia so they would gain Obi-Wan’s attention, before Maul contacted the Jedi Council as he did so, demanding that the Jedi come to him. With his brother’s help, the Sith Lord knocked out Obi-Wan, but didn’t kill him right then, wanting to draw out his demise. However Asajj Ventress arrived, so as to collect the bounty on Opress, and she teamed up with Obi-Wan to fight the two brothers.
Maul and Opress engaged them and Obi-Wan and Ventress managed to escape, but Maul said he could wait a little longer for his revenge because he had already waited for a decade. Opress said that the Jedi would soon be pursuing them, but the Sith Lord said he was counting on that fact. Maul and Opress went to Yellow Blade’s Landing, where they went to a cantina full of thugs, which the Sith Lord tried to recruit. When they refused, the brothers slaughtered all the cantina patrons, after Maul reminded Opress that to survive by hiding, they needed to make sure there were no witnesses.
Terrorizing the Galaxy
Maul and Opress fighting the Jedi.
After this, Maul and Opress launched a number of raids throughout the galaxy, before stopping at a space station above Cybloc. They sparred with Maul showing himself to be the superior fighter and declaring himself Opress’ master. The two then headed to Florrum, where they recruited a group of Weequay pirates. They engaged Obi-Wan and another Jedi, Adi Gallia, who’d joined forces with Hondo Ohnaka, former leader of the pirates the two had recruited. After an intense brawl, Maul and Opress managed to kill Gallia, before pursuing Obi-Wan, but in the fight, the Jedi managed to sever Opress’ arm, prompting Maul to decide to retreat.
Maul and Opress with Death Watch.
The two were also forced to deal with their former minions, who’d rejoined Ohanaka, with Maul getting one of his legs shot off. They managed to get onto their ship, but its engine was shot with a rocket launcher, causing it to crash. Maul and Opress managed to escape and the Jedi Council declared them dead, but Obi-Wan felt otherwise. Maul and Opress were found by Death Watch, a Mandalorian terrorist organization, who tended to their wounds. They joined forces and headed to Mustafar to recruit the Black Sun group. Though Maul and his allies’ offer was laughed off at first by the group, the Black Sun captain of the guard, Ziton Moj, decided to joined after seeing Opress kill all of the other Black Sun leaders. Maul and the others returned to their camp where the Pykes and Lom Pyke arrived to join his alliance. The Sith Lord’s next stop was the Hutt Grand Council to ask for the Hutt’s allegiance.
Maul take power over Mandalore.
When met with refusal, Maul and his allies killed Oruba the Hutt and Jabba the Hutt declared that the Hutts would join the Sith’s coalition. Thus, Maul named his new organization the Shadow Collective. He began making plans to make the Duchess Satine Kryze of Mandalore seem weak by having the Death Watch attack Sundari, then the rest of the Shadow Collective could drive them off. But when Vizsla has no intention of releasing him, Maul decides to replace him with the prime minister Almec, whom Satine had imprisoned for corruption. Easily breaking free, Maul challenges Pre Vizsla to a duel to take over the Death Watch and Mandalore; he succeeds in killing Vizsla and then claims his former co-conspirator's darksaber. He wins the loyalty of most Death Watch members, but Bo Katan retreats along with those loyal to their previous leader.
Facing his Old Master
Maul and Opress fighting Sidious.
Maul allowed Satine and members of the original Death Watch to escape, so they could get a message out to the Jedi Temple, intended for Kenobi. Shortly after her message, she was recaptured.
After Kenobi received the message, despite the fact that Mandalore was neutral, borrowed Anakin Skywalker's personal freighter, the Twilight, and traveled to Mandalore to rescue the Duchess. Disguised as a Mandalorian Super Commando, Kenobi managed to free Satine from her cell and bring her aboard the ship, but the pursuing commandos fatally damaged and destroyed the Twilight. Having narrowly escaped the crash, Kenobi and Kryze were taken into custody by Maul and Savage. At his mercy, Kenobi attempted to reason with Maul, knowing that the decision to join the Dark Side was made by the Nightsisters, not himself. However, this only fueled Maul's anger. In an act on vengeance on Kenobi, he forced him to witness Satine's murder by stabbing her with the Darksaber, and left him in a cell to rot in his anguish.
Soon afterwards, Darth Sidious arrived to confront Maul, having learned of what his former apprentice had been up to after his actions on Florrum. Sidious engaged Maul and Opress, who briefly managed to gain the advantage until Sidious managed to finally beat them, killing Opress and blasting Maul with Force lightning, but the Dark Lord stated that he would not kill Maul, suggesting that there were other uses for him. As revealed in the comics following the events of the Clone Wars, Maul eventually escaped Sidious' clutches with aid from his Mandalorian loyalists. Maul's forces on the Mandalorian Death Watch were eventually overrun by General Grievous, and Maul was forced to retreat. Maul then sought Mother Talzin's aid. Talzin told Maul to raise an army from the Shadow collective and his old clan; the Nightbrothers. Though his use of deceit and trickery, Maul successfully captured General Grievous and Count Dooku. Maul then tempted Dooku into joining him against Sidious, hoping to lure him to Mother Talzin on Dathomir. Upon reaching Dathomir, Maul and Talzin tried to sacrifice Dooku so that Talzin (who revealed herself to be Maul's biological mother) could return to physical form (as her previous form had been destroyed by Mace Windu). However, the arrival of Sidious and Grievous halted their plans and after a duel in which Talzin sacrificed herself to allow Maul to escape, Maul fled, his plans in ruins, his army destroyed and in Sidious' eyes, no longer a threat or a Sith Lord.
Era of the Empire
Maul still alive during the reign of the empire.
| “ | The Sith. The Sith took everything from me. Ripped me from my mother's arms, murdered my brother, used me as a weapon and then cast me aside! Abandoned me! Once I had power... now I have nothing... nothing. | „ |
| ~ Maul shares his history to Ezra Bridger. |
Years later, Maul is found stuck on the ancient planet Malachor, where it is revealed that he gave up the title of Darth, but he still draws his powers from the Dark Side.
When rebels landed on Malachor to find a way to defeat the Sith, Maul meet Ezra Bridger which had been separated from other. Ezra and Maul they find a Sith Holocron which served as the key to both the Sith temple of Malachor and as well as knowing the Sith. Later, after finding the friends Jedi of Ezra. Maul betrayed the Jedi, saying that they (both the Sith and the Jedi) are his enemis and has managed to flee Malachor for ever.
Months later, Maul resurfaced. Managing to board a Hammerhead corvette, Maul interrogated one of the rebels onboard, forcing him to reveal the location of the rebel freighter, and Ezra Bridger's home, the Ghost. Shortly after, Bridger and Kanan Jarrus arrived at the transport and learned of the attack. Believing it to be the work of an Inquisitor, the pair contacted Hera Syndulla, the Ghost's pilot, and found out that Maul had taken her and the rest of the crew hostage. In exchange for their friends lives, Maul demanded the Jedi give him both the Sith holocron and the Jedi holocron, to which they agreed.
While Jarrus and Bridger returned to the planet Atollon to retrieve the Sith holocron, Maul softly demanded Syndulla give him a "tour" around the Ghost, prompting Sabine Wren to implore her not to, to which Maul replied she should trust him, for he did once rule her people. Surveying each living quarter, Maul identified Jarrus' as the dull and dour one, befitting of a Jedi. Instructing Syndulla to reveal the location of the Jedi holocron, the Twi'lek told Maul that she didn't know anything about Jarrus. Knowing this to be a lie, Maul probed her mind with the Force, and learned that it was Syndulla's idea to recruit Bridger, and that the boy once stole the holocron, which was being held in a compartment below Jarrus' bed.
While Maul struggled to open the holocron, the Ghost's crew took the opportunity to escape. Managing to use their restraints to destroy the reprogrammed tour guide droids guarding them, the rebels quietly moved down to the cargo hold, planning to magnetize it in order to immobilize Maul's robotic legs. Discovering their absence, Maul went searching for the rebels and eventually made his way to the cargo hold. Seconds later, the rebel crew's astromech droid, C1-10P, activated the magnets, causing Maul's legs to adhere to the vessel's ceiling. The rest of the rebels promptly rushed into the cargo hold and started firing at him, however Maul managed to deflect one of the bolts into the control interface, deactivating the magnets. Knocking the crew down with the Force, Maul became angry, threatening the rebels with death once their usefulness was over
Maul on the Ghost aircraft.
Having already informed the Jedi of their rendezvous point, the Mandalorian asteroid outpost, Maul landed the Ghost in one of its hangars and kept the rebel prisoners under the watch of his reprogrammed droids. When the Jedi arrived, they met with Maul in the hangar, where the Dathomirian instructed Bridger to follow his droids to the command center, while Jarrus came with Maul. Looking to succeed where he failed on Malachor, Maul led the Jedi to an airlock and pushed him in, proceeding to eject him into space. Believing Jarrus to be dead, Maul went to meet Bridger, quietly instructing one of his droids to execute the rebel crew.
Swapping holocrons, Maul and Bridger sat down on the floor and opened the devices, seeking to combine them and have their questions answered. After combining the holocrons, Bridger, who wanted to know the key to destroying the Sith, saw locations both familiar and unfamiliar, while Maul saw nothing. Shortly after, the Ghost crew, who had been freed by Jarrus after he managed to make his way back into the hangar, arrived at the command center, but were dazzled by the light coming from the holocrons. Bridger exclaimed that he saw "twin suns", and Jarrus implored his apprentice to look away, while Maul incited the Jedi to focus. Heeding his master's warning, Bridger closed his eyes, causing the energy from the holocrons to explode and giving Maul a chance to escape. As Maul proceeded back to his ship, he realized what he had seen in the holocrons, repeating the phrase, "He lives."
Maul talks about the Darksaber in Ezra.
Some time later, because of the ritual of the Holocrons, Maul and Ezra were somehow mentally bound, which allowed Maul to find the rebel base on Atollon. He approached Kanan and Ezra who was talking with the Bendu To propose to Ezra to come with him to break the link definitively and initially reluctant, Ezra agreed and both left for Dathomir. Once they arrived, they made their way to the ancient fortress of the Nightsisters which was now used as a den for Maul. After the ritual to break the bond, the spirits of the Nightsisters awoke and took control of Kanan and Sabine who had followed Maul and Ezra, a battle fired between the two duets until Maul and Ezra attained the exit or the spirit could not go because they had to stay close to the source of their power. Maul suggested leaving but Ezra refused, Maul exasperated by the sympathy and compassion of the young man towards his friends told him that he had disappointed him and Maul left to find his old enemy, Obi-Wan Kenobi, who was the key in destroying the Sith.
Death
| “ | Maul: Tell me... is it the Chosen One? Obi-Wan: He is. Maul: He will avenge us. (Maul dies) |
„ |
| ~ Maul's and Obi-Wan's final conversation together. |
Maul searches for Obi-Wan on Tatooine
Upon arriving on Tatooine, Maul wandered in search of Obi-Wan, intent on seeking his revenge. He soon became lost in the desert, wondering if it was his destiny to die in the wastes of the planet. Regaining his determination, he continued in his search. Maul then set a trap for Ezra to bring him directly to his old enemy, luring him to a canyon with a piece of the Sith Holocron. After Ezra was attacked by Tusken Raiders, destroying the young Jedi's ship, Maul intervened, slaying the Sand People before seemingly leaving Ezra alone and unharmed.
As Ezra sought a way off-world and was caught in a sandstorm, Maul followed out of sight, knowing Kenobi would rescue him. As Maul arrived, Obi-Wan faced down his old foe, whereupon Maul remarked and pondered as to why Obi-Wan would hide on such a planet. He then correctly deduced that Obi-Wan was protecting someone; at the time, Obi-Wan was protecting Luke Skywalker, the son of his former apprentice and friend Anakin Skywalker, who Maul's former master Sidous had turned into Darth Vader.
Maul's death
Maul then readied himself as he and Obi-Wan ignited their lightsabers for one last fight. Maul then attacked, trying to use the same move that he had sucessfully used to defeat Qui-Gon Jinn many years earlier. However, Obi-Wan remembers the move and defeated the former Sith in a few quick blows, cutting Maul's lightsaber in two and simultaneously slashing Maul across the torso. Shocked at being mortally wounded so quickly, Maul fell, only to be caught by Kenobi. Maul then asked if the person Obi-Wan was guarding was indeed the one who would destroy the Sith, to which Kenobi replied yes. Satisfied by this and finally having come to terms with his fate, with his last breath Maul stated that the chosen one would avenge him and Obi-Wan both. With this, Maul died in Obi-Wan's arms, with Obi-Wan closing the fallen dark warrior's eyes out of respect for his old nemesis. After thirty years, since the battle of Naboo, the brutal conflict between Darth Maul and Obi-Wan Kenobi was finally over and the deaths of Qui-Gon Jinn and Satine Kryze were at last avenged.
Legacy
| “ | We won't be seeing Maul again. | „ |
| ~ Ezra Bridger, confirms that Maul is dead. |
Leia, sensing the remnants of Maul
Maul didn't leave much of legacy behind, except for his reputation on Mandalore, while wielding the Darksaber, and his teachings to Ezra Bridger about the Sith and the use of the dark side of the force. After his death, Ezra took his ship Nightbrother back to Chopper Base.
According to Maul, he was the last survivor of the Nightsister Clan. With his death, the Nightsisters and the Nightbrothers were extinct and their legacy were forgotten.
After the defeat of the Empire, Leia Organa went to Naboo and went to the hangar where Maul had formerly killed Qui Gon. Once inside, Leia felt cold due to the evil presence of Maul.
Personality
Darth Maul is driven by pure hatred for all things, particularly the Jedi, though he does have a sense of honor, granting worthy foes quick deaths. He also had respect and possibly even attachment for Sidious, despite his torturous upbringing at his hands. Maul focuses on complete victory at any cost and even his master finds it somewhat terrifying how much pain he will endure to succeed in his goals. Maul bravely takes on any challenge, but is also arrogant and gloating, best exemplified by one point, where he believed he could fight and defeat the entire Jedi Order. Sidious often had to warn Maul to watch his pride, saying that despite his fierce fighting skill, he is no one-man army.
Maul was once loyal to his master, but still wondered about his part in the Grand Plan of the Sith and knew he could not carry on the Sith’s legacy, having only been trained as an assassin. He feared what might happen if Sidious were to meet his end unexpectedly, and had no idea of how to carry out the Grand Plan alone. Maul also realizes he cannot maintain any secret identity like Sidious does because of his appearance. He lacks a complete understanding of the galaxy despite his knowledge in the world of politics and crime, though he realizes the Jedi are the true enemy, not the Republic. Maul has no patience for the useless, but can take notice of the more talented. He is determined to be the greatest warrior via any means of self-improvement and his near-death at the hands of Obi-Wan has made him more bitter.
Maul is a cunning, ruthless, traitorous, and manipulative killer who has no qualms with killing civilians or using taunting to unsettle his opponents in battle. His time in isolation had made him more patient and able to function as a leader in his quest for revenge, not just a follower. Maul is determined to kill Sidious and his new apprentice, Count Dooku, whom he considers a pretender Sith, and later Darth Vader.
Near at his death however, Maul lost most of his hatred for Obi-Wan, as he is embraced by him. When Obi-Wan comfirms the fate of the Chosen One, Maul shares his belief that he (Luke Skywalker) would avenge them both. This concludes that Maul was not entirely the monster that most saw him as, but truly a tragic character who had lost everything he cared about due to Darth Sidious' actions, if not the most, similar to Darth Vader.
Old Wounds
In the Non-Canon Infinites Story "Old Wounds", Maul hunted Obi-Wan Kenobi for years after his being cut in half on Naboo, always being but a step behind him until he discovered Owen Lars and a young Luke Skywalker. He knew threatening Luke Skywalker would bring his adversary out into the open so he attacked them. Kenobi showed up just in time and confronted Maul, whose severed lower body had been replaced by a pair of cybernetic legs and abdomen, and his cranial horns having grown to over three times their original length. Maul was consumed with hatred for the man who had bested him and so he and Kenobi engaged in a furious duel, with the latter ultimately managing to sever Maul's right arm, also cutting the Sith's weapon in two. Maul summoned the remaining half of his weapon and turned to face Kenobi, when the revived Owen killed Maul with his damaged rifle.
Powers and Abilities
| “ | Your passions give you strength. And through strength you gain power. You have seen it. You feel it. You must break your chains. | „ |
| ~ Maul teaching Ezra the Dark Side of the Force. |
Maul is extremely skilled and resourceful at wielding lightsabers and focuses more on physical skill than using spiritual and psychological tactics to crush his foes, though he has used these more lately. Maul is best known for his double-ended saberstaff the second blade of which he often used to catch his opponent’s offguard. He also combines his lightsaber wielding with hand-to-hand combat, making him a much more dangerous opponent.
When Maul cannot win with pure martial skill, he uses tactics to win the day. He is amazingly skilled in using the Force, which grants him telekinetic abilities such as Force choke, Force grip, and the power to send out blasts of Force lightning, which he can also resist. Maul is also skilled with technology, building his speeder bike and Dark Eye probe droids and modifying a protocol droid to become an assassin droid to protect his ship. Maul also possesses an extreme endurance to physical pain.
Trivia
- Darth Maul's signature is his own red dual lightsaber which resembles a spear.
- Unlike Palpatine who betrayed and killed Darth Plagueis, Maul had no plan of betraying or killing his own master (until, ironically, his master betrayed him).
- In The Phantom Meance, Darth Maul was portrayed by Ray Park, a martial arts specialist and voiced by Peter Serafinowicz. Many fans wanted to know more about Maul after the movie, mostly due to his lack of lines, resulting in expansion on his character in books and comics.
- Maul is also the main antagonist of the Star Wars: Twilight of the Republic Playset in Disney Infinity 3.0.
- It has been suggested that the Jedi never knew Maul’s name, though there have been times in the Expanded Universe when the Jedi referred to him by name, but these are considered errors.
- Each villain who helps Palpatine in the Star Wars prequels foreshadows a different aspect of what Anakin's future as Darth Vader. In Darth Maul's case, it's the apprentice who enforces Sidious' will.
- Maul's last words to Obi-Wan were a foreshadowing of Obi-Wan's death in A New Hope, the first film in the original Star Wars trilogy.
- Maul appears in Lego Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Out. This is not canon since the special is set after A New Hope and Maul died before A New Hope.
- Maul is one of the few Star Wars characters who survived the prequel trilogy, excluding the characters there who were in the original trilogy (ie; Obi-Wan and Sidious)
- His Lego figure as well as his appearance in The Empire Strikes Out and Lego Star Wars: Darth Maul's Mission, depicted his horns as black.
- It is debated over Darth Maul and Sidious over which one of them is the main villain of The Phantom Menace. Some say it is Maul since he is a more prominent character and the one in the charge during the film's climax. Others say it is Sidious because he made more appearances in the film than Maul. This is also debated with Stinky Pete and Al McWhiggin in Toy Story 2 and Ben Ravencroft and Sarah Ravencroft in Scooby-Doo! And The Witch's Ghost, two other movies released in 1999. Although Sidious did not fight the protagonists at the end, he played a important role, and also controlled both Maul and the Trade Federation, making Sidious a major antagonist of the movie.
- Maul can be considered as the "evil counterpart" of Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader:
- Both were slaves as children, but then were passed off to learn the ways of the force.
- Both were incredibly strong with the force at a young age, highlighted by Palpatine in Episodes I and III.
- Both formed teacher-student/brotherly relationships with an older warrior (Savage Oppress for Maul and Obi-Wan Kenobi for Anakin).
- Both were bested by Obi-Wan Kenobi in battle by getting nearly killed and were restored to life with cybernetics.
- Both were eventually cast aside by Palpatine in the favor of another potential apprentice (Maul for Dooku and Vader for Luke).
- Maul is one of the rare survivors of the prequel trilogy.
- Maul is the overall 10th main antagonist of the entire franchise.
- The Lipstick-Face Demon, The main antagonist of the 2010 horror film Insidious, is very similar to Darth Maul in his physical appearance following the reason that Maul was the inspiration.
- On the comics incarnations of Darth Maul, when he was once a boy, he had two little horns nearby to his ears, but in the film he has no two horns in any way.
- In the film, Maul was somewhat silent, calm and not very sadistic. But after his mind was restored by his mother, Maul was never the same again: He became very talkative, wanting at any price to take revenge, provocative, manipulative and even more sadistic than Dooku himself. It is possible that the ten long years he spent on Lotho Minor had changed him forever despite his fully restored mind. He also showed sympathy for his mother and brother, as he mentions sixteen years later during his exile on Malachor.
- Maul is the second Sith apprentice to die, the first being Count Dooku, and the third being Darth Vader.
- Maul is also the second oldest Sith apprentice, only behind Dooku.
- Ironically, while Maul in his last moments believed Luke Skywalker would destroy the Sith and avenge him, the one who would end up doing so was none other than one of his replacements as Darth Sidious' apprentice, Anakin Skywalker, the boy that Qui-Gon Jinn protected from him years ago.
