After Nearly 3 Decades, Darth Maul Isn’t Defined by The Phantom Menace Anymore (EXCLUSIVE)

With his iconic character design that purposely evoked your worst nightmares, Darth Maul was a critical part of the Phantom Menace marketing campaign. He seemed poised to be the prequel trilogy’s answer to Darth Vader, which is why it was so disappointing when Maul seemingly met his demise at the end of the film. Instead of being the next compelling Star Wars villain, he was essentially the next Boba Fett (in that he was a case of wasted potential). Fortunately, George Lucas realized the error of his ways while working on The Clone Wars and brought Maul back. Maul has been a staple of Lucasfilm Animation ever since, even getting the spotlight in new series Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord.

Speaking with ComicBook at the red carpet for the Shadow Lord Season 1 finale, star Sam Witwer explained how the show has allowed Maul to truly move on from The Phantom Menace. “There is definitely a soul-searching element to Darth Maul as we’ve been playing him in this show,” he said. “He never had the opportunity to discover who he is. He was always on the run, he was always speeding ahead, always afraid. Always grasping for power to make himself feel less afraid, which of course is a dead end. So this show, he at least takes a breath and goes, ‘Wait, what does this all mean to me?’ We see what he thinks heroism is, what he thinks he must do to get everyone out alive. And it’s maybe a little bit different to what Obi-Wan Kenobi would do. Or Palpatine, that’s the interesting thing. Because, for Maul, he would think of himself as utterly different than Palpatine, but I think you guys might be like, ‘You’re the same. Very similar.’”

Shadow Lord Lets Star Wars Fans See Maul Like Never Before

The Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels fleshed Maul out so he became a much more captivating and tragic figure, but he was still a supporting character in other people’s stories. Witwer had plenty of ideas about what Lucasfilm could do with Maul during the development of those shows, but there was a limit there because Maul was never to focus. There were other characters to service. Shadow Lord has plenty of compelling figures of its own (Devon Izara, Captain Lawson), but this is the first time Maul has been the titular figure of an on-screen project.

That means Dave Filoni and Co. now have the freedom to do a deep dive into Maul’s character, exploring him in ways that aren’t possible before. Shadow Lord did a great job of adding depth to Maul, particularly the episode “The Creeping Fear,” which showed flashbacks of a young Maul training under Darth Sidious. Through this, audiences got an opportunity to learn more about Maul’s history and vulnerabilities. It was in these flashbacks that Maul’s surprisingly noble intentions were revealed, painting the character more as a twisted antihero than an outright villain.

Filoni may have created Shadow Lord, but he credits Witwer for what he has brought to the role. “He brings such great energy to it, I’m always looking for ways to utilize that energy and direct it in the right way,” he told use during the red carpet event. “There’s a lot of things that work out, especially when you move Maul to the center of the thing, like we have here. So they’ve done a great job, Sam’s been brilliant as we knew he would be, but he brings something extra and special – not just to Maul, but I think to the actors he’s collaborating with.” Witwer, who has been voicing Maul since The Clone Wars, has always done a tremendous job of adding depth and layers to the character, transforming what was a one-note supporting figure in The Phantom Menace into something far greater.

Of course, we know how Maul’s story ends. Even though he’s in the process of discovering himself and is trying to prevent Palpatine from tormenting another, Maul’s journey concludes in hate and death. With Shadow Lord Season 2 on the way, it’ll be interesting to see how the series continue to delve into what makes Maul click, connecting the bridge between Clone Wars and Rebels. Based on what we know about Maul, it’s reasonable to assume he continues to go down a path that leads him to anger and hate, but there are likely several intriguing steps left on that quest.

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