Published Apr 6, 2026, 5:30 AM EDT
Since 2019, Kevin Erdmann has been one of Screen Rant's Senior Staff Writers, covering all kinds of Superhero and Star Wars media with Easter egg breakdowns, theory pieces, breaking news, and more. A huge Star Wars & MCU fan, Kevin also loves Batman (because he's Batman), but could talk for hours about why Nightwing is DC's greatest hero.
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Warning! This post contains SPOILERS for Star Wars: Maul - Shadow Lord episodes 1-2The first two episodes of Maul: Shadow Lord are now streaming on Disney+, featuring an exciting collection of Easter eggs and more references to the greater Star Wars galaxy.
Set five years after the events of Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith and the end of the Clone Wars, this new Maul series dives deeper into the former Sith Lord's dark journey during the Age of the Empire, revealing what he was up to between where we left him at the end of the animated Clone Wars series and where we meet him in Star Wars Rebels.
As such, this unseen chapter of Maul's Star Wars history is full of some great nods, parallels, and callbacks in the first two episodes of Shadow Lord alone. From cool ties to action scenes that arguably one-up some of the best Sith Lord sequences from past projects, here are 15 of the biggest and coolest Easter eggs and Star Wars references we found in Star Wars: Maul - Shadow Lord episodes 1 & 2.
Zabraks & Mandalorians
While it's not the major force of criminals he once had during the Clone Wars, Maul still has a crew of followers, a mix of Zabraks and Mandalorians (which feels pretty significant).
The presence of Mandalorians confirms that some of the warrior race remain loyal to Maul, having seized Mandalore's throne after killing Pre Vizsla and claiming the legendary Darksaber as seen in the animated Clone Wars series.
Additionally, the addition of Zabraks suggests that Maul likely returned to his home world of Dathomir between the end of the Clone Wars and this new Star Wars series, reconnecting with his past while also recruiting new allies to his cause.
Spybot Has A Major Force Unleashed Connection
The first two episodes of Maul - Shadow Lord debut Spybot, a resourceful and sinister new espionage droid serving Maul voiced by David W. Collins. Previously, Collins voiced Proxy in The Force Unleashed games, the loyal training droid belonging to Galen Marek's Starkiller (voiced by Sam Witwer). As a result, Shadow Lord is an exciting reunion for Collins and Witwer through Spybot and Maul.
Rook Kast
Rook Kast returns as one of Maul’s most loyal Mandalorian allies, having been one of the former Sith Lord's top lieutenants during his takeover of Mandalore during the Clone Wars, having been featured in multiple episodes of The Clone Wars animated series.
She first appeared during the Clone Wars as a key Mandalorian follower after Maul seized power, and was even part of the strike team that broke Maul out of his imprisonment by Darth Sidious ahead of the Siege of Mandalore. In Shadow Lord, Kast is voiced by none other than actress Vanessa Marshall, who's famously the voice of Hera Syndulla in Star Wars Rebels.
Maul's Debut - "Duel of The Fates"
Stealing funds and resources from the crime boss known as Deemis, Maul’s debut in Shadow Lord's first episode is nothing short of iconic, backing up his followers and deflecting waves of enemy fire with his double-bladed lightsaber while accompanied by composer John Williams' "Duel of the Fates".
After 27 years, the theme has become synonymous with Maul, and it truly never gets old when it comes to generating hype for the former Sith Lord.
Crimson Dawn
Maul references Crimson Dawn as one of the groups that capitalized on his downfall in the wake of the Siege of Mandalore and the end of the Clone Wars. As seen in 2018's Solo: A Star Wars Story, Crimson Dawn was led by the villain known as Dryden Vos, with Maul being the true master of the syndicate in the shadows, as revealed by the movie's end.
Keeping that in mind, it's likely that Shadow Lord and its confirmed second season will see Maul eventually taking control of Crimson Dawn to set up the events of Solo.
"I Prefer To Keep My Presence A Shadow" (A New Phantom Menace)
Telling Rook that he prefers to keep his presence a shadow for the time being, it's evident that Maul has essentially become the new "Phantom Menace" of the Imperial era, while it was his former master, Darth Sidious, who was the true "Phantom Menace" during the Age of the Republic. Clearly, Maul is waiting for the right time to strike and make his presence known, just like Palpatine did in the prequels.
Maul's Grand Plan
Maul confirms that he has a “grand plan" in the works in Shadow Lord episode 1. This echoes the Grand Plan of the Sith, which was fulfilled by Darth Sidious in the prequels, having brought about the downfall of the Jedi and the transformation of the Republic into his very own Galactic Empire, the result of years and years of careful preparation and planning.
Now, Maul seems to be following a similar path, crafting a "Grand Plan" of his very own while deeply driven by his desire for revenge on those who have wronged him.
"Laser Sword"
Image via Disney+Detective Brander Lawson refers to Maul's lightsaber as a “laser sword”, which does feel like a fun Star Wars callback. After all, using the term "laser sword" to refer to a lightsaber has rarely been heard in the Star Wars franchise, save for young Anakin Skywalker in The Phantom Menace when he points out the lightsaber belonging to Liam Neeson's Qui-Gon Jinn.
ISB Protocols
The mention of the Imperial Security Bureau is a pretty big deal in Maul - Shadow Lord. According to Two-Boots, local law enforcement on Janix is required to submit Maul's description to the ISB per Imperial protocols, confirming that the former Sith Lord and the Emperor's first apprentice is indeed on an Imperial watchlist.
While Brander gets Two-Boots to hold off, it's likely only a matter of time before the Empire is alerted to Maul's presence (and Imperial Inquisitors are sent, as teased by trailers). Nevertheless, any inclusion or mention of the ISB, which played a critical role in Andor, is pretty exciting for this new Star Wars show.
The Shadow Collective
The Shadow Collective gets a direct reference in Maul: Shadow Lord's premiere episodes. This was Maul and Savage Opress' major criminal coalition during the Clone Wars, made up of Black Sun, the Pykes, Crimson Dawn, and more criminal syndicates.
The Collective was a sizable power base Maul had intended to use against his rivals. Now it looks as though Maul is seeking revenge on the syndicate leaders who abandoned him before regaining control of their various operations once more.
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