Maul: Shadow Lord Season 2 Story Teased By Cast & EPs After Mind-Blowing Season 1 Finale

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Maul looking to the side in Maul Shadow Lord season 1

Published May 6, 2026, 8:26 PM EDT

Warning: There are spoilers ahead for Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord season 1, episodes 9 & 10.After a mind-blowing season 1 finale, the Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord cast and executive producers tease what to expect in season 2.

Maul – Shadow Lord season 1 ends with Maul (Sam Witwer) and the other main characters joining forces to escape Janix. As they flee, they are not only hunted by Inquisitors and stormtroopers, but by Darth Vader himself, who kills Jedi Master Eeko-Dio Daki (Dennis Haysbert). This tragic loss finally pushes Jedi Padawan Devon Izara (Gideon Adlon) to embrace the dark side of the Force and agree to become Maul's apprentice.

In an interview with ScreenRant's Ash Crossan on the red carpet for the Maul – Shadow Lord finale, the cast and executive producers were asked what fans could expect from the already renewed season 2. Charlie Bushnell, who plays Rylee Lawson, says that "we've already been working on season 2 a bit" and is most interested in the character's growth after losing his father, Brander Lawson (Wagner Moura).

Witwer also confirms that "we've been working on it a while" and jokes about Maul getting a ponytail, opening a dog rescue, and a squirrel friend voiced by David Collins, who was the voice behind Spybot in season 1. Chris Diamantopoulos, who plays Vario, teases how the character continues to be involved in the A, B, and C storylines, while executive producer Brad Rau reminds viewers that Devon doesn't know about the role Maul played in Jedi Master Daki's death. Check out their comments below:

Charlie Bushnell: It's hard to say without spoiling because it's all blended together. I feel like we've already been working on season 2 a bit. But I want to see more of Rylee's growth.

There's a lot of growth for him in season 2, particularly after the events of the finale. He's all alone now. He has no one, really, although he's got Devon and maybe Maul. But I don't know if Mall really cares about him, so he's got to look after himself. I want to see him really come into his own in season 2.

Sam Witwer: It is happening. We've been working on it for a while.

[You can expect] lightsabers. Mal gets a pony. That's really exciting. He gets a pony. He has a squirrel friend, voiced by David Collins, and it's great. He opens a dog rescue. It's a really great plot line. None of these things happen, but I would like them to happen.

Chris Diamantopoulos: See, this is the thing. Even when I read the scripts and perform them, after I've seen them rendered, it's like a brand new surprise for me. I just feel like they continually outdo themselves from an animated standpoint, from a writing standpoint, and from the way that the characters intersect.

I love how my character gets his grubby little hands in so many elements of this show. Typically, there are A storylines, B storylines, and C storylines. It feels like there's no holds barred for Vario. He can dip into a little A, a little B, a little C. He's going to get everywhere.

Brad Rau: Devon doesn't know that Mall pushed Daki. Very few people know, and the audience is one of the people.

When asked about the greater implications of Maul pushing Daki toward Darth Vader, Rau and executive producers Athena Yvette Portillo, Matt Michnovetz, and Dave Filoni played coy, but emphasized the secrets that all the characters have, and that while there is a plan, the story also evolves along the way.

Athena Yvette Portillo: We know a lot. I mean, we know there is a season 2. But y'all have to wait until you watch that to get all the answers. No spoilers.

Brad Rau: We can't say it.

Matt Michnovetz: There are a lot of secrets. Not just the fact that we can't tell you, but the characters have a lot of secrets that they're all withholding. We'll see if it comes out.

Dave Filoni: Well, it's like everything: we start out with a plan. I talked to Matt, Brad, and Athena about where I saw the whole thing going. As we work out the stories, new things come up, and you have to address those. Do you capitalize on that or not?

But so far everything's gone as it needed to, and they've done a really good job.

The comments from the cast and producers about being well into working on season 2 are not too surprising, since the renewal was announced before the Maul – Shadow Lord season 1 premiere was released. Work for animated series often begins long in advance, but the early renewal and the amount of progress they seem to have already made is a promising sign that it will not be too long until the show returns.

A Long Time Ago · In a Galaxy Far, Far Away The Sith
Trivia Challenge

⚔Dark LordsUnlimited power

⚡PowerForce lightning

📘LoreHolocrons

🗡BetrayalAlways two

🌈LegacyThe dark side

EMBRACE THE DARK SIDE →

The Sith operate under a strict doctrine that limits their number to prevent infighting and self-destruction. This ancient code dictates that there can only be a master and an apprentice — no more, no less. What is this fundamental Sith principle called?

AThe Sith Code BThe Rule of Power CThe Rule of Two DThe Dark Doctrine

✓ Correct! The Rule of Two states “Always two there are — no more, no less. A master and an apprentice.” As Yoda himself observed, this principle ensured the Sith could operate in secret for a millennium while plotting the downfall of the Jedi Order.

✗ Your lack of faith is disturbing! The answer is the Rule of Two. While the Sith Code exists separately as their philosophical creed, the Rule of Two is the specific doctrine limiting Sith to a master-apprentice pair. It allowed them to hide in the shadows for a thousand years.

The most powerful Sith Lord in the saga hid in plain sight as a seemingly benevolent politician, secretly manipulating the Clone Wars from both sides. He orchestrated the fall of the Republic and the destruction of the Jedi Order. Who is this ultimate Sith Master?

ADarth Vader BDarth Sidious (Palpatine) CDarth Tyranus DDarth Plagueis

✓ Correct! Darth Sidious, publicly known as Senator and later Emperor Palpatine, is the mastermind behind everything. He engineered the Clone Wars, executed Order 66, turned Anakin Skywalker to the dark side, and ruled the galaxy as Emperor for over two decades. Ian McDiarmid’s portrayal is iconic.

✗ Your lack of faith is disturbing! The answer is Darth Sidious, also known as Emperor Palpatine. Darth Vader was his apprentice, Darth Tyranus (Count Dooku) was a pawn, and Darth Plagueis was his former master. Sidious was the puppet master who destroyed the Republic from within.

Once the most promising Jedi Knight in the Order, this Chosen One was seduced to the dark side by Palpatine’s promise of saving his wife from death. After his devastating duel with Obi-Wan Kenobi on Mustafar, he was rebuilt in a black life-support suit. Which Sith Lord is this?

ADarth Maul BDarth Revan CDarth Bane DDarth Vader

✓ Correct! Darth Vader, born Anakin Skywalker, is the tragic heart of the Star Wars saga. His fall from heroic Jedi to Sith enforcer — and his ultimate redemption when he saves his son Luke by destroying the Emperor — is one of cinema’s greatest character arcs.

✗ Your lack of faith is disturbing! The answer is Darth Vader. Darth Maul was Sidious’s first apprentice, Darth Revan is from the Old Republic era, and Darth Bane created the Rule of Two. Only Anakin Skywalker became Darth Vader after his fall on Mustafar.

This fearsome, red-and-black-tattooed Zabrak wielded a double-bladed lightsaber and killed Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn in The Phantom Menace. Though cut in half by Obi-Wan Kenobi, he survived through sheer hatred and returned with mechanical legs. Who is this relentless Sith assassin?

ADarth Maul BSavage Opress CAsajj Ventress DThe Grand Inquisitor

✓ Correct! Darth Maul was Palpatine’s first known apprentice, a weapon of pure rage trained from childhood. His survival after being bisected — fueled entirely by hatred for Obi-Wan — led to his expanded story in The Clone Wars and Rebels, where he became one of Star Wars’ most compelling villains.

✗ Your lack of faith is disturbing! The answer is Darth Maul. Savage Opress was Maul’s brother, Asajj Ventress was Dooku’s dark side assassin, and the Grand Inquisitor served the Empire. Only Maul wielded the iconic double-bladed saber and killed Qui-Gon Jinn in that legendary duel.

This elegant former Jedi Master left the Order and became Sidious’s second apprentice, taking the Sith name Darth Tyranus. A master of Form II lightsaber combat with a curved-hilt saber, he led the Separatist movement. Played by Christopher Lee, who is this aristocratic Sith Lord?

AMace Windu BQui-Gon Jinn CCount Dooku (Darth Tyranus) DGeneral Grievous

✓ Correct! Count Dooku, Darth Tyranus, was the political face of the Separatist movement and a pawn in Sidious’s grand plan. A former student of Yoda himself, Dooku’s elegant fencing style and aristocratic demeanor made him unique among the Sith. Palpatine ordered Anakin to execute him in Revenge of the Sith.

✗ Your lack of faith is disturbing! The answer is Count Dooku, also known as Darth Tyranus. Mace Windu was a Jedi Master, Qui-Gon was Obi-Wan’s master killed by Maul, and General Grievous was a cyborg commander but not Force-sensitive. Dooku was the fallen Jedi who became Sidious’s Sith apprentice.

Approximately a thousand years before the events of the saga, one ancient Sith Lord recognized that the Sith kept destroying themselves through infighting. He wiped out the existing Sith Order and established the Rule of Two, ensuring the dark side would be passed from master to apprentice in secret. Who created this doctrine?

ADarth Revan BDarth Bane CDarth Nihilus DDarth Malgus

✓ Correct! Darth Bane, who appeared as a Force ghost in The Clone Wars, was the visionary who realized the Sith’s numbers were their weakness. By limiting them to two, he ensured each generation would be stronger than the last — a chain that ultimately led to Palpatine’s galaxy-conquering scheme a millennium later.

✗ Your lack of faith is disturbing! The answer is Darth Bane. Darth Revan was a legendary Sith from the Old Republic, Darth Nihilus consumed entire planets through the Force, and Darth Malgus led the Sith Empire. But it was Bane who created the Rule of Two that shaped all Sith to follow.

In the sequel trilogy, the grandson of Darth Vader was seduced to the dark side by Supreme Leader Snoke. He wielded an unstable, crossguard lightsaber with a cracked kyber crystal and killed his own father, Han Solo, in The Force Awakens. Who is this conflicted dark side warrior?

ASupreme Leader Snoke BGeneral Hux CDarth Revan DKylo Ren (Ben Solo)

✓ Correct! Kylo Ren, born Ben Solo to Han Solo and Leia Organa, was torn between the light and dark throughout the sequel trilogy. His worship of his grandfather Vader’s legacy and his crackling crossguard saber made him visually iconic. Like Vader before him, he ultimately found redemption, sacrificing himself to save Rey.

✗ Your lack of faith is disturbing! The answer is Kylo Ren, born Ben Solo. Snoke was his dark side mentor (later revealed as a Palpatine puppet), General Hux was a First Order officer, and Darth Revan existed thousands of years earlier. Kylo Ren carried the Skywalker bloodline’s burden into the sequel era.

In one of the saga’s most chilling scenes, Palpatine tells Anakin the “Tragedy” of a Sith Lord so powerful he could use the Force to influence midi-chlorians to create life and prevent death. His apprentice killed him in his sleep. Who is this legendary Sith whose tale tempted Anakin to the dark side?

ADarth Plagueis the Wise BDarth Bane CDarth Vitiate DDarth Sion

✓ Correct! “Did you ever hear the Tragedy of Darth Plagueis the Wise?” is one of the most meme-worthy and narratively crucial lines in Star Wars. Plagueis was Palpatine’s own master, and the irony is thick — Palpatine tells Anakin the story as bait, having murdered Plagueis himself. It’s not a story the Jedi would tell you.

✗ Your lack of faith is disturbing! The answer is Darth Plagueis the Wise. Darth Bane created the Rule of Two centuries earlier, Darth Vitiate ruled the Old Republic Sith Empire, and Darth Sion was sustained by pain. Plagueis could cheat death itself — ironic, since he couldn’t save himself from his own apprentice, Palpatine.

REVEAL MY SCORE →

Trial Complete Your Dark Side Record

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Are you a Sith Lord — or just another youngling?

↻ RETURN TO THE DARK SIDE

As for the story of Maul – Shadow Lord season 2, Bushnell provides some particularly intriguing insight into where Rylee's story is headed. In the first half of the season, Brander's son was more so on the sidelines, and after he started being hunted by the Empire in the second half, was still following the lead of his father, Devon, and Daki. After losing his father and his home, Rylee is alone in a way he has never been before, but as Bushnell indicates, this is an opportunity for growth.

Brander wanted Two-Boots (Richard Ayoade) to get Rylee to his mother, but based on Bushnell's comments, that may not happen, as the actor only mentions Devon and Maul. Rylee's mother working for the Empire definitely complicates things, as they are the ones responsible for destroying his life on Janix and killing Brander and Daki.

Outside of Rylee, it seems that it's only a matter of time until Devon learns what the audience already knows about Daki's demise. As for Vario, his surprising trajectory from being a pawn in Maul's schemes to the only surviving member of the former Sith Lord's network appears to only be the beginning. Diamantopoulos makes it clear that the character will continue to be more than comic relief moving forward and will presumably continue playing an important part in Maul's rise to power in the criminal underworld.

With a 98% score from critics on Rotten Tomatoes, Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord is among the franchise's highest-rated projects of all time. Episodes 9 & 10 also have the best ratings for the entire series so far on IMDb, with respective scores of 9.6/10 and 9.8/10.

All Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord season 1 episodes are streaming on Disney+.