Published Jul 24, 2026, 12:00 PM EDT
Ben Sherlock is a Tomatometer-approved film and TV critic who runs the massively underrated YouTube channel I Got Touched at the Cinema. Before working at Screen Rant, Ben wrote for Game Rant, Taste of Cinema, Comic Book Resources, and BabbleTop. He's also an indie filmmaker, a standup comedian, and an alumnus of the School of Rock.
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Darth Vader, the black-clad terror from Star Wars, is one of the most iconic characters in film history. He might even be the single most recognizable figure from the silver screen. Vader is ranked third on the American Film Institute’s list of the 100 greatest movie villains of all time, ahead of Nurse Ratched and the Wicked Witch of the West, and just behind serial killers Hannibal Lecter and Norman Bates. Over the years, Vader has inspired ripoffs, like Zygon, Voltan, Shredder, Noob Saibot, and the Phantasm. He’s inspired parodies, like Dark Helmet and Emperor Zurg. Most recently, Christopher Nolan turned Agamemnon into a Greek-era Darth Vader in The Odyssey.
While Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia and Han Solo and Obi-Wan Kenobi and C-3PO and R2-D2 and Chewbacca are all beloved icons across the globe, Vader is easily the most iconic character in the Star Wars universe. Anyone anywhere in the world would recognize Vader just from his silhouette, or his ominous robotic breathing.
But the Disney era has made a different Sith Lord an even more interesting character than Vader. Under Disney, Star Wars has taken a nosedive. One of the sturdiest and most reliable brands in Hollywood history, which had been counted on for hit after hit for decades, had all its goodwill eradicated in less than a decade with the Mouse in charge. Disney’s Star Wars era has been very hit-and-miss, with a lot more misses than hits, and as a result, only the most diehard fans still remain.
Still, it hasn’t been all bad under Disney. Disney gave us Rogue One, the first two seasons of The Mandalorian, the underrated gem Skeleton Crew, and a little show called Andor, one of the greatest TV shows of the 21st century. Under Disney, Maul may have overtaken Vader as Star Wars’ best villain (or, more accurately, antihero).
Disney Has Made Maul An Even More Interesting Character Than Vader
George Lucas introduced Darth Maul in Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace, the first entry in his prequel trilogy, and he instantly became an icon. Much like with Boba Fett when The Empire Strikes Back came out, the pre-release marketing material was enough to make this new villain a fan-favorite before anyone had even seen the film. Maul’s tattooed, red-and-black look was just as terrifying and intimidating as Vader’s faceless mask, but in completely its own way, and his double-bladed lightsaber made him twice the threat in a duel.
But Maul was massively underutilized in The Phantom Menace. He shows up to aura-farm in a couple of scenes, then kills Qui-Gon, gets chopped in half by Obi-Wan, and is instantly forgotten about. Maul’s death squandered a character who still had a lot of potential, but it did make Obi-Wan the first Jedi Knight to defeat a Sith Lord in 1,000 years, so that was pretty awesome.
Years later, Star Wars retconned Maul’s death and brought him back for a fascinating arc in The Clone Wars, then an even more fascinating arc (and a perfectly fitting ending) in Rebels. This retcon undid the awesomeness of Obi-Wan being the first Jedi to kill a Sith in 1,000 years, but it allowed Maul to finally live up to his full potential. Maul isn’t just the aura-farming, dual-blade-wielding badass we saw doing the Emperor’s bidding in The Phantom Menace; he’s a tragic figure, with a lot of unseen depth and nuance, much like Vader.
All of this stuff happened under Disney, and it’s arguably made Maul an even more interesting character than Vader. His own solo series on Disney+, Maul: Shadow Lord, solidified this with a dark, gritty, Maul-centric story about the early days of the Empire. Disney has done some great things with Vader, too, from his massacre at the end of Rogue One to his rematch with Obi-Wan to his supporting role in Maul: Shadow Lord, but Maul is Star Wars’ new star.
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