Star Wars: Maul - Shadow Lord Episodes 3-4 Ending Explained: The Show's Main Villain Is Here

Warning! This article contains spoilers for Maul - Shadow Lord episodes 3 and 4.

Star Wars: Maul - Shadow Lord continues with episodes 3 and 4, which end with the introduction of the show's true villain. These episodes take place immediately after the ending of Maul - Shadow Lord episodes 1 and 2, with Maul still looking to reconsolidate his power as a crime lord. This takes him to the Pykes, whose leader he murders, taking him one step closer to his overall goal.

This, alongside his continued attempts to win one of Star Wars' new Order 66 survivors, Devon, to his side, is where Maul's story continued in episodes 3 and 4. Meanwhile, Lawson remained steadfast in bringing Maul to justice, as did Devon's master, Daki. This led to a major confrontation in the final moments of Maul - Shadow Lord episode 4, as Janix's law enforcement clashed with Maul's forces.

Despite Maul's attempts to end things somewhat peacefully, reaffirming his new status as a new kind of Star Wars protagonist, Lawson found himself unable to strike a deal with the former Sith. This caused a huge shootout, a lightsaber battle between Maul, Daki, and Devon, a betrayal by Two-Boots, and the subsequent arrival of Maul - Shadow Lord's true villain: The Empire.

The Empire's Arrival Is Just As Bad For Maul As It Is For Lawson

Two-Boots' betrayal of Lawson saw the droid following his ingrained protocol and calling the Empire, something the latter wanted to avoid. Maul - Shadow Lord episode 4 ends with the booming theme of the Imperial March as a Star Destroyer enters Janix's atmosphere, promising a new villainous presence for the final five episodes. Although Maul - Shadow Lord is the first Star Wars project to center on a villain, the Empire's inclusion lessens this somewhat.

The reason for this is that the Empire's presence is just as bad for Maul as it is for Lawson. Maul wants to avoid Imperial jurisdiction on Janix so that his plans can continue unhindered. Evidently, Maul is not yet ready to challenge the Empire as he wants to, meaning he wishes to keep quiet until he is. Lawson, meanwhile, holds no love for the Empire and wants to bring in Maul without the fascist traits of the Empire constricting his planet.

Yes, Maul is still a "villain" in the sense of being Star Wars' first morally gray protagonist, but bringing in the Empire gives him and Lawson a common enemy, making the Imperials the show's true main villain.

Is Devon Any Closer To Joining Maul?

Maul - Shadow Lord episodes 3 and 4 continued the titular character's attempts to make Devon his new apprentice. Maul believes Devon is capable of helping him defeat Darth Sidious in the endgame, with episode 3 leaning more into his attempts to win her over. Eventually, Maul somewhat broke through to Devon, forcing the latter to tap into her rage to defeat him.

Maul could have killed Devon several times during this fight and their clash in episode 4, but left her alive. This is because he still has plans for her, but whether she will join him remains to be seen. After all, Maul - Shadow Lord episode 4 ended with Devon reuniting with Daki, saving his life, and leaving with her master once more.

Still, it remains true that Maul did go some way to convincing Devon that he is not the outright evil villain the Jedi believed he was. This, combined with Maul's clear intention to keep trying to recruit Devon, means more of this will come in future episodes.

How Maul Can Defeat The Empire

With the Empire now present and Maul still alone, at least in terms of not having an apprentice, the question turns to how he can defeat the Imperials after episode 4's ending. Maul did not want the Empire involved just yet, but he now has to reckon with them anyway, as Maul - Shadow Lord's trailers teased.

Herein lies the way Maul can defeat the Empire. The trailers for the show teased confrontations between him and several Star Wars Inquisitors. The easiest way for Maul to loosen the Empire's grip on Janix is to kill them, potentially with Devon and Daki's help, all while continuing his plans to build his criminal empire.

If he does so and gains more of Devon's trust in the process, Maul will be one step closer to killing Darth Sidious as he plans. Other Star Wars projects may prove he never gets this chance, but it will be intriguing and exciting to see how Star Wars: Maul - Shadow Lord continues to flesh out its titular character, his plans, and where they end up after episode 4's ending.