Wow, Darth Maul Is Already Making A Compelling Anti-Jedi Case In Shadow Lord

9 hours ago 3

Published Apr 11, 2026, 8:12 PM 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.

With 8 years of total experience covering entertainment and pop culture, Kevin has gotten the chance to interview top creatives and talent, and has also attended major media events like Disney's D23 convention.

Majoring in Cinema Studies with a minor in Comics and Cartoon Studies from the UofO, Kevin lives in Oregon with his wonderful wife, adorable dog, and sinister cat who is no doubt currently plotting his demise.

Warning! This post contains SPOILERS for Star Wars: Maul - Shadow Lord episodes 1-2

After its first two episodes alone, it's already clear that Maul - Shadow Lord is going to give us a darkly compelling anti-Jedi argument as we've never seen before. The former Sith apprentice of Darth Sidious raised to hate and kill Jedi, Maul is now in a far more unique position in the Age of the Empire, seeking revenge on his old master in an era where the Jedi Order is no more.

Since his apparent demise in The Phantom Menace and revival during The Clone Wars, Maul has evolved into a Star Wars villain who's far more complicated than a mere Sith apprentice. He now exists as a dark side wielder on the outside, neither Jedi nor Sith (while seeking revenge on both).

Now, Maul - Shadow Lord sees Maul seeking a brand-new apprentice to help him get that revenge. As such, the tactics and methods Maul is already using to persuade the young Order 66 survivor Devon Izara are fascinating. Highlighting the flaws of the Jedi Order, it definitely seems like Maul's efforts in Shadow Lord will make for a very compelling argument against the guardians of peace and justice, giving us a unique dark side corruption at a time when hope and light were at an all-time low in the Star Wars galaxy.

Maul Is Seeking A New Apprentice To Help Him Kill Darth Sidious

Maul’s new motivations are made clear following the first two episodes of Shadow Lord: he intends to build a new base of power in the galactic underworld while seeking a new apprentice by his side, allowing him to take revenge on all those who have betrayed him. This will culminate with Darth Sidious, his old Sith master who rejected and betrayed him (and also killed both his brother and mother).

After abducting Jedi Padawan Devon Izara from the police precinct on Janix, Maul confirms to Rook Kast in Shadow Lord's second episode that he plans to fashion her into a weapon. In Devon, Maul sees the potential to turn her into his powerful new apprentice; he just has to convince her to embrace the dark side and turn away from the teachings of the Jedi. As such, this new challenge is already proving itself to be one of the most entertaining elements of this new Star Wars series.

Devon Izara's Dark Side Corruption Will Illuminate The Jedi's Failures

Devon believes she knows exactly who Maul is based on the stories told before the Jedi Order was decimated by the Empire with Order 66. This is something we see Maul immediately push back against, suggesting that he's not the villain and that the real galaxy is far more complicated than the simple constructs of good and evil.

Encouraging her to adapt beyond the "indoctrination" of the Jedi, Maul brilliantly offers "a pathway to power that the Jedi didn't teach you." Because times have changed so drastically, Maul challenges the idea of what it means to be a Jedi during the Age of the Empire. Inviting Devon to view the galaxy for what it really is, he fully presents himself as an ally against the regime of the Empire, wanting to prove to her that they're on the same side.

Of course, Devon isn't sold after this single episode, but the door has been opened. One can easily see how Maul's continued persuasion might sway her in future episodes, especially if her current master refuses to adapt in favor of a more strict adherence to the Jedi Code.

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.

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From what we’ve seen so far, Shadow Lord is already setting up a fascinating exploration of the Jedi Order’s shortcomings through the eyes of Maul himself. Maul recognizes that Devon still believes in the Jedi ideals of peace and justice. Rather than attacking those beliefs outright, he instead argues that many in the Jedi Order strayed from those principles during the Clone Wars, hence their downfall...and he's not necessarily wrong about the Jedi Order becoming compromised.

Most likely, Maul will continue to present himself as something in between the Jedi and Sith: an ally against the Empire, offering power Devon will likely fail to resist over time. Likewise, if Jedi Master Eeko-Dio Daki refuses to adapt, it will likely only strengthen Maul’s case.

As such, Devon’s fall to the dark side and becoming Maul's new apprentice already feels inevitable. It also helps that Shadow Lord is confirmed to be inspired by original ideas George Lucas had for the sequel trilogy, where Maul and his Twi'lek apprentice Darth Talon, were going to be central antagonists. Devon Izara could easily become the canonical fulfillment of those ideas.

Even so, it's going to be fascinating to see what other methods and techniques Maul uses to persuade Devon to leave the Jedi and join the dark side in his mission to gain a new apprentice, especially in this incredibly dark period in the Star Wars timeline.

New episodes of Star Wars: Maul - Shadow Lord release Mondays on Disney+ from Lucasfilm Animation.