Poor Maul, the Dathomirian Zabrak formerly known as Darth Maul. All those promises to reap the benefits of the dark side didn’t materialise as planned, eh? Yet, his lust for absolute power and control only masked what was really happening beneath the surface.
“Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord” picks up after the Clone Wars as the Galactic Empire puts a chokehold on the galaxy. Order 66 has been executed, and life looks about as miserable as any average day in 2026. Maul (voiced by Sam Witwer) operates in the shadows, rebuilding his criminal empire and taking revenge against his enemies after renouncing his Sith title. Despite building up a formidable crew of thugs, he still seeks an apprentice – in this case, it’s the Jedi Padawan Devon Izara (Gideon Adlon).
It’s important to take a step back and understand Maul’s backstory here. While the different “Star Wars” media tweaks elements here and there, this is what’s known about the character. Maul is the product of a union between a Nightbrother and a Nightsister. As per tradition, the father is executed after their child’s birth, so Maul never had a chance to play catch or go to a ball game with his dad. To make matters worse, Sidious took Maul under his wing as his apprentice at a very young age (how young depends on the story being told), teaching him all about the dark side of the Force and how to become a fascist in 10 easy steps.
The malevolent Sidious put Maul through the wringer, torturing and manipulating him on his path to becoming a fearsome Sith Lord. Even so, Sidious is the only father figure that Maul has ever known in his life, so it’s understandable that his values and worldviews may be skewed. It’s like being raised by Hannibal Lecter; chances are, you won’t be a vegan.
In Maul’s mind, the natural order would have involved him growing from apprentice to master, then taking on his own protégé to corrupt and mold. This mirrors the journey of life… maybe without all the deceit and backstabbing, though some families may disagree. Instead of throwing a ball around in the backyard, Sidious taught Maul how to decapitate his enemies. The father passes down the knowledge to the son, then the son to the next generation, and so forth.
Maul’s biggest mistake, though, was viewing Sidious as Mufasa when he’s actually Scar. Maul was always expendable, being played like a violin by the Sith for their own sinister purposes.
After Obi-Wan Kenobi sliced the Zabrak in half in “Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace”, Maul spent years trying to rebuild himself – figuratively and literally. What hurt deeper than this pain and loss to the Jedi was knowing that Sidious had replaced him immediately. Sidious didn’t miss a beat in finding a new apprentice, while Maul was still alive and maybe hoping his master would look for and help him.
The disappointment hit Maul hard, but he bounced back. He received a few upgrades on his body, his memories returned, and he reunited with his brother, Savage Opress, to embark on a new, lucrative life of crime. Maul took Savage as an apprentice, but this was more than just a big brother taking care of his younger sibling. This translated into a replacement father dynamic, where Maul taught Savage the ways of the Sith, much like Sidious had done for him years before. Despite them being family, there was a firm hierarchy in place, as Maul remained above Savage in the pecking order, and both brothers accepted it.
This all went to hell in a handbasket after Sidious killed Savage and defeated Maul in combat. It wasn’t only the death of his brother that Maul needed to contend with, but also the soul-crushing betrayal of his “father”, Sidious. He needed to come to terms with the fact that his idol, his role model, was a scumbag who never cared about him. This wasn’t just a case of a father saying he’s going out for smokes and milk and never coming back; this was the father telling the son he’s worthless and means nothing to him. Ouch.
Now, with Devon in “Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord”, Maul hopes to repeat the master-apprentice dynamic with her as he did with Savage. He believes they can take down the Empire together, and he can lead her to a better future. However, this can only happen with him as her master, not Jedi Master Eeko-Dio-Daki (Dennis Haysbert), who is training Devon.
This isn’t a spoiler, since “Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord” takes place canonically before the events of “Star Wars Rebels”, but Maul tries this approach again with Ezra Bridger. It demonstrates that all he has ever wanted is someone by his side as his apprentice. His own Mini-Me to do double-bladed lightsaber tricks with. Considering Maul’s final fate in this universe, psychologists would have a field day analysing his compulsive behaviour and desire for an apprentice.
Maul possesses serious attachment issues, with most of them stemming from a deep-rooted feeling that he isn’t good enough – partially because he never had a father, but also due to how Sidious poisoned his mind during his formative years. Initially, Maul views himself as having failed Sidious, hence his master moving on without him.
Over time, though, this grows into resentment and hatred because of his abandonment. Regardless of whatever’s happening inside that horned head, it’s clear that he isn’t addressing his problems in a healthy manner by thinking an apprentice will solve all his woes. But hey, at least Maul didn’t turn to the Manosphere for answers, right?
The reality is, Maul never needed an apprentice; he needed a good therapist. It goes to show that even in space, daddy issues are still a problem.
“Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord” is out now on Disney+.