Darth Maulis one ofStar Wars’most compelling characters, and he’s certainly had a lot of scenes and moments to prove his worth. Despite having only appeared in two live-actionStar Warsprojectsso far –Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menaceand a brief cameo inSolo: A Star Wars Story–Maul has become one ofStar Wars’most intriguing and driven characters, fueled by his anger, his need for revenge against Obi-Wan Kenobi, his lust for power, and his rejection at Palpatine’s hands.
Though most ofDarth Maul’s storyplays out in animated shows likeStar Wars: The Clone WarsandStar Wars Rebels(as well as a few off-screen miracles), Maul, formerly Darth, has had an impact on the lives of all our favoriteStar Warsheroes, including Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Ahsoka Tano, Kanan Jarrus, Ezra Bridger, and more. Though Maul’s story officially came to an end inStar Wars Rebelsseason 3, there’s still plenty we don’t know about this mysterious dark sider. Perhaps some of Maul’s best scenes in the franchise can serve as a jumping-off point for future stories.
Darth Maul Essential Viewing List: All The Most Important Star Wars Movies & Episodes
Darth Maul is an iconic Star Wars antagonist, and his story now pans several movies and TV shows after returning from an early demise.
1Duel Of The Fates
Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace
George Lucas and Co. certainly knew what they were doing when they designed Darth Maul. Though his presence in the movie is relatively small compared to how much he was used inStar Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace’s marketing campaign, there’s no denying that Maul had a huge impact on the Skywalker saga overall. Who knows what would have happened to Anakin Skywalkerif Maul hadn’t killed Qui-Gon Jinn?
The fight between Obi-Wan, Qui-Gon Jinn, and Maul is still one of the most electrifying duels in the entirety ofStar Warsand certainly makesThe Phantom Menaceworth a rewatch, despite being one of the weakest installments of the Skywalker saga. John Williams’ iconic “Duel of the Fates” score makes the scene all the more memorable. When Obi-Wan Kenobi cut Darth Maul in half, we thought that’d be the end of it. Little did we know that Maul had so much more to accomplish.
2Savage Opress Finds Maul
Star Wars: The Clone Wars season 4, episode 21 “Brothers”
How could we ever have believed that Darth Maul was truly dead after Obi-Wan cleaved him in half? How naïve we all were.Maul, perhaps more than any other dark side Force-user, is fueled by rage and anger – anger directed at Obi-Wan Kenobi and Palpatine, specifically. He used that rage to survive and somehow ended up on a garbage planet called Lotho Minor. Much to everyone’s surprise, it was Maul’s long-lost brother, Savage Opress, who found him there, after having been juiced up by the Nightsisters’ Mother Talzin.
Seeing Maul again after so many years, and especially in such a dilapidated environment, is undoubtedly one of the character’s most memorable moments. As he and Savage become more acquainted, you can see Maul’s mind becoming clearer, more focused, and more vengeful. His horrifying mechanical spider legs certainly added to the grim appeal of this scene, though he was soon provided with new legs altogether.
3Maul Kills Duchess Satine
Star Wars: The Clone Wars season 5, episode 16 “The Lawless”
Maul had never been able to beat Obi-Wan – at least, not enough to finally take revenge and kill the Jedi – so Maul hatched a different plan instead. He decided he’d become a warlord and plunged Mandalore into darkness, taking the legendary Darksaber for himself. One of the casualties of Maul’s cruelty was the removal of the Mandalorian Duchess Satine from office, who had a brief and secret love affair with Obi-Wan Kenobi in her younger years.
Maul noticed how much Satine and Obi-Wan cared for one another as soon as he saw them together – Obi-Wan had come to Mandalore to rescue her, after all – and finally saw the perfect opportunity for revenge. Maul choked the life out of Satine in front of Obi-Wan until he finally threw her down on the floor in front of the weeping Jedi.This was without a doubt Maul’s cruelest moment. Perfect for his character, horrible for Obi-Wan.
4Savage And Maul Duel With Sidious
Just after killing Satine and taking Obi-Wan prisoner, Maul comes face to face with his old Master, Darth Sidious. Sidious had heard of Maul’s exploits and decided his former pupil was becoming too much of a hindrance to his ultimate plan. The Sith Lord traveled to Mandalore and engaged in a duel with both Maul and his brother Savage. The latter stood absolutely no chance. Neither did Maul, really, as Sidious easily disarmed him and took him prisoner, even as Maul begged for mercy.
It’s a quick, frenetic fight; one that tells us a lot about Maul’s relationships with Sidious and his brother.Despite being captured by Sidious, Maul managed to escape somehow. His escape was supposed to be shown in an unaired arc inThe Clone Warsseason 6. Instead, Maul next appeared inThe Clone Warsseason 7.
5Maul vs. Ahsoka Tano
Star Wars: The Clone Wars season 7, episode 10 “The Phantom Apprentice”
Maul couldn’t stay away from Mandalore for long, returning to the scene of his crimes inStar Wars: The Clone Warsseason 7. Though he’d initially planned his return as a way to draw out Anakin Skywalker and kill him – which the audience learns later on during the same arc, as Maul had sensed Sidious’ desire for Anakin’s power – he instead finds Anakin Skywalker’s apprentice. Enter Ahsoka Tano.
Ahsoka, who had come to Mandalore to help Bo-Katan Kryze take back her homeworld, engages in a duel with Maul.Their fight is, without a doubt, the best and most visually stunning duel in the entire animated series.ThoughAhsoka manages to defeat and capture Maul, he tries to warn Ahsoka about Anakin’s fate. As we all know, though, she never made it back to her Master, and Maul would soon be set free.
6Maul Destroys A Republic Cruiser’s Hyperdrive
Star Wars: The Clone Wars season 7, episode 12 “Victory and Death”
Order 66 didn’t just target the Jedi – it targeted all Force-users that Palpatine deemed to be a threat to his power, and that included Maul and Ahsoka Tano. As Ahsoka tries to escape the clone troopers’ ambush, she frees Maul so that he can provide a distraction, and provide a distraction he does. In this sequence,Maul shows off his impressive strength as he destroys the Republic cruiser’s hyperdrive, bringing the machinery crashing down around him.
In a stroke of luck, Maul manages to pilfer the last shuttle aboard the cruiser, escaping Ahsoka’s clutches just as the Venator falls out of the sky, ready to crash into a small, unnamed moon. Maul’s escape in this episode sets up his eventual return in DisneyStar Wars’first animated show,Star Wars Rebels. He still had a lot to learn.
7Maul’s Second Live-Action Appearance
Solo: A Star Wars Story
Though it’s an undeniably brief moment,Maul’s live-action cameo inSolo: A Star Wars Storyset the stage for a whole new character arc. As the leader of the crime syndicate Crimson Dawn, Maul finally has the power and influence he’s always craved without being beholden to a Master. He can work in the shadows and avoid Darth Sidious’ wrath. Though, as we know fromStar Wars Rebels, he never gave up on the idea of finally killing Palpatine once and for all.
OriginalDarth Maul actorRay Park revisited his role physically, while Sam Witwer, who had voiced the character in bothThe Clone WarsandStar Wars Rebels,provided the dialogue. It was the perfect amalgamation to create this new, live-action Maul. Hopefully, we’ll see more of Maul’s exploits with Crimson Dawn in the future.
8Maul Blinds Kanan Jarrus
Star Wars Rebels season 2, episodes 21 and 22: Twilight of the Apprentice Parts 1 and 2"
At the end ofStar Wars Rebelsseason 2, Order 66 survivor Kanan Jarrus, his Padawan Ezra Bridger, and Ahsoka Tano travel to the Sith planet Malachor, hoping to find something that can help them defeat Darth Vader and Darth Sidious once and for all. Ezra finds Maul instead. Since Ezra has no idea of Maul’s history or villainous ways, Ezra decides to trust Maul and teams up with him, much to Ahsoka and Kanan’s surprise.
Maul turned on them as soon as it suited him, of course, engaging in a duel with Kanan and blinding the Jedi permanently. Though it gave Maul a brief moment of victory and ultimately, a chance to escape once again, it was the start of a new path for Kanan, a new period of his life as a Jedi.Things may have turned out very differently for the galaxy if Maul hadn’t dueled with Kanan that day.
9Maul Takes Ezra Bridger To Dathomir
Star Wars Rebels season 3, episode 11 “Visions and Voices”
Maul still had unfinished business with Obi-Wan Kenobi, and he became convinced there was only one person who could help him: Ezra Bridger. By combining a Sith and a Jedi Holocron, Maul believed he would finally be able to locate Obi-Wan Kenobi and kill him once and for all. Ezra, too, believed that he needed to find Obi-Wan Kenobi, as the Holocrons had shown him an image of twin suns when he “asked” whom they needed to find to kill the Sith.
To get a clearer picture of the future, Maul brought Ezra to Dathomir, and he allowed the spirits of the Nightsisters to lead him to Obi-Wan on Tatooine.His obsession overwhelms him in this episode, which makes it such an interesting character study. He’s so obsessed with finding Obi-Wan, in fact, that Ezra’s friend, the Mandalorian Sabine Wren, was even able to take the Darksaber from him.
10Maul vs. Obi-Wan Kenobi
Star Wars Rebels season 3, episode 20 “Twin Suns”
Finally, Maul locates Obi-Wan in the deserts of Tatooine, and though it seems as though the show is leading up to a bombastic final duel, what actually happens is much more meaningful. Their fight only lasts for a few strokes – Obi-Wan easily defeats him, striking a killing blow to Maul’s stomach. The reason Maul doesn’t bother to use his anger to stay alive this time is simple; he’s done seeking revenge.All he really wants to know is that Obi-Wan will watch over the one who will bring an end to the Sith.
It’s a beautiful moment in an otherwise hectic, dark, and rage-fueled life. Maul may have felt anger towards Obi-Wan, but that was nothing compared to the rejection he experienced when dealing with Sidious. Maul knew things needed to change, and Obi-Wan, perhaps the most important person inDarth Maul’s life, gave him the answer he needed.
Darth Maul
Palpatine’s apprentice, Darth Maul was nothing more than a tool to winnow down the ranks of the Jedi ahead of Darth Sidious' true plans. Discarded after he was defeated by Obi-Wan Kenobi on Naboo, Darth Maul swore revenge against all those he blamed for his past struggles - Jedi and Sith alike. Maul tended to operate within the shadows, running various syndicates, and even established himself as a true rival for Palpatine on at least one occasion. He was eventually killed by Obi-Wan in a duel on Tatooine.
