Since first appearing in The Phantom Menace, Maul has evolved from a silent, stalking slasher baddie into a truly archetypal tragic monster. The development of the former Sith in Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels have made him not only a fan favorite baddie but also, perhaps, a Star Wars most interesting antagonist. Now headlining his own series, Maul is doing what he does best–and always–seeking revenge and showing that his past will never truly be behind him.
The latest pair of episodes, 7 and 8, went deep into the fractured mind of Maul, revisiting the death of his brother, Savage Opress, revealing that the madness that once plagued him still has a strong hold.
The episode features a devastating flashback to Maul’s childhood on Dathomir and a verbal confirmation that the deepest wound Palpatine ever inflicted was the murder of Savage Opress.
In a poignant moment, Maul clarifies that his war with Palpatine isn’t just political—it’s personal. He specifically cites the events of The Clone Wars episode “The Lawless” as the moment he truly lost everything.
By acknowledging his brother’s death, the show is grounding Maul’s hatred of the Empire in grief rather than just power-lust. This adds a layer of protective vengeance to his character; Maul isn’t just trying to kill Sidious; he’s trying to stop him from doing to others what was done to him. Unfortunately, part of the tragedy of Maul is ultimately that he used the very tools of his tormentor to try to find freedom from who he had become.
The episodes also concludes with a cliffhanger tease for the live-action return of Paul Bettany’s Dryden Vos, setting up the final transition into the Solo era. It looks like the final two episodes of the season, set to stream on Star Wars Day, will depict Maul’s takeover of Crimson Dawn and, just maybe, give fans a lightsaber duel that they’ve been waiting for…
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