Tag: Darth Maul

On April 6th, one of Star Wars most enigmatic and iconic villains will return to the galaxy far, far away in Star Wars: Maul-Shadow Lord. Set during the Reign of the Empire era, the 10-episode animated series will serve as a bridge, connecting the former Sith Lord’s adventures in Star Wars: The Clone Wars to his surprise appearance in Solo: A Star Wars Story where he’s revealed as the shadowaster of Crimson Dawn.

Whether you’re a longtime fan of the terrifying darksider or looking to meet him for the first time, The Ultimate List of What to Watch Before Star Wars: Maul-Shadow Lord is exactly what you need.

Star Wars: Episode I-The Phantom Menace

The ongoing fascination with Maul began in 1998 when the menacing Sith and his double-bladed lightsaber debuted in the first trailer for The Phantom Menace. The tattooed Zabrak remained front and center in Lucasfilm’s marketing for the film and in its line of action figures.

Though his role in the film fell short of expectations, his duel with Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi became a pivot point for the fate of the galaxy. After suffering a particularly bad case of being cut in half by Kenobi, it seemed Maul’s role as a disposable pawn of Darth Sidious had come to an end. Thankfully, however, that was not the case.

Runtime: 2 hours and 16 minutes

Star Wars: The Clone Wars +1

George Lucas had originally planned to have Maul return in his sequel trilogy where he would be featured as “the godfather of crime in the universe” with his apprentice, Darth Talon, at his side. While that obviously never happened, Star Wars: The Clone Wars slowly started Maul on that path, allowing for Maul-Shadow Lord to really bring the Creator’s original vision to life.

Definitely one of the hardest things we’ve had to do on the show is resurrect Darth Maul.

-Dave Filoni

By design, each season of Star Wars: The Clone Wars was broken into arcs. So while it should go without saying that any Star Wars fan should eventually watch the entire series, you can prep for Maul-Shadow Lord by watching 5 arcs…and reading (or reading about) one that didn’t make it to the small screen.

• Witches and Monsters (Season 3, episodes 12–14). Runtime: 69 minutes.
• Darth Maul Returns (Season 4, episodes 19–22). Runtime: 90 minutes.
• Shadow Collective (Season 5, episodes 1 and 14–16). Runtime: 92 minutes.
• Son of Dathomir (Comic Series)
• Ahsoka’s Journey (Season 7, episodes 7 and 8). Runtime 48 minutes.
• The Siege of Mandalore (Season 7, episodes 9–12). Runtime: 102 minutes.

Arc Title	Season & Episode Numbers	Total Runtime	Key Narrative Focus
Witches & Monsters	S3: E12, E13, E14	~69 mins	The Nightsisters & Savage’s transformation.
Darth Maul Returns	S4: E19, E20, E21, E22	~90 mins	The Dathomir Massacre & Maul’s rebirth.
Shadow Collective	S5: E1, E14, E15, E16	~92 mins	Building the Empire & taking Mandalore.
Ahsoka’s Journey	S7: E7, E8	~48 mins	The Pyke Syndicate & the Nite Owls.
Siege of Mandalore	S7: E9, E10, E11, E12	~102 mins	The fall of Maul & the Rise of the Empire.
TOTAL BINGE	17 Episodes	~6 hrs 41 mins

In total, the 17 episodes of Star Wars: The Clone Wars will take up 6 hours and 41 minutes of your time. An easy one-day binge!

Where to Watch: All episodes are available to stream on Disney+.

Binge Strategy: If you start this list on the morning of April 6th, you can finish the entire “Shadow Lord” backstory just in time for the series premiere that evening!

Witches and Monsters

The Witches and Monsters arc is arguably the most essential piece of backstory if you’ve never watched the beloved animated series. It spins a dark, gothic fantasy in the galaxy far, far away, telling the tragic origins of Maul and his brother, Savage Opress.

The Nightsisters use a different kind of Dark Side. It’s not just the Sith philosophy; it’s more ancient, more primal. It’s witchcraft. Mother Talzin is really the puppet master here. She’s playing Dooku and Ventress against each other, and Savage is just the tool she uses to do it.

-Katie Lucas

The arc establishes the power of Dathomirian Night Sister magick and reveals that Maul is alive in the Outer Rim. It also highlights the volatile nature of Sith apprenticeships and the Rule of Two, explaining why Maul was ultimately discarded. Maul’s eventual relationship with his brother also becomes key to understanding his transition from a solitary assassin to a leader of his own criminal empire.

Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Season 3, Episode 12, “Nightsisters” (20 BBY)

Galactic showdown! In a fierce battle for survival, the Republic and Separatist armies have clashed in the distant Sullust system. Count Dooku’s most
cunning assassin, Asajj Ventress,
leads the vicious attack….

Betrayed by her master, Asajj Ventress survives an assassination attempt by Count Dooku and returns to her homeworld of Dathomir to seek the help of the clan of the Nightsisters in her plot for revenge.

-Official episode synopsis via Star wars.com

Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Season 3, Episode 13, “Monster” (20 BBY)

A bid for revenge! Betrayed
and left for dead by Count Dooku,
Asajj Ventress has begun a deadly
game with her former Master,
launching a secret assassination
attempt against him with the help
of her kin, the mysterious
Nightsisters.

Deceived into thinking the Jedi
were behind the recent attack,
Dooku has traveled across the
galaxy to enlist the Nightsisters
in his quest for vengeance….

Asajj Ventress and the Nightsisters plot their revenge against Count Dooku, selecting a warrior from a village on the far side of Dathomir and using dark magic to transform him into their brutal servant.

-Official episode synopsis via Starwars.com

Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Season 3, Episode 14, “Witches of the Mist” (20 BBY)

Mysterious deaths! Unknown to the Jedi, a new threat has unleashed on the galaxy: Savage Opress, a pawn in the dangerous game between Count Dooku and his former assassin, Ventress.

The victims of his brutal
massacre on the planet of Devaron are being returned to the Jedi Temple for evaluation. It’s up to the Jedi Council to find this
mysterious killer, and eradicate him….

After surveillance footage reveals a Dathomirian male slaughtering Jedi, Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi are sent to track down the monstrous Savage Opress.

-Official episode synopsis via StarWars.com

Runtime: 1 hour and 9 minutes

Darth Maul Returns

The connective tissue that makes his later rise to power possible, this arc transitions Maul from a broken, half-mad scavenger to a wily strategist.

Driven by Mother Talzin’s vision, Savage Opress travels to the junk planet Lotho Minor where he finds a creature living in the literal and figurative bowels of the world. Twelve years of isolation and hatred have left Maul a shattered shell of his former self—he has no memory of his name, possesses a makeshift spider-like lower body made of scrap metal drawn to him by the Force and speaks only in crazed riddles.

Savage brings Maul back to Dathomir, where Mother Talzin performs a powerful ritual to purge the madness from his mind. She replaces his scrap-metal legs with biomechanical limbs. And for the first time since Kenobi bisected him on Naboo, Maul is whole—not just physically, but mentally. His singular focus returns: revenge.

The arc provides Maul with his own agency, freeing him from the puppet string of Sleepy Sheev Palpatine. It also cements the deep, personal hatred that drives Maul’s actions throughout the rest of the series, as his rivalry with Kenobi takes center stage. Though Maul is only present in the final two episodes, the entire four-episode arc is worth the time.

Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Season 4, Episode 19, “Massacre” (20 BBY)

Sinister forces on the move! Asajj
Ventress has suffered a humiliating betrayal at the hands of her own assassin, Savage Opress. Having gone into hiding, she now has no choice but to seek sanctuary with the Nightsisters of Dathomir….

Count Dooku is determined to have revenge against the Nightsisters of Dathomir after their betrayal. General Grievous launches an all-out droid attack against the magic-wielding witches, while Mother Talzin and Asajj Ventress lead the defense with all the dark powers at their command.

-Official episode synopsis via StarWars.com

Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Season 4, Episode 20, “Bounty” (20 BBY)

Abandoned! After an assassination attempt by his forsaken apprentice, Asajj Ventress, Count Dooku launches a brutal counterattack against the Nightsisters, massacring the entire clan. Forced into exile, Ventress wanders far into the Outer Rim, among the castaways and vagabonds of the galaxy, seeking her new life that was foretold by Mother Talzin….

Forced into exile, an aimless Asajj Ventress joins a team of bounty hunters under the leadership of young Boba Fett. On an alien world, they undertake a dangerous but profitable mission that tests the strength of Asajj’s character.

-Official episode synopsis via StarWars.com

Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Season 4, Episode 21, “Brothers” (20 BBY)

A darkness awakes! Count Dooku’s bitter betrayal of his former apprentice Asajj Ventress resulted in the creation of a new menace in the galaxy: Savage Opress. Caught in a deadly game of revenge between Ventress and Dooku, Savage barely
escaped the carnage.

Beaten and alone, he returned to
Mother Talzin, his creator, who
gave him a new quest: to pursue his long-lost brother….

Savage Opress is on a quest to find his long-lost brother, Maul. After more than a decade since Maul’s gruesome encounter with Obi-Wan Kenobi, Savage voyages into the depths of the twisted planet Lotho Minor to find whatever became of the fallen Sith Lord.

-Official episode synopsis via StarWars.com

Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Season 4, Episode 22, “Revenge” (20 BBY)

Brothers reunited! Darth Maul, the sinister Sith thought to have been destroyed so many years ago by Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi, was found alive by his brother, Savage Opress, and taken back to Mother Talzin on Dathomir.

Though Darth Maul’s memory has yet to be fully restored, his need for vengeance has awakened, more powerful than ever….

Savage and Maul, now reunited, pursue Obi-Wan Kenobi in search of revenge, and the Jedi Knight finds himself forced to unite with a surprising ally to defend himself.

-Official episode synopsis via StarWars.con

Runtime: 1 hour and 30 minutes

Shadow Collective

Following a narrow escape from the Jedi, Maul and Savage are found drifting in space by the Death Watch, a group of Mandalorian fundamentalists led by Pre Vizsla. Recognizing a shared hatred for Obi-Wan Kenobi and the current pacifist government of Mandalore, they form an uneasy alliance.

Realizing that to topple the Jedi and the Sith he needs more than just a brother–he needs an army–Maul becomes a warlord. Through a mix of brutal combat and intimidation, he forcibly recruits the galaxy’s most powerful criminal organizations: The Black Sun, The Pyke Syndicate and The Hutt Clan.

Maul orchestrates a false flag operation, directing the criminal syndicates to attack Mandalore’s capital. Pre Vizsla and the Death Watch step in to save the day, earning Vizsla the public’s support, allowing him to overthrow Duchess Satine Kryze. When Vizsla betrays the brothers, Maul escapes and challenges Vizsla to a duel to the death for leadership of the Death Watch. After executing Vizsla with the Darksaber, Maul lays claim to the blade and the throne of Mandalore.

Maul draws Kenobi to Mandalore and kills Satine in front of him, mocking the Jedi for his commitment to a code that couldn’t save the woman he loved. However, Maul’s rapid rise creates a disturbance in the Force so great that Sleepy Sheev personally travels to Mandalore to deal with his former apprentice. Sidious views Maul not as a threat to his life, but as a rival to his power and in a brutal duel against Maul and Savage Oppress, kills the latter while taunting the former, who he now holds captive, telling him, “I have use for you.”

Lore Sidebar: The History of the Darksaber

Fans of The Mandalorian will be familiar with the black-bladed saber but for Maul, it wasn’t a heirloom; it was a stolen trophy that cemented his rule over the underworld.

The Origin: Tarre Vizsla

The Darksaber was forged over 1,000 years ago by Tarre Vizsla, the first Mandalorian ever inducted into the Jedi Order. After his death, the Jedi kept the blade in their Temple until members of House Vizsla “liberated” it during the fall of the Old Republic. For generations, it served as a symbol of leadership: whoever wields the blade by right of combat has a claim to lead all of Mandalore.

Maul’s Claim

In Star Wars: The Clone Wars, the blade belonged to Pre Vizsla, the leader of Death Watch. Maul realized that the Mandalorians would never follow a “foreigner” unless he held their most sacred symbol. By challenging Vizsla to a duel and executing him with his own blade, Maul became the first non-Mandalorian to win the Darksaber in ritual combat.

Where is the blade during “Shadow Lord”?

In the timeline of the new series, set after The Clone Wars, Maul still possesses the Darksaber. While he eventually loses it–leading to it being found by Sabine Wren in Star Wars Rebels–during the Shadow Lord era, it is his primary weapon and the badge of office for his Shadow Collective.

Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Season 5, Episode 1, “Revival” (19 BBY)

Death and destruction! Darth Maul and Savage Opress spread chaos as they descend on the Outer Rim. After rescuing his brother from despair, Savage and Maul murder and pillage at every turn. Fueled by rage and vengeance, they search for meaning in their new alliance
as reports of their brutal attacks
spread across the galaxy….

Fueled by vengeance and rage, the newly reunited brothers Savage Opress and Maul spread terror and violence across the galaxy.

-Official episode synopsis via StarWars.com

Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Season 5, Episode 14, “Eminence” (19 BBY)

Evil alliance! Darth Maul and Savage Opress escape Obi-Wan Kenobi’s assault once again.
With their plan to build a crime organization in peril, the brothers’ fate is about to be changed forever as they drift barely alive,
through unknown space…..

Savage and Maul forge an alliance with Death Watch to target a common enemy: Obi-Wan Kenobi.

-Official episode synopsis via StarWars.com

Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Season 5, Episode 15, “Shades of Reason” (19 BBY)

Villainy swells! With an army of
the galaxy’s most vicious criminals, Darth Maul and Savage Opress conspire with Pre Vizsla and the Death Watch
to topple Duchess Satine, ruler of Mandalore. While the conspirators prepare to attack the Mandalorian capital Sundari from a base on Zanbar, the fate of 2,000 other neutral systems is under threat as Darth Maul moves closer to establishing a vast criminal empire….

Backed by the criminal underworld, the Sith and Death Watch launch an attack on Mandalore.

-Official episode synopsis via StarWars.com

Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Season 5, Episode 16, “The Lawless” (19 BBY)

Neutral star systems in peril! Darth Maul and Savage Opress command the planet Mandalore through the puppet Prime Minister, Almec, while they
expand their criminal enterprise.
With the Death Watch removed from power, and the Jedi unaware of the villainous plot, nothing stands in the way of Darth Maul’s vision for a vast criminal empire.

We now find Duchess Satine imprisoned, as her few remaining loyal subjects make a desperate attempt to rescue her….

Using Duchess Satine as bait, Darth Maul lures Obi-Wan into a trap.

-Official episode synopsis via StarWars.com

Runtime: 1 hour and 32 minutes

Son of Dathomir

Originally designed as an arc for Season 6, the story was released by Dark Horse as a 4-issue comic series in 2014 after the show’s initial cancellation. It was republished by Marvel Comics in 2017.

Following his defeat on Mandalore, Maul is imprisoned and tortured by Darth Sidious and Count Dooku in a secret facility. However, his Mandalorian Super Commandos free him from prison, setting the stage for a wild war between Force users.

Reinforced by Dathomirian Nightbrothers, the Shadow Collective goes to war against Dooku and General Grievous on Ord Mantell. Maul capture Dooku and Grievous, hoping to achieve his ultimate goal is of luring Sidious out into the open so Mother Talzin can drain his life force and possess his body.

On Dathomir, a massive duel featuring Maul and Mother Talzin–who initially possesses Dooku–Sidious and Grievous. To save her son, Mother Talzin sacrifices the last of her spirit to allow Maul to escape. General Grievous delivers the killing blow to Talzin, effectively wiping out the Nightsisters.

Ahsoka’s Journey

Ahaoka Tano plays a major role in Maul’s arc in Season 7 of The Clone Wars with the two discarded apprentices eventually facing off on Mandalore. Following her departure from the Jedi Order, Ahsoka crashes her speeder bike in the underworld of Coruscant. She is taken in by two sisters, Trace and Rafa Martez, who are struggling to survive in the crime-ridden lower levels. For the first time, Ahsoka sees the galaxy through the eyes of ordinary citizens who feel abandoned—and even harmed—by the Jedi’s involvement in the war.

In a desperate bid for credits, the sisters take a job transporting spice for the Pyke Syndicate. Ahsoka joins them to keep them safe, hiding her Jedi past. When the deal goes south, they are imprisoned on the planet Oba Diah. Here, Ahsoka realizes that the Pykes aren’t just local thugs—they are a massive organization with ties to a mysterious shadow leader: Maul.

While escaping the Pyke stronghold, Ahsoka spots three hooded figures observing the Syndicate: Bo-Katan Kryze and members of the Mandalorian Nite Owls. They have been tracking Maul’s criminal activities and realize that Ahsoka is their best chance at regaining Mandalore. After helping the Martez sisters return to Coruscant, Bo-Katan approaches Ahsoka with an offer: help the Mandalorians take down Maul. Realizing she can still do good in the galaxy without being a Jedi, Ahsoka accepts, setting her on a collision course with the former Sith.

Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Season 7, Episode 7, “Dangerous Debt” (19 BBY)

Prisoners of the Pykes! Ahsoka Tano has teamed up with the Martez sisters, who live in the underworld of the city-planet Coruscant. Struggling to make ends meet, Rafa Martez scored a job running a spice shipment from the planet Kessel. Tempers flared when Ahsoka realized the spice was being sold to the Pykes, a powerful crime syndicate. As Ahsoka and Rafa argue, Trace Martez dumped the spice, hoping to end the dispute. With no shipment to deliver, the three attempted to deceive the Pykes and failed.

We now find them imprisoned deep within a fortress on the planet Oba Diah….

Captured by the Pyke Syndicate, Ahsoka and the Martez sisters attempt a daring escape.

-Official episode synopsis via StarWars.com

Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Season 7, Episode 8, “Together Again” (19 BBY)

Prisoners in peril! Former Jedi apprentice, Ahsoka Tano, befriended two sisters, Trace and Rafa Martez, who grew up in the underworld of Coruscant. After learning that the sisters blamed the Jedi Knights for the death of their parents, Ahsoka must decide if she’s willing to reveal her Jedi past and use her skills to aid in their escape.

Fearing her new friends will feel betrayed by this revelation, Ahsoka is left with a difficult choice….

Captured by the Pykes once more, Ahsoka and the Martez sisters are running out of options.

-Official episode synopsis via StarWars.com

Runtime: 48 minutes

The Siege of Mandalore

Sensing that the galaxy is on the brink of a cataclysmic shift, Maul returns to Mandalore and orchestrates a final stand, hoping to lure Anakin and Obi-Wan to the planet. He plans to kill Anakin, believing it will rob Sidious of his prized pupil and prevent the rise of the Empire.

Instead of Anakin, the Republic sends Ahsoka Tano and Captain Rex with a division of the 501st. Maul and Ahsoka engage in an absolutely epic duel, during which Maul tries to recruit Ahsoka, warning her that the Jedi are already lost and Darth Sidious is about to win. Ahsoka refuses, eventually capturing Maul just as Order 66 is given.

Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Season 7, Episode 9, “Old Friends Not Forgotten” (19 BBY)

Outer Rim under siege! Separatist forces have launched a major offensive. Led by the evil droid General Grievous, Republic forces are pushed to the brink. In response to this overwhelming attack, the Jedi Council has dispatched its Generals, sending them far from the Core Worlds to bolster the beleaguered clones. On the distant planet of Yerbana, we find Commander Cody of the 212th in desperate need of reinforcements….

The Siege of Mandalore begins, and Ahsoka turns to Anakin and Obi-Wan for help.

-Official episode synopsis via Star Wars.com

Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Season 7, Episode 10, “The Phantom Apprentice” (19 BBY)

The battle for Mandalore continues, and Ahsoka finds herself face to face with Maul.

-Official episode synopsis via StarWars.com

Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Season 7, Episode 11, “Shattered” (19 BBY)

Maul is captured and the Siege of Mandalore is won. But evil lurks elsewhere, and the galaxy will never be the same.

-Official episode synopsis via StarWars.com

Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Season 7, Episode 12, “Victory and Death” (19 BBY)

In the wake of Order 66, Ahsoka and Rex must work together to survive.

-Official episode synopsis via StarWars.com

As the Imperial Era begins, Maul escapes into hyperspace after yet another duel with Ahsoka. It’s been reported that Star Wars: Maul-Shadow Lord will pick up one year after the events of this episode, with the primary setting believed to be 17 BBY. For timeline purposes, Solo: A Star Wars Story takes place in 13 BBY and Maul’s death in Tatooine as seen in Star Wars Rebels, occurs in 2 BBY. That four year gap before Solo, gives Lucasfilm plenty of runway to produce multiple seasons of Maul-Shadow Lord.

Runtime: 1 hour and 42 minutes

About Star Wars: Maul-Shadow Lord

An all-new animated series from Lucasfilm Animation, Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord, will premiere on Disney+ April 6, 2026. Two episodes will premiere each week, with the final two airing on the ultimate Star Wars holiday, May the 4th.

Set after the events of Star Wars: The Clone Wars, this pulpy adventure finds Maul plotting to rebuild his criminal syndicate on a planet untouched by the Empire. There, he crosses paths with a disillusioned young Jedi Padawan who could be the apprentice he is seeking to aid him in his relentless pursuit for revenge.

-Official synopsis for Star Wars: Maul-Shadow Lord

The voice cast includes Sam Witwer as Maul, Gideon Adlon as Devon Izara, Oscar® nominee Wagner Moura as Brander Lawson, Richard Ayoade as Two-Boots, Dennis Haysbert as Master Eeko-Dio-Daki, Chris Diamantopoulos as Looti Vario, Charlie Bushnell as Rylee Lawson, Vanessa Marshall as Rook Kast, David C. Collins as Spybot, A.J. LoCascio as Marrok, and Steve Blum as Icarus.

Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord is created by Dave Filoni, based on Star Wars and characters created by George Lucas. The series is developed by Dave Filoni and Matt Michnovetz. Brad Rau is supervising director. The executive producers are Dave Filoni, Athena Yvette Portillo, Matt Michnovetz, Brad Rau, Carrie Beck, and Josh Rimes. Alex Spotswood is the co-executive producer.