Maul, first known as Darth Maul in “Star Wars: The Phantom Menace,” entered the “Star Wars” franchise with a fierce frenzy. His red tattoos, horned head and double-bladed crimson lightsaber made him a menacing enemy, one who seemingly died after his first appearance.
But Maul eventually made a return with prosthetic legs and hellbent revenge in the animated series, “Star Wars: The Clone Wars.” Six years after “The Clone Wars” ended, Maul returned to the spotlight with a show of his own: “Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord.”
The first two episodes were released exclusively on Disney+ on Monday, April 6. Sam Witwer returns to reprise his role as Maul in cartoon form, while the show was created by “The Clone Wars” creator Dave Filoni. The series follows Maul about a year after the end of the Clone Wars and the fateful Order 66 as he attempts to rebuild his criminal empire and exact revenge on those who wronged him.
The first episode, “The Dark Revenge,” opens with a group of Mandalorian and Zabrak warriors conducting a heist. Fans of “The Clone Wars” might recognize both groups as the more loyal members of Maul’s Shadow Collective, a crime syndicate he formed during the Clone Wars.
After a high-speed chase through the shadowy city planet Janix, the group finds themself cornered by law enforcement. As the group pretends to surrender, a cloaked Maul steps out of a landed ship, cutting through every blaster bolt sent his way with his signature double-bladed lightsaber. Choral music reminiscent of “The Phantom Menace’s” “Duel of the Fates” accompanies the fighting as Maul’s blade slices into the camera perspective of a guard — the perfect cut for a title drop.
One of the immediate strengths of the show is the visuals. Like season seven of “The Clone Wars” and the animated “Star Wars” shows that followed, each scene and character is brought to life by intense detail and color. Janix feels perpetually dark and dangerous, but prevalent neon lighting gives it a sense of undiminished life. Maul’s tattoos and lightsaber bring dramatic reds to the table, filling his scenes with a sense of fiery anger.
However, the rest of the first episode doesn’t bring much more to the table. The pacing feels jumpy, cutting between uninspired action scenes between different crime groups and law enforcement, with bits of forced exposition along the way. Maul explains his plan to turn local criminal organizations against one another to further his revenge and make his way to larger intergalactic targets, like the Pyke Syndicate.
Maul even voices a desire to get back at Darth Sidious, who killed his brother and discarded him during “The Clone Wars.” To do so, he captures a young Jedi named Devon Izara in the next episode, who managed to survive Order 66 along with her master, Eeko-Dio Daki. The first two episodes also make it seem like Brander Lawson, a captain of law enforcement on Janix, will have a prominent focus as he tries to stop Maul, though what’s currently seen of his character lacks substance beyond his virtue.
One of the problems with the many “Star Wars” projects set between blockbuster films are the countless exceptions that must be made to the universe’s canon to justify new stories. While watching “Revenge of the Sith,” Order 66 comes across as a monumental event that killed nearly every Jedi across the galaxy. But it feels like more and more exceptions to the purge get added each year.
There’s also the matter of stakes in these stories. Based on Maul’s cameo appearance in “Solo: A Star Wars Story,” watchers know that Maul will survive the show and become a criminal leader once again. On the other hand, Izara will likely die or find herself placed in a minor role unrelated to main “Star Wars” events by the shows end.
The power of shows like “Maul – Shadow Lord” depends on the watcher’s immersion in the “Star Wars” universe and whether the presentation of these temporary stories can sustain these predetermined outcomes. With only two episodes of this new series out, it’s hard to say whether the show will fulfill these needs.
Its visual presentation, while impressive, may not be enough, especially because seeing Maul acrobatically cut through hordes of enemies can only excite for so long. This wouldn’t even be the first time an animated series has focused on Maul, fueled by revenge, as he tries to return to his former strength. Still, the question of exactly how Maul will win out in the end might be interesting enough to justify the show’s existence.
The following eight episodes of “Maul – Shadow Lord” will be released in pairs every week on Monday on Disney+. The first season is planned to conclude on May 4.
Rating: 2.75/5