Unraveling Maul's Journey: From Shadow Lord to Dark Times Antagonist
Daniel Avila
Published May 17, 2026
By Published Apr 4, 2026, 11:01 AM EDT Liz Declan is a Lead Writer for ScreenRant, primarily covering movies. She is a massive fan of Star Wars, the MCU, and Supernatural. In addition to writing, Liz loves attending and covering conventions and interviewing actors. Find her on TikTok and Instagram @va.va.vera Summary Generate a summary of this story follow Follow followed Followed Like Like Log in Here is a fact-based summary of the story contents: Try something different: Show me the facts Explain it like I’m 5 Give me a lighthearted recap
has always been a somewhat difficult thing to follow. After all, George Lucas eventually revealed that he had made movies 4, 5, and 6 first, and the prequel trilogy had to do quite a bit of retconning to make certain storylines make sense. However, in the years since—particularly —the timeline has gotten so much more nuanced and confusing.
Complicating matters even further is Star Wars' tendency to bring characters back after they seem guaranteed to be death. The most notorious example is in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, which proved incredibly controversial to say the least. However, other characters, from Darth Maul to Boba Fett to Asajj Ventress, have all been brought back as well.
Now, Maul is getting a brand-new Star Wars TV show, , raising questions about where and how this new animated series fits into Maul's story and the larger Star Wars timeline. The news that has only intensified these questions. Here's what we know so far about the timing of the brand-new show.
Maul - Shadow Lord Is Set Just After Revenge Of The Sith
Disney has confirmed that Maul - Shadow Lord is set approximately one year after Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith and all the events contained within that movie, including and the fall of the Jedi Order and the Republic. This will be a particularly interesting place to pick up Maul's story because of what Star Wars: The Clone Wars revealed.
Specifically, in the Clone Wars finale, Maul was focused on the Siege of Mandalore, yet another power grab for the former Sith Lord who has been fairly lost ever since he came back from his supposed death and found that his Sith master, Palpatine/Darth Sidious, had replaced him and had no interest in using him any further.
During the Siege, he came face-to-face with former Jedi Padawan Ahsoka Tano, and while the two did battle, Maul also expressed sentiments that were a bit unexpected, including his feelings of rejection over Palpatine discarding him and the sense that they had all been manipulated, as turning Anakin Skywalker was always Palpatine's plan.
Of course, he was right, but that was very perceptive of him, which in and of itself is surprising, and it conveyed a level of emotion that is far from the Maul audiences saw in Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace, who was entirely stoic. Ultimately, Maul escaped during the events of Order 66, but he remained obviously bent on vengeance over Palpatine's treatment of him.
It's clear that this will be a part of Maul's upcoming story, as a recent Maul - Shadow Lord teaser began with Palpatine in voice over telling Maul, "You have been replaced." This suggests that Maul's desire to bring down Palpatine will persist in this new story, which will be interesting to watch play out given that, during the Dark Times, it was dangerous for any Force-user, even dark siders.
The Story Will Explore Maul's Survival During The Dark Times
All signs currently point to Maul - Shadow Lord focusing on two things, primarily. The first is indicated by the title, 'Shadow Lord,' which suggests that Maul's path to becoming the leader of the crime syndicate Crimson Dawn, as was shown in Solo: A Star Wars Story, will be explored in the show. The other, however, is tied very specifically to the timing of the show, early in the Dark Times.
Maul was once the villainous threat plaguing Star Wars, but times have changed, and he will now undoubtedly be up against the Empire and , the same as any Force-sensitive person at that point in the Star Wars timeline. As Emperor, Palpatine couldn't risk any Force-sensitive beings beyond himself and Darth Vader, and he wanted them exterminated.
This means that even Maul will be in danger of being taken out by the Empire, and already, teasers for the show have revealed that this will involve some intense lightsaber battles and, potentially, some unlikely allegiances, including between Maul and the Twi'lek survivor of Order 66 Devon.
What Happens To Darth Maul After Shadow Lord Explained
What makes the timing of Maul - Shadow Lord even more interesting is that audiences already know what happens to Maul next. In addition to his cameo in Solo, which revealed that he had become heavily involved in the crime syndicates of the galaxy, Maul returned in Star Wars Rebels, much later in the Dark Times.
In that show, Maul was on a quest for the Sith holocron and attempted to sway Kanan Jarrus' Jedi Padawan Ezra Bridger to the dark side and take him on as an apprentice. However, when both plans failed, Maul reverted to one of his biggest goals of The Clone Wars: getting revenge on Obi-Wan Kenobi and killing him.
Subscribe to our newsletter for Maul timeline insights
Dig deeper into Maul's place in the saga by subscribing to our newsletter. You'll receive timeline breakdowns, character-arc analysis, and clear context linking shows like Shadow Lord to the wider Star Wars universe - and other franchise insights. Get Updates By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept our and . You can unsubscribe anytime.
Maul had wanted to kill Obi-Wan ever since he nearly killed Maul in The Phantom Menace and left him without any legs (an issue that The Clone Wars had to solve, narratively, and was ultimately resolved with some spider legs and then the magic of the Nightsisters of Dathomir). In Rebels, audiences got to see the final confrontation between the two.
Maul found Obi-Wan on Tatooine, where he had been in hiding since Revenge of the Sith (with the exception of his brief mission to save little Princess Leia in Obi-Wan Kenobi), and the two had one final duel. Yet again, Obi-Wan bested him, this time actually killing him. Maul ultimately died in Obi-Wan's arms in Rebels, completing his story.
Granted, this happens many years after Maul - Shadow Lord, but it nevertheless means that Maul's fate is already predetermined. This is nothing new for Star Wars, of course, given that Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader's fate was established before the entire prequel trilogy. Even so, though, this means Maul - Shadow Lord will be somewhat limited in terms of the story it can tell.
Star Wars: Maul - Shadow Lord undoubtedly has a host of surprises in store for audiences, but for right now, its placement in the larger Star Wars timeline—in the early years of the Dark Times—does offer some hints about where Maul's newest story will be going.
Cast
-
Maul (voice) -
Two-Boots (voice)
Where to watch Close
WHERE TO WATCH
StreamingFranchise(s) Creator(s) , Matt Michnovetz Expand Collapse
Follow Followed Like Share Close Trending Now
