Star wars the clone wars darth maul

Star Wars is a long-running sci-fi franchise revolving around the Skywalker family and Jedi, and has spawned a great deal of content. From the classic original movie trilogy made in the 70s and 80s to the upcoming Disney+ TV series Obi-Wan Kenobi, Star Wars is full of possibilities for new content. While there has been some criticism in recent years over the lack of quality of the content, Executive Creative Director Dave Filoni and Jon Favreau have managed to save Star Wars from total ruin with the help of quality characters as seen in The Clone Wars, The Mandalorian, and The Book of Boba Fett.

While there are plenty of protagonists within the franchise to love, thanks to the Dark Side of the force, there are also plenty of admirable villains who make for worthy foes for our heroes. One of the best villains ever to be created is Darth Maul. Trained by Darth Sidious and born on Dathomir, this terrifying Sith Lord is the one who took down Qui-Gon Jinn. Thanks to the buzz surrounding his character in The Phantom Menace, Darth Maul made a triumphant return in The Clone Wars and Rebels animated series. Here’s why Darth Maul was one of the best characters ever created.

MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY

Related: Every Upcoming Star Wars Movie & TV Series

Killer Swordsmanship

Lucasfilm

As seen in his first appearance in The Phantom Menace, one thing that Darth Maul is most known for is his deadly skill with a lightsaber. From the first attack on Tattooine that knocked the wind out of Qui-Gon to the trio battle between Darth Maul, Qui-Gon Jinn, and Obi-Wan Kenobi — which is considered one of the greatest lightsaber fight scenes in the Star Wars franchise — Darth Maul proves himself a worthy adversary. After Maul took down Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan’s Master, some have argued that the only reason Obi-Wan defeated Maul was that Kenobi was emotionally charged by Qui-Gon’s death, amplifying his Jedi powers. Were it not for this, Maul could have potentially taken down Obi-Wan as well.

He Orchestrated the Takedown of Mandalore

Lucasfilm Animation

While Darth Maul was quite a mysterious character after his appearance in The Phantom Menace, he returned in The Clone Wars after being discovered by his brother. When his physical state is recovered, Maul takes it upon himself to take down Mandalore with the help of his brother Savage and Death Watch. Killing two birds with one stone, Darth Maul hoped to create a base of power for his operations while also seeking revenge against Obi-Wan Kenobi. Darth Maul got his revenge when the peaceful planet fell and the Duchess Satine, Obi-Wan’s friend and true love, was murdered. After the Death Watch leader betrayed Darth Maul, he returned with a vengeance, taking over as leader of Mandalore.

Related: Obi-Wan Kenobi: Did the Jedi Master Ever Have a Love Interest?

Long-standing Grudge Against Obi-Wan

Lucasfilm Animation

Part of what makes Darth Maul so horrifying as a villain is his ability to hold onto a grudge for over a decade. After Darth Maul killed Qui-Gon Jinn, Obi-Wan Kenobi managed to turn the tables and defeat Maul — or so he thought. When Darth Maul’s torso was severed from the rest of his body, the audience assumed that he simply died when the reality was quite different. Darth Maul rightfully blames Obi-Wan for his circumstances and the only thing that has kept him going all these years, per Screen Rant, is his vow that he would get revenge on Obi-Wan for what was done to him. This never-ending saga of Maul vs Obi-Wan has made for a turbulent journey between the two as Darth Maul causes nothing but problems for Obi-Wan, just as he wishes to do so. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Maul was originally planned to make an appearance in the Obi-Wan Kenobi series, but was later cut out.

He and His Brother Hail from Dathomir

Lucasfilm Animation

This may not seem relevant, but this is part of the reason that Darth Maul went from a deranged Sith Lord who fell far enough to be unrecognizable to his former glory as a fine warrior. When Darth Maul was found by his brother Savage Oppress, Savage takes Maul to the head of the Nightsisters, a group of witches who practice dark magic, Mother Talzin. After the magic is done, Maul is reborn and is not able to carry out his plan of action to get his revenge. Darth Maul’s rebirth would not have been possible if the brothers’ home planet was any other place. Dathomir also has a strong dark force presence, which has birthed many dark-sided force-wielders from the planet. Being that Darth Maul was born and raised on Dathomir, not only does he have a natural connection with the dark side, but thanks to his skill, he has become one of the greatest villains in the Star Wars franchise.

Does Darth Maul appear in The Clone Wars?

What episode does Darth Maul show up in Clone Wars?

Is Darth Maul good in Clone Wars?

Why is Darth Maul alive in The Clone Wars?