There have been hundreds of Star Wars games over the years, ranging from direct adaptations of the blockbuster films to surprising new chapters in the larger lore. The realm of video games is also notably one of the only places fans have gotten to see the true power of the Force on display, as the different moral systems and darker storytelling of games like Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, Star Wars: The Force Unleashed, and Star Wars Battlefront allow players to taste the full vastness of that power — especially when it lets them embrace the Dark Side.
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While players could briefly play as Darth Vader in some titles or take their avatars down dark paths in RPGs like Knights of the Old Republic, a particularly exciting Star Wars game could be one that allows players to fully step into a villainous role within the established canon. Someone like Darth Maul, who has proven to be an enduring fixture of the prequel era across film and television, could easily drive that kind of game. His actor, Sam Witwer, certainly believes so — which makes it interesting to consider what that kind of game could even look like.
Sam Witwer Thinks A Darth Maul Game Could Be Great — And I Agree With Him
Darth Maul was a breakout fan favorite after Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace hit theaters in 1999. While much of the film was (and remains) controversial with fans, the villainous Maul was seen as a highlight. The character’s return in the Dave Filoni animated shows like Clone Wars and Rebels helped crystallize the character into more than just a cool-looking baddie, giving the character a shocking amount of depth, all while refusing to go with a standard redemptive arc. The result has been a uniquely compelling villain who can drive his own story forward, which is exactly what he’s doing in the new animated show Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord. During an interview with Discussing Film, Maul’s voice actor Sam Witwer explained that he believes Darth Maul could be a compelling enough character to drive a video game. It’s even something that almost came to pass before, only for the game to be canceled.
It’s an interesting argument, and one that actually has some real potential. Maul’s vicious nature would make him a more naturally effective lead for an action game than the typically more restrained Jedi. His Sith abilities, coupled with his adaptability with technology, open up plenty of options for custom gameplay options. It could also be a genuinely unique way to approach a Star Wars game thematically, eschewing the typical morals and themes of the series for something a little darker. Maul’s got the unique look, distinct abilities, and vicious side necessary to work as the lead of a grim Star Wars game, something Witwer has experience with, given his own time playing Galen Marek in The Force Unleashed. It’s clear there’s enough interest in Maul as a character to justify it — and the excitement Witwer has for the challenge is encouraging, given that he’s been playing Maul for over a decade at this point.
What Kind Of Game Would A Darth Maul Game Be, Anyway?
The more interesting question when considering a potential Darth Maul video game isn’t its theoretical existence but rather the shape it would take. Given Maul’s very specific role in the Star Wars saga, the game would need to be specific in how it approached the character. An action-heavy game makes the most sense given Maul’s abilities, but it would have to find a way to stand out from the Star Wars Jedi games. His backstory could be a good focus point, delving into the early days of Maul’s apprenticeship under Darth Sidious and his growth into a Sith warrior.
However, this comes with the drawback that all prequels must contend with, wherein it can be hard to surprise the audience given their knowledge of what happens to Maul in the long run. The same thing extends to Maul’s final fate, which was depicted in Star Wars Rebels and ended with the character’s surprisingly moving demise. The piece of Darth Maul lore that offers the most potentially interesting space for gaming would be his tenure with the Crimson Dawn, the criminal organization that general audiences were introduced to in Solo: A Star Wars Story.
That is the era depicted in Maul – Shadow Lord, a relatively open period of the Star Wars canon where developers could introduce different story elements. It could also be where players get more flexibility in terms of gameplay, potentially turning the experience into a Star Wars take on the Grand Theft Auto-style of gameplay. Managing a gang in the Star Wars universe as Darth Maul could actually be a great game, with a harsher moral edge than most Star Wars properties and the chance to explore parts of the galaxy that aren’t usually featured at the center of the story. A Darth Maul video game could be great; it just needs to do enough to stand out from both the character’s eventual fate and the standard model of a Star Wars game.
