Darth Maul is back! The former Sith Lord turned ruler of Mandalore turned crime lord has proved impossible to keep down; not even being cut in half by Obi-Wan Kenobi could stop him from returning. Now, his journey will continue in Lucasfilm’s new animated series, Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord. Taking place at least one year after the events of Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith, the show will follow the eponymous character looking to rebuild his crime syndicate on the underworld of Janix and, as ever, planning his revenge on those who’ve wronged him.
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The first trailer for Maul – Shadow Lord has been released and, suffice to say, it looks absolutely great. That shouldn’t come as any real shock, of course: the franchise has had a strong handle on this character in the animated landscape through the likes of Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels, and this is clearly a continuation of that level of storytelling and character work. At the same time, it’s still worth saying, because things have perhaps even been taken up a level.
That’s certainly true in the new animation style for the show, which is simply stunning. It’s extremely stylized, by practical brush strokes being used and then captured on film, which gives it the effect of an oil painting in some shots, making it all look so rich and atmospheric. There was already a high bar, but Maul has never looked better on-screen, and that’s important given where the franchise is at.
Maul – Shadow Lord Just Showed How To Market A New Star Wars Release
Almost exactly 13 years ago, in The Clone Wars Season 5, Episode 15, “Shades of Reason,” (released on January 26th, 2013), Maul famously took control of Mandalore, defeating Pre Viszla to become the rightful owner of the Darksaber. Now, all these years later, he’s defeating a different kind of Mandalorian. That is, The Mandalorian & Grogu, which will also release in 2026 as the first new Star Wars movie since 2019.
Unfortunately, as exciting as that should be, Lucasfilm has thus far failed to market it as such. The Mandalorian and Grogu trailer did little to capture the imagination or spark anticipation for the movie; indeed, it was quite the opposite. The footage divided Star Wars fans, with criticism over its lack of plot intrigue and the fact that it just looks like another episode of the TV show (and more damningly, that it looks made for streaming, not the big screen).
Some of that is maybe a little unfair – it looks fine, but honestly there’s not much to get worked up about either way – but Shadow Lord is everything that teaser wasn’t. It does, to be fair, have an easier job of things: this is marketing to a more die hard section of the fandom, rather than aiming for broader appeal.
Nonetheless, from the hints of Maul’s character arc, which look to so perfectly build on The Clone Wars and everything we know that comes next for him in Rebels and even teased in Solo, to the setup for his new apprentice (welcome to canon, Darth Talon?), the return of the Inquisitors, and an exploration of new worlds that look like the kind of thing George Lucas wanted to explore in the cancelled Star Wars: Underworld TV show, there’s a lot to get excited about. It offers a great mix of returning elements with something new, which can’t be said for the Mando movie.
2026 is shaping up to be an interesting year for Star Wars and Lucasfilm. There’s the matter of a change at the top, with Lynwen Brennan and Dave Filoni taking over as co-presidents from Kathleen Kennedy, which could shift the future of the franchise. And questions over that future run through many of its releases: will The Mandalorian & Grogu be a success that truly brings back Star Wars movies? Where do the live-action TV shows go after Ahsoka Season 2 (as it stands, that’s the last one on the docket)? But on the animation front, at least, with Maul – Shadow Lord, and also a Visions spinoff from “The Ninth Jedi,” it looks to be in very safe hands indeed.
Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord will release on Disney+ on April 6th, 2026. The Mandalorian & Grogu hits theaters on May 22nd, 2026.
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