George Lucas’ Best Sequel Trilogy Plan Becomes Star Wars Canon: Maul – Shadow Lord Ending Explained

Maul – Shadow Lord Season 1 has come to a thrilling conclusion, bringing George Lucas’ best sequel trilogy ideas to life. Used and discarded by Darth Sidious, Maul has survived Order 66 and is determined to get his revenge. He’s set himself up as a “Shadow Lord,” coordinating various underworld empires in a cunning attempt to set himself up as Sidious’ rival. Unfortunately for Maul, his attempts to do so on Janix have drawn the attention of the Empire. Darth Vader’s Inquisitors have locked the entire planet down.

Maul – Shadow Lord episode 10 sees the former Sith Apprentice try to flee Janix with his allies. The story continues to escalate, though, when Maul learns the Inquisitors aren’t alone; they are led by Darth Vader himself, who emerges from the mists of Janix. What follows is a thrilling, action-packed season finale, and it finally brings one of George Lucas’ best sequel trilogy ideas into Star Wars canon.

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How Darth Maul Survives Darth Vader

Maul never had a chance against Darth Vader. The Dark Lord of the Sith outmatches Maul in every possible way, handling him with effortless ease; there’s even a chilling moment when he grabs Maul in a telekinetic grip, crushing him before tossing him aside. Maul survives only because he isn’t alone, fighting alongside Master Eeko-Dio Daki and Padawan Devon Izara. But even the three of them are barely enough to match Vader, whose relentless pursuit wears them down.

In the end, Maul survives because he makes a sacrifice. Already injured, he sees an opportunity to sacrifice Master Daki so he can get away from Vader. Maul uses telekinesis to push the Jedi Master in too close, then slips quietly away into the shadows, seeking out Devon. He then uses the environment to delay Vader before fleeing the planet with his few surviving allies.

This is the battle fans have been dreaming of since The Phantom Menace released back in 1999. What’s striking, though, is just how badly outmatched Maul is throughout the duel. Darth Vader is shown as a terrifying foe, abandoning complex lightsaber forms in favor of sheer brute force. The duel is evocative of Alan Dean Foster’s 1978 novel Splinter of the Mind’s Eye, which saw Vader strike out of similar mists, and even featured a similar approach to beating him – or, in this case, to simply delay him.

Devon Izara Officially Becomes Maul’s Apprentice

As Sam Witwer recently explained, Shadow Lord has been the story of Maul training his apprentice: Devon Izara. “Started early in the show,” Witwer said. “He’s training [Devon]. Whether she likes it or not. We’ll see if she takes to it. We’ll see if she eventually goes, ‘No, that’s not happening.’ But Maul’s way with Devon is, every time he bumps into her, there’s a new lesson. And does she succeed or fail at that lesson? I love that aspect of it.” Maul – Shadow Lord ends with the last lesson, followed by Devon’s moment of choice. And she chooses the Sith.

Maul had already begun to establish a bond with Devon. He knew Master Daki was in the way, and so engineered the Jedi Master’s death at Darth Vader’s hands. This, combined with gentle prodding and the influence of their bond, tipped Devon over the edge. She surrendered to her rage, to her thirst for vengeance, and confirmed she was ready to become Maul’s apprentice. Maul may have been forced to flee Janix, and most of his allies may be dead, but he has gained an apprentice.

This, surprisingly, was George Lucas’ plan for the Star Wars sequel trilogy. He’d intended to tell a story where the galaxy fell to crime bosses after the Empire collapsed, with Maul serving as the ultimate villain. In this story, Maul would have been served by a red-skinned Twi’lek drawn from the old Expanded Universe, Darth Talon. Lucasfilm is clearly telling a similar story right now, albeit one with major changes; it’s set during a different part of the Star Wars timeline, with Maul and his apprentice going up against the Empire rather than the New Republic.

How Darth Maul Escapes Janix (& Who Gets Offworld With Him)

Maul escapes Janix with the help of Dryden Vos, a high-ranking member of Crimson Dawn (voiced by Scott Whyte rather than Paul Bettany, who played the character in Solo: A Star Wars Story). In return for the rescue, Maul promises to kill Crimson Dawn’s current leader and allow Vos to take over. We know he’s lying, because Vos is destined to become Maul’s Crimson Dawn lieutenant in Solo. The former Sith Apprentice’s path to power seems pretty clear from this point, although there will surely be further complications.

Only one of Maul’s allies survives: Vario. That’s simply because Darth Vader, his Inquisitors, and the stormtroopers target the rest. Rylee Lawson and Two-Boots escape with them thanks to Brander Lawson, who sacrifices himself to save his son. Rylee’s own grief spurs Devon’s rage; there seems to be a strong bond between Rylee and Devon, and Season 1 has dropped hints Devon may be coming to care from him. If that is indeed the case, Rylee will surely become a distraction Maul will not abide.

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