Star Wars' New Sith Apprentice is the Next Anakin Skywalker

27 years ago, Star Wars introduced viewers to the young Anakin Skywalker. We all knew how the story would end, of course; that the nine-year-old slave on Tatooine was destined to fall to the dark side, becoming one of the most powerful Sith Lords of all time. What nobody really knew, though, was quite how the journey would play out. Yoda set the pattern in The Phantom Menace, when he outlined how the dark side corrupts you; “Fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, hate leads to suffering.”

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Anakin certainly ticked all the boxes. Now, after Maul – Shadow Lord Season 1, Padawan Devon Izara (Gideon Adlon) is the next Jedi to walk down this dangerous path. George Lucas once said that Star Wars is like poetry in that it rhymes; unsurprisingly, that’s still true now. Devon is remarkably Anakin-coded, shares phenomenal potential, and looks set to continue his journey. We spoke to Adlon on the red carpet at Disney’s special Maul – Shadow Lord finale fan screening and asked about her future and she said: “I have no clue how her story will end, but I hope it’s just beginning…” Mysterious, and I think I know where it’s headed…

Devon Izara Has Become the New Anakin Skywalker

Devon Izara is a Twi’lek Jedi Padawan who fought on the front lines of the Clone Wars. She survived Order 66 alongside her master, Eeko-Dio Daki, and they’re on the run from the Empire. Unfortunately for Devon, she’s been targeted by Darth Maul as a potential apprentice. Maul – Shadow Lord is essentially the story of Devon’s seduction to the dark side, and few were surprised at the outcome. What’s striking, though, is that the relationship between Devon and Master Daki was coded after Obi-Wan and Anakin.

That was most notable in Maul – Shadow Lord episodes 7 and 8, with Master Daki sending Devon to secure transport for a jailbreak. Her choice of a speeder would have thrilled Anakin, she pulled up with sass, and then reveled in the fact that it could accelerate to escape the Empire. Master Daki’s resigned reaction was just like Obi-Wan, frustrated at Anakin’s insisting speed and adrenaline are fun.

The similarities between Anakin and Devon were striking in the speeder chase (one of the best such sequences in Star Wars history). Looking a little closer, though, Devon’s own arc is following the Anakin Skywalker pattern too. Understandably, the events of Order 66 have left her fearful. Most importantly, her attachment to Master Daki proved to be her undoing; the end of Maul – Shadow Lord saw Devon embrace her anger and hatred, choosing to reject the Jedi way and learn from Maul.

Maul – Shadow Lord Season 2 Is Taking Shape

It’s easy to miss, but Maul – Shadow Lord is already setting up the next step in Devon’s fall to the dark side. This season saw her bond with Rylee Lawson, and the two went to great lengths to keep one another out of harm’s way. Rylee and Devon are now in a pretty similar place, both broken with grief over the death of their father (or father figure). Attentive viewers had already speculated there were sparks between the two of them, and they now have tragedy in common. We appear to be headed for another Star Wars romance.

According to Star Wars lore, every Sith comes to a point when they must commit to the dark side. To do so, a standard Sith ritual involves putting someone they love to death. Supreme Leader Snoke tried to recreate this for Kylo Ren in The Force Awakens, but Han’s willingness to die meant it didn’t work. Palpatine likely considered Padmé to be Anakin Skywalker’s Sith sacrifice, but that too didn’t quite play out rightly; Anakin lashed out at Padmé in anger, but never consciously chose for her to die. In fact, Vader spent years trying to figure out how to resurrect her.

Maul is unlikely to believe he’s training Devon as a full Sith. Still, he’s likely to follow the same pattern, simply because this is all he knows. If that’s the case, it’s reasonable to assume he would actually want Devon to get closer to Rylee, with the hope he will become her sacrifice. Right now, the trajectory appears very similar to the one Anakin trod in Revenge of the Sith, but we don’t know how far Devon will go.

Intriguingly, when we spoke to Adlon ahead of the finale and asked her what sort of apprentice she’ll be to Maul if she fully embraces his teachings, she offered a defiant response: “Even if Devon did take Maul’s teaching more seriously, she would not be afraid of him. She still wouldn’t be shy; she would be sticking it to the man still, and that is what I wanted Devon to come across as. She is strong, she is competitive, and she wants to learn – she will never stop learning – and I don’t think she’ll ever let Maul see a side of her that may feel defeated by him. I just don’t think that’s going to be possible.”

Devon Izara’s Future May Be As Certain As Anakin’s

While Adlon exclusively told us she’s unsure of the future, Devon Izara’s fate feels locked in, just as Anakin’s did. This is because she’s clearly inspired by a red-skinned Twi’lek Sith Lord from the old Expanded Universe, Darth Talon, who George Lucas wanted to turn into Maul’s apprentice in his sequel trilogy. The Maul – Shadow Lord Season 1 finale made this pretty explicit, casting her in a red glow as she committed herself to the way of the Sith. This wasn’t just a homage to Sith lightsabers; it was wonderful foreshadowing.

George Lucas’ sequel plans are coming to life in Maul – Shadow Lord, albeit at a different part of the Star Wars timeline. The reinvention is a smart one, because it underscores the difference between Darth Vader and Maul; one is a powerhouse and leader in the Empire, the other was only ever trained by Palpatine as a tool. Maul and his associates are trying to fight the dark side with darkness, and they are doomed to failure. Darkness cannot cast out the night; only the light side of the Force can do that.

Will Devon complete the journey and become Darth Talon (or, perhaps, just “Talon” if Maul drops the “Darth” title)? It’s possible she will avoid the dark side in the end, perhaps choosing Rylee rather than Maul. That makes Maul – Shadow Lord Season 2 even more exciting, raising so many possibilities for this hit animated show’s future.

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