Maul has returned (again) in Star Wars‘ latest animated series, Maul – Shadow Lord, with his sights firmly set on reestablishing his criminal empire and ruling the galaxy’s underworld. This inevitably puts him on a collision course not only with other crime bosses, but also local authorities and, eventually, the Empire itself. The latter has been confirmed by the presence of Inquisitors in Maul: Shadow Lord‘s marketing, but comes despite the former Sith Lord’s attempts at operating far from their reach on a brand-new planet.
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Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord is set on the world of Janix, located in the Mid Rim Territories (the same region as planets such as Kashyyyk and Naboo). It’s a new addition to Star Wars canon that is, so far, unique to Shadow Lord, but its aesthetic is very familiar. With it being a galactic city, one with shadowy streets, neon lighting, and featuring split levels with criminal activity lurking below the surface, Janix is very evocative of Coruscant. You’d be forgiven for thinking this story was actually taking place on the galaxy’s capital, and that seems a rather deliberate choice.
Janix Looking Similar To Coruscant Makes Sense For Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord
Janix may not be Coruscant, but the similarities are quite fitting for the story of Maul – Shadow Lord and how it uses some of George Lucas’ ideas. This includes some of his plans for Episodes 7-9, which, at one point, were intended to feature the return of Maul as the new godfather of crime in the galaxy. This would’ve positioned him as the major villain after the fall of the Empire, and while Shadow Lord isn’t quite going that far, it is still finding him looking to increase his power in order to take revenge on Emperor Palpatine, and taking on a new Twi’lek apprentice (with clear similarities to Darth Talon, who was also in Lucas’ plans).
Given the story ideas, it’s quite likely that at least some of Lucas’ sequel trilogy would’ve taken place on Coruscant, with Maul ruling its underworld. That’s also an area the cancelled Star Wars TV show, Star Wars: Underworld, would have explored as well (though not with Maul, as far as we know). Announced in 2005, with dozens of episodes written, it would’ve taken a deep dive into the lower levels of Coruscant and the criminal activities there, and Maul – Shadow Lord certainly feels like it’s using some of that broad outline as its own jumping off point. With all of that, it makes a lot of sense for Janix to be so evocative of the prequel planet.
At the same time, it’s good that Janix isn’t Coruscant. In part, this helps serve its plot – it wouldn’t really be logical for Maul to be on Coruscant at this point, given the Empire’s rule, and the same is true for Devon and her Jedi Master, Eeko-Dio-Daki. But it also helps to keep things fresh, as there’s enough in Janix, with its sleepier vibe than that of Coruscant. We’ve seen plenty of the latter, including recently in Andor, so it’s nice to do something that’s different enough and introduces another new world to Star Wars canon.
Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord Season 1, Episodes 3 & 4 will release on Monday, April 13th on Disney+.
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