The next Star Wars TV series, Maul – Shadow Lord, continues to explore the Dark Times of the Emperor’s reign. Kicking off shortly after the events of Revenge of the Sith, it’s set in a time when the Empire’s grip on the galaxy is tightening and the prospect of rebellion is almost two decades away. But, although Order 66 successfully killed off the majority of the Jedi, there are a handful of survivors – including Darth Maul, Palpatine’s one-time apprentice, who once tried to set himself up as a rival to the Sith Lord.
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Lucasfilm has finally released a trailer for Maul – Shadow Lord, giving a glimpse of a beautifully artistic series featuring stunning animation that denotes the savagery of the Sith Apprentice’s world-view. The series will begin on April 6, 2026, and will run through to this year’s Star Wars Day, May 4. What’s more, it will feature several returning characters… and could yet unveil several other familiar faces too.
13. Darth Maul – Confirmed
The most important returning character, of course, is Darth Maul himself. Maul – Shadow Lord will fill an important gap in the Sith Apprentice’s life, exploring how he restored his criminal empire and became leader of a cartel called Crimson Dawn by the time of Solo: A Star Wars Story. We know the series will launch one year after Revenge of the Sith, but it’s unknown whether there will be time jumps to see Maul’s organization expand.
12. “Darth Talon” – Confirmed
Maul – Shadow Lord will introduce a new character called Devon Izara, a Jedi Padawan who survived Order 66 and will come under Maul’s tutelage. She’s clearly riffing on one of George Lucas’ favorite Sith from the old Star Wars Expanded Universe, Darth Talon, who Lucas even envisioned as Darth Maul’s apprentice in his abandoned sequel trilogy plans. Maul – Shadow Lord is paying homage to Lucas by bringing that plan to life.
11. Marrok – Confirmed
You may recognize the Inquisitor Marrok from Ahsoka, where his corpse was reanimated by Morgan Elsbeth, one of the Nightsisters, in a duel with Anakin Skywalker’s former Padawan. Marrok has since become something of a mainstay in Star Wars animation, his backstory fleshed out a little in Tales of the Empire. According to the Maul – Shadow Lord trailer, Marrok will be sent on a mission to kill Maul; it’s possible this will be the one that results in his death.
10. Eleventh Brother – Confirmed
Another of the Inquisitors, the Eleventh Brother made his debut in Tales of the Jedi when he paid a fatal price for facing Ahsoka Tano. He’s seen another in the Maul – Shadow Lord trailer, which gives a sense of the timeline; he must be facing Maul before heading off to hunt Ahsoka a year after Revenge of the Sith.
9. Rook Kast – Confirmed
Lucasfilm’s official press release confirms the return of Rook Kast, a Mandalorian who served Darth Maul in his Shadow Collective during the Clone Wars. It seems Rook Kast will remain loyal to Maul even after the Empire’s formation, likely acting as a lieutenant as he reforms his criminal empire.
8. Palpatine – Possible
We don’t know for sure whether Palpatine himself will appear (whether in his Imperial present or in flashbacks), but presence will certainly be felt; the trailer confirms that Palpatine himself sends the Inquisitors after Maul because he wants him dead. It would be fitting for the Emperor to make a cameo, perhaps taking Maul down personally in the end. Alternatively, he could use a very different proxy.
7. Darth Vader – Possible
Darth Vader is leader of the Inquisitors, so it seems incredibly likely he’ll come after Maul when his agents fail. If so, Maul – Shadow Lord could well give us the Maul versus Vader story fans have been clamoring for ever since Maul made his debut in The Phantom Menace.
6. Grand Inquisitor – Possible
Once a guard in the Jedi Temple, the Grand Inquisitor is responsible for leading the Inquisitors on field missions and administrating their affairs. If Maul is a priority target assigned by the Emperor himself, he’ll surely be involved in the mission in some capacity.
5. Asajj Ventress – Possible
Count Dooku’s former Sith assassin, Asajj Ventress has become another mainstay in Lucasfilm Animation stories. We now know quite a lot about her activities during the Dark Times of the Emperor’s reign; resurrected using Nightsister magic, she became a bounty hunter before taking on a former Jedi Padawan as a student of her own. She’d make a nice foil and counter for Maul, so it’s possible she’ll appear in the show.
4. Dryden Vos – Possible
Introduced in Solo: A Star Wars Story, Dryden Vos became one of Darth Maul’s lieutenants during the Dark Times of the Empire’s reign. We don’t know exactly when he joined up with Maul’s shadowy group, which means we can’t say for sure whether he’ll make an appearance. If he does, it could mean Maul – Shadow Lord becomes the birth story of Crimson Dawn itself, given Dryden Vos took charge of that for Maul.
3. Qi’ra – Possible
Han Solo’s first love, Qi’ra fell in with Crimson Dawn 13 years before the Battle of Yavin – and, therefore, six years after Revenge of the Sith. We don’t know whether there are any time jumps in Maul – Shadow Lord, which means she could conceivably appear, but it does feel rather unlikely.
2. Jabba the Hutt – Possible
Maul is attempting to build a criminal empire, so it’s quite possible he will cross paths with other crime bosses. If that’s the case, he could easily encounter Jabba the Hutt, who was also rising to power in the underworld during this period of time.
1. Ahsoka
Finally, there’s Ahsoka Tano. She definitely can’t be ruled out, given Ahsoka became active as a member of the nascent rebellion roughly a year after Revenge of the Sith, and she has history with Maul. At the same time, though, Ahsoka feels unlikely given an appearance would dominate.
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