After months of anticipation, the new animated series Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord is finally here. As the title suggests, the fan-favorite character Maul is the main attraction here, further fleshing out one of the franchise’s most complex figures after multiple movie and TV appearances. But like any Star Wars project, Maul – Shadow Lord features plenty of new faces for audiences to learn about, including a couple more additions to the ever-growing list of Order 66 survivors. In Shadow Lord, Maul looks to take the young Twi’lek Devon Izara under his wing as he rebuilds his criminal empire. When Devon was part of the Jedi Order, she learned under Jedi Master Eeko-Dio Daki, who is part of a brand-new species in Star Wars canon.
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Following the premiere of Maul – Shadow Lord, the official Star Wars website shared an article listing fascinating behind-the-scenes trivia. One entry featured concept art of Eeko-Dio Daki. The text reveals he was referred to as “Dino Jedi” during development on the show. It was ultimately decided that his species would be called the Mosyk. Check out the concept art in the space below:
What Is Eeko-Dio Daki’s Role On Maul – Shadow Lord?
Only two of Maul – Shadow Lord‘s 10 episodes have been aired, so the narrative is still in the early stages of unfolding. That said, there’s enough out there to have a general idea of how Eeko-Dio Daki fits in. His dynamic with Devon Izara should be further fleshed out as Season 1 continues. Though the former Jedi are in hiding on the planet Janix, Eeko-Dio continues to teach his Padawan, trying to distill proper virtues in her. In the pair’s introductory scene, Eeko-Dio fails to dissuade Devon from stealing from a fruit stand, illustrating a core difference between the two characters. Devon can be impulsive and wants to take action, while her master is content to be patient.
Eeko-Dio continues to embody the traditional spirit of a Jedi, meaning he could become the angel on Devon’s shoulder to Maul’s devil. In a Maul – Shadow Lord trailer, Devon points out that Maul is looking to take down the Empire, believing he can be an ally. In response, Eeko-Dio admits that Maul shares a common enemy with them, but says he can’t be trusted. As the season plays out, Devon will likely find herself torn between her two mentor figures before choosing a path to follow. Undoubtedly, Eeko-Dio will try to direct his student toward the light, but the temptation of Maul might prove too difficult to resist.
It’ll be interesting to see if Eeko-Dio looks to connect with Brander Lawson, the police detective investigating Maul. The two have a couple of encounters, but they don’t formally introduce themselves to each other. Eeko-Dio can be seen shadowing Lawson as he leaves his meeting with Rheena Sul, perhaps a sign that the old Jedi is keeping tabs on Lawson to see if he can be trusted. As an Order 66 survivor, Eeko-Dio understandably has to be cautious; being turned over to the Empire is something he wants to avoid. If he determines Lawson is more friend than foe, Eeko-Dio could seek him out as a means of helping Devon.
Something else that’ll be fascinating to keep tabs on as Season 1 progresses is how much of Eeko-Dio and Devon’s backstory Maul – Shadow Lord reveals. Outside of surviving Order 66, not much is known about them at this point in time. When Rook Kast wonders how Devon made it through the Great Jedi Purge, Maul expresses interest in finding out. We don’t necessarily need a flashback sequence of Devon and Eeko-Dio fighting their way through clone troopers, but there could be a way to execute a scene like that in a way that it helps inform Devon’s character and explains why she’s willing to work with Maul on Shadow Lord.
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