27 Years Later, Star Wars Finally Answered the Biggest Darth Maul Question Of All

Star Wars is one series that sparks some intense power-ranking debates. The lightsaber-wielding warriors of the Jedi and the Sith (and some caught in between) are the backbone of Star Wars, with every fan having their collection of favorites. There are a few big characters that every fan loves, and that’s where the debating gets really fun. The more we’ve seen of a character, the better we know their abilities, vulnerabilities, and (most importantly), their capabilities. But even then, deciding on rankings can be tough.

For nearly thirty years now, a big debate has been raging within the Star Wars fandom. The question has been, “Who is stronger: Darth Vader or Darth Maul?” The answer has never been settled in the official Star Wars canon, but now, with the new series Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord, we have a pretty solid range of judgment to settle the matter.

Maul Is Nearly Killed By The Inquisitors

In Shadow Lord “Chapter 7: Call to Oblivion” and “Chapter 8: The Creeping Fear”, Maul once again approaches Jedi padawan Devon Izara (Gideon Adlon), when she is on the run from both the Empire and The Inquistor known as Marrok (A.J. LoCascio). Maul’s second attempt to turn Devon fails, and both he and his gang end up getting spotted by the Empire. A battalion of Stormtroopers gets dispatched to the location, and Eleventh Brother (aka “the Crow”) joins Marrok on the hunt for Maul himself.

The two Inquisitors find Maul and engage him in battle. The battle doesn’t go Maul’s way at all. Marrok and the Crow overpower Maul, cripple one of his bionic legs, and nearly finish him. Maul narrowly escapes by pulling down the roof of the cavern they are in and fleeing the scene.

The Vader vs Maul Power Debate Has Been Settled

When George Lucas released Star Wars: The Phantom Menace in 1999, fans were both fascinated and terrified to learn that Emperor Palpatine had a fearsome Sith apprentice before Darth Vader – one who became an icon from the very first reveal of his double-sided lightsaber. Unfortunately, one of the biggest disappointments of the Star Wars prequel trilogy was that Maul never got to face Anakin Skywalker, nor has Maul ever faced Darth Vader, after Anakin was turned. That leaves space for debate about what would happen if Palpatine’s two apprentices faced each other in battle.

This duel in Shadow Lord says a lot about where Maul stands in the Star Wars power rankings – especially compared to Darth Vader. Maul never reaches the same power as Anakin Skywalker, and certainly nowhere near the level of Sith Lord as Darth Vader. Maul nearly died fighting two Inquisitors, while Vader has taken on the entire squad of Inquisitors to either prove his might as the Alpha, train them as effective Jedi hunters, or kill them in real combat (as seen in the pages of his Marvel Comics series).

If you needed final proof that Maul’s power level is well below Vader’s, look to Star Wars Rebels Season 2; When Maul resurfaces trying to get hold of a Sith relic, he willfully avoids battling Vader, knowing he can’t beat the Sith Lord. Then there’s the track record of Maul losing in a duel (and being apprehended by) Anakin’s apprentice, Ahsoka Tano, at the end of the Clone Wars. If you can’t beat the student, how can you hope to beat the master? And when Maul ultimately decided to duel the master’s master (Obi-Wan Kenobi), SPOILERS! He died. Meanwhile, Vader defeated Obi-Wan and arguably went undefeated in battle until he decided to turn back to the light side and sacrifice himself.

So, alas, we can settle this debate: Darth Maul had challengers before even hoping to face Darth Vader, let alone defeat him. But that shouldn’t stop you from enjoying Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord on Disney+. Or discussing Star Wars power rankings with us on the ComicBook Forum!

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