Star Wars In Memoriam: Farewell, Maul

image credit: Lucasfilm

 Maul soon learned that the former leader of Mandalore, Duchess Satine, was very close with his longtime enemy, Obi-Wan Kenobi. Sensing that her loss would devastate Kenobi, Maul used Satine as bait – and ultimately killed her in front of him. In this moment, Maul once changed the course of the Galaxy. Kenobi and Satine were, despite his Jedi commitments, romantically involved. By killing Satine, Maul forced Kenobi to be solely focused on the Jedi Order, allowing Kenobi to be the best version of himself.

This wasn’t Maul’s only unknowing contribution to the galaxy. When Maul took control of the galaxy’s major criminal organizations, he eliminated all but one of the ruling Hutts, Jabba. Though it wouldn’t be realized for decades, this inadvertently assisted with the creation of the First Order. When Jabba died almost twenty-five years later, there were no Hutts to take his place. Thus, the Hutts’ influence was greatly hindered, allowing other enterprises to take over. In particular, Rinnrivin Di’s cartel, which funneled money into front organizations that supported the First Order’s rise. A small connection, but an impactful one.