Photo Credit: [Star Wars Rebels] Lucasfilm, Cartoon Network
Everything you need to know about Darth Maul after watching Solo: A Star Wars Story. How did he survive his injuries at the hands of Obi-Wan Kenobi? Spoilers are ahead for Solo: A Star Wars Story
Darth Maul, or technically just Maul now, made an appearance at the end of Solo: A Star Wars Story. For those fans that aren’t as big of a nerd as we are here at Dork Side, you likely have not seen Darth Maul since the release of The Phantom Menace back in 1999. Everyone knows at the end of the movie Obi-Wan cuts Darth Maul in half after killing his master Qui Jon Gin.
What we didn’t know at the time was that he survived the fall and is later rescued by his brother Savage Opress. Yes, Darth Maul had a brother and was taken from his mother’s arm by Darth Sidious. Pretty crazy, huh?
If you want to embrace the quick and easy path of the Dark Side, we have you covered here with our crash-course of Darth Maul.
If you have the patience of a Jedi, watch/read for yourself how Maul survives his wounds. You’ll be glad that you did!
- Star Wars: The Clone Wars on Netflix.
- Son of Dathomir (comic).
- Ahsoka (novel)
- Star Wars Rebels
- Then, watch Solo: A Star Wars Story once again.
However, if you’re dying to know now, we have you covered!
As you know from The Phantom Menace, Darth Maul falls into the pit on Naboo after Obi-Wan cuts him in half, but that’s just the beginning of his epic story, a tragedy.
Photo Credit: [Star Wars: The Clone Wars] Lucasfilm
Darth Maul and his dark and dire path
About 10-12 years after the events of The Phantom Menace, Darth Maul remerges — but is a shell of his former self — quite literally. This story is more accurately the tragedy of Darth Maul and his character arc mirrors that of Sisyphus from Greek mythology.
He is cursed by having to push a giant boulder to the top of a mountaintop, symbolizing his arrogance in thinking he could throw Zeus from his throne Each time Maul gets to the top of the mountain, and close to achieving such desire, he falls to the bottom, back where he started again.
Sisyphus and Darth Maul have much in common, as you’ll learn.
Sisyphus (1548–49) by Titian, Prado Museum, Madrid, Spain Via Wikipedia
Maul is later found by his brother Savage Opress, who is taken to his birth mother, Mother Talzen of the Night Sisters. She then nurses him back to health, and he takes on his brother, Savage Opress as his new apprentice.
He accumulates an underground army of Mandalorian warriors, drug cartels, and crime lords. Once he gathers his Forces to his liking, his goal is to overthrow his former Master, Darth Sidious and the Sith pretender Dooku.
However, he is sidetracked and seeks out Obi-Wan Kenobi — with revenge on his mind. Although Kenobi survives, Maul takes from him what he loves the most; his former lover Dutchess Satine.
Photo Credit: [Star Wars: The Clone Wars] LucasfilmKenobi escapes, so Maul and Savage turn their efforts back to acquiring an elite army. Maul conquers Mandalore’s lead Pre Vizla, becoming the leader of the esteemed world.
Naturally, their efforts fail, and victory is shortlived when Maul is captured by his former Master — and Savage is slaughtered by Darth Sidious.
Darth Maul learns the hard lesson that he is not the true Lord of the Sith.
The story arc continues in the Star Wars Marvel comic Son of Dathomir, where we learn how Maul amasses his vast army of Mandalorians once again. He escapes the clutches of his former Master once again and returns to his mother on his homeworld of Dathomir.
They fall into the web spun by Darth Sidious, who shows up with Count Dooku and General Grievous — it’s quite epic.
Maul’s mother, Talzin, is murdered and Maul escapes with only his life — once again. He resurfaces shortly before Order 66, depicted in the Ahsoka novel, but flees during the chaos of the Jedi slaughter across the galaxy.
After that, about 16-17 years after the events of Revenge of the Sith, Maul surfaces again, in Star Wars Rebels. We discover he is marooned on the ancient Sith world of Malacor, in his attempts in acquiring a Sith Holocron — with the help of Jedi Padawan Ezra Bridger.
That plan goes awry as Ezra’s Master and Jedi survivor Kanan fights off Maul, but then Vader shows up, and crap hits the fan.
He lives. HE. LIVES.
Ezra can get the Holocron out of the temple, and Maul later uses it to track down Obi-Wan who is on Tatooine, who is protecting Luke from the clutches of Darth Vader and the Empire. Maul tempts Ezra with the Dark Side of the Force and wants Ezra to join him as his apprentice — filling the void left by his murdered brother, Savage.
We learn in Solo: A Star Wars Story and Star Wars Rebels that Maul turns his home planet of Dathomir into his base of operation. The events of Rebels takes place about seven years or so after Solo.
Back to Maul and Kenobi.
I won’t spoil the end for you but you, but Maul does track down Kenobi on Tatooine. You have to see it! Okay, if you can’t wait to see what happens with Maul and Kenobi, here you go.
Pretty amazing and poetic, wouldn’t you say?!
Next: Maul primed to return in Kenobi movie?
Seeing Darth Maul, I mean Maul, at the end of Solo: A Star Wars Story gave me goosebumps and chills! I love him as a character, and I believe he is the most underrated Sith ever to exist.
Solo: A Star Wars Story is playing in theaters, worldwide; where you can see Maul in all of his glory, once again!