Star Wars: 5 of the best fan films you need to watch

Photo Credit: [Star Wars Rebels] Lucasfilm, Cartoon NetworkDARTH MAUL: Apprentice (Watch here)

The Prequel Trilogy remains a divisive subject among Star Wars fans, with many finding enjoyment out of the films and accepting them for what they are, while the rest have disdain for them, seeing them as a sharp contrast and a disservice to the Original Trilogy of films that we remember more fondly.

Despite the differing opinions on the prequel trilogy, fans all have a general consensus that one of their most redeeming features is the inclusion of Darth Maul in The Phantom Menace.

Darth Maul was an intimidating antagonist for the first entry into the prequel trilogy, had an amazing look, and to that point, was arguable the most skilled lightsaber duelist that Star Wars fans had ever seen, as his lightsaber duel with Obi-Wan Kenobi and Qui-Gon Jinn was one of the highlights of the entire trilogy.

However, despite Maul being one of the highlights of the Prequels, he only appeared in the one movie, spoke a grand total of two lines, and aside from his duel with Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon, his only noteworthy moment was briefly attacking Qui-Gon and Anakin Skywalker on Tatooine.

While the character has returned in the cartoons and in the comics, Maul’s only other live-action appearance was a brief cameo in Solo: A Star Wars Story, which sadly, is a story line unlikely to be revisited in the foreseeable future.

For those longing for more of Darth Maul, the fan film titled Darth Maul: Apprentice provides us with just that.

Released back in 2016, the film follows Maul’s training as a Sith Lord on a remote forest planet prior to the events of The Phantom Menace, where he is directed by Darth Sidious to eliminate a small group of Jedi who have tracked a signal to his location.

Maul is faced with the task of defeating several trained Jedi in a six-on-one battle, in what is an intense action sequence which borders on movie quality.

While it doesn’t offer much in the name of dialog or story, the choreography of the actors in phenomenal, the digital effects and sounds are solid as well, and is well worth watching for any fans of either Darth Maul or speedy lightsaber duels.