George Chrysostomou on what the future might hold for Darth Maul…
Spoilers below for Solo: A Star Wars Story, Star Wars: Rebels, Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Dark Disciple…
The return of Darth Maul in Solo has left many people excited for the possibilities this comeback might herald. Whilst speculation is rife with the many potential narratives we might see from this live action re-emergence, many are ignoring what has been put into continuity already concerning Darth Maul himself, his wider heritage and the planet he has come from.
All of this information may just be useful in discerning where Lucasfilm will take the character next. The return of someone of this magnitude can only mean a larger set up for something more featuring Maul. Maybe some of the elements mentioned below will play into upcoming appearances following this surprise Solo reveal. So grab a hot drink, sit back and get ready to speculate over whether any of this is relevant to the former Sith’s future.
We know where his story ends
One of the biggest problems with the comeback of Darth Maul (if he is even a Darth at this point) is the fact that we know there is very limited time for the Star Wars franchise to continue to explore this character in great depth. Many fans have analysed that there are roughly, give or take, 5 years in which the writers can work with for the Maul character. This is because, perhaps disappointingly, we already know where his story ends.
Star Wars: Rebels ushered the return of Maul to the post Clone Wars era, pitting Ben Kenobi against the horned warrior in a final showdown that end surprisingly quickly, in an unexpected fashion. Putting these arch-nemeses together was sure to provide intriguing conflict and it certainly did. Giving us a satisfying conclusion to the ongoing rivalry, Maul’s story ended with his death at the hands of the former Obi-Wan Kenobi, who finally got his vengeance (which may not be the Jedi way) for his Master Qui-Gon Jinn’s brutal killing.
This poses more than one continuity issue though. For one thing, in Rebels, we do not see the same Maul that appears in Solo. Slow, weak and certainly not the head of any crime syndicate, Maul has fallen severely from grace within this time frame. This can give the writing team a lot of potential material, but also gives them a very definitive arc. Not only this, but it also means that Maul is unlikely to be brought back post his animated appearance. People can say goodbye to any hope that they’ll see the double bladed fury of the former Sith against the future Jedi Rey. There is no tension there when we know Maul’s fate. There is intrigue certainly in how he got from A to B, but not as much as if the story was left completely open.
He is from a planet ruled by the Nightsisters
Maul is part of a grouping known as the Nightbrothers, all of whom originate from Dathomir. But the planet itself is run by a series of witches known as the Nightsisters. The lore of these characters is particularly rich and plays heavily into the heritage of Maul. The Nightsisters hold the home of a few prominent characters, must notable of which is that of Asajj Ventress, the former apprentice to Dooku and acclaimed Bounty Hunter. A crossover of sorts between these two characters would be incredibly appealing and for Maul to lean upon some of his more mythical background could be something we have never seen in live action Star Wars before.
We are met with another problem however, which is again twofold. Firstly, the majority of this story line has already played out in The Clone Wars. For the Lucasfilm Story Group to avoid narrative repetition, they may wish to stay away from the Nightsisters and Dathomir altogether, in favour of a more seedy underworld that fans have been clamouring to see for years. Ventress would still fit into this setting, but there is a second issue. As of the book Dark Disciple, Asajj is no longer with us. Killed off in the attempt to save her love Vos, Asajj redeems herself in the end at the cost of her own life.
Darth Maul has a brother
Star Wars: The Clone Wars set up another interesting aspect to Maul’s background: a brother. Savage Opress was always presented as inferior to his brother, even undergoing a transformation by the Nightsisters in order to match his sibling in skill and stature. The two aligned themselves together, even taking on Darth Sidous, but it was never to be. The younger Zabrak brother ultimately died, reverting back to his inferior body. After already sustaining injuries that required him to have cybernetics, much like his brother’s legs, Opress was well and truly inferior to that of his sibling. Where Maul often cheated death, Savage had succumbed to it. Of course, this is a fate Maul eventually faces as well.
It’s being looked at wrong
So many people are speculating as to where the new movies will take the Maul character. But nobody has mentioned the fact that there is no point watching him fall from grace. What’s much more interesting is how he got there in the first place. A story that tracks Maul over time, post Clone Wars, with a portion of an alive Asajj, as well as bringing back Savage, could be the ultimate piece of story telling. But where would this narrative arc fit into the Star Wars universe? Well, exactly where Maul has been explored the most: on TV. A Star Wars TV show seems like the perfect place to reintroduce these characters. It would fit the tone very well, would tick all the boxes I have discussed and is a character that, in theory, would not take too much budget to work with due to being mostly practical effects.
So what do you guys think? Would you like to see a TV show that will feature all or some of the elements discussed above? Do you think we’ll see Maul again at all? Let us know your comments below…
George Chrysostomou
