Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord Season 1 Review

*The following is a spoiler-free review of the first 8 episodes (out of 10) of Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord, the first two episodes are now available to stream on Disney+*

It cannot be overstated just how popular Darth Maul became after the release of ‘Star Wars: The Phantom Menace‘ in 1999. The dual-bladed lightsaber wielding Sith lord may not have been in the movie for a significant amount of time, but with his now iconic look, incredible fighting skills and accompanied with an incredible John Williams score, Maul left an impact on fans and even deriders of the movie back then. In the years since, Maul was not only revealed to have survived his initially gruesome fate of being chopped in half and falling down a shaft, but also becoming a threat in the shadows to be dealt with, making moves in order to regain his strength and fuel his desire for revenge.

Enter Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord, the latest series in the Star Wars canon premiering on Disney+. Taking place after the events of ‘The Clone Wars’ and the events of ‘Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith‘, with a galaxy now under the rule of the Galactic Empire, the show continues Maul’s (Sam Witmer) journey as his new criminal syndicate, The Shadow Collective, begins to seize more power and become a force to be reckoned with. Cast out years prior by his master Darth Sidious  and wronged by many who wished him dead, he also seeks to gain more footing in order to take out his enemies once and for all, as his presence becomes more known to those who believed him to be gone, but most importantly, he searches for a new apprentice to train in his methods and join him in his fight.

From an initial setup as Sidious’ apprentice to now, the characterization of Maul has been one of the prequel era’s biggest success stories, with creator Dave Filoni’s work on ‘The Clone Wars’ and ‘Star Wars Rebels’ expanding on–and concluding–his arc in a definitive manner, and exploring the Zabrak warrior’s tragic and painful past in compelling ways. With those in mind, Maul – Shadow Lord continues Maul’s arc and the rise of the Shadow Collective’s operations, from confronting the competition to planning bigger maneuvers, extremely effectively, leading to a compelling storyline that makes this season engaging viewing. However, despite those story arcs to back up the story and provide context to some of the references and mentions sprinkled in this first season, much of the story also feels standalone in nature, making it an entry point into the story that is still functional if the viewer isn’t aware of some of the events leading to this.

Through the eight episodes screened for this review, Maul – Shadow Lord moves at a relentless pace, with vivid sequences from the get-go setting the scene for Maul’s plans, and providing a look at a world under the Empire that is trying its best to function normally. As the planet Janix and the action come to life with a splash of vibrant colors and stylized, dazzling animation, the teams at Lucasfilm Animation and CGCG Inc. pull off some of the best animated work in the franchise to date, a commendable feat given the stunning work in ‘The Clone Wars’. Shadow Lord comes with an almost painting-like quality to the visual palate, quite literally providing its flourishes to everything displayed with brushstrokes. particularly in city backgrounds. The lightsaber fights, of which there are plenty, are incredibly kinetic, wonderfully choreographed and increasingly intense, backed by a fantastic score from franchise veteran Kevin Kiner and terrific direction throughout. Hardly a dull moment is to be had throughout this season, and it’s all the better for it.

Where the series is most effective, however, is with its characters. While Maul may be the lead, the supporting characters are wonderfully written, with compelling story arcs that make their journeys immediately fascinating to watch. As Maul searches for an apprentice, he encounters Devon Izara (Gideon Adlon), a Padawan who along with her master Eeko-Dio-Daki (Dennis Haysbert) are trying to hide from the authorities as the Jedi are being hunted down by the Empire. As the galaxy turns, seeing Devon try to find a way to continue her journey despite her master’s insistence to keep things quiet makes her run into trouble immediately, eventually running into Maul and trying to carve a path for herself from there. Devon is likely to be an instant fan favorite, and someone to root for in the midst of tough scrapes. Similarly fascinating is Detective Brander Lawson (Wagner Moura) of the Janix police force, who is trying to find Maul and put a stop to the turf war he is unleashing upon the city with the increasing threat of the Empire’s arrival hovering over him, while also trying to be a good father and be there for his son.

The writing for the central supporting characters like Devon and Lawson, along with some memorable turns from others like Daki, Lawson’s droid partner Two-Boots (Richard Ayoade) and the Mandalorian Rook Kast (Vanessa Marshall), are the backbone for Maul – Shadow Lord, and helps make the series stronger viewing. As Maul, Witwer is once again incredible, capturing the eerie and vicious persona of Maul but also his alluring and even charismatic nature when engaging with others and hoping to expand his Collective, and proving once more how perfectly suited he is to bring the character to life, especially in the more emotionally charged moments with Maul. As Devon, Adlon is also wonderful, capturing the desperation and want to be a warrior effectively, and as Detective Lawson, Moura is outstanding, with the tensions of his work and the desperation to be a father captured perfectly in his performance, and making him one of the best new characters of the lineup. 

That being said, it would not be without some minor hiccups along the way, such as a few moments of repetitive action and a few aspects of storytelling that are a bit predictable like a conflict of interest between two characters, as well as some humor that is a bit hit-or-miss, but overall, Maul – Shadow Lord is rather well done. It remains to be seen how the season will wrap up over its final two episodes, but the journey till this point is extremely rewarding at every turn. From its terrific action to compelling characters and storylines, to its expansion of the underworld that is so much more prominent now and the allegiances being formed in desperate times, the series emerges as a very solid continuation of Maul’s journey and the prequel era.

There are talks to continue the series for many seasons down the road (Season 2 is already greenlit and in development), and given the story is still a ways away from Maul’s eventual fate, there is room for some more incredible storytelling yet.

*still courtesy of Lucasfilm*

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Shaurya Chawla