Star Wars’ upcoming animated show,Maul: Shadow Lord,can answer one question I’ve been asking for 4 years. There’s no doubt thatDarth Maulis one of the greatestStar Warsantagonists of all time, with multiple appearances across live-action and animation.
Not only has Maul been an intriguing character since he first appeared inStar Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace, but Maul has also gone on to be one of the most compelling villains, who refuses to let go of the things and people who have wronged him.
No matter what title he appears in, Maul constantly steals the show with amazing performances from both Ray Park and Sam Witwer. However, withMaul: Shadow Lordon the horizon, I can’t help but make a connection with anotherStar Warsshow, and I hope it can be redeemed through this new show.
The Book Of Boba Fett Left Me With One Weird Question About Crime Lords
What Does A Crime Lord Do?
Maul: Shadow Lordwill bethe secondStar Warsshow to center on a crime lord, with the first one being the short-livedTheBook of Boba Fett. The series showed the titular character taking control of Mos Espa and trying a new way of ruling. However, the show constantly dodged the question of what a crime lord actually did.
In fact, that was one of the major complaints about the story when it first premiered. It was clear thatThe Book of Boba Fettwanted to showBoba Fettand Fennec Shand in a more positive light, and that’s hard to do when they are a crime lord.
The creators wanted Boba Fett to be both a benevolent ruler and a crime boss, but those two roles just didn’t mix. Because of that, we never really got to see how badass Boba Fett could really be, especially in his new role as the Daimyo of Mos Espa.
Maul’s New TV Show Is Just What I Need
And It Can Redeem Boba Fett
It seems thatMaul: Shadow Lordwon’t be shying away from Maul’s villainy, meaningthere’s no reason to sugar-coat what his day-to-day operations look like.We know thatMaul: Shadow Lordwill be focusing on Maul’s role as the head of hiscrime syndicateCrimson Dawn, so it will be interesting to see how the show approaches that.
Actually seeing what a crime lord like Maul does may help to contextualize Boba Fett’s actionsinThe Book of Boba Fett. While it won’t fix the major issues that the show had, it will at least put it in a new and better light.
Maul: Shadow Lordis expected to premiere on Disney+ sometime in 2026.
I have high expectations forMaul: Shadow Lordbecause of the character’s storied past, but also because I thinkStar Warslearned their lesson from Boba Fett. If they’re going to tell a story about a crime boss, you’re going to have to lean into the messy and illegal things that take place. That’s what will makeMaul: Shadow Lorda success.
