Star Warsis a long-running sci-fi franchise revolving around the Skywalker family and Jedi, and has spawned a great deal of content. From the classic original movietrilogy made in the 70s and 80s to the upcoming Disney+ TV seriesObi-Wan Kenobi,Star Warsis full of possibilities for new content. While there has been some criticism in recent years over the lack of quality of the content,Executive Creative Director Dave Filoniand Jon Favreau have managed to saveStar Warsfrom total ruin with the help of quality characters as seen inThe Clone Wars,The Mandalorian,andThe Book of Boba Fett.
While there are plenty of protagonists within the franchise to love, thanks to the Dark Side of the force, there are also plenty of admirable villains who make for worthy foes for our heroes. One of the best villains ever to be created is Darth Maul. Trained by Darth Sidious and born on Dathomir, thisterrifying Sith Lordis the one who took down Qui-Gon Jinn. Thanks to the buzz surrounding his character inThe Phantom Menace, Darth Maul made a triumphant return inThe Clone WarsandRebelsanimated series. Here’s why Darth Maul was one of the best characters ever created.
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Killer Swordsmanship
As seen in his first appearance inThe Phantom Menace, one thing that Darth Maul is most known for is his deadly skill with a lightsaber. From the first attack on Tattooine that knocked the wind out of Qui-Gon to the trio battle between Darth Maul, Qui-Gon Jinn, and Obi-Wan Kenobi — which is considered one of thegreatest lightsaber fight scenesin theStar Warsfranchise — Darth Maul proves himself a worthy adversary. After Maul took down Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan’s Master, some have argued that the only reason Obi-Wan defeated Maul was that Kenobi was emotionally charged by Qui-Gon’s death, amplifying his Jedi powers. Were it not for this, Maul could have potentially taken down Obi-Wan as well.
He Orchestrated the Takedown of Mandalore
While Darth Maul was quite a mysterious character after his appearance inThe Phantom Menace, he returned inThe Clone Warsafter being discovered by his brother. When his physical state is recovered, Maul takes it upon himself to take down Mandalore with the help of his brother Savage and Death Watch. Killing two birds with one stone, Darth Maul hoped to create a base of power for his operations while also seeking revenge against Obi-Wan Kenobi. Darth Maul got his revenge when the peaceful planet fell and the Duchess Satine, Obi-Wan’s friend and true love, was murdered. After the Death Watch leader betrayed Darth Maul, he returned with a vengeance, taking over as leader of Mandalore.
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Long-standing Grudge Against Obi-Wan
Part of what makes Darth Maul so horrifying as a villain is his ability to hold onto a grudge for over a decade. After Darth Maul killed Qui-Gon Jinn, Obi-Wan Kenobi managed to turn the tables and defeat Maul — or so he thought. When Darth Maul’s torso was severed from the rest of his body, the audience assumed that he simply died when the reality was quite different. Darth Maul rightfully blames Obi-Wan for his circumstances and the only thing that has kept him going all these years, perScreen Rant, is his vow that he would get revenge on Obi-Wan for what was done to him. This never-ending saga of Maul vs Obi-Wan has made for a turbulent journey between the two as Darth Maul causes nothing but problems for Obi-Wan, just as he wishes to do so. According toThe Hollywood Reporter, Maul was originally planned to make an appearance in theObi-Wan Kenobiseries, but was later cut out.
He and His Brother Hail from Dathomir
This may not seem relevant, but this is part of the reason that Darth Maul went from a deranged Sith Lord who fell far enough to be unrecognizable to his former glory as a fine warrior. When Darth Maul was found by his brother Savage Oppress, Savage takes Maul to the head of the Nightsisters, a group of witches who practice dark magic, Mother Talzin. After the magic is done, Maul is reborn and is not able to carry out his plan of action to get his revenge. Darth Maul’s rebirth would not have been possible if the brothers’ home planet was any other place. Dathomir also has a strong dark force presence, which has birthed many dark-sided force-wielders from the planet. Being that Darth Maul was born and raised on Dathomir, not only does he have a natural connection with the dark side, but thanks to his skill, he has become one of the greatest villains in theStar Warsfranchise.
