Credit: LucasfilmFor nearly two decades, Star Wars animation has quietly become one of the franchise’s most consistent storytelling mediums. Starting with The Clone Wars, Lucasfilm Animation carved out a distinct visual identity and tone that has since carried through multiple TV series.
Follow-up animated shows like The Bad Batch, Tales of the Jedi, Tales of the Empire, and Tales of the Underworld have all expanded the faraway galaxy in ways the films often can’t, exploring side characters, untold conflicts, and emotional storylines that unfolded over multiple episodes, arcs, or seasons.
Maul — Shadow Lord
Despite covering different parts of the Star Wars timeline, these series share the same signature animation style. Now, that tradition continues with Maul — Shadow Lord, the newest animated installment from Lucasfilm.
Last year, Maul voice actor Sam Witwer told CinemaBlend that the animation style in the new series is “more edgy and jagged and dangerous” so as to fit in with the title character’s darker perspective. But while that is indeed true, the newly revealed trailer also confirms that it still very much shares strong visual ties with its predecessors. Watch the trailer below:
Related: ‘Star Wars’ Movies, TV Shows, and More Coming in 2026: Four New Trailers Revealed
So, with Maul — Shadow Lord fully unveiled, Lucasfilm is once again inviting fans to revisit one of Star Wars’ most unexpectedly rich characters.
Long gone are the days when Maul was just “the guy with the double-bladed lightsaber.” Across films, animation, and other tie-in media, his story has quietly become one of the saga’s most tragic and compelling through-lines.
If you’re planning a rewatch before Shadow Lord premieres on April 6, here’s the complete Maul watchlist — every essential appearance since his debut in the prequel trilogy.
Star Wars: Episode I — The Phantom Menace (1999)
Maul made his debut as Darth Sidious’ silent enforcer in George Lucas’ Star Wars: Episode I — The Phantom Menace, an appearance that made him instantly iconic thanks to his unique design, acrobatic combat style, and, of course, double-sided lightsaber.
Physically portrayed by Ray Park and voiced by Peter Serafinowicz, Maul serves as the primary antagonist to Qui-Gon Jinn (Liam Neeson) and Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor).
His apparent death — sliced in half and dropped down a reactor shaft — seemed definitive at the time. But history had other plans.
Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008)
Maul’s return in The Clone Wars is one of the franchise’s boldest retcons. It reveals that, despite being bisected by Obi-Wan in half in The Phantom Menace, he survives through sheer hatred and obsession, a testament to the “unnatural” abilities of the dark side.
Voiced by Sam Witwer, Maul is rebuilt both physically and emotionally. He denounces his Sith ways, forges criminal alliances, and develops a burning vendetta against Obi-Wan (voiced in the series by James Arnold Taylor).
Maul’s arc spans multiple episodes, ultimately concluding with an epic battle that sees him briefly team up with Ahsoka Tano (Ashley Eckstein) during Order 66, before he escapes into the unknown.
Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018)
Maul’s brief but surprising cameo arrives at the end of the anthology film Solo: A Star Wars Story reveals him as the true power behind the Crimson Dawn crime syndicate. Ray Park returned for the physical performance, with Sam Witwer once again providing the voice.
The scene repositions Maul as a shadowy galactic crime lord, setting the stage for stories beyond the Sith and the Jedi.
Star Wars Rebels (2014)
Maul’s final chapter plays out in Rebels, where Witwer continued to voice the character. Older, more desperate, and clinging to old grudges, Maul ultimately confronts Obi-Wan (Taylor) on Tatooine.
Their final duel in the Season 3 episode “Twin Suns” is swift, intimate, and definitive, as Obi-Wan fatally wounds the former Sith, closing the loop on a rivalry that began decades earlier.
Shadow of Maul
Ahead of the new Disney+ series, Marvel Comics will release a five-issue prequel on March 4 titled Shadow of Maul, written by Benjamin Percy and illustrated by Madibek Musabekov.
The comic introduces Janix — the planet where Maul is attempting to regain control within the faraway galaxy’s criminal underworld in the upcoming animated series.
“This is a sci-fi story, but it’s also a crime story. It’s a story about cops, criminal syndicates, a neon-lit, shadow-alleyed city that hides many sins and secrets,” Percy told Marvel.com.
“I’m teamed up with an artist who’s already a Star Wars veteran and legend: Madibek Musabeckov,” he continued. “His art is gritty and grounded and perfectly matches the noir tone. We’ve been in close contact with Lucasfilm—reading scripts and watching episodes of this fantastic new animated series—and our story will serve as a prelude to what viewers will see play out on the screen.”
When Is Star Wars: Maul — Shadow Lord Set?
Maul — Shadow Lord slots neatly between The Clone Wars and Solo, filling in the missing years of Maul’s criminal rise.
Per StarWars.com, Maul – Shadow Lord is “set after the events of The Clone Wars” and finds Maul plotting “to rebuild his criminal syndicate on a planet untouched by the Empire.”
Sam Witwer returns as Maul, alongside a cast that includes Richard Ayoade (Two-Boots), Vanessa Marshall (Rook Kast), Chris Diamantopoulos (Looti Vario), A.J. LoCascio (Marrok), David W. Collins (Spybot), Steve Blum (Icarus), Gideon Adlon (Devon Izara), Wagner Moura (Brander Lawson), Dennis Haysbert (Master Eeko-Dio-Daki), and Charlie Bushnell (Rylee Lawson).
The animated series premieres on April 6 with a two-episode event.
The Phantom Menace, The Clone Wars, Solo, and Rebels are now all streaming on Disney+.
Will you be revisiting all of Maul’s appearances ahead of Shadow Lord? Let us know in the comments down below!