Solo: A Star Wars Story may not have been the blockbuster smash that Disney may have wanted, but it still received fairly favorable reviews. In a surprise end twist, the ex-Sith Darth Maul makes a cameo, and is revealed to be the master of the film’s main villain. It was a shocking reveal, especially considering it was Maul’s first appearance on the big screen since The Phantom Menace. Maul was probably the most well-received aspect of the much-maligned Phantom Menace, with his fight scene between Obi-Wan Kenobi and Qui-Gon Jinn highlighted as being one of the best in the franchise.
Maul’s appearance has a lot of fan service to it. Not only did the filmmakers bring back Ray Park to play Maul once again, they also brought in Sam Witwer, the voice of Maul in the TV shows, to provide the voice for the character in the big screen. Due to Solo’s underwhelming box office performance, it is not known what direction Maul’s character will go. Whatever set-up they had with the character may end up in limbo for all we know, which will be unfortunate.
While Solo was Maul first cinema appearance in nearly twenty years, he has actually been a common presence in the Star Wars TV shows. After being cut by Obi-Wan at the end of Phantom Menace, Maul went MIA until it was revealed in the Clone Wars TV show that he survived. After turning up alive in the TV show, he would end up being a major antagonist. He becomes Obi-Wan’s arch-nemesis, vowing vengeance on the Jedi for what he did to him. He would later return in the Star Wars Rebels TV show, but that show takes place years after Solo. Though Clone Wars and Rebels are amazing TV shows, not a lot of people are exposed to them. To fill in that missing gap for some fans, here are the 25 Things Darth Maul Did Between The Phantom Menace and Solo.
25 Somehow Survived The End
An obvious thing that happened with Darth Maul between Phantom Menace and Solo is the fact that Maul somehow survived being cut. After ending Qui-Gon Jinn, Obi-Wan Kenobi was able to finish the Sith by jumping over him, and slicing.
What remained of Maul would then fall down a shaft.
Miraculously, Maul was still alive when he fell down the shaft. He used the force to latch onto an air vent, and made his way to a trash container. He was able to keep himself alive through pure willpower. Willpower, and hatred. Hatred towards the Jedi that cost him everything. From that point forward, Maul vowed vengeance on Obi-Wan.
24 Transported To Lotho Minor
The trash container that Maul found himself took him to the junkyard planet called Lotho Minor. There he was dumped and was left completely broken. The trauma of having his body cut, along with being physically weak, had deteriorated his mind. All he can think about is his hatred for Obi-Wan, which was the only thing that was giving him life.
On Lotho, Maul came across a snake-like creature called Morley. They struck a deal; Morley will bring in victims for Maul to consume, and he will have the leftovers. However, since Maul was literally half the man he used to be, he needed a new pair of legs.
23 Got Robot Spider Legs
Maul had lost half of his body to Obi-Wan and has been literally keeping himself alive through his absolute hatred towards the Jedi. Yet he couldn’t continue living as just a torso. He needed legs to move, and fortunately, the planet he was stranded on was a junkyard planet.
Using the metals and scraps lying around, he was able to construct himself a set of legs.
His new legs weren’t normal, bipedal legs. Maul created for himself spider-legs, because apparently, he didn’t think he was scary enough as is. With his mind in complete shambles, he would hide within the tunnels of the junkyard planet, rambling to himself about his past life. Surviving off the victims that creature Morley provided him, Maul would be stuck on the planet until the Clone Wars.
22 Reunited With His Brother (And Was Healed By His Mother)
In the middle of the Clone Wars, Savage Oppress, the one-time apprentice of Count Dooku, was ordered by Lady Talzin of the Dathomirian to find Maul. It turns out Maul is Savage’s brother, and Lady Talzin is their mother. Savage found Maul in the depths of Lotho Minor. Maul was completely mad though; the only thing he can remember is his desire for vengeance against Obi-Wan.
Savage took Maul to Talzin, where she is able to heal Maul’s mind with Dathomirian magick. Maul was completely healed mentally, but was upset to find that his former master, Darth Sidious, started the Clone Wars without him. He then started his own campaign for intergalactic conquest.
21 Ended Colonists On Raydonia
After Maul’s mind healed, and his spider legs were replaced with more appropriate bipedal legs, his next goal was to get revenge on Obi-Wan Kenobi. In order to force the Jedi to come to him, he goes to a colony on the planet named Raydonia. The colony was under the protection of the Jedi Council.
Maul and his brother Oppress ended the colonists and sent a hologram message to the Jedi Council.
They demand that Obi-Wan comes to the planet alone. They threaten to end more people if they find out if he doesn’t come all by himself. Left with no choice, Obi-Wan Kenobi is forced to go to Raydonia. After confirming Maul is the same Sith that ended his master, Obi-Wan is knocked out by Oppress.
20 Rematch With Obi-Wan, Round 1
After Maul and Savage Oppress captured Obi-Wan Kenobi, the Jedi was quickly rescued by the bounty hunter (and former Sith apprentice) Asajj Ventress. Together, the two duel against Maul and Oppress. It was the first time that Obi-Wan and Maul fought against each other since their fateful match on Naboo in the climax of The Phantom Menace.
Obi-Wan and Asajj decided to retreat and leave the brothers stranded in the middle of space. Though he had failed at ending Kenobi, he was able to deliver a clear message to the Jedi Knight. The message was that he has returned, and he knows that Kenobi will go after him again.
19 Took Charge Of A Group Of Pirates
Maul and his brother rampaged across the galaxy and were able to accumulate a vast amount of currency. They used that currency to buy out a group of pirates on Florrum. Several pirates questioned the brothers; those that questioned were ended.
Hondo Ohnaka, leader of the pirate group, took shelter in his base on Florrum.
Maul and his pirate allies assaulted Hondo’s base. He plans to take all of Florrum as his base of operation. Hondo was able to hold out until the Jedi Council were able to send two Jedi to stop Maul. These Jedi were Obi-Wan and Adi Gallia.
18 The End Of Jedi Adi Gallia
Adi Gallia was a Jedi that was introduced in the prequel trilogy. She was mostly a background character in the movies. She had a much more active role in the Clone Wars TV show. In the show, she was one of the dozen recurring Jedi that helped the Galactic Republic during the course of the Clone War.
Gallia went with Obi-Wan to Florrum. Their job was to stop Maul from taking over the planet. Obi-Wan fought against his nemesis Maul, while Gallia is forced to duel against Savage Oppress, Maul’s brother. The mighty Savage overwhelmed the Jedi, and she was ended by him. Her demise forced Obi-Wan to retreat, but not before he was able to take Gallia’s lightsaber with him.
17 Rematch With Obi-Wan, Round 2 (With His Brother)
After Adi Gallia’s demise, Obi-Wan was forced to retreat within Hondo’s base on Florrum. To act like a decoy, Obi-Wan chooses to confront Maul and his brother alone. Using Gallia’s lightsaber, Obi-Wan dual-wields and fights against the brothers. It is one of Obi-Wan’s most heroic moments in the show; he was outmanned against two powerful force users, yet faced both gallantly.
When his back was literally against the wall, Obi-Wan was able to kick Oppress’ leg, forcing the latter to collapse.
Obi-Wan was then able to use the distraction to take Oppress’ arm, forcing Maul to carry his brother away. Meanwhile, Hondo was able to convince Maul’s men to rejoin his pirate crew. Outnumbered, Maul and Oppress retreat from Florrum.
16 Teamed Up With Pre Vizsla
Mandalore was one of the neutral planets during the Clone Wars. It was ruled by the Duchess Satine Kryze, who wanted to escape the planet’s violent warrior past, and desired to promote a more pacifistic role in the war. This created an uproar on the planet, creating a splinter group called Death Watch, who wanted to take back the planet.
The Jedi Council already stopped Death Watch, and their leader Pre Vizsla, earlier in the Clone Wars TV show. The group eventually came across Maul and Savage Oppress, and they recognize they all share a mutual enemy. Maul and Death Watch decided to team up; their goal is to conquer Mandalore and get revenge on the Jedi.
15 Forms The Shadow Collective
In order to conquer Mandalore, Maul and Death Watch needed to increase their ranks. In order to do so, they decided to gain the aid of several major criminal organizations within the galaxy. First to join them were the Black Suns of Mustafar. The leaders of the Black Suns initially laughed at Death Watch when they offered to team up.
That’s when Oppress proceeds to end every leader of the Black Suns, except for one.
The surviving Black Sun leader then decided to join forces with them. Another criminal organization, called the Pykes, voluntarily allied themselves with Death Watch. The alliance proceeded to go to battle with the Grand Hutt Council. They emerged victorious and forced Jabba the Hutt to pledge allegiance to them. This new alliance of criminals was called the Shadow Collective.
14 Conquer Mandalore
With his army and allies in hand, Maul was able to execute his plan to conquer Mandalore. He originally had the crime families attack the capital of Mandalore. After some civil unrest, Death Watch will show up and stop the criminals, making them seem like the heroes. This would weaken the Duchess' hold on the people, giving the Shadow Collective a chance to overthrow her.
The plan went on without a hitch. Death Watch was able to “scare” the criminals away, and they overthrew the Duchess. The only hindrance is the fact that Pre Vizsla, leader of Death Watch, had Maul and his brother thrown in jail. Fortunately for Maul, he foresaw Vizsla’s betrayal, and he was expecting it.
13 Usurps Pre Vizsla, And Ends Him
After being jailed by Pre Vizsla, Maul and Savage Oppress were able to easily escape from their cell. They also freed Almec, a corrupt official that was arrested earlier in the Clone Wars. They plan to use Almec as their puppet.
The three then escaped from the prison.
Using Vizsla’s honor against him, Maul challenges him in a duel to the end. Vizsla accepted, and, after a grueling match, Maul ended up the victor. Accepting his fate, Vizsla allowed Maul to end him and take control of Death Watch. Maul then declare himself the ruler of Mandalore. Some members of Death Watch refused to bow to him and splintered off from the rest.
12 Takes The Darksaber
The Darksaber is one of the most unique lightsabers in the entire Star Wars canon. Created by the first Jedi of Mandalore, the Darksaber is a pitch black laser, with white edges. Rather than the typical beam of light that other sabers have, the Darksaber is in the shape of a more traditional sword.
The Darksaber was originally placed in a Jedi Temple on Mandalore. House Vizsla ransacked the temple and took the saber. Throughout the generations, the Vizsla family has used the saber to execute Jedi. Pre Vizsla was the last member of his family to hold the Darksaber. The leader of Death Watch, Pre Vizsla was ended by Maul, who then took the Darksaber as his way of symbolically taking control of Mandalore.
11 Captures Obi-Wan
The Duchess of Mandalore, Satine Kryze, has a very personal relationship with Obi-Wan Kenobi. During the latter’s time as a Padawan, Obi-Wan and his master were sent to protect the young Duchess from bounty hunters. It is during this time that Obi-Wan and Duchess started developing romantic feelings for each other.
They never admitted to each other at the time, and they went their separate ways.
They have met several times during the Clone Wars. After the Jedi Council refused to help Mandalore during Death Watch’s take over, Obi-Wan chose to go alone to save Satine. Unfortunately, that was all part of Maul’s plan. He was able to capture Obi-Wan, who was not aware of Maul’s new role as leader of Death Watch.
10 Ends Duchess Satine Kryze
After capturing Obi-Wan Kenobi on Mandalore, Maul brings him and Duchess Satine Kryze to his throne room. Force choking Satine, the two rivals exchange some heated words with one another. Maul expresses his hatred towards Obi-Wan, claiming that the Jedi made him suffer for years after their fight on Naboo.
He attempts to edge Obi-Wan to the dark side, but the latter refused. He instead mocked the dark side of the force and Maul’s own upbringing. Maul then realizes the perfect tool for his revenge. Recognizing Obi-Wan’s fondness for Satine, Maul stabs the Duchess with his Darksaber. He then lets her perish in Obi-Wan’s arms. He chooses to spare the Jedi, wanting him to drown in his own sorrow.
9 Loses A Duel Against Palpatine, Brother Is Ended
All of Maul’s meticulous planning seemed to have been finally paying off. He was able to become the ruler of Mandalore, and is the head of the biggest criminal organization in the galaxy. He was able to gain his revenge on Obi-Wan Kenobi through the end of his beloved Duchess Satine Kryze.
Palpatine sensed Maul’s strength after he ended the Duchess, and decided to stop him with his own hands. Confronting Maul as Darth Sidious, the Sith Lord fights against him and his brother in an epic lightsaber duel. Sidious was able to end Savage Oppress and capture Maul.
8 Became A Prisoner Of Spire
While Maul’s duel with Palpatine was the last time the character was seen on the Clone Wars TV show, Maul’s story continued on via a comic book. After Clone Wars was canceled, there were still many scripts that were already in varies forms of production. Some scripts were even storyboard and were ready to be animated.
There was a story arc that would have continued Maul’s journey. The story was eventually adapted into a four-issue comic book series called Star Wars: Darth Maul—Son of Dathomir. The comic book explored what happened to Maul after his defeat by Palpatine. He was sent to the prison called Spire, where he proceeded to be repeatedly attacked.
7 Repeatedly Attacked By Count Dooku
On Spire, Maul was repeatedly attacked by Darth Sidious for information. Count Dooku eventually took Sidious’ place. This was the first time the two Sith apprentices have ever met. Maul was originally very angry at seeing his successor, as he sees Dooku as nothing more than a pretender. Dooku demands information on his Shadow Collective. Maul refuse to give him any information. While Dooku failed to get any new info out of Maul, which was part of Sidious’ plan. His plan was that he wanted Maul to believe his organization was in peril, so that way he would be desperate enough to bring in Lady Talzin to aid him.
6 Escapes From Spire
Prime Minister Almec, the corrupt official from Mandalore that Maul freed, sent two members of Death Watch to follow Maul to Spire. Since Maul freed Almec previously, the Prime Minister felt obliged to save him in turn. After Maul was repeatedly attacked by Dooku, the two Death Watch members blew up a section of the Spire to use as a distraction.
Dooku saw through the charade, but that didn’t stop Death Watch from breaking into Maul’s cell and freeing him. Together, the three were able to escape from the prison. Maul then contacted Almec, and was able to regroup with some members of Death Watch on the moon called Zanbar. Maul was able to regain his Darksaber around this time.