By George & Josh Bate
With Maul – Shadow Lord officially premiering on Disney+ on April 6, now is the perfect time to catch up on the long and arduous journey of everyone’s favorite Zabrak.
Below you’ll find a Chronological Watching and Reading Order of Every Essential Maul Story To Prepare for Maul – Shadow Lord
Star Wars: Darth Maul (comic miniseries)
The chronological first appearance of Darth Maul comes in the under-appreciated five-issue comic series from Marvel Comics. This story, set 33 BBY, explores Maul during his time as Sidious’s secret weapon, revealing his brutal training, isolation, and obsession with proving his worth. The comic provides insight into what Maul was up to prior to The Phantom Menace and previews his desperation to kill a Jedi. It also shows, for the first time, Maul brush shoulders with the criminal underworld, a seedy corner of the galaxy he one day tries to conquer.
Age of Republic – Darth Maul #1
This character-focused one-shot captures Maul’s mindset just before The Phantom Menace. It highlights his unwavering loyalty to Sidious and his belief that he has a destined role in reshaping the galaxy—an irony that deepens the tragedy of his eventual abandonment. The comic also provides a greater understanding of how rage fuels the Sith, but that rage alone is not enough to conquer them. Sidious teaches Maul a valuable lesson that he carries forward – that anger is a tool, but patience and calculated planning are key to exacting the Sith’s revenge.
Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace
Darth Maul dominated pop culture in 1999 when The Phantom Menace hit theaters. His explosive debut introduces him as Palpatine’s lethal enforcer and seemingly ends his story with a brutal bisection. His defeat at Obi-Wan’s hands arguably becomes the defining trauma of his life, which sparks his decades-long obsession with revenge.
The Clone Wars – Season 3, Episode 14: “Witches of the Mist”
“Witches of the Mist” may not feature a genuine appearance from Maul, but it confirms that he somehow lived after his defeat in The Phantom Menace. The episode also proves important viewing as it lays the groundwork for Maul’s survival by introducing Nightsister magic and Mother Talzin’s influence. It also provides a look at Maul’s brother Savage Opress before he eventually reunites with his fellow Zabrak. For the first time in canon, this episode establishes that Maul is more than a Sith – he is a son of Dathomir.
The Clone Wars – Season 4, Episode 21: “Brothers”
“Brothers” marks Maul’s official return from the dead. Broken, feral, and consumed by hatred, Maul is unlike the calculated menace we saw in The Phantom Menace, the years of isolation driving him mad. His reunion with Savage Opress restores his physical power, however, and Maul begins a journey to recover from defeat and abandonment. Another critical reason to watch this episode is that it is the first time Sam Witwer voiced Maul. In the years since this episode, Witwer has become synonymous with Maul and will headline Maul – Shadow Lord as the lead character.
The Clone Wars – Season 4, Episode 22: “Revenge”
“Revenge” marks the true beginning of Maul’s years-long plans to enact revenge against Obi-Wan and Palpatine. This episode demonstrates how Maul regains his strength and how his obsession now controls him. It also showcases Maul’s brutality as he and Savage slaughter a village simply to lure Obi-Wan.
The Clone Wars – Season 5, Episode 1: “Revival”
The premiere of The Clone Wars Season 5 is critical in showing how Maul’s approach to enact revenge changes. The episode sees him and Savage face defeat and injury, leading him to realize that, in order to achieve status as a powerful crime lord, he needs patience and calculation, the two attributes Palpatine instilled in him in the aforementioned Darth Maul comic series.
The Clone Wars – Season 5, Episode 14: “Eminence”
Maul takes his first major steps toward empire-building by uniting various criminal syndicates in this episode. “Eminence” is crucial for understanding Maul’s journey moving forward as it cements his plan that conquering the underworld will allow him to exact the revenge he so desperately desires.
The Clone Wars – Season 5, Episode 15: “Shades of Reason”
“Shades of Reason” follows Maul as he executes his plans to take over Mandalore. The episode showcases Maul’s tactical brilliance and ruthlessness as he stages a coup, subverts a betrayal from Death Watch lead Pre Viszla, and eventually beheads his foe. Maul proclaims himself as the leader of Mandalore, despite challenges from Bo-Katan.
The Clone Wars – Season 5, Episode 16: “The Lawless”
Our pick for the very best episode of The Clone Wars, “The Lawless” shows everything Maul attempted to build collapse before his eyes. A devastating confrontation with a lightsaber-wielding Darth Sidious leads to the death of his brother Savage, marking another seminal moment in the life of the former Sith Lord.
Darth Maul: Son of Dathomir (comic miniseries)
If you jump from “The Lawless” to the next episode on this list, you will miss a critical story for Maul’s journey. This comic miniseries was originally planned as episodes of The Clone Wars, but the series’ unfortunate cancellation meant the episodes were never finished. Thankfully, the episodes were reworked into a comic miniseries that deepens his connection to Mother Talzin and bridges the gap between Maul’s defeat at the hands of Sidious and his eventual second attempt at conquering Mandalore.
The Clone Wars – Season 7, Episode 8: “Together Again”
This episode kicks off the Siege of Mandalore arc of The Clone Wars. It sets the stage for Mandalore’s fall and Order 66 in spectacular fashion.
The Clone Wars – Season 7, Episode 10: “The Phantom Apprentice”
One of Maul’s most important appearances, the former Sith Lord understands the coming fall of the Republic and desperately tries to stop it—not out of heroism, but fear. This episode reframes Maul as a man cursed with forbidden knowledge, who tries to kill Anakin Skywalker as a way to thwart Palpatine’s plans.
The Clone Wars – Season 7, Episode 11: “Shattered”
As Order 66 begins, Maul unleashes pure chaos with one of Star Wars’ most violent scenes.
The Clone Wars – Season 7, Episode 12: “Victory and Death”
This episode marks the end of an era, not just for Star Wars, but Maul himself. The Zabrak crime lord escapes the clutches of Ahsoka Tano and, once again, becomes a lone shadow, now in a galaxy rapidly reshaped by his former master.
Shadow of Maul #1
Prior to the premiere of Maul – Shadow Lord, the prequel comic Shadow of Maul debuts. Only the first issue will release by the time of the April 6th premiere (it hits shelves on March 4), but the proximity of this issue to the events of Maul – Shadow Lord makes it a necessary read.
Solo: A Star Wars Story
Maul’s surprise cameo at the end of Solo: A Star Wars Story confirms that he found his footing once again as a crime lord before losing it all (again) by the time of Star Wars Rebels. It also introduces his crime syndicate Crimson Dawn, which we suspect will play a critical role in Maul – Shadow Lord.
Star Wars Rebels: Season 2, Episodes 21-22: “Twilight of the Apprentice”
Maul shocked the world when he made a surprise return in the two-part finale of Star Wars Rebels. In addition to being the best episode of the entire series, the two-parter also shows a different, more manipulative side of Maul as he tries to ingratiate himself with the innocent Ezra Bridger.
Star Wars Rebels: Season 3, Episode 3: “Holocron of Fate”
“Holocron of Fate” chronicles Maul’s pursuit of knowledge to finally outmanuever the Sith. He collaborates with Ezra Brdger to track down Obi-Wan Kenobi, setting up the events of “Twin Suns.”
Star Wars Rebels: Season 3, Episode 11: “Visions and Voices”
In “Visions and Voices,” Maul and Ezra visit Dathomir, where they are able to see the vision they started to create when they merge their Holocrons. The episode reveals that Maul still possesses the Darksaber (before Sabine takes it from him) and finally shows Maul learn the location of Obi-Wan Kenobi.
Star Wars Rebels: Season 3, Episode 20: “Twin Suns”
Few characters in a galaxy far, far away have a fate as tragic as Maul. After decades dominated by manipulation and a desire for revenge, Maul’s story comes to an end with a final duel with his arch-nemesis Obi-Wan Kenobi. The climactic duel between the two is short, but immensely cinematic. Before dying, Maul learns that the Jedi Master is in exile to protect the only hope for the galaxy—Luke Skywalker. As he dies in Kenobi’s arms, Maul receives the only redemption he could ever deserve as he comes to peace with the belief that Luke will save the galaxy from ruin.