By George & Josh Bate
WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Maul – Shadow Lord Season 1 Episodes 9-10
For the seventh consecutive year since the streaming service launched, Disney+ commemorates May the 4th with the premiere of brand new Star Wars story. While years past have treated fans to the final episodes of The Clone Wars and various Tales series, 2026’s big Star Wars day brings the final two episodes of Maul – Shadow Lord Season 1 to audiences worldwide. Consistent with the eight preceding episodes, the newest series from Lucasfilm Animation rounds out in action-packed, cinematic fashion, interestingly furthering last week’s welcomed insights into Maul’s psyche and featuring an epic showdown we’ve long waited for.
Chapter 9: Strange Allies
Chapter 9 immediately follows through on the promise of Chapter 18’s conclusion by depicting a meeting between Maul and Dryden Vos. The character played by Paul Bettany in Solo: A Star Wars Story is now voiced by Scott Whyte, known for his roles in City Guys, That ‘70s Show, and D2: The Mighty Ducks.
Dryden proposes a deal with Maul: in exchange for helping the former Sith lord avoid the clutches of the Empire and flee Janix, Maul will kill the current leader of Crimson Dawn and install Dryden Vos as the crime syndicate’s new leader. The proposition clues us into the status of Crimson Dawn during this time in the galaxy and hints at how Maul eventually comes to control the organization. The episode seems to suggest that Dryden Vos is currently second-in-command at Crimson Dawn and hopes to use Maul to usurp the present leader. Presumably, Maul will follow through on Dryden’s deal (at least in part) by killing the Crimson Dawn leader, but, instead of installing Dryden as the new head, crown himself king of the crime syndicate. As evidenced by these two episodes, however, the creative team behind the series are seemingly saving this plot for Season 2.
Throughout the beginning of the episode, we catch multiple glimpses of the refined brush strokes that give Maul’s face and clothing remarkable detail and texture. From frame-worthy establishing shots to lightsaber duels featuring a newfound aggression and volatility, the animation in Maul – Shadow Lord has impressed all season in every regard, but, for us, the animation proves most stunning when it gives more intimate detailing to Maul’s facial expressions and outfit.
Although Maul is relentlessly pursued by Marrok and the Crow (who are basked in delectably dark lighting and treated like horror villains in the show), he still hasn’t lost sight of making Devon Izara his apprentice, a step he believes will prove essential in exacting revenge against Darth Sidious. Mirroring Luke and Leia’s Force connection in The Empire Strikes and The Last Jedi and Rey and Kylo’s Force connection in The Last Jedi and The Rise of Skywalker, Maul uses the Force to bridge his mind with Devon’s and, in doing so, provides his prospective padawan details on how to find him. Daki again voices his concerns about the growing bond between Maul and Devon, and yet even he understands now that the enemy of your enemy is your friend.
Using the Force connection established with Maul, Devon leads Daki, Lawsen, Rylee, and Two-Boots to a tense meeting. Maul tempers the rage we saw him exhibit in Chapter 8 and presents a solid case to Devon and the others that their interests align and they should help one another escape Janix.
Shortly afterward, Daki says, “We must remain cautious of the Shadow Lord,” which, if our memories serve us correctly, is the first time Maul has been referred to as such in the series.
In addition to tracking how Daki feels about Maul, the Zabrak also sheds light on how he views the Jedi Master in a conversation with Rook Kast. When his first lieutenant complains about Daki, Maul retorts and urges her to have respect toward Daki as he is a Jedi Master. This exchange reflects a marked change from the version of Maul introduced to audiences back in 1999. The Maul we see here is one that values the Jedi, despite clashing with them for so long, and even recognizes that the galaxy was probably better off under their rules than Sidious’.
As the ragtag group of allies make their way across Janix and toward the rendezvous point with Dryden Vos, they come across an underground body of toxic waste water. Just as they start slowly making their way over using an old skiff, Marrok and the Crow arrive and kick start a brilliantly choreographed and gorgeously animated lightsaber duel that encompasses the rest of the episode.
Maul (voiced by Sam Witwer) in Lucasfilm’s STAR WARS: MAUL – SHADOW LORD, exclusively on Disney+. Photo courtesy of Lucasfilm Ltd.
The closest point of comparison for the lightsaber duel that ensues is the clash between Maul, Ahsoka, Ezra, Kanan, and the two Inquisitors on Malachor in the Season 2 finale of Star Wars Rebels. But this duel goes far more expansive than that climactic clash. Seeing so many lightsaber blades on screen at once is certainly a side to behold, especially when they all clash and briefly pause together in a perfect moment of synchronicity. Consistent with other duels depicted in the series, the fight does not aim for photo-realism, instead leaning into a more stylized and intense style of animation that relishes in the imperfect edges and motion of its characters and lightsabers. It’s not an exaggeration to say that the lightsaber choreography that features in Chapters 9 and 10 are some of the very best ever depicted in animation.
During the battle, both Spybot and Scorn are killed, the latter of whom goes out like a champ with a threeway knife throw kill followed by a dive bomb into the toxic water. But they’re eventually able to escape Marrok and the Crow, after Maul does the unexpected and lets Daki flee while he holds the Inquisitors off. This critical moment parallels and juxtaposes a similar critical moment in Chapter 10, one that sees Maul face a similar predicament yet take the less virtuous route. Does Maul help Daki here because he wants to show Devon he’s more than just a villain? Or does Maul genuinely feel the need to care for Daki, a person he has obvious respect for? It’s unclear, but the fact that we’re seeing such evolution of Maul’s character continues to fascinate.
As Maul, Devon, and the others escape the underground tunnels and emerge above ground, they find themselves in a foggy forest. Rook Kast makes her way ahead, before being dragged into the unknown by the Force. We’ve long speculated that Maul – Shadow Lord would feature an appearance from Darth Vader, especially after Marrok was depicted speaking to an unknown figure in a previous episode. But that predictability didn’t stop Vader’s appearance from making our jaws drop. The ominous breathing that precedes the Sith lord coming into full view sent chills down our spines. This may be the best Vader has ever looked in animation. The episode then concludes with a shot of the upper half of Vader’s body lit up red by the glow of his ignited lightsaber. The shot appears and is lit extremely similar to how Vader was depicted in the iconic hallway sequence in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.
Chapter 10: The Dark Lord
Chapter 9 flows seamlessly into Chapter 10 and, like its predecessor, goes all out with an action-packed episode.
Vader effortlessly fights off Maul, Daki, and Devon while wielding his lightsaber with just one hand. The creative team did well to simultaneously portray Vader as a formidable fighting force and a figure who has the stiff, slower dueling style of the Vader we see in A New Hope. Again, the choreography is superb, especially as multiple red and blue blades grace the screen at once.
There’s also something just so undeniably wish-fulfilling about seeing Darth Vader and Maul finally fight on-screen after all these years. Maul, at least at first, doesn’t know who Vader is, but the audience knows that Vader is fully aware of who Maul is. To Anakin, Maul is the person who killed his pseudo-father figure Qui-Gon Jinn, the man who promised to train him and would have likely prevented his fall to the dark side. Although not explicitly stated, it’s neat to think that Vader may be motivated to take down Maul, not just because Sidious has commissioned him to do so, but because he wants revenge for Maul’s slaughter of Qui-Gon.
After barely escaping Vader’s clutches, an injured Maul alongside Devon and Daki make their way to an abandoned castle. Daki mentions that he senses the person they just fought is a “dark lord of the Sith.” This is an interesting line as it implies that Jedi can not only sense the presence of the dark side of the Force, but can more specifically identify a Sith. This trick sure would’ve come in handy in the days leading up to Order 66.
Maul and Daki try to reach and teach Devon differently here. While Daki suggests Devon approach the dilemma with patience, Maul urges her to give into her rage as he believes this is the only way to defeat Darth Vader. Although we’ve seen Devon reckon with both sides of this argument throughout the season, she’s never faced these dueling philosophies clash right before her eyes with her current master and prospective master trying to convince her that their way is right.
Amidst this discussion, Maul has a brief moment where he seemingly puts the pieces of the puzzle together and concludes who the dark lord they just faced off against really is. As revealed in The Clone Wars Season 7, Maul knew of Sidious’ plan to convert Anakin Skywalker to the dark side. In Chapter 10, he senses that the person they fought is a former Jedi and, putting two and two together, probably means he recognizes that Darth Vader is Anakin Skywalker. It would have been interesting to see Maul discuss this realization more explicitly in the episode, however.
After a Vader jump scare, punctuated by the Sith lord sticking his hand through a brick wall, the duel continues, now making its way from the abandoned castle to a broken bridge. Devon demonstrates how formidable she is as she fends off two Inquisitors at once, while Daki and an injured Maul take on Vader. The two final two episodes are certainly heavy on the action, although the choreography is so impressive, animation is so beautiful, and stakes are so high that one can’t help but be enraptured by the action unfolding on-screen.
As Lawsen, Two Boots, Riley, and Vario try to figure a way to rendezvous with an incoming Dryden Vos, Maul does the inverse of what he did in Chapter 9 and, rather than save Daki, puts him firmly in the crosshairs of the enemy. Without Devon’s knowledge, Maul uses the Force to push Daki closer to Vader, a decision that soon after leads to Daki’s death. The entire scene calls back to Ben Kenobi’s death in A New Hope and Qui-Gon Jinn’s death in The Phantom Menace, as all three sequences depict a padawan watching their master die at the hands of Sith from an unreachable distance.
In orchestrating Daki’s death in such a subtle way, Maul demonstrates that his more calculated demeanor this season has not come at the expense of his villainy. All season, Maul has pursued Devon as his apprentice and now has taken full advantage of a terrible situation to get exactly what he wants. Maul has done some pretty horrible things throughout his tenure in Star Wars, but the careful engineering of Daki’s death feels like one of the most insidious and underhanded acts the former Sith Lord has engaged in.
Maul’s plan works to perfection as Devon is immediately and massively impacted by her master’s death. “I will kill him!” she howls, with actress Gideon Adlon brilliantly portraying the transition of a young woman away from her usual composed self into a rageful agent of hate.
Daki isn’t the only father figure that meets his end in Chapter 10. Lawson (seemingly) sacrifices himself to let Rylee and Two Boots successfully board Dryden Vos’ ship. We’re a tad hesitant to say that Lawson dies, given that he’s shrouded in smoke as he takes multiple blaster shots. While Daki’s death has been forecast from the very beginning, we definitely didn’t see Lawson meeting his end here.
The episode, and the season more broadly, concludes with a quiet moment between Devon and Maul aboard Dryden’s ship. After Maul agrees to follow through on his deal with Dryden, he patiently and calmly waits as Devon grips the hilt of Maul’s lightsaber and says, “Alright, I’m ready.”
The first season of Maul – Shadow Lord has been far from unpredictable (those who read our coverage of Star Wars Celebration Japan will know that Devon eventually becoming Maul’s apprentice is something we’ve predicted for over a year now). And yet, much like Andor, the series doesn’t rely on shock, plot twists, or big revelations to captivate and entertain. The writing has been on the wall for much of the Maul – Shadow Lord’s plot from the first episode, but sharp writing and strong character have rendered the series engrossing nonetheless.
VERDICT: 8.5/10
Maul – Shadow Lord caps off its impressive first season with a cinematic, action-packed duo of final episodes that further our understanding of Maul’s psychology and features a showdown Star Wars fans have long awaited. With the exception of a set-up in the first half of Chapter 9, the final two episodes of the season unfold essentially as one massive fight sequence, broken apart only by brief dialogue breaks and moments of dramatic pause. Although an action-heavy finale could spell disaster for the finale of an animated Star Wars series, Maul – Shadow Lord subverts this issue by treating viewers to some of the best lightsaber duels ever depicted in Star Wars animation. This only gets better when the one and only Darth Vader steps out from beyond the shadows and into the fray, engaging Maul in a duel we’ve predicted would happen all season. Darth Vader has never looked better in animation and the creative team nail blending the Sith Lord’s signature slower, stiffer movements with an undeniable ominous and formidable presence.
Chapters 9 and 10 feature two critical moments that mirror and yet juxtapose one another, the former of which sees Maul rescue Daki and demonstrate his respect for the Jedi Master while the latter sees Maul push Daki directly into the clutches of Vader and inadvertently cause his death. All season, Maul’s more calculated approach has served as an interesting character development, and this moment perfectly bookends this arc, namely by showing that being more measured does not come at the expense of being a villain. As the episodes, and season more generally, wrap up, Maul – Shadow Lord sets the stage for Devon to go on to become the canon version of Darth Talon as Maul finally gets what he has desired all season. Although the ten episodes of Season 1 have unfolded rather predictably, like Andor, the series does not rely on shock, plot twists, or big revelations to captivate and entertain. Instead, sharp writing, gorgeous animation, and fascinating character work have rendered it a thoroughly engaging and decidedly darker Star Wars series, one we can’t wait to see continue in the near future.