TV Review: ‘Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord’ is an Eye-Opening Watch

Being a Star Wars fan has taken on a life of its own in recent decades. Now, with films, video games, television series, and a complex written lore, the fandom has evolved into something else. As someone who is not steeped in the lore, I find some of the television series daunting. With so many inside references, surprise characters, and deeply rooted revelations, these animated series have been difficult to connect with. That is what made the new Disney+ series Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord a surprise.

After the events of the Star Wars: Clone Wars animated series, Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord follows Maul (Sam Witwer) as he attempts to rebuild his criminal empire. As he discovers a planet not under the control of the Galactic Empire, Maul sees this as an opportunity to build an army. Such a goal is something easier said than done for the merciless leader. Besides rival gangs and the Galactic Empire itself, a cast of characters stands in Maul’s way. While some reviews may detail these unnamed characters, I would like to limit what is said here for one reason. Half the fun of Maul: Shadow Lord is simply the character of Darth Maul himself.

I came into this series with no prior love or insights into the animated Star Wars canon. It’s easy to understand why it’s beloved, and especially why it connects for so many Star Wars fans. Unfortunately, in my attempts at watching those shows, they felt like taking a test I never studied for. Maul – Shadow Lord still has plenty of deeply rooted lore, which die-hard Star Wars fans will soak up every single moment of. This includes surprise character appearances that I’m sure will leave an impression. For someone like me who completely missed those references, there’s something else that helps Maul – Shadow Lord stand out. Of the Star Wars animated series that I’ve seen, this one is undoubtedly the most tense.

In the animated canon, such constant tension served as an impressive surprise. In large part, this has to be credited to Sam Witwer’s vocal performance. Having not seen his previous voice appearances in this world, Witwer’s range as Maul offers some interesting duality to the character. Although obviously a villain, Witwer offers a strong sense of menace. That menace is effective, but not what makes Maul such a formidable character on screen. What makes him such a compelling character is Witwer’s portrayal of Maul as the smartest person in the room. No matter the opposition, Maul is always ten steps ahead. Not only does that deliver a commanding screen presence, but it also adds an exciting layer of unpredictability.

With Maul as a compelling lead character, the series is sorely lacking in its supporting characters. The series successfully delivers opposition on all sides for Maul. This includes rival gangsters and righteous lawmen, and even a stray Jedi Knight or two. Designed as obstacles in Maul’s way or potential allies, all of these characters serve an effective purpose in the story. Yet, none of them are in any way memorable in the grand scheme of the season, existing as plot devices. They are given serious emotional stakes that simply feel like nothing but story padding. Granted, I could forgive some of those narrative shortcomings for one important reason.

The action throughout these eight episodes, given to the press for review, packs a punch. Each set piece is brutal, tense, and often relentless. This was admittedly the most surprising aspect of the season as a whole. The credit has to be given to Star Wars super fan and creator of the series Dave Filoni. Besides his obvious love for the fandom, Filoni manages to do something different here. He offers up a dark thriller in the Star Wars vein. As a lukewarm fan of Filoni’s other Star Wars content, this darker tonal shift proved a welcome change of pace.

Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord was an eye-opening watch as an old-school Star Wars fan who was not deeply versed in the lore. This animated series is by no means a children’s show, but one for adults. There’s an obvious love for the material that won’t work for regular fans, but die-hard fans will soak up every minute. For a more casual fan, the tense and dark tone is a welcome change of pace, delivering real excitement. It gives the series some real weighted stakes, making up for some rather safe writing. It’s hard to know if no Star Wars, or lukewarm Star Wars fans, will love this series, but one thing can be known for sure. As a lukewarm fan of the animated content, I cannot wait to see the last two episodes.