13 Biggest Easter Eggs & Star Wars References In Maul – Shadow Lord Episodes 9-10

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Warning! This post contains SPOILERS for Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord episodes 9-10

It’s fantastic that the last episodes of Maul – Shadow Lord‘s first season came out on Star Wars Day (May the Fourth)! Episodes 9 and 10 are particularly amazing and grand in scale, delivering the intense dark side moments Star Wars fans have been waiting for almost thirty years. Plus, the episodes are filled with fun Easter eggs, references, important connections, and significant ties to the larger Star Wars story.

As a longtime fan, I have to say these finale episodes really delivered! Lucasfilm clearly put a lot of love into rewarding us with tons of little nods to the past – visual easter eggs and some seriously satisfying payoffs to established lore. Shadow Lord doesn’t just respect what came before, it actually builds on it in a really exciting way, especially when it comes to Maul’s journey. And the best part? We’re already getting a second season, which is fantastic news!

The final episodes of Maul – Shadow Lord are packed with connections to major Star Wars events like Revenge of the Sith and Star Wars Rebels, enriching Maul’s overall story without feeling out of place. These Easter eggs and references are a treat for dedicated fans, but also help newcomers understand and appreciate Maul’s journey. Here are 13 of the most significant connections and parallels we discovered in episodes 9 and 10.

The Biggest And Best Easter Eggs And Star Wars References In Maul – Shadow Lord Episodes 9-10

In the comic series Maul – Shadow Lord, Dryden Vos of Crimson Dawn contacts Maul through a holographic message. They make a deal: Vos will help Maul and his troops escape Janix if Maul assists Vos in taking over Crimson Dawn. This arrangement explains how Dryden Vos ends up as the visible leader of Crimson Dawn in the film Solo: A Star Wars Story, while secretly working for Maul, who operates from the shadows.

Dryden Vos reveals that the current leader of Crimson Dawn, Boss Rintero, isn’t aware of the deal being made with Maul. Rintero was previously established as Dryden’s predecessor in the novel Crimson Climb. The recent Shadow Lord comic confirms that Maul was the one who helped Dryden take over Crimson Dawn from Rintero.

In episode 9, Master Daki finally calls Maul by his title, “Shadow Lord.” This is the first time in this new Star Wars series that Daki has formally acknowledged Maul’s power and status as a dangerous dark side user, even though he’s no longer a Sith Lord. It’s a significant recognition of the threat Maul still poses.

The characters Vario and Brander Lawson likely have a shared past, hinted at in episode 9 of Shadow Lord. They previously worked together—Vario as a powerful crime boss and Lawson as a police captain. Details about their earlier relationship can be found in the official Star Wars: Shadow of Maul comic series published by Marvel.

Darth Maul’s powerful destruction of an early AT-ST walker strongly recalls the gameplay of the Force Unleashed video games. Like the games’ hero, Starkiller (also played by Sam Witwer), Maul defeated the vehicle using a combination of the Force and his lightsaber, mirroring the way players would take down AT-STs in those games using Force powers and lightsaber combat.

Previous episodes of Shadow Lord revealed that Darth Maul’s double-bladed lightsaber could be split into two separate blades, similar to Cal Kestis’ lightsabers in the Jedi video games. However, episode 9 is the first time we see Maul actually use this ability, splitting his lightsaber and fighting with two blades. This new fighting style, demonstrated while battling two Imperial Inquisitors, highlights Maul’s exceptional skill and mastery of different lightsaber techniques.

Darth Vader makes a stunning appearance, interrupting a confrontation between Maul and his allies in the misty swamps near Janix City. A fierce lightsaber battle erupts between Vader and his former apprentice, Maul, with help from Vader’s Inquisitors, Devon Izara, and Master Daki. This moment is anticipated to become a legendary event celebrated on future Star Wars Days.

The misty, swampy landscape and ruined temple strongly remind players of Alan Dean Foster’s 1978 novel, Splinter of the Mind’s Eye. This book was originally conceived as a low-cost follow-up to A New Hope if the first Star Wars film hadn’t been a hit. Though The Empire Strikes Back (1980) eventually took its place, it’s neat to see Shadow Lord drawing inspiration from one of the earliest stories created outside of the main films.

Darth Vader is instantly recognizable thanks to his breathing and the powerful theme music known as The Imperial March. Just as seeing Vader without hearing his breathing would feel wrong, so would a scene without his signature music. Thankfully, both final episodes of Shadow Lord include this iconic theme.

Darth Maul was significantly weaker than Darth Vader and almost lost the fight several times due to Vader’s overwhelming power. He only managed to last as long as he did because Devon and Master Daki helped him.

It’s easy to understand why Maul sought out Ezra as a new apprentice in Star Wars Rebels. His certainty that Ezra couldn’t face Vader on his own stemmed from painful lessons from the past, which we’re now learning about in Shadow Lord.

Realizing Darth Vader possessed a power far beyond that of an Imperial Inquisitor, Maul understands Vader is a Dark Lord of the Sith—the one chosen by Darth Sidious to be his new apprentice, replacing Maul himself.

In the final episodes of The Clone Wars, Maul revealed to Ahsoka Tano that he knew Anakin Skywalker was involved in Palpatine’s schemes. Therefore, during their intense confrontation in Shadow Lord, it’s reasonable to assume Maul recognizes the man behind Darth Vader.

Devon’s reaction to the death of her master, Daki, closely mirrors Anakin Skywalker’s fall to the dark side. When Daki is killed by Darth Vader (with a subtle assist from Maul), Devon’s grief is underscored by music strikingly similar to the iconic score that played after Anakin’s brutal actions on Mustafar – the moment he fully became Darth Vader, even as he wept. This musical cue emphasizes Devon’s own descent into darkness.

As expected, a distraught Devon grabs one of Maul’s red lightsabers following Daki’s death, showing she’s overcome with anger towards both the Eleventh Brother and Vader.

Maul deliberately causes a cave-in to delay Darth Vader, allowing him to escape on Dryden’s ship with Devon. He tempts her with the promise of dark side training, hoping she’ll use it to get revenge later. Fueled by anger, Devon tries to hold onto her rage and desire to kill the Inquisitors and Vader, and her voice becomes noticeably deeper and more menacing – a clear indication she’s connecting with the dark side more powerfully than ever before.

Holding onto part of Maul’s lightsaber on Dryden Vos’ ship, Devon declares she’s prepared to learn the ways of the dark side and pursue her vengeance.

This news officially confirms that Devon Izara will be playing Darth Talon, the Twi’lek dark side apprentice of Darth Maul. Darth Talon originated in older Star Wars stories (Legends) and was originally planned by George Lucas to be a major character in the sequel trilogy before Disney acquired the franchise.

You can now watch all episodes of Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord on Disney+, brought to you by Lucasfilm Animation.

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2026-05-04 13:50