8 Years Later, Star Wars Is Officially Fixing Solo

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Be warned: this article reveals key plot points from the final two episodes (9 and 10) of Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord season 1.

In May 2018, Disney and Lucasfilm released Solo: A Star Wars Story, the second standalone film in the Star Wars franchise. However, it wasn’t well-received by audiences. The movie showed a younger Han Solo—played by Alden Ehrenreich—and explored his life before he became the famous character known from the original films. It revealed how he met Chewbacca (Joonas Suotamo) and Lando Calrissian (Donald Glover), and detailed his romantic relationship with Qi’ra (Emilia Clarke), who was involved with the criminal organization Crimson Dawn.

While Solo wasn’t a complete failure with critics, it wasn’t as well-received as most other Star Wars films. It has a 69% rating on Rotten Tomatoes from critics and a 63% audience score. However, the movie didn’t perform well at the box office, earning only $393 million globally. This makes it the lowest-grossing film in the entire Star Wars saga.

Solo: A Star Wars Story isn’t considered one of the strongest films in the Star Wars franchise. Although it was an enjoyable adventure, it didn’t significantly contribute to the established Star Wars storyline. But now, eight years later, the Disney+ animated series Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord is addressing a major weakness of Solo. The show revisits a character who felt underdeveloped in Solo, and gives them a much larger and more important role in the wider Star Wars universe.

Maul And Dryden Vos Reunite In Shadow Lord Season 1’s Final Episodes

In Solo: A Star Wars Story, Emilia Clarke’s character, Qi’ra, worked for the crime boss Dryden Vos (Paul Bettany). She ultimately betrayed and killed Dryden, then falsely accused Tobias Beckett (Woody Harrelson) of the murder when reporting to Maul. At this point in the Star Wars story, Maul was the leader of the Crimson Dawn criminal organization, meaning he was Dryden’s superior. However, this ending didn’t quite resonate with viewers. The characters weren’t explored deeply enough, and the reveal didn’t feel satisfying on screen.

Following the film Solo, Dryden Vos briefly appeared in season 7 of Star Wars: The Clone Wars as a member of Maul’s criminal organization, the Shadow Collective. Now, the comic series Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord has reintroduced Vos as a key player. Voiced by Scott Whyte, Dryden appears in the final two issues of Shadow Lord season one to rescue Maul and help him flee the Imperial planet Janix.

In season 1 of Shadow Lord, episode 9, “Strange Allies,” Dryden reaches out to Maul with a deal: he’ll help Maul and his group escape Janix if Maul assassinates Rintero, the leader of Crimson Dawn. Dryden follows through on his promise in episode 10, “The Dark Lord,” meaning Maul is now obligated to eliminate Rintero and pave the way for Dryden to take control of Crimson Dawn. Dryden Vos is becoming a more prominent character, and this development sets the stage for an even more engaging season 2 of Shadow Lord.

Shadow Lord Season 2 Could Retroactively Make Solo Better

Despite any strengths Solo: A Star Wars Story possesses, Dryden Vos isn’t one of them. He didn’t quite work as a memorable Star Wars villain, making his death feel underwhelming. It’s worth noting that Paul Bettany took over the role after Michael K. Williams, originally cast as an alien, couldn’t participate in additional filming. The changes made to fit Bettany into the role may have unfortunately weakened the character.

I have to admit, Dryden Vos felt a little underdeveloped in Solo. But I’m really excited about the second season of Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord because I think it has the potential to finally show us what a truly dangerous and complex character he is. I’m hoping we’ll get some backstory – like how he got those scars – and a better understanding of his motivations within Crimson Dawn. Solo only gave us a glimpse, but I believe the animated series can give Dryden the depth he deserves, just like it did with Maul. Plus, seeing Dryden and Maul work together – even if they don’t exactly like each other – sounds fantastic. I’m really curious to see if Dryden can actually challenge Maul’s intelligence and strategic thinking!

While Dryden Vos’s plan with Maul won’t fully work – as shown in Solo, Maul is actually the one in charge of Vos and Crimson Dawn – the Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord series could still make Dryden a more interesting character. If it does, that would ultimately improve how fans view Solo: A Star Wars Story and its place in the larger Star Wars story.

All episodes of Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord season 1 are streaming now, only on Disney+.

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2026-05-06 15:48