How Star Wars’ New Darth Maul TV Show Fits Into The Star Wars Timeline

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The Star Wars timeline has always been a little tricky to understand. Originally, George Lucas revealed he filmed Episodes 4, 5, and 6 first, and the prequel movies had to fill in some gaps to make everything fit together. But things have become even more complex in recent years, especially since Disney acquired Star Wars.

One of the biggest challenges with the Star Wars saga is its habit of bringing characters back to life, even after they appear to have died permanently. The most famous example is Palpatine’s return in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, which sparked a lot of debate among fans. But he’s not the only one – characters like Darth Maul, Boba Fett, and Asajj Ventress have all been resurrected as well.

Darth Maul is getting his own animated Star Wars series called Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord, and fans are curious about where it fits within the overall Star Wars story and timeline. The recent announcement of a second season has only increased that curiosity. Here’s a breakdown of what we know about when the show takes place.

Maul – Shadow Lord Is Set Just After Revenge Of The Sith

Disney has announced that the story of Maul – Shadow Lord begins about a year after the events of Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith, including Order 66 and the collapse of the Jedi Order and the Republic. This timing is especially intriguing, considering what we learned about Maul in Star Wars: The Clone Wars.

In the final episodes of The Clone Wars, Maul was preoccupied with the Siege of Mandalore, continuing his relentless pursuit of power. He’d been struggling since his return from seeming death, discovering that his former master, Palpatine (Darth Sidious), had already moved on and no longer needed him.

During the siege, he encountered Ahsoka Tano, a former Jedi Padawan, and fought her. Surprisingly, Maul also revealed his resentment towards Palpatine for abandoning him, and suggested they were all pawns in a larger scheme – that Palpatine had always intended to corrupt Anakin Skywalker.

He was right, and it was insightful of him – a surprising display of emotion, considering how stoic he was in Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace. Although he survived Order 66, Maul was clearly driven by a desire for revenge against Palpatine for how he’d been treated.

The new story will likely continue to explore Maul’s conflict with Palpatine. A recent teaser for Maul – Shadow Lord featured Palpatine telling Maul he’s been replaced, hinting that Maul will still try to overthrow him. This is a compelling direction, especially considering how dangerous it was for any Force-user – even those who embraced the dark side – during the turbulent Dark Times.

The Story Will Explore Maul’s Survival During The Dark Times

Everything suggests the upcoming Maul – Shadow Lord series will center around two main themes. First, the title ‘Shadow Lord’ implies the show will delve into how Maul rose to power as the leader of the Crimson Dawn crime syndicate, as seen in Solo: A Star Wars Story. Second, the series’ early placement within the ‘Dark Times’ timeline is also a key focus.

Darth Maul used to be the main villain in Star Wars, but the story has moved on. Now, he’d likely be fighting against the Empire and its Inquisitors, just like any other person strong with the Force during that time. As Emperor, Palpatine wouldn’t allow anyone with Force abilities to exist except for himself and Darth Vader, and he ordered the destruction of anyone else who had such powers.

This sets up a dangerous situation for Maul, as the Empire will likely come after him. Trailers for the show hint at exciting lightsaber fights and surprising partnerships, possibly even one between Maul and Devon, a Twi’lek who survived Order 66.

What Happens To Darth Maul After Shadow Lord Explained

The timing of Maul – Shadow Lord is particularly noteworthy because fans already know what happens to Maul afterward. We’ve seen him in Solo, where it’s revealed he’s deeply involved with galactic crime organizations, and later in Star Wars Rebels, set further into the dark period following the fall of the Jedi and the Republic.

In the show, Maul was searching for an ancient Sith artifact and tried to turn Ezra Bridger, Kanan Jarrus’s Jedi apprentice, to the dark side to become his own student. When neither of those plans worked, Maul returned to an old obsession from The Clone Wars: seeking revenge and killing Obi-Wan Kenobi.

Darth Maul sought revenge on Obi-Wan Kenobi ever since their first duel in The Phantom Menace, where Obi-Wan nearly defeated him and severed his legs. The Clone Wars later explained this with the help of robotic legs and the Nightsisters’ magic. Finally, in Rebels, fans witnessed the ultimate showdown between the two Jedi.

As a lifelong fan, it was incredibly moving to see Maul and Obi-Wan finally have their last confrontation. I always knew their rivalry would come to a head! It happened on Tatooine, where Obi-Wan had been laying low since Revenge of the Sith – except for that quick trip to rescue Princess Leia in the Obi-Wan Kenobi series, of course. They fought, and this time, Obi-Wan truly defeated him, finally ending Maul’s life. It was a powerful moment, seeing Maul die in Obi-Wan’s arms during Rebels; it felt like a complete and fitting end to his complex story.

Even though this story takes place years after Maul – Shadow Lord, it still confirms that Maul’s ultimate destiny is already set. This isn’t unusual for Star Wars – we knew Anakin Skywalker would become Darth Vader before the prequel films even began. However, this does mean Maul – Shadow Lord will have some restrictions on the kinds of stories it can explore.

The comic Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord is full of surprises, but its setting – during the early days after the Republic fell – gives us some clues about what will happen in the story. It seems we’ll be seeing more of Maul’s adventures during this dark period in the Star Wars universe.

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2026-04-04 18:09