Over 25 years ago, Darth Maul was killed off in his first appearance in Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace. However, Maul’s popularity eventually led to his return in the Star Wars animated series The Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels. Maul was killed off for a second time in Rebels season 3, but even that won’t be the end of his story. During Star Wars Celebration, Lucasfilm announced Maul: Shadow Lord, a new animated series featuring Darth Maul in the leading role.
The series will be set between The Clone Wars and the first appearance of Maul on Star Wars Rebels, when he was a broken man and bereft of the criminal empire he had built for himself. Shadow Lord will also feature Maul taking on an apprentice, but the identity of that character wasn’t confirmed. Sam Witwer, who voiced Maul in The Clone Wars and Rebels, will once again reprise his role for the show.
Witwer also voiced Maul’s last appearance in live-action, during a cameo in Solo: A Star Wars Story. In that scene, Maul was in control of a criminal organization known as Crimson Dawn. Han Solo’s former lover, Qi’ra (Emilia Clarke), choose to return to Maul’s service rather than stay with Han. Although Qi’ra has resurfaced in Marvel’s Star Wars comics, the story of her time with Maul remains largely unexplored. Maul: Shadow Lord could potentially address that lingering thread. But for now, there’s no indication that Qi’ra will be the apprentice in that series.
Among the other reveals from the first day of Star Wars Celebration 2025, Lucasfilm showed off the first footage from The Mandalorian & Grogu. Star Wars: Starfighter — the previously rumored movie starring Ryan Gosling from director Shawn Levy — was also formally announced for a May 2027 debut. More Star Wars news may be shared this weekend.