Maul – Shadow Lord is the final chapter of Maul’s story. This guide covers every essential piece of content you need to experience to understand what is going to happen in the series fully.
Somehow, Darth Maul returned in 2012. Since then, there have been multiple stories that are very important to the Star Wars canon. Particularly, everything that happens in the animated series.
Maul – Shadow Lord is releasing on Disney Plus on April 6, 2026. In this series, we’ll witness how the former Sith Lord creates a criminal empire during the reign of the Galactic Empire. You can learn more about the show’s release schedule, cast and plot from our previous post.
If you’ve been out of the loop, it can be overwhelming when you’re not sure where to start your preparations. I divided the content into two categories: essentials and supplemental.
Please note I wrote this guide assuming you have already watched at least Star Wars Episodes I to VI.
Essentials
These are key to understanding the big picture. Some events and characters that might appear or be mentioned in Maul – Shadow Lord have their origins in these series and comics.
The Clone Wars (select episodes)
The Clone Wars take place between Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith. Over a span of seven seasons, The Clone Wars explores the conflict between the CIS and the Galactic Republic.
A good portion of it focuses on Anakin, Obi-Wan, and other notable Jedi leading the Grand Army of the Republic against General Grievous and his droid army, but the great thing about this series is that it focuses on both sides.
This is where you learn how Maul survived his legendary duel with Obi-Wan and how that defeat has permanently scarred his mind. You will also learn about Dooku, Grievous, Asajj Ventress, and other dark-siders related to Maul.
The episodes I recommend you watch:
- Movie
- Season 2: 12-14
- Season 3: 5-6, 12-14
- Season 4: 19-22
- Season 5: 1, 14-16
- Season 7: 5-12
Important characters or themes that might appear or be mentioned in Maul – Shadow Lord: Ahsoka Tano, Rook Kast, Darth Vader, The Shadow Collective, Savage Oppress, Mother Talzin, Zabrak warriors, The Black Sun, The Pyke Syndicate.
Shadow of Maul
This is a brand new miniseries releasing on March 4, 2026. It serves as a direct tie-in between Season 7 of The Clone Wars and Maul – Shadow Lord. The story takes us to Janix, a planet beyond the reach of the Empire.
The characters who appear on the cover are Captain Brander Lawson and Two Boots, two local enforcers trying to keep the city secure from the criminal lords who have infested it.
Rebels (select episodes)
Rebels is another beloved animated series that takes place between Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope. With the Empire ravaging the galaxy without anyone to oppose them, small groups across the galaxy start to organize and ultimately become what we know as rebel cells.
Some of the characters survived the Clone Wars, and/or the Jedi Purge. This includes both “heroes and villains” from that era. But this isn’t the Clone Wars anymore.
Old allegiances and rivalries mean nothing when the Empire sends its most dangerous servants to hunt down everyone who poses a threat to the Empire.
Please note that the events of this series happen after Maul – Shadow Lord.
Important characters or themes that might appear or be mentioned in Maul – Shadow Lord: Mandalorians, Inquisitors, Darth Vader, Ahsoka Tano, Malachor IV.
The episodes I recommend you watch:
- Season 1: 1-2,5, 8-10, 12-15
- Season 2: 1-2, 10-11, 13, 15, 18, 21-22.
- Season 3: 1-4, 7, 10, 11, 15-18, 20.
Son of Dathomir
This four-issue comic book miniseries published by Dark Horse is an adaptation of unproduced episodes of The Clone Wars Season 6. So you should read these between seasons 5 and 7 of The Clone Wars.
In this story, Maul targets both Count Dooku and General Grievous as part of his personal vendetta against Darth Sidious. Everything turns more chaotic when the Republic gets involved and tries to kill three birds with one shot.
Since this is part of the Clone Wars, you can expect to see a lot of Mandalorians and Nightsisters. A must-read for anyone who wishes to understand what happened to Maul before the seventh and final season of The Clone Wars.
Darth Maul (2017)
In 2017, Marvel released a five-issue miniseries that revolves around Maul’s life before The Phantom Menace. At this point, Maul is still an apprentice who isn’t strong enough to engage Jedi Knights in direct combat. Instead, Darth Sidious sends him to hunt down crime lords.
In one of his missions, he encounters a Jedi Padawan. The perfect opportunity for Maul to test his strength against a formidable opponent, but that isn’t as dangerous as a Jedi Knight or Jedi Master. It sounds fairly simple, but it explores Maul’s relationship with the dark side of the Force in a way that is rarely explored in other media.
Supplemental
Consuming the contents listed below will enrich your knowledge of the Star Wars lore. Ignoring it won’t hurt your experience, but if you decide to give it a try, it’ll enhance it by adding nuances and depth.
Tales of the Empire
Episodes 4-6 of Tales of the Empire show how Jedi became Inquisitors and what is expected of them. As the Shadow of Maul trailer showed, we are going to see Inquisitors in the show, so this is a good but short story that will give more context about them.
Darth Maul: Black, White, and Red
This miniseries is about Palpatine sending Maul to investigate and deal with a dangerous cult aboard a prison ship. What he finds here is nothing but nightmare fuel. There is no good vs bad in this story, but a clash between multiple forces of darkness.
Missing this won’t hurt your experience, but it’s definitely a good example of one of Maul’s best moments outside of the screen.
Darth Maul: Shadow Hunter
This novel is included in the Essential Legends Collection, meaning that it’s no longer part of the current canon Star Wars timeline. Nonetheless, it’s still an entertaining story that sets up everything for The Phantom Menace.
If you just want to read something fun about Maul, I suggest giving this one a try. Especially the audiobook, narrated by Sam Witwer (Darth Maul in Clone Wars, Rebels, and Maul – Shadow Lord).
Recommended Order
This is our complete recap of the viewing and reading order of all our essential and supplemental recommendations. In this table, Essentials are listed in chronological order. You have a decent amount of time to catch up before the series’ release.
Please note that the “buy” links in the table below have an Amazon affiliate tag. If you purchase something after clicking on them, we may get a small commission at no extra cost to you.
If you are viewing this table on a small screen, scroll horizontally to see the full contents.
| Title | Key Moments | Buy | Description | Cover | Importance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Darth Maul (2017) | Full Series | BUY | Before the Trade Federation blockade, a restless Maul hunts his first Jedi against Sidious’s orders. Takes place before The Phantom Menace | | Essential |
| 2. The Clone Wars | Movie Season 2: 12-14 Season 3: 5-6, 12-14 Season 4: 19-22 Season 5: 1, 14-16 | WATCH BUY | The epic animated series detailing the battles of the Clone Wars, significantly developing Anakin, Obi-Wan, and introducing Ahsoka Tano. The Series starts with a full feature animated movie. |  | Essential |
| 3. Son of Dathomir | You can consider this Clone Wars Season 6 | BUY | Based on unproduced Clone Wars scripts, this story follows Maul after his capture by Sidious and reveals his role in the Siege of Mandalore. | | Essential |
| 4. The Clone Wars | Season 7: 5-12 | WATCH BUY | The continuation and epic conclusion of the fan-favorite animated series, leading directly into the birth of the Empire and Episode III. | | Essential |
| 5. Shadow of Maul | Full Series | BUY | Direct tie-in between Season 7 of The Clone Wars and Maul – Shadow Lord. Read right before Maul – Shadow Lord | | Essential |
| 6. Star Wars Rebels | Season 1: 1-2, 5, 8-10, 12-15 Season 2: 1-2, 10-11, 13, 15, 18, 21-22 Season 3: 1-4, 7, 10, 11, 15-18, 20 Watch after Maul – Shadow Lord | WATCH BUY | The Spectres, a small rebel cell led by Kanan and Hera, fight the Empire and help form the larger Rebel Alliance. |  | Essential |
| Tales of the Empire | Episodes 4-6 | WATCH | A dual-timeline miniseries that tells the stories of Barriss Offee and Morgan Elsbeth across different moments of their lives. Read our review and full breakdown of the series. | | Supplemental |
| Darth Maul: Black, White, and Red | Full Series | BUY | Palpatine sends Maul to investigate and deal with a dangerous cult aboard a prison ship. What he finds here is nothing but nightmare fuel. Happens before Phantom Menace. | | Supplemental |
| Darth Maul: Shadow Hunter | Not considered canon. Audiobook is narrated by Sam Witwer himself! | BUY | Darth Sidious is taking the first step in his master plan to bring the Republic to its knees. |  | Supplemental |
FAQ
Just like Boba Fett, he was brought back by the fandom. The story of his survival and return is unveiled in The Clone Wars animated series.
Of course you can. However, you will be missing out on a ton of context of both events and characters that are relevant not only to the past but to what happens after this series.
Many episodes of that season were cancelled and never produced. In fact, you will notice that most of the season feels like it’s too disconnected from everything that happened before. This was a huge disappointment for fans because there were so many questions left unanswered.
Six years after Season 6, the seventh and final season of the series was finally released, providing many of the answers we wanted and connecting to other media like Revenge of the Sith and Star Wars Rebels.
Maul’s story officially ends in Season 3 of Star Wars Rebels.
We have the same guide with everything you should watch (and play) before The Mandalorian and Grogu movie, releasing May 22, 2026! Be prepared!
