Star Wars: Maul - Shadow Lord Season 1 Review

Maul – Shadow Lord Season 1 has officially come to an end. Here are my thoughts about the entire season and what I hope to see in the next season.

Simple, but compelling characters

Maul – Shadow Lord introduces a few characters that appear to be there just to fill the gap. Lawson, a law enforcement Captain who doesn’t look too different from any other cop.

His son Rylee is a normal teenager with a fairly normal life – divorced parents and a dad who is too busy working.

Jedi Master Eeko-Dio Daki and Padawan Devon Izara, two Jedi who survived Order 66 and ended up stranded on Janix.

Master Daki is an old and calm Jedi who has given up any hope, while Devon still has some fight in her and refuses to accept being reduced to a simple vagabond.

As the older ones, Lawson and Master Daki have the experience while Devon and Rylee are pretty much learning on the go.

The season finale was the end for Daki and Lawson but it’s just the beginning of Rylee and Devon’s stories.

I’m really intrigued about how these two teenagers will develop in the second season. Devon is going to train under Maul’s guidance to avenge his Master and the other Jedi.

Rylee is kind of stucked between Maul and Crimson Dawn, he can end up working as a mercenary or as a bargain chip to control Devon.

I know that Two-Boots promised to take him to his mother, but that sounds like the worst choice he could make considering everything that happened.

I need to talk about Marrok and “The Crow”. Inquisitors are the Empire’s Jedi Hunters but despite their title, they have failed to capture or kill powerful enemies of the Empire with Cal Kestis, Ahsoka Tano, Ezra Bridger, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Maul being the biggest examples of it.

With the exception of the Second Sister, there hasn’t been an Inquisitor that I consider intimidating until now. The episode where Marrok investigates and “interrogates” Chief Klyce is probably the best depiction of how scary an Inquisitor can be for anyone who isn’t a Jedi.

The Crow didn‘t have the same treatment but at least we got to see more of him after his brief appearances in Tales of the Jedi and Tales of the Empire. In terms of skill, they showed exactly what Inquisitors are capable (and incapable of): Going head to head with a weakened Maul and two starving Jedi.

Maul’s journey

Maul has one of the most interesting arcs in the entire Star Wars franchise. Going from being the apprentice of a Sith Lord, to a strange creatured that survived from trash, then a criminal lord that destroyed any competition, and now back to hide in sewers.

His defeat on Naboo sent him in an endless journey of pain and sorrow that lasts until his dying breath, but knowing how his life ends doesn’t make this anything less interesting.

This series showed Maul in his most vulnerable state: the list of trusting allies can be counted with a single hand, his mechanical legs aren’t working properly, he’s unable to defeat any of the stronger enemies on his own, the Empire is actively hunting him down and the ghosts of his past failures never cease to haunt him.

The scene where Maul apologizes to himself before shedding a tear is arguably the most emotional part of the entire series. Despair, sorrow, hatred, and regret. Everything hits him at once and there’s nothing he can do.

I love the idea of Maul being Star Wars’ Sisyphus. Cheating death only to face eternal punishment in the form of tasks that unmistakingly put him right at the beginning of his downfall time and time again.

Maul was already a fan favorite character but after what Sam Witwer and the people at Lucasfilm did for this series, I think it’s fair to say that he’s going to increase his popularity and rightfully so.

The return of Star Wars’ final boss

Darth Vader’s return was one of the most, if not the most surprising and satisfying moment of the entire series.

Ever since his iconic hallway scene in Rogue One, many of us have been wanting to see more of that unstoppable power that makes him such a terrifying man for both allies and enemies.

We got a small taste of that in Jedi: Fallen Order and Jedi: Survivor but at least to me, that wasn’t enough. Then we saw him briefly in the Clone Wars animated show and Tales of the Empire.

His appearance in the Obi-Wan Kenobi was fun to watch but the fact that he got his ass kicked by Obi-Wan changes the tone of the series. Not that it’s bad thing, but it’s just not what I was looking for when it comes to Vader.

In Maul – Shadow Lord’s season 1 finale, Darth Vader felt once again as the ultimate enemy. One that no one in the show can hope to defeat. It almost (big emphasis in almost) turns it into a horror series.

What made it even better is that Vader didn’t have any dialogues. His mere presence already says everything about what’s going to happen in the nex minutes.

Vader may not appear in the second season and I’d be fine with that, Lucasfilm already delivered an incredible sequence and I’m more than satisfied with it.

The most Astounding Visuals in Animated Series

Choosing to create Janix for the show was probably the best decision the creators could made. It combines elements of Coruscant and Nar Shaddaa that make it the perfect scenario. It’s a dangerous planet full of criminals, a bareboned law enforcement agency, and outside of the Empire’s oversight.

We have to talk about the incredible visuals of the series. Everything looks “alive” while also maintaining the cold appearance of a planet of this type. Dark scenes never feel too dark and whenever there is color, the contrast between these elements is beautiful. The lightsaber duels without a doubt the visual highlight of the series.

This is achieved by the astounding work of the team in charge of the visuals. They mainly use animation but there are also several physical matte paintings, just like George Lucas did in the Original Trilogy.

Good music improves anything

Amazing lightsaber battles paired with epic music are the best combination in Star Wars. Maul – Shadow Lord did not dissappoint with their respective share of epicness. Most lightsaber duels of the show are fine but nothing too memorable.

This is compensated by the incredible last episode that gave us a fighting sequence that is one of the best ones in Star Wars animated shows.

Putting the lightsaber duels aside, Kevin Kiner continues to deliver with every show that he works on. Clone Wars, Rebels, the Bad Batch, Ahsoka and now Maul – Shadow Lord.

Making homage to John William’s iconic pieces while also adding elements that make them different enough is no easy task. The visuals and story of this show are fantastic, but the music enhances the entire experience and takes it to the next level.

What’s next?

Well, we know that Season 2 of Shadow Maul is coming. Sam Witwer teased that we won’t have to wait “too long”. My guess is that it will take a year or two until it releases.

It will finally answer how Maul ends up stranded on Malachor V, and most importantly; What happens to Devon Izara?

This first season was already very for Maul. He lost Scorn, Icarus, Rook Cast, and the loyal Spybot but considering the state he’s in during his encounter with Ezra, it’s probably safe to say that the worst is yet to come.

Animated shows are consistently good but there’s always something that prevents them from being perfect, at least for me. This is the closest one has been to perfection.

Season 1: Review Card

This entire review as well as the summary in the review card below are all based on our own opinions as fans of the franchise. We would love it if you shared your thoughts.

Full Title:

Maul – Shadow Lord

Era

Reign of the Empire

Release

April 6, 2026

Length

10 Episodes

Similar

The Clone Wars

Rebels

For

Fans of Maul

Anyone who likes animated Star Wars

The Good

Fantastic story

Shows Maul’s at its best/worst

Compelling characters

Amazing finale

The Bad

Slow start

Ratings

Story

Character Depth

Surprise factor

Visuals and music

Pace

Final Verdict

4.9

Average of the 5 categories

Individual Episode Reviews

We have in-depth reviews of each episode of the show's first season. If you have enjoyed Maul - Shadow Lord as much as we did, you will definitely be left craving for more after the Season Finale and we have much more to offer. Check below!