Maul: Shadow Lord Is A Superfluous But Fun Star Wars Adventure
Star Wars animation has never looked better, even if it’s not required watching.
When Maul: Shadow Lord was announced, I thought I knew what I was in for: Star Wars’ take on The Penguin, a dark, noir-esque story of a minor villain from a previous movie trying to build a crime empire. And, considering how shockingly great The Penguin was, my expectations were high.
But this series is something different entirely. While it does have the noir tone like I thought it would, its true story is of a land fighting under the oppression of the Empire, and going to great lengths before admitting to yourself who is truly in control. It may not be Maul now, but with the Solo post-credits scene and a Season 2 renewal already in the bag, this is just a sumptuous first step as to what’s ahead.
Set only a year after Order 66, Maul: Shadow Lord is set on the planet of Janix, where the authorities and crime syndicates exist in tenuous balance. Into that equation enter two opposing forces: Maul (Sam Witwer), looking to make his own claim and take out the syndicates one by one, and Detective Brander Lawson (Wagner Moura), a space cop looking to take down Maul by himself.
Meanwhile, young Jedi Devon Izara (Gideon Adlon) and her master Eeko-Dio-Daki (Dennis Haysbert) are left to beg on the street until Maul offers her an enticing offer, but one that would mean compromising all the beliefs she’s come to hold dear.
Is Maul: Shadow Lord as essential to the Star Wars universe as, say, The Mandalorian and Grogu or Starfighter? Probably not: these are mostly characters we’re learning about for the first time, and while it’s interesting to see Maul and Mandalorian Rook Kast again, it isn’t the sort of story that shifts canon.
But that’s not why we watch Star Wars. Andor didn’t need to exist, and you can still watch Rogue One without it, but it provides so much context and worldbuilding that it’s become a high point of the franchise. Maul has definitely learned from this, crafting a cat-and-mouse story between Lawson and Maul that often feels more Catch Me If You Can than A New Hope.
The highlight of the series by far is in the small details, like Lawson’s droid partner Two-Boots (Richard Ayoade), who isn’t just a play-by-the-rules cop; he’s literally programmed to follow protocol and wants to call in the Empire as soon as possible. Lawson’s son is even a star athlete, playing a new game native to Janix that looks an awful lot like Jai Alai. Meanwhile, his ex-wife is now working for the Empire. It’s these little glimpses into life on Janix that make it feel more like a detective story than a Star Wars story, and that’s a high compliment in this case.
Maul: Shadow Lord’s best character is actually Brander Lawson, the man pursuing Maul.
Lawson is this series’s secret weapon; he exists in the gray area between loving law and order as a law enforcement officer, but still does everything he can to avoid asking the Empire for reinforcements. As he says, once they arrive, they’ll never leave, something we’ve seen time and time again throughout Star Wars history. It’s a perfect example of how the Empire’s takeover of the galaxy wasn’t instant after Order 66; it was a slow but never-ceasing process.
Upon watching the finale, it’s obvious why this series nabbed a Season 2 renewal before it even premiered: this is very clearly just the start to the story, and Maul has a long way to go before he hits his peak. If carefully paced, the story of Maul — and the story of Devon and Brander — could last for seasons more, shining light on other parts of the Star Wars galaxy you might not think about.
Maybe this isn’t Star Wars’ Penguin. After all, that show never got a Season 2. Maybe this is more Star Wars’ Task, a detective story full of shifting loyalties and morally complex questions. And there’s always room for more of that in this galaxy.
